Paths of Creation

The man looked at Akasha with visible fear on his face, yet he still tried to appear tough. "You... you, let me go, damn it! Fight like a man!" the guy shouted, struggling to free himself from the chains.

Akasha stared at him impassively, making the man even more nervous. A second later, the chains retracted and disappeared, causing the man to fall to the ground as he rubbed his wrists.

"What a disappointment. I thought adventurers from Orario would be role models," Akasha said, sighing.

Dunkan, blinded by rage, lunged at Akasha, his right fist driven by the brute force of a level 3. The air whistled around his fist as it approached Akasha's face.

However, before the blow could land, Riveria raised her staff with a swift and precise motion. Her eyes glowed with a flash of magic, and a circle of runes appeared in the air in front of her.

"Enough!" Riveria shouted, her voice resonating with authority. A spell of brute force shot out from her staff, striking Dunkan in the chest and sending him flying backward. The man crashed into an empty table, scattering chairs and plates across the floor.

The tavern fell silent for a moment, everyone present staring at Riveria with a mix of respect and fear. Akasha, for his part, remained unfazed.

He slowly lowered his hand, which had been ready to stop Dunkan's punch, and looked at Riveria with a serene expression.

"Thank you," Akasha said quietly, his tone indifferent but polite. "Though it wasn't necessary."

Riveria looked at him with a mix of curiosity and caution. "No need to thank me. This isn't the place to settle disputes," she said, her voice firm but calm.

Then, she turned her gaze to Dunkan, who was getting up from the floor, still dazed from the impact of the spell. "This isn't the place for a fight. Control yourself," Riveria said authoritatively.

Dunkan, still panting, looked at Riveria with resentment but said nothing. He knew challenging the executive of the Loki Familia wasn't an option.

With a grunt, he got up and walked away, muttering curses under his breath.

Meanwhile, Akasha felt a tap on his shoulder. When he turned to look, it was Yara, who had stars in her eyes as she looked around Akasha.

Akasha raised an eyebrow, confused. "What are you looking for, Yara?" he asked.

Yara stopped searching and looked directly into Akasha's eyes. "You... that chain, that chain was beautiful! Tell me where it is, I want to see it!" she said, getting more and more excited.

Akasha sighed as he glanced around and then turned his gaze back to Yara. "Later, I'll show you later," he said, making Yara nod quickly.

Akasha smiled and said nothing. Then, he looked at Riveria, who was still watching him with interest.

"Thanks again," Akasha said, slightly inclining his head. "But I won't need your help again."

Riveria nodded, her expression serious. "I hope not. Though, if you don't mind, I'd like to know who you are. I haven't seen you before, and I haven't heard of anyone who wields chains so... peculiarly."

"Just an adventurer. You can call me Akasha," Akasha said before turning his gaze away from her.

---

Half an hour later.

Akasha was accompanying Bell to his home with Yara by his side. After several minutes, they arrived at an abandoned church.

"Wow! It really is abandoned, huh. Do you live here, Bell?" Yara asked Bell as she whistled, taking in the state of the church.

Bell scratched his head, embarrassment on his face. "I'm sorry, Miss Yara, Mr. Akasha. It might look like this on the outside, but it's cozier inside," he assured them confidently.

Akasha said nothing as he watched the wooden door open to reveal a short girl with ample proportions, wearing a white dress and sandals, stepping out.

The girl ran to Bell and hugged him. "Bell! I was worried because you hadn't arrived. How did it go, Bell?" she asked, visibly calming down.

"Goddess Hestia, I'm here, haha," Bell said, scratching the back of his neck.

Hestia nodded happily, and that's when she noticed Yara and Akasha. She approached them and inspected them, earning an indifferent look from Akasha.

She placed a hand on her chin as she looked them up and down and nodded.

"Yes, you look like you have the potential to be great adventurers. Under my guidance, you could achieve greatness," she said eloquently, placing her hands on her hips.

Akasha sighed and looked at Bell, who was silently apologizing. He turned back to the petite goddess and nodded.

"Sure. We want to join your familia. Will you accept us?" Akasha asked, earning a raised eyebrow from Yara that seemed to say, 'This woman is kind of weird.'

Hestia jumped with joy upon hearing Akasha's words. She quickly grabbed their arms and dragged them into the church as Bell followed, beads of sweat on his forehead.

---

"Alright, tell me. Why do you want to join my familia? As you can see, we don't have money, and we won't be able to buy you quality weapons like other adventurers have," Hestia explained as Bell served them tea.

Though she appeared serene on the outside, Akasha noticed a hint of pain in her voice. Her eyes betrayed the loneliness she had felt in the past, which still lingered because she couldn't provide for her only child.

Akasha said nothing and instead looked at Yara, who shrugged and nodded. Akasha turned his gaze back to Bell, who seemed nervous as he sat beside his goddess.

"We'll join. We don't need anything you mentioned, and the church renovations will be on me. Consider it a gift for accepting us," Akasha finally said as he sipped his tea, glancing at it for a moment before turning his gaze back to Hestia.

Hestia blinked at how things had turned out. She had thought they were just here to mock them, as others had done before. Her eyes watered slightly before she wiped them away.

She nodded with confidence and stood up. "Alright, if that's the case, I'll give you my falna," she declared with a smile. "Who wants to go first?"

"Let Yara go first. I can wait," Akasha stated as he sipped his tea.

Hestia nodded and motioned for Yara to follow her, and they walked to the only room in the house.

---

Hestia took a small knife from the shelf, her hand trembling slightly, not out of nervousness but from the excitement of having new members in her familia.

With a quick but careful motion, she pricked the tip of her index finger. A drop of blood glistened under the dim light of the room.

"Take off your shirt and lie down on the bed," Hestia said, her voice soft but firm. Yara obeyed, though a hint of doubt flickered in her eyes.

"Goddess Hestia... will it hurt?" Yara asked, her voice trembling.

Hestia smiled calmly and shook her head. "No, it won't hurt. You'll just feel a slight tingling, like someone drawing on your back with a soft feather."

Yara nodded, reassured, and lay face down on the bed. Hestia sat beside her, holding her bleeding finger over Yara's back. With precise, fluid movements, she began tracing intricate patterns on Yara's skin.

Each line of blood glowed faintly before disappearing into the skin, as if Hestia's divine energy was merging with Yara's body.

Yara felt a strange but not unpleasant sensation. It was as if a warm current was spreading across her back, filling her with an energy she had never felt before. "It's... weird, but it doesn't hurt," Yara murmured, gradually relaxing.

Hestia continued her work, focused on each stroke. The patterns grew more complex. After a few minutes, Hestia finished and took a special paper from the shelf. She placed it on Yara's back, and the blood patterns transferred to the paper, revealing Yara's status.

"Done, you can get dressed, Yara," Hestia said, smiling with satisfaction as she examined the paper. "Let's see what we have here..."

---

Yara took the paper with trembling hands, her eyes quickly scanning the lines of text. When she saw the words "Light Magic" and "Spatial Magic," her heart skipped a beat. A wave of emotion washed over her, and a bright smile lit up her face.

"I have magic!!" Yara shouted, jumping off the bed with an energy she didn't know she had. "Akasha, Akasha!! Look at this!!" She ran to the door, bursting out of the room.

Hestia watched her with a mix of awe and pride. "That girl has incredible potential," she murmured to herself, but her expression changed when she looked back at the paper. Her eyes widened as she read the abilities section.

"Protection of 「」... What is this?" Hestia murmured, her voice filled with disbelief. "Immunity to mental and spiritual manipulation... it's very similar to my Bell's ability."