Bell walked down the hallway of the Hestia Familia's home, his heart heavy with the looming war against Apollo's Familia—and all because of him.
A few days had passed since they received the threat from Apollo's Familia, but the tension still hung in the air, nearly as thick as the smell of dust and dampness in the ruined church.
When he opened the main door, he found a figure standing there with long green hair, a serene face, and eyes as calm as a forest sunrise. They wore simple clothes: just a white tunic and plain trousers that covered their body.
"Can I help you?" Bell asked, a little puzzled.
"My name is Enkidu. I heard you're in need of help… and I've come to offer mine," the figure replied, their voice calm and steady.
"Oh… of course, come in," Bell said, trying to smile, but failing.
He led them to the small living room where several people were waiting, curiosity written on their faces at who might be visiting so early.
The smallest girl in the room looked up and smiled, curiosity twinkling in her eyes.
"And who are you…?" she asked, her tone sweet yet direct.
"My name is Enkidu," Enkidu replied with a slight bow.
"What brings you here, Enkidu?" she asked, intertwining her fingers.
"I've heard things about you all… that you're about to enter a war game against the Apollo Familia," Enkidu answered honestly. "I'd like to help, if I can."
"Are you an adventurer?" asked a man with short, reddish hair and deep blue eyes. He wore a blue scarf around his neck and a dark blue shirt under a black kimono, secured with a brown belt, along with light tan trousers and tall brown boots.
Enkidu shook their head.
"Not exactly," they replied. "I've never belonged to any Familia."
Silence filled the room. One of the girls, small and petite with brown hair and eyes, looked adorable in a slightly tattered red-and-white hoodie, black tights with small tears, and light brown boots.
She frowned, disappointment clouding her features. The other young woman in the room—dressed in a purple kimono with a dark red sash and thigh-high boots, her hair tied back—sighed, placing a hand on her chin.
"That means…" the young woman in the kimono murmured, "you don't have a level or any skills."
Enkidu didn't seem bothered by her words; their expression remained unchanged, a small, serene smile on their lips.
"That's right. I've never received a falna."
"Wow…" the adorable girl murmured with a disappointed look. "So, how would you even help us?"
The man who also wore a kimono—Enkidu guessed he was the blacksmith—shook his head as well.
"With everything we're dealing with from the Apollo Familia…" he said, leaving the sentence unfinished.
The petite girl in the white dress, who had spoken first, fell silent for a moment, studying Enkidu's face. She sensed something in him—a warmth that reminded her of nature itself. Smiling softly, she spoke.
"It doesn't matter," she said, determination sparking in her eyes. "Here in this home, we don't value people just by their levels. What matters is the heart, and you…" she looked at him tenderly, "seem like someone with a good heart."
Bell nodded enthusiastically, his heart still heavy, but seeing someone wanting to join them in this fight made him happy and emotional.
"Exactly!" he exclaimed. "Even if you don't have any skills or level, if you want to help us, that means a lot."
Enkidu looked at all of them and smiled.
"Thank you." They bowed slightly. "I don't have much to offer. I only know how to wield a spear. I've spent most of my life among beasts and in the forest."
"That's definitely helpful!" the small goddess said, clapping her hands in delight. "Right now, we need all the help we can get. We're about to face the Apollo Familia."
Enkidu nodded firmly.
"If you'll have me, I'd be happy to fight by your side."
Hestia smiled at him, radiant, though her face turned serious for a moment.
"We're not a rich Familia. Our home is this little church, and we're in trouble, with a real possibility of losing everything—including my precious Bell," she told Enkidu, clearly emphasizing the part about losing Bell.
"Even so, are you sure you want to help us? Won't you regret joining us?"
That question might have made anyone else hesitate, but not Enkidu. With a serene smile, they nodded without a moment's doubt.
"I have no problem with your situation, and I'm not someone who regrets," they answered simply, their beautiful smile unwavering.
"Then—welcome to the Hestia Familia, Enkidu!" Hestia exclaimed, extending her hand to him.
Enkidu returned the smile and shook her hand gently.
"Thank you, Goddess."
---
The morning went on. Hestia introduced Enkidu to the rest of the Familia.
"This tall man here is Welf Crozzo, our blacksmith."
Hestia introduced the man Enkidu had already guessed was the blacksmith. Next, she introduced the small, adorable girl: Liliruca Arde.
The girl in the kimono with the katana was Yamato Mikoto. She had originally been part of the Takemikazuchi Familia but had joined the Hestia Familia to help them. And finally, the white-haired, red-eyed boy who reminded Enkidu of a rabbit: Bell Cranel.
And of course, the goddess of the Familia herself—who, if not for the divine aura she radiated, could have passed for anything but a goddess.
Enkidu silently thanked his master for instructing him to completely suppress his divine aura—it would have caused all sorts of trouble the moment he arrived in the city.
Coming out of his thoughts, Enkidu smiled at the Familia and introduced himself.
"Nice to meet you all: Welf, Lili, Mikoto, Bell…" He paused for a moment and looked at Hestia. "Goddess Hestia. I'm grateful for the chance to join your ranks."
"Thank you, Enkidu, for wanting to help us," Hestia said, tears welling up in her eyes. "You… you have no idea how much it means to me that— that at least someone isn't laughing at our misfo—" She couldn't finish her sentence as tears spilled down her cheeks.
Bell and the others knew the pain and humiliation their goddess felt.
After a few minutes, Hestia composed herself. Enkidu watched her closely until she turned to him, her eyes still a bit red.
"Come on, Enkidu. Let's get your falna so you can officially join the Familia."
Soon, Enkidu followed Hestia to the only private room in the church, leaving the others in the living room.
Once inside the narrow room, Hestia went to a cabinet and took out a needle.
"Alright, Enkidu. Take off your clothes and lie down—I need your back for the ritual."
Enkidu nodded without hesitation and took off his tunic, leaving only his trousers.
---
Meanwhile, in the room…
"Are we sure this was a good idea?" Liliruca asked, frowning. "He doesn't have a level, no skills… He's just going to hold us back in the war game."
"Yeah…" Welf sighed. "The Apollo Familia has way more adventurers than we do. Honestly, I'm not sure this is the best plan."
"Don't forget he mentioned he knows how to handle a spear," Mikoto added. "He's lived in the forest, which means he knows how to defend himself. Besides, most of Apollo's Familia members are only level one."
Bell nodded at Mikoto's words, and even Welf gave a small nod.
"We need to see how well he can fight with the spear. He might even have a skill related to it from using it so much in the forest, right?" Welf suggested thoughtfully.
Mikoto nodded in agreement.
"Exactly. I plan on testing his skills tomorrow morning."
"Well… I guess we all started at zero…" Liliruca murmured, though she still looked worried.
Bell smiled, finding Mikoto's words a real boost to morale. Besides, he himself felt there was something different about Enkidu—something he couldn't quite put into words.
"What matters is that he wants to help. We should support him, no matter what!" he declared with a grin.
"That's right…" Mikoto agreed softly. "That's what makes us a family, right?"
Bell nodded firmly.
"Exactly."
Welf smiled too, though it was a bit resigned.
"Alright, Bell," he said, giving him a pat on the shoulder.
A few minutes later, while they were still talking, they heard the door to the room open.
Hestia entered holding a piece of paper—presumably Enkidu's status sheet—with Enkidu calmly accompanying her.
Looking at each of them, Hestia sighed and smiled, then sat down beside them and handed the status sheet to Bell, while Enkidu remained standing by her side.
No one spoke as Bell began to read Enkidu's status.
———————————————————
Falna Status:
Name: Enkidu
Familia: Hestia
Level: 1
Basic Abilities:
Strength: I 10
Endurance: I 10
Dexterity: I 10
Agility: I 10
Magic: I 10
Development Abilities: None
Magic: None
Personal Skills:
Presence Detection: Allows him to merge with the world itself and sense anything out of place within a vast area. Through the earth, he can perceive the presence of distant things.
Magic Resistance: A skill that grants protection against magical effects.
Spear Mastery: Grants high proficiency with the spear and enables him to learn any spear-related art much faster.
———————————————————
Bell—and everyone else who read the status after him—was left speechless by Enkidu's skills.
"To have more than one skill with just a single Falna is amazing," Welf exclaimed, astonished.
"Enkidu, you have the skills you need to level up quickly," Mikoto added with a smile.
Everyone nodded at her words. It was a shame the war game would begin the day after tomorrow—if only they had more time, he could have been even more helpful.
What they didn't know, however, was that Hestia had hidden two more skills from the status sheet—skills that even she, as a goddess, couldn't fully see. Only their names kept echoing in her mind.
"Age of Babylon" and "Enuma Elish," Hestia thought. She had never heard of skills like those, at least not since coming down from the heavens. But she'd have to ask Hephaestus if she knew anything about them after leaving Apollo's place.