Danmachi : The Strongest Adventurer

Rein let out a sigh, his brows furrowed in confusion.

He stepped into their dwelling and was immediately met with the sight of Hestia sitting on the bed, her face flushed red.

Her arms were crossed over her chest, her body turned slightly away from Rein, as if trying to say, "I don't care about you anymore!"

Seeing her childish expression, Rein couldn't hold back a chuckle.

"Pfft… Hahaha, what's wrong with you, Hestia?" he asked, amused.

Hestia only huffed, her shoulders twitching slightly before she turned away even further, her hair swaying slightly with her movement—still keeping up her act of indifference.

"Hmph! I don't care about you anymore!" she pouted.

Rein shook his head, deciding not to prolong the matter.

Feeling sticky from sweat after his training, he didn't say much and headed straight for the bathroom.

"I'm going to take a bath," he said casually before stepping inside without waiting for a response.

As soon as the bathroom door closed, Hestia's eyes shot wide open. She stared at the door with an awkward expression. After confirming that Rein had truly gone inside, she started mumbling to herself—as if having a conversation with two sides of her own mind.

"I don't care about him! I don't care!" Hestia declared firmly, trying to convince herself.

But another voice in her head immediately objected.

"Liar! You clearly care! If not, then why is your face so red?" her thoughts argued back.

"I-I don't care! He's just a rookie adventurer who happened to join my Familia, nothing more!" she stubbornly insisted, though her voice wavered at the end.

"Oh? Then why were you secretly watching him train earlier?" her mind pressed further.

"T-That… That was just to make sure he was doing okay!" Hestia scrambled for an excuse.

"Are you sure? Or maybe… you were mesmerized by how handsome he looked when he was focused?" her thoughts teased.

"N-No way! I-I just… aaaaahhh!!" Hestia clutched her head in frustration, her face turning an even deeper shade of red. It really felt like two different personalities inside her were battling!

"I have to stay calm… Stay calm… I am a Goddess! I must not be swayed just because a mere human happens to be a little handsome and cool!" she muttered to herself.

"It's not like I haven't seen handsome men before," Hestia tried to reassure herself.

But the moment she recalled how Rein effortlessly swung his spear, the intense focus in his eyes during training, and the confidence in his voice when he spoke—her heart started racing all over again.

"Aaaahhh! Why is he so annoying?!" Hestia finally let out a muffled scream into her pillow, rolling around on the bed to vent her emotions.

She might be a Goddess, but in the end… she was still a girl.

Taking a deep breath, Hestia tried to calm herself. She couldn't keep acting like this! As a Goddess, she had to maintain her dignity in front of her Familia members. Otherwise, how would Rein respect her?

"Alright! From now on, I will act like a true Goddess!" Hestia clenched her fists, nodding firmly with determination.

But as if fate wanted to test her resolve, the bathroom door suddenly opened.

Rein stepped out, a towel wrapped around his waist. His slightly damp skin glistened under the room's light, highlighting his well-defined muscles.

His previously messy black-and-purple hair was now slicked back, making his handsome face even more prominent. His sharp purple eyes carried a dominant and confident aura.

Hestia, who had just sworn to stay calm, instantly froze in place. She could feel the blood rushing to her head.

"H-HIEEEHH?!" she shrieked, pointing at Rein in panic.

"WHY ARE YOU COMING OUT WITHOUT A SHIRT?!" her voice almost sounded like a girl who had just witnessed something she shouldn't have.

Rein blinked a few times, then glanced down at himself before chuckling softly.

"Oh, I forgot to bring my clothes," he replied nonchalantly, as if it was no big deal.

Hestia grew even more flustered. She covered her face with both hands but still peeked through her fingers. Her burning cheeks were completely out of control now.

"I-IDIOT! WHY WOULD YOU COME OUT LIKE THAT?!" she protested, her voice shaking with embarrassment.

Seeing Hestia's adorable reaction, Rein felt a sense of amusement rising in his chest. He could have just grabbed his clothes and ended the situation, but for some reason, he felt like teasing the little Goddess in front of him.

Rein slowly walked towards Hestia, a mischievous smirk on his face.

"Why are you so panicked, Hestia? We live together, don't we? This isn't a big deal, right?" he teased.

Hestia gasped, retreating slightly. But with the corner of the room blocking her way, she had nowhere to go. She could only stare at Rein with a face as red as a ripe apple, her hands still partially covering her face.

"D-Don't come closer! Y-You perverted human!" she shouted.

Rein chuckled before deliberately placing one hand on the wall beside Hestia's head, effectively trapping her.

"Perverted? I'm just standing here. Or… is it you who's thinking something inappropriate?" he whispered playfully.

Hestia's eyes widened, and her mind exploded with wild thoughts. She could no longer handle the embarrassment.

"Aaaahhh! Go away! Put on your clothes first!!" she screamed, pushing Rein back with all her strength.

Rein laughed, finally giving in and grabbing his clothes. Meanwhile, Hestia remained pressed against the wall, her cheeks burning, her breathing slightly ragged.

"Uuuuuh… This is all his fault! Why does he have to be so cool?!" she muttered, annoyed, but secretly stealing glances at Rein as he walked away.

After changing, Rein now lounged casually on the sofa, looking completely unbothered.

In front of him, however, Hestia stood with her hands on her hips, her cheeks still burning, and her expression full of fury.

"Rein! You can't do things like that again! Don't you have any shame?! Walking out of the bathroom without a shirt like that… Ugh! You're just… ugh!" Hestia scolded, her finger pointing accusingly at Rein's face.

She looked exactly like a wife scolding her husband for doing something improper.

But instead of feeling guilty, Rein simply smiled lazily. He gazed at Hestia with his gleaming purple eyes and spoke in a teasing tone.

"Hmm? But I don't mind if it's just Hestia who sees me," he said with a sly grin.

Hestia froze. The anger in her flushed face was immediately replaced with embarrassment. Her mouth opened, but no words came out for several seconds.

"W-What are you saying, you perverted human?!" she shrieked, smacking his arm with both hands. Of course, the tiny Goddess's weak punches had no effect whatsoever.

Rein simply chuckled, enjoying her adorable reactions. But Hestia wasn't done yet. After hitting him a few times, she straightened up and resumed her lecture.

"Listen carefully, Rein! As a member of Hestia-sama's Familia, you must have proper manners! What if someone else saw you like that?!"

"I don't care if it's Hestia, but if it were someone else, that'd be troublesome," Rein added casually, as if it truly didn't matter as long as it was only Hestia who saw him.

Once again, Hestia flinched, her face turning even redder. She clenched her fists and stomped her foot in frustration.

"Y-You…! You're so annoying! You really are a troublesome human!!" she shouted, though her voice now sounded more like a flustered girl trying to hide her feelings.

Rein finally decided to stop teasing. He straightened up and looked at Hestia more seriously.

"Alright, alright. I get it, Hestia. I won't do it again. I was just joking earlier," he said in a softer tone.

Hestia eyed him warily, still annoyed, but she slowly began to calm down. Seeing Rein suddenly acting serious made her heart skip a beat.

"Y-You really understand?" she asked, her voice quieter.

Rein gave her a small smile and nodded.

"Yeah. I wouldn't want to make my Goddess angry, right?" he said sincerely.

Hestia fell silent. My Goddess… those words made her chest feel strangely warm. Her already red face deepened in color as she unconsciously bit her lip.

"Ugh… You're so unfair…!" she mumbled, hiding her face in her hands.

Rein chuckled, satisfied with his little Goddess's adorable reaction.