The flames were fervently licking at my feet, and the stifling heat was tightening its grip around my neck, when—
Amidst a downpour, Artemis descended into the central plaza of City Luna.
If my eyes didn’t deceive me,
she had leaped from the Temple and landed squarely in the middle of the plaza in Luna.
“Artemis! You showed up just in time!”
“…”
“Cough! Cough! It’s way too spicy from the smoke here! Untie me before I get cooked evenly! Do you want to watch me suffocate?!”
“You’re annoying!”
“Hey!”
At the moment of dire peril, I was overjoyed by the arrival of the Goddess I had so desperately prayed for,
but our esteemed Goddess lady seemed to have reached her limit with nonsense. She leaped up on the spot and stamped her foot hard against my face, leaving an imprint of her shoe.
Since I was tied up to a post, I couldn’t avoid it, and her distinct shoeprint remained on my face.
Thinking to myself, “Isn’t this a bit excessive as a show of affection?”
At that very moment, Artemis approached the stake hammered into the ground.
She glanced at the base, and with a powerful low kick—like a martial artist breaking a baseball bat with a kick—she shattered the thick post into pieces.
Like a broken pasta falling off, the heavy post I was tied to spun twice and dropped to the ground.
“Owww!”
The shock of the heavy log falling hit my back, making waves of pain run through my entire body.
However, I didn’t even have time to console my pain.
Artemis, soaked to the bone and clearly angry, sat on my fallen belly and grabbed me by the collar.
Her grip was so tight that it felt like my breath was being completely cut off.
Her powerful grip tightened even more, tearing my shirt as she began to shake me violently.
“Are you crazy? Have you lost your mind?!”
“Ughhhh…”
I couldn’t resist, being tied up as I was.
If she pulled, I followed. If she pushed, I let her.
My head swung violently, and I banged the back of my skull against the post several times like a woodpecker.
The reason for her explosive outburst was the content of the message I had sent her.
Using the power of Hermes’s yellow arrows, I sent her a message: “If you don’t come to the plaza immediately, I’ll spread the rumor that Artemis likes Ark around the neighborhood.”
If I had simply asked for her urgent arrival, she would have undoubtedly dismissed it as a bother. So, I rewrote the message like that—and judging from how quickly she reached the plaza, it seemed to be highly effective.
“Hey, are you out of your mind? Fine. You’ve already annoyed me enough. Let’s see if the rain can wash away my irritation today!”
“Your, your Holiness! Please, look around!”
“Huh? Why? …What? Why are there so many people here?”
Indicating with my chin towards her back,
Artemis turned around, finally noticing the bustling square filled to the brim with around 3000 citizens, all staring directly at her and no one else. She slowly released the grip on my arms and quickly stood up.
Artemis, embarrassed and flushing red from having lost her composure,
would benefit from maintaining better decorum more often.
She glared at me with suspicious eyes, having sensed my disrespectful thoughts.
“Hey, why are you tied up again?”
“Are you asking this now? Can you please untie me?”
“Tsk! You seem to have gotten involved in some other troublesome business again.”
She grumbled as she snapped the ropes with her nails.
Once freed, I massaged my sore wrists while reporting in great detail everything that had happened while she was sleeping in the heated room.
“Hmm?”
After listening to my entire story, Artemis wrung out her wet short hair, removing the water and took a step forward, pointing at a man.
“Clepeion. Come forward.”
Clepeion, the ringleader of the riot, showed no surprise at being summoned by the Goddess.
On the contrary, he walked out confidently as if he had been waiting for her call.
“Artemis. It’s been a while since we last met. Allow me to extend my greetings.”
“Clepeion. I remember you as someone who, though coarse in speech, wasn’t rash in action.”
Artemis pointed at the crowds and questioned the authenticity of the riot.
At this Clepeion dropped to his knees and glared at me, standing behind her.
“Artemis. This was a necessary revolution to save the dying city of Luna from isolation.”
“A revolution? With a blade at my throat?”
“The spears we raised haven’t been stained with anyone’s blood.”
Clepeion proudly spread his arms wide, as if asking, “Are there any dead people in this plaza?”
That’s right.
The riot Clepeion had instigated happened in order to capture me.
Though hostages were taken and there was threatening behavior, no citizen lost their life.
At most, it was the blood from Clepeion’s forehead, torn by my resistance.
“Still, you planned to sell my priest to Dionysus, didn’t you? Isn’t that just the same?”
“…My intention wasn’t to blind the eyes and ears of Artemis but to weed out the corrupt individual who was eating away our city.”
Corrupt individual.
This term refers to anyone who disrupts the state or harms their parents.
I never expected such dignified vocabulary from such a rough individual.
It seems he possesses quite a talent for eloquent rhetoric.
“That’s strange. I don’t really know what wrong Ark has done. Can you explain it to me?”
“Ark, he hesitates not to quarrel with other gods in order to enforce his distorted sense of justice and righteousness. And the harm that results always falls squarely upon the Goddess and us.”
“So, upon seeing the death warrant from Dionysus, you decided to hand Ark over to save the wine that was lost to the curse?”
“That’s correct. Thus, at this very moment, I seek your direct permission. Please allow us to take Ark.”
“That sounds suspicious. It sounds like you just don’t want to take the losses, so you want to kill Ark.”
“Not just me, but everyone here has suffered irretrievable losses due to this current curse.”
“Couldn’t you have waited until we resolved it?”
“Once the creditors come for the overdue bills, we’ll die. We had no choice.”
“Alright, is that all you have to say?”
“…Yes.”
Anyone in the square would know who Artemis favored by the mention of “last words.”
Likewise, Clepeion, the one who had the most direct interaction with her, widened his eyes, looked up at her, and sensing his own impending doom, slowly lowered his head, closing his eyes.
The merciless Artemis drew her bow, aiming an arrow at his forehead.
The two looked so natural in the face of death.
Perhaps they both already knew how things would end.
Artemis had never intended to comply with the rebels’ demands,
and Clepeion must have known this all too well, having observed her for 40 years, compared to the 1 year that I’ve been with her.
“Go well, Clepeion.”
“Request mercy for Luna and my comrades.”
“…Alright.”
Just as the merciless arrow was about to pierce his forehead,
Thud!
I approached her and firmly grabbed her right hand.
Artemis frowned, annoyed by the interruption just before execution.
“What’s going on? You’re not going to let go?”
“Hold off on executing him.”
“You moron! Don’t you understand that regardless of noble intentions, the leader of a rebellion deserves summary execution?!”
Her strong belief in punishing the leader was evident as she swung her arm, trying to break my grip.
But I held on tight, as if clinging to a safety rope on the edge of a cliff.
Considering the ongoing conflicts between so many gods, and reflecting on this as the start of my confession,
we couldn’t say that all the fault was on Clepeion’s side, thanks to his words.
Also, the fact that no citizens had died played a part.
If someone had died, would I have stopped Artemis’ arrow?
I probably wouldn’t have.
After a while of our argument, Clepeion glared at me and snapped.
“Don’t pity me! Damn brat.”
“It’s not pity.”
“If your reason is unclear, we’re still doomed, lacking the funds to survive.”
“Clepeion, if you had enough money to live comfortably for a while, could you wait until the curse of the wine wears off? You and your allies.”
“Well, that’s true…”
Okay.
I now understand their situation and how it can be resolved.
The final approval lies with our Goddess.
“Artemis.”
“What is it?”
“Can’t you trust me just this once?”
“Why? Do you think you can resolve this problem now? How are you going to pay off the loans and living expenses of over 2000 people all at once? Even the temple’s funds can’t manage that.”
“There’s always a way. Just trust me, Artemis.”
Artemis and I locked eyes.
But she’s confused, unable to understand my intentions.
Nevertheless, Artemis placed her faith in me, believing that I would solve this issue in an unexpected way, and lowered her bow.
“Thank you, Artemis. You’re my one and only gir—”
“Shut the hell up!”
She panics when the word “girlfriend” is mentioned in front of so many people.
And she’s cute when she’s flustered.
I smiled at her and called for Knight Commander Gilbert.
“Gilbert, please compile a list of those who participated in this uprising. Please also write down their leaders.”
“Alright. But why…?”
“They need to take responsibility for the trouble they have caused, though I won’t kill them.”
“Understood.”
Gilbert saluted and withdrew.
I watched with a smirk as the rioters moved cautiously under Gilbert’s command.
Most of these rioters were wealthy merchants dealing in large amounts of money.
If this matter is handled well, our temple will also come into contact with large sums of money.
“Hey, Ark. Is there any way to save these thousand bankrupt individuals?”
“Of course. It’s a system that Aphrodite goddess herself is keenly interested in?”
“What? Why does that woman show up suddenly?”
“Haha, if you want me to resolve your curiosity, you must do me a favor.”
“What favor?”
“Initiate a state of emergency order.”
Today, as the downpour subsided and the warm sunlight peeked through the clouds,
An emergency economic order was issued in Artemis City Luna.
