"A place this good, I definitely couldn't afford to live here even if I were packaged and sold!"
"Heimdall!"
After saying that...
Hestia immediately picked up the pillow on the sofa, raised her head, and looked over.
"Anyway, you said you'd leave the old house for me to live in."
"In that case, why not just go all the way and let me live here!"
"I eat very little! And I don't take up much space!"
"Even letting me sleep here is fine!"
"Look, this sofa is big and soft! And spacious! It's more than enough for just me!"
Looking at his friend, who had absolutely no divine image...
Heimdall couldn't help but rub the bridge of his nose.
Tsubaki, watching from the side, also covered her face, unable to look. She couldn't help but complain:
"Lady Hestia..."
"Although I know you really want to improve your life..."
"But at least have a little bit of decorum, okay?"
"Staying in the new base of Lord Haimo's Familia like this... if word gets out, other gods will laugh at you!"
"Let them laugh!"
Hestia buried her face back into the pillow, her voice coming out muffled, with a sense of reckless abandon.
"..."
At this point...
Everyone was completely helpless.
At the same time...
Shakti walked up.
She glanced at Hestia, who was still rolling around on the sofa, a flash of bewilderment in her eyes. Then she turned her head and bowed slightly to Heimdall.
"Lord Haimo."
"Since you have now moved into your new home..."
"It is getting late."
"I should also return to report."
"Regarding what happened today..."
Shakti paused, her tone becoming solemn.
"I will report truthfully to Lord Ganesha."
"Regarding a better compensation method, please rest assured. I will discuss it with Lord Ganesha and give you an answer as soon as possible."
"No need to rush, Captain Shakti."
"What you've done today has already made me very happy."
"Give my regards to Ganesha."
"Also, thank you for the hospitality."
"Yes."
Shakti bowed again, then turned around. Her standard light armor reflected a cold, hard luster under the lights as she quickly disappeared at the end of the corridor.
With Shakti's departure...
The originally somewhat stiff atmosphere seemed to relax quite a bit.
"Alright."
Heimdall clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention back.
"Although we have a house and a bath now..."
"But..."
Heimdall pointed at the girls' clothes, which, though not yet ruined, were incredibly dirty.
"You probably don't have a change of clothes yet, do you?"
"It seems all your luggage was left at the Hephaestus Familia's workshop and hasn't been brought over yet."
"Ah..."
Hearing this, the girls looked down at themselves, their faces also showing difficulty.
Indeed.
Without a change of clothes, even if they washed themselves clean, would they have to put these dirty clothes back on?
Wouldn't that be washing for nothing?
"Then should we go back and get them now?"
Rin looked out the window with some hesitation.
"Since we have a home now, it's not good to trouble the people of the Hephaestus Familia to deliver them."
"True."
Heimdall nodded.
"In that case..."
Heimdall rubbed his chin.
"If we go back to get them now..."
"I'll go!"
Before Heimdall could finish...
Tsubaki thumped her chest loudly.
"I have to go back and report to Lady Hephaestus anyway."
"It's on the way."
"I'll take these girls back to get their things and then we'll come back together."
"However..."
"Lord Haimo."
"You see, I've done so much running around today."
At this point...
Tsubaki suddenly chuckled. Her one eye winked at Heimdall, revealing a broad, mischievous grin.
Originally a straightforward and frank Big Sister, she was now being a bit vague.
Seeing "[Cyclops]" acting like this...
Heimdall couldn't help but laugh as well.
"Miss Tsubaki."
"The doors here are always open to you."
"Whether you want to come for a soak, a meal, or just want to find a place to clear your mind."
"As long as Miss Tsubaki wants to come..."
"You are always welcome here."
Heimdall's tone was light.
"Really?!"
"I won't go back on my word!"
Having received an affirmative answer...
Tsubaki's eyes lit up, and she almost gave Heimdall a bear hug.
"Alright!"
"Since Lord Haimo has said so, then I, Tsubaki, can't take advantage for nothing!"
Tsubaki thumped her chest hard.
"From now on!"
"Whether it's weapon maintenance, repairs, or even future upgrades for your Familia, Lord Haimo!"
"It's all on me!"
"As long as I, Tsubaki, have a breath left, I guarantee the tools in their hands will always be the sharpest and most suitable!"
This was a personal promise from one of Orario's leading Master Smiths.
If this were said outside, this single sentence would be enough to make countless Adventurers fight over it.
"Then, thank you."
Heimdall accepted with a smile.
"Alright then!"
Having received a satisfactory answer, Tsubaki was also full of energy.
She turned around and looked at Hestia, who was still clinging to the sofa like an octopus, burying her face in the pillow and playing dead.
"Let's go, let's go! Lady Hestia!"
"Stop loitering here at Lord Haimo's!"
"I need to take them back to the workshop to get their luggage!"
"No way—!"
Hestia let out a tragic wail, her hands gripping the crevices of the sofa tightly.
"I'm not leaving!"
"Let go! Let go of me now!"
"Sacrilege! This is absolute sacrilege!"
Before Hestia could even finish her string of twisted logic...
Tsubaki took a step forward and, like picking up a disobedient kitten, grabbed the back collar of her white divine garment.
Then...
With a slight exert of force...
"Eh, eh, eh?!"
Hestia was lifted completely off the ground, her limbs flailing helplessly in the air.
"Let me go!"
"Tsubaki, you traitorous brat!"
"I am a god! I am a noble goddess, ahhh!"
"Yes, yes, yes, noble Lord Hestia."
Tsubaki completely ignored the struggling goddess in her hand. While carrying her out, she waved to the girls who were still standing there dazed.
"What are you still standing there for?"
"Let's go!"
"Go early and come back early!"
"Ah... yes!"
The girls finally snapped out of it and hurriedly followed.
Just before leaving...
Hestia still wouldn't give up, clinging to the doorframe with her blue eyes looking piteously at Heimdall.
"Heimdall—!"
"You must wait for me!"
"I will definitely be back—!!"
She put on such a dramatic display of life-and-death separation...
That anyone who didn't know better would think she was being kidnapped and sold off.
"..."
Heimdall said nothing, only smiling and waving his hand.
...
"Well then, Lord Heimdall, we're heading out."
"See you in a bit."
Tsubaki waved her hand.
The girls also waved goodbye at the door.
The Black Bear Fierce Person and its cub also gave a simple-minded wave of their paws.
"Mm, go on."
Heimdall stood on the steps, watching the group depart.
The noise gradually faded into the distance.
Until the last figure disappeared around the corner of the street.
...
The smile on Heimdall's face...
At this moment, it slowly receded, like the tide pulling back from the shore.
"..."
Heimdall stood on the steps, turning his head slightly and lightly tapping his long spear on the ground.
*Tack.*
The butt of the spear struck the stone slab, making a soft sound.
His gaze swept over the high walls, accurately piercing through layers of night, and landed on a dark, deep alley across the street.
There...
Was a blind spot that even the streetlights couldn't reach.
Right now...
In Heimdall's eyes...
There...
Was a gaze.
From the moment he left The Hostess of Fertility, it had been stuck to him.
Even when the others were present just now, this gaze had been faintly lingering around him.
It didn't carry any obvious killing intent.
But that sense of tension, scrutiny, and even a hint of alertness...
Was far too obvious.
"Following me all this way."
"Aren't you tired?"
As Heimdall's voice fell...
In that deathly silent shadow...
A ripple finally appeared.
A dark figure quickly retreated from the shadows, using the walls as cover to speed away in the opposite direction.
-------------------------------
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