"..."
What confidence. What utter hopelessness.
Watching this freeloader justify living off someone else with such shameless conviction...
Haimo's mouth twitched when he heard her. He was utterly speechless, and he was already looking forward to the day Hephaestus kicked her out.
After all, when that day came, she would surely come running to him, and he could have a good laugh at her expense.
"Oh, right."
"You said you were moving out of that little two-story house. Have you decided where you're going?"
Remembering the important part, Hestia tilted her head and asked.
"Yeah, it's settled. It's not far, either."
"Where?"
"In that upscale residential district where North Street meets West Street."
"A three-story stone house with a laurel tree."
"...Huh?"
Chapter 38: If You Knock Me Stupid, You'll Have to Support Me for Life; No Need to Use a Sledgehammer to Crack a Nut
Then...
"Huuuuuh?!!!!!"
An even louder shriek, powerful enough to shatter glass, rang throughout the hall of Valka's Red House.
The sheer volume of that scream...
Sent waves of sound rolling outward.
Even the smiths forging away deep inside the Red House jumped. Their hands shook, and they nearly dropped their red-hot tongs onto their feet.
Hestia's big eyes, so full of disdain a moment ago...
Were now wider than saucers, her eyeballs practically pressed against Haimo's face.
"Th-the upscale residential district where North Street meets West Street?!!"
"That rich neighborhood people say only wealthy familias that throw gold coins around like pebbles can afford to live in?!"
With Hestia's little face right in front of him...
Haimo made a tactical retreat, leaning back.
Dodging the flying spit, he nodded calmly.
"That's right."
"All thanks to Captain Shakti's generosity."
"Not just the house. A full set of furniture has already been paid for, too."
"I can move straight in tonight."
With that...
Haimo casually raised a hand and pointed at his fully armed benefactor, who had remained silent all this time.
"!"
At those words...
The air seemed to freeze for a second.
The next second...
Sure enough, Hestia moved!
"Whoosh-!"
She launched herself forward!
A textbook tiger pouncing on its prey!
Her body, limp with hunger a moment earlier, suddenly erupted with astonishing force!
As for that haughty look that said, "This goddess couldn't care less"?
She had long since tossed it into some forgotten corner of Orario's sewers!
"Haimo!"
"Think of how close we are!"
"We're friends who came down from Heaven together, who shared hardship and weathered adversity!"
"As they say, a friend in need is a friend indeed!"
"Your home is my home! I absolutely won't turn my nose up at it! Not at all!"
To mooch her way into a mansion...
Hestia shamelessly sidled closer while frantically batting her big, watery eyes at Haimo.
She was trying to use a technique called "acting cute" to forcibly erase the fact that she had been sneering at his shabby house just a minute earlier.
After all, as long as Haimo extended an invitation now...
She would have herself a safety net!
If Hephaestus ever steeled herself and told her to go out and find a job...
She could just come over and cling to Haimo's mansion, continuing her life as a freeloader!
At that thought, Hestia couldn't help congratulating herself on her decisiveness!
"..."
As for Haimo, watching this Loli Goddess change her tune faster than someone could turn a page...
His face remained expressionless.
"Come to think of it..."
"Wasn't a certain goddess acting pretty dismissive just now?"
"!"
At those words...
Hestia froze mid-motion.
Then...
Her big eyes darted about, and she immediately put on an innocent expression.
"Huh? Was I?"
"Who said that? Where? How come I don't know anything about it?"
"You must have misheard, Haimo!"
"I'm Hestia, your biggest supporter, as always!"
So cute. I want one.
Hestia smoothly delivered a triple denial.
Grinning foolishly, she reached out a little chubby hand to pat Haimo's shoulder in a show of affection.
Her two signature black pigtails even bounced back and forth with her movements.
She looked especially eager to please.
However...
As it turned out...
Treating other people like idiots came at a price.
Especially in front of someone holding something hard.
Haimo said nothing.
He merely raised his right hand slightly.
Then flicked his wrist.
"Thonk!"
A crisp, hollow knock rang out.
The shaft of Haimo's spear landed squarely on Hestia's little head as she continued playing dumb.
"Eek!!!"
"Ow, ow, owww-!!"
Hestia whimpered and hurriedly clapped both little hands over her forehead.
She sprang three steps backward, tears welling in her eyes from the pain.
"Waaah... You knocked me stupid..."
"You definitely knocked me stupid!"
"Haimo, you idiot! You hit me so hard!"
"If you knock this goddess stupid, how am I supposed to build my familia?!"
"It's all your fault, Haimo!"
"You have to take responsibility! You have to look after me!"
"Otherwise, I'll report you to the Guild for abusing a goddess!"
Rubbing the little bump on her forehead, Hestia raised her tearful eyes, her face full of accusation.
Come to think of it...
What exactly hit me just now?
It was as hard as an iron rod...
At that thought...
Hestia kept complaining.
Then...
She raised her head and looked.
And then...
"?!!"
All of a sudden...
Hestia saw it.
What Haimo held in his right hand was actually a spear, silver-white from end to end, with a dark red spearhead.
-the moment she got a clear look at the weapon in Haimo's hand...
Hestia's aggrieved, puffed-up face instantly froze.
The muscles at the corners of her eyes involuntarily twitched upward twice.
Although Haimo was only holding the spear casually, its point even facing downward...
Even so...
Hestia's pupils contracted violently.
After all...
As a patron goddess who had likewise descended from Heaven...