Chapter 166

Chapter 167: Classic “I Thought” (Third Update, Please Subscribe!)

The resting place of the Hermes Familia wasn’t a camp.

To be precise, they never intended to set one up here.

They simply found spots where they could sit and rest.

Adventurers sat on wooden crates or giant tree roots placed in the forest, with enormous supporter backpacks and gear beside them.

For this secret commission by Uranus, Hermes practically mobilized all the Familia’s combat strength.

Around thirty main members and supporters were all gathered here.

Now, seeing their deity and leader return from reconnaissance with a stranger, everyone was curious and puzzled.

“—Let me introduce him to everyone. This is a helper from Orario, Ize Alward. He has the same commission as us, so he will likely join our group.”

“Ize Alward… Why does that name sound so familiar? Like I’ve heard it somewhere…”

“Isn’t that Loki Familia’s [Silver Star]!? The fastest adventurer ever to ascend levels!”

“Six months ago, he joined Loki Familia as a new adventurer. Even at Lv.1, he delved deep into the middle layers and killed an enhanced species Wyvern. At Lv.2, he single-handedly hunted down an enhanced Tree Dragon! The gods have called him the person most suited to be a hero of this era!”

Izay’s arrival caused an undeniable stir.

After all, for Hermes Familia who often operated outside Orario, getting to see someone famous within Orario was quite rare.

It felt like encountering an endangered animal?

To help Izay get acquainted with everyone faster, Hermes, with his charming smile, pulled Izay into their midst, encouraging everyone to interact while they rested.

Using this downtime to build rapport. Despite being such a large Familia, the atmosphere was harmonious.

But it didn’t last long. After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Hermes Familia began re-packing their gear under the main deity’s signal; their day’s journey wasn’t over yet.

“Not setting up camp here? Lord Hermes?”

As everyone started shouldering their gear, Izay asked curiously.

It was already evening. If they wanted to camp here, it would be the perfect time.

However, Hermes shook his head upon hearing this.

“Just a bit more, Izay-kun. Before night fully falls, we must meet up with another Familia stationed here. We’re close to them now. It’ll be fine to set up camp after we converge.”

“Another Familia? The Artemis Familia?”

“Oh? You know, Izay-kun? Did you hear it from the Guild?”

“Something like that.”

Hermes smiled faintly as he led his Familia towards the outskirts of the Great Forest.

According to collected intelligence, when Izay first arrived in Orario, he seemed to have been with the Artemis Familia?

Meaning he should know Artemis personally.

Appearing here near the Great Forest… Doesn’t feel like a coincidence, does it?

The deity’s mischievous thoughts started to churn, suddenly sparking some interesting ideas.

But someone wouldn’t give him the chance to voice those thoughts.

“Lord Hermes, shouldn’t you tell us the details of this commission by now? What are we supposed to do after meeting up with the Artemis Familia? You’ve kept it hidden long enough, haven’t you?”

Led by Asfi, Hermes Familia members expressed their dissatisfaction with their deity withholding mission details.

Though this was his usual style, now that they’d reached their destination, shouldn’t he explain things properly?

Otherwise, how were they supposed to carry out the mission?

How was Asfi, as the Familia leader, supposed to plan anything?

“Ah? Didn’t I tell you about this mission?”

A certain deity turned around, looking genuinely bewildered.

“……No…”

Gritting her teeth hard, Asfi closed her eyes and spat out two words.

She was suppressing her urge to hit someone.

“Ah~ Sorry sorry… I thought I mentioned it…”

Classic “I Thought.”

After offering a half-hearted apology, Hermes fiddled with his travel cap.

“Hmm, how should I put this…”

“Get to the point! No nonsense!”

Asfi cut him off sharply, sensing a torrent of nonsense coming.

‘That interruption feels so practiced.’

Watching idly from the side, Izay gave a sidelong glance at Asfi’s handling of the situation.

She really had her hands full with a deity like this…

“Alright, let’s start with the Ersos Ruins.”

“Ersos Ruins? What does the abnormality in the Great Forest have to do with these ruins?”

Perplexed expressions appeared, including Asfi’s. All Hermes Familia members were unfamiliar with this term.

“Our exploration target this time, combat might be necessary… In short, it’s quite troublesome.”

Brief and straightforward, Hermes disclosed everything he knew.

From the origins of the Ersos Ruins, the truth about ancient monsters sealed within, to speculations about the Great Forest anomaly.

All this information came from Uranus’ confidential letter and detailed the commission. Hermes revealed everything.

“Ruins sealing ancient monsters!? You’re asking us to explore something like that!?”

The moment Hermes finished explaining, Asfi couldn’t hold back her reaction.

Isn’t that just sending them to be slaughtered?

That’s ancient heroes and great sages couldn’t handle, only managing to seal away!

“Calm down… Calm down! Asfi-chan, yes, it sounds daunting, but centuries of sealing have severely weakened its power. It won’t reach its prime state from ancient times.”

“Asfi-chan, you’re Lv.4, right? And you have flying shoes like ‘Talaria.’ If you need to escape, you can definitely do it. Don’t panic so much…”

Sweating coldly, Hermes tried to reassure his alarmed Familia.

“That’s what you say! But you can’t guarantee your assumptions are correct, can you? What if something goes wrong?”

Suppressing her rising anger, Asfi emitted an oppressive aura capable of intimidating even a deity.

“Hmm, don’t be so pessimistic. Isn’t there also the [Silver Star] as backup? Izay-kun’s combat prowess is undoubtedly top-notch. With him here, nothing bad will happen~”

Ah? Was I watching from the sidelines just to get dragged into this?

Still internally criticizing, Izay was directly used by Hermes as a shield. The deity hid behind Izay to resist the advancing leader.

Amidst a noisy and anxious atmosphere, Hermes Familia gradually approached the outskirts of the Great Forest, heading toward the convergence location Hermes knew.

The Artemis Familia campsite.