Chapter 135: This Is Low-Key Luxury (Bonus)

'These are Spirit Trees.'

Hephaestus was certain—the two trees at the gate were indeed Spirit Trees.

Even among the Elves, Spirit Trees were extremely rare. After part of their homeland was destroyed by Crozzo's Magic Sword, materials from these trees had become nearly impossible to obtain.

Not that they were common before. The Elves, proud and reclusive as they were, rarely sold anything to outsiders. It was only after their homes were damaged and resources ran short that they reluctantly opened up trade in certain areas.

But Spirit Trees were never part of that trade.

"Hestia, where did you get these two Spirit Trees?"

"Hm? Oh, those were grown by Bell-kun."

Still basking in the glow of showing off, Hestia hadn't expected a question instead of praise. But there was no reason to hide it—these trees weren't something with a shady origin.

"Aren't Spirit Tree seeds sold outside?"

"Before starting the renovations, Bell bought a whole bunch of seeds. Even after using them for construction, we've still got plenty left."

The implication was clear—the trees came from those commercially available Elf seeds.

'Grown…'

Hephaestus stared at the two trees, somewhat speechless.

"If your kid can actually do that, couldn't you make a killing selling them?"

"Well, I thought so too at first. But Bell-kun said doing that would directly offend the Elves. So the Spirit Trees are strictly for personal use."

Honestly, Hestia felt it was a shame. She was certain they could make a fortune. But she also respected Bell's decision.

'Ah, right. There's that issue.'

Hephaestus had forgotten about the Elf situation. But now that she remembered, she understood Bell's caution.

The Elves, with their pride and high sense of honor, would absolutely blow up over something like this. Selling Spirit Trees privately was seen as a deep insult to their people.

"It's a shame, but at least these trees haven't gone to waste."

Hestia stepped through the gate.

Hermes and Hephaestus followed.

They saw Hestia pointing to the surrounding walls, and their eyes widened as they realized what they were looking at—Spirit Trees, spaced evenly along the perimeter.

Looking closely, they saw the walls themselves were almost entirely composed of Spirit Tree wood and branches, grown and shaped into solid structures.

It was enough to leave anyone stunned.

They were sure—no other Familia would ever be reckless enough to build with such extravagance.

Spirit Trees were the most treasured material of the Elves, second only to Yggdrasil. What kind of Familia had the resources—or the nerve—to line their entire base with them?

This wasn't luxury. This was madness.

But Hestia didn't even notice the dumbfounded looks on Hermes and Hephaestus' faces. She continued explaining without missing a beat.

"These Spirit Trees can't be sold, but since they're incredibly sturdy, they're perfect for building outer walls. Plus, they produce dense spiritual energy, which helps sustain the outer barriers."

In Hestia's view, aside from selling them, the greatest value of Spirit Trees lay in their durability and the constant stream of energy they provided.

"And ever since we planted them, I've been sleeping so much better. The energy they emit probably helps with that too."

There was no bragging in her tone, but Hephaestus still reached out and pinched her cheek.

"Wha—! Hephaestus, why are you pinching me?!"

"Because... I felt like it!"

Just thinking about this idiot's living conditions made Hephaestus want to mess with her a bit.

Then she looked around. The richness of the spiritual energy within the area was unmistakable. Even someone with half a brain could tell how beneficial this environment was for those living in Genkai. It was the kind of environment every magic-focused Familia dreamed of.

Living here would rapidly restore stamina and mental energy—and even speed up healing.

Yet this kind of ideal setup wasn't in the hands of the Loki Familia or Freya Familia—it belonged to the little-known Hestia Familia.

'I've never seen a base this extravagant.'

...

Hermes had been speechless for a while now. As he took in the surroundings, he actually felt tears of envy welling up.

His place had never been anything close to this luxurious.

Dozens of Spirit Trees lined the area, serving as walls. Aside from the Elves themselves, Hestia might be the only one capable of pulling something like this off.

'That kid keeps such a low profile you can't even dig up proper intel on him, and yet the inside of his Familia is like a noble's manor. He's using materials no other Familia would even dare dream about.'

'And outside, there are layers of barriers… Zeus, is this your idea of "no talent"?'

'If this kid's got no talent, then everyone in Orario might as well pack up and go home.'

After wriggling free from Hephaestus, Hestia rubbed her slightly pinched cheek and headed inside.

"Come on in."

The scent of fresh wood and leaves filled the air—it was clear everything had been built recently, likely just a few days ago.

"Because we were short on time, we haven't finished building everything inside yet."

"That area over there—Bell-kun was planning to turn it into a giant treehouse. But building something like that takes time, so it's on hold for now."

Hestia pointed to a large open section at the center of the base as she explained their future plans.

The treehouse would be massive, with plenty of space.

Hestia could already envision what it would look like once it was done.

But because of its scale, finishing it would take time.

And right now, Bell was focused on studying magic scripts—preparing for the upcoming Loki Familia expedition.

So for the time being, Hestia had told him to put the interior construction on pause. After all, that expedition was the real priority.

Still, while the treehouse had to wait, the underground space could at least be reinforced.

"Also, let's go to where Bell-kun and I are currently staying. It's safer to talk there."