Chapter 95: Blue Ribbon

Sol recalled that Hestia, the little bean, would often visit Hephaestus's house for meals after she descended.

So he decided to have Poppy keep an eye on her.

He hadn't expected the news to come so quickly.

"Are you close to Goddess Hestia?" Alfia asked, curiosity evident in her voice as she watched Poppy leave.

It wasn't the first time Sol had shown interest in Hestia's whereabouts, nearly matching the number of times he had asked others about Astraea.

"Our relationship is... so-so. Hestia is a bit of a recluse. Even when she was in the Divine Realm, she rarely left her home," Sol replied with a shrug.

"Is that so...?" Alfia was left with the feeling that Sol wasn't sharing everything, but she wasn't the type to pry.

——

The next morning, Sol's began wandering around Orario.

After a bit of searching, he soon found a small fried potato ball stand in a downtown area.

What caught his attention, however, wasn't the food, but the blue-ribboned goddess at the booth—her childlike face and large chest stood out.

"Hey, isn't that Hestia? How did she end up selling potato balls?" Sol muttered, approaching.

"Sol, are you here to laugh at me?" Hestia's voice rang out sharply as soon as she saw him.

"Don't be so excited. I heard from my child that a NEET goddess got thrown out by Hephaestus, and I immediately thought of you~" Sol grinned, pleased with himself.

"How rude! 

What kind of 'NEET Goddess' nonsense are you talking about? I am Hestia, the goddess of the hearth and flame!" 

Then, as if struck by realization, Hestia narrowed her eyes and exclaimed, "Wait a minute—how do you even know I was kicked out by Hephaestus?" She had just uncovered the real issue.

She had been staying at Hephaestus's house since coming to the Lower World, and hadn't made herself known to anyone else.

"Hmph, of course my child told me~" Sol shrugged with a triumphant look, his gaze sweeping over the short, loli-like goddess in front of him.

"Your child? I've only stayed at Hephaestus's house... Wait, is that child Poppy from your family?" Hestia asked, confusion in her voice.

"Of course! Poppy is the best blacksmith in my family, and her Lvl….even in the Hephaestus family, few can compare to her!" Sol proudly declared, almost accidentally mentioning her LV5 status, but he caught himself in time.

Despite his slip-up, Sol had successfully captured Hestia's attention, and the little goddess began to look a little envious. 

She had always been self-made, watching her divine friends live so comfortably while she struggled. Hestia couldn't help but wonder why she hadn't pursued this path sooner.

Poor Hestia had set out too ambitiously.

When she first arrived in the Lower World, she had followed Hephaestus, and after being cast out, she encountered "big families" like Loki's and Sol's.

What most didn't know, however, was that many gods in Orario were still living in poverty.

"Maybe you should find Astraea-chan. She should be willing to take you in," Sol suggested with a smile.

"Hmph! I don't need anyone. I've decided to work hard on my own!" Hestia huffed, crossing her arms in defiance.

"Oh? Finally decided to give up the virgin goddess title?" Sol teased, eyeing her mischievously.

The virgin goddess, the blue ribbon, and various other attributes made Hestia a coveted figure among many gods. Her body was definitely an asset.

"You're really starting to fall for my charms, aren't you?" Hestia said with a provocative glance, knowing all too well how the gods in the Divine Realm behaved.

Though a virgin, Hestia had witnessed many promiscuous behaviors among the gods and considered herself something of an "old driver" when it came to such things.

"What nonsense are you talking about? With your tiny body, I'm not interested at all," Sol replied firmly, making his disinterest clear.

For Sol, human and divine experiences didn't come with interest just because someone was attractive. The divine world's long existence made many gods desperate for any form of enjoyment, and some didn't even care about gender or race. 

As for Sol, his tastes were specific—he was always attracted to the mature and plump style, and that preference had never changed.

"Besides, I haven't seen you in so long. How about you treat me to some deep-fried food?" Sol added, his tone turning casual.

"Fine," Hestia replied, but there was something wrong. "Isn't it usually you who invites me? What's going on with you?" 

Sol's sudden shift made her suspicious, but she tried to brush it off.

"Tch, if you're really bored, go somewhere else. I don't have time to entertain you," Hestia snapped, crossing her arms.

"Okay, I'm not joking. Btw, since you've been kicked out, why not recruit some new members for your Familia? You're here selling potato balls, of course no one's coming to join," Sol teased.

"I'm trying to find good children, but there aren't many who are willing to join my Familia!" Hestia complained, though she didn't sound as defeated as her words suggested.

Something felt off—she wasn't as discouraged as she should be after all the rejections.

"That's because you came down to the Lower World so late. You're poor and weak—it's no wonder no one wants to join," Sol said bluntly.

Hestia could feel the sting in his words, the frustration making her chest tighten. 

"You really came here to mock me, didn't you?!" she huffed, feeling a sharp pang of irritation.

Sol's capital was too overwhelming; it was hard to fight against his teasing.

"But forget it. I'm not the same as before," Hestia said, trying to compose herself.

"What's different?" Sol asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Hmph! I've found my first child. As long as Bell-kun is here, I don't care about other children!" Hestia declared proudly.

Sol blinked in surprise. 'Huh? Bell? How did she meet him so soon?'

He hadn't heard anything about Bell coming to Orario, especially since he hadn't received any recent news from the children of his own Familia. 

The expedition had kept everyone busy, and there were fewer people Sol could rely on for intel.