Chapter 4: Is that a ****... mom... mommy?! (Patreon)

Did being kind to a Familia child need a reason? It didn't.

But being able to directly sense her favorability rising, almost like completing a quest, filled Hestia with an odd sense of accomplishment. She looked at the translucent panel floating above the boy's head.

...

"Affection Stage: 0"

"Affection Needed for Next Stage: 5/10"

...

Just five more points of favorability, and she'd unlock Rozz's next stage, officially bringing him into the Hero Cloud-Raising Plan.

Hestia had never imagined anything like this. To be precise, even set against Orario's long history, this was a wildly unprecedented thing — after all, the only thing a god could normally give their Familia members was the Falna. Or perhaps some help with exploration gear.

But someone like her, who could use the game-like functions of the 'Hero Cloud-Raising Plan' to raise Rozz and boost his future achievements — however you looked at it, wasn't that just broken?

"I hope the raising function unlocks soon!"

Filled with anticipation, Hestia walked along Adventurer Street toward Pantheon, introducing Rozz to the customs and local flavor of Orario. Which really just meant, pointing out the restaurants that were cheap but tasty, and local snacks like fried potato balls.

Knowing he'd be building his future in this labyrinth city, Rozz paid careful attention — the city looked exactly like it had in the original story.

Medieval in style. Thankfully the drainage was well designed, so there wasn't any of that stinging stench he'd expected. If anything really felt novel, it was the Adventurers on the streets.

Wildly different types. There were tall, burly Beastman in armor with weapons strapped on, and there — elves with long slender ears, every bit as aloof and stereotypical as expected.

Genuinely novel. As a guide, this goddess Hestia he'd stumbled into was thoroughly competent — she didn't just share information, either. If they passed a local snack, she'd genuinely pull out her own money to buy it!

But that very kindness left Rozz feeling... strange, like he was somehow sponging off a beautiful girl. Which, honestly, was exactly what was happening.

If Hestia hadn't picked him up, he didn't even want to imagine how miserable things would've gotten after waking up transmigrated into another world. Forget becoming an Adventurer — he'd probably have ended up no different from some reality show like Ai-Subaru TV. But he didn't have the witch's power of Return by Death, and he had no "cheat ability" system either — the outcome could've been even worse!

"..."

"Eat up, come on."

Hestia held the paper bag of fried potato balls, took a bite, then looked up at the boy beside her. "If they go cold,"

"they won't taste as good!"

"..."

"Thank you, Lady Hestia."

Rozz took a bite of the salt-and-pepper fried potato balls — they were actually pretty good, maybe because of the gods living in Orario. Did their presence bring more variety to the food?

Seeming to notice the slight unease in Rozz's manner, Hestia stopped walking. This time, instead of blurting out her thoughts the way she had before, she started putting herself in his shoes.

Just arrived in Orario. Becoming an Adventurer in a daze, surrounded by an unfamiliar environment and inexplicable kindness — it really could leave anyone at a loss.

If it were her... Hestia figured she'd feel the same way. She certainly couldn't just tell Rozz outright about the 'Hero Cloud-Raising Plan,' could she?

That made no sense! She didn't want her relationship with her Familia child tainted by some ulterior motive.

Treating Rozz this way was because he was the very first member she'd recruited into her Familia — even without this so-called raising game. Hestia was sure she'd have acted the same way regardless.

"Um..."

"When a god forms a Familia, they always hold their own hopes for it. To me, a Familia is a family, and my Familia members are my children."

"I hope you... don't have to feel so restrained."

"..."

"So I'm... your child too?"

"That's right!"

Standing barely 140 centimeters tall, with both her face and figure earning her the nickname "Petite goddess," Hestia nodded earnestly.

An honest, open conversation. From here on, being around each other would be much easier. The goddess planted her hands on her hips, a bright smile blooming across her youthful face.

"A god and her child are supposed to be close, without any distance between them. If we stayed too formal... I think we'd both feel a little awkward."

"So, Rozz, do you know what to do?"

"..."

Faced with words that didn't match her childlike looks at all, and the hopeful gleam in Hestia's eyes, Rozz reached up and scratched his head. Then, he nodded, struggling, and ventured a tentative reply: "M-Mom?"

"?"

Hestia: That's not right at all!

—

The Adventurer Guild proved remarkably efficient. Hestia, with Rozz — her Familia's first member — in tow, finished registering both his Familia affiliation and his Adventurer status.

With that, Rozz, newly arrived in Orario, had taken the first step of his long journey!

As for lodging, the overall environment was passable enough — a "communal dormitory" tucked in the alley behind Pantheon.

A single room by the window that caught the sunlight. The furnishings were simple — just a wooden plank bed, a desk, and a cabinet — while washing up meant using the shared bathroom in the inner courtyard.

Even so, a single room in the "communal dormitory" still cost twenty thousand valis a month.

By the time Hestia had finished helping Rozz buy everything he'd need for daily life, evening was already close.

"You just got to Orario."

"And you passed out in an alley on top of that. Get a good rest tonight. As for exploring the Dungeon... I don't think there's any rush for now."

"I'll figure something out about your gear!"

"..."

Rozz watched Hestia's retreating back, and looked down at the ten thousand valis she'd left him in a coin pouch for daily expenses.

Food, drink, and all the basics of daily living. Compared to modern society, the conditions were definitely a step down, but he could tell, no matter how he looked at it, that this was everything Hestia had to give.

Thinking about that, the feeling of being kept by a Petite mommy grew even stronger.

"So..."

"I mean, I'm technically a transmigrator here — is sponging off someone really the right move?"

But, Rozz had to admit — this free ride really did taste sweet!

How could he repay Hestia? He looked at the sunset spilling through the window into his small room, and just as the young goddess had said, resolved to walk the path he wanted.

"Mm..."

He had no cheat ability to pour Deep Blue stat points into himself.

So, Rozz understood that all he could do was work twice as hard as other Adventurers, so as not to disappoint Hestia's expectations.

"The strength I gain will be mine, too..."

"Why do I feel like I've suddenly got a reason I have to work hard?!"

...

Meanwhile. Having left the communal dormitory to head back to her close friend's mansion, Hestia noticed a series of notifications popping up from the 'Hero Cloud-Raising Plan.'

Even so... The Adventurers around her gave her strange looks, but the young goddess paid them no mind.

...

"Affection Stage: 1"

"Affection Needed for Next Stage: 10/30"

"Daily Quest function now unlocked. Players may use daily quests to assist in character Rozz's growth."

"!!"