DanMachi: Cheat? What's a Cheat?

Chapter 30 - Not a Date, But Our Day

Hestia familia church, basement.

After a simple breakfast, I watched Goddess Hestia busily cleaning up the leftover food on the old wooden table that was the only piece of dining furniture in this simple church basement.

I wanted to help, but Goddess Hestia stubbornly refused, saying I was tired after coming back from the dungeon.

Sitting on the purple sofa, I looked around. This place had become home to me for the past week.

Her small hand movements looked so careful, picking up every breadcrumb with patience.

Even for something as simple as this, she did it with complete attention.

Her long black hair tied in twin tails swayed gently every time she bent down to reach the corners of the table.

For some reason it felt tempting. I wanted to touch it - seems like I've got a hair fetish or something.

How could I not? That hair was so soft and fragrant. I never got tired of touching it when we slept.

I felt like maybe human and god hair were different.

I watched her in silence. Looking at Goddess Hestia's face that looked tired with a bit of paleness - clearly, Goddess Hestia hadn't been getting enough sleep these past few days.

Even though she's a goddess, obviously they now live like humans.

They can get tired and hungry.

The main reason was because the gods voluntarily sealed their divine power (Arcanum) when they came down to the human world (Gekai).

They did this to get rid of their eternal boredom in heaven (Tenkai) and directly experience the challenges, difficulties, and joys experienced by their "children."

With their Arcanum sealed, their bodies functioned just like ordinary human bodies.

Seeing Goddess Hestia suffering because of me...

Suddenly, a wave of guilt hit me like a devastating blow.

Or more precisely, like a goblin monster kick that I once received in the ass.

I started thinking.

When was the last time I really spent time with the goddess who had accepted me?

This past week, my life had only revolved around the dungeon.

Wake up at midnight, go to the dungeon, come home tired, sleep, then repeat the same routine.

Every day, non-stop.

Like a hamster in a wheel, except I didn't get sunflower seeds.

Goddess Hestia... she always welcomed me with a warm smile every time I came home.

She prepared food with whatever ingredients we had, worried if I got hurt, waited until late at night if I came home late, and always listened to my adventure stories with sparkling eyes full of enthusiasm.

But what did I do for her?

Nothing.

I never even asked how her day was, or if she felt lonely when I wasn't around.

I never thought that maybe she also needed attention, needed to be heard, needed to feel valued.

"Goddess," I called out with a voice that trembled slightly because of the guilt that was piling up.

"Hmm?" Hestia turned from her work with her usual sweet smile, her blue eyes looking at me with warmth that never faded.

"What's wrong, Kaen-kun?"

I walked closer and knelt in front of her, in a style like a knight about to make a loyalty oath.

A position that might be too formal for a casual atmosphere like this, but I felt I needed to do this.

I needed to show how serious my feelings were right now.

This time I was really serious, not joking at all.

Really feeling guilty.

"I... I want to apologize," I said while bowing my head deeply.

"Eh?" Hestia looked really confused.

The cloth she was holding to clean the table stopped in mid-air.

"Apologize for what, Kaen-kun?"

"All this time, I've been too focused on the dungeon. I've been ignoring you, Goddess. I've been ignoring your feelings."

My voice started to tremble.

"Even though you've been so good to me, accepting me when no other familia would, giving me a place to live, food, and most importantly... giving me a home."

Hestia put down the cloth in her hand and sat on the floor facing me, her blue eyes looking at me seriously.

"But I..." I clenched my fists.

"I only thought about myself. My progress as an adventurer, my strength, my level. I never asked if you were happy. I never asked if you were lonely when I went to the dungeon for 8 hours. I never... never thought about your feelings."

Honestly, I really was selfish. I was so focused on myself.

That I made the person around me suffer.

Honestly, I'd thought before - was eliminating all relationships for the sake of power worth it?

If so, what's the difference between me and the protagonists I watched in my previous life who sacrificed everything for power?

They said "Relationships are fake, power is real."

But I think "Relationships are real and power is fake."

If power doesn't bring happiness.

What's the use of power if you lose everything?

In the future, I might become one of the high-level adventurers.

But my relationship with Goddess Hestia definitely wouldn't be this close. Not just Goddess Hestia, it might even change my personality.

I felt like since I entered the dungeon, my nature slowly changed. Maybe because I killed monsters, my heart started to feel cold.

Or maybe because my soul wasn't from this world, I felt the more I killed, the more chaotic my heart became.

I might suffer from PTSD.

Thinking about recent events, I even hallucinated that people around me were monsters.

I thought it was caused by excessive fatigue.

But I felt it wasn't that simple.

There's a big chance my soul wasn't compatible with this world. After all, I lived in a peaceful world.

The reason I didn't throw up when I first killed was probably because I considered monsters enemies of humanity.

If I killed humans, I'd most likely receive strong psychological impact.

Looking at Goddess Hestia in front of me.

Just thinking about it made me feel...

My voice finally got stuck.

The guilt that had been building up for a week finally exploded like a broken dam.

"I'm selfish, Goddess. I'm a bad adventurer, and even worse... I'm an unworthy familia member."

"Kaen-kun..." Hestia looked at me with an expression that was hard to read.

Her eyes were a bit teary, but she didn't look sad.

There was something else there.

"That's why," I lifted my head and looked into her eyes with firm determination.

"Today, let's forget about the dungeon. I want to spend the whole day with you. Not as a goddess and adventurer, but as... as family."

I stood up and extended my hand to her.

"We can start by going shopping at the market together. I want to see you choose the food ingredients you like. I want to hear stories about your life. I want... I want to get to know you better."

Hestia was silent for a very long time, staring at my outstretched hand.

Her tears started flowing slowly, but the brightest smile I'd ever seen began to appear on her face.

"Kaen-kun... you know?" she wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

"All this time I've always thought, maybe I'm just a burden to Kaen-kun. I'm a useless goddess, have no followers, can't give strong blessings like other goddesses..."

"Goddess—"

"No, let me speak first," she interrupted gently.

"I saw Kaen-kun working so hard, growing so fast, and I felt... I felt maybe someday Kaen-kun would realize there are better goddesses out there."

"So I worked hard so Kaen-kun wouldn't think I was a useless goddess."

My heart felt stabbed hearing those words.

How could such a perfect goddess feel useless?

"But today," she took my hand with both her small, warm hands,

"today you made me feel... feel needed. Feel valued. Feel like a real goddess."

"Because you are a real goddess," I said sincerely.

"You are my goddess. The only goddess I want."

"Kaen-kun..." she stood up while still holding my hand.

"Of course I want to! I'd be so happy to spend today with you!"

Seeing her happy smile, the heavy burden in my chest felt lifted.

Today, I would dedicate all my time to the goddess who had given me everything.

Just like that, I made a promise with the goddess.