Climbing to the last floor of the Babel tower, Hestia grit her teeth then entered the chamber where the only God in Orario lived, the only one with real powers, at least.
"Loli Hestia? Is there something you need?" Ouranus asked with a keen eye.
"Two of my Familia children are missing, taken from me. But that's not all. I felt my Falna for a second. Pef fought and killed the Cerberos. But not here. Not in Orario!" she explained in a tight voice.
"I see, it is your blood in their Falna after all. Another world then, and another Dungeon. Curious, but not impossible. We know of many worlds out there...and the Knossos is right here after all." Ouranus answered in a wise voice.
"Can you find them? If I use my Arcanum..." Hestia muttered in a shy voice.
Ouranus nodded. "I already did. Your blood is easy enough to trace."
Hestia sighed in relief.
"Go now. They'll be back one day, after they conquer their own Dungeon, or maybe even sooner. Curious man, this Pef Wildbourn...I'll keep an eye on him." Ouranus uttered in a strange voice, then the pressure of his divinity pushed Hestia out.
Hestia skipped the stairs with a flutter in her heart. Pef Wildbourn! The man who ravished her. She felt so sad that she didn't accept the marriage right then.
If Sarah (or Lisa as she thought of herself) managed to bind herself to him and follow him to another world, she could have done so as well. Next time, she will.
Stopping by Hephaestus to procure a few more items for Bell and Lilly, then by Miach for more potions and then by Ryuu to cheer her up.
The church looked great now, and full of worshipers. Her home beneath the church was lonely though. Her new bed lacked the warmth of Pef and Sarah, and Bell lacked the confidence to fight Minotaurs again.
He was still growing, but only to S rank stats, unlike Pef or Sarah. And if Pef managed to kill the Cerberus alone, then her love was growing just as fast.
Sarah would be fine, with her cheater mind powers and Pef couldn't die. They'll be back one day. Ouranus himself said so!
It was time to browbeat Bell into breaking his limits and reach SSS ranks. And perhaps help Lilly reach S ranks too. Bell will need her support as he hunted Level 2 monsters.
Maybe Ryuu could help?
Hestia brooded alone in her bed, and waited for the white rabbit to return from the Dungeon. Floor 10 was too safe. Bell will never grow if he stayed only safe.
"Goddess! I fought another Minotaur, on Floor 9! And then Aiz offered to train me. Lilly helped too! With Magic!" her white-haired child yelled as he burst into the basement.
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Hestia grinned. Aiz huh? Time to stab Loki in her flat chest and huge ego.
"You'll need a bigger bed if you bring Aiz home." she observed in a careless voice.
Lilly blushed while looking at her husband with awe.
Bell blushed as well. "...Errr. It will take a while, but one day I will!" he exclaimed with desire.
Hestia didn't need to check his Falna. The Skill on his back will work harder now. Give the rabbit a target too high to reach, and the Skill will give him what he needed to reach it anyways.
"Lilly, it would be a waste to Level up without S rank stats. When Sarah comes back, she'll be disappointed..." Hestia said in a kinder voice.
"..." Lilly froze in near panic.
Bell gulped, then hugged his wife. "It wasn't so hard to reach S ranks, my love. You only need a heavy shield and a big mace."
Lilly nodded while her fists clenched till they got white. "She's coming back?"
"I spoke with Ouranus today. He found them, in another Dungeon. Pef killed the Cerberos by himself today." she said in an easy voice.
Bell's eyes got fierce, as another challenge added to his Skill.
"Isn't that a Level 5 Boss?" he asked to make sure.
"Level 4, but has three heads with different magic breaths. So it's considered Level 5." Hestia explained in a gentle voice.
"... I need to farm thousands of Minotaurs." Bell spoke in a low voice.
Hestia shrugged. "You can simply Level up now. It will be easy after."
"No! SSS ranks first. Pef was right. The Level up only means something when there's nothing more you can pack inside. That's why he and Sarah got so strong. As the current Familia Captain, I cannot be weaker..." Bell answered with a deep growl coming from his chest.
Hestia nodded. Ryuu won't be needed then. "You have more potions on the bed."
--------
I drifted to sleep after making love all evening with my girls. But then I had a strange dream about Hestia, where she also became my Companion and joined me on adventures.
Stupid Dungeon was making me dream silly things. A real Goddess as my companion? I had to get real.
Grinding and Skills. And try to make a Spirit Weapon for Serena.
I rose and went to make breakfast, then woke the girls as well when the coffee was ready. They seemed a bit tired.
"I think we work on Skills today. And Alicia learns a Magic spell." I decided looking at their tired faces. Too much sex perhaps?
They both nodded and sipped their coffee.
Then Lisa stood watch and noted down the new magic theory from the Stone Wall Grimoire, stuff about congenital and acquired Magic, as well as the magic circle that could hold a spell in reserve. Useful things, especially here on Earth where magic was quite incipient.
I had my own Chi to focus on though, and the Goliath Nail was resisting my Chi instead of guiding it properly.
And then Alicia joined in, placing her hands over mine. "Let me help, love."
She did have the anime choker today too, so it might work?
Together, we worked from both ends, until a trickle of Chi entered the Boss's nail and I managed to shape it into a proper weapon, a short sword like a gladius.
It felt empty though, without a soul.
"I think Serena needs to bind it to herself. And something else too. I have early transmuting now." Alicia whispered in a happy voice.
Her new screen was even nicer now.
Alicia Devoinne - Level 22
Title: Companion
Strength: 23
Speed: 23
Mind: 11
Magic: 6
Endurance: 50
Free points: 17
Class: Alchemist
Job: Teacher
Alchemy Skills:
Dismantling: early
Mixing: early
Transmuting: early
Crafting: none
Runes and Sigils: none
I bent over and kissed her softly. "I could kiss you right now."
"And you should. Maybe even more." Alicia whispered in a tender voice.
We were already naked, so I just slid inside. She was also softer on the inside.