Danmachi: The Multiverse Portal

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With the war preparations demanding massive stockpiles of resources back in the Type-moon universe, August paused his medical work in Orario. This gave him time to walk through the renovated mansion with Yui.

They went through each room. Most of Apollo's old furniture was already gone, except for the bookshelves and a few solid pieces worth keeping. Whenever they needed more bedding, towels, or other linens, they could buy them in bulk from August's world.

This was much easier than waiting for the handwoven goods usually sold in Orario.

When they stepped into the courtyard, Yui stopped and pointed toward the front gate. "Huh? There are two people outside. I think I saw them during the War Game. One was the healer Lili captured, and the other looked like she was giving orders."

"Hey." Daphne Lauros looked Yui over and quickly judged her to be support staff rather than a front-line fighter.

"Umm... hello." Next to her, Cassandra Ilion gave a timid greeting.

"What are you two doing here?" August asked.

After the Apollo Familia broke up, he thought its former members would either spread out across Orario or leave the city. He never expected two of its stronger adventurers to show up at his door.

"W-we actually came to apply," Cassandra admitted, her cheeks coloring with embarrassment.

They wanted a stable Familia, and Hestia had already shown she was fair. Joining her felt much safer than risking their futures with another unknown god.

"You want to join our Familia?" Yui asked, openly surprised.

From what she remembered, these two had been their enemies in the War Game.

August noticed her confusion.

"That's normal. Gods lead their Familias, so if a god makes a selfish choice, everyone gets caught up in it. Unless the adventurers are truly cruel, most are just regular people trying to get by. They don't hold personal grudges when they move from one Familia to another."

He knew Lili's horror stories about places like Ishtar Familia had left a strong impression on Yui. In reality, most Familias were not locked in bloody feuds. Unless one of them was filled with sadistic lunatics—in which case wiping them out counted as pest control—most Adventurers were only there to earn a living.

"Oh, I understand now." Yui nodded thoughtfully. "So that's what Lili meant when she called most adventurers uncultured thugs."

August's face twitched.

He gently tapped Yui on the head to remind her that two of those so-called thugs were right in front of them. Then he turned back to Daphne and Cassandra.

"If you want to join, you're welcome."

Daphne stared at him. "Just like that?"

August looked at both of them. Daphne was a skilled battlefield commander with good judgment, and Cassandra was a talented healer whose prophetic dreams suggested she had an even rarer gift. Both had shown their bravery during the War Game.

"You both have talent, and when things went bad, neither of you left your companions behind. Whatever Familia you belonged to before means nothing to us."

Everyone in Orario knew the Hestia Familia almost never recruited new members. Most of its people had unusual backgrounds, and nobody really knew how they were chosen. If people heard that August was letting applicants in at the gate, adventurers would quickly start lining up outside the mansion.

Daphne still seemed unable to believe her luck.

August glanced toward the upper floor. A figure slipped through an open window, spread her wings, and landed lightly in the courtyard.

Veyra approached the gate and opened it.

"Please come inside."

Daphne and Cassandra froze.

They had heard stories about intelligent monsters, but meeting one who spoke was something else. The Siren in front of them acted calmly, like any person, but both adventurers could feel the strength she held. She could easily overpower either of them.

"Hello. My name is Veyra," she said with a gracious bow. Her companions among the Xenos had given her the name. "Please follow me."

"R-Right."

Still recovering from the shock, Daphne and Cassandra followed her into the mansion.

Hestia and Lili were getting the main hall ready for the housewarming party. Daphne and Cassandra had lived in the Apollo mansion before, so they noticed the signs right away. Tables were being moved, decorations put up, and supplies carried out to the courtyard.

"Oh, I remember you two."

Hestia looked surprised to see Veyra escorting two former members of the Apollo Familia. She also remembered that both possessed useful abilities.

"August said we could join," Daphne explained. She straightened and gave a formal introduction. "I'm Daphne Lauros, formerly of the Apollo Familia. I'm currently an unaffiliated adventurer."

"I'm Cassandra Ilion. The same."

Both girls looked nervous. Getting August's approval was one thing, but Hestia was the goddess whose choice really counted.

"Alright. If August recommended you, then you're in."

Hestia looked at them with clear satisfaction. Having a skilled commander and a healer would fill two obvious gaps in the Familia.

Relief showed on their faces. Thanks to August's recommendation, they were now part of one of the most mysterious Familias in Orario.

"Show me your backs."

Hestia wasted no time. Within minutes, she had converted their Falna to her own, officially welcoming Daphne and Cassandra into the Hestia Familia.

"Not bad at all," she said after examining their statuses. "Apollo had a decent eye for children, even if his judgment failed him everywhere else."

She set the status sheets aside.

"Since you're part of the Familia now, we need to explain how things work here. You already know about August, correct?"

"Yes. The captain comes from another world," Daphne answered. "Apollo told the executives while he was preparing for the War Game."

Apollo's plans relied a lot on August's unusual origins, so the Familia's commanders had always known about it.

"Good. That saves us some time," Hestia said. "Most of our core members spend much of their daily lives in August's world."

Lili pointed toward the girls helping farther inside the mansion.

"Yui, Ui, and Nodoka also come from another world. Our Familia follows a different path from most groups in Orario. We use the Dungeon, but we don't depend on it for everything."

Daphne listened closely. What she heard matched the bits of information she had picked up before the War Game.

"There's also the matter of money," Lili continued. "Most of what August earns in the Dungeon is spent on recovery potions and other supplies that get transferred to his world."

"People assume we're rich because they see how much we make," Hestia added. "But the Familia itself doesn't keep much Valis on hand. If you need weapons, armor, or replacement equipment, you'll usually have to earn the money yourselves."

Daphne and Cassandra stared at her.

They had always thought the Hestia Familia was rich. August's expeditions brought in a lot of money, but now they learned that almost none of it stayed in Orario.

Daphne thought it over. Yui, Ui, and Nodoka were civilians from another world, so they didn't need adventuring gear. August's weapons and supplies also came from outside Orario. The money wasn't disappearing—it was just being turned into resources for a different battlefield.

Once she realized this, everything made sense.

"As long as the Familia isn't operating at a loss, we can fund our own equipment," Daphne said. "It may slow our progress, but it's manageable."

August's earnings didn't cover their personal expenses, but at least they weren't going into debt. Daphne and Cassandra could still grow at their own pace.

"How much of our Dungeon income do we need to turn over?" Daphne asked next.

Neither Lili nor Hestia had mentioned anything about membership fees, maintenance costs, or required payments.

Lili froze. The thought had never even crossed her mind. August's payouts were so generous that her share always covered everything she needed. As a Supporter, her expenses were modest—mostly fresh crossbow bolts and the occasional replacement backpack.

"Keep whatever you earn," Hestia said with a dismissive wave. "You don't have to hand anything over."

"That won't work," Daphne replied at once.

Hestia tilted her head.

"The captain's income supports the Familia in ways we can't match, and Miss Arde already contributes to its operations," Daphne explained.

"Cassandra and I are new. If we live here without contributing anything, we'll always feel like guests."

She knew there was a difference between just living in a place and truly belonging to a Familia. She and Cassandra hadn't helped build this home. If they took its protection without doing their part, they'd always feel like outsiders, no matter what Falna they had.

"Feeling like a guest?" Hestia chuckled.

"You don't need to worry about that. August kills enough monsters to throw the Dungeon into chaos, but unless the Dungeon itself decides to retaliate, most Familias know better than to interfere with him."

Hestia could tell how badly Daphne wanted to prove herself. Even so, loyalty was not something she could accept on enthusiasm alone.

She needed time to judge both recruits for herself.

Travel between worlds was not a privilege handed to every new member. Lili had been with the Familia from the beginning and had earned August's trust. Daphne and Cassandra would have to do the same.

Until then, they would remain in Orario and help protect everything the Familia had built there.

"If contributing matters that much to you, then give whatever amount you think is fair. You two can also take responsibility for the mansion's daily upkeep and logistics." Hestia compromised, patting Daphne's shoulder.

"Use the money for food, repairs, household supplies, and emergency equipment. That way it stays here and benefits everyone."

Daphne and Cassandra agreed right away. Now they had a clear job and a real way to help out in their new home.

"Lady Hestia, may I ask something else?"

Cassandra, usually shy, suddenly looked very curious.

"Do you like Captain August? The two of you seem a lot like a couple." Her eyes brightened. "And after what happened last night, are you really comfortable with someone else confessing to him?"

Hestia blinked. The girl had barely joined the Familia and was already asking about its most complicated relationship.

"Of course I like him, and yes, I'm fine with what happened last night," Hestia answered. "I knew what Lili intended. I wouldn't have allowed the situation to go that far otherwise."

Her feelings about the confession were complicated, but she had let Lili speak honestly. She also knew August's relationships would never be simple.

Hestia smiled at the two new members.

"But if either of you decides to confess to him one day, prepare yourself for rejection."

She said it with a smile, but the message was clear. Liking August wasn't against the rules, but expecting him to return those feelings was something else.

Daphne opened her mouth to deny having any interest in the captain, then noticed Cassandra shifting nervously beside her.

"Lady Hestia..." Cassandra fidgeted with her fingers. "You wouldn't mind if we liked him?"

"I wouldn't mind at all," Hestia said. "I'd rather you fall for August than let some male god catch your attention and lead you into another disaster."

Daphne got it right away.

She and Cassandra had already experienced what happened when an obsessive god treated his children like possessions. Apollo's desires had destroyed his own Familia and forced every member to suffer the consequences.

Daphne crossed her arms and muttered quietly.

"She has a point. Better for us to fall for the captain than for another male god to fall for us."

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