Chapter 41: Hestia’s hope

“……”

“……”

“……Are you asleep?”

“……Not yet.”

“I see.”

“……”

“……”

It was awkward.

Incredibly awkward.

Had I ever been this awkward with Hestia?

I can guarantee it, this would never happen again.

The current situation was a variable in itself.

Who would have thought that coming to explore during vacation would lead to sharing a bed with the Hero?

‘Honestly, I still have no idea how we ended up in this situation.’

‘Hestia herself didn’t seem bothered at all……’

‘I couldn’t tell what she was thinking.’

As I was trying to shake off various thoughts and waiting to fall asleep, Hestia’s voice came from behind me.

“……There’s something I’d like to ask.”

“What is it?”

“You might think it’s out of the blue, but……”

She trailed off and asked me.

“……What do you think about ‘Transcendence’……?”

“……?”

It was truly an unexpected question.

‘Why would she suddenly ask that?’

I was quite curious, but since we were lying back-to-back, I couldn’t see her expression, making it difficult to grasp her intention.

“Transcendence? Hmm…… It’s too far off for me to really know.”

“……Is that so?”

The blanket we were sharing stirred.

Assuming she was just shifting, I paid it no mind and continued speaking.

“Yes, honestly, the realm of Transcendence doesn’t feel real to an ordinary person like me. And even less so for a Transcendent.”

“……Isn’t the Academy Head a Transcendent?”

“Perhaps not for you, Hestia, but it’s usually difficult for even academy students to see the Academy Head’s face. She’s someone who doesn’t even show up for the entrance ceremony.”

“Have you never met another Transcendent in person?”

“I suppose not.”

Unlike the Hero, who can easily arrange an audience with a Transcendent just by mentioning their name, ordinary people usually don’t even get the chance to meet one.

Moreover, Transcendent beings tend to be ‘heavy-bottomed’.

This doesn’t mean they don’t move well, but rather that once they settle in a specific area, they rarely leave it.

Unless, of course, they are great pioneers with a specific goal.

“……”

A brief silence fell.

Hestia shifted her body, as if something was bothering her.

Only the rustling of the blanket reached my ears, close to her.

‘Is she going to sleep now?’

Just as I was about to close my eyes and drift into slumber, following her lead.

“……I am the Hero.”

Hestia’s voice came from directly behind my back.

At her unusually close voice, I immediately lay on my back and turned my head to the side, meeting Hestia’s eyes as she had turned her body towards me.

With an expressionless face, yet eyes that flickered slightly more than usual, she opened her mouth.

“Someday, I will surely ascend to Transcendence, and when that happens, I won’t be able to live comfortably among ordinary people.”

“……Is that so?”

“Yes, it is destined to be so. From the previous Heroes who walked the same path as me, to the future Heroes who will be born… there will be no exceptions.”

“……”

“But, I……”

‘What is she trying to say?’

Her face was incredibly beautiful, but in this situation, it felt overwhelmingly burdensome, making my mind go blank.

I tried my best to act nonchalant and listened intently to her story.

“……I don’t want to be like that.”

“……”

“There’s one thing…… May I ask for an unreasonable favor?”

– *Rustle*!

Hestia’s head burrowed into the blanket.

‘What in the world is she doing now……?’

Just as I was about to ask what she was doing, puzzled by her strange behavior.

At the same time, a slight weight settled on my body, and the blanket I was covered with wiggled, forming a small hill on top of me.

“He-Hestia-nim?!”

Soon, as she slowly raised her body, the blanket slid back.

I couldn’t hide my bewilderment at her sudden, impulsive actions.

The mask of nonchalance I always maintained almost slipped for a moment.

“……”

“……”

My flustered face was reflected in Hestia’s seemingly indifferent eyes.

Reflected in my eyes was Hestia’s beautiful face, slightly flushed.

Our reflections appeared in each other’s eyes, taking each other in.

– *Press*!

Hestia, who was on top of me, gently pressed down on my upper body with both hands.

As she moved, her top slipped down, revealing a dangerously exposed undergarment that felt like it shouldn’t be seen.

My face felt hot, unable to figure out where to look with her attire.

To me, who lay stiff and silent with only my eyes open, Hestia began to speak in a trembling voice.

“If I become a Transcendent, I will live in a different time flow than ordinary people.”

“……Th-that’s right, isn’t it…? More importantly, this position is a bit awkward……”

“Perhaps my life with you will be… merely a fleeting moment in my long life to come. The portion of history I’ve shared with you will gradually diminish.”

“Ah, I suppose so…? So, please stop now……”

“But I… I…!”

Her trembling voice gradually became wet, and her eyes also began to waver slightly.

– *Thump*.

Hestia bowed her head deeply.

I felt a slight tremor through her head, which was resting against my chest.

Hestia was trembling faintly in my arms, and I waited for her without a word.

Soon, she spoke to me in a muffled voice.

“……I… don’t want… to be like that……”

“……”

“I… want to continue living with you.”

“……”

“The Hero’s destiny, which inevitably causes me to lose precious friends, is utterly detestable.”

“……”

“So… so……”

Hestia tightly clutched my lapels and lifted her head.

“Please… won’t you walk the path of Transcendence with me…?”

“……”

Her eyes held a more intense emotion than ever before……

That sight was truly……

Beautiful.

****

‘…As expected… Was it too much…?’

Seeing his lack of response, Hestia bowed her head deeply once more.

Resting her head on his broad chest, she tightly closed her eyes in his embrace, trying to suppress the cry welling up from deep within her heart.

If she didn’t do this, she felt her unsightly face might be revealed to him.

‘It’s alright… I knew it was an unreasonable request from the start.’

If you ask an ordinary person to become a Transcendent for your sake, who would welcome that?

Becoming a Transcendent isn’t easy to begin with, and moreover, if someone had enough ambition to become a Transcendent, they wouldn’t look favorably upon her request.

Regardless of her intention, it was tantamount to ordering, ‘You, ascend to Transcendence for my sake…’

Ambitious people usually have strong pride, even if they hide it well, so it wouldn’t be strange for them to take it as a provocation.

Of course, it wasn’t that he particularly seemed ambitious.

However… there was a high possibility that he wouldn’t welcome the request to ascend to Transcendence.

Although their time together wasn’t long, from what she observed by his side, he seemed like someone who wanted to live a carefree life, keeping a distance from the bustling world.

What he desired was something that one would inevitably have to give up to reach Transcendence.

In a way, it was asking him to walk a completely opposite path, so there was no way he would see it favorably.

So, even if she was rejected, she shouldn’t get hurt or sad.

‘Because that’s only natural…’

While she vowed that internally, her heart ached at the thought that this was the most precious connection she would eventually lose.

“……Hestia-nim……”

“……Yes……”

He, who had been silently still, opened his mouth.

Thinking, ‘Finally, it’s here,’ Hestia tightly closed her eyes, burying her face in his embrace.

She absolutely could not pretend it was nothing and brush it off lightly.

Soon, he spoke to her in a gentle tone.

“Thank you so much for cherishing me this much.”

“……Yes.”

“Thank you for placing such great expectations on insignificant me, who is nothing.”

“……No… You are truly of great significance to me…”

Despite them clearly being favorable words, Hestia could tell he was about to refuse, deeming it an unreasonable request.

Because her instincts, which had never been wrong, were telling her so…

Hestia clutched his lapels even tighter, so her face wouldn’t be seen.

Soon, he opened his mouth again, and just as a throbbing pain began to well up in her chest…!

He gave a completely unexpected answer.

“Therefore, I… will surely live up to ‘Hestia’s’ expectations.”

Hestia’s eyes trembled violently.

With a disbelieving expression, she asked in a voice that still held a trace of wetness.

“……Really…?”

“Of course. We are…”

To this, he replied with a warm smile…

“Friends.”

He planted precious hope in her.