DanMachi: Cheat? What's a Cheat?

Chapter 6: The Home Called Church

The night sky over Orario was getting completely dark when I walked back along the stone path to the place that... I don't know when exactly, but I'd started thinking of as home.

The old church was still the same as this morning—cracked here and there, some of the roof tiles definitely gonna collapse during the next heavy rain, and the sound of wind sneaking through the window gaps was already like the background music from some cheap horror movie.

But I don't know why... I was smiling.

My steps felt light, even though my stomach was like an empty train rolling over rusty rails without any oil.

Maybe because this was the first time I had a place to come back to.

Where someone was waiting for me.

I pushed open the church door that wasn't locked—honestly, who'd even wanna steal from a place like this?—and stepped inside. The main room was dim, only lit by a few candles that were almost burned out in the corner by the altar.

"Goddess Hestia?" I called out softly, my voice a bit hoarse from the night air.

No answer.

Maybe she's downstairs.

I slowly went down to the basement room where she lived—and halfway there, the smell of something stopped me in my tracks.

Food.

Not the smell of stale bread or watery soup.

This was...

Roasted chicken. Boiled potatoes. Sautéed mushrooms. There was even something sweet... was that apple pie?

My walking turned into half-running.

As soon as I got to that narrow but warm basement room, my eyes went wide.

In the middle of the room, on top of a small wooden table that looked like it'd been scrubbed clean, there was a little feast laid out. Not a noble's feast, obviously, but for a broke goddess and one follower... this was like a royal banquet.

"Wh-What...?" I mumbled, my mouth almost hanging open.

"Ohhh! Kaen-kun~!" that cheerful voice greeted me from the other side of the room.

Hestia appeared with a big smile, wearing a small cream-colored apron that I had no idea where she got. Her black hair was tied up like usual, and her expression was bright, almost glowing like a magic lamp that just got new batteries.

"You're home~!" she said while doing a little run toward me, then stopped right in front of me with her hands on her hips, proud like a cat showing off a mouse it caught. "Tadaa~!"

I was still staring at the table. "This... all this...?"

"For you!"

I quickly turned to her. "For me?"

"Yup!" she said while raising her hands and spinning once. "It's a welcome party! 'Cause Kaen-kun's officially a member of my Familia now~! Hehe, pretty cool, right? I cooked everything myself! Even though I cut my finger three times... and I almost burned down the kitchen... but I did it!"

I was stunned. During my walk back, I'd been imagining there'd be food... but this much? I didn't even have a single penny.

I stepped closer, looking at those simple but heavenly-smelling dishes. "But... where'd you get all this? I mean, the ingredients?"

Hestia's face dropped a little, but she was still smiling. "Well... my savings... the last of it... it's gone."

"Goddess..."

"It's okay!" she said quickly, then pointed at the food again. "I can't help Kaen-kun with a lot of things... don't have a nice headquarters, don't have training facilities, don't have a weapon collection... don't even have a private bathroom. But... at least I can cook! And... welcome you warmly."

I went quiet.

My heart felt like it was being squeezed. Not because I was sad, but... warm.

Maybe no one had ever sacrificed their last savings before... just to make me feel accepted.

"Thank you," I finally said, quietly.

Hestia smiled, this time more gently. "Don't cry, okay? You'll just get even hungrier."

---

We sat down and started eating.

And, oh my God, it was the best food I'd eaten since coming to this world.

Made me wanna cry.

Even the chicken that was a little burnt on the edges tasted like it was made by some royal chef. The boiled potatoes were soft, seasoned just right. The apple pie—even though the crust was kinda hard on the west side—was sweet and fragrant.

"I... seriously haven't eaten anything this good," I said with my mouth full.

Hestia smiled smugly. "Well duh! This was cooked with a Goddess's love, you know!"

I nodded quickly. "I can totally feel the love."

"Don't say stuff like that out of nowhere, I might actually fall for you~!" Hestia held her cheeks while swaying back and forth.

I choked.

Hestia laughed, almost falling off her chair.

We spent the night chatting about light stuff—about my first day, about the guild, about the armor I got. Hestia laughed when I told her I was so broke I hadn't eaten since morning.

"I know how that feels," she said. "I once lived off grass soup for three days."

"...That sounds sadder than I imagined."

"But I boiled the grass with holy water! So it tasted... sad, but holy!"

Our laughter mixed together, and for the first time, I felt... not alone.

Since coming to this world.

---

Time passed quickly. The food was finished, dishes were washed (by me, because Hestia said, "I'm a goddess and I cooked food for you, you expect me to do dishes too?"), and finally we went to sleep.

Her on the bed in the room. Me on the purple-colored sofa, just one step away. The room was too small for social distancing.

But I was too full to care.

And too peaceful... to be scared about tomorrow.

---

Really early in the morning, I woke up.

Still dark. Maybe five o'clock.

My eyes opened slowly, then went wide when I realized there was something warm and soft pressed against my body.

My nose caught a sweet scent... fresh, like flowers and soap... and a little... apple?

I looked down slowly—

—and almost had a heart attack.

Hestia. Was sleeping on top of me.

More specifically, her small body was perched on my stomach, with her head resting on my chest. Her arms were hugging tight, and her breathing was steady... peaceful.

Her face looked serene. Tiny. And... beautiful.

I froze.

WHAT KIND OF SITUATION IS THIS?!

Panicked thoughts were spinning. I'd never been close to a girl before. Even in my previous life I'd never dated, kissed, or been close to a girl.

Let alone sleeping together.

I slowly, very slowly, shifted my body to the side, like a pirate trying to steal treasure from a dragon's lair without waking it up.

After a ten-minute struggle full of sweat and prayers... I managed to get up.

Thinking about my single self from my previous life, somehow I felt embarrassed.

Hestia kept sleeping, unaware that she'd triggered a mild heart attack.

I took a deep breath. Then replaced that breath with... push-ups.

---

One hour of morning exercise. Jogging around the church, push-ups, sit-ups, and some stretching. Back in the village, my body had been trained since I was little. My biological alarm was strong. Morning was the best time to greet the world.

After bathing at the well out back (which was cold like a curse from an ice god), I put on the leather armor the Guild gave me, tied my sword to my waist, and checked my equipment.

Hestia was still sleeping when I went back inside. Her breathing was calm, the blanket kinda thrown to the side, her hair a little messy but still charming. She was even snoring softly.

I smiled a little.

Thank you, Goddess. I'll try my hardest.

With quiet steps so I wouldn't wake her up, I walked out of the church.

Orario's morning air greeted me.

Cold. Fresh. And full of possibilities.

My first day in the Dungeon was about to begin.

And I was... a little nervous with a little anticipation.

After all, this was the first time I'd be entering a dungeon that I used to only see through my phone.