"So you've brought back this little girl from the outside world?" Hephaestus held a teacup, a teasing smile on her lips.
Noah sighed helplessly. "Were you actually listening to what I just said!"
How could someone twist the whole situation into such a misleading summary?
This goddess wasn't usually like this!
Could this be what they call...
What was it again?
Cute aggression?
Was she teasing him because he was too adorable to resist?
"Ah, of course I listened. What, do you want me to praise you? You did a spectacular job." Hephaestus held out a receipt-like document.
"The Guild already sent over the bill—want to see it?"
"..."
Noah took it silently and read:
Road damage: 4 million valis
Building damage: 7.5 million valis
Public facility damage: 2 million valis
He slammed the bill onto the table with a loud thud.
"This isn't a reward, it's a fine! What kind of joke is this?"
He had just wiped out one of the main slave-trader groups working with Evilus!
Since when did the Avengers end up owing money after fighting aliens?
Wait.
Maybe it was because some filthy rich playboy could pay the bill without blinking?
This is exactly why...
Being a hero huh ..... not even dogs would want the job!
"Hmm."
Haruhime mistook Noah's tired look for anger and trembled.
She gently tugged his sleeve.
"I-I'm sorry, Lord Noah. It's all because of me..."
"Stop."
The fox girl's timid voice made Noah swallow his complaints.
He let out a long breath through his nose and said softly, "This has nothing to do with you, Haruhime. I was the one who destroyed those things—for my own reasons."
He added in his mind, 'That's right. I'll settle this properly with that bastard god Hermes.'
"Well, enough small talk. I'm counting on you, Hephaestus."
"As long as you think it's fine."
At Noah's request, Hephaestus agreed to let Haruhime join her Familia.
In Orario, anyone without a Familia had no real place.
If Haruhime ever got into trouble later, he would step in without hesitation.
But that would cause problems.
Since she wouldn't be a Familia member, any help from him could be seen as challenging another Familia.
To avoid that mess ahead of time, giving Haruhime Hephaestus's Falna was the best choice.
It would also unlock her hidden power.
"Now, Haruhime, come sit in front of me and remove your upper garment."
"Y-yes, Goddess-sama."
Facing a real goddess from heaven—and one who led one of Orario's strongest Familias—Haruhime felt nervous.
She sat on the stool and started to untie her clothes, but stopped from shyness.
The little fox's eyes looked ready to cry as she glanced at Noah.
'Ah.'
Noah quickly turned around, pressed his forehead against the cool door panel and kept his hand on the doorknob.
He hadn't realized sooner.
Hephaestus watched the two of them and gave a small, amused smile.
'Heh—what a bunch of cute kids.'
When it came to budding romance, everyone was the same—genius or monster, it didn't matter.
Hephaestus began bestowing the Falna on Haruhime.
Afterwards, she copied the status parameters.
Noah had already told her about the magic beforehand, so the surprise had worn off long ago.
Now that she actually saw it, she wasn't shocked by the heaven-defying power of the 'Uchide no Kozuchi'.
Instead, she gained a deeper understanding of how terrifying the Truth Seeker skill really was.
People in the lower world who hadn't received a blessing were all ordinary mortals.
That meant as long as Noah wanted to, he could use Truth Seeker to find hidden talents among the crowd.
Kind of like a headhunter—no, more like a talent scout.
Except this scout's eye was one hundred percent accurate.
"Remember not to spread word about the magic, okay? I really don't want to be pestered by those shady god friends from heaven saying things like 'please, I'm begging you, I really want that child, give her to me' and so on," Hephaestus warned half-jokingly.
The number of excellent children within her familia had grown.
Hephaestus was happy—very very happy!
But at the same time, she felt a little sorry.
To be honest, Haruhime's ability would be hard to use properly inside the Hephaestus Familia.
She had already thought about that for Noah's sake.
Noah's reputation right now was a talented young blacksmith.
But she understood clearly.
That child's limits were far beyond just forging.
He was someone with the potential to rule Orario, and one day he would achieve things way bigger than blacksmithing.
When that time came, the support the Hephaestus Familia could give him would be very limited.
An adventurer's real path lay inside the Dungeon.
'That child would eventually have to go to the deep floors too.'
Her thoughts came back from far away.
Hephaestus looked at Noah, who was carefully explaining the meaning and use of the status parameters to Haruhime, and suddenly felt she might be worrying for nothing.
'Seems there's no need to rush. That day probably won't come so soon.'
...
Meanwhile, in the Pleasure Quarter at Ishtar Familia's base...
The prostitutes were gathered together, talking about one thing.
"What did you say? The goods we put a deposit on got snatched away?"
"Yes."
Crack!
"What happened!"
"I-it seems the Hephaestus Familia's Artisan Spirit found the slave traders' hideout. It caused a big commotion and pulled the Astrea Familia in."
"Astrea's? Tch."
"What artisan spirit, he's just a measly Level 2, not worth mentioning."
"This mess was probably caused by those little brats from Astrea Familia."
"Damn it."
"That was a fox-girl! Even though she's still young, she'll grow into a real beauty later. What we lost wasn't just the deposit—it was a money tree!"
The conversation made a certain figure who had been listening nearby turn around.
It was—or rather, should be called—a massive lump of flesh.
The obese body stood up and moved in front of all the prostitutes.
"Just a measly fox, how could she possibly be more beautiful than me? Stop talking nonsense, you ugly women. Since she's gone, go find her and bring her back. I'll catch her and teach her exactly whose pet she is."
"You, you are..."
"Phryne."
"Wait, Lady Ishtar hasn't given the ord—"
Bam!
The prostitute who had spoken was sent flying by a slap from the owner of that huge body.
She shot out like a cannonball.
The shockwave slammed into the wall and shattered it completely.
The bitch who got hit was a first-tier adventurer.
Now she was bleeding from every orifice, her life hanging by a thread.
With one casual wave, this high-ranking adventurer had been beaten to the edge of death.
"Enough! Stop talking about Ishtar this and Ishtar that. She's not even here—probably off seducing some man somewhere. Leave this to me."
Phryne stepped into the light.
Her full form was now clear.
A massive frame over two meters tall, with an enormous head and a body that looked more like a toad than a human.
Her fat arms and legs looked too short for her huge torso.
A terrifying wide mouth that could stretch ear to ear when she grinned, and dark Amazon skin.
Her face could only be called apocalyptic—more cratered than the moon, like a living nightmare.
Judging by her slurred, drunk voice, her earlier bragging was no joke.
She truly believed her beauty beat the goddess of beauty herself, without a single doubt... a pure blind confidence.
"You're planning to cause trouble for the Astrea Familia?! Watch out or you'll get a taste of your own medicine."
"Tch, they're just a bunch of immature brats who haven't even seen real feminine charm. My beauty alone is enough to make them hang their heads in shame. What could they possibly do to me?!"
The prostitutes were extremely tense.
'It's over..... this time she's serious.'
'Damn this ugly monster!'
There's nothing they can do about what's coming.
They could only hope Lady Ishtar returned soon!
...
On the street.
Haruhime, wearing new clothes from a Far East shop (paid for by Noah), followed timidly behind him as they walked back to the workshop.
"Lord Noah, you worked so late last night, yet you still came out early to help me buy personal items. Aren't you tired?" The little fox asked with concern.
There was also a hint of guilt in her voice.
This made Noah pay attention.
"Haruhime, don't always put yourself down. You're not a criminal or someone of low status."
"..."
"I slowed my pace on purpose earlier, but you still fell behind. Do you think you're inferior to me?"
"I..."
"I'd like you to walk beside me. Is that okay?"
Noah noticed Haruhime seemed to have some deep mental scars from everything she had been through.
To help her get better, he decided to start with small daily things so she could regain her sense of self.
Haruhime lowered her head, took a few steps forward, and walked shoulder-to-shoulder with Noah.
"Lord Noah, I... um"
Thud.
Thud—
Suddenly, chaos broke out behind them on the street.
Pedestrians stared at some huge figure, all trying to get away as fast as they could.
People shoved each other, knocking some to the ground, yet they kept running like they had seen the most terrifying thing in the world.
Noah frowned and looked back.
'What in the world is happening?'
----
Haruhime getto! and next world is Rakudai kishi no cavalry!