DanMachi: Cheat? What's a Cheat?

Chapter 33 – Warmth Under Candlelight

"Wait a sec..." Hestia reread the status displayed on my back, her eyes getting wider and wider.

"Kaen-kun, this is..." Goddess Hestia spoke while handing over the status update paper.

STATUS PANEL

Name: Kaen

Level: 1

Familia: Hestia Familia

ABILITY

- Strength: I-5 → I-67 (+62)

- Endurance: I-8 → I-89 (+81)

- Dexterity: I-10 → I-94 (+84)

- Agility: I-6 → I-71 (+65)

- Magic: I-0 → I-0 (+0)

DEVELOPMENT ABILITIES

None

SKILLS

『Survivor's Instinct』

Type: Passive Skill

Effect: Provides enhancement to abilities for detecting external and internal dangers, as well as reactions to threatening situations. Effect increases with life-and-death experiences. Can now sense changes within one's own body that are potentially dangerous.

Description: A skill that appears simple for survival, but holds great potential when honed through extreme experiences. After facing various threats in the dungeon, this ability has developed to detect not only external dangers, but also internal conditions that are hazardous such as extreme fatigue, poisoning, or abnormal physical changes.

I thought hard when I saw that paper.

Poisoning? Why does the word poisoning show up?

Where did I get poisoned?

"Kaen-kun! This is amazing!" Hestia shouted with a voice full of joy while raising her hands in the air.

"This improvement is even faster than I imagined!"

I sat down slowly, feeling a bit dizzy from changing positions too quickly.

Hearing what Goddess Hestia said, I smiled bitterly in my heart.

Fast improvement? As far as I know, after 1 week of Bell arriving in Orario, one of his attributes passed I-99 and reached H.

It seems like Goddess Hestia said that to keep me from being sad.

"Goddess, why are you shouting like that? You scared me."

"Because I'm happy! So happy!" Hestia immediately hugged me from behind with both her warm arms.

"Your Dexterity is almost reaching rank H! And your Endurance is also super high! You're really a genius!"

"Goddess, you're exaggerating..." I said while feeling the familiar warmth of her embrace.

Even though I know Goddess Hestia is trying to keep me from being sad, I still can't let myself look sad.

"This is also thanks to Goddess's support and prayers every day."

"Eh? When did I pray?" Hestia asked innocently while tilting her head.

"Every time Goddess worries about my safety, every time Goddess prepares food with love, every time Goddess waits anxiously... isn't that all forms of prayer?" I answered while turning to face her.

Hestia's face immediately turned red like a ripe tomato.

"K-Kaen-kun! What are you saying?! I'm supposed to worry as the familia head!"

"Then why is Goddess's face red?" I asked with a mischievous smile.

"Because... because..." Hestia looked away while puffing out her cheeks.

"Because you're saying weird things!"

"Weird how?"

"You know exactly what I mean!"

I went quiet for a moment, then smiled gently.

"Sorry if I made Goddess embarrassed. But I'm serious with my words. Without Goddess's support, I couldn't have developed this fast."

Hestia glanced at me with sparkling eyes.

"Kaen-kun... you're really..."

"Really what?"

"Really making me happy!" she answered with a bright smile.

"But also making me worried!"

"Worried about what?"

"Your new skill..." Hestia pointed toward my back that was already covered by clothes again.

"Survivor's Instinct developed... that means you've experienced a lot of dangerous situations, right? As a familia head, I feel guilty for not being able to protect you well."

Hearing the goddess talk about that skill, my heart sank even more.

I feel like my skill development is closely related to the poisoning shown in the skill explanation.

I looked into Hestia's blue eyes that were full of genuine worry.

"Goddess, it's exactly because I know Goddess always supports me that I dare to face those dangers. This skill isn't proof of Goddess's failure, but proof of the trust Goddess gave me."

"Kaen-kun..." Hestia's voice became soft and slightly trembling.

"Besides," I continued while raising my hand to gently touch Hestia's cheek.

I don't know why my hand did this.

But it's so soft.

"this skill will also help me always come home safely. To the place where Goddess waits for me."

Hestia closed her eyes while enjoying the warm touch on her cheek.

"You promise?"

"Promise what?"

"Promise you'll always come home safely. Promise you won't make me worry too much. Promise you'll always be a Hestia Familia member I can be proud of."

"I promise," I answered firmly.

"With all the abilities Goddess gave me, I'll always come home to see Goddess's smile."

"Good!" Hestia opened her eyes with burning enthusiasm.

For some reason, I feel like this promise is too heavy.

Is this just my feeling?

"In that case, as familia head, I'll give you a special reward for this amazing development!"

"Reward?"

"Yeah! Close your eyes!" Hestia commanded while standing and pointing at me.

"Goddess, what are you going to do?"

"Just do it! Close your eyes and don't open them until I say so!"

I closed my eyes curiously. I heard Hestia's footsteps running back and forth and some other sounds I couldn't identify.

"You can open them now!" Hestia said in a super excited tone.

I opened my eyes and saw Hestia standing in front of me with both hands behind her back, a huge smile, and eyes sparkling like a kid who just did something fun.

"The reward is..." Hestia pulled out a small, soft blue pillow from behind her back.

"A special Hestia-made pillow for premium lap pillow service!"

"Premium lap pillow service?" I asked in surprise.

Damn, did the sun finally rise in the west?

"Yeah! From now on, every time I update your status, you can use premium lap pillow service with this super soft pillow!" Hestia placed the pillow on her lap while patting it proudly.

"How's that? Cool, right?"

I couldn't hold back the surprised expression on my face.

Then for some reason...

"Hahaha... Goddess, you're really..."

"Why are you laughing?! This is a serious reward!" Hestia protested while puffing out her cheeks again.

"Sorry, sorry," I said while still smiling.

"But this is a reward that's very... very Goddess-like."

"What do you mean Goddess-like?"

"Sweet and adorable."

Hestia's face immediately turned red again. "S-sweet?!"

"Yeah, sweet. Goddess always thinks about little things that make me happy. You've been thinking about this premium lap pillow since earlier, right?"

"E-eh... how did you know?" Hestia asked while looking down shyly.

"Because I noticed, Goddess always shifts her leg position when I'm lying on your back. It must be because you felt uncomfortable but didn't want to say anything so I wouldn't feel guilty."

"Kaen-kun..." Hestia looked at me with teary eyes.

"You're... you're too observant..."

"Because I learned from the goddess who always pays attention to little things for me," I answered while sitting next to her.

"Now, can I try the premium lap pillow service?"

"Of course! It's your reward!" Hestia immediately arranged the pillow position enthusiastically.

"Come on, lie down comfortably!"

I lay down with my head on the pillow that was on Hestia's lap.

It really felt much more comfortable and soft.

It smells so good, the sadness in my heart because my development isn't as fast as Bell's disappeared.

What if Bell's attributes develop faster?

My relationship with Goddess Hestia is developing faster compared to his.

"How is it? Comfortable, right?" Hestia asked while gently stroking my hair.

"Very comfortable. But what makes it special isn't the pillow."

"Then what?"

"The Goddess," I answered while looking up at Hestia's face from below.

"Nothing can replace Goddess's warmth and love."

Hestia blushed while continuing to stroke my hair.

"You always manage to make my heart race."

"That's because Goddess blushes too easily."

"Who says I blush easily?!" Hestia protested while gently pinching my cheek.

"Ow, that hurts Goddess."

"It doesn't hurt! I pinched gently!" Hestia immediately rubbed the spot she pinched softly.

"Sorry, sorry, didn't mean to."

"Goddess, you're really inconsistent," I said while laughing softly.

"You just said it didn't hurt, now you're apologizing."

"Because... because I don't want to hurt my precious familia member," Hestia answered in a voice that was almost like a whisper.

"Your one and only precious familia member," I corrected, copying Hephaestus's speaking style from earlier.

"Kaen-kun! Don't copy Hephaestus!" Hestia pinched my cheek again, but this time while laughing.

"But it's true though."

"It is true, but still..." Hestia stopped talking and looked at me with a more serious expression.

"Kaen-kun, you know? Sometimes I'm scared that one day you'll leave Hestia Familia."

"Why think like that?"

"Because... because I'm a small familia. No reputation, no wealth, no fancy facilities like the big familias. If you keep developing rapidly like this, maybe you'll feel Hestia Familia isn't suitable anymore..."

What is Goddess Hestia talking about?

Developing rapidly?

And then leaving her?

I got up from my lying position and looked at Hestia seriously.

"Goddess, listen to me carefully."

"I'm not looking for a familia because of reputation or wealth. I'm looking for a home. And a real home isn't determined by how big the building is or how fancy the facilities are."

"Then what?"

"Home is a place where there's someone who always waits for you to come back with a smile. A place where there's someone who worries when you're late. A place where there's someone who's proud of your achievements and comforts you when you're sad."

Hestia's eyes widened then mumbled "is that what home means? Why did Freya lie to me?"

I heard Goddess Hestia mention Goddess Freya's name.

But I didn't think too much about it, maybe Goddess Hestia accidentally met Goddess Freya.

"Hestia Familia is my home. Goddess is my family. Nothing can replace that, no matter how big or strong other familias are."

"But if you joined a big familia, you could develop faster, get better equipment, get more support..."

"Goddess," I cut her off while gently holding Hestia's hand.

"Don't you trust yourself?"

"Eh?"

"The most valuable support isn't money or equipment, but sincere love and trust. And no one can give that better than Goddess."

There's no god better than Goddess Hestia in Orario.

Hestia looked down while holding back tears that started to flow.

"Kaen-kun... why do you always know what I need most, even before I realize it?"

"Not always knowing, but responding to what Goddess gives me."

"I don't give anything special..."

"Goddess gives the most special thing," I said while lifting Hestia's chin so she'd look at me.

I don't know why, maybe because I got caught up in the moment I became a bit bolder.

Am I braver than I thought?

"Goddess gives a sincere heart. Goddess gives a warm home. Goddess gives a real family."

Hestia couldn't hold back her tears anymore.

"Goddess, don't cry," I said while wiping her tears with my thumb.

"When Goddess cries, I'm sad too."

"These are happy tears, not sad tears," Hestia said while smiling through her tears.

"I'm happy because I have such a sincere familia member like you."

"In that case, I'm also happy because I have such a sincere familia head like Goddess."

Hestia hugged me tightly.

So soft, what am I thinking?

"Thank you..."

"Thank you for what?"

"For everything. For making Hestia Familia a real familia. For giving meaning to my days. For making me feel like a precious goddess."

"Goddess is precious," I answered while hugging her back.

I feel like my actions are getting bolder.

This isn't good, if I get carried away by the mood something bad will happen.

I scolded myself.

"Goddess is the most precious treasure I've ever had."

"Treasure?"

"Yeah. A treasure that can't be bought with any amount of money."

"Kaen-kun, you're... really good at sweet-talking," Hestia said while laughing softly in the middle of our hug.

"I learned from the expert."

"Which expert?"

"Goddess Hestia who always manages to warm my heart with her sincere words and attitude."

"I never try to sweet-talk on purpose!"

"That's exactly what makes it more effective."

"Kaen-kun!" Hestia gently pinched my back while still hugging.

"Yeah, yeah, I surrender," I said while laughing.

"But one thing's for sure, I'll never leave Hestia Familia. This is my home, and Goddess is my family."

"Promise?" Goddess Hestia made a cute expression.

"Promise," I said seriously.

"Pinky promise?" Goddess Hestia raised her pinky finger toward me.

"Goddess, you're like a little kid," I said while smiling and extending my pinky.

"I'm an eternally young goddess!" Hestia said while linking her pinky with mine.

"Now the promise is legally binding under goddess law!"

"Goddess law?"

"Yeah! If you break a pinky promise with a goddess, you'll be cursed!"

"What kind of curse?"

"A curse... curse... you'll always remember Hestia's sad face forever!"

"That's a terrifying curse," I said while pretending to shiver.

But seriously, I'm not joking, I feel like if the previous promise felt like carrying a mountain, now it feels like carrying something extremely heavy.

Hard to explain.

"I'll never break a pinky promise with Goddess."

"Good!" Hestia released the hug and smiled brightly.

"Now, since today is a special day, how about we make it a special night too?"

"A special night?"

"Let's stay up all night chatting! I want to know more about Kaen-kun!"

"About what?"

"Everything! Your dreams, your fears, things that make you happy... I want to know it all!"

"But tomorrow I have to go to the dungeon..."

"Once in a while is fine! Besides, bonding time with familia members is important too!"

"Bonding time?"

"Yeah! A strong familia isn't just because of high status, but because of strong bonds of the heart!"

I smiled seeing Hestia's adorable enthusiasm. "Alright, if Goddess wants to."

Today I decided to spend time with Goddess Hestia, so I have to finish what I promised until the end.

Even though I feel very tired and sleepy.

"Yay! Wait, let me prepare snacks and warm drinks first!" Hestia immediately ran to the kitchen with burning enthusiasm.

I watched Hestia's back as she ran with a warm smile. Tonight will be a long night, but I'm sure it'll be a beautiful and memorable night.

"Kaen-kun! Do you want tea or hot chocolate?" Hestia shouted from the kitchen.

I'm confused, hot chocolate? Does Goddess Hestia have something like that?

Why didn't I know about it?

With a confused expression, I answered casually, "Whatever Goddess makes will definitely be delicious!"

"Alright! Special Hestia hot chocolate!"

I leaned against the wall while looking at the ceiling of this simple basement room. Nothing luxurious, nothing special in terms of material, but here I feel warmth I've never felt anywhere else.

Like I said, home isn't the building but the person.

"Kaen-kun! It's ready!" Hestia came back carrying a tray with two cups of hot chocolate and some small cookies.

"Wow, there are even cookies. When did Goddess make them?"

"I didn't make them! I bought them this afternoon when you weren't paying attention! I wanted to give you a surprise!" Hestia said while placing the tray between us.

I'm confused, this afternoon?

We did go shopping but... Why didn't I see it?

Was I too sleepy?

That I didn't see the cookies Goddess Hestia bought?

I started doubting myself, am I really that unaware of my surroundings?

"This is the first cookie I bought, so sorry if it doesn't taste good..."

I took one cookie and put it in my mouth. The taste... well, not perfect, but there's a sincere sweetness in it.

"Delicious!" I said while smiling.

"Liar! I know it tastes weird!" Hestia protested while pouting.

Hearing what Goddess Hestia said, I felt strange.

Why is Goddess Hestia talking like she made it herself?

But if Goddess Hestia really made it, why didn't I see her?!

I feel strange, why are so many weird things happening!

Starting from my skill that improved because of poison, am I really that stupid or too tired that my brain is a bit dull?

Knowing that this cookie was probably made by Goddess Hestia, I answered hurriedly.

"Not lying. Maybe the taste isn't perfect yet, but there's a taste that no professional baker can make."

"What taste?"

"The taste of love," I answered while taking another cookie.

"This is the first cookie made especially for me with sincere love. Nothing can beat that."

Hestia looked at me with sparkling eyes.

"You really... really make my heart melt..."

"In that case, mission accomplished," I said with a mischievous smile.

"What mission?"

"Mission to repay Goddess's kindness who always makes my heart warm."

"Kaen-kun!" Hestia threw a small pillow at me while smiling shyly.

And that night we spent time until late, sharing stories, laughing together, and strengthening our bond as a small happy family.

A perfect night to end a perfect day.