DanMachi: Cheat? What's a Cheat?

Chapter 34 – POV Hestia - Meeting Freya (Part 1)

The dim candlelight flickered softly, casting gentle shadows on the stone walls of this tiny room.

I'm sitting on the edge of the bed, not moving, just staring at Kaen's face as he sleeps peacefully.

His hair's kinda messy, as usual, and there are traces of exhaustion around his eyes from another long day.

His breathing's steady, rising and falling slowly, creating this quiet rhythm that fills the room a rhythm that, somehow, calms my heart.

Suddenly I remember Kaen-kun's words: Home is where someone's always waiting for you to come back with a smile.

Kaen's words echo in my mind.

making my heart warm but also stirring up these complex emotions.

I reach out my hand, almost touching Kaen's cheek, before pulling it back.

"You really..." I whisper softly.

"Always know the right thing to say."

I feel like Kaen-kun's getting better at talking, somehow it reminds me of when we first met. he looked awkward when speaking.

But now he's starting to change.

My blue eyes gaze intently at that peaceful face.

The promise we made tonight feels so real, so genuine.

But why is there still this heavy feeling in part of my heart?

Home...

That question's bothering my mind again.

A few days ago, when Kaen first mentioned that word, I felt confused.

What does home actually mean? Is it just a place to live?

I was confused at the time until...

— two days ago - Flash Back —

I'm standing in front of the simple stove, trying to follow the recipe I've written down over and over.

The food I make never turns out like I expect.

My tiny hands stir the soup with clumsy movements.

"Why is this so freaking hard?" I grumble while tasting the soup that's way too salty.

It still tastes like dishwater, I don't know what's wrong.

Even though I've been trying.

It's been days since I tried to understand what Kaen meant about home, but the more I think about it, the more confused I get.

At first I wanted to ask Hephaestus, but... my unpaid debt makes me feel bad about it.

"I should know stuff like this," I mumble while throwing away the burnt soup and soup spoon.

"I'm a goddess!"

Frustration starts eating away at my heart.

As a goddess, I feel like I should be able to understand my familia member's feelings and desires easily.

Especially since I'm the goddess of hearth, home and family.

But why is something that looks so simple this hard to understand?

with an expression mixed between angry and annoyed I grab my little bit of money and leave.

That afternoon, I decided to go shopping for ingredients. Maybe by trying to cook again, I could understand something.

My arms hug the shopping bag containing simple ingredients I could buy with my limited money.

Right now I'm putting on a happy expression on my face, shopping seems to get rid of the annoyed feeling.

While passing the Guild, I suddenly feel a familiar aura.

The presence of another goddess who's powerful and enchanting.

My eyes catch an elegant hooded figure who just came out of the Guild building.

"Freya?" I call out without thinking.

That figure stops and turns around.

Those beautiful purple eyes look at me with a thin smile.

"Hestia," Freya greets with a voice that's soft but has a bit of strangeness in it.

"Didn't expect to meet you here."

I feel awkward.

It's been so long since we met, and our last meeting was in Tenkai.

"A-ah I was just shopping," I say while lifting my shopping bag.

"You... what are you doing at the Guild?"

"Meeting with Ouranos. There are some things that need to be discussed," Freya answers while looking at me with this weird gaze, like she's evaluating something.

"Oh..."

An awkward silence happens between us.

Freya then smiles, but that smile doesn't reach her eyes.

Somehow it's a bit charming, what am I thinking isn't that obvious since Freya's the goddess of beauty.

"You look... different, Hestia. More alive, maybe?"

"Eh? Really?"

I'm a bit surprised by what Freya said, seems like I've been putting on a happy expression and didn't realize it.

"Maybe because you finally have a familia," says Freya with a tone that's hard to read.

"How about we chat? It's been so long."

I'm hesitant.

Freya is indeed a beautiful and powerful goddess, but somehow I always feel uncomfortable around her.

But maybe this is a chance to ask about what's been bothering my mind.

"Alright..."

We sit at a small cafe.

I feel embarrassed because I don't have much money, but Freya gracefully says she'll pay.

That just makes me feel even smaller.

Even though I feel small, I have something bigger than Freya.

I try to console myself.

"So," says Freya while stirring her tea elegantly.

"Tell me about your familia. I heard you have a member who's... interesting."

I feel there's something weird about how Freya knows I have a member.

I think maybe it's not just Freya who knows I have a familia member.

Anyway, stuff like that isn't exactly a secret. Plus I hugged Kaen-kun in public before.

But the way Freya said 'interesting' feels strange.

but I don't think too much about it.

No way a big familia like Freya's would be interested in my tiny familia.

"Kaen-kun is a good familia member. He always works hard and..."

"Kaen, huh?" Freya interrupts with a barely visible smile.

"Nice name. Must be a talented adventurer."

"Yeah! He's developing quickly and always..." I stop, almost saying that he's really good at talking.

Feeling a bit embarrassed I quickly look for a way to not keep talking about something that makes me embarrassed.

Suddenly I remember the question that's been bothering my mind.

"Freya, I wanna ask you something."

Freya's hand that was stirring tea stops, but continues stirring again.

"Of course. What do you want to ask?"

I'm hesitant, my hands squeezing the hem of my dress.

"What... what do you think home means? I mean, not a building, but... real home?"