A woman wearing a loose robe that could fit two people, concealing her figure.
When I tried to confirm her identity, she had her face covered with a translucent white veil like the daughters of noble families from the Joseon Dynasty.
However, even the veil couldn’t hide the radiant light emanating from her crimson hair.
There are only two goddesses I know from Olympus who have hair that red, redder than flames.
That’s right.
The one Martin brought was none other than—
Goddess of the Hearth, Hestia.
I immediately prostrated myself before her while casting a cold sidelong glance at Martin, questioning what was going on.
Seeing my perplexed expression, Martin began scratching the back of his head apologetically before speaking.
“Uh… To patent the ondol system, we must receive certification from Hestia, the Goddess of the Hearth.”
Patent?
Does something like that even exist in this world?
Seriously,
even though there aren’t practical conveniences like refrigerators here, why does something as nuanced as patents exist?
And Martin…
While I did agree to provide the ondol design, I had no idea he would quietly apply for the patent without telling me.
I glared at Martin with a hatchet-like gaze, and in response, Hestia lightly covered her mouth with her fist and giggled.
“Ark? Martin filed the patent under your name.”
Two things surprised me upon hearing Hestia’s response.
First, that Martin had named me as the patent holder.
And second, despite being casual and speaking down to me, Hestia’s friendly manner felt like that of a kind older sister, which oddly made me feel at peace.
If Hestia sang a lullaby, I imagine I’d fall back asleep after just the first line even if I had just woken up.
As I looked at her confused, Martin smiled faintly and nodded.
“Haha. It’s only natural since the idea originated from Priest Ark.”
Just as I was about to argue that it wasn’t a deal and protest—
The door to the residence flew open, and two women appeared.
“Aunt! What brings you here?”
“H-Hestia-sama!”
Artemis and Maia, who had briefly stepped inside to have a look around the ondol residence, came running happily upon seeing Hestia.
Artemis looped her arm through Hestia’s in a friendly greeting, while Maia approached me, bowed deeply, and greeted respectfully.
As Hestia gently caressed Maia’s head, she stepped forward, bowed slightly, and tenderly cupped Maia’s cheeks.
“Poor dear Maia. How tough must it have been for you until now… Were you lonely?’
“N-no… Bu-but… Hic-hic!”
Moved by her empathetic words, Maia finally gave in to the tears she had been holding back.
Without caring about how soaked her sleeve became, Hestia pulled Maia up and embraced her tightly.
Hestia’s sincere skill of making people cry must be on another level…
“Aunt! Why don’t you greet me??”
“Of course I will. Come over here.”
Hestia opened her arms wide.
Artemis, pouting with her lips pursed, reluctantly dashed over like a puppy.
Artemis and Maia buried their faces in Hestia’s chest like baby birds nestled in their mother’s embrace, rubbing their cheeks against her.
Look at that.
Observe the aura that embraces goddesses of all ages, be they young or old.
It’s vast and impossible to measure.
If I could ever be embraced by her…
Even if I were reborn, it might still be impossible.
Hestia, noticing my affectionate gaze, patted the ladies’ backs and turned her head towards the Priest’s quarters.
“Martin mentioned you’ve created a new type of hearth called the ondol. Would it be okay if I experienced it as well?”
“Of course. I have everything prepared to demonstrate it for you; we can begin whenever you wish.”
“Alright, then let’s do it now.”
She smiled warmly, leaving no unpleasant feelings at all.
Rather, it filled me with the desire to make her happier.
If it’s a skill, it’s certainly an impressive one.
I gathered the goddesses in the room farthest from the heating system while Martin and I headed out toward the hearth.
As I was about to light the fire and add some logs, I paused momentarily and handed the logs to Martin.
“Would you like to try it yourself?”
“Me?”
“Yes. Since it’s your responsibility to widely promote this ondol, you deserve the honor of the first ignition as its pioneer.”
Realizing Martin had filed the patent under my name, I decided to give him the honor of the first demonstration.
When I stepped back so Martin could take the lead, he awkwardly crouched down and started placing the logs.
Since the logs were prepared and divided according to the room’s temperature, adding the right amount would suffice.
As the logs began crackling and burning, I sat down next to Martin.
“Why did you file the patent under my name? I offered it all to you.”
“My conscience guided me. The discovery of this ondol is undoubtedly due to you, Ark.”
“Are you sure about this? I vaguely heard there’s royalty to be gained once a patent is filed.”
“Haha, it’s fine. Just discovering how vast the world still is compensates me more than enough.”
Glancing at Martin’s profile, he seemed completely devoid of regret.
After that, the conversation between the two men abruptly ended—not because there was nothing to say, but because it was unnecessary.
Martin, who had gained newfound insight by building the ondol with his hands, wouldn’t be held back by past connections as he continued to pave his way forward in architecture more than anyone else.
“Ah? I see the two men had been busy lighting the fire.”
About five minutes later, the door to the residence opened quietly, and Hestia stepped out.
The veil was slightly damp with sweat, indicating that she had thoroughly enjoyed the benefits of the ondol.
Still, the fact that she kept her veil on inside the room was strange…
Isn’t it hot?
Hestia’s stubbornness was no joke.
Martin, wiping his hands and standing up, approached Hestia nervously.
“Um, how did you find it, Divine Lady?”
“It was so warm and cozy, perfect for getting through the winter.”
“So, the patent application—?”
“Of course. Approved. Creating a hearth in such an impressive way deserves a patent. For this special patent, I will recognize Ark and Martin as joint patent holders.”
“Thank you! Truly, thank you so much, Divine Lady!”
Caught off-guard by the goddess’s grace, Martin was overjoyed.
Definitely a reward that wipes away all fatigue instantly.
Martin, unable to stay still, jumped around, raising his arms and spinning around in circles.
Hestia then calmed him down.
“Phuh, first, we need the ondol’s blueprint for the patent registration.”
“Here it is.”
“Hmm… We’ll also need Martin’s identification.”
“Ah, I left that at home. I’ll fetch it immediately.”
It felt as if Martin had gone to the bank after winning a lottery, only to realize he’d left his ID at home, but his joy couldn’t be contained as he rushed off toward his home in Luna, without looking back, still smiling.
It’s… well,
certainly a cause for celebration, but for some strange reason, I felt an odd sense of discord.
Because I couldn’t shake off the feeling that Hestia had skillfully sent Martin away with her persuasive words.
“Would you mind if we talked for a bit?”
It felt like my animalistic instincts were correct as she immediately requested a private conversation.
Of course, I wasn’t in a position to refuse, and her gentle voice made it hard to maintain my wariness.
Hestia, her face partly hidden by her veil, had a mysterious allure. She possessed a charm different from Aphrodite’s, which could captivate people effortlessly.
This is serious.
My heart started racing again.
As I nodded, she smiled gently and led me into an empty room in the residence.
When Hestia tried to close the door, I firmly resisted and insisted on keeping it open.
She didn’t understand my resistance at first, but upon seeing my uneasy demeanor, she smiled like a sister again.
“Phuh. Ark, you’re so tied down by Artemis, aren’t you?”
“Her misunderstandings are more difficult to resolve than the Twelve Labors.”
The fear ingrained from the second labor came to mind.
The process of retrieving the Iclina flower was a harrowing experience that I never wanted to repeat.
“She’s been that way since she was young with her jealousy. But don’t worry. She’s currently taking a nap on Maia’s lap in the warm room.”
“Ahh, yes.”
She sends people away and puts potential troublemakers to sleep.
Maybe I’m overthinking the cliché that misunderstandings are easily accumulated.
“Ark, what did you think about my decision to designate two people as patent holders?”
“Me? Of course, I thought it was incredibly gracious and merciful.”
“Phuh. Your praise makes me blush. In truth, I initially intended to designate only you as the patent holder, but I changed my mind just now.”
“Why…?”
“Want to take a guess?”
Was she trying to show me by allowing two patent holders?
I couldn’t understand the meaning behind it and frowned.
Was it meant to repay Martin’s integrity?
Or,
was she trying to use showing favor as a way to put me in her debt?
“Several hypotheses come to mind… but none of them feel quite right.”
“I wanted to show you that there are methods like this one, Ark.”
“…What?”
“Do you believe that winning must always involve defeating someone?”
“…Are you telling me that there’s a peaceful way to prevent disputes without necessarily fighting?”
“Yes, that’s right. Smart boys are always welcome.”
With a satisfied grin, Hestia praised me by gently ruffling my hair.
But her smile seemed slightly bitter, which somehow made me worry.
Since she requested a private talk, it was likely related to me.
“If there’s something troubling you, would you like to share?”
“Hmm… Ark.”
“Yes, Divine Lady. Please feel free to speak.”
“Would you consider stopping your feud with Hera?”
“…”
“Huh? Why does a smart boy like you not seek solutions that can make everyone happy and instead focus solely on trying to bring down the opposition?”
I realized at that moment.
This was the same Hestia who’d refused to attend my dinner invitations previously to avoid stimulating Hera.
She had come all the way to the Temple of Artemis, using the good reason of discussing the ondol patent, to have this conversation.
“Are you suggesting that I should abandon the restoration of Metis, Divine Lady?”
“No, it’s much simpler than that. Ark, have you ever had a sincere conversation with Hera?”
“…”
“From Hera’s perspective, you’re just another human trusting Athena’s backing and standing against her. Both sides have escalated their opposition, right? Trade between cities has even been cut off.”
“…”
“Misunderstandings are growing like a snowball, and nobody is willing to converse. Why don’t you consider more effective methods of persuasion rather than simply trying to overpower?”
“…”
“Rather than making political moves like hosting dinner parties, if you had asked me for help in persuading Hera, I would have rushed to your aid.”
“…”
A perfect justification for peace-loving Hestia, delivered as gentle reprimand.
I couldn’t utter a word and bowed my head under her reproach.
Hestia was right.
I merely wanted to bring back Athena’s mother to prevent her from being sad.
Perhaps, deep down, I might have labeled Zeus and Hera as villains subconsciously and sought to defeat them.
“Hestia, I would like to hear your advice. What should I do?”
“It’s simple. Go meet Hera and convey your thoughts.”
“She won’t listen.”
“Even so, that’s where it should start.”
“…”
Hestia realized that my determination had softened significantly since the start.
She approached me, her back to the light streaming through the window, and held my head with both her arms.
As her embrace filled nostrils with the smell of chrysanthemums, the corners of my eyes softened.
That’s right.
Why did I forget the importance of dialogue?
“You’re right, Hestia. Dialogue… is important.”
“Thank you, Ark. The truth is, something’s off with Hera. She might do something drastic soon.”
“Something drastic?”
“Yes. I’m not exactly sure what, but I can see the darkness in her, having watched her for so long. We must resolve this conflict before it’s too late.”
Hestia shared her private concerns with me.
It was her judgment after always comforting Hera.
More likely than not, she’s correct.
Then we should arrange a meeting with Hera immediately.
“Hestia, could you facilitate a meeting with Hera as soon as today?”
Just then,
“Trouble! TROUBLEEEEEE!!”
Martin’s voice, who had gone to the city to fetch his ID, tore through the walls.
Returning in less than twenty minutes?
Something must be wrong.
When I went out to check, he was there sweating profusely, his face frantic.
As soon as he saw us, he dropped to his knees.
“A, a riot! Citizens of Luna have rebelled!”
