Home improvement With a Goddess

The morning mist clung to the rooftops of Forest Village as we made our way toward the main gate. The fresh scent of pine mixed with the distant scent of boar stew drifting from the tavern.

And standing at the gate, arms folded and pipe in hand, was Vanni.

“I figured I’d catch you slackers before you slipped off,” he said with a grin.

Lyssa raised an eyebrow. “Planning on joining us after all?”

He shook his head. “Nah. I like my back intact, thanks. But I do have a parting gift.”

He whistled sharply.

From behind the stables, two sturdy brown horses trotted forward, elegant and strong, their manes well-brushed and coats gleaming. Behind them was a modest but well-built two-wheeled carriage, painted dark blue with reinforced wheels and enough space to fit our group and supplies comfortably.

Luffy barked excitedly and ran circles around the horses, tail wagging.

“These two are Sunstep and Bramble,” Vanni said, patting each horse with affection. “They’re gentle, smart, and can outrun most monsters when needed. Trained ‘em myself. They’ll listen to voice commands and respond to danger faster than your average rookie adventurer.”

Naomi clapped her hands. “They’re beautiful!”

Lyssa tilted her head. “Why does Bramble look like he’s judging me?”

“That’s just his face,” Vanni replied. “He’s like Luffy. Thinks he’s smarter than everyone. They’ll get along.”

As if on cue, Luffy sat proudly in front of Bramble, gave a little bark, and to everyone’s surprise—the horse nickered back softly, nudging Luffy’s head with his nose.

“…They’re bonding,” I said flatly. “Great. Now I’m the least useful member of the party.”

“They’ll make your travels smoother,” Vanni said, tone softer now. “And safer.”

He handed me a small leather pouch.

“Last part of your payment. And some healing crystals. Just in case.”

I nodded, taking it. “Thanks, Vanni. For everything.”

He gave a slow smile. “You remind me of me. Before I got too old to fight back. Just… don’t waste the second chance you’ve been given, alright?”

I glanced at Luffy, who had now climbed into the carriage and was pawing at the cushion like he owned the place.

“…That dog’s gonna live like royalty,” I muttered.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Naomi said with a giggle.

Vanni took a final puff of his pipe and waved us off. “Take care, Team Luffin.”

“Still not the official name,” I mumbled as we mounted the wagon.

But deep down, I smiled.

The road back to town was, mercifully, uneventful.

No goblins.

No creepy birds with too many eyes.

No ancient tree spirits screaming about deforestation.

Just the warm glow of victory, the rhythmic clop of hooves, and Naomi trying to hum a battle anthem she definitely made up on the spot.

“♪~We smacked a goblin, now we’re chillin’… Luffy’s fluffy, Ren’s willin’…~♪”

“Please stop,” I groaned from the wagon bench. “I’d rather face the Goblin King again.”

Luffy barked in agreement, nestled in a bed of blankets like royalty.

Lyssa leaned over, grinning. “You say that, but I saw you fist-bump him after the kill.”

“…Shut up, Divine Replay System.”

We rolled into town by late afternoon, a golden haze dusting the rooftops. The market buzzed, kids laughed, and—for the first time in a while—there wasn’t a single monster in sight.

Back at the Guild

The moment we walked through the tall oak doors of the Adventurer’s Guild, the usual din paused. People turned. A few raised eyebrows. One guy choked on his mead.

“Hey,” I muttered. “We clean up alright.”

Naomi beamed. “And no one lost a limb! That’s progress!”

Lyssa strode confidently up to the front desk, where the familiar elf receptionist blinked in surprise.

“You’re back?” she asked. “Already? That mission should’ve taken a full week.”

“We… ran into something unexpected,” I said.

Her brows furrowed. “Unexpected?”

“Yeah. Like a ten-foot, axe-swinging, crown-wearing Goblin King that shouldn’t have been there.”

Silence.

Then a loud clang as a nearby mercenary dropped his tankard.

The receptionist’s eyes widened in horror. “Wait—what? Goblin King? That wasn’t in the report! That quest was classified as Rank One—no elite monsters, just a bandit escort with minor beast threat!”

“We figured that out,” Lyssa said dryly. “After it tried to cleave Ren in half.”

“I’ll report the details to the Knight Order and the Bureau,” the elf said, her expression now sharp and professional. “This is a serious breach of regional security. If a Goblin King appeared in a low-threat zone, we’ll need to launch a full investigation.”

She scanned something behind the counter, then glanced back at us, her ears twitching.

“…Your party will be awarded a massive mission bonus, and—wait… your rank…”

Her eyes widened.

“You were Rank One yesterday. You’re now Rank Five. That’s… unheard of.”

Naomi bounced on her toes. “Eee! We leveled up IRL!”

Luffy barked proudly and leapt onto the counter, striking his hero pose.

The receptionist sighed but offered a smile. “Well, rules are rules. You’ve earned it. Enjoy your promotion, Team… what was it?”

“Team Luffin,” Lyssa said before I could speak.

I groaned. “That was supposed to be a placeholder.”

“Too late,” she chirped. “Already engraved on the guild roster.”

I was glad our lovely elf receptionist rewarded us greatly but also upset because I still haven’t asked her for her name maybe next time. With that said we headed home.

There’s something magical about coming home after a brutal goblin hunt, a divine bathhouse beatdown, and a round of drinks with your new favorite tavern uncle.

Even if your “home” still smells vaguely of mold and mystery meat.

We stepped through the creaky door of our small house, still riding the afterglow of survival and hot springs.

I immediately collapsed face-first onto the floorboards.

“This floor still sucks,” I mumbled into the wood.

Naomi stepped over me and began magically lighting the lamps. “It’s rustic.”

“It’s haunted,” Lyssa said, wrinkling her nose. “There’s a ghost in the pantry. It moved the garlic alphabetically.”

“That was me,” Naomi said cheerfully. “It’s sorted by mana-affinity now.”

Luffy barked once, dropped the massive bone Vanni had gifted him onto the rug like a trophy, then trotted over and licked my face.

“Et tu, Luffin,” I muttered. “You used to be on my side.”

Lyssa tossed her cloak over the nearest chair. “Alright, muscle-for-brains. What’s the plan now? We’ve got a house, a stealth amulet, and enough gold to maybe not starve this week.”

“I dunno…” I groaned. “Nap forever?”

“WRONG,” she snapped, conjuring a glowing checklist midair with an obnoxious ding.

[Lyssa’s Goddess To-Do List]

✔️ Slay Goblin King

✔️ Don’t die

✔️ Spa day

❌ Renovate home

❌ Train magic-inept meathead

❌ Buy real furniture

❌ Buy more Ale

❌Figure out what the dog actually is

“Wait. What’s that last one?”

Naomi blinked. “You mean Luffy?”

“Luffin,” Lyssa corrected. “And yes. Ever since that glowing Foo Dog nonsense, I’ve been researching. His aura… it’s not just magical. It’s ancient. He’s not just a tamed beast.”

Luffy barked proudly and struck a pose.

I sat up. “You mean my dog might be a divine beast in disguise?”

“Or a very well-groomed demon,” Lyssa muttered. “Hard to tell.”

“I’ll take it,” I shrugged.

The next day, we hired a local “magic contractor” — a retired adventurer with a wizard’s beard, plumber’s belt, and pyromancy addiction.

“Name’s Blasto,” he boomed, kicking open the front door. “Let’s turn this shack into a fortress!”

Thirty minutes later, half the roof was gone.

By lunchtime, we had new walls, better insulation, a training room, reinforced windows, and a second bathroom that could maybe summon a minor elemental if you flushed too hard.

“Contract complete,” Blasto declared. “No refunds. If the living room turns into a mana sinkhole, call my cousin.”

And just like that, we had a real home.

Naomi even carved “Team Luffin” into the doorframe.

A Quiet Night for Once… Almost

That evening, we all gathered in the newly refurbished living room.

Naomi served hot stew. Lyssa sat by the window scribbling into her divine journal. Luffy snored on a rug shaped like a giant mana crystal. And me?

I actually felt… calm.

Not weak. Not homeless. Not abandoned.

Just… here.

“Hey,” Lyssa said after a while, closing her journal. “Can I ask you something?”

I raised an eyebrow. “As long as it’s not about the muffin I definitely didn’t steal.”

She smiled faintly. “Do you regret it? Coming here.”

I looked around the room.

Luffy. Lyssa. Naomi. The flickering firelight. The weird sink that occasionally whispered in ancient draconic.

And I shook my head.

“No. I don’t regret it.”

Lyssa nodded. “Good. Because I’m starting to think… maybe this world doesn’t hate us. Maybe we’re just starting in hard mode.”

“You’re the tutorial NPC that forgot to wake me up on time.”

“And you’re the protag who tried to peep at a goddess.”

We shared a tired smile.

Naomi chimed in, cheerful as always. “I think we’re doing great! We didn’t die today. That’s character growth!”

Luffy barked, tail wagging like crazy.

I leaned back, hands behind my head, and let out a long breath.

For once, it felt like the story was ours to write.

And maybe—just maybe—we wouldn’t screw it up.