Is It Wrong to Explore the Dungeon Even Though I’m Overpowered? (Danmachi SI- WC) (Patreon)

Chapter 14: The Smithing Goddess Has a Cute Side

Seeing that Hephaistos looked more relaxed now, I easily weathered Artemis and Hestia’s jealousy—something that they must have noticed, judging by the thankful looks they were sending me.

Turning to Hephaistos again, I saw that she was facing away from me, her face still red, causing a smile to grow on my face at how cute she looked. “Now that you’re a little more relaxed, are you ready to begin, Hephaistos-sama?”

The smith was forced to turn my way again, her deformity becoming visible once more. However, just like the first time, I had no reaction whatsoever to such a thing. The internet was both a beautiful and a terrible thing, and that was all I had to say about that.

My words only served to embarrass the goddess further as she quickly bobbed her head up and down.

“Very well, then please just relax and don’t fight what’s about to happen.” From my back, tendrils of light emerged, much to the surprise and curiosity of the goddess before me. It was to the point that her embarrassment disappeared as she tried to analyze my shroud with an expert eye.

With a reassuring smile, I had the tendrils of light surround the curious redhead, who, to her credit, didn’t try to retreat from them before they fully enveloped her.

It only took a moment before I felt a mental ping go off, signaling the capture of Hephaistos, the third goddess I had managed to bind in the span of two weeks I had been in this world.

Willing my shroud away, I was greeted to the sight of two ruby-red eyes staring back at me, along with smooth, fair skin, showing that the process had worked. Since this was a Company-provided power, though, I never had any doubt.

“I was right.” I offered the smith a happy smile. “Without that eyepatch, everyone can now see your beautiful face, Hephaistos-sama~”

With a trembling hand, Hephaistos slowly raised it towards her previously deformed eye, hesitating more than once before finally touching the skin beneath her eye.

“…It’s smooth.”

Pulling out a small hand mirror I had prepared exactly for this moment, I held it out to the goddess, with my smile never once dropping. “Here. Have a look for yourself.”

Taking the mirror from my hand, Hephaistos slowly raised it towards her eye, a gasp escaping her lips a moment later. “…It’s gone. It’s really gone.”

A moment later, Hephaistos was surrounded on both sides by Artemis and Hestia as she was pulled into a three-way hug. They gave me a smile, thankful for helping out their friend, which I only nodded back at.

I was saved from just awkwardly standing there while watching Hephaistos being comforted by Artemis and Hestia by a polite knock on the door.

Turning towards the entrance to the basement, the door opened, and I saw the blue hair of Rem as she quietly walked up to me after making sure she wasn’t interrupting anything.

“Reinhard-kun, the table is ready whenever everyone is ready~” She whispered, making sure we were not overheard by the others.

Nodding my head, I turned towards the trio of goddesses and was relieved to see that Hephaistos was no longer crying and was now doing her best to wipe the tears from her cheeks.

“If everyone is feeling up to it, lunch is ready. We would love it if you could accompany us, Hephaistos-sama.” I spoke gently and was rewarded with a beautiful smile from the fully uncovered face of Hephaistos.

“I would love that. Thank you~” Pulling away from Hestia and Artemis, she stood up and closed the small distance between us before surprisingly pulling me in for a brief hug. “For everything.”

Blinking at her unexpected hug, I nonetheless returned it, feeling an overwhelming amount of relief and gratefulness from the redhead.

“Ah mou! I thought you said you weren’t going to go after Rein-kun, Hephaistos? Yet here you are, getting all chummy with him.” Hestia interrupted our tender moment as she hugged me from the back in a possessive yet teasing manner, all the while looking at the redhead with a small pout.

I could do nothing but stand as still as possible, being sandwiched between the two goddesses, trying to ignore the pair of breasts I felt pressing into my chest and lower back.

“Wha! T-That’s not what I said! Stop putting words in my mouth!” With a start, Hephaistos jumped away from me, as if burned, her face flushed and her hands making wild gestures.

“Hestia is just teasing you, Hephaistos.” Artemis chimed in with a giggle that didn’t convince anyone, walking to my side and wrapping her arms around my left arm.

“Reinhard-kun belongs to us.” Rem didn’t even try to disguise her possessiveness as she hugged my free arm, looking at the redhead with a small frown.

“Hahaha, sorry about them, Hephaistos-sama.” Apologizing for their behavior was all I could do as my own face burned with embarrassment at how bold the girls were being.

Stuttering now, Hephaistos frantically searched for something to change the conversation. Her eyes finally landed on a white and gold sheath that held a golden handle, innocently resting against the wall.

“B-By the way, I meant to ask this earlier, but…whose…sword…is that?” By the end of her question, Hephaistos’s embarrassment had completely disappeared as she stared at the sheathed sword with a strange intensity.

“That would be me, Hephaistos-sama.” I had told Rem a bit about myself at her insistence earlier, and the Dragon Sword Reid had come up in conversation. At some point, I had even retrieved Reid from my inventory and let her hold it while explaining its origins and that of the sword saint.

Turning in my direction, Hephaistos blinked, a flabbergasted look spreading across her face. “D-do you even know what kind of weapon you own? This is not something that just anybody could use, let alone possess. How did you even come about this sword in the first place?”

Seeing her get all worked up about Reid, I couldn’t help but think Hephaistos looked really cute right now. ‘This side of her is truly adorable.’

“Ahem, if you would allow me to answer this, Reinhard-kun?” Turning to my right, I saw Rem looking up at me with an eager smile.

Seeing no harm in it, I nodded. “Sure, Rem, go ahead.”

With a skip in her step, Rem let go of my arm and walked up to Reid, picking it up and holding it up like a trophy for us to admire.

“This is none other than the legendary Dragon Sword Reid. An Enchanted Sword supposedly created by an unknown swordsmith out of the finest steel and bestowed with a Divine Protection by the very Sword God itself. It was gifted to the first Sword Saint and had been handed down to those of the Astrea family who have received the Divine Protection of the Sword Saint successively for generations. It has the power to cut through almost anything and it cannot be destroyed, however, a special condition is needed to be met in order for it to be drawn.”

“Its sheath is known as the Dragon Claw since the grooves on it are said to have been caused by the Divine Dragon Volcanica’s claws. The Dragon Sword is the strongest in the world, also held as the sharpest and most beautiful. Legend has it that the blade has drunk the blood of the thousands of dragons it has butchered. Once the Dragon Sword has been drawn, defeat is no longer an option.” Rem all but gushed to everyone with the three goddesses listening intently, especially the goddess of smithing who didn’t detect a single lie from her.

‘I can’t believe she memorized all that.’ I glanced at my cute maid, giving her a deadpan stare. “She even added information I hadn’t told her yet.’

“Whoa~ I didn’t know that! Thanks, Rem-chan.”

“Indeed, it’s always nice to hear more about Rein’s past.”

“…What? Sword God? Divine Dragon Volcanina? Divine Protection? I…I don’t understand.” The redhead looked truly lost, grabbing her head as if she had a headache, before sitting back down on the sofa in confusion.

“This is one of the reasons why we asked for your secrecy, Hephaistos.” Artemis stepped forward, leaving my side to sit down next to her bewildered friend. “Rein is much more special than you might have first believed.”

“The reason all of this seems so surprising to you is that Rein-kun is not from this world.” Hestia joined in next, revealing a bombshell that made Hephaistos widen her eyes in shock. The redhead immediately turned to me for confirmation.

“That’s correct, Hephaistos-sama.” I confirmed with a small smile on my face. “In fact, I’ve only been in this world for a total of 14 days.”

“…”

Hephaistos remained silent, processing everything that had been said. Feeling responsible for her confusion, I decided to reveal a little more to her.

“It’s understandable that you’re still confused, so let me clear a few things up.”

Immediately catching my intent, Artemis and Hestia looked at me with concern. “Rein!? Are you sure?”

“It’s alright, you two. I trust her.” I reassured them, knowing deep down that Hephaistos wouldn’t betray me. The Shroud made it nearly impossible to do so, given how it integrated everyone connected to it on a subconscious level.

A red hue once again covered Hephaistos’s cheeks when I mentioned that I trusted her, and I could feel waves of gratitude directed at me.

“It all began…”

I took the next few minutes and revealed everything I had already told Artemis and Hestia. By the end, Hephaistos was silent, her hand resting thoughtfully on her chin.

“…I just have one question for you.” Hephaistos looked up at me with a blank expression, managing to hide her feelings as she had become aware of her own shroud and the powers it granted.

“Of course, Hephaistos-sama. You need only ask.”

“Did you persuade or coerce Hestia or Artemis in any way to help heal me, so you could gain more of those points of yours?” Hephaistos’s question was direct and to the point.

“Hephaistos! Rein-kun would n-”

Seeing the angry and scandalized expressions from both Rem and Artemis, it was clear that tempers were rising. They looked a moment away from saying something they might regret, so I decided to step in before things escalated further.

“Please, allow me, Hestia-sama.” My words seemed to have the desired effect as Hestia took a deep breath and stepped back, giving me the space to speak.

Looking the redhead straight in the eyes to reassure her that I meant no harm, I put one hand over my heart and declared. “You have my word that I have never, nor will I ever, use my power to willingly change or alter the mind of those around me unless doing so saves their life or prevents someone from endangering others.”

My answer seemed to surprise everyone, not just the redhead, as they all looked at me in confusion.

“That was what you really wanted to ask, right, Hephaistos-sama?” I said with a smile as her eyes widened, proving my words.

“Hephaistos-sama was worried that I might possess a power capable of controlling others and that I had used it on you two.” I said, turning to the confused Artemis and Hestia. “She was right­—I do possess such a power, but I haven’t used it since my arrival and don’t plan to unless an emergency arises. You have a very good friend, Hestia-sama, Artemis-sama.”

Blinking, a look of understanding appeared on their faces a moment later, and they turned to the blushing redhead.

“Aww, Hephaistos. You were worried about us?”

“It seems I almost jumped to conclusions. Sorry about that, Hephaistos.”

“Stop it, you two. You’re embarrassing me. Besides, can you really blame me? You two have changed so much in such a short time that I couldn’t help but be a little worried.” Hephaistos defended herself with a cute huff, while crossing her arms below her chest.

Watching the three goddesses interact, I couldn’t help but smile feeling happy that they were such good friends.

“Hmph, even if she’s a goddess it doesn’t excuse her from doubting Rem’s Hero.” Rem it seems was still a little mad at the redhead as she hugged my left arm possessively.

“Hero? I’m your hero Rem?” I looked down at my maid in confusion, this being the first I had heard her say such a thing about me, while trying to ignore the warm feeling in my heart.

Rem, realizing that she said that out loud, looked down for a moment, her ears turning red in embarrassment, before looking up at me and smiling. “Yes, Reinhard-kun is Rem’s Hero~ Not only was he able to return Nee-sama’s horn to her, correcting her mistake but he also lets Rem stand and fight beside him despite already having Nee-sama at his side.”

“Most of all though, Reinhard-kun promised Rem that they would become stronger together so they could laugh and smile with their loved ones. Those were the most beautiful words Rem had ever heard and something she will always remember fondly for the rest of her life.”

It was my turn to blush this time, not realizing my words had meant so much to her. “…Thank you, Rem. That means a lot coming from you.” It was all I could say in that moment after hearing such a heartfelt statement.

‘I suddenly felt like scum. Here was someone who could dedicate their entire being to one person, while I couldn’t even decide between them.’

I was saved from having to say anything else when a pair of delicate arms wrapped around my neck, and I felt a familiar weight on my back.

“Reinhard. Hungry.” As if to prove her words, her stomach rumbled a moment later, making me to chuckle in amusement.

“We’ve been down here a while, huh?”

Apparently, Est’s presence had not gone unnoticed, as I felt someone move in front of us. I turned to see Hephaistos looking at my sword spirit with a frightening look in her eyes.

“In all my nervousness earlier, I almost forgot you. A Sword Spirit~ A real, living Sword Spirit, already contracted with someone who has the highest affinity for swords I’ve ever seen outside of a god. I have so many questions!” The goddess of smithing rambled happily, never once taking her eyes off the white-haired girl on my back.

“Reinhard. I’m scared. This pervert is scaring me.” Est mumbled into my neck as she did her best to hide from the goddess in front of us.

“P-pervert!? I’m not a pervert!” Hephaistos immediately exclaimed in embarrassment as she looked around the room, only to be met with the accusing eyes of almost everyone.

“Wow, Hephaistos, I had no idea this side of you existed.” Hestia looked at her friend in confusion, as if she were seeing her for the first time.

Artemis even stepped in front of us, as if blocking our view of the redhead. “No inappropriate actions are allowed toward a member of my Familia.”

“Ecchi Goddess.” Even Rem joined in on the teasing.

“Hmhmhm, I think that’s enough teasing, girls. How about we head up for lunch before the food gets cold?” I decided to intervene on behalf of the redhead once I saw her eyes start to water.

“You guys are jerks!” Hephaistos exclaimed, somewhat angrily, towards the girls once she realized they were teasing, before giving me a thankful look for being the only one on her side.

With those words, a lighthearted atmosphere returned to the room, and we finally left the basement, chatting happily with one another.

=====

(Half an Hour Later)

Upon leaving the basement, we were met with a pleasant surprise—Rethusa and Lante had returned, and with them were 14 girls, the newest members of Artemis’s Familia.

Now that I could observe her up close, I finally remembered why the name Emma Flores seemed familiar. She appeared in Artemis’s movie and was also a major character in the browser game Orario Rhapsodia, which only lasted two years before being shut down.

Along with Emma were Orianna Drake, Karen Morris, Primo Libera, Lucia Ramirez, Love Silva, Gina Gwen, Iris Bennett, Gita Meyers, Leo Diaz, Daisy Kelly, Vivian Green, Clarice Boyd and Suu Lotti.

It seems Artemis had hit the jackpot, managing to recruit all the main characters from the browser game–except for Sophia Flores, Emma’s wayward sister.

All the new recruits made me grateful for the upcoming influx of credits, which would allow me to buy the next Sweet Home perk—ensuring we wouldn’t have to worry about fitting everyone into the church. I was sure the girls wouldn’t mind roughing it for the two days it would take for the perk to take effect.

After introductions were finished, we enjoyed a hearty lunch while chatting amongst ourselves and getting to know the new girls joining Artemis.

Throughout our meal, Hephaistos kept trying to get Est’s attention, only to be completely ignored—too busy either stuffing her face with food or asking me to feed her.

Eventually, the conversation shifted to me, and I was put on the spotlight as the girls who knew me showered me with praise— the most excitable ones being Rem, Ram and Hestia— to my embarrassment.

“You should ask Rein to teach you girls a thing or two whenever you get the chance. He’s practically an expert in every form of combat.” Lante teased, sending me a quick wink when she caught my eye.

“Oho! Has another rival appeared before this Super Mage?” Clarice—wearing a fake eyepatch and a gothic Lolita dress—chimed in dramatically. “It seems my eye was not deceiving me after all~”

‘Great… A chuuni.’ I could do nothing but offer everyone a smile. “I would be happy to assist everyone.”

Luckily the conversation resumed after that though I did get a few curious looks from some of the new girls.

Before too long, Hephaistos excused herself, saying she had stayed too long. Hestia, Artemis and I accompanied her to the door, where she turned and addressed us one last time.

“Thank you again for everything you’ve done for me.” Hephaistos leaned down in a bow, taking us by surprise. “I can never repay what you’ve done, but I promise to try. And you don’t have to worry about me telling anyone about your origins, Reinhard. Your secret is safe with me.”

“There’s no need to bow, Hephaistos-sama. I was happy to help.” It still felt weird having a god bow to me.

“How about teaching Rein-kun a thing or two about smithing, Hephaistos? Rein-kun has mentioned an interest in it, and it would really help us out since we currently have no smith.” Hestia stepped in with a smile on her face, giving me a cheesy thumbs-up and looking really proud of herself for the idea.

“It would be nice to have you around more often,” Artemis added in with her own smile, making me look at the two strangely, wondering if they had planned this. That’s when I caught Artemis giving me her own thumbs-up, looking quite silly as she tried to be discreet about it—only to fail.

‘These two, seriously! At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if they ended up becoming my harem managers in the future.’ I could only shake my head at the ridiculous idea before quickly dismissing it as nonsensical.

It wasn’t possible, right?