Chapter 125: The Reliable Goddess of the Hearth

Thank you all so much for your incredible support this week!

—•——•——•——•——•——•—

Hestia helped August sit up. He looked down at the freshly updated status sheet in his hands.

[August]

[Level 2]

[Magic: Healing Fire; Nirvana of the Undying Phoenix]

[Skills: Charm/Flame Resistance; Temporal Resistance; Spatial Resistance; Divine Possession; Adventurer Killer (Xenos Edition)]

It was amazing. Reaching [Level 2] had given him a surprising number of new skills.

"Not bad," August muttered, feeling proud of how much he had grown. His arsenal was expanding fast.

His new magic was a mix of Hestia's sacred flames and the Dungeon's curse. The Falna really did seem to reflect a person's strongest wishes and memories.

Now that the deadly curse was gone, it had turned into a lasting power of his own.

August felt a lingering warmth on his back and frowned. "I wonder when the Dungeon managed to get to me. Even with Falna, it shouldn't have been able to affect my body like that."

He still couldn't figure out when or how the Dungeon had cursed him in the first place.

The four Gods in the room looked at each other, confused. This was new for them as well. None of them knew how the curse had slipped past his defenses.

"It's not like my future self traveled back in time to curse me," August joked. "If future-me shoved something like this into my body, I definitely would have noticed."

He dropped the idea. He knew he'd never mess with his past self for fun, and the strange feeling didn't seem like something he would have done.

Hestia gasped, completely missing the sarcasm. "August from the future... Are you really going to reach that level of power??"

She vibrated with excitement. If August could really control time, he wouldn't just be a top Adventurer.

He would be evolving into a higher-dimensional entity—something akin to a God.

"..."

Artemis, Takemikazuchi, and Miach all gasped. They understood the idea of time travel, and with August's unusual powers, the thought of him changing timelines didn't seem totally out of reach.

For the first time, the Gods saw him as more than just a mortal. As long as he didn't die early, August was on a trajectory toward godhood. Even better, he would be a benevolent one.

Everyone understood this, even if they didn't say it out loud.

"If it really was a Future August, what kind of person do you think he'd be?" Lili asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

"Oh, he'd definitely be good-looking," August said with a grin. "Imagine someone traveling through time just to help his past self. Or maybe a king sitting at the end of time, watching the multiverse unfold."

"You joke too much, Lord August." Lili rolled her eyes, knowing full well he was just reciting edgy heroic tropes. "Honestly, it sounds a bit sleazy."

"Wait, sleazy?" August blinked, surprised by her blunt comment.

"Yeah, it's actually kind of boring," Takemikazuchi said, laughing and lightening the mood.

August laughed too, realizing how silly the whole talk had become. He knew he wasn't the type to plan some complicated, self-centered time travel plot.

"Alright, time for bed. We've got things to do tomorrow." August took out some thick blankets and spread them on the church floor. He picked a spot and lay down right away. It had been a long, tiring day.

Hestia let out a yawn as her energy finally crashed.

Seeing them settle in, Miach knew it was his cue to leave.

August was safely back, and his job was done. It had been a highly profitable day, and his most prized, long-hoarded potion had finally been put to good use.

"We'll be heading back now," Miach said, standing up.

"Same here. We won't get in the way of your Familia bonding time," Takemikazuchi added with a smirk. With his escort mission complete, he stood and followed Miach out the door.

Artemis stretched. "Since everyone is back in one piece, I'll take my leave as well."

She was in a surprisingly good mood. Today has been an eye-opening experience. Tagging along with August always guaranteed an interesting, unpredictable time.

"THANKS AGAIN FOR EVERYTHING!" Hestia waved as she saw her divine friends out the door.

When she came back in, Hestia saw August and Lili already fast asleep, lying close together on their makeshift bed. Their breathing was deep and steady, and all the stress from the Dungeon seemed to have finally left them.

They looked totally at peace.

"You worked hard today," Hestia whispered.

She curled up on the mat next to August and softly brushed a strand of hair from his forehead. Her blue eyes showed how much she cared.

As she settled in, she glanced at the Xenos resting quietly in the shadows.

"Goodnight, everyone."

A deep snore was the only answer, showing the monsters were already asleep. With just the soft light from the magic lamps, the ruined church was perfectly quiet.

—•——•——•——•——•——•—

The night passed peacefully.

When morning came, August woke up and quickly brought Hestia and Lili back to his world.

The Xenos stayed in the church basement for now. They were smart enough to keep hidden, and even if an Adventurer saw them, no one would try to attack the Hestia Familia's home.

Back on Earth, August planned to help the rescued girls from the Elsos Ruins and officially welcome them into the Familia.

But as soon as he stepped outside, he stopped in his tracks...

Dozens of huge banners hung down the street, covered with big, bold letters. August stared at them, completely confused.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?" he asked, pointing at the mass of protest signs.

The armed soldier standing guard outside his home coughed awkwardly. "Well, Mr. August... It's because of you. Word got out online that some of our deployed soldiers brought back wives from another world..."

"Now, a huge crowd of local women has shown up out of nowhere to protest."

The guard described the chaos. This was no small complaint—it was full-blown panic. Bringing back a few dozen women from another world might have seemed harmless at first, but once the news circulated, everything blew up.

To the locals, this wasn't just a cultural exchange. It felt like a direct threat to their dating and marriage scene.

If August let thousands of beautiful, traditional women from a fantasy world come over, they would take over the marriage scene. The local women were protesting to look out for themselves.

"Seriously? That's a thing?" Hestia blinked, not bothered. To her, love that crossed space and time was beautiful and romantic. She didn't care about the local worries over dating and marriage.

"Didn't you start this whole mess, Lady Hestia?" Lili gave the Goddess a sideways look while Hestia pretended to be innocent.

Hestia was the one who started the matchmaking.

"Oh! Right, that was me!" Hestia laughed. She had nearly forgotten she was the one behind the inter-dimensional marriages.

"Leave it to me! I'll fix this in no time." Hestia gave a thumbs-up and jogged toward the protest.

She didn't use any overwhelming divine power or cast a big spell. Instead, she quietly used a small truth-compulsion ability. As soon as she waved her hand, the angry women with signs started shouting their real reasons out loud.

The protest fell apart quickly. Except for a few foreign spies who were there to stir up trouble and test Hestia, most of the crowd were just opportunists trying to make themselves look better for marriage.

Once the schemers were forced to confess, the crowd turned against them. The local residents didn't wait—they grabbed whatever was handy and chased the protesters out.

In this neighborhood, causing trouble could get you hurt.

In just a few days, Hestia had become a local celebrity. Anyone who tried to cause trouble on her street was quickly surrounded by loyal neighbors.

Married women, chefs, and business owners all adored her.

As the Goddess of the Hearth, Hestia had a passive divine aura that protected the idea of home. Just by being in the neighborhood, she brought peace, stopped marital fights, and even prevented things like kitchen fires or gas leaks.

Who wouldn't want to live near someone who made every home safer and happier?

No one in the district had more respect than her. When the younger people realized she was really a Goddess of the Hearth, her popularity soared. The happiness and safety she brought to the community were impossible to miss.

...

August was shocked as he watched the neighborhood rush to defend her. He thought Hestia would keep a low profile on Earth, but the locals treated her like royalty.

"When did you get your own army of angry neighbors?" August asked, still confused, as Hestia walked back after clearing the street.

How did she build such a big following so quickly? She'd only been on Earth a few days, but she was already more popular than him.

"IT'S THE POWER OF MY BRAND!" Hestia said proudly, puffing out her chest. "Look over there."

She pointed at a black sedan parked down the street. Inside, Commander James sat in the backseat, watching the chaos with a smirk.

The respected military commander had even moved into a house nearby.

"What's that old fox doing here?" August was stunned. He turned to the guard at his gate. "When did the Commander move in?"

"Sir," the guard answered truthfully, knowing Hestia would spot any lie. "A lot of people moved here. Commander James's wife insisted they relocate. Other officers' wives also bought houses nearby and are fixing them up. My family moved here too."

"..." When the guard revealed everything, Commander James met August's eyes. Looking caught, the old commander quickly tapped his driver's shoulder. The car sped away with screeching tires.

"That slick old bastard," August muttered as he watched the car speed off.

He quickly realized the military leaders had used their influence to secure homes in this regular neighborhood rather than their fancy estates.

Now it all made sense. The Elites weren't interested in August—they wanted to be near Hestia. As the Goddess of the Hearth, she brought peace and calm just by being there.

In only a few days, crime dropped to zero, accidents stopped, and the whole area felt peaceful.

For the wives of busy military officers, living near someone who could stop infidelity and family fights was the best perk. It meant a happy, safe home.

Her reputation among the Elites must have grown overnight.

"I really underestimated you, Hestia," August said with a sigh.

In Orario, she often looked lazy and poor. But here on Earth, even without trying, her divine power broke mind-control spells, protected marriages, and stopped accidents at home.

If she stayed long enough, August wouldn't be surprised if people built shrines for her in every big city.

"Of course! I'm not just a freeloader!" Hestia said, puffing out her chest.

Lili watched everything in shock. She had never seen Hestia get so much respect and admiration before.

"Lady Hestia, you're amazing," Lili whispered. She never knew that Hestia could be so powerful just by being there.

"You bet I am! Now let's go," Hestia said, showing a rare, dependable side. "We have things to do." She led the way to officially welcome the rescued village girls into the Familia.

"Right behind you!"

—•——•——•——•——•——•—

BULK UPLOAD OF 6 CHAPTERS IF WE HIT 1100 POWERSTONES THIS WEEK!!

—•——•——•——•——•——•—

~ Every 200 Power Stones = Bonus chapter!

~ 20 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon

https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx

(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)

If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.