Act I

  “An entire heart?”

  A voice came, it felt so warm, so familiar. . .

  Alisha is that you? It’s been years since high school. . .

  Silly girl, why are you still hugging me? . .

  Is your boyfriend mad again? You probably did something wrong, let’s go. . .

  “It’s been ages since someone sacrificed something so precious. . .”

  That warm voice again, but she isn’t Alisha.

  Then who is she?

  “I’m not like before, I cannot give you a boon, equal to your heart.”

  A boon? My heart? Is this a love confession?

  When did I ever get one from someone with such a beautiful voice?

  “I only wanted to love. . . To hold a girl that loved me. . . To die without a heart, is something I never expected.”

  My own voice sounded before I could make a thought, and as I opened my eyes, I saw something I did not expect.

  It was a giant golden, burning torch.

  “I do favour romantics. . .”

  The torch spoke, as I looked at it smiling as if it wasn’t strange.

  That I was talking to a golden torch larger than my house.

  “I’ve decided, I will only take your fear and in exchange I’ll give you a better sense of danger.”

  I opened my mouth, but no words came to challenge her words.

  “Hopefully with it you won't have your heart stolen so easily~”

  I felt cheer from her, is she teasing me?

  This thing, this being who was worshiped by so many . . .

  She was teasing me, bravely came to me with that thought as I clutched my hands and spoke.

  “I. . . Can I have more?”

  With my words, the golden torch turned to silence.

  I did not falter, as my heart spoke.

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  “I was summoned here in this world.”

  Wet warmth flowed on my cheeks.

  “I know nothing about this place. . . I don’t think a sense of danger would be enough.”

  The silence was still there after I spoke.

  It felt like hours before she spoke again.

  “Do you want to be my priest?”

  The question sounded simple, but knowing I knew nothing made me bite my tongue.

  I’ve read, watched and listened to so many fictions back on earth.

  Yet I don’t know why this simple question felt so complicated.

  “What will happen if I become your priest?”

  I asked in return, which made the torch light up even more.

  “You’ll gain a connection to me, and become the enemy of everything that hates what I represent.”

  The young man floating in the white void closed his eyes, as he took a deep breath.

  “You are Hestia, the Lady of flames, the mother of the Sword, and the protector of the hearth. . .”

  I spoke out my words, heating my tongue.

  My eyes opened, to see the torch was still the same.

  She did not react to me calling her by her honorific names.

  “Was that woman who took my heart your enemy?”

  I asked, remembering the pain of how that blindfolded woman dug into my chest with that pitying smile.

  “No, she is not.”

  That was all Hestia said, as I felt my brows crunch at her answer.

  “Will I learn magic if I become your priest?”

  At that question the torch once again grew silent.

  “Yes.”

  Her answers, are they becoming shorter? No, it's probably my imagination.

  “I accept your boon and I'm willing to become your priest Lady Hestia.”

  The torch brightened once again, as I can hear joy in her words.

  “Lovely! Now touch my vessel.”

  I did as she asked, immediately I felt an incredible warmth burn into. . .everything.

  It was like a fever after working a whole day in the sun, or staying too close to a cooking fire.

  “Be warned child, without fear you can never truly be brave.”

  That was the last thing I heard as everything turned dark.

  Act II

  “AHHH!”

  I took in a deep breath, my lungs thirsting for air as if I was drowned.

  “Where. . .”

  My words stopped, as the memories came, of my meeting of the golden torch.

  Of my acceptance of a role, I never thought that I would actually become.

  “I’m a priest. . . I guessed mom would have been proud of this. . .”

  At the end of my pained words, my eyes went to the Hearth, seeing it filled with nothing but ash.

  It took me a while before I noticed my hand was already touching my chest.

  There was nothing, the white robe was pristine, with no trace of blood or any kind of ripped hole.

  Stretching its collar, I looked down to see that my chest did not have any kind wounds nor a scar.

  “Magic. . . is it really that simple?”

  I asked myself as memories whispered to me, telling me of the magic of this world.

  Vibrate* Vibrate* As I tried digesting the whispers coming to my ears, my wrist vibrated.

  I turned it on.

  [Congratulations! Hidden side missions complete.]

  I looked at the message blankly forgetting I even had this smart-bracelet.

  [Learn the basics of magic.]

  [Meet the goddess Hestia.]

  [Become a priest Hestia.]

  [Gain the favour of Hestia.]

  I watched as the notifications projected themselves one after the other.

  [Please wait! Calculating rewards. . .]

  “So this really is a cheat system, like in those novels.”

  [Please choose two rewards!]

  “Only two?”

  I paused, shocked at the closefisted nature of this smart-bracelet.

  “Why only two? Shouldn’t it be four? Isn't that how this usually works, you finish a mission and you get a reward?”

  [Book of circles(Item)]

  [Affinity to fire spirits(Talent)]

  [Treasure sacred to Hestia(Item)]

  [Bravery of flames(Blessing)]

  “Holy molly. . . Never mind, you're very generous, thank you.”

  I said to the smart Bracelet, as even without any descriptions I know how valuable each of those rewards were.

  “Hestia didn’t lie, I did learn magic after accepting her as my goddess.”

  I thought out loud as the whispers in my ears stopped.

  Everything was memorized, stuck in my mind.

  She gave me the knowledge of every priest of her cult, on the subject of magic.

  “The Book of circles is probably an item to teach and help common people with forming pacts with spirits.”

  It would be helpful to me, as I’m practically a commoner when it comes to magic.

  “I only have the knowledge of a torch-bearer, that doesn’t mean I’m as powerful as one.”

  The words echoed from my lips as I looked at the second option.

  “Any affinity is good, especially fire. . . Lady Hestia is a fire at her core, so having a stronger affinity to her would be amazing.”

  I might even reach the power of a seer, being able to manifest one of her aspects.

  I didn’t choose it immediately, my eyes looking on to the last two options.

  “One was a Gatcha that relies on me being lucky. While the other is a blessing, something the Lady of Flames only gives to her blessed Seers.”

  I tried thinking about what the blessing, ‘Bravery of Flames’ and what it did.

  “It empowers the ‘Flame heart’ spell, healing the wounds of an entire army rather than one person at a time.”

  Words came to mind as I thought of that spell.

  “Bravery comes easy to those that can’t die nor feel pain.”

  I shook my head, as her words echoed in my ears.

  “I don’t think I’ll get used to other people suddenly whispering into my head like that.”

  The words came as I thought of what is needed most among the rewards.

  “Hopefully I won't regret this later.”

  [You have chosen the Book of circles(Item) and an Affinity to fire spirits(Talent)]

  [Confirm?] [Yes] [No]

  I smiled at the confirmation alert.

  “Whoever made this thing, is one kind bastard.”

  With little hesitation I clicked yes.