Hestia in a maid outfit sits on the back of her child looking at his status, as he lies on their bed. He had grown again. Was it because of what happened yesterday? Definitely. Thinking such a thing as 'troublesome' or 'difficult' is par for the course for her child.
She sighs.
If this keeps up, he would be eligible for another level up soon, and that is definitely not the kind of attention they need.
When he does gets eligible for a level up though, she doesn't think she would level him, she would want him to max it all at least, 2 level ups in short intervals is like holding a sign to the Gods that reads 'The most entertaining thing you will ever find in Genkai'.
"Hesty, Is that a good sigh or a bad one?" Her Cassie asks.
She lies ontop of his back taking in his scent.
"That was the 'my child is really troublesome' sigh." She says she hugs his back.
"Hahaha, but you wouldn't have it any other way though."
"Unn. I wouldn't have it any other way." She says smiling.
She loves her Cassie just the way he is after all. Both his troublesome ways and all.
"By the way, Cassie, do you have any dreams? Goals or anything you want to do?" She asks, she hadn't discussed such things with him before but she suspects she knows the answer.
"Hmmm, not really? I don't really have any grand ambitions or something I'm striving for… Do you think I'm weird for not having such a thing?" He asks in a small voice.
Hestia immediately lies on the bed and brings his head to her chest "What are you talking about Cassie? I would never consider you weird for such a thing. You are my Cassie, whether you have dreams or not, goals or not, idle or not. I don't care about any of that… your dreams are not what makes you, so you are definitely not weird okay?"
He wraps his arms around her "Unn. Thanks Hesty."
Yes, her child can be very clingy sometimes, but so can she.
She brushes through his hair.
"Just promise me one thing Cassie."
"Hmm? What's that?"
"Promise me you'll live without regrets." She says as she brings his face close to hers, looking into his eyes. Blue eyes meet sky blue ones.
"I promise… by the hearth." Hestia is surprised as she feels a connection form between her and Cassie, one even deeper than what the Falna provides.
The promise he had just made was undoubtedly turned into a contract due to his skill, but for such a thing to happen would mean that Cassie had wanted it to happen in the first place.
She puts her hand on his cheek as she brings her forehead to his, a smile on her face.
What a troublesome child she has.
◇◇◇
"Cassie! Cassie!" Hestia shouts the name of her child as she enters the church all smiles and happy.
She sees him on the couch with a sword in his hand, seemingly writing on it with a quill.
"Look what I found!" She says to him, presenting the white-haired boy who she found trying to get into various Familias but kept getting rejected. The boy scratches the back of his head in embarrassment.
Cassie looks at the both of them and stands to his feet giving a round of applause.
"Amazing Hesty! You actually found someone willing to join the Familia."
She puffs her chests "You can praise me more, Cassie, go ahead."
He stops clapping all of a sudden "W-wait a minute Hesty, y-you are not threatening him to join are you?"
She immediately blushes at that.
"Cassie, what a rude thing to say to your Goddess and besides you are the only one I did that to!"
Hestia had met Cassie on the day he came to Orario, they had bumped into each other and she had fell on her bottom, he had apologized right away and told her he was new in town, Hestia had immediately seized the opportunity and told him she would start crying and calling him 'Onii-chan' if he doesn't join her Familia, her eyes were already watery when he finally acquiesced.
The white haired boy pales slightly at that. "K-kami-sama?"
She waves her hands in front of him.
"I-it's okay, it's okay, he did not mind at all, right Cassie?"
He laughs as he walks to the boy and offers a hand. "Right, right… anyway I'm Cassie, what's your name?"
The boy laughs shyly as he accepts the handshake. "Nice to meet you. I am Bell. Bell Cranel."