DanMachi: Cheat? What's a Cheat?

Chapter 14 – the Smell of Soup

Before I know it, several hours have passed.

The sky above Orario must've already started turning orange. I walk out of the Dungeon with my body slightly sweaty, clothes dirty, and a bag full of magic stones.

To be exact, after exchanging them at the Guild, my bag now contains 4,967 valis.

I stare at that bag with a mix of pride and relief. As if wanting to say "this is the money I earned on my first day after entering the dungeon."

"Results from morning plus afternoon hunting," I mutter while recounting.

"Finally... I don't have to worry about food for the next few days."

An amount that's enough to make me look at the sky and say, "Finally... I'm not poor anymore."

Well, not rich. But I won't die of starvation.

For now.

With a bag full of money, my steps feel light. The frustration about height's still there, but it's covered by the joy of having money.

I walk toward home... eh, the church.

Where Hestia's waiting.

All along the way, I imagine how Goddess Hestia's face will look when I show her this money.

Maybe she'll jump for joy? Or maybe she'll cry again like this morning?

Who knows. What matters is, we won't go hungry tonight.

---

That old church looks the same as usual: old, rundown, and deserted.

But somehow, when I see it from a distance, my chest feels... warm.

Home.

That word just pops up in my mind. Weird. The village where I was born never made me feel like this.

Maybe 'cause there I always felt... trapped?

Here, even though the building's almost falling apart, I feel... free.

I open that old wooden door and enter quietly. The setting sun's light sneaks through window cracks, reflecting pale yellow light onto the stone floor.

"Goddess, I'm home..."

No immediate answer.

But... there's an aroma.

I stop walking and sniff.

My nose, which usually breathes the dirty air of the Dungeon, now catches something... different.

"What... Goddess, are you cooking?" I ask while sniffing again. "Smells great."

Does it really smell great?

I'm not even sure myself. The aroma's weird. Like... soup that's slightly burnt, slightly too salty, and somehow... slightly sweet? There's a mix of onions that aren't fully cooked, meat that's... maybe been cooked a bit too long, and spices that seem to be mixed without calculation.

But somehow... the aroma makes me feel... warm.

I glance toward the kitchen, which is really just a small room with an old stove and ugly pots.

And there... stands Goddess Hestia.

Her long hair's tied up quickly with a drooping ribbon, a shabby apron covers her clothes, and her face looks sweaty.

There's a small stain on her cheek... whether it's flour or ash from the stove. But her eyes shine when they see me.

She looks... messy. But there's something about the way she stands there, with a wooden spoon in hand and an expression that's proud mixed with nervous...

She's beautiful.

"I... I tried cooking soup for our dinner," she says with a slightly trembling voice.

I go quiet.

Then... smile wide.

"Really? Goddess cooked for me?"

Her eyes widen, then her face turns red.

"Yes! I mean, yes! I thought... you must be hungry. And... I woke up late. So... I wanted to at least do something."

She straightens her shoulders proudly. "I'm a goddess, you know? I can cook too!"

She crosses her arms, with her nose raised proudly. But I can see her hands shaking slightly.

I smile even wider.

Today... was pretty annoying.

Height problems, doubts about Eina-san, frustration that I took out on poor monsters.

But seeing her standing like that, with that overconfident attitude and slightly messy hair... everything feels light.

"Goddess..." I walk closer and without thinking pat her head gently. "Thank you."

Her face looks surprised and starts slowly turning red and getting redder.

"H-hmph! Of course! I'm a useful goddess!"

I laugh a little. "I'll take a bath first, okay? So I can sit nicely and wait for Goddess's famous soup."

"Famous?" she frowns in confusion.

"It will be famous," I answer while walking toward the small bathroom.

Behind me, I can hear her muttering, "Famous... hehe... Goddess Hestia's famous soup..."

---

After bathing, I put on clean clothes. A simple shirt and cloth pants sold at a cheap price.

Feels fresh after sweating in the Dungeon all day.

I look at my face's reflection in the cracked mirror near the door.

Handsome face. Brown hair that's still wet and messy. Brown eyes that always look too honest.

That's what mom back in the village used to say. Height... well, that's an old story that's still annoying.

But now...

I smile at that reflection.

I have a place to come home to. I have someone waiting for me at home. I have a bag containing 4,967 valis that's enough to make us survive for a few days.

And most importantly... I have a goddess who's willing to go through the trouble of cooking for me.

Even though my height's still 160 cm, even though I still have to look up when talking to Eina-san... today wasn't too bad.

I walk to the main room and sit on the long sofa full of patches.

I lean my back against the cushion that's hard and already deflated in some parts.

From here, I can see Hestia busy in the kitchen.

She stirs the pot with a super serious expression, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Her tongue sticks out slightly at the corner of her lips... a habit I find really adorable.

Sometimes she stops stirring, then tastes with a small spoon. Her expression keeps changing.

Sometimes nodding satisfied, sometimes frowning confused, sometimes immediately adding something to the pot.

Goddess of war... in the kitchen.

I watch her small back, her hand movements that are hesitant but full of spirit, and her blue hair that moves every time she nods or bends down.

I lean my head against the sofa, feeling pleasant tiredness spread through my whole body.

The soup's aroma gets stronger. Still weird, still not perfect, but... there's warmth in it.

Warmth that I can't buy with money or get at any restaurant.

This is the aroma of home.

I feel... peaceful.

For the first time in my life in Orario, I feel truly relaxed.

No worries about tomorrow's money, no fear of starvation, no questions about whether I'll survive or not.

I have a home. I have a small family. And soon, I'll have dinner made by the Goddess's own hands.

The bag containing 4,967 valis lies beside me.

Proof of my hard work today.

But somehow, what makes my chest warm isn't that money.

What makes my chest warm is the sound of pots clanking in the kitchen, Hestia's small mutterings when she's confused, and the soup's aroma that slowly fills the entire church.

I close my eyes for a moment, listening to those small sounds.

And I wait.

Wait patiently, with a peaceful heart, together with the aroma of food made by a Goddess who's trying hard to make me happy.

Height of 160 cm?

That's not too important.

I'm sure in the future my height will definitely increase, I have a feeling I won't be short anymore.