Chapter 30: Lap Pillow

The kitchen at the "Hostess of Fertility" was highly efficient. After picking up a simple dinner, Liang Yue dragged his exhausted body back to their base.

Although it was the basement of a ruined church, it was perfectly acceptable as a "home." The room was kept spotless, with not a speck of dust even in the furthest corners. Everywhere bore the marks of meticulous care—a task that, for Hestia, was one of the few things she could truly contribute. As a goddess, she was unable to provide her familia members with a better environment, and her daily duties were mostly limited to updating their status. It was clearly not enough.

"I wonder when Liang Yue will be back... I hope his exploration of the Dungeon is going well!" Hestia leaned back against the sofa. Her legs were drawn up, revealing a graceful, elegant silhouette—neither too thin nor too heavy, but simply perfect. She rested her arms gently around her knees, the long wait making her feel as if she were straining her eyes to catch a glimpse of his return.

As footsteps approached, the slight frown on the girl’s face vanished instantly. Seeing the Liang Yue she had been thinking of, her eyes overflowed with tenderness: "Liang Yue, you're home..."

Stepping across the freshly wiped floorboards with her fair, smooth, bare feet, she ran toward him without a moment’s hesitation.

"I stopped by the restaurant and bought some dinner on the way back." Feeling the softness of her arms around his neck, Liang Yue’s smile grew brighter. He lifted the takeout container in his hand and gave it a gentle wave. He didn't need to ask; he knew Hestia certainly hadn't eaten dinner yet.

"Liang Yue."

"Meeting you really is the luckiest thing that has ever happened to me!"

What Hestia cared about was not the meal, but the way Liang Yue cherished her. Even after a grueling and dangerous adventure in the Dungeon, he still kept her—a goddess who couldn't offer him much help—in his heart. Seeing the food on the table and the smile Liang Yue was forcing himself to maintain, she felt a surge of gratitude, but more than that, a pang of heartache.

If she could, she would actually prefer to go back to the time when they had first met. Life had been a bit harder then, and she had to work at a street stall on North Street during the day, but at least... they would have spent more time together every day, rather than putting all the pressure of developing the familia on his shoulders like now.

Just as Hestia was about to say something, she was met with Liang Yue’s sincere and pure gaze. "Meeting Lady Hestia—that is my good fortune as well."

These words were, of course, from the heart. Orario was full of familia groups formed by many gods, but even if he were to join one successfully, it would only provide him with a platform. A goddess like Hestia, who provided food and shelter and poured her entire heart into her children, was truly one of a kind in Orario. The familia was still in its infancy, and while the conditions were a bit rough, Liang Yue felt he could accept it.

"This is the motivation for my daily adventures in the Dungeon."

This sudden, direct confession made Hestia, who had been busy eating, blush deeply, and even the pace of her eating slowed. Such was the nature of gods: the children of the lower world could not lie to them, and Liang Yue’s words were undoubtedly his honest thoughts.

"Liang Yue..."

"Just eat, the food will get cold..." She didn't look up, mostly because Hestia couldn't quite distinguish whether she held feelings of family for Liang Yue or something else entirely... How was she supposed to face it? She had no clue, but if she had to evaluate the dinner, it was exceptionally delicious.

After filling her stomach, the drowsiness that followed the intake of carbohydrates combined with the fatigue to nearly overwhelm Liang Yue.

"Lady Hestia."

"Here is 50,000 Valis. We can return this to Lady Hephaestus tomorrow. As for the rest, I should be able to scrape it together in the next few days."

"..."

"You've really worked hard these past few days, Liang Yue..." Watching Liang Yue, who had fallen asleep right after eating while leaning on the soft sofa, Hestia’s expression was unexpectedly calm. This was the path Liang Yue had chosen, and the goal he persisted in striving for. As a goddess... all she could do was support him!

Noticing Liang Yue’s shallow, steady breathing as he slept, even though his brows remained slightly furrowed, Hestia cleared the table. Once everything was tidied up, she sat down beside him, wrapped her arms around the boy’s neck, and used her own legs as a pillow. With her slender, well-proportioned fingers, she gently massaged his temples until his brows gradually smoothed out.

"Thank you, Liang Yue..."

—

Liang Yue didn't have a very deep impression of what happened last night; after filling his stomach, the fatigue had swept over him like a tide. By the time his body recovered and his spirit was restored, he opened his eyes to the morning of the next day. He was lying on the repeatedly mended sofa, covered by a gray blanket. What caught his attention most... was Hestia lying beside him. In truth, he could have rested longer, but the way Hestia’s arms were tightened around his neck had prompted him to wake.

"I can't quite remember..."

After gently adjusting Hestia’s sleeping posture and washing up, Liang Yue left the familia’s base. He carried the weapon Tsubaki had lent him, restocked his supplies, and after finishing all the necessary preparations for his delve into the Dungeon, he headed decisively toward Babel.

On the way, he stopped by the Hephaestus weapon flagship store in Babel, though Welf was the one watching the shop today. After identifying himself and asking a few simple questions, Liang Yue learned that Tsubaki had only just left the smithy that morning, and she had asked Welf to convey that the delivery of his weapon would be in three days.

Stepping into the Dungeon once more, Liang Yue didn't feel particularly disappointed, though he couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy deep down when he looked at the two mithril shortswords.

"Weapon trial card time running low..."

"I have to speed things up over the next three days. Today's leveling goal: reach Level 20!"

He had already decided on his goal for the day as he headed toward the 7th floor. He chose once again to use "fishing" tactics to lure groups of Murder Ants. Regardless of the experience points or the magic stones dropped, it was currently the fastest way to gain resources, even if the process was a bit tedious.

...

As time passed, fueled by the thought of gaining a new skill, Liang Yue maintained his enthusiasm while clearing out the monsters. Whether it was War Shadows or Underground Lizards, as long as they provided experience points, there was no reason to pass them up.

"Almost there."

His supplies were completely exhausted, and his physical state was nearing its limit. He swung a sword wave, tearing apart the last Murder Ant.

「Exp +68」

It was a mundane increase in experience, yet a notification popped up in the depths of Liang Yue’s mind from the "Sword Soul Template." It forcefully jolted his numb mind, and he looked at the panel in front of him.

"Can you give me a surprise?"

—

「Liang Yue」

「Level: 20」

「Experience: 0.01%」

「Skills: Ghost Sword Mastery (Mastered), Triple Slash (Lv3), Moonlight Slash (Lv3), Backstep Slash (Lv3)」

「SP: 80」

「New skills available for learning. Would you like to view them?」