A few minutes ago, under Artemis's lead, Hestia and the others entered the forest. Before them lay a crystal-clear spring, nestled against a cliff.
"Wait a moment—someone might be spying on us," Artemis quickly warned as the women eagerly began to strip.
"With Artemis here, no fool would dare show up," Hestia chuckled and casually removed her clothes.
"Asfi-sama seems to have gone to find Hermes. She really works herself to the bone..." Lili murmured softly as she stepped into the spring.
"Hmm... Welf is preparing weapons. If that's the case, the only one with time to peek would be the Captain..." Daphne calmly concluded.
Her words instantly sent ripples through the spring.
"Bell-dono would never do such a thing?!"
"Lili also thinks Daphne-sama is being too harsh!"
"Hmm... Peeping? The Captain is so considerate—how could he possibly..."
The women quickly fired back, each defending their beloved Captain.
"Sorry, I was just joking. How could even Cassandra believe that..." Daphne apologized with a light laugh.
Enveloped in the cool, damp mist, Artemis and Hestia couldn't hear the others' chatter. The two goddesses were encircled by twenty women, each of them bombarding them with an endless stream of questions.
"Artemis-sama, what does love feel like?"
"I heard you did all sorts of scandalous things along the way—who knew Artemis-sama would be so daring!"
"Just how far have you gone? I'll support you all the way!"
"Bell Cranel seems to have other lovers. Just give the word, Artemis-sama, and we'll take care of those other women for you!"
"Well said—that reminds me, I need to prepare duel invitations. Let them fall beneath Artemis-sama's blade..."
Perhaps because they'd briefly experienced both hell and heaven, Artemis's former familia relaxed and excitedly discussed the relationship between their goddess and the young man. These pure, kind-hearted maidens were also turning their attention to Hestia.
"Does Hestia-sama also fancy Bell Cranel?"
"Hmm... On one side is the goddess who's cared for me for so long, and on the other is a newly sworn-in follower. Which side should I support?!"
"Hehe, actually, there's no need to worry at all. Since the young man's dream is a harem, why not support both sides? Honestly, I'd love to have a romance with that young man too..."
"What are you talking about? Didn't you like that guard from the neighboring city?"
"No, I've realized it was just curiosity, not real love. After Artemis-sama was rescued, I finally understood—true love feels like an electric shock..."
"Eh? Really?"
"When I saw Little Rookie, I felt something like that too..."
"Me too..."
Amidst their lively discussion, Artemis's familia shared their thoughts on [love]. To be honest, under the goddess's strict guidance, these pure maidens had little experience with romance. Even those who had once spoken eloquently about Artemis had mostly learned about love from books or others. These twenty maidens were as pure as blank sheets of paper.
It was precisely because of this that Hestia and Artemis found themselves in such a predicament. The girls' questions were born of sincerity and goodwill. As gods, they simply couldn't bear to leave them unanswered.
"I know, I know. Since everyone's been working so hard, I'll make an exception. You can talk about my Bell all you want."
Hestia submerged her ample chest beneath the water. "Anyway, if you have any questions, just ask. Artemis will handle answering them!"
"…Hestia? You betrayed me."
Artemis looked at her friend, helplessness showing on her face as the topic was passed to her.
"Hmph, who told you to do those things to my Bell?" Hestia pouted, stepping back as if it had nothing to do with her.
"Um…"
Artemis tried to protest, but the girls' questions quickly drowned her out.
"Artemis-sama, what exactly are those things?!"
"I read about it in a book—it must be… kissing or something like that..."
"But didn't Artemis-sama say we couldn't even hold hands, let alone date?"
"Cheating! You snuck off behind our backs!"
Amidst the rippling water, Artemis smiled softly, brushing her long blue hair. "My apologies. It seems I've been unworthy."
She openly admitted her shameful act. To her surprise, despite what she had expected, even though she was caught up in love, Artemis didn't feel like she had fallen. On the contrary, her mood felt surprisingly light.
Just as the girls began to press for more details, something suddenly fell into the water with a splash.
Plop.
A huge splash erupted from the spring.
...
Bell leaped off the cliff.
"Firebolt!"
His vision blurred as he rapidly descended, the height dropping quickly. Just before the scorpion-like monster hit the water, the flame-and-thunder strike landed precisely on the falling creature.
In the next instant, Bell reached the depths of the Garden.
"…Captain?"
Daphne stared in shock at the suddenly appearing youth. Like the other women, she wore no covering garments. Although she had casually mentioned this possibility before, seeing it in reality left Daphne utterly stunned.
"Eeeek?!!!!"
Cassandra quickly crouched down. Usually, she wore loose robes that hid her figure, but now, simply submerged in the water, her chest sent up a splash.
"Bell-sama, what… what on earth are you doing?!"
Lili barely reached the bottom, leaving most of her body submerged. Even so, she let out a shy, startled cry.
Near the cliff's edge, Mikoto, another dark-haired woman, stood speechless. She stared blankly at Bell, her face flushed crimson. The white waistband that had once wrapped around her chest was gone, replaced by rounded peaks glistening with water droplets.
The two stood exposed to each other, exchanging a brief glance.
The next instant, screams crashed like waves.
Bell spoke calmly, his tone refreshingly direct. "Lucky I took care of that monster in time. Go ahead, ladies. I won't interrupt."
Cassandra and the others, positioned inside the spring, had naturally sensed the thunderous roar of the flame-thunder. The youth's words carried no insincerity; his actions were as blunt and honest as his words. It was as though he was saying: since I had fallen into paradise, I should appreciate its beauty—otherwise, it would be disrespectful to them.
"..."
Even the most bashful girls couldn't bring themselves to rebuke him. But just as Bell prepared to turn and slip away…
From the other side of the spring, the former Artemis familia fixed their gaze upon him.
...
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