It is a very old tale.
A story from a place so distant it makes the mind reel.
A very wise and prudent God sought to take something from the Heavens.
That was...
Fwoosh—!
[The First Flame].
The great blaze that illuminates all creation and reduces all else to ash.
Because that wise and prudent God could not bear to watch the children suffer endlessly, he intended to grant them the [Flame of Heaven].
However, the Thunder God did not permit it.
Rumble—!
With a wrath that shook the very sky, he sought to bind the God who had stolen the fire.
But it was already too late.
[The First Flame] slipped from the hands of the two Gods and fell from the sea of stars.
Down, down, toward the distant Lower World.
Swaaaa—!
Hoooonk—!
A cool breeze blowing, the sound of a ship's horn, and above all else...
"...I see it."
A girl's voice drifted from the harbor of Orario.
"The giant tower that pierces the heavens."
"That is Babel... that is Orario..."
Who was this girl, and why had she come here?
"There... she is..."
No one knew. She was merely a spark for the massive conflagration to come.
Click, clack—!
"We will arrive in Orario shortly. Prepare yourself, Ilia."
Another girl on the ship spoke to her.
"Yes, I understand! Rhea!"
The girl called Ilia answered joyfully.
"Finally, we meet... Vesta."
She smiled.
'Finally...!'
This is a story of heroes.
A story centered around a roaring blaze, fiercely and violently yearning for the heroes' own flames.
"....?"
"What's wrong, Akumo?"
"Nothing... it's nothing..."
A story where even the lightning of the heavens, hateful to some, shall burn.
"[The Age of Glory], the man showed hope."
"Like a haze that vanishes into nothingness."
In the library of the Hearthstone Manor, there were countless books.
Among them was a hero's tale that had captured a boy's interest.
"[The Age of Decline], the man shouldered despair."
"Sweet dreams betrayed him like the shadow of quartz."
However, the content was quite different from other stories.
"People threw stones to express themselves. That name was a belated realization."
Flip—
"Either a coward, or a loser."
Much like a story a certain fox had once read, it expressed a denial of a certain existence.
"The foolish king who accepted the flame alone."
"His name is..."
Finally, the moment the name of that being was about to escape the boy's lips.
"Bell-kun?"
The boy's Goddess called out to him.
"Goddess? Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing in particular... I just saw you in the library."
Hestia looked at the hero's tale Bell was reading and smiled, thinking it was just like him.
"Reading hero tales again? I understand, but... you really never tire of them, do you?"
Over the past six months, he had experienced adventures that were no less grand than those written in books—no, adventures even more mysterious and shocking.
"Ahaha... Hero tales are fun because they're written differently depending on the book."
Close—
"So I end up comparing them to the books I read when I was younger."
Despite everything, Bell loved hero tales.
"When I'm far away or when I want to remember something precious, I try to read the stories of heroes."
That answer reflected Bell's purity.
At the same time, it was a statement of his conviction.
"...You're always so consistent."
Hestia was satisfied with Bell's answer.
Perhaps it was because of the unexpected side her rival had shown recently.
A smile formed for her child.
"What do you mean...?"
"Nothing, it's just that so many things have happened lately, haven't they?"
She beamed.
"Maybe that's why, but I feel like you've become quite reliable."
Bell had grown.
Through his adventures, his body had become sturdy and his gaze had grown seasoned.
Through the incident with the Xenos, the incident in the Deep Floors, and the incident at Knossos, he had come to know the world.
"Even after growing like that, you never lose yourself."
"That's what makes me happy."
The Goddess of the Hearth smiled.
"Just like when I first carved your Falna, I want to keep watching the path you walk."
"Goddess..."
Those were warm words for the child she was so grateful had come to her.
"...Fufu, I've spoken of heavy things, quite unlike myself. Forget it, it's embarrassing."
She quickly brushed it off.
"By the way, Bell, what hero tale were you reading? I'd like to read along sometimes."
Hestia shifted the subject back to the book Bell was holding.
"Ah... yes, of course! What I was reading just now is a very old story..."
Flip—!
"It's called [Epimetheus]."
At that time, the area outside Orario was very busy.
"Come on, let's buy what we need quickly!"
"Right now, only Bell-sama and Hestia-sama are at the manor! We must return before anything improper happens!"
A group could be seen walking leisurely(?) down the street after finishing their recent business.
"Honestly, what are you always fighting against...? We're finally taking a break from the Labyrinth for a while..."
Welf responded to Lilly with an exasperated look.
"Hahaha, Welf-dono is right, Lilly-dono."
Step, step—
"It would be putting the cart before the horse if we suffer a loss by rushing."
"Lilly-sama is always talking about saving and moderation. However..."
Mikoto and Haruhime, following behind them, felt that Lilly was her usual self, but they scanned the streets to buy their goods properly.
Buzz, buzz—
The crowded streets, the usual scenery of goods being exchanged.
Considering the preparations for the upcoming Goddess Festival, there was nothing suspicious about it, but...
"...Today, no, it feels like the atmosphere of Orario has changed recently."
To those who had experienced various incidents, something strange was visible.
"Right, some strangely unsavory characters are standing out... people who aren't adventurers are looking scared."
Perhaps because of the recent incidents, such a change might be natural during a time when several high-ranking Familias are taking time to reorganize.
"It seems quests outside the city are also increasing lately."
Step, step—
"I heard most high-level adventurers have headed outside Orario... essentially, a [Mission]. "
However, it was also true that a significant number of adventurers were gone, more than could be explained by that alone.
"I guess the thugs are running wild now that the eyesores are gone..."
"Looking at our faction rank, the [Hestia Familia] is now mid-tier, so we might get a quest soon..."
As they walked down the street with their respective concerns, they spotted someone.
"Oh, isn't that person?"
A blonde elf in a waitress uniform—it was Ryu, whom they knew well.
"Here as well...?"
"I'm sorry, I wanted to set some aside for you... but they bought it all at triple the price..."
She also seemed to have come to buy goods, but from her conversation with the shopkeeper, it sounded like someone had already swept everything up.
"It's been a while, Ryu-dono. What's the matter?"
Mikoto greeted her first. Ryu was also glad to see them, but...
"Have you all come to buy things as well...? If so, you'd better hurry."
She looked serious.
"They're sold out everywhere you go."
She, too, was sensing that the atmosphere of the street had changed.
"Sold out? Why would that..."
If it were preparations for the Goddess Festival, the Demeter Familia should already be handling that.
A shortage of goods was a rare occurrence.
"I heard preparations for [Hospitality] are in full swing."
"[Hospitality]....?"
As they expressed their doubts, Ryu informed them that foreign ships were recently arriving in Orario.
"Foreign...? I haven't heard anything, but isn't that fairly common?"
As Welf said, it was a daily occurrence for things from other countries to enter Orario.
He himself was a presence from another country, after all.
"The thing is, they are said to be very special guests coming from a certain [Ancient Region], so it seems savvy merchants are already on the move."
"Ah~ a [Tourism Boom], right? Lilly shouldn't be the one to say it, but their merchant spirit is certainly thorough..."
Guests from an Ancient Region.
They wondered just what kind of region these guests were coming from to attract as much attention as the Goddess Festival.
"Embarrassingly, I don't know much about the nations of the continent..."
"I as well... I wonder what kind of people they are..."
While they were lost in thought.
Hoooooonk—!!!!
"Is this... a horn?"
The sound of a ship's horn echoed through Orario, a signal that the guests Ryu mentioned had arrived.
"Hermes-sama. I have confirmed that the ships have docked at Melen."
Meanwhile, on the city walls near the harbor.
The God of Travel and his subordinates stood there as usual.
"Well then, shall we go?"
Step, step—
"To welcome the [Residents of the Divine Realm]."
It was a clear sign of impending upheaval.
Their time was flowing.
Step, step—
Akumo was walking the streets as usual.
Loki was clinging to his side as they walked.
"It's certainly... strange."
"Aye, how long has it been since we finished that job? Honestly~"
They, too, felt the alien atmosphere of the city and knew it wasn't a normal phenomenon.
"A massive event like this, right alongside the [Goddess Festival]."
'It's definitely no coincidence...'
Step, step—
"It hasn't even been a month, and the world's already like this~"
Or rather, was that what made the world so lovely?
Thinking so, Akumo headed toward the source of the commotion where the unknown guests were expected to be, with Loki in tow.
"Hmm~? I wonder what's happening?"
The anomaly in the city also reached the Goddess in Babel.
"To have everyone's attention stolen like this when the Goddess Festival is less than two days away..."
She looked out.
'Ottar and the others are out on quests, and a good number of Loki's children are also away.'
Unlike usual, the Familias of Orario were quite empty.
"Fufu, well~ I suppose there are times like this, too?"
It was certainly no coincidence.
"What do you think?"
Freya then questioned the subordinate beside her about the situation.
"...I will move according to the Goddess's will."
The one who answered Freya was a single girl.
Step—!
"Let's go, then. We should head out as well."
What would the girl who accompanied her on this adventure see?
No one knew.
""""Waaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!""""
A day later, the cheers of the citizens welcoming the guests were the signal for the opening act.
For the Goddesses, for the heroes, the turmoil of a chaotic age had once again raised its curtain.
========================
Your Power Stones help support the release of new chapters and promote this fanfic. Please consider sending a few...
The website for reading paid chapters is available on my Patreon. The number of chapters on Patreon: 198
Link: patreon.com/UltraMagnus_T