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Shirou pushed the door of Hearth Mansion wider open, and the smell of smoke immediately greeted him so strongly that it stung his nose. Even in the grand living room, the pungent scent of something burnt had already permeated the air.
With quick steps, he followed the source of the smell—crossing the marble hallway, passing the velvet sofa, until he finally arrived at the large kitchen located on the side of the mansion.
As soon as he opened the kitchen door—
WOOSH!!
Thick smoke rushed straight into his face, making him cough slightly.
COUGH! "...Good grief."
In the middle of the messy kitchen, a large pot on the stove emitted small, flickering flames. The smell of burnt oil and charred spices filled the room. The pot was burning from the inside—the remnants of oil and sliced chilies had turned into a blackened crust.
Hestia, wearing a light blue apron now covered in stains, ran around frantically while shouting, "Bell! Quick, get some water!! We have to put out the fire right now!"
"Yes! On it, Goddess!" Bell, who also looked flustered, immediately ran toward the water bucket they usually used for washing dishes.
"Wait!"
A calm yet firm voice cut through the chaos. Hestia and Bell froze in place.
"Shirou!" Hestia exclaimed in surprise. "You're here already!"
Shirou nodded quickly, then stepped toward the still-burning stove.
"Don't use water. This is a grease fire. If you pour water on it, the flames could flare up and burn down the entire kitchen."
Bell stared at him in panic. "Then... what should we do?!"
With swift and steady movements, Shirou grabbed a metal lid from the nearby rack, then slowly—very carefully—placed it over the burning pot. The flames, which had been dancing wildly, were now starved of oxygen and gradually died down, leaving behind thin smoke and a lingering spicy smell.
Shirou turned off the stove and moved the pot away from the heat source.
"Done," he said, wiping sweat from his temple. "It's safe now."
Hestia immediately approached and raised both hands in the air. "Waaah! Shirou, you really saved my kitchen today!"
"I just... happened to know what to do," Shirou replied modestly.
But before he could say more—
"HACCHUU!"
Shirou sneezed violently, causing his body to lurch forward slightly. His eyes watered.
"Ugh... the chilies... are way too strong..."
"Oh!" Hestia stepped closer, also holding her nose. "Ah, right. I was trying to make spicy Jagamaru-kun... maybe I used three times the amount of chilies I was supposed to..."
"...Are you sure it wasn't ten times?" Shirou muttered under his breath before sneezing again.
"Hacchuu!"
Hestia patted her own cheeks and sighed. "I bought these chilies from Demeter's shop, Shirou. They're supposedly the spiciest in all of Orario. They say just a few of them can make a Minotaur shed tears..."
Shirou, still wiping his nose with his sleeve, clicked his tongue softly. "No wonder... my head feels like it's burning... But why were you suddenly making spicy Jagamaru-kun anyway?"
He looked at Hestia with a mix of curiosity and resignation while clear mucus began to drip from his nose, forcing him to wipe it away again.
Hestia turned to him, her blue eyes sparkling despite the soot smudges on her face. "Because you came to my new home today, Shirou!" she said, spreading her arms wide. "I wanted to welcome you with something special—something... unique! And I wanted to try a new flavor too!"
She lowered her head slightly, her black hair covering her face. "But well... it looks like it was a total failure. Not at all what I imagined..."
Bell, who had now returned with a bucket full of water—thankfully unused—walked over and set it down with a smile. "It's okay, Goddess. Your effort was amazing. Besides, we're all still alive, right?"
Hestia slowly lifted her head and looked at Bell, her eyes glistening. "Bell... you're such a sweet child...!"
Tap-tap— The sound of quick footsteps echoed from the hallway leading to the still-smoky, chili-scented kitchen. A woman appeared in the doorway, her black hair tied in a high ponytail, wearing a simple purple kimono tightly secured by a sarashi around her chest. Her face was tense, and her voice was high-pitched as she called out, "Goddess Hestia! Are you alright?! I smelled something burning from the backyard garden!"
"It's fine, it's fine, Mikoto..." Hestia replied, waving her hand with a slightly embarrassed expression. She pointed at Shirou, who stood by the kitchen counter while sneezing lightly. "The fire's already been put out... But I ended up troubling our guest instead..."
"Ha-hacchuu...!" Shirou sneezed again, awkwardly raising a hand to signal that he was fine. "It's no problem, really... just a bit too much chili smoke..."
Behind Mikoto, another figure appeared. A young woman with long, golden-blonde hair cascading like a waterfall, her fox ears twitching slightly. She wore a clean and elegant maid outfit, contrasting with her nervous expression. She immediately bowed deeply. "Thank you very much for helping to extinguish the fire, Master Shirou."
Shirou, unprepared for such a formal greeting—especially from the fox maid—scratched his cheek, unsure how to respond. "Ah... y-you're welcome..."
Bell, noticing Shirou's hesitation, stepped forward and introduced them warmly. "Ah, right, Shirou, this is Mikoto—she used to be a member of the Takemikazuchi Familia. She joined and became a member of the Hestia Familia after the War Game against Apollo."
Mikoto bowed respectfully. "I owe Bell a great debt. That's why I decided to stay and serve under Goddess Hestia."
Shirou nodded politely. "I remember that War Game... I watched it from Twilight Manor. You all really pulled off a surprise back then."
Hestia then pointed to the fox woman. "And this is Haruhime."
The fox woman straightened up gently and spoke in a soft tone. "I... am a former prostitute saved by Bell from the Ishtar Familia. As a token of gratitude, I've chosen to serve as a maid and attend to Bell..."
"Eeehh—that's not how it is!!" Hestia interjected, jumping forward. Her petite body moved swiftly until she stood right in front of Haruhime, hands on her hips, and cheeks puffed out. "The way you say it makes it sound like you're completely devoting yourself to Bell! That's not allowed! You're a Familia member too, not a blindly obedient servant!"
She then pointed dramatically at Haruhime. "And one more thing! I know you're acting all sweet and gentle and everything, but—don't you dare try to seduce Bell, okay? That's forbidden territory!"
Haruhime simply bowed deeply, her cheeks reddening, while Bell, behind them, flailed his hands in panic. "Ehh! That's not—I wouldn't—it's not like she's seducing me either!!"
Shirou, standing slightly to the side, could only suppress a small chuckle, thinking that the atmosphere in this Familia... was chaotic but warm.
Haruhime quickly lifted the hem of her maid skirt slightly and bent down, reaching for a cloth and a small bucket. "In that case, allow me to clean up the burnt chili residue," she said softly.
Bell, who had already fetched water, smiled and pitched in. "I'll help too, Haruhime! At least the kitchen isn't completely charred."
As the two began cleaning the burnt chili remnants from the floor and kitchen walls, Hestia stood near Shirou with a regretful expression. "Sigh... I was so excited too..." she muttered, holding her own hands. She turned to Shirou with a slightly dejected smile. "I really wanted to make a special snack for you, Shirou. But it turned into a disaster instead."
Shirou responded with a calm expression. "It's fine, Hestia. The thought alone makes me happy."
Seeing Hestia's expression, Mikoto stepped forward and offered, "If it's alright, I'll prepare the snacks instead. Goddess Hestia should accompany our guest on a tour of the house. Besides... you almost burned down the kitchen."
"Eh? Seriously, you'll cook?" Hestia turned to her with sparkling eyes.
Mikoto nodded slowly. "Of course. I also need to check if the kitchen tools are still usable."
"Waaah~ You're my savior today, Mikoto!" Hestia cheered before immediately turning back to Shirou and linking her arm with his. "In that case, Shirou! Come with me~ I'll show you our brand new Hearth Mansion! My new home is even bigger than the Guild's office, you know!"
Shirou could only smile resignedly, letting the petite goddess drag him along with boundless energy, while behind them, the sounds of Bell and Haruhime working together to clean and Mikoto inspecting the salvageable ingredients filled the air.
Hestia pulled Shirou deeper into the mansion, skipping lightly with energetic steps. "Look, Shirou! This is the bathhouse! It's huge, right? The hot water comes directly from the underground heating system—so it's not just for relaxing but also for healing fatigue after the Dungeon!"
The sliding door opened, revealing a spacious bathhouse with thin steam rising from the water's surface. Shirou nodded in admiration. "It feels like a high-class public bath..."
"Ehehe~ Wait until you see the next place!" Hestia closed the door and dragged Shirou out through a side hallway to the outdoor courtyard.
The sound of clanging metal echoed clearly there—clang! clang!—and the scent of hot iron greeted them.
"Here's the forge! Look, Welf's working hard over there," Hestia said, pointing toward a red-brown-haired man busy forging a sword. Welf only glanced briefly and nodded before refocusing on his work.
Hestia descended three steps and led Shirou to the mansion's central courtyard.
"Now, this is the courtyard we use for light training. Sometimes Bell and Mikoto spar here early in the morning!" she explained proudly, spreading her arms wide.
Shirou looked around with deep respect. "You all really make good use of this place..."
Then, his gaze landed on a section of the wall near the mansion's entrance, where a large metal emblem shaped like a bell encircled by flames was mounted. Shirou approached and stared at it silently.
"...This emblem..." he murmured softly. "I know Familia emblems have meanings. For example, the Loki Familia's emblem is a jester, symbolizing Loki's own cunning and playful nature. But... a burning bell? What does it mean?"
Hestia stepped closer and also gazed at the symbol. Her eyes softened, and her voice grew quieter. "That... is the symbol of our bond."
"Hm?"
"I am the Goddess of the Hearth. And he..." Hestia smiled faintly, her eyes filled with meaning as she looked at the emblem. "He is Bell Cranel, the little bell brave enough to challenge the world."
She touched the emblem with her fingertips. "The hearth's flame will always be a home for that bell. No matter how many times the world strikes him, I'll still be here, burning, shining... for him."
Shirou fell silent, looking at Hestia with a gentle expression. He had never seen the goddess's emotional side so clearly before. Behind her childish antics and spoiled demeanor lay deep affection and loyalty.
"...An eternal bond, huh," Shirou said quietly.
"Yup!" Hestia replied cheerfully, her mood instantly brightening again. "But don't be jealous, Shirou! You're special too! I'm glad you came today."
Shirou scratched his head, which wasn't itchy. "Heh... thanks."
Hestia opened next door and stepped inside with light steps. "And this... is our library!" she declared proudly.
Shirou followed behind, his eyes immediately catching the rows of tall wooden shelves filled with books of various sizes and colors. The air in the room felt slightly cooler and quieter than the rest of the mansion, with the faint scent of old paper lingering.
"Hmm... It's quite neat," Shirou mused, running his fingers along the edge of a shelf. "But this room is pretty spacious. Was it always like this?"
"Ahaha, actually... You wouldn't believe it," Hestia answered, placing her hands on her hips and shaking her head in amusement. "When this mansion still belonged to Apollo... this entire room was filled with statues of him."
"Statues of him?" Shirou furrowed his brows.
"From wall to wall!" Hestia pointed emphatically at every corner of the room. "Some sitting, some standing, some lying down, and even some singing! All made of marble! Do you know how narcissistic he was?"
Shirou suppressed a chuckle, imagining a large room filled with dramatic statues of a god. "That's... incredible... in the worst way."
Hestia snorted. "That's why I had Welf and Bell haul all those statues out when we first moved in. I couldn't stand relaxing or reading while being stared at by dozens of Apollo's faces from every angle!"
Shirou smiled faintly, then asked seriously, "Speaking of Apollo... aren't you worried he might seek revenge? I mean, after the War Game, he lost and was exiled from Orario. A god... might not take that defeat lightly."
Hestia folded her arms, her expression growing calmer, even wiser. "Hmm... not really, Shirou. Honestly, Apollo has many flaws—especially his brain being used for perverted things. But he's not the type to hold grudges. Even back in Tenkai, he wasn't a god who clung to anger for long."
Shirou tilted his head slightly. "But being exiled from Orario..."
"It's not the end of the world," Hestia continued. "Many gods and goddesses live outside Orario and still lead their Familias. Artemis, for example—my friend—she lives outside Orario and rarely even visits big cities."
Shirou nodded slowly, listening attentively.
"Even Zeus..." Hestia added with a smirk. "After he was exiled from Orario, rumor has it he's now traveling the world disguised as an old man. You might've even met him without realizing it."
Shirou blinked. "Wait... an old man?"
"Yeah, a mysterious old man who suddenly appears and speaks in riddles! Hahaha!"
Shirou didn't know whether to laugh or worry. But deep down... a vague memory surfaced of an old man named Mr. Arther who had saved him when he first washed up in this world.
"...Don't tell me...," he murmured softly.
Hestia didn't catch his muttering. She was already heading to the next door. "Come on! There's one more room I want to show you!" she called, waving at him.