Danmachi: The Multiverse Portal Chapter 12 12: I Can Endure Hardship, But I Can't Stand Your

"Hestia, I'm getting ready to leave."

August considered heading back to his own world for a bit. If he went ho, he could put in so orders for a new batch of supplies.

But the mont the words left his mouth—

"You're going ho?" Hestia instantly picked up on his intentions.

She could feel that this kid was planning to head back alone, leaving her behind in Orario.

Hestia imdiately played the victim. She slumped weakly against the sofa.

"Are you going to abandon too?"

"I have nothing here in Orario. My food, my bed, my clothes—everything is just Hephaestus taking pity on for old tis' sake."

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh..." Hestia let out a sorrowful wail, looking like the picture of misery.

Hephaestus watched this performance from the sidelines. To her, this wasn't just a Goddess acting pitiful. It was a freeloader putting on a masterclass in manipulation.

Hestia had been crashing at her workshop for months, eating well and living rent-free, practically turning into a professional parasite. And now, the second she snagged a contractor with a portal, she was hanging Hephaestus out to dry to guilt-trip him.

Hephaestus assud August would see right through the act. But when she glanced over, she found him deep in thought.

'Wait, you aren't buying this, are you?'

She's totally faking it!

Hephaestus was about to intervene, but August spoke first.

"Actually, if we follow the original tiline... Hestia, you are just about due to get kicked out by Hephaestus."

"Given the current state of the Hephaestus Familia, all the resources you're consuming co out of their operational budget. To avoid burdening her children any further, Hephaestus is likely going to throw you out so you can learn to stand on your own two feet."

Hearing August say this, Hestia knew he was referring to her original plotline. And internally, she rejoiced.

'Is he worried I won't have a place to stay soon?'

'This is the perfect excuse to take ho with him!'

If August was willing to take her along, Hestia would accept in a heartbeat. It was a flawless setup.

However, just as Hestia opened her mouth to speak—

"It's fine. Hestia can stay here a while longer. I can afford to feed her a couple of extra als," Hephaestus interjected, tearing the setup down.

She really did plan to kick Hestia out eventually. But watching Hestia happily pack her bags to visit another world with her new Familia child? Knowing that was happening and having to sit back and watch would make her sick with envy.

Rather than suffer alone, it was better to trap Hestia here. If she couldn't go, Hestia wasn't going either.

Hephaestus's sudden generosity earned her a look of pure shock from her friend.

'Wait, Hephaestus, what are you doing?'

'Oh no. Is she trying to stop from going?'

'NO WAY!'

Being trapped here while August went off to explore another universe would feel a thousand tis worse than death. If Hephaestus wanted her out, she was more than happy to oblige.

"Oh, no, no. I've officially started my own Familia now! It would be way too embarrassing to keep freeloading here," Hestia said, plastering a modest smile on her face.

But her smiling eyes glared daggers of accusation at her friend.

"Nonsense. Just stay here and keep company," Hephaestus replied, matching her fake smile as she reached out and firmly clamped a hand onto her friend's shoulder.

She was fighting back.

Hestia stared at the hand gripping her shoulder.

"Oh, please. My child has his own inco now. We can't just leech off you forever." Hestia's forced smile was cracking, her teeth grinding together in frustration.

She knew exactly what was happening. Her best friend was actively sabotaging her trip to another world.

Hestia reached up and dug her fingers into Hephaestus's hand, trying to pry the damn thing off.

"Hephaestus, thank you so much for your hospitality all this ti."

She was going to that other world, even if she had to set up camp there permanently.

Hephaestus glared at Hestia, furious that this freeloader was about to ditch her and run off to another world. But what could she really do? She couldn't realistically stop her friend from pursuing a better life.

'This is so frustrating. What do I do? I can't actually stop her.' Hephaestus seethed internally. She should never have brought Hestia down here. She should have just let this lazy Goddess rot as a shut-in forever.

Sitting nearby, August watched the two Goddesses silently warring. The room was practically reeking of gunpowder. It was a classic case: seeing your friend suffer is bad, but seeing them pull up in a brand new Range Rover is worse.

God or mortal, jealousy was universal.

"Ahem." August cleared his throat, breaking the tension.

He had originally planned to head back alone, but it felt wrong to just ditch Hestia here. Then it hit him—Hestia was a literal Goddess. Even in another world, her power could easily crush a modern nation's military. That wasn't a joke—it was a terrifying fact.

"No causing trouble in my world," August started, planning to lay down so ground rules.

But as soon as the words left his mouth—

"Actually, forget the rules. Do whatever you want. Anyone dumb enough to piss you off probably deserves to die anyway."

Why bother with rules? Having a powerful Goddess by his side in a normal physical world provided a massive safety net. Trying to restrict her would be a joke.

Rather than stress over it, he figured he might as well let Hestia do as she pleased. If she were an evil goddess, August would never bring her back to Earth. Evil gods were nothing but trouble.

But Hestia was a benevolent goddess. As long as no one truly provoked her, she would not lash out without reason. And if soone actually managed to anger a benevolent god, then they had probably brought it on themselves. At that point, she could deal with them however she saw fit.

"Really?!" Hestia gasped, thrilled that August was actually taking her with him. Her face lit up with joy.

He had started to lay down ground rules, only to instantly backtrack and tell her to just follow her heart. The unrestricted freedom he was handing her was intoxicating.

"YAY!" Hestia turned into a literal accessory, launching herself onto August's back and clinging to him like a koala. She wanted to rge with him on the spot.

They had only just t, yet he was giving her such freedom. He was the best child a Goddess could ask for.

Watching from the sidelines, Hephaestus felt a bitter stab of jealousy, tempered by a reluctant sense of relief as she saw how well August treated Hestia. Amid that tangle of emotions, she realized he was not the type to control others too tightly.

'Why couldn't I find a child like that?' She sighed softly.

'Still... if I rember correctly, August said I was beautiful.'

His casual complint lingered in her mind. It was the first ti anyone in the lower world had ever called her beautiful.

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