Chapter 182

Chapter 183: A Festival May Be Late, But It Will Never Be Absent

On the way back, the sense of urgency that had been pressing them was gone, and the journey could be described as completely relaxed and carefree.

The amount of time spent could clearly show how leisurely everyone was.

On the way there, Izay had sprinted alone over long distances, taking just half a month to travel from Orario to the Great Tree Sea.

But on the return trip, even though they were with a large group, it took them a whole month to reach the cities surrounding Orario.

Truly… some slacking off!

However, Hermes and his Familia didn’t follow Izay and Artemis’ group all the way back.

It seemed they were transporting some kind of valuable “cargo,” and Hermes needed to make additional deliveries to nearby small nations?

According to him, he was asked by an old acquaintance from the Guild while he was in the middle of delivering cargo for the Great Tree Sea mission, so he had no choice but to drop everything and rush here.

After all, compared to a monster like Andarius, which could threaten the safety of the lower realms, delivering stuff could wait.

This made Izay even more certain of his suspicions.

Although he didn’t know why the timing had advanced so much, Izay felt he already knew what Hermes was transporting.

Without any doubt, it was probably the “Killing Stone.”

“Hermes says he will still have to spend some time traveling around outside before returning to Orario. By then, I should be able to level up to Level 4.”

On the road to the town with Artemis’ Familia, Izay muttered softly to himself, pinching his chin.

It wasn’t Hermes’ fault for being cautious; the nature of the “cargo” he was transporting was simply too special.

The Killing Stone is a forbidden magical artifact, despised by the world. If it were exposed, it would likely spark discussions among the gods of Orario, and Hermes and Ishtar would be thrust into the eye of public opinion.

Not to mention, Takemikazuchi and the righteous Ganesha would definitely give both of them trouble.

So rather than risk making a big deal out of things, Ishtar and Hermes preferred to take their time.

“As soon as I hit Level 4, I’ll beat that frog so hard its mother won’t recognize it, then I’ll let its mother come and beat it.”

Izay had this much confidence.

To put it plainly, after reaching Level 4, with the buffs given by the fox-faced one, he could single-handedly wipe out Ishtar’s Familia.

He wouldn’t even need to ask his family for help.

All that remained was when Hermes would return to Orario with the Killing Stone.

Anyway, Izay had already bribed Asfi beforehand.

No matter when Hermes returned, he would get the news first.

Using the convenient excuse of “we’re all holders of mysteries,” Izay gave her one of the eye crystals made by Fels.

And they mutually promised that next time they returned to Orario, they would notify each other beforehand, so they could exchange academic knowledge together.

Perhaps also seeing the appeal of hunting, Asfi didn’t hesitate after exchanging a bit with Izay and agreed.

Plan successful~

…

…

…

Near Orario, the “Olbe Town.”

A town located at the foot of Mount Olbe, not far from Orario.

Some areas of the buildings were stone-built, while others were entirely wooden constructions.

The cobblestone roads were neatly winding, opening up the view ahead. Wide roads on either side had narrow channels, with clear water flowing gently along the edges of the town, reflecting the figures of passersby.

Artemis’ Familia, including the goddess and Izay, totaling twenty-two people, arrived at this town.

It was still early, and normally, it should be the time for hard work, but the town presented a different picture of prosperity.

Men and women alike appeared in pairs on the streets, carrying various materials or even item goods in their hands.

If one had to describe the atmosphere of the town, it would be festively decorated.

“Come to think of it, today seems to be the Divine Moon Festival?”

Looking at the residents decorating the town on the street, Izay noticed the star and crescent moon masks and fabrics embroidered with crescents.

Lifting his head slightly to recall, he suddenly realized that today was a holiday.

“The Divine Moon Festival, we’re back just in time for the festival!? Yes—!”

Hearing his words beside him, Lanti immediately clasped her hands in front of her, her big eyes shining with anticipation.

As the jester of the Familia, the lively Lanti always managed to bring good cheer to everyone unintentionally.

For example, right now, hearing her say that, thinking that they had just returned home and could conveniently catch the festival, the girls immediately started chattering and laughing.

Even Retsa, who usually acted most mature as the captain, had a radiant smile on her face.

Izay, the topic starter, was directly forgotten by them, left out of the fun.

“Catching the festival is great, but don’t get too carried away. Let’s go back to the ‘Adimi House’ to rest first. The Divine Moon Festival is in the evening, after all.”

At this moment, the goddess chimed in.

Her cold expression suddenly softened, her naturally opened eyes taking on a hint of gentleness.

Seeing how excited the children were, Artemis didn’t want to dampen their enthusiasm, and her words seemed to carry a note of encouragement.

“Ohhhhh—”

“Long live Lady Artemis!”

“I will forever love Lady Artemis!”

The girls cheered one after another on the street.

Since returning from the Great Tree Sea, the once strong and aloof goddess, who often wore a stern face without showing mercy, seemed to have changed completely.

Though she still appears distant in front of strangers, in front of those close to her…

Remember a month ago when Lanti and Chloe were caught sneaking a peek by Artemis?

Both were prepared to die, but in the end, it ended with just a warning of “Next time, you’ll regret it.”

Sigh-worthy.

And the “Adimi House” mentioned by Artemis earlier is the name of their Familia’s base.

Just like the “Twilight Manor” of Loki Familia, “Adimi House” is the headquarters of Artemis’ Familia.

And it is located in this same-named town at the foot of Mount Olbe.

The girls were noisy all the way until they stopped in front of a large mansion, ending the silence.

“Adimi House,” a small wooden sign stood beside the clean white path leading to the mansion.

The mansion was a wooden country house with a pointed flower-edged gate, and a lush courtyard filled with flowers.

Perhaps because it hadn’t been tended to for a long time, the grass was dotted with dew, and colorful flowers bloomed haphazardly.

Following Artemis through the cobblestone path, this was Izay’s second visit to this place.

The interior decoration centered around wood furniture with a stable tone, complete with tables, chairs, hanging baskets, sofas, cushions, and more.

Unlike the exterior, the inside of the mansion was clean and bright, the floor polished to shine, obviously maintained regularly by someone.

This was related to the habits of Artemis’ Familia.

Because Artemis’ Familia often traveled across the continent to hunt monsters, they couldn’t properly maintain this base.

So, to avoid dust accumulating everywhere, they hired trustworthy people to take care of it.

Izay remembered it was a certain elf lady’s housekeeping shop?

Seemed like they came every few days to clean.

And the untended garden was left for Retsa and the others to play with.

Tending to the flowers and plants in their own garden was one of the few pleasures the girls had.