"Oh, you brought new members?" Hestia greeted us the moment Eriri, Ai, and I stepped into the small, worn-down church that served as the Hestia Familia's headquarters.
"Sorry, we might be a little late," I said apologetically. Hestia, however, didn't seem to mind at all—her face was practically glowing, and there was this cheerful, almost divine aura around her. "You seem to be in a really good mood today," I added, raising an eyebrow.
"Hehehe, of course I am! I was so worried about everything that happened yesterday, but it turns out things worked out perfectly!" Hestia said proudly, her twin tails bouncing as she grinned. "Thanks to the help of the Loki Familia and a few others… and since that whole mess was their fault, they had no choice but to compensate us! Ahahaha!"
She puffed out her chest proudly, clearly savoring the memory. "You should've seen Loki's face when she had to apologize. It was priceless! Oh, and look—I even bought some snacks for you guys!"
From the table nearby, she pulled out a tray of neatly wrapped treats and placed them before us like a proud mother showing off her cooking.
Eriri blinked, impressed. "Wow, I didn't think gods could get this excited over snacks."
Hestia grinned. "You'd be surprised what victory tastes like when you're broke. And when it comes from the most annoying person, no… that makes it even sweeter. Ahahaha!" She truly looked overjoyed, practically glowing with satisfaction.
"Just like in the legends, these gods and goddesses seem really petty with each other," Ai commented, eyeing Hestia curiously.
Hestia immediately turned her gaze toward Ai, her expression sharp—almost like a beast eyeing its prey. "Ehehe, you must be one of the newcomers here to receive my blessing and join the Hestia Familia, right? I'm curious—what kind of skill did you get? And that outfit of yours… is this what you call an idol?"
For some reason, Ai's idol costume had carried over perfectly into the Multiverse VR and even into Orario, as if the system had made it part of her avatar.
"Hey, are you sure we're safe joining a Familia with this kind of goddess?" Ai whispered to me, half-joking, half-serious.
"Trust me, she's the best choice," I assured her. "And believe me, there are plenty of goddesses with far stranger personalities than Hestia-sama."
"All right then, come here," Hestia said cheerfully, waving Ai over. "Take off your top and show me your back so I can give you my blessing."
Ai hesitated for a moment. She had already gone through being pulled from her home into the Multiverse VR, and now suddenly transported again into a place called Orario. After witnessing all that firsthand, she had little choice but to accept everything as reality. So, without many questions, she nodded and stepped forward.
"Um… Adi-kun, can you help me?" Ai asked softly, pointing toward the zipper on the back of her costume.
"Eh? Are you sure you're okay with that?" I asked, startled.
"Well, of course I am… That's why I'm asking you," she replied with a faint smile.
In the end, I did as she asked and carefully unzipped her outfit. Ai gathered her long, silky hair to one side, exposing the smooth line of her neck and back so I could reach the zipper more easily. Her skin looked flawless under the dim light, her posture graceful yet relaxed. For a moment, I had to remind myself not to stare too long — there was something dangerously alluring about her, the kind of mature charm that could only belong to someone like Ai Hoshino.
'Is this… the power of a MILF?' I thought helplessly. 'Even though she's not that much older than me… in this situation'
"Thank you," she said softly, her voice carrying that teasing lilt she was known for. With that, she lay down on the bed, letting Hestia approach with the ceremonial used to inscribe divine words upon the back — the mark of a Familia blessing.
Hestia's hands began to glow faintly as she drew the sacred script across Ai's back. A divine shimmer spread, pulsing with pink and gold light — the air itself seemed to hum with warmth and charisma. Then Hestia froze mid-stroke.
"Oh—!! This is... Ahahaha, I never expected to see a skill like this!! Amazing!!" she squealed in delight, bouncing on her heels like a child who just opened the best present imaginable. "To think a mortal could manifest such skill… this is truly a goddess-tier blessing!"
A bright panel of light appeared in front of me, listing Ai's newly revealed status.
[ Status: Ai Hoshino ]
Race: Human
Level: 1
Basic Abilities:
STR: I 87
END: H 112
DEX: H 138
AGI: H 145
MAG: H 120
Magic:
[Heart Resonance] – A unique magic that allows Ai to channel her emotions into mana, amplifying the morale and mental state of allies nearby. The stronger her emotions, the greater the boost in recovery, focus, and charm resistance. Excessive emotional strain, however, can temporarily weaken her defenses.
Skills:
[Magical Girl Transformation] – A limited-time transformation that manifests Ai's inner brilliance into magical energy. When activated, her DEX and MAG stats temporarily double, her outfit changes into a radiant "Magical Idol Form," and her attacks gain light-element properties. Consumes a large portion of mana and cannot be used consecutively.
[Loving Mother] – A passive skill born from Ai's deep maternal affection. Increases empathy and healing effectiveness toward allies with lower levels or emotional instability. Slightly accelerates bond growth with party members.
[Idol's Radiance] – Ai's natural charm and stage presence manifest as an aura that attracts attention. Enemies are more likely hard to focus, while allies within range gain increased determination and morale.
Hestia looked back at me with wide eyes and a grin that could only mean one thing — Ai's blessing wasn't just rare, it was exceptional.
"Fufufu… this one's going to be fun," Hestia said with a satisfied smile. "I can already tell she's someone special,"
Ai blinked, sitting up slightly and rubbing her back. "I don't really understand what just happened… but judging from your reactions, I guess it's something good? Hm, magical girl transformation… Wait—magical girl?"
Her eyes widened the moment she glanced at her newly revealed status, clearly stunned by the name of the skill granted by Hestia's blessing.
"'Magical Girl Transformation,' huh…" I couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, I think that kind of suits you, honestly. Magical girls are symbols of dreams, hope, and love — and you're an idol, after all. Isn't that the same thing?"
"Yeah, it's not that strange when you think about it," Eriri added, nodding thoughtfully. "You did show up here wearing an idol costume from the start."
Hestia giggled softly, placing a hand on her hip. "You know, blessings often reflect the wish or the true heart of the one receiving them. They aren't random — they come from the deepest parts of your soul. So maybe… somewhere inside, you still carry a little dream of becoming a magical girl who saves everyone with love and light."
Ai froze, her expression caught between disbelief and embarrassment. "Ehh?! Me? A magical girl?! That's so childish!" she protested, cheeks puffing slightly as she tried to hide her flustered reaction.
Ai stared quietly at her hands, her fingers trembling slightly as she processed Hestia's words. She had never once imagined herself as a magical girl. The idea felt so distant, so childish — something for innocent kids who still believed that love and light could fix everything. Someone like her, who had grown up without knowing her parents' love, raised in an orphanage where smiles were often just masks to survive, wasn't supposed to dream about saving anyone.
Yet deep down, maybe that was exactly why such a dream had taken root. Somewhere inside the lonely little girl she used to be — the one who desperately wanted to be loved and to make others smile — still lingered a wish. A wish to become someone bright, someone who could turn pain into light.
She wished to learn what true love really was… so that one day, she could say those words to her own children.
[author]
Each chapter is about 1,000-1,200 words,
Update everyday, every 5.00 AM in my country and maybe 3:00 PM in UTC since my reader lot from US. Thanks for reading!!!
[/author]