Hearing his words, nearly everyone was rendered speechless.
"Hahahaha!"
Only Hermes laughed boisterously at Judas' declaration.
"Nice… nice… that kind of confidence, I like it."
He said as he wiped a tear from his eyes.
This scene caused the heavy atmosphere to vanish in an instant.
'That's right, if Judas is here… we are going to be alright.'
Suddenly, the thought of facing Antares didn't seem that scary anymore.
Looking at the expressions around him, Hermes nodded to himself... it was the effect he desired.
'It seems like Judas caught on to what I was doing.'
When people know they are about to face great danger, they naturally tense up no matter how brave or fearless they are.
By making light of the situation, it can help wash away some of their fears, which helps with morale.
'With this… morale should be raised, even if only a little.'
"Guys, it's time to eat."
Judas called out and handed a few bowls to everyone.
"That looks so delicious."
Belle said as she wiped the drool from her lips.
'It's even better than the cooking of everyone in the familia.'
Even Rethusa couldn't maintain her composure for long when faced with such delightful food.
…
After dinner, everyone felt full, and empty bowls were seen lying around.
"I've never had food this good before."
Lili said while picking her teeth with a toothpick.
"Tell me about it… if I didn't know any better, I would've thought that Judas could be a chef at a high-end restaurant."
Welf said as he rubbed his stomach.
"This is so good! Judas, won't you consider joining my familia? I want to have this kind of meal every day!"
Hestia persuaded after trying his food.
"Thanks for the compliment."
Judas replied nonchalantly.
That was when Artemis stood up and walked behind Judas.
"Orion… should I give you a massage? Your shoulders seem stiff."
She asked as she flashed him a smile.
"Hmm? You don't need to do that."
Judas said as he waved his hand.
"Oh, but I insist, I am doing this because I want to."
Artemis said, her expression never changing.
Seeing the look on her face, Judas shrugged and agreed.
"Alright… a massage from a goddess is hard to pass up."
When he said that, Artemis' smile widened, looking visibly joyful as she raised her dainty-looking hands and began massaging his shoulders.
"How is it? This is the first time I've ever done this for anyone, so I don't know if I'm doing a good job or not."
"You are doing fine... no, for someone doing this for the first time, you are actually doing great."
Judas said as he closed his eyes.
"Getting lovey-dovey in front of us… this Artemis is really sly."
Lili muttered with an annoyed expression while Belle looked like she was trying to hide an envious face.
"Even after days have passed, I still can't get used to this version of Artemis."
Hestia said with a sigh.
"Was she different from before?"
Belle questioned.
"Yeah. She was so strict and cool, some were even afraid of her…"
"If somebody were to peep on her bathing, she'd say something like 'Know your worth. You shameless pigs!' with the scariest expression I had ever seen on someone."
"Then she would proceed to hunt them down, tie them up, and use them as target practice."
Hestia said as her gaze shifted to Hermes.
"Hermes here should know that better than anyone, am I right?"
Hearing this, Hermes nodded.
"Ah, good old times."
He said with some nostalgia in his voice, remembering the times he would peep on goddesses bathing back in heaven.
"Shameless…"
Rethusa said with visible disgust.
"Creep."
Lili said with a deadpan expression.
"That's right… the worst."
Hestia said while nodding.
"Hahaha…"
Belle chuckled awkwardly while rubbing the back of her head.
Despite getting insulted, Hermes, with his thick skin, continued smiling.
"I am going to wash the dishes."
Belle said as she stood and picked up the bowls one by one.
"I'll help you. It's the least I could do after tasting such a wonderful meal."
Rethusa said as she and Belle walked off.
yawn
"I think I'll go to bed."
Lili said with a yawn and went off.
"Ah right… I'll do some smithing in the meantime to prepare our gear."
Welf said as he stood up.
"Alright, good night everyone. Make sure to get some rest."
…
Inside one of the cabins, Hestia and Artemis could be seen sharing the same bed.
As they lay down, Hestia could no longer hold back her curiosity.
"Artemis, do you actually like Judas?"
Hestia asked as she looked at Artemis directly.
Hearing her question, Artemis turned her head to meet Hestia's gaze.
"To be honest, I don't know… but I do know that whenever I see him, I feel warm and strange inside."
Artemis said quietly as she placed a hand over her chest, as if feeling her heart beat.
"You've changed, Artemis… you used to not allow those feelings to get to you."
Hestia said as she looked up at the ceiling.
"Is that so?"
"You were so against romance before."
"I see."
"…"
"Artemis, is this also the case for the real you as well?"
"…"
Artemis didn't answer, but the look in her eyes was all Hestia needed to know.
"Hestia, do you also have someone you like? Out of all the virgin goddesses, you were the one most open to romance."
Hearing this, Hestia closed her eyes.
"No… unlike you, I haven't found someone like that yet."
Hestia replied.
"I see… I sincerely hope you find someone."
Artemis spoke softly.
"To think that two virgin goddesses are talking about love and romance… if it was thousands of years ago, we would have never even imagined such a thing."
Hestia said with a light chuckle.
"I guess my past self would scold me harshly."
Artemis said as if remembering the past.
"Yeah, she definitely would."
Hestia agreed without hesitation.
Then a few moments of silence passed.
"Artemis…"
Hestia suddenly said, but she couldn't continue.
"Hestia?"
"I…"
Hestia showed a difficult expression, as if struggling with something.
"If Antares is killed… then will you…"
There was a brief pause as Hestia bit her lip.
"You know what, never mind."
Hestia said awkwardly.
The two goddesses fell silent, but Hestia could be seen holding back her tears.
"Hestia… I am sorry."
After that, they put out the lamp and went to sleep.
Thus, the night passed quietly.
…
The group continued their journey, riding the wyverns high in the sky.
However, when they reached a certain point, they couldn't help but frown.
"How did this happen?"
"What's this?"
They looked around and saw a blackened sky above, and below them, land drained of color... a bleak forest with no signs of life.
"The forest… is dead?"
Belle remarked in confusion.
"It has gotten worse."
Rethusa said, her expression tightening as her eyes scanned the horizon.
"This is that monster's handiwork… Antares."
Artemis said solemnly.
As she spoke, everyone's gaze shifted forward.
Through the dim, corrupted air…
A structure emerged.
At first, it was nothing more than a silhouette.
But as they drew closer, its details began to take shape.
"That's the Elsos Ruins."
No one spoke after that.
Even the wind seemed to die as they approached.
They had finally arrived at their destination.
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