Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Familial Group of Artemis

In the woods, through the lush forest, a crystal-clear miniature waterfall cascaded down from between the rocks, resembling a beautiful white silk ribbon. Its spray scattered like pearls into a mist, filling the air and creating a light drizzle that draped the mountain stream’s trees in a delicate veil.

Below the waterfall, a lake dyed emerald green by the surrounding trees was enveloped in this misty haze, its waters rippling as they harmonized with the laughter of young girls playing in the water.

The shimmering ripples on the lake’s surface were mesmerizing, yet there was no one around to truly admire this picturesque scene.

After battles, washing away the filth left on their bodies with clean water was always an activity the girls eagerly indulged in. It was accompanied by playful squabbles and gossip about the day’s events.

Ordinarily, this would be the time when they washed themselves while chatting about amusing incidents in nearby villages or deciding what to have for dinner.

But today was different.

A new topic had emerged among them.

“Ugh, I’m all sticky and gross… This feeling is just terrible…”

A girl with light blue hair and pointed ears, a half-elf, pouted unhappily as she lamented her condition. Her companions, several elf maidens, empathetically chimed in. For elves who prided themselves on cleanliness, sweating profusely after prolonged combat was especially uncomfortable.

“Lanti, don’t say things that sound so strange. If Goddess hears you, she’ll scold us.”

From the center of the group, a red-haired human woman sighed exasperatedly and warned them.

“Ehehe~”

Upon hearing their leader speak, Lanti, the half-elf girl, scratched her head sheepishly with a grin, attempting to charm her way out of trouble.

Lanti was the youngest member of the familial group, only thirteen years old. Once an abandoned child found by the goddess on a desolate mountain, she had grown up under the goddess’s care and the warm atmosphere of the group, developing a lively and cheerful personality. Recently, perhaps due to puberty or rebellion, she often tried to express herself freely during conversations.

“It’s all that human’s fault! We were doing fine hunting dragons until he suddenly burst out of nowhere, startling everyone, and then attracting a whole pack of Gray Wolf Greyhounds! How ridiculous!”

Lanti splashed her tiny fists in the water, imagining how she’d punch Izay if he were standing before her now. She’d probably kneel and beg him not to die afterward, given her superior abilities. As both a recipient of the divine blessing and a high-level adventurer at LV2, her physical prowess far exceeded that of ordinary humans. Even though Izay possessed an unusually strong physique, he’d still be no match for her.

In this world, the divine blessing granted by the deity was akin to a mystical power-up, allowing one to enhance their strength by defeating monsters and unlocking their hidden potential—essentially a game-like cheat system.

While Lanti didn’t mind Izay drawing monster attention, what truly annoyed her was his reckless wandering deep into the forest despite lacking any real skills. When Izay had been unconscious earlier, the goddess confirmed that he bore no trace of divine blessing and wasn’t part of any familial group—just an ordinary person. What kind of fool ventures recklessly into monster-infested woods?

“It’s possible the boy just got lost in the forest, stumbled upon a gray wolf hunt, and had bad luck. Besides, didn’t we manage to successfully hunt the bipedal flying dragon in the end? Stop complaining, Lanti.”

Letsha, the red-haired human woman, shook her head helplessly, trying to soothe the half-elf. As the leader and eldest member, she often acted as a maternal figure alongside the goddess, since most of the other girls were younger, many still minors.

“Well, yeah, but it’s still annoying to get ambushed by monsters out of nowhere…”

Lanti pouted, her expression tinged with petulance. At thirteen, expecting her to empathize and think like Letsha was unrealistic—it was more a matter of experience and mindset than raw strength. The other girls understood this and wisely chose not to get involved in their conversation, instead whispering privately with their friends.

“Speaking of which, that boy was really handsome, my type entirely~”

“Oh! I agree, his bravery fighting the dragon was so cool!”

“Just like a hero from an adventure story, right? I totally get it~”

Around the lakeside, the innocent maidens blushed faintly as they enthusiastically discussed the mysterious boy. Conversations about romance were something none of them could resist. Their goddess, Artemis, was known as one of the three great virgin deities, governing chastity with strictness. Under her watchful eye, the familial group adhered to rules prohibiting love and interaction with men—even handshakes were forbidden. Suppressed by such regulations, these budding youths secretly harbored even stronger desires for romance. If Artemis ever loosened her restrictions, they’d undoubtedly explode with enthusiasm, perhaps even proudly flaunting their newfound loves before her.

Seeing the discussion growing heated, Letsha interrupted again, sounding exasperated.

“You lot, tone it down. Goddess is nearby; do you want a collective scolding?”

This marked the second time she’d invoked the goddess’s name within a short span. But what could she do? The goddess’s authority worked better than her own as leader, especially regarding matters of love. Without invoking her, there was no stopping their fervor.

“So what? Goddess is far away; she definitely couldn’t hear us~”

One of the brown-haired girls complained softly.

“Though I may be some distance from you, your assumptions disappoint me—I heard every word.”