"Bell? Are you home?" Hestia unlatched the iron gate and then walked towards the church. Looking around, she didn't see a sign of Bell... which was odd, considering it was still light out.

After Bell left, Hestia got a lot of customers. But it was getting a bit too much to handle, so she closed up shop and ran away.

She also wanted to spend some time with Bell and grill him about what he did in the Dungeon. Her intuition was telling her that he did something ridiculous again... or got wrapped up in something ridiculous.

But he wasn't outside, so...

"Is he sleeping?"

Did the Dungeon take that much out of him?

Hestia frowned and then closed the gate behind her. After that, she walked inside the church.

"Bell?"

No response. However, she could feel his presence and hear light breathing... but it was coming from the kitchen.

Hestia sighed and walked over to it. After lighting a lantern, she turned towards the table and said, "Bell, you shouldn't-"

Her words frozen in her throat.

Bell was fine. He looked like he had just passed out at the table. Considering how hard he trained and worked, Hestia didn't find that odd.

But what she did find odd was what... No, *who* he had fallen asleep nearby.

On the table, curled up naked and hugging Bell's outstretched arm, was a young girl. One that couldn't have been more than five years old... And that was putting it at the high end.

Hestia's mind froze.

Did Bell kidnap the girl? No, he wasn't that type of person. But... he did seem to be a natural gigolo like Miach and Take.

Did that girl follow him home? No, even then she wouldn't have been naked. So why was she naked?

...Did he fall victim to his lesser desires and 'eat' the little girl?

No, no, no. If that was the case, then Hestia would have been 'eaten' a long time ago.

Then...?!?!?!??

While the gears in Hestia's mind spluttered, the young girl started to move.

Hestia froze, staring at the girl.

She let out a cute yawn and then rubbed her eyes. Raising her head, she looked at Hestia and blinked.

And when Hestia saw the girl's face, she let out a sharp gasp.

One eye was a sparkling crimson color, the exact same shade as Bell's. But the other was a color that Hestia knew well. A pure shade of blue that was the same as the pair she saw in the mirror every morning.

But more than that was the girl's face.

The hair color was all Bell's. A pure white that looked like spun moonlight.

But that face... It was a bit different, but it was still the same. One that Hestia knew very well.

Hers.

The young girl tilted her head and then carefully said, "Mama?"

Mama.

...Mama.

Mama?

MAMA?!?

Her?! And Bell? And SUCH A CUTE LITTLE GIRL?!

Hestia screamed.

xxx

I snapped awake and jumped up to my feet. On instinct, I reached for my knife and looked around.

It was a scream. Tia's scream.

But my mind was still too groggy to process it.

There were three people here. One was me. The other was Tia. The last was... a weird mix that felt like... me and Tia?

...Eh?

Before I could figure out what was happening, a cute voice spoke up. "Papa!"

"W-Wait! You can't hug him like that!"

"Eh? Why not, Mama?"

"You need clothes!"

"Clothes? What are those?"

"They're... Argh, just come here. I'll get you changed!"

"Okay Mama!"

A flurry of footsteps, followed by a door slamming shut.

...I felt like I just heard a ridiculous conversation right now, so I focused, trying to wake up.

But it was hard. I just felt so *drained*.

I shook my head and placed my hand on my forehead, trying to stave off a headache that was starting. "Just what the heck did I do...?"

It was dark out, so it was still the middle of the night.

But what happened before then?

I frowned and ran my memories back.

Training in the dungeon, fighting off those monsters, meeting Fina, talking with Eina, visiting Tia at her work, coming back, and then...

"Oh yeah."

I did something stupid trying to help Fina and then did everything I could to save her.

Speaking of Fina-

"Daddy!"

Before I could gather my thoughts further, a white flash appeared and hugged me.

I blinked and looked down.

A young girl was standing there, a bright smile on her face. Wearing a white dress a few sizes too big for her, she looked super cute. Especially with her pure white hair and heterochrome eyes, one red and one blue.

She also looked familiar. Really familiar...

Hold on.

White hair. Red eye... One blue eye...

Hestia ran over, carrying a candle to light up the room. "H-Hey! Don't run away like that!"

The girl looked back at Hestia and frowned. "But Daddy's awake!"

My mind froze.

Daddy?

Hestia sighed. "Even so, he's probably really confused right now... At least, I know I am."

The girl blinked and said, "Mommy's confused?"

Mommy?!

I rigidly turned my head towards Hestia. When I looked to her and then the girl... I could see the resemblance.

There was no way you could mistake the girl as anything other than Hestia's daughter. But she wasn't just Hestia's daughter. 

That hair color, and that eye... Then how her mana was a mix of my own and Tia's divinity...

?!?!?!

Since when did-

No, I didn't, right? Even if I slept with Tia, I never *slept* with Tia.

Did I?

Or did I attack her in the middle of the night? I mean, she was cuddly and it was really tempting sleeping next to her, but I would never-

Hestia's eyes widened. "Bell! This isn't what it looks like!"

"...So this girl's not our daughter?"

I turned to look at her.

...Yeah. Impossible. She looked way too much like me and Tia to not be our kid.

But how in the hell...?

The little girl's face fell. "...I'm not Daddy and Mommy's child?"

"Of course you are!" Hestia quickly ran up and pulled the girl into her arm. "Mommy won't ever let you go!"

The girl immediately brightened up and hugged Hestia. "Thank you! Love you, Mommy!"

Hestia turned red and then hugged the girl tighter, practically beaming with happiness.

But that still didn't answer my question...

I could set it aside for now. More importantly...

I couldn't see Fina anywhere.

I frowned and said, "Tia. Did you see a little bird around here?"

Hestia blinked and looked back at me. "A bird?"

"Mmhm." I nodded and said, "She's gold and pretty small. Just about the size of my palm... She answers to Fina."

Hestia frowned and shook her head.

But the girl's eyes lit up. "Oh! I'm right here, Daddy!"

Eh?

I blinked.

The girl frowned and said, "That hurt a lot... but now I look like Daddy! And I have a Mommy now too!"

...EH?!

"W-Wait! You're Fina?!"

The girl... No, Fina nodded. "Yeah! Nice to meet you, Daddy!"

"..."

Yeah, I'm out.

"D-Daddy!?"

"Bell!? BELL!"

xxx

I blinked, greeted with sunlight filtering in through a nearby window.

As always, Hestia was sleeping beside me, hugging my arm.

I smiled when I saw that and carefully untangled myself from her. As I did though, I frowned.

"What a weird dream..."

To think that I would imagine having a daughter with Tia-

"What did you dream about, Daddy?"

A lovely cute voice echoed from off to the side. On the couch nearby.

I froze and then turned towards it.

And there she was. The cute and adorable young girl with white hair the same color as mine as well as a face that looked too much like Tia's to be anything but her daughter. Her daughter that she had with me.

Except she couldn't be.

"...Fina?"

"Uh-huh!" The girl nodded her head and then frowned. "You and Mommy slept for a long time... Were you that tired?"

I felt a headache start, but I nodded. "...Something like that. But you're really Fina? The little bird I took with me from the dungeon?"

The girl nodded. "Yep! But I'm not a bird now! I can talk, and I have arms, and I can hug Mommy and Daddy!" To emphasize that, she hopped off the couch and ran over to hug me, nestling her head against my chest.

"...Ah. So this is how Eina feels."

An utterly ridiculous revelation that just had to be dealt with and couldn't be brushed under the rug... Yeah. That was a massive headache alright.

"Hm?"

"Nothing, Fina... No, sweetie? Princess? Princess."

Fina gasped. "I'm a princess?!"

I laughed and patted her head. "To me you are. Though... How did this happen?"

"I dunno! But I'm happy!" She grinned and then stepped back, spinning. "Free, free! And I can talk now too! Whee!"

An adorable sight. She was just like any other toddler... Except she wasn't really. Or was she?

...My head hurt.

"Mm..." Hestia stirred and then sat up, rubbing her eyes. When she saw me, she blushed. "B-Bell. Good morning."

"Morning Tia."

She frowned and said, "I had the strangest dream-"

"Mommy!" Fina ran over and hugged her. "Morning!"

"Ah." Hestia blinked and robotically hugged Fina back. "G-Good morning?"

Fina let out a bright smile and then pulled her up. "Come on! Let's go play with Daddy!"

Hestia smiled. "That sounds lovely, Sweetie. B-But I think I need to talk to Bell... I mean your Daddy first." After that, she sent me a sharp glare.

I coughed.

"Oh. Okay..." Fina frowned and lowered her head.

Seeing that, Hestia flinched and hugged Fina. "It'll only be for a little bit, okay? Why don't you go look for something to eat in the meanwhile? I should have some Jagamarukuns in my bag."

"Kay!" Fina nodded and then skipped away, heading towards the bag Hestia pointed at.

After that, Hestia stood up and pointed at the office room. "Talk. Now."

I let out a wry smile.

xxx

"Explain." Hestia crossed her arms and said, "Who is that girl, and why does she look like she could be our daughter?"

I shifted my gaze and said, "What? Is that a bad thing?"

"...No. But..." Conflicted emotions passed across Hestia's face, and then she glared at me. "I need answers."

I sighed. "Well... I'm not too sure how this came about myself, but I'll do my best."

I explained to Tia about how I found Fina in the Dungeon. And then I talked about how I was worried and tried to make her stronger. As for the end result...

"...I'm not sure." I placed my hand on my chin and said, "I guess she has my hair color and one eye red because I used my mana to strengthen her. But I don't know why she looks like you... Maybe because of this place?"

The ambient mana I used had traces of Hestia's divinity, so maybe that affected Fina's growth?

Hestia frowned. "...So that girl is a monster?"

"She was. Now though..." I frowned and glanced out of the room.

Fina was twirling around in the courtyard, enjoying the sunlight and staring at everything with wonder.

More importantly though... I didn't sense a magic stone from her anymore. The only thing I *could* sense was that her mana was a mix of mine and Hestia's. Not divine though. Instead, it was... holy? Pure? Blessed?

Almost divine, but a step removed from it.

"...Maybe she's a spirit now? No, I don't think she's a whole spirit... so a Demi-Spirit? Demi-goddess?"

Fina was definitely half of me and Tia, so... something like that.

Hestia blinked and then let out a deep suffering sigh. "This is going to cause a lot of problems..."

"Hm? How so?"

"How is it not?!" Hestia huffed and pointed at Fina. "She looks like our daughter! No, MY daughter! There's no way anyone looking at her won't think otherwise! And she thinks we're her parents too!"

"...And?"

It would be a hassle. I definitely needed to speed up that plan of getting things ready to properly marry Tia- Ah, wait. I never even took her on a date. Gotta get that squared away too. Then talk to Eina about marriage licenses, then-

"And both gods and spirits can't have children, Bell!"

Wait, what?

I frowned. "They can't?"

Demi-gods were a thing though. Especially for Greek gods like Hestia. Hell, look at Zeus and Poseidon.

"Yes! We can't!"

A vehement denial. And coming from a goddess herself, it was probably true.

...But that didn't make sense. Unless it was because it was forbidden like in Percy Jackson for the Big Three? No, I would definitely have read about that in the law books. And the way Tia denied it sounded more like it was a physical impossibility rather than a forbidden one.

Which didn't make sense considering that Tia definitely had a human body... But...

Well, I'd take her word for it right now.

Hestia sighed again and facepalmed. "...We'll just have to pass it off as a coincidence. Not sure if anyone will believe it... but since it's impossible, they'll have to believe it."

"...I'm sorry, Tia."

"Don't apologize." Hestia snapped and said, "I'm not sure how that child came to be... but since she sees you as her father, I won't forgive you if you treat her wrong."

"Well, you're the Mommy here, so I guess I'll listen?" I let out a teasing smile.

Hestia rolled her eyes and then turned to look at Fina. "Still..." She let out a soft smile and said, "She's beautiful."

I followed her gaze and couldn't help but nod.

A pure and innocent young girl, playing and laughing beneath the sunlight.

Did she sense us staring at her? Fina paused and turned towards the window, smiling. She jumped up and waved.

"...So what do we do now?" I glanced at Hestia and said, "I'm not sure if you can sense it, but her mana radiates your power."

That was a problem. 

Hestia groaned. "I know... But thankfully, we can fix it."

"We can?"

Hestia smiled. "Yep! We just have to become a real family!"

"...Eh?"