Thank you all so much for the support we've had this week!!
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Floating in a tranquil spiritual ocean.
August felt weightless. A soft lullaby rang in his mind, bringing him peace and helping him drift into a deep, restful sleep.
Two days later.
His eyes fluttered open. The familiar, damaged ceiling of the ruined church t his gaze.
"You're awake!" Liliruca Arde imdiately noticed his eyes opening. "Lord August!"
Hearing her voice, August felt refreshed. The exhaustion he'd carried was gone, replaced by relief in both his body and mind.
"How long was I out?" August sat up, pushed the blanket away, and stretched his stiff muscles. It felt like he'd slept forever.
"Two days and two nights," Lili replied, organizing a few items on a nearby desk.
"That long, huh?" August was surprised. He didn't expect his body to need a full forty-eight hours to recover.
"Did anyone co looking for while I was out?" August asked, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He guessed his recent actions had probably attracted so attention.
"While you were asleep, a bunch of Gods ca looking for you. Lady Hestia stood on the porch every day and chased them off with a broom." Lili laughed, scratching her cheek.
The last two days were chaotic. Groups of jealous Gods stopped by, hoping for favors or information, but Hestia drove them all away.
"Is that so?" August grinned. He didn't expect to attract a crowd of Gods while he was out, but he trusted Hestia to keep him safe.
"Oh, right! I almost forgot!" Lili said, suddenly rembering sothing. She hurried over to the kitchen cabinet and pulled out a row of glass vials.
"Lord Miach brewed these specifically for you. He said they would do wonders for your body once you woke up."
"That many?" August's eyes widened in surprise.
"Lord Miach didn't say how much to take, but since he left a whole row, I guess you're supposed to drink them all," Lili said.
"Fair enough." August popped the cork on the first vial and downed it in one gulp.
"Gah! So bitter!"
His face twisted in pain. It tasted awful, almost like battery acid. Weren't potions supposed to be a bit sweet and herbal? This one tasted more like pure bile.
Even though it tasted terrible, the effects started right away. Warmth spread from his stomach through his body. His hunger faded, and his mind felt clear.
[Strength Increased]
[Endurance Increased]
Temporary buff notifications flashed before his eyes. The potion boosted his strength and endurance. It was a top-tier supplent.
"It works, but the taste..." August gagged, wishing he could get rid of the bitterness in his throat. It was rough.
"I'M BACK!"
Hestia's energetic voice rang out from outside. The heavy wooden doors swung open, and she marched inside, imdiately spotting August chugging the foul-tasting potions.
"Ah! August, you're awake!"
She sprinted over, her eyes lighting up as she inspected him.
The tension he'd carried all week was gone. He looked relaxed and steady. His body seed stronger, and his skin had a healthy glow.
She looked into his eyes. He didn't seem tired or anxious anymore. Now, he just looked focused.
Looking at him now, August was undeniably handso. Maybe this was the result of good rest and care.
"Not bad!! That's my Familia!" Hestia said proudly. She was amazed at how much he'd changed.
"It's been two days. Let's go ho," August said, glancing at his hands. After sleeping in the church ruins for so long, he felt dirty and just wanted to get back to Earth.
August summoned the dinsional portal.
"It really is a miracle," Lili said, staring at the portal. She'd seen it before when August left for training, but it still felt unreal.
"Let's go."
August took Lili's hand and led her through the gateway. Hestia followed close behind.
—•——•——•——•——•——•—
Stepping back into his modern apartnt.
"Ho sweet ho!"
Hestia flopped onto the plush sofa. She reached into the cushions, found her smartphone, and plugged it into the charger. The battery had died completely while she was stuck in Orario.
"So this is Lord August's ho?"
Lili looked around in awe. The apartnt was as big as the villas owned by top Familias. The appliances and decorations were fancy and modern, but the place still felt warm and welcoming.
As she explored the living room, Lili noticed a small morial display on a shelf, with two frad black-and-white photos placed neatly at its center.
Lili couldn't read English, but with her sharp intuition and August's age, she quickly figured out what it was.
Lili imdiately dropped to her knees, bowing her head deeply.
"I am Liliruca Arde. Please take care of ..."
She felt like a nervous bride eting her future in-laws for the first ti. She wanted to thank August's parents for raising soone so amazing.
"Hey, hey, hey! Are you trying to cut out of the picture??"
Hestia imdiately felt jealous. Lili's words sounded suspicious, almost like she was trying to act as the daughter-in-law. Hestia, as the real lady of the house, couldn't let her take the spotlight.
"No way! I'm doing it too!"
Hestia scrambled off the couch, getting ready to drop to her knees and bow to August's parents. As the leading heroine, she had to pay her respects!
But as soon as Hestia started to kneel, August rushed over and tackled her to the floor.
"What the hell do you think you're doing??" August yelled.
His survival instincts weren't just reacting to Hestia's jealousy. He was also protecting his parents.
Holy shit...
If Hestia, an actual Olympian Goddess, bowed to mortal morial photos, the cosmic backlash could crack the fras and destroy the display. Gods didn't bow to mortals. At most, they gave a small nod. If she bowed too low, his parents' spirits might not be able to handle it.
Lili felt the sa sense of dread. If Hestia's forehead touched the floor, the apartnt might collapse. She quickly grabbed Hestia's arm to stop her.
"Ahaha! Whoops! I completely forgot!"
Hestia scratched her head and laughed awkwardly. She had almost forgotten she was a Goddess. Since coming to Earth, she'd tried to act normal and greet people casually, not as soone to be worshipped. She really forgot that bowing to mortals was a huge taboo.
"Phew."
August let out a huge sigh of relief and let go of her. He was terrified that the Goddess's sudden burst of enthusiasm might accidentally destroy his family's resting place.
"I'm taking a shower," August announced, grabbing his clothes.
He looked at Hestia and Lili. "Hestia, do a favor and teach Lili how the appliances work."
Hestia could quickly teach Lili how things worked thanks to her divine perception. That saved August from having to explain electricity and plumbing to soone from another world.
"Wait! Shouldn't I co with you?" Hestia blinked, her eyes wide with desperate anticipation. "We've been spending all our ti together recently!"
They were making progress! Sharing a shower was the obvious next step in any romance!
"Absolutely not. Lady Hestia, please do not harass Lord August while he bathes."
The roles switched right away. When Lili saw Hestia's eyes fill with hearts, she grabbed her by the collar and pulled her toward the kitchen. Lili might not know the technology, but she definitely knew how to stop a lovesick Goddess.
"Hey! Let goooo!" Hestia wailed as she was hauled away.
August ignored Hestia's pleas. With a jealous Goddess and a capable Supporter around, he knew not to push his luck. He wasn't a God—he still had human embarrassnt.
He retreated into the bathroom and locked the door. He hadn't showered in two days. Scrubbing the gri off was his only priority.
—•——•——•——•——•——•—
While August showered, Hestia and Lili rummaged through the apartnt, uncovering the hoowner's secrets.
"Wow... so this is what Lord August looked like as a child?" Lili marveled. "How rare."
With Hestia's help, Lili quickly got used to the room. She found a photo album with pictures of August as a child and so casual photos of his parents.
But suddenly, Hestia scowled.
"These guys are so damn annoying." Hestia frowned. She could sense an annoying buzzing in her divine senses.
"Go away!" Hestia kicked her leg out, launching a plastic flip-flop in a specific direction across the room. A surge of divine energy rippled through the air.
"What's wrong, Lady Hestia?"
The sudden burst of hostility startled Lili. It was the first ti she had felt Hestia actively flex her divine aura on Earth.
"Ugh. This world has the sa mythologies as ours," Hestia said, annoyed. "So people here worship the sa Gods. Now that they know I'm here, they keep praying for to co to their country and take back my throne."
The Greek fanatics were back at it, trying to flood her frequency with prayers.
Didn't they know Gods hated being annoyed? She wasn't even the real Goddess from their history! Why would she go over there?
She knew they wanted to bring back their old myths, but Hestia wasn't interested. Watching over a mortal nation wasn't for her. Empires ca and went quickly for a God. Why babysit a country when she could travel the multiverse with her favorite child?
"It's way too old-fashioned. I'm not interested," Hestia said, crossing her arms.
"Things like that exist here too?" Lili was surprised. She had assud August's world was entirely devoid of Gods. Apparently, there were still overlapping cultural roots.
"But you seem pretty relaxed about it, Lady Hestia," Lili said. Since Earth's cultures weren't completely foreign, she felt much more comfortable adapting.
"Well, the dynamic is entirely different," Hestia explained.
"This country runs on science and logic. Other places might still follow old myths, but here, we're basically seen as people with a lot of power. That gives us a lot of freedom."
"If we went to those other countries, they would try to bind us with religious politics and restrictions."
Thanks to her Falna, Lili understood Hestia's explanation. Staying in this country ant total freedom, which sounded perfect to her. She wanted a place where she could exist without being used.
"Oh, right!"
Hestia suddenly rembered sothing important. She grinned, her sense of humor shining through. Even as a Goddess, she had picked up a lot from modern otaku culture.
"Speaking of this world... there is sothing you absolutely need to see."
Lili tilted her head, confused. What else was there to know?
Hestia didn't explain. She grabbed the remote, turned on the massive flat-screen TV, navigated to a mysterious app, and hit play on a specific ani series.
A clear, very familiar animation sequence began to play on the screen.
Then, Hestia's voice, exactly the sa as hers, ca from the TV speakers.
"Long, long ago..."
"We Gods, seeking excitent, descended into the mortal realm where you children live."
"And then, we made a decision—to live alongside you in the lower world for all eternity."
Hearing the iconic lore of her universe recited as an entertainnt prologue, Lili's jaw dropped. Her worldview shattered.
"THIS IS!"
—•——•——•——•——•——•—
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