Chapter 136: Zeus and Hera (Bonus)

In the corner of Hestia Familia's territory, the old, crumbling church that had stood there from the start still remained.

"It hasn't been torn down yet?"

Hephaestus looked at the decrepit building in surprise.

Most of the surrounding ruins had already been cleared, yet this church was the only one left standing.

"Because there just hasn't been time."

Hestia puffed out her cheeks, clearly frustrated.

"Bell-kun has had his hands full lately. Between training in the Dungeon and studying magic, plus handling the renovations himself, it's no wonder things are progressing slowly."

"Even though he said he wanted to remodel the base as soon as possible, just setting up the surrounding area already took a ton of time and effort. So the actual renovation of the Familia's grounds has been put on hold for now."

Hestia was still quite curious about the new home.

It was the place she'd be sharing with Bell, and of course, she wanted to see it take shape as soon as possible.

But she reined in her impatience.

Bell had more pressing concerns right now—specifically, preparing for the upcoming expedition with Loki Familia. Knowing that, Hestia didn't dwell on the renovations. There would be time for that once the expedition was over.

"Follow me."

Hestia led the group into the church.

The place was in such disrepair that it barely seemed fit for sitting, let alone living. But this wasn't where they stayed.

Hidden within the base of Hestia Familia was a safer, far more secluded area.

The true starting point of the Familia—the basement beneath the church.

This underground space had been specially reinforced.

Since they couldn't rely solely on surface-level accommodations, keeping a highly concealed space underground was important. So the basement had been solidified and preserved for long-term use.

As they descended the steps, all three of them felt an odd shift in the atmosphere.

Still, none of them hesitated. One by one, they entered the basement.

Soon, the room came into view.

It wasn't huge, but it was spacious enough for two or three people to live comfortably.

Along the wall, two beds were set apart by a partition. Several bookshelves lined the edges, filled to the brim with books.

Magic Stone lamps lit the space, and more books were scattered around the floor—suggesting the person living here wasn't exactly neat. But near another table and chair, books were stacked neatly, indicating a stark contrast in habits.

'The messy side's Hestia. The neat one must belong to that kid.'

Hephaestus crouched down and picked up a book from the floor. It was a text about other races and distant countries.

'Yep, definitely Hestia's.'

Adventurers typically didn't care about books like these.

Even if they read, it was usually stuff related to the Dungeon. Most adventurers in Orario had no intention of ever leaving it—opportunities or not.

They came from outside, and now that they were here, did they really care about the world beyond?

Was the Dungeon not dangerous enough for them?

Was their life here not thrilling enough?

Hephaestus couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for that child's daily life.

'Taking care of someone as clueless as Hestia... that kid really has it rough.'

Hephaestus returned the book to the shelf, then sat down on the chair that clearly belonged to Bell.

Hermes glanced around, then dropped onto the slightly worn-out sofa. Asfi sat beside him.

Once Hestia sat down, she fixed Hermes with a probing stare.

"Hermes, just be direct. What do you really want to know? Which god outside of Orario is connected to Bell-kun?"

"Zeus."

The moment Hermes spoke the name, both Hestia and Hephaestus froze.

It took a few seconds before Hestia could even react.

"Hermes… you're saying the god looking for Bell-kun is that Zeus?"

Hermes gave a slight nod.

"Yes. That Zeus. The one who, years ago, was expelled from Orario by Loki and Freya after failing to defeat the One-Eyed Black Dragon…"

Even after hearing it clearly, Hestia still felt dazed.

She had never once imagined that her first Familia child would have any connection to the ancient god Zeus.

Hermes continued.

"Bell-kun's father was a member of Zeus's Familia, and his mother was from Hera's."

"Even though both the Zeus and Hera Familias were wiped out in the battle against the Black Dragon, that child survived. But due to health issues, his mother passed away not long after giving birth."

"So, Bell-kun is the last surviving bloodline of both the Zeus and Hera Familias."

"About half a month ago, Zeus faked his death and tricked the kid into coming to Orario. That's when I ran into Zeus and learned the truth. He asked me to look after the boy."

Hestia had never expected the story behind Bell's origins to be so complicated.

The final heir of Zeus and Hera... and somehow, he'd ended up as her child.

Both Hestia and Hephaestus sat there stunned, unable to say a word.

Hermes understood exactly how they felt. When he first heard, he'd been shocked too. Who would have thought that Zeus and Hera had left behind a child? He was almost certain not even Ouranos knew about it.

"That's the situation."

"So, can you tell me that child's status now?"

The news had been overwhelming—she still hadn't quite recovered.

She took a few deep breaths, trying to steady herself.

What Hermes said was staggering, but Hestia finally understood why he was so fixated on Bell.

If Zeus wanted to know, it wasn't an unreasonable request.

Still, revealing Bell's status directly was out of the question. The consequences would be enormous.

Especially when it came to Hermes—Orario's biggest blabbermouth. Hestia definitely didn't trust him with that.