Chapter 16: A New Home, A New Beginning?

The adrenaline from the battle against the Minotaur and the confrontation with the Loki Familia had dissipated, leaving behind a deep exhaustion and muscle soreness that the incredible status update couldn't completely erase. Hachiman looked at his numbers – Rank E in strength, endurance, and agility, Rank F in dexterity, and a surprising Rank C in magic – and then at the miserable hovel around him. The contrast was stark. He had power, he had money (the 300,000 Valis felt like a fortune), but he still lived in precarious conditions.

'Can't keep going like this,' he decided. The morning's experience, the feeling of near-death, reinforced the need for some stability, some basic comfort outside the brutality of the Dungeon. And honestly, he deserved it. Aqua too. 'Rest. Today, I rest. And I'll sort this out.' Returning to the Dungeon in that physical and mental state would be unproductive and dangerous.

"Aqua," he called, seeing the goddess still somewhat agitated after hearing about the confrontation. "No Dungeon today. Let's... sort out our housing situation."

Aqua's eyes widened. "Housing? Are we moving out of this stinky hole?! To a palace?!"

"To something better," Hachiman replied, tempering her expectations. "With the money we have now, we can buy a real house. Let's look."

And so, around noon, after resting a bit and eating something simple with the supplies they had, Hachiman and Aqua headed out not towards Babel, but towards Orario's residential districts. Hachiman had safely stored most of the 300,000 Valis (perhaps sewn into his clothing lining or in a well-hidden pouch), but he knew a decent house would be expensive.

They avoided the most luxurious areas, where the mansions of the wealthiest Familias stood, and focused on middle-class neighborhoods or popular areas that seemed safe and well-maintained, but without ostentation. They looked at "For Sale" signs, inquired at small local real estate agencies. Aqua initially complained about every option that didn't resemble a temple or a castle, but Hachiman was firm, looking for something practical, spacious enough for two, and in reasonable condition.

After a few hours of searching under the afternoon sun, they found it. On a quiet side street, not far from some main roads but sufficiently removed to avoid constant noise, there was a two-story house for sale. It wasn't new, but the stone and wood structure seemed solid, the roof was intact, and it had a small backyard, although neglected. Inside, it offered a good-sized living room, a separate kitchen, a functional bathroom (a luxury compared to the hovel), and upstairs, two spacious bedrooms. It needed a good cleaning and perhaps some cosmetic repairs, but it was a real home.

The asking price was 200,000 Valis. Hachiman pondered. It was a huge sum, two-thirds of everything he had accumulated. But it would mean safety, comfort, a decent place to rest and recover. It would mean no longer having to live in an abandoned shack.

"This is it," he told Aqua, who was inspecting one of the upstairs bedrooms with a critical eye, but visibly less displeased than with the previous options. "It's spacious, seems safe, has decent running water... and we can afford it."

"Hmm... It's no palace, but it's much better than that other place," Aqua admitted. "Is there room for an altar for me?"

"We can make space," Hachiman replied diplomatically.

The transaction was surprisingly simple. They found the owner through the sign, negotiated minimally (the owner seemed eager to sell), and payment was made in cash. In Orario, large sums of Valis frequently changed hands between adventurers and merchants. With the basic paperwork signed and the keys in hand, the house was officially theirs. The feeling was strange, almost surreal. He was now a homeowner.

But the empty house wasn't a home. 100,000 Valis remained. Hachiman immediately allocated 50,000 Valis to make the place habitable. He and Aqua spent the rest of the afternoon on a shopping spree. Basic furniture was the priority: two decent beds (he couldn't stand the floor anymore, and Aqua deserved something better too), a table and some chairs for the kitchen, perhaps a simple sofa for the living room. They also bought better kitchen utensils, pots, plates, sheets, blankets, cleaning supplies, and a substantial amount of basic food to stock the new makeshift kitchen. Aqua participated enthusiastically, especially in choosing colorful blankets and insisting on buying some potted plants to "brighten up the place." Hachiman focused on functionality and price, ensuring they didn't exceed the 50k budget.

By late afternoon, exhausted again, but from a different kind of effort, they were in their new house. It was still sparsely furnished, smelled faintly of old paint, and needed a deep clean, but it was theirs. There were real beds to sleep on, a kitchen where they could prepare hot meals without so much improvisation, and room to breathe.

As the sun began to set, painting the sky with warm colors visible through the living room window, Hachiman saw Aqua sitting on one of the new chairs, looking into the distance with a strangely thoughtful, almost melancholic expression, something rare for her. The day's adrenaline, the excitement of the new house, all seemed to have settled, leaving room for other feelings.

'She was torn from her world, bound to me against her will, thrown into a dangerous world where she's basically powerless...', Hachiman reflected. He rarely stopped to think about her perspective, consumed by his own survival and problems. But now, in that moment of relative calm, he felt he owed her that.

"Hey, Aqua," he called softly. "Want to take a walk? Get out for a bit before unpacking everything?"

Aqua seemed surprised by the suggestion. "Go out? Again?"

"Just a walk," he said. "Get some air."

She agreed, and they went out into the Orario dusk. This time, Hachiman guided her to a quieter area, perhaps a small park or a path along one of the canals that cut through the city. They found an empty bench under a tree and sat down, watching the city lights begin to turn on.

For a while, they sat in silence. Then, Hachiman gathered the courage to ask the question lingering in his mind. "Aqua... how are you feeling? Really?"

Aqua blinked, taken aback by the direct, personal question. "Me? I'm great! I'm a goddess, remember? Always fabulous!" she replied in her usual tone, but it lacked the customary conviction.

Hachiman didn't look away. "I'm serious. Being brought here, stuck with me, unable to use your powers... how are you dealing with it?"

Aqua was silent for a moment, looking down at her hands. When she spoke, her voice was lower, less shrill. "It's... frustrating," she admitted. "I was worshipped! I had my temple, my followers... Here, I'm just... Aqua. And I'm stuck with you, a cynical, dead-eyed human who doesn't even believe in me properly!" There was a hint of genuine hurt there. "And I can't do much... I can't use my divine powers, I can't go home..." Her eyes grew moist. "Sometimes... it's lonely."

Hachiman listened in silence. He didn't offer empty platitudes or false promises. Just listened. It was rare to see Aqua so vulnerable, without the mask of arrogance and childishness.

"I know it's not ideal," he said finally, his voice calm. "Neither of us asked for this. But... we're in this together now. The bond, the Familia of the two of us... it's what we have." He hesitated. "And, for the record, I wouldn't have survived these two weeks without you. Updating the status, even if you complain, is essential. And..." he paused, searching for the right words, "...your presence, however annoying it is sometimes, makes things a little less... empty."

Aqua sniffled, wiping away a stubborn tear. She looked at him, a complex expression on her face. "You... you mean I'm not completely useless?"

"You're annoying, loud, self-centered, and will probably cause me a lot of trouble," Hachiman replied with his characteristic brutal honesty. "But useless? No. Not completely."

A small smile appeared on Aqua's lips, mixed with the sniffle. "Humph! Of course I'm not useless! I'm a goddess!" She seemed to pull herself together a bit, the facade returning, but perhaps with one less crack.

They sat there for a while longer, talking about trivial things, about plans to fix up the house, about the food they could cook now that they had a kitchen. The conversation was lighter, easier than many they had had before.

When night truly fell, they returned to the new house. The place was still somewhat empty, but now it felt different. It felt like a refuge. That night, sleeping in separate beds but under the same safe roof, Hachiman felt that maybe, just maybe, they were starting to build something more than just a Familia forced by necessity. Maybe they were starting to build a home.