The Beginning

[Bella POV]

I sighed as I sat dejectedly against a random brick wall in some back alley. I'd been rejected again! I had been so excited when Steve and I had first arrived in the city two weeks ago. Steve was even paying for a really nice room for the two of them at an inn near the market square. Of course it seperated room, much to her disappointment.

'Mou~ why it so hard to be accept by them?!' She thought.

Flashback

"Alright Bella-san, this is the deal. I'll pay for our rooms, but it's up to you to find a Familia for us to join." Steve said.

"Us?" She asked but deep inside, she had a hopeful feeling.

'Is it what I thinking it is?!' she thought with hope.

"Yeah, us. I've been teaching you for almost two months now and to be honest, I've grown rather fond of you. That makes you my friend and I'm not in the habit of abandoning my friend. I'll join whatever Familia you do, but it's up to you to find one that will accept you." he said.

I had been ecstatic and almost squel! Steve was really nice and had been teaching her a ton about being an adventurer. She'd been worried that Steve wouldn't keep teaching her and abandoned her after they'd arrived in the city. To find out that he wanted to join the same Familia as Bella? That was wonderful!

"Don't you worry Steve-kun! I'll find us a Familia in no time!" Bella said with joy.

Flashback End

I scoffed at the memory.

'No time, yeah right.'

I thought, miserably. I'd run right out of the inn with a list of Familia's and their locations. I'd tried Freya, Loki, Ganesha, Apollo, Soma, and half a dozen others. Even merchant ones like Dian Cecht and Hephaestus! They had all rejected me. I hadn't even met with a single god yet! I kept getting turned away at the gates, or at least kicked out by the door guards. With each day of rejection behind me, I'd miserably wandered back to the inn and told Steve about my failure.

Steve had event tried to cheer her up and she really appreciate it.

"It's not that big of a surprise that you're having trouble. You've got lots of potential but to most you look like you're just a kid. Don't give up though. You'll find a Familia eventually. Even if it's small, you'll find one that'll accept you for who you are." He said while cheering her up.

That had helped as it did really make me feel a bit better. But mostly due to be given a headpat from Steve that somehow make me in pure bliss.

As for Steve, he had been spending his days in the library doing research. When I had asked what he was researching, he'd said…

"Mostly just basic information. Important laws, how policing works, that kind of thing. I don't want to get in trouble because I didn't know I was breaking the law. Ignorance of the law usually doesn't hold up in court." He said.

That had been a bit confusing but not breaking the law sounded like a good thing, so I supposed it was important. Steve had even told me about some of the things he'd found so he wouldn't accidentally get in trouble. Like how the Ganesha Familia oversaw public safety and policing but the Guild was the organization that actually creates and enforces the laws.

My head dropped into my hands as I tried not to cry. Steve had been so sweet, nice and so patient, but all I had done was go from one failure to the next. Just as I was about to descend into another fit of despair, a voice spoke up.

"Excuse me? Are you alright?" a voice of woman asked me.

I looked up. Standing in front of him was a short, beautiful woman with twin ponytails wearing a white dress and an apron. She sat up, wiping her eyes, and tried to sound positive.

"Yeah, I'm alright."

I wasn't very convincing. The woman sat down next to me.

"Do you want to talk about it?" the woman asked.

"I...I'm sorry. It's just that I've been trying to join a Familia for almost two weeks, but they won't even let me in the door." I said while crying.

The woman put a hand on my shoulder while spoke softly.

"You want to be an adventurer?"

"Ever since I was little, my friend even said he'd join the same Familia as me if I found one, but I've been at it for two weeks and still nothing." I said.

My head dropped as I tried to hold back a sob. I don't want to be abandoned by Steve because he the only one who nice to me and I don't want him to see me as a burden.

"Well… What about mine?" the woman asked.

My head jerked up as I stared at the woman.

"What?"

I asked, my breath catching in my throat.

The woman put her head down.

"I..I'm sorry, it's just that I've been in the lower world for 6 months and I haven't found anyone willing to join my Familia. You'd be the only member, but you said you wanted to join one, so I thought…" she said shyly.

"Y..You're a goddess? A..And you want me to join your Familia?" I asked hopefully.

"Well… yes. If you want to." the goddess said.

I couldn't help myself as I hugged her and sobbed.

"Thank you, Thank you." I said between sob.

The goddess hugged back as she comfort me. After a minutes, we separated and the goddess stood up.

"Let me introduce myself properly. My name is Hestia of the Olympian Pantheon. I am the goddess of Hearth and Home and I would like you to join my Familia."

She reached out her hand towards him. I stood and shakily took her hand.

"My name is Bella Cranel and I would be thrilled to join your Familia, Goddess Hestia." I said with smile.

'I can't wait to tell this to Steve-kun! I bet he gonna be proud of me.'

I giggle while daydreaming about Steve-kun praising and give me a headpat.

*happy Bunny noise*

*confuse Goddess noise* ?

[To Be Continue]

[See You Next Game]