Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

Aphrodite seemed to rouse herself, snorted, and then gazed at Artemis again.

"Among the goddesses, Hestia is still as adorable as ever! But you and Athena are not a good match! You iron-clad virgin! I, the ruler of ultimate and supreme beauty, declare you utterly disqualified as a goddess!!"

“…………”

"Goddesses who confuse virginity with holiness! You are not goddesses of virginity, but goddesses of depravity, goddesses of depravity!!"

Amid Hestia's flustered panic, Artemis remained expressionless.

I didn't understand what Aphrodite meant, but I could tell she felt incredibly insulted.

Therefore, Artemis took out the bow that was hanging on her waist.

Then he aimed the arrow at it.

Zero distance.

"Wait, Artemis! A bow isn't prepared within the reach of a fist!!"

"Wow!? A sharp arrow is aimed right at my beautiful forehead—!?"

"Apologize to Aphrodite right now! She'll be riddled with holes like the Hermes!!"

"W-what?! You want to shoot?! You're planning to shoot?! Come on, shoot!"

"Fool!?"

It was fired.

"Pig!?"

Artemis wouldn't miss Aphrodite, who had just realized her impending doom and used "divine power" to escape in an instant. The arrow, released from the bowstring, was literally imbued with divine speed and perfectly pierced the buttocks of the goddess of beauty who appeared in the distance.

Aphrodite, who angered Artemis, suffered a terrible (excessive) blow.

This was also an agreement among them.

Artemis possessed some of the greatest martial prowess in the heavens, while Aphrodite, on the other hand, was the weakest, relying solely on her arm strength. Nevertheless, it was only natural that the goddess of beauty was ruthlessly sunk.

Artemis's relationship with Aphrodite was not that of an inseparable "virgin goddess on another pillar," as she would collude with and banish Aphrodite when she became entangled with her. This is one of the reasons why the gods collectively recognized Aphrodite as a "minor character."

After suffering a retaliation, Aphrodite finally left crying near the Queen. Hera, who still disliked Aphrodite intensely, raised her lips in a wicked smile. That was to be expected.

Faced with the usual scene of terror on the street, Hestia covered her face with one hand and looked up. "...Ha."

Artemis sighed.

Artemis, who was usually very self-disciplined, always found herself flustered and disoriented in front of Aphrodite.

This is why Aphrodite possesses a genius-level aversion to such proof, yet as the goddess of chastity, she also experiences moments of self-loathing.

That's what bad compatibility means, I understand.

"Hestia, let's go. All the precious time we have together is just slipping away like this."

"Ah, ah... I think it would be better to pull the arrow out... but doing so just makes me angrier..."

Artemis and the others were preparing to leave when Aphrodite, who was lying on the ground in distress, mercilessly used her 'power' to teleport them there.

An arrow pierced his buttocks, and he cried out through tears.

"Wow, I'm being very friendly! Oh, and I only intervened because I heard those idiot guys saying things like, 'Compared to Miss Aphro, who's super cute and pretty but has all sorts of flaws (laughs), the sacred Artemis Tan is much better!'"

Note from Miao: "A flower on a high mountain"; a metaphor for something that can only be admired from afar and cannot be reached, similar to "unattainable" or "out of reach."

"..."

"Artemis..."

Along with Hestia, the goddess was stunned by all sorts of regrets. Aphrodite, who was pressing her buttocks with one hand, had already grabbed her trembling fingers with the other.

"Purity, chastity—ultimately, it's all about wanting to maintain one's beauty! It's an excuse for a goddess-like woman whose resolve has not been tainted!!"

"..."

"Love is something that brings joy! Because whatever it may be, it is a radiant enrichment of life!"

The words spoken by Aphrodite at that time, a unique divine conception, or perhaps a statement of truth, somehow lingered in Artemis's ears.

"You'll definitely suffer if you don't even have a 'love' relationship!"

—Clang! Do. ➹

Playing a fast-paced tune, the arrow missed the bullseye.

“…………”

Artemis, who had released the string from the impromptu wooden target under the shade of a tree more than eighty meters away, stood motionless with a furrowed brow.

"Oh dear, it's rare for Lady Artemis's arrow to miss the target... or rather, it seems like the first time I've ever seen it..."

In the forest, the young girls who were training together for archery widened their eyes.

Artemis sighed at the words and actions of her kin.

"He had evil intentions."

Long ago, in the celestial era before the descent to the mortal realm.

These are memories of the "Goddess of Beauty" that I often revisit.

Suddenly it occurred to me that perhaps it was because I saw the dawn stars in the morning sky.

Artemis, exhaling again, took a new arrow from the quiver at her waist.

I had no intention of drawing my bow and releasing the arrow; I simply released the string.

—Thump! ➹

This time, the arrow hit the target.

Note from Miao: "Clouds are without intention" means that the clouds and I are one, a phrase from Wei Lizhong's poem "Dianqianhuan: Deep Blue Clouds" from the Yuan Dynasty.

The Artemis Familia is a faction within the "Hunting" movement.

Although it is called hunting, it is not hunting wild animals for a living.

The monsters they hunt are specific kinds of monsters.

"Fire in volley! You! Stop it on the ground, don't let it escape into the air!"

""yes!""

The goddess's voice commanded the maidens of the clan to obey, just as they would a battle maiden.

In the lush forest, arrows rained down on the dragon that was emitting a ferocious roar.

There exists a forest in a remote mountain area.

Artemis and her kin are facing a "dragon hunt".

The group consists of twenty members, all of whom are women. Among the many Demi-Humen, fairies are particularly numerous. They wear light clothing for ease of movement and primarily use bows and arrows as their weapon. Each piece of equipment is engraved with the crescent moon and bow and arrow symbols representing the Artemis Familia.

The girls' eyes, sharp and precise like those of an eagle, aimed at the dragon and accurately pierced the membranes and fusion points of its wings.

Faced with the archers who were indeed diminishing his life force by both exhaling and waving their long tails, the dragon could no longer bear it and let out a mournful cry for help.

"Lady Artemis! A new 'Vivan Wyvern' has appeared in the western sky!"

"—Retesa, you're in charge here! Lants, follow me!"

Artemis, in particular, shone brightly.

In the chaotic battle between humans and monsters, the goddess and her maidens fight side by side.

This is the lower realm, where the rule of using "divine power" is not applicable.

The gods, who are forbidden from wielding full power, possess no physical abilities whatsoever compared to the inhabitants of the lower realm. It is essentially the realm of ordinary humans. They cannot be compared to the Familias who, by accumulating "experience points" through the granting of "divine grace" (Pardon), gain extraordinary abilities.

despite this.

"So slow! What are you doing?!"

"Lady Artemis is too fast~~~~~!?"

Her indigo hair fluttered as she swiftly leaped over the steps and bushes, revealing strong legs that seemed disproportionate to her slender frame, and accelerated rapidly.

Of course, while the speed of the Familia, which was granted a "blessing" in terms of speed, was indeed increased, their expansive view, like looking down at the earth from the sky, and their keen insight into the terrain allowed them to traverse the treacherous forest paths that even adventurers would find difficult, as if walking on flat ground. The Familia girls not only failed to catch up but actually fell behind.

The goddess moved more nimbly than anyone else.

The goddess's commands dominated the battlefield more than anything else.

The goddess's arrow terrifies dragons more than any other arrow.

"--snort!"

Jump along with the speed, then shoot.

Leaping over the massive tree roots, his body soared through the air, twisting and turning as he looked up at the sky while shooting arrows diagonally upwards.

Despite its unstable posture, the arrow it shot traced a beautiful parabola, which was flawlessly absorbed into the pupils of the roaring, soaring dragon.

"Aa ...

The roaring Vivann Wyvern crashed to the ground in a corner of the forest.

The followers of the goddess were no longer surprised by her prophetic shot.

Because Artemis's sure-hit arrows are "commonplace".

In an attempt to catch up with her, he shook his equipment and kicked the ground desperately.

Artemis, having shot the arrow into the sky, spun halfway around and landed effortlessly on the ground. She then began to run again like flowing water, heading straight for the fallen dragon.

"Ooh ooh ooh um!"

"Ooh ooh, ooh ooh!!"

"A 'Grey Wolf' swarm!? Lady Artemis, please stop!"

At this moment, a pack of wolves, each about one meter tall, swarmed in from the front.

Monsters that once roamed the underground labyrinth now roam the land. 'Grey Wolf,' living in this forest, with its flowing grey fur, attempts to pounce on the approaching goddess.

—To be honest, although they knew the outcome, the girls of the clan asked the main god to stop them out of fear of what might happen.

"Haaaaaah!"

"Click!?"

"Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh!"

Click, I should have said it after all.

Artemis did not stop.

Just as the clansmen had predicted, it was done in one fell swoop.

He drew his sword from its sheath at his waist and swung it at the horde of "Grey Wolf" attacking from the front. The sword flashed silver, and with a flash, the monsters that brushed past him had their heads and forearms severed and fell to the ground as if sliding on the ground.

Facing the goddess who unleashed her lightning-fast attacks like a whirlwind, the 'Grey Wolf' wolves, with their blood splattering everywhere, surrounded her instantly in numbers exceeding several dozen. Their own swift movements, as if guided by eyes, harvested the fangs of the surprise attack, only to be cut down themselves.

Even the goddess's slender arms could handle the exquisite metal one-handed sword, which evoked the dying cries of monsters.

"Wait, wait a minute! Lady Artemis!?"

Faced with Artemis's pack of gray wolves, one of the members of her kin finally caught up with her.

She has light blue hair similar to Artemis, sharp ears, and is a half-elf girl.

"If the Supreme God were to unleash his full power, we, the Familia, would lose all face, or if Lady Artemis's beautiful skin were to be harmed. In any case, I would scream and cry wildly, licking my wounds with my tongue, saying 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry' over and over again while licking them. In short, my heart would be pounding with anxiety—"

"Keep it short. Get to the point."

"If you have something to do, I won't be in the mood. Please leave it to us!"

While mischievously pointing and gesturing, he used his short sword to slaughter the remaining "Grey Wolf" at an astonishing speed, forcibly taking away Artemis's battle.

The half-elf, who possessed fairy blood but acted like a god, left Artemis speechless and no one even wanted to complain. The girl earnestly urged her on, while the girl gave a regretful and serious reply.

And while she stalled for time—while she tried to hold Artemis back—the other maidens of the Familia were also chasing after her, trekking ahead of the falling dragon.

"Haa~. I know Lady Artemis is incredibly powerful~~. But please make good use of us there~. Are we really that unreliable?"

"No, Lant. Asking you to decide to stand by is simply against my nature. My actions speak louder than my words."

"This is really difficult to handle!"