A FEW HOURS LATER
VESTA
The quiet clink of spoons filled the air. For once, the tavern felt… calm. No rowdy adventurers, no drunken arm wrestling, just the sound of one grateful idiot eating like it was his last meal on earth. Michael devoured the stew like a starving wolf, which, judging by how fast he emptied the bowl, might have been accurate.
"Slow down." I said, leaning against the counter. "You're gonna choke, and I am not wasting more divine energy on Heimlich miracles."
He froze mid bite, swallowed carefully, and grinned.
"Sorry. It's just gods, this is so good. I think this is the best thing I've ever tasted."Michael said.
I smirked, twirling the spoon in my hand.
"Well, you did almost die before eating it. That tends to improve the flavor."I said.
He laughed, quiet and a little breathless. His eyes flicked up to mine again, curious, intent.
"You really saved me, didn't you? I can't even remember the last thing before I blacked out."Michael said, pretty confused.
"You collapsed like a sack of potatoes." I said. "Hardly a heroic ending."
"Still." He said softly. "Thank you."
I shrugged.
"You're lucky I was bored."I said.
For a moment, silence stretched between us, not awkward, just… aware. He was studying me again, that same lingering gaze that made me want to throw a napkin at his face and tell him to stop looking like that.
"You're really cute when you're pretending not to care."He said pretty calmly.
The spoon slipped from my fingers and clattered into the pot.
"What did you just say?"I asked.
He blinked, startled.
"I, uh I meant uh you've got this… expression when you talk, like-"Michael began stuttering.
"Stop digging." I said, covering my face with one hand. "You're already buried."
He laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Sorry. I'm not great at subtle."Michael said and sighed.
"No kidding." I muttered, cheeks warm. "Eat your stew."
He grinned again, clearly pleased with himself.
"Yes, ma'am."Michael said.
As he finished his bowl, his tone softened.
"So… you run this place alone?"He asked.
"Mostly." I said. "Helps me stay out of divine drama. Or at least it used to."
He tilted his head.
"Divine drama?"Michael asked.
"Long story." I sighed. "Let's just say gods are bad at minding their own business. And mortals are bad at not worshipping everything that glows."
He chuckled.
"You sound like you've seen both sides."Michael said.
I froze for half a heartbeat, then smiled faintly.
"Maybe I just know how to cook both."I said.
He leaned back, eyes narrowing slightly in thought.
"You know… when I was collapsing, I felt something. Warm. Calm. Like… sunlight through a kitchen window."Michael said happily.
"That's poetic." I said, pouring him a second helping.
He nodded slowly, watching the faint shimmer of divine aura still clinging to the stew.
"It wasn't magic, was it?"Michael asked.
I didn't answer. He set his spoon down carefully.
"You're not just a healer or a cook."Michael suggested.
I sighed, meeting his eyes.
"You really can't let a mystery stay a mystery, can you?"I asked.
"No." He said, smiling softly. "Not when it's sitting right in front of me."
I gave up trying to hide the glow in my hand. A faint warmth spread through the tavern, subtle, golden light flickering across the walls. His eyes widened, realization dawning.
"You're… a goddess."He said.
"Vesta." I said simply. "If we're being formal."
He sat back, stunned.
"Vesta. The goddess of… cooking?"
"And hearths, warmth, home, occasionally sarcasm." I said dryly.
For a long second, he just stared, mouth slightly open.
"Of course the goddess who saved me would also make perfect stew."Michael whispered.
I blinked.
"That's your reaction?"I asked.
"I mean, it fits."Michael grinned.
"You're impossible."I groaned.
"Persistent." He corrected. Then his smile dimmed just slightly. "I, uh… don't really have a home anymore. My Familia kicked me out."
That made me pause.
"Kicked you out?"I asked.
He nodded.
"Long story. Wrong mission, bad timing, too many politics. Guess I didn't fit."He said.
"Politics in a Familia." I muttered. "Of course. You mortals found a way to make divine chaos worse."
He chuckled faintly, then looked up at me again, that same hopeful, uncertain look.
"Do you… know any Familia that's recruiting?"Michael asked.
I folded my arms, pretending to think.
"Maybe one."I said hesistently.
He blinked.
"Wait- you mean-"Michael began.
Before he could finish, I reached out, placing a hand lightly on his shoulder. Divine warmth flared between us, soft, golden, steady. The mark of the hearth, the symbol of home, flared to life on his back. He inhaled sharply, every muscle tensing, then relaxing all at once.
"That… that feels…"Michael whispered.
"Warm?" I said quietly.
"Safe." He breathed.
I smiled faintly.
"Welcome home, Michael."I said softly.
He looked at me, eyes wide, full of awe and something dangerously close to affection.
"So this is… your Falna."Michael said.
"Don't make a big deal of it." I said, turning away to hide the heat creeping up my neck. "It's just paperwork with extra sparkles."
He laughed softly.
"Sure, goddess of cooking. Whatever you say."Michael said and chuckled.
I shot him a glare.
"Don't get cheeky. You're still on dish duty since you in my familia."I said and sighed.
He grinned, standing up shakily.
"Best deal I have ever made."Michael said.
The tavern filled with quiet laughter and the smell of warm stew, the glow of a new Familia forming not through grandeur or oaths, but over dinner, under the soft light of evening.
The next morning, I found myself standing in the marble lobby of the Adventurer's guild, the one place in Orario that managed to combine bureaucratic misery and monster-slaying optimism under the same roof. The air smelled like ink, parchment, and desperation. Michael stood beside me, looking a little too chipper for someone who nearly died two days ago. His new Falna mark shimmered faintly under his shirt, and he'd been grinning ever since breakfast.
"Stop smiling." I muttered. "You look like you just robbed a bakery."
"I'm just… happy." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Feels good to belong again."
"Yeah, yeah. Just don't say anything weird." I warned him as we reached the front desk. "Guild workers are allergic to divine nonsense."
That was when she looked up, Eina Tulle, the half-elf with perfect posture and a permanent expression of professional suffering.
"Oh, good morning!" She greeted, smiling politely. "How can I help you-" She froze mid sentence, blinking once, then again. ".Lady Vesta?"
I tilted my head.
"You remember me."I said.
Eina straightened so fast I thought her glasses might shatter.
"O-of course! You're the tavern owner from South Main Street! I didn't realize you wait-" Her gaze flicked to Michael, then back to me "-you're registering a Familia?"
I could feel the room quiet down. Every nearby adventurer pretended not to eavesdrop while clearly eavesdropping.
"Yes." I said simply, setting the parchment on the counter. "He's mine."
Eina blinked, her expression cycling rapidly through confusion, disbelief, and mild existential crisis.
"I, I beg your pardon, Lady Vesta, but… your Familia? As in you have one?"Eina asked.
"Just started." I said. "Congratulations to me."
Michael gave a small, awkward wave.
"Uh, hi. Michael. Level two. New member."Michael said nervously.
Eina's smile twitched like a candle in a hurricane.
"Right. Level two. And… Lady Vesta is your-"Eina began.
"Goddess." I said before she could finish.
Eina froze completely.
"You're a goddess?"Eina asked.
I sighed.
"Technically, yes. Formerly of heaven, now semi retired, occasionally feed people back to health in the tavern."I said nervously.
She stared, mouth slightly open.
"Vesta… the Vesta? The neglected goddess of the hearth?"Eina asked.
"Neglected?" I repeated flatly. "Wow, what a flattering title. Can we put that on my business cards?"
Michael snorted, trying not to laugh. Eina looked between the two of us, her hands flapping slightly as she tried to gather her composure.
"I, I just didn't expect there's nothing in the Guild records about you having a Familia, or even a divine registration-"Eina began.
"I didn't." I said, leaning on the counter. "I retired. Divine paperwork gives me hives."
Eina rubbed her temples.
"Of course it does."Eina said.
"Wait, the goddess of cooking has a Familia now?"One of guild members asked.
"Does that mean she gives buffs through food?"Another member asked.
I glared over my shoulder.
"I can still hear you."I said.
They scattered instantly. I could tell this meeting will be a trouble.