After agreeing to travel with Artemis Familia, Asta and Artemis began to converse intermittently.
During this time, Asta also introduced himself, although this self-introduction came a bit late…
At this moment, Rethusa also returned to the camp with the Familia maidens who had finished their washing, and began preparing dinner.
Not long after, when the maidens saw Artemis and Asta emerge one after another from the tent at the edge of the camp, their expressions could no longer be described simply as ‘Wonderful’ (wonderful/splendid).
Perhaps there was something wrong with their eyes?
Their Goddess, Artemis, who presided over chastity and didn’t even understand what ‘love’ was, actually walked out of a tent with a male!
Oh my goodness!
This world was too crazy!
They had only gone to take a bath.
What on earth happened during that time?
“Eh?
Eh eh eh!!!
Lady Artemis!
Have you finally come to your senses!?
To actually engage in such a thing as a secret rendezvous with a male at night…
Are we finally going to be liberated!?”
Stepping out of the tent and immediately facing the strange gazes of twenty people, Artemis hadn’t even had time to say anything when a sudden exclamation reached everyone’s ears.
This lively and unrestrained way of speaking, this subtly awkward topic that made one cringe, and even the faint joy contained in the tone…
The person who dared to speak so brazenly in her Artemis Familia…
“Lante!
You and Chloe come to my place tonight too!!!”
The Goddess, whose face instantly flushed with anger, roared, looking like a Medusa ready to devour someone.
Perhaps it was an illusion, but Asta seemed to have seen Artemis’s hair float up just now, though the scene flashed by quickly.
And when Artemis’s words fell, Lante, who a second ago was like a bird freed from its cage, showing joy, instantly had her face fall.
“So-sorry…”
It’s over…
I got too carried away…
The matter of Lady Artemis’s secret rendezvous with a male should be discussed in private!
Lante’s companions beside her now showed expressions of helplessness, and some of the maidens even looked at her as if she were a brave warrior.
However, she had no time to mind her companions’ reactions; the half-elf maiden’s entire focus was already on how to deal with the lecture that was coming tonight.
Chloe, on the other hand, seemed a bit gleeful, because someone would be accompanying her tonight~
Hehe~
Seeing Lante dutifully admit her mistake, after a moment, Artemis let out a long breath.
Looking at the maidens around her, who were all curiously staring at her and Asta, her eye twitched almost imperceptibly.
What’s with all your suspicious and gossipy looks?
You believed Lante’s nonsense?
You don’t really think something must have happened just because she was alone with a male, do you?
“Rethusa.”
“I’m here, Goddess.”
The captain, who was also secretly curious, immediately composed herself and stepped forward when she heard the Goddess call her.
“Asta will be traveling with us for a while, until we reach Orario.
Tell everyone about this, and don’t overthink it!”
Artemis briefly explained the situation to her, and specifically added a reminder not to overthink it at the end.
However, it seemed to be of no use.
Rethusa showed no outward signs of abnormality, but her heart was bubbling with gossip.
My Lady Goddess, you’ve already called him by name in such a short time, and you still say it’s nothing?
Although it was not strange for Artemis, as a goddess, to directly address a mortal by name.
But that didn’t stop Rethusa from gossiping, did it?
Unable to see that her captain was also internally gossiping about her, Artemis gave a few brief instructions before returning to her tent alone.
She needed to calm her mind.
Whether it was due to being angered by the Familia girls, or for another reason.
As soon as Artemis, the goddess, left, the girls, who had been docile and quiet, immediately burst into a commotion, surrounding Rethusa and Asta in the blink of an eye, showering them with curious gazes and questions like curious babies.
For example, why were they chased by a pack of gray wolves, what was it like to be alone with the goddess, how far had they progressed with the goddess, and then from age to preferences, height to family…
It felt more detailed than a household registration check.
By the way, wasn’t the one who asked how far they had progressed a bit too much?
Asta himself quite liked being with girls; after all, girls were soft and fragrant, what was not to like?
But looking at the current situation, he might…
be a bit overwhelmed…
Fortunately, Rethusa, as the captain, still held considerable authority among the girls.
As she continued to explain, the girls’ clamor gradually subsided, becoming relatively calm.
Hmm, relatively.
After all, they still needed to prepare dinner.
If they kept making noise like this, would they even eat?
Adventurers also need to eat!
And it wasn’t just them; Artemis was the same.
Gods, after sealing their Falna, were no different from mortals; eating was a necessity.
At dinner, Artemis emerged from her tent to eat with everyone around the bonfire, as she always did.
However, tonight, Asta was present in the Familia.
Even though he sat in a corner to avoid suspicion, many girls still gathered around him, wanting to talk.
Artemis, who couldn’t stand it anymore, warned them, but it had little effect.
The goddess didn’t want to speak too harshly; it wasn’t appropriate to do so during a meal.
Finally, she steeled herself and directly sat next to Asta.
Whenever someone tried to approach, she would stare them back with a death glare.
…
After dinner, as night deepened, the camp grew quiet.
The girls were all huddled in their tents, whispering, and only the sound of the bonfire could be heard outside.
Given the special circumstances, Asta was given a tent to himself, but because he had slept for quite a while during his unconsciousness in the afternoon, he wasn’t very sleepy even though it was already night.
Unable to sleep, Asta quietly slipped out of his tent and sat on a large rock at the edge of the camp.
It wasn’t time for the night watch yet, so Asta seemed to be the only one outside.
Typically, those on night watch would also sleep for a period of time, only waking up in the deep night to stand guard.
Furthermore, the monsters around the camp were usually cleared out during the day, so unless there was an unexpected event, attacks were uncommon at night.
Asta’s current situation was—unable to sleep, so he went out to stargaze.