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

Chapter 34: A Fool’s Mistake

As I gazed into Hestia’s vivid blue eyes, I silently thanked the Company for making it so the girls who had feelings for me generally got along with each other. If that weren’t the case, I doubted I’d be enjoying myself this much right now.

From what I remembered of the canon Hestia, she’d been… overbearing with Bell and kind of annoying. Endearing at times, yes, but also insufferably clingy. As much as I hated to admit it, that kind of personality grated on me. I’d never been drawn to women who tried to control me or smother my independence.

But this Hestia? She was different. Completely different. The type of person I could fall for and had.

I refocused on the beautiful goddess in my arms and pulled her a little closer. Her smile widened in pure joy.

Before long, a gentle tap on my shoulder pulled me from the moment. I turned to find Est, lips curved in the smallest pout, clearly done waiting for her turn.

Hestia sighed in faint annoyance, but she still squeezed my hand warmly before stepping back to rejoin Artemis. I took Est’s hands and led her into the dance. We probably looked a little unusual together, Est stood at about 150 centimeters, just a hair taller than Hestia’s 140 but she carried herself with quiet grace.

“Are you enjoying yourself, Est?” I asked softly.

She nodded once, eyes gleaming. “Yes. I’m glad I sneaked out.”

I raised a brow. “Just hope you’re ready for what’s waiting for you back home. By now, the others have probably noticed you’re missing.”

“Mn. Worth it,” she replied without hesitation.

After we danced for a while, I caught sight of a head of blonde hair in the crowd. What caught my attention though was the evil intentions I could feel from them. My instincts tensed immediately, but before I could track them, Artemis appeared at my side, her hand tapping my shoulder, signaling her turn for a dance.

“Is something the matter, Rein? You look… troubled.”

Est reluctantly let me go and went to join Hestia in trying to eat everything available while keeping an eye out having caught my look.

I shook my head with a small smile, taking her into my arms. “It’s probably nothing. Let’s not worry about it now, we already have enough on our plates.”

She didn’t look convinced, but she nodded. “If you say so.”

The stares from all around the hall were impossible to miss, but Artemis didn’t so much as flinch.

“Don’t mind them,” she murmured, pulling me just a fraction closer. “Focus on me. I’m still a little mad you didn’t give me the first dance… but I suppose I can forgive it this time.” Her faint pout drew a chuckle from me.

It was rare—precious—to see this side of the Moon Goddess, playful and almost coy.

“How about we continue those cooking lessons?” I asked. “I picked up a new perk recently that makes my food taste even better.”

Her eyes widened slightly. “Even better?” Then she shook her head, smiling. “Of course you did. At this rate, everything else is going to taste awful in comparison. You’d better be prepared for the consequences, Rein.”

I nodded seriously. “Of course. Leave it to me. I don’t mind cooking for you for the rest of my life.”

Her eyes widened, and a deep blush spread across her cheeks before she buried her face against my chest. “…Idiot,” she muttered.

It took me a moment to realize why she reacted that way, and when I did, my own face warmed. I had, unintentionally, made it sound a lot like a proposal. Not that I’d take it back. As far as I was concerned, the moment I gave them my Shroud, our lives had been bound together forever.

I caught more than a few eyes on us during the dance. Ais watched with her usual unreadable expression, Loki lounged beside her with a sly smirk, Heith stood alone without Horn anywhere near her for some reason, and of course Hermes, who shot me a ridiculously exaggerated thumbs-up the second our gazes met.

But like all good things, the dance couldn’t last forever.

The music faded, and Apollo’s voice once again rang out over the crowd. He gave a few more words to the audience, though I barely registered them because the moment he stepped down, his gaze locked on me. And it never wavered.

I swallowed the scowl threatening to form on my lips.

Sensing the shift in the air, Hestia and Est moved quickly, taking positions in front of me with arms half-extended, like shields ready to intercept.

Then because of course the universe had a flair for the dramatic, a spotlight bloomed over us, pinning our group in a harsh glow as Apollo strode to a stop before us.

“What do you want, Apollo?” Artemis asked, her voice sharp, her body sliding slightly ahead of mine in a protective motion.

The god’s smile turned to a leer, lingering on her just long enough to make my knuckles itch. Artemis’s green eyes narrowed in warning, and heat curled in the pit of my stomach.

“Nice to see you again after so long, Artemis,” he said with oily charm. “Unfortunately, this matter doesn’t concern you, so please… stay out of it. We can chat as long as you’d like after I conclude my business with Hestia.”

He turned his attention fully to us, his gaze dragging over me in a way that made my skin crawl.

“Hestia, you really haven’t been fair,” he said in mock chastisement, wagging a finger like a scolding parent. “You’ve got such a wonderful child in Reinhard-kun, yet you insist on keeping him to yourself. Nn, nn, nn…”

Hestia’s jaw tightened. Artemis’s glare sharpened. Est’s hand twitched, one heartbeat away from shifting into a blade and ending this right here.

“A treasure like Reinhard-kun shouldn’t be hidden away,” Apollo continued, his grin widening. “He deserves to be shared not shackled to a minor goddess who’ll only stunt his potential.”

And then, in a burst of theatricality that made the room feel like a stage, he flung his arms wide.

“That’s why!” Apollo’s voice boomed, echoing through the hall. “The Apollo Familia officially challenges you… to a War Game!”

The room erupted. Cheers, whistles, and jeers rattled the walls.

“Yes! A War Game!”

“Apollo is brutal!”

“I actually want to see this one!”

Apollo basked in the noise like it was sunlight, his grin widening as he extended a hand only to raise a single finger and point it straight at me.

“If we win,” he announced with deliberate relish, “I’m taking your child, Reinhard van Astrea!”

‘Damn, did the Guild somehow leak my information?’ I thought silently hearing more whispers among the Deities present and Loki’s gaze on me intensifying.

“Astrea?”

“Could he be related to that Astraea?”

“That’s a name I haven’t heard in a while.”

“Tsk… creep,” Hestia muttered, glaring up at him ignoring the whispers. She hadn’t agreed to anything yet, but her disgust was obvious.

“You can’t keep a cutie like him all to yourself, Hestia!” Apollo shot back, cheeks flushing with shameless infatuation.

A shiver threatened to crawl up my spine, but I crushed it down. I felt Est’s small, warm hand slip into my left one, a silent, steady anchor.

“So that’s what you were after from the start, huh, pervert?” Hestia snapped, curling a fist in front of her chest.

“How mean,” Apollo said with mock injury, placing a hand over his heart before winking at her. “And here I thought we were so deeply in love in Heaven…”

“As if! I turned you down and never looked back!” Hestia shot back without hesitation.

Apollo’s smirk only grew, but Hestia cut him off before he could speak again.

“Fine! If it’s a War Game you want, then you have one!” She stepped forward, pointing at him with fire in her eyes. “And if we win, everything you own will be ours and you’ll have to agree to one more thing of my choosing!”

The air shifted instantly.

Gasps rippled through the gathered gods and adventurers, followed by an explosion of chatter.

“She’s actually accepting it!”

“Oooh, bold move of the Loli Big-Boobs.”

“Everything Apollo owns? That’s a little low isn’t it!?”

“She’s gonna get crushed… or maybe not…”

Some deities were already leaning in close to trade whispered bets, gold ready to be exchanged. Others just grinned, sensing blood in the water and eager for the spectacle.

Apollo’s smirk didn’t falter, if anything, it deepened. He tilted his head, eyes glinting with amusement, as if Hestia had just played directly into his hands.

Sensing an end to the banquet I allowed myself to finally relax as Hestia and Apollo hashed out a few quick details with the official War Game being set in a few days’ time being the most important.

‘Haah, well at least it was fun while it lasted.’ I thought being silently comforted by Est and Artemis’s presence at my sides.

=====

Back at Home — After the Banquet

“No fair, Est-chan! I thought we had an agreement!” Rem immediately whined in jealousy as we stepped inside.

The others were still awake, curious about how the banquet had gone. They were all gathered around the living area, sipping tea and enjoying some snacks I’d prepared earlier.

Sensing an argument brewing, Artemis and Hestia smartly separated from my side, heading toward the group to start explaining what had happened.

Est, expression blank as always, simply blinked at Rem from her position beside me. “Sorry. I lied,” she said flatly, sending Rem into another round of frustrated sputtering.

“Why you—!”

Ram, who had been quietly staring at me since we walked in, suddenly stepped forward. Raising an eyebrow, she lifted her bangs to the side, revealing a pair of glowing horns for a brief second.

“Mind explaining, Reinhard-sama?” she asked, her tone mildly exasperated but the shine in her eyes betrayed how happy she really was.

Rem stopped mid-argument, her expression lighting up as realization hit. She hurried over to stand beside her sister, looking at me with equal curiosity.

“This was your doing, wasn’t it, Reinhard-kun?” Rem asked, excitement coloring her voice.

Blinking, I remembered that the perks I’d purchased for them were set to activate tonight. With everything that had happened, it had completely slipped my mind.

“Haha, surprise?” I offered with a nervous grin. “I did say a while back that I’d get you both your second horns.”

Ram gave a small nod, though her lips twitched into a pout. “You could have at least given us a warning. I was training when mine came in… and accidentally blew up half the forest.” Her head turned to the side in a cute manner.

Rem’s excitement faltered into worry. “Wait… won’t having a second horn make it harder for me to control my transformations?” she asked, clearly remembering the times she’d lost herself in the past.

Shaking my head, I reached out and ruffled their hair. “Sorry about the lack of warning, Ram. I’d planned to be there when it happened, but Apollo threw a wrench into that.”

Then, turning to Rem, I continued reassuringly, “As for you Rem, thanks to Stress Defense, you’ll have perfect control even under your horn’s influence. A second one won’t change that.”

She still looked unconvinced, so I added, “But… if it makes you feel better, I’ll be there the first time you transform. If something goes wrong, I’ll subdue you myself.”

Her face brightened. “Y-Yes, please! Rem will feel much safer if her hero is there~”

“Ram will be there for her Rem too, of course,” her sister added smugly, which looked a bit silly since I was still patting her head.

“By the way, Ram, Rem…” I lowered my voice into a whisper, instantly catching their attention. “I have a favor to ask of you two.”

They straightened, answering in unison, “Of course, Reinhard-kun/sama. What did you need?”

Glancing toward Lili, I saw her mid-argument with Hestia, her once-cold expression nowhere to be found. A faint smile tugged at my lips before I returned my gaze to the twins.

“While Lili’s safe now and our problems with the Soma Familia are… dealt with for the moment, there are still some rats left. Those who stole her money, and the ones responsible for the Pass Parade. I have a feeling if we leave them be, they’ll cause trouble for us down the line.”

They stared at me blankly for a moment before identical smirks curved their lips. “You can count on us, Reinhard-kun/sama.”

“Good. Keep quiet for now, I’ll let you know when it’s time to go after them. No need to worry the others.”

When I finally rejoined the rest, they’d just finished discussing the banquet and immediately turned their attention to me.

“Ahem,” I began, “now that everyone’s caught up, I want to share my plan for the days leading up to the War Game. I’d appreciate any ideas.”

“Senpai, if there’s anything you need, let us know!” Emma said brightly, her friends chiming in with cheers of support.

“Fufufu, as Emma said, we’re with you, Rein,” Lante added, with Rethusa nodding beside her.

“Thank you, girls.” I smiled, then let my expression sharpen. “Starting tomorrow, we train, hard. Here’s what I have in mind…”

We stayed up late into the night, tossing around plans and strategies. Even Lili, initially unsure, eventually offered her thoughts.

By the time we went to bed, I was surrounded on all sides by warm, soft bodies. I didn’t even know who had joined me since I couldn’t exactly move when every limb was claimed.

And yet, as I closed my eyes, my determination only grew stronger. I had more loved ones now… and I’d protect them all.

=====

Somewhere in the Kaios Desert — Earlier that Evening

Looking out over the endless sands from the stone balcony of the fort she currently occupied, Freya swirled the wine in her glass, a faint hum of satisfaction on her lips.

“While I couldn’t find my beloved, nor the reason he suddenly disappeared from my sight, this trip wasn’t a complete waste,” she murmured, taking a slow sip.

Her silver eyes drifted toward the distant horizon, specifically, to the place where Reinhard had unleashed a single, devastating strike, erasing thousands in an instant. The memory alone made her smile faintly.

“What do you think, Ottar? Could you do the same?” she asked without looking away, her tone casual, almost lazy.

The hulking presence at the door hesitated before answering. “…No, Freya-sama. An attack like that is beyond my comprehension… for now.”

She didn’t miss the faint edge of frustration in his voice or the subtle undercurrent of jealousy.

“There’s nothing to be jealous of, Ottar,” she said with a low, melodic chuckle. “It simply means you have a new summit to climb. Or…” her smile curved slyly, “…does the idea of my Reinhard being stronger than you bother you that much?”

This time, the silence stretched longer before his answer came. “As you said, Freya-sama… I now have a goal again. I couldn’t be happier.”

She knew it wasn’t the full truth, but let it slide, savoring the moment… until her gaze darkened. With her connection with Horn, she both heard and saw something unpleasant, ruining her good mood.

Her grip tightened around her glass. “Ottar. We leave at sunrise.” The warmth in her voice vanished, replaced by steel. “It seems that in my absence, a fool has dared to claim that which belongs to me.”

“Of course, Freya-sama,” he rumbled.

Settling back in her seat, Freya’s lips curled again, sharper, hungrier. She was done restraining herself. The moment she returned to Orario, she would begin pursuing her Odr in earnest.

But first… she would teach Apollo a lesson. A very painful one.