Chapter 429: Changes in the Artemis Familia

Almost two months had passed since the “Twin Moons” event that had nearly wiped out the lower world.

In the streets and alleys of Orario, people were still discussing the anomaly. The sheer, suffocating pressure that had hung in the sky that night was far too rare, and far too real. While the general public didn’t know the exact details, everyone understood it hadn’t been a simple meteorological event. Something world-shaking had occurred.

The Guild kept their lips tightly sealed. The fewer people who knew the lower world had almost been erased, the better. Mass panic was far more terrifying than any monster.

The mortals remained ignorant, but the deities walking the earth were mostly well aware of what had transpired.

During the “Denatus” held just a few days ago, one god even proposed officially changing Aiden’s alias from “Flame Emperor” to “Savior.”

The proposal was instantly vetoed by Furina, Astrea, and Artemis in a unified front.

The title “Savior” was far too heavy and attracted far too much attention. They refused to let Aiden shoulder a burden that could crush any hero before his wings had fully grown.

Hermes, who had been actively fanning the flames for the name change, looked incredibly disappointed. However, under the lethal glares of the three goddesses, he wisely shrank back and kept his mouth shut.

Indeed, Artemis had attended the Denatus.

Ever since the incident, she had completely overhauled how she operated her Familia. They were no longer a nomadic faction hunting outside of Orario; they had transitioned into a resident exploration Familia based permanently within the Labyrinth City.

As for the reason…

To pursue romance, of course.

Instead of objecting to their patron deity’s shocking shift in behavior, the girls of the Artemis Familia supported it wholeheartedly. Since their goddess was openly dating, they naturally earned the freedom to pursue their own happiness. Currently, several of the girls had already found partners they liked, their faces glowing with blissful smiles.

In the past, this would have been utterly unimaginable; the only outcome would have been leaving the Familia entirely.

But now, times had changed.

Orario’s First District, inside a newly opened boba shop.

The afternoon sun spilled through the glass windows, casting warm pools of light across the floor.

Artemis sat pressed tightly against Aiden, her posture so intimate that the surrounding air seemed to carry a sugary sweetness. She scooped up a spoonful of strawberry ice cream and carefully fed it to him. The silver spoon still bore the faint traces of where she had just tasted it herself.

Aiden naturally opened his mouth and accepted the bite, not minding the shared spoon in the slightest.

“Ugh… seriously, this sickeningly sweet romantic vibe…”

Sitting across from them was a petite goddess with black twintails. She was slumped over the table in an attitude of utter defeat, staring blankly at the scene with hollow eyes while offering a weak complaint. “Artemis, you’ve changed way too much.”

This petite, baby-faced goddess with a rather generous figure was none other than Hestia.

Heaven knows how utterly shocked she had been when she first heard the news of Artemis dating. But faced with the living proof right in front of her, she had no choice but to believe it. Still, whenever she remembered how the formerly pure goddess—who hated men and kept an automatic three-meter distance from any male—was now snuggled up like a docile little bird in a man’s arms, it made her skin crawl with awkwardness.

“Lady Hestia, haven’t you found any Familia members yet?” Aiden asked, thoroughly enjoying the goddess’s attentive service.

“Shut up! Stop bringing up sore subjects!” Hestia bolted upright, puffing her cheeks in protest.

Aiden just chuckled and didn’t press the matter.

When a goddess decides to change, her initiative is terrifying. After consulting various goddesses, Familia members, and even her “seniors” Furina and Robin for romance advice, Artemis had unleashed all of her newly learned techniques directly onto Aiden.

Faced with such fiery, pure affection, Aiden didn’t put up much resistance and accepted her rather quickly.

Their relationship progressed at a blistering pace, checking off almost every milestone a couple could experience. However, Artemis was still one of the Three Great Virgin Goddesses; the restrictions woven into her divine nature prevented her from crossing that final physical line.

To compensate, the pure goddess—driven by both shyness and profound love—exhausted every other conceivable method to satisfy him. And precisely because she couldn’t take that final step herself, she adopted a complex but acquiescent attitude toward Robin, Tifa, and even Hyacine and Furina, calmly accepting their places by his side.

Sometimes, she would even proactively pull the others in to team up against Aiden.

For a goddess whose very divinity was etched with the concept of “purity,” this was perhaps her greatest, most profound devotion.

“Dammit, I can’t watch this anymore! I’m going to look for my Familia members. You two just drown in this so-called love!”

Hestia finally reached her breaking point. She sprang up from the table, threw down her vicious parting words, and fled the sickeningly sweet boba shop without looking back.

Watching her frantic retreat, Artemis sighed helplessly.

“Sigh, Hestia still hasn’t found a single member… and I can’t exactly help her with this.”

Artemis was well aware of her best friend’s recent predicament. After being kicked out by Hephaestus, Hestia had moved into an abandoned church, living in sheer poverty. But for Hestia’s own good, Artemis hadn’t soft-heartedly taken her in. Instead, she quietly aligned with Hephaestus, forcing her friend to take the necessary steps to build a Familia of her own.

Driven by desperation and a genuine yearning for a family, Hestia had tried her best for a while now.

But reality was always cruel. Either capable adventurers completely ignored her empty, impoverished operation, or Hestia herself wasn’t satisfied with the applicants. Despite her usual lazy demeanor, she was still one of the Three Great Virgin Goddesses; she possessed an innate divine pride.

She wouldn’t just hand out her Falna to any random nobody off the street. No matter how badly she wanted a Familia, Hestia wasn’t desperate enough to settle for just anyone.

“Don’t worry. The Hestia Familia will be established soon enough.”

Aiden smiled. He reached out and gently wiped a speck of cream from the corner of Artemis’s mouth, then naturally popped his finger into his own mouth.

Artemis was already thoroughly accustomed to such intimate gestures, but she asked curiously, “How can you be so sure?”

“Because…”

Aiden’s gaze drifted through the glass window, looking out at the bustling crowds on the street. “The wheels of fate are already in motion.”

His eyes locked onto a specific figure in the crowd.

It was a boy—not particularly tall, but with a sprightly step. He possessed striking white hair and eyes as clear as rubies. Looking rather adorable, he wore a worn-out backpack and was staring up at the magnificent labyrinth city with a mix of awe and curiosity.

Bell Cranel.

The original protagonist of the story had finally stepped onto the grand stage of Orario.

“You’re acting just like… what did Castorice call it in her novels… right, a Riddler.” Artemis rolled her eyes at him, clearly unsatisfied with his cryptic answer.

“Don’t overthink it,” Aiden laughed, gently pinching her cheek. “Besides, she has you watching her back. Lady Hestia isn’t going to starve.”

The Dungeon, 24th Floor.

Deep within the Large Tree Labyrinth, the damp air reeked of rotting humus and monster stench.

Aiden cleanly decapitated a giant beetle with a single stroke of his sword, sending dark green ichor flying. He frowned and glanced back at Alise and Ryuu, who were traveling with the group.

Since the Antares incident, Ley Line Blossoms had been appearing with alarming frequency.

But being “resurrected” by a Ley Line Blossom wasn’t a blessing; it was a curse. The vast majority of the adventurers brought back lost all sense of self, devolving into mindless killing machines controlled entirely by the Dungeon’s will. They retained their combat skills, only to draw their blades against their former comrades, ultimately being hunted down as monsters by other adventurers before their souls returned to Heaven once more.

Not everyone possessed Alise’s iron will to shatter those chains.

The reason Ryuu and Alise were here with the Focalors Familia was because they had caught wind of some unusual rumors. They needed to verify them, and more importantly, they needed Robin.

If the rumors were true, Robin’s presence was absolutely essential.