The moon began to descend from the zenith of Orario's sky as Hestia paced back and forth in front of the old church.
The dim light from the lantern hanging near the entrance cast long shadows that followed the small goddess's figure. She had been waiting for hours, but Bell had not yet returned.
"Stupid Bell-kun!" muttered Hestia, anxiously biting the tip of her finger. "Where has he gone until this late?"
Kazuma clenched his fist behind his back. Watching Hestia continue to pace, he felt like shouting: 'He's just in the Dungeon, he won't die!' But... what was the point? The goddess wouldn't listen to him.
He knew exactly where Bell was—in the Dungeon, driven by Bete's taunts and his desire to prove himself. But Kazuma chose to remain silent. The storyline had to proceed as it should.
"Goddess, we should wait inside," Kazuma finally suggested, seeing Hestia starting to shiver from the night wind. "The air is getting colder."
"No!" Hestia shook her head stubbornly. "I will wait for Bell-kun here. What if he returns injured? Or lost? Or..."
"Bell will be fine," Kazuma said reassuringly, though in his heart he knew the young adventurer might be struggling against monsters in the Dungeon. "He's stronger than we think."
Hestia heaved a long sigh, her hands clutching tightly at her white dress.
"Was I too harsh on him earlier? But... that boy isn't the type to make others worry!"
Kazuma smiled faintly. Behind her possessive and somewhat childish attitude, Hestia truly loved Bell sincerely.
The bond between the goddess and her first child was so strong, something that made Kazuma a little envious.
"Oh my... what if he had an accident? Bell-kun...!" biting her lip, her worry intensified. "What if he was attacked by monsters? Or robbed by evil adventurers?"
"Goddess," Kazuma approached Hestia and placed his hand on her small shoulder.
"Bell isn't a child anymore. He's an adventurer who has received your blessing. Trust him."
Hestia looked up at Kazuma, her blue eyes glistening. There was hesitation there, a mixture of wanting to trust Bell and the worry that continued to gnaw at her.
"You're right," Hestia finally nodded slowly. "I should trust Bell-kun."
But instead of going into the church, Hestia remained standing in place, her eyes fixed on the road leading to the city of Orario.
Kazuma could only sigh and chose to accompany the small goddess as she waited.
Time passed slowly. The flame in the lantern began to dim, a sign that the oil was almost gone.
The silence of the night was only occasionally broken by the sound of crickets and the rustle of wind playing with dry leaves in the church yard.
"You don't need to wait with me, Kazuma-kun," Hestia finally said, breaking the silence. "Rest. You must be tired."
"I'm fine, Goddess," Kazuma replied calmly. "Besides, it's not good to leave you alone outside like this."
Hestia smiled slightly, touched by Kazuma's concern. "You're a good child, Kazuma-kun. Very different from the first impression you gave."
Kazuma laughed softly. "What was my first impression like?"
"Hmm," Hestia tilted her head, thinking. "Arrogant, overconfident, and..." she paused for a moment, "somehow, lonely."
Kazuma was startled. Lonely? Was it that obvious? It felt strange that this small goddess could see the side of him that he had been hiding behind his confident demeanor.
"You're an understanding goddess," commented Kazuma, choosing not to comment on Hestia's analysis of him.
"Of course!" Hestia proudly thumped her chest. "I am Goddess Hestia! Goddess of the hearth, family, and home! Understanding the feelings of my children is my duty!"
They fell silent again, enjoying the peaceful night quiet. In the distance, the morning light began to emerge from behind the walls of Orario city, a sign that dawn would soon break.
Hestia, who had stayed up all night, began to yawn. Her eyes blinked heavily, trying to fight the sleepiness that attacked.
"Goddess, perhaps we should—"
Before Kazuma could finish his sentence, a shadow appeared at the end of the road. A figure stumbling, walking slowly towards the church.
"Bell-kun!" exclaimed Hestia, suddenly fully awake. She ran towards the figure.
Kazuma remained in place, observing from a distance.
As he had expected, Bell Cranel arrived in a worrying condition—his clothes were tattered, his body full of wounds and bruises, his face dirty with dust and dried blood. It was clear he had just returned from the Dungeon.
Hestia approached Bell with a face that was a mixture of relief, worry, and anger. "Bell-kun! Where have you been? Why didn't you come home last night?"
Bell, who looked exhausted, almost fell if Hestia hadn't quickly supported him. His eyes were dim but there was a spark of enthusiasm there.
"To... the Dungeon..." Bell answered weakly, before his body swayed forward and fell into the small goddess's embrace.
"What?!" Hestia's eyes widened in shock. "The Dungeon? At night? Alone?! IDIOT!" Hestia slapped Bell's arm, but immediately hugged him tightly. "I... I was going crazy waiting for you! If you died, I—" Her voice choked.
Bell was silent, not answering the barrage of questions from his goddess. There was guilt in his eyes, but also strong determination.
Hestia, seeing Bell's distressing condition, finally heaved a long sigh. "Alright, I won't interfere anymore," she said, her tone softening.
Gently, Hestia helped Bell enter the church. Bell, though weak, still had the strength to whisper, "Sorry..."
"It's okay," replied Hestia, a warm smile adorning her face. "Take a bath first, then I'll heal your wounds."
"Thank you, Goddess," Bell smiled weakly.
After helping Bell into the church and sitting him on a simple wooden chair, Hestia began preparing warm water and clean cloth to clean Bell's wounds.
"Goddess," Bell called softly as Hestia dipped the cloth into warm water. "You haven't slept all night?"
Hestia paused for a moment, then smiled slightly. "Of course, idiot! How could I sleep when my child didn't come home? I waited for you all night!"
Bell lowered his head, guilt becoming more visible on his face. "I'm sorry, Goddess. I didn't mean to make you worry."
"It's alright," Hestia waved her hand, trying to appear not too concerned though she was clearly very relieved that Bell had returned safely. "What matters is that you're home now."
Gently, Hestia began cleaning Bell's wounds. Every time Bell winced in pain, Hestia would offer a small apology, her hands becoming more careful.
"Actually," Bell said suddenly, breaking the silence, "I went to the Dungeon because... I wanted to prove myself. That I'm not a coward who abandons his friends."
Hestia stopped for a moment, looking at Bell with a confused gaze. "What do you mean?"
Bell told her about the incident at the Hostess of Fertility—about Bete's taunts calling him a coward for leaving Kazuma when fighting the Minotaur.
"So you recklessly entered the Dungeon at night just because of that drunk wolf's taunts?" Hestia furrowed her brow in annoyance. "Stupid Bell-kun! You could have been killed!"
"But Goddess," Bell looked at Hestia with eyes now flashing with determination, "I managed to defeat many monsters alone. I... I'm stronger than I thought."
Hestia fell silent, looking at Bell with a mixture of pride and concern. "It's still dangerous," she finally muttered. "Next time, promise me you won't go alone. At least, take Kazuma-kun with you."
Hearing his name mentioned, Bell suddenly remembered. "Ah, where is Kazuma?"
Hestia looked back, searching for Kazuma who should have been there. However, the room was empty—there were only she and Bell.
"Wasn't he here before?" Hestia furrowed her brow in confusion. "How strange..."
Outside the church, Kazuma had disappeared from his place.
Because there was something he had decided—an important decision that would change his path in this world.