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

Chapter 23: Where We Left Off

It took a while, but eventually I managed to tell them everything that had happened during our week-long journey. When I finally finished, I slumped in my seat, my chin resting lightly atop Est’s head.

A moment later, I felt Ram and Rem snuggle closer to either side, and Est gently took my arms, wrapping them around her waist in a quiet gesture of support that I deeply appreciated.

“That’s…” Hestia started, her voice faltering. She looked at me with wide, compassionate eyes, unable to find the right words.

Artemis, on the other hand, said nothing. She studied me in silence for a long moment before stepping forward. She reached out and gently cupped my cheeks, tilting my face up to meet hers.

When I met her emerald gaze, I saw no judgment—only tenderness. Her thumbs stroked my cheeks lightly, and then she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead.

I blinked in surprise, my breath catching in my throat.

As her lips lingered, I felt something subtle enter me—a strange warmth settling on my chest—but I barely had time to think about it before she leaned down and placed a second kiss on my lips, light and brief.

I flushed instantly, my face going bright red.

When she pulled back, a faint blush colored her own cheeks. Still, she smiled at me—soft and serene.

“Don’t let your heart trouble you, Reinhard,” Artemis said gently. “Yes, you were forced to take many lives… but you also saved a nation. You freed children from slavery. Mourn the fallen—but don’t let their deaths blind you to all the good you’ve done.”

My mouth opened, but no words came out. I was still reeling from the kiss—from her. One of the three virgin goddesses, no less. The warmth of her lips lingered on mine, carrying the faint taste of some unfamiliar flower I couldn’t quite place.

But our moment was abruptly cut short as Artemis was suddenly shoved aside by a rather determined Hestia.

“Gghhh—!” she growled, flushed and flustered. “I won’t be left behind!”

She cupped my cheeks with both hands, mirroring Artemis’s earlier gesture. Then she froze, eyes going wide as the realization hit her of what she was about to do. A deep blush spread across her face, and she looked at me like a nervous maiden caught in her first crush.

When she didn’t see any rejection in my eyes, her shoulders relaxed just slightly. Gathering her courage, she leaned in slowly… and pressed her lips to mine.

A soft, barely audible moan escaped her as our lips met.

The kiss was shy, tentative but genuine.

When she finally pulled away, her expression was dazed, dreamy. She licked her lips absentmindedly, and something about the gesture made my throat suddenly go dry.

“I finally did it~ Hihihi~” she giggled softly, her face still crimson.

“Rem too!”

As if a dam had burst, Rem gently turned my head toward her, then pulled me down into a kiss—one far deeper than the others. Without hesitation, she slid her tongue into my mouth, claiming me completely as her lips molded greedily to mine, trying her best to suck me dry of breath and sense.

By the time she pulled away, I was dazed and breathless.

Rem, on the other hand, looked absolutely pleased with herself. She brought her hands to her flushed cheeks and let out a dreamy sigh.

“Mmm~ It’s even better than the emotions Nee-sama shared with me… Rem might get addicted to this~”

Not to be outdone, I was promptly manhandled again—once by Ram, who pressed a sharp, confident kiss to my lips, and then by Est, who clung to me and delivered her own with quiet intensity. Before I could recover, the room erupted into squabbling as the girls began bickering over who was being “too greedy.”

To be perfectly honest, I had no idea what they were even arguing about anymore. My brain was mush. All I could do was sit there, lips tingling, mind blank.

“Fufufu~ Looks like Artemis-sama finally took the plunge,” Lante chimed in with a teasing smile, though the faint pout in her voice betrayed her envy. “If I’m honest… I’m a little jealous.”

“You should’ve just kissed him, then,” Rethusa replied casually as she approached, showing not a hint of shame. “You lost your chance.”

“Maybe later~” Lante winked at me with a mischievous glint in her eye.

Before I could respond, both of them suddenly pulled me into a hug from either side, catching me completely off guard. My arms moved instinctively, wrapping around them in return.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better now, Rein~” Lante murmured from my left, resting her head against my shoulder.

“You had us worried,” Rethusa added from the right, her tone soft but sincere.

=====

About fifteen minutes later, things had finally settled down. I now found myself lying on my front, shirtless, with my back exposed while Hestia straddled my lower back, updating my Falna.

The others were scattered around the room, all curious to see the results.

Across from me, Est was in a similar position with Artemis.

“Congratulations, Est-chan,” Artemis said with a gentle smile as she finished. “You’ve leveled up to Level 2. Not that I’m surprised—you were already close before you left.”

She patted Est’s back affectionately before getting off her. “Looks like your choices for Development Abilities are: Hunter, Swordsman, Chain Attack, and Spirit Healing.”

Est stood up casually, completely unbothered by her state of undress. Thankfully, her long hair fell perfectly to cover her chest. “You pick, Reinhard,” she said without hesitation.

I hummed thoughtfully. “Hunter or Spirit Healing would probably be the most useful for now,” I said, trying not to think too hard about how casually Est treated nudity. Then again, she did sleep half-naked next to me almost every night.

“Haah…” I heard Hestia sigh dramatically as she finished her own update on my back. “You did it again, Rein-kun. Congratulations—you’re officially Level 3.”

I smiled faintly. Honestly, I wasn’t too surprised after everything that had happened. I waited until Hestia climbed off before sitting up, greeted by smiles and warm congratulations from everyone in the room.

But then Hestia turned toward Artemis, placing her hands on her hips with an exaggerated pout.

“Did you really have to bless him so openly, Artemis?”

“Blessed?” I echoed, confused, turning away from Rem—who was already mumbling about planning a grand feast—and looked at Artemis. ‘Is that what I felt earlier?’

“Hihihi…” Artemis let out a nervous giggle, glancing away with a blush. “I just… wanted Rein to know that even if I’m not always physically there, I’ll always support him wholeheartedly.”

“Mou~ But did you have to name the skill Love of the Moon Goddess?” Hestia whined, looking scandalized and jealous at the same time. It was obvious she wished she’d thought of it first.

At that, Artemis flushed even deeper, turning her head slightly as she mumbled something only those with sharp hearing caught—meaning me and the Oni twins.

“…It’s true anyway, so I don’t see a problem with it.”

My own cheeks lit up instantly, and I turned my head away—only to meet the narrowed, envious gazes of Ram and Rem. Without a word, both girls leaned in and latched onto my arms possessively.

I let out a sigh, then turned curious eyes toward Artemis, who was still fidgeting where she stood.

“What does the skill actually do?” I asked.

She looked up at the sound of my voice, and when our eyes met—my face still a bit flushed from earlier—her blush deepened even further. She must’ve realized I’d heard her little mumble from before.

“U-Um… it’s designed to help you train your body,” she explained, her fingers nervously playing with the hem of her sleeve. “It surrounds your body with a light pressure that forces constant exertion, improving all your statuses passively over time—even Magic and Good Luck. But… it’s especially effective for Strength.”

“Whoa,” I blinked, genuinely impressed. “That’s… kind of amazing.”

Then something clicked in my mind, and I blinked again.

‘Wait a second. Isn’t this basically the same passive skill Orion got from Artemis in Fate? The one that boosts his physical prowess and makes him an absurdly jacked bear man?’

Yup. It was basically that. Which made me wonder if divine love just manifested similarly across universes.

“Thank you very much, Artemis,” I said sincerely, bowing my head slightly once the surprise wore off.

“You’re welcome, Rein,” she replied, still sounding embarrassed but clearly pleased by my gratitude.

“Mou! Then I’m definitely giving him a blessing next!” Hestia suddenly declared, throwing her hands up with mock indignation.

Before I could react, she launched herself onto my back, her arms wrapping tightly around my neck in a hug—her soft chest squishing against the back of my head like the softest of pillows.

“Guh—! Hestia-sama!” I sputtered.

“Hehehe~” she giggled proudly, clearly not planning to let go anytime soon. “Take that, Moon Goddess~!”

=====

With most of the morning’s excitement behind us, I joined Rem in the kitchen to help with the feast she’d promised. Artemis volunteered as well, and before long, the delicious aroma of roasted meats and spices filled the former church.

Soon, we were all gathered at the table, sharing a warm meal in the once-abandoned building that now felt like home. Laughter echoed through the halls, and everyone wore smiles on their faces.

“Oh! Senpai~ There’s someone I want you to meet later,” Emma suddenly piped up from her spot at the table, just as I finished feeding Est a bite of grilled meat—much to the barely concealed jealousy of a few others.

I looked up curiously. “Hmm? Sure, Emma. Who is it?”

She perked up. “Well, we met this Supporter yesterday looking for an adventuring group. We invited her to tag along with us for a bit, but our party's already kind of big… so I was hoping maybe you could take her in?”

I raised a brow. “A Supporter, huh?” A specific image came to mind: a small Pallum girl with chestnut hair with a shitty life that had resorted to stealing all in an attempt to buy herself out of the Soma Familia. A girl that had all but lost all faith in Adventurers due to how badly she had been treated by them her whole life.

Emma nodded quickly. “She’s really nice once you get to know her! She’s also super knowledgeable about the Dungeon, and… well, she looks like she could really use a friend.” Emma’s eyes softened a bit. “Please, Senpai? I think she’d really benefit from being around someone like you.”

At the end, she even gave a quick, polite bow.

I smiled warmly. “Sure, Emma. I wouldn’t be much of a Senpai if I didn’t look out for my juniors, right?”

“Knew I could count on you~!” Emma beamed, pumping a fist into the air.

All too soon, breakfast came to an end, and we began preparing for the day ahead. As usual, everyone was heading into the Dungeon—but in separate groups.

“Senpai, we’ll go on ahead and meet you in front of the entrance,” Emma called out, waving cheerfully as she joined the others, with Rethusa and Lante taking the lead.

“No problem,” I replied with a small wave of my own.

I turned to Rem, who would be accompanying me today. She was already latched onto my left arm, humming happily with a bright smile on her face.

“Ready, Rem?”

“Rem is always ready~” she said with a soft giggle. “She’s been looking forward to spending the day with Reinhard-kun for a while now. Since Est-san and Nee-sama got to have you all to themselves for a whole week… it’s Rem’s turn now~”

“Hmhm, I’m glad to be back too, Rem.” I smiled, feeling a warmth in my chest at seeing her in such high spirits.

With Est already resting in her sword form at my side, we started walking toward the Blue Pharmacy to pick up Naaza.

As Rem and I walked through the streets, her arm looped happily around mine, I quickly noticed the shift in the atmosphere.

Before, people stared at me mostly because of my appearance. Now, their gazes carried something different.

Some looked at me in awe—mostly women, I noticed—but many others watched with envy, resentment… even fear.

‘If this is how they look at me now,’ I mused silently, ‘I wonder what their expressions will be when they find out I leveled up again while I was gone?’

“Tsk. At least they’re keeping their thoughts to themselves this time,” Rem muttered beside me, a quiet sneer on her lips as she scanned the crowd. Her blue hair swayed slightly with the motion, and her blue eyes narrowed with silent warning. I could almost see her fangs flash.

I glanced down at her and couldn’t help but smile at her protectiveness. Leaning down, I pressed a small kiss to the crown of her head.

She blinked in surprise… then giggled, glowing with happiness as she looked up at me with eyes full of stars.

“Pay them no heed, Rem,” I said gently. “I don’t care what they think.”

I was no stranger to these kinds of stares—I'd endured them for most of my life as Reinhard van Astrea. They couldn’t touch me. But if those eyes ever turned toward Rem… or anyone else I cared about… that would be a different story.

“Hehe~ Okay~ But only because Reinhard-kun is the one asking,” she said, resting her head against my shoulder with a content sigh.

Moments later, we arrived at the familiar storefront of the Blue Pharmacy. I opened the door—

—and was immediately tackled.

“—Oof.”

A soft blur collided with my left side, and I instinctively caught it. A heartbeat later, I heard a warm, happy voice.

“Reinhard, you’re finally back~!”

I looked down to find Naaza, her usual stoic demeanor nowhere in sight. She looked up at me with a radiant smile, her ears twitching excitedly and her tail wagging like she could barely contain herself.

Unable to help myself, my free hand rose to her head—specifically to her ears—and I began rubbing them softly. Naaza immediately blushed, but a pleased look appeared in her eyes.

“Oops, sorry, Naaza. I couldn’t help myself,” I said, reluctantly pulling my hand away from her fluffy ears and offering her a smile. “Anyway, it’s nice to see you again. I missed you.”

Trying to hide the disappointed glint in her eyes, Naaza’s smile only grew. “I missed you as well, Reinhard,” she admitted, her cheeks tinged red—just before she noticed Rem clinging to my other side, giving her a subtle stink eye.

“Hello to you too, Rem-san,” Naaza greeted politely, though a bit awkwardly.

“Hello,” Rem replied sweetly—but her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “I always thought cats were the thieving type, but I guess that applies to dogs too.”

At that, Naaza’s smile faltered, and one of her eyebrows twitched ever so slightly. But before she could fire back, another voice chimed in.

“Hahaha, it’s good to see Naaza in such high spirits again. She’s been looking forward to your return with great anticipation,” came the warm voice of Miach, standing behind the counter with a kind smile.

“M-Miach-sama!” Naaza exclaimed, flustered by her god’s comment.

Miach merely chuckled. “It’s good to see you again, Reinhard-kun. And you as well, Rem-san.”

I bowed respectfully, with Rem following suit. “Thank you for your kind words, Miach-sama.”

“Ma, ma—think nothing of it. We still owe you for what you did for our dear Naaza,” he said, waving off our thanks. “By the way, Reinhard-kun, is Hestia home? There’s something I’d like to speak with her about.”

I paused for a second, thinking. “Yes, she should be. She didn’t mention any plans today, so she’s likely at the church with Artemis-sama.”

“Wonderful~ Then I won’t keep you. I’m sure you children have a long day ahead. Please continue looking after Naaza for us, won’t you?”

“Of course, Miach-sama. I give you my word—nothing will happen to Naaza as long as I draw breath,” I said, placing a hand over my heart.

Naaza let out a surprised squeak at my words, her entire face going red.

“I-I’ll be right back! I’m going to get ready!” she stammered before rushing off, leaving a trail of flustered energy in her wake.

Miach chuckled again, clearly amused. “Hmhmhm, you truly have a way with words, Reinhard-kun. I see now why Naaza holds you in such high regard. It seems it’s the right decision after all.” He finished a little mysteriously.

Then, without another word, he handed us a couple of potions—firmly refusing to take no for an answer—and invited us to take a seat while we waited.

With a wave, he stepped out of the store, leaving us behind.

It didn’t take long for Naaza to return, her bow and quiver already secured over her back and shoulders. Together, the three of us set out for Babel.

As we passed by the Hostess of Fertility, a familiar voice rang out like a thunderclap of chaos wrapped in catgirl energy.

“Reinhard-nyan~! You’re baaack, nyaaa~!” came the unmistakable voice of Anya Fromel, her ears twitching and tail practically vibrating as she leaned out of the tavern’s doorway, waving both arms wildly. “Maaaybe now Syr-nyan can stop mopin’ and mopin’ all day like a soggy sponge, nya~!”

I blinked. That was… a vivid way to put it.

I just smiled and waved in return, choosing not to comment. Hopefully, Freya—Syr—would come back soon. I really didn’t want their trip to the desert to have been in vain.

As we continued toward the Dungeon’s entrance, my eyes were drawn to a familiar splash of pink hair in the crowd.

Emma was standing there, waving excitedly. “Reinhard-senpai!” she called out, grinning from ear to ear. Her voice drew more than a few curious glances from the adventurers around us.

I waved back, but my attention quickly shifted to the small figure beside her.

A short girl, barely up to Emma’s shoulder, stood there stiffly beneath the weight of an enormous backpack. Her chestnut hair framed a wary, guarded expression as she studied us like she expected trouble.

‘So, it really is Lili…’ I thought, immediately recognizing her.

‘Hopefully,’ I mused, ‘this time, I won’t need to wait for a life-or-death situation just to earn her trust.’