Chapter 272

Chapter 272: Chapter 272

"All settled?"

Hestia was still chewing as she glanced sideways at Kiriya.

"Yeah, i got it handled."

Kiriya smiled, picked up a piece of lamb, and popped it into Hestia’s mouth.

Then he placed another piece into Jeanne’s bowl, making sure neither side was neglected.

"Th-Thank you."

Jeanne lowered her head as she thanked him, still as easily embarrassed as ever.

"Excellent!"

After swallowing the food in her mouth, Hestia climbed onto her chair and raised a mug filled with beer.

"All right, everyone, listen up! Raise your glasses!"

The sight of such a petite goddess trying her hardest to put on a bold, heroic air was so adorable that Kiriya and Jeanne exchanged amused smiles, but they obediently lifted their mugs anyway.

"To celebrate the addition of a new member..."

"To celebrate Kiriya reaching Level 5..."

"To celebrate the continued growth of the Hestia Familia..."

Hestia drew in a breath and practically roared the final words.

"CHEERS!"

Her voice was loud enough to make the roof seem to shake.

"Yeah!"

Kiriya and Jeanne enthusiastically played along before the three of them drained their drinks together.

They were eating and drinking happily, but the surrounding adventurers had fallen into a deathly silence.

"Wait... what did Goddess Hestia just say?"

After a long pause, a thin adventurer blinked repeatedly and turned toward his companion.

"She said they got a new member."

The younger man answered blankly.

"Idiot! I mean the second thing!"

The thin adventurer nearly shouted.

"Sylvan... reached Level 5."

The young man’s eyes immediately filled with tears.

"Uuu..."

They were both young men, so why was the difference between them this ridiculous?

"Hey, how long has it even been since he reached Level 4?"

The question immediately started another round of discussion.

"I don’t remember exactly, but a little over a month at most."

"A little over a month?!"

A dwarf’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"That’s barely enough time for my Status to move a couple points, and he already jumped to Level 5?!"

"What kind of monster is he?!"

"You’ve used that line so many times it’s worn out. Can’t you come up with something new?"

A female adventurer beside him rolled her eyes, then immediately turned toward Kiriya with a lovestruck expression.

"Ahh, Kiriya-sama is amazing. I wonder if the Hestia Familia is still recruiting?"

"Exactly."

A voluptuous older woman stroked her cheek dreamily.

"I wouldn’t even mind joining as a maid. I may not look it, but I’m pretty good at serving tea, taking care of people, and warming beds."

"Whoa, you really shouldn’t think like that. Sounds dangerous."

One of her male companions swallowed hard.

"Maybe you should practice with me first. You know, just to make sure you’re ready."

The voluptuous woman had only one response.

"Get lost."

"Heh. Keep dreaming."

Another mature-looking woman wearing shorts and a sports bra gave her a mocking laugh.

"Go find a puddle and take a good look at yourself first."

"What? You wanna fight?"

The voluptuous woman abruptly stood up, and the resulting movement was rather formidable.

"You think I’m scared of you?"

The athletic woman stood as well.

BOOM!

A thunderous impact suddenly silenced the entire tavern.

Everyone turned toward the source.

Mia stood there expressionlessly, surrounded by an almost visible aura of darkness.

Every adventurer immediately behaved.

Most of them had personally learned how terrifying the proprietress’s fists could be.

"That’s amazing, nya. Mister is already Level 5, nya."

Anya stared at Kiriya in amazement.

"It wasn’t even that long ago that his Level was lower than mine, nya."

"That’s why everyone calls him a monster, nya."

Chloe sounded equally impressed before turning toward the elf beside her with a teasing smile.

"Ryuu, you’d better work hard. At this rate, mister is going to leave you behind."

"That’s right, nya."

Anya nodded vigorously.

"It’s enough to make me want to go back into the Dungeon and train myself."

Lunoire sighed.

"You may."

Mia’s voice immediately came from nearby.

"As long as your body can handle it."

Lunoire froze.

Then she gave an awkward laugh.

"On second thought, I think I’m fine."

Working at the tavern was tiring enough already.

Going into the Dungeon on top of that would effectively mean working two shifts every day, and she still wanted some time to rest.

Anya and Chloe clearly felt the same way.

All three were Level 4 adventurers, but none of them had much enthusiasm for leveling up or fighting anymore.

They were perfectly content to take things easy.

Ryuu alone remained silent.

She remembered Kiriya’s invitation from earlier, and a thoughtful light flickered through her eyes.

...

The celebration continued until late into the night.

By the end, Hestia was completely drunk and had to be carried home on Kiriya’s back.

"What a crazy night."

Kiriya laid the thoroughly intoxicated goddess onto her bed and began removing her shoes.

"She was happy."

Jeanne covered her mouth with one hand as she laughed softly.

"So many adventurers came over to celebrate with you. Hestia must have been very proud. And all of that is because of you, Kiriya."

"We’ve already had scenes like this several times. You’d think she’d be a little calmer by now."

Kiriya shook his head.

After taking off Hestia’s shoes, he reached for the ties of her clothes.

"W-W-Wait! What are you doing?"

Jeanne’s voice immediately began stammering.

"What am I doing?"

Kiriya looked back at her as though the answer were obvious.

"Changing her clothes. She needs pajamas if she’s going to sleep."

"B-But she’s a girl!"

Jeanne immediately grabbed Kiriya by the hand, pulled him away, and pushed him straight out of the room.

"I’ll handle the rest. You should go rest."

Bang!

The door slammed shut in his face.

Kiriya stared at it for a moment before rubbing his nose.

"Seriously. She’s reacting this much just because I was going to change Hestia’s clothes. If she ever finds out about me and Hestia..."

A mischievous smile gradually appeared on his face.

He was starting to look forward to that development.

...

The night passed without incident.

When Kiriya woke the next morning and saw the familiar ceiling above him, a sense of comfort immediately settled over him.

He instinctively stretched.

That simple movement caused his left arm to bump into something.

’Don’t tell me...’

Kiriya’s expression remained calm as he turned his head and lifted the blanket.

Sure enough, Hestia was sleeping soundly beside him, hugging his arm tightly.

A thin trail of drool had even escaped the corner of her mouth and landed on his skin.

"Honestly. You’re a goddess, but you sleep exactly like a little kid."

Kiriya smiled helplessly and affectionately pinched Hestia’s soft cheek.

"Hestia? When did you sneak into my room?"

"Mmm..."

Still asleep, Hestia mumbled something incomprehensible under her breath. Rather than waking up, she shifted closer and hugged Kiriya’s arm even more tightly.

"Hiss—"

Kiriya sucked in a sharp breath and very nearly lost his composure.

Just as he was about to move, however, the bedroom door suddenly opened.

Jeanne stepped inside with a puzzled expression.

"Good morning, Kiriya. Have you seen Hestia? I’ve been looking everywhere and can’t find—"

Her voice abruptly stopped.

Jeanne stared directly at the bed.

Hestia was still wrapped tightly around Kiriya’s arm, sleeping more comfortably than ever.

Her pajamas had shifted considerably during the night, leaving Jeanne herself blushing at the sight.

"Y-Y-You two..."

The Saint’s face turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Then even more red.

By the end, it practically looked as though steam were rising from her head.

"I-I’m going to make breakfast!"

Bang!

Jeanne slammed the door shut and fled.

And thus, Jeanne’s first morning in this world began in an utterly ridiculous fashion.

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