Chapter 5: Overwhelming…
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After agreeing to travel with Artemis' familia, Izzy and Artemis began to converse casually during their journey.
During this time, Izzy also introduced himself—a bit belatedly, considering how long they had already been talking.
As they spoke, Rethusa returned to the camp with the other girls from the familia, who had just finished cleaning up and were now preparing dinner.
Not long after, when the girls saw Artemis and Izzy emerging from a tent at the edge of the camp, their expressions shifted into something that could only be described as… extraordinary.
Wait… what?
The goddess Artemis—who governed chastity and was famously oblivious to the concept of love—had just walked out of a tent with a man?
Oh. My. Goddess.
The world had clearly gone mad.
They had only stepped away to take a quick bath. What on earth had happened during that time?
"Eh? Eh, eh, EH!!! Lady Artemis! Have you finally come to your senses? You actually spent time alone with a man at night… Does this mean we're finally free!?"
Artemis barely had time to take a step outside the tent before this sudden exclamation rang out, echoing through the camp for all to hear.
The voice carried a lively, almost mischievous tone, laced with a teasing joy that somehow managed to toe the line of impudence.
There was only one person in the familia who would dare to speak like this.
"Lante! You and Chloe come to my tent tonight as well!"
Artemis' cheeks flushed a deep red, and her furious shout seemed to reverberate like a thunderclap. Her expression was so fierce she looked like Medusa herself, ready to turn someone to stone.
For a brief moment, Izzy could have sworn he saw her hair ripple unnaturally, but the image was gone in an instant.
Lante, who had been gleeful just a moment ago, suddenly froze in place, her joy draining away.
"S-Sorry…"
'Oh no… I got too carried away…'
Lante cursed her loose tongue. This wasn't something she should have said in public. If she wanted to gossip about Lady Artemis' private matters, she should have done it behind closed doors!
The other girls in the familia exchanged looks. Most were exasperated with Lante's antics, though a few shot her glances filled with admiration. To them, she was a true warrior—bold enough to challenge the goddess herself.
Chloe, meanwhile, seemed positively gleeful at the thought of having company for her lecture tonight.
"Hehehe~"
Seeing Lante bow her head in apology, Artemis finally let out a frustrated sigh. Her sharp gaze swept over the other girls, all of whom were staring at her and Izzy with curiosity.
What's with those suspicious, gossipy looks?
Surely, they didn't actually believe Lante's nonsense? Did they really think that just because she was alone with a man, something had happened?
Artemis pinched the bridge of her nose. This was going to be a long night.
"Rethusa."
"I'm here, Lady Artemis."
The captain of the familia stepped forward immediately, her face calm and professional. But deep inside, even Rethusa couldn't suppress her growing curiosity.
"Izzy will be traveling with us until we reach Orario," Artemis stated firmly. "Inform everyone about this arrangement, and make sure they don't get any strange ideas!"
Her tone was resolute, but her warning seemed to fall on deaf ears.
Rethusa gave a polite nod, her expression betraying nothing. "Understood, goddess."
However, internally, her thoughts were anything but composed.
'Oh, my goddess… You even called him by name! And you still expect us to believe nothing's going on?'
Although Artemis was a goddess, there was nothing unusual about her calling a mortal by his name.
But that didn't stop Rethusa from quietly indulging in her own gossip, did it?
Unaware that even her trusted captain was speculating about her affairs, Artemis gave Rethusa a few simple instructions before retreating to her tent alone.
She needed some time to calm down.
Whether her frustration stemmed from her clan's antics or some other reason, she wasn't entirely sure.
---
As soon as Artemis left, the girls—who had been on their best behavior moments ago—suddenly erupted into a flurry of chatter. In the blink of an eye, they surrounded Rethusa and Izzy like a pack of curious children.
Their barrage of questions was relentless.
Why had he been chased by the gray wolf pack? What was it like to be alone with the goddess? How far had his relationship with Artemis progressed?
They even asked about his age, preferences, height, and family background.
This feels more thorough than a census…
By the way, wasn't it a bit much to ask what stage their relationship had reached?
Izzy didn't mind chatting with girls. He genuinely enjoyed their company; after all, they were soft-spoken and kind.
But judging by the overwhelming energy of the group, he was starting to feel like he might be in over his head.
Fortunately, as the team leader, Rethusa held considerable authority among the girls. After patiently explaining the situation, their clamor gradually died down, and the camp grew quiet.
Well… relatively quiet.
There was still dinner to prepare, and if they kept up their excitement, they might not even get around to cooking.
Adventurers needed to eat, after all!
And it wasn't just them—Artemis needed to eat too. After sealing their divine powers, gods were no different from mortals in this regard.
---
When dinner was ready, Artemis emerged from her tent to join the group at the campfire, as she always did.
However, tonight there was a new addition to the familia—Izzy. Even though he deliberately sat in a corner to avoid drawing attention, many of the girls still flocked to him, eager to chat.
Artemis couldn't stand it any longer.
She issued a warning to the group, but her words did little to deter them.
The goddess refrained from being too harsh—dinner was not the time for strict reprimands.
Finally, she made up her mind and sat directly next to Izzy.
Whenever someone tried to approach him, Artemis would meet them with a glare so sharp it sent them scurrying away.
---
After dinner, the camp gradually settled into the quiet of the night. The girls huddled in their tents, whispering among themselves. Outside, only the sound of the campfire crackling softly broke the silence.
Given the unique circumstances, Izzy had been assigned his own tent. However, since he'd already slept for much of the afternoon while recovering, he found himself unable to fall asleep now.
Restless, he decided to slip out of his tent and sat down on a large rock at the edge of the camp.
It wasn't yet time for the night watch to begin. Usually, the person assigned to keep watch would take a light nap and start their shift later in the night.
Besides, the surrounding monsters had already been cleared during the day. Unless something unusual occurred, an attack at night was unlikely.
With nothing else to do, he gazed quietly at the stars, letting the stillness of the night wash over him.