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

Chapter 43: Paths Intertwined

I watched as, inevitably, the girl who was clearly not Sophia, Emma’s sister, finally reacted to suddenly being hugged out of nowhere by a complete stranger like any normal person would.

“L-Let go of me at once, you scoundrel! I have no idea who you are, but I’m not your sister! I’m an only child!” the still unknown purple-haired girl shouted as she struggled, clearly trying to get Emma to release her.

The gray-haired elf beside her quickly sprang into action, stepping forward and gently but firmly attempting to free her lady. “Please release Miss Ward this instant. You clearly have the wrong person,” the elf said, straining against Emma’s grip, though her strength was no match for that of an adventurer.

Seeing the young lady and her maid struggling to free themselves, I let out a sigh and stepped forward, placing a hand on Emma’s shoulder to get her attention. She blinked and finally looked around, realizing the scene she’d caused.

“Emma, please let go. This clearly isn’t your sister,” I said with a nervous smile, gently guiding her arms until she released the girl.

Turning to the pair, I bowed my head and spoke earnestly while lowering Emma’s head along with mine. “We’re very sorry, miss. My friend here is searching for her sister, and you happen to look quite similar to her. She didn’t mean to frighten you.”

Emma, finally realizing the extent of her blunder, blushed deeply and hurried to apologize alongside me. “I’m so sorry! Please forgive me!” she exclaimed.

It took a few moments for the girl to compose herself with her maid’s help before she turned to face us again, her expression stern as her gaze landed squarely on Emma, who was nervously scratching the back of her head and half-hiding behind me.

“While I understand it was a mistake, did you have to hug me so hard?” she demanded with her hands on her hips, making Emma chuckle awkwardly and avert her gaze. “I almost passed out, you know?”

“S-Sorry. My mistake,” Emma said quickly, bowing her head again.

The girl sighed, her stern demeanor softening as she gave off the composed air of a noble lady. “I suppose I can forgive you this once, given the circumstances. Just be more careful next time.”

“Thank you very much!” Emma said brightly, her usual cheerful smile returning in full force.

The girl then turned her attention to me, blinking once before her eyes widened in surprise.

“Oh my gosh~ You’re the Sword Saint, aren’t you?” she exclaimed in delight, taking a few quick steps forward until she stood directly before me. “I saw you during the War Game!”

Blinking at her sudden shift in tone, I shared a brief look with Emma before mentally shrugging and focusing on the purple-haired girl again.

“Yes, I am,” I said with a small smile. “Though, if I’m being honest, I much prefer my name. Reinhard van Astrea, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“It’s so exciting to meet you~ My name is Estelle Ward of the Ward Family, and this is my personal maid, Isabelle Brown. We’re both big fans of yours!” Estelle introduced herself with a radiant smile.

As for Isabelle, her expression didn’t change much, but the faint upturn of her lips and the relaxation in her brow said enough. She gave a graceful curtsy.

“Nice to meet you, Reinhard-sama.” Isabelle bowed politely to me.

“Just Reinhard is fine, really,” I said a little nervously, waving my hand.

“Wait!” Emma suddenly exclaimed, rejoining the conversation and stepping in front of me while pointing dramatically at Estelle. The girl blinked and instinctively took a cautious step back, clearly wary of being hugged again. “I know you! Iris mentioned you before, something about owing you money or something in the past!”

Blinking at the new information, recognition flickered across Estelle’s face. “Ah, so that must mean you’re one of Miss Bennett’s friends she mentioned on occasion.”

With the ice broken, Emma and Estelle naturally fell into conversation, chatting animatedly about Iris and her past dealings with Estelle. It went on for several minutes before Isabelle politely interjected.

“Pardon me for interrupting, Miss Estelle, but we’re about to be late for our meeting,” she reminded, giving a respectful bow of her head.

Estelle blinked and turned to her maid. “Is it really that time already? I guess we were out longer than I thought.” She then looked back at us with an apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry, but our conversation will have to end here for today. While I can’t say our meeting was great,” she added, shooting Emma a mildly exasperated look that made the girl laugh sheepishly, “I’m still happy we ran into each other, especially since I got to meet Reinhard-san.”

Wanting to be polite, and because it was true, I smiled back. “Thank you. It was good to meet you both. I hope we can cross paths again under better circumstances.” I said, placing a hand on Emma’s shoulder, prompting her to scratch the back of her head in embarrassment.

“Yeah, let’s meet again another time! I promise not to hug you too hard next time!” Emma said cheerfully, earning synchronized deadpans from all of us.

‘So you’re still planning to hug her then?’ I thought dryly, resisting the urge to shake my head.

“R-Right… I’ll just have to be more prepared next time then,” Estelle said nervously, eyeing Emma again before regaining her composure. “Nonetheless, this is goodbye for now.”

She waved as she and Isabelle turned to leave, the two talking quietly to each other. I caught Estelle glancing back more than once, and each time our eyes met, she quickly looked away, a faint blush dusting her cheeks.

“Phew, I’m glad that turned out well in the end~” Emma sighed, wiping imaginary sweat from her brow and planting her hands on her hips proudly.

“Right,” I said, half deadpanning, half amused, before suddenly reaching down and taking her hand, causing her to squeak in surprise.

“W-What are you doing, Senpai?! At least warn me first if you’re going to do that!” Emma cried, her face going red as she looked up at me in embarrassment.

I blinked at her, confused. ‘Wasn’t she the one dragging me around all afternoon by the arm without asking whenever she saw something interesting?’ I thought, baffled. ‘I’ll never understand girls.’

“I just don’t want you startling another stranger,” I said with a raised eyebrow. “And if I recall correctly, you tend to get lost easily.”

“W-Who told you about that?” Emma whined, closing her eyes in embarrassment as she lightly smacked my chest with her free hand. “Baka-Senpai! You’re not supposed to air out a girl’s secrets like that!”

“S-Sorry! I just didn’t want you wandering off,” I said quickly in my defense, letting her flustered reaction play out.

It took a few minutes for Emma to calm down, though I noticed she never once let go of my hand, nor did she seem inclined to.

“Anyway, let’s keep looking for your sister. I’ll lead this time,” I said, earning a small nod as we continued walking. Emma fidgeted beside me, glancing around nervously before mumbling something under her breath.

“We kind of look like a couple like this…” she muttered softly, but fortunately for her, I didn’t hear it.

=====

A While Later

Due to Emma’s antics for most of our outing, the sun was already beginning to set by the time we finally reached our destination. I couldn’t help but notice how close we were to Daedalus Street, a fact that immediately made my gut tighten with unease. Whatever kind of place Emma’s sister lived in, it didn’t exactly fill me with confidence.

We stopped in front of a medium-sized building that clearly served as a Familia headquarters, its emblem carved proudly above the front doors.

“We’re here,” I murmured, keeping my tone calm and expression neutral so Emma wouldn’t notice the uneasiness building in me.

“…So my sister is inside there?” Emma asked softly, still holding my hand. Her other hand came up to rest against her chest, her posture full of nervous hope.

A quick glance at my Bounty Tracker confirmed that Sophia Flores was indeed inside. What worried me wasn’t her presence, it was the company she kept. According to the Company’s files, nearly everyone in that building was marked as villain.

“Yes,” I said finally, nodding while mentally preparing myself for whatever might happen next. “Your sister Sophia is inside.”

Before we could take another step, the sound of approaching footsteps drew our attention. I turned toward the source, instinctively pulling Emma slightly behind me.

A tall figure approached with a relaxed smile. The man’s long, dark red hair fell over his shoulders, and his golden eyes gleamed faintly in the fading light. He wasn’t even wearing a shirt. My senses flared instantly.

A quick check confirmed what I already suspected, Aeshma, a god.

What immediately put me on edge was that he didn’t even spare me a single glance. His entire focus was fixed on Emma, who looked back at him with wary confusion.

“Good evening,” Aeshma greeted smoothly, his voice deceptively pleasant. My instincts screamed danger beneath the honeyed tone. “What brings such a beautiful young woman to my home?”

Before either of us could react, he stepped closer and, without hesitation, took Emma’s free hand. Bringing it to his lips, he pressed a kiss against her knuckles.

“U-Umm…” Emma stammered, clearly uncomfortable. Her grip on my hand tightened, and her posture tensed.

That was all the cue I needed. I stepped forward, placing myself squarely between them, forcing Aeshma to release her hand and, finally, turn his attention toward me. His expression was a mixture of irritation and surprise.

“Excuse me, Kami-sama,” I said pleasantly, masking the tension coiled in my gut with a polite smile. “Was there something you needed?”

“Hmph. And who might you be to interrupt my pleasant conversation with this charming young lady?” he asked haughtily, before his eyes widened slightly in recognition.

“I see… So you’re the one everyone’s been talking about lately, the so-called Sword Saint.” Aeshma scoffed. “A rather pretentious title, if you ask me.”

He waved it off dismissively before focusing back on Emma, who had instinctively taken a half-step behind me but was now glaring slightly at the god for his comment. His gaze lingered on our still-joined hands, and his eyes narrowed briefly before smoothing into a practiced smile.

“That still doesn’t answer my question,” he continued lightly. “What brings Orario’s most famous adventurer, and such a lovely girl, to my humble home?”

I noticed Emma open her mouth to respond, so I quickly stepped in. “We were looking for someone and must have taken a wrong turn,” I said with a friendly chuckle. “If you’ll excuse us, it’s getting late, and we should probably be heading back home.”

From the corner of my eye, I saw Emma blink at me in confusion, but when I gave her hand a small, reassuring squeeze, she nodded and tried her best to look casual. Tried being the key word, since this was Emma we were talking about here.

Under normal circumstances, lying to a god was impossible, deities could detect falsehoods effortlessly. But thanks to the Company’s Information Defense, even Aeshma wouldn’t be able to see through this.

Sure enough, the god’s eyes narrowed slightly before his lips curved into a thin smile. “I see. Well, then I won’t keep you.” His gaze drifted back to Emma, his voice once again dripping with charm. “Before you go, though, may I at least have your name? It’s a shame I know the Sword Saint, yet not such a lovely lady.”

Emma visibly flinched under his attention, fidgeting uncomfortably before stammering out, “M-My name is Emma, Kami-sama.”

“Emma…” he repeated smoothly, rolling her name off his tongue as though tasting it. “A beautiful name for a beautiful girl.”

Emma winced slightly at his dramatics, retreating another step behind me.

“We really must be going now, Kami-sama,” I cut in before he could continue. Turning to Emma with a calm smile, I said, “Come on, Emma. Let’s head home. I’ll be baking cookies tonight, want to lend a hand?”

Her expression lit up instantly, all her discomfort evaporating. “Cookies!? Really? You’re the best, Senpai~ Let’s go!” she cheered, her previous nerves forgotten as she eagerly pulled me away, leaving behind one very annoyed god.

From the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Aeshma’s pleasant façade dropping the moment we turned our backs. His eyes hardened, a calculating look settling over his features before he turned and strode into his Familia’s home.

‘Looks like finding your sister won’t be as simple as I hoped, Emma,’ I thought grimly as I glanced down at her smiling face. She hummed happily, clutching my hand like a child on her way home.

Still, I couldn’t help but smile. ‘Even without me, I get the feeling you’d be just fine, with all the friends you’ve made with that smile and attitude of yours.’

“Hurry, Senpai! I want cookies~!”

=====

Later That Evening

After returning home and baking cookies with Emma’s enthusiastic help, we shared a pleasant dinner with everyone before eventually retreating to my Demiplane for the night.

Before Emma could wander off to bed, I caught her gaze and gave a small nod toward the hallway, silently asking her to follow me. We made our way up to the third-floor balcony, where the night air was cool and still. The moon hung high, bathing the garden below in soft silver light.

Emma fidgeted nervously beside me when she realized we were alone. I leaned back against the wall, offering her a small, reassuring smile.

“Sorry for calling you out so late,” I said softly.

“N-No, don’t worry about it, Senpai! I don’t mind at all!” Emma exclaimed quickly, waving her hands back and forth in that familiar flustered way that always made it hard not to smile.

“Still,” I continued, my tone gentle but serious, “I bet you’re wondering why I stopped us earlier, why I led us away from the place your sister was staying instead of letting you two meet.”

Her eyes widened a bit before she looked down, then nodded slowly and came to stand beside me, resting her arms on the railing as she looked out at the night sky.

“Yes,” she admitted quietly, “though… I think I can kind of understand now. After meeting that god, I have a feeling he’s somehow connected to my sister.” Her tone softened, a faint sadness coloring her words.

“Correct,” I confirmed with a nod, my gaze turning distant. “As you know, I tend to trust my intuition, and my instincts told me immediately that god wasn’t someone to take lightly. The moment I saw him, I knew he was up to no good. I didn’t want things to escalate and risk dragging your sister into something dangerous before we understood the situation.”

Emma turned her head toward me, her expression soft and warm. “I knew it,” she said with a small, sincere smile that made my chest tighten slightly. “Senpai’s always looking out for everyone. I just knew there had to be a reason.”

“You give me too much credit, Emma,” I said, looking away to hide the slight heat in my cheeks. After a beat, I sighed, then smiled and placed a hand gently atop her head. She froze, squeaking in surprise as I ruffled her hair lightly.

“Still,” I said with a quiet chuckle, “as your Senpai, it’s my job to help my cute Kohai. I’ll do my best not to let you down, and I promise, we’ll get you reunited with your sister.”

“Mou, Senpai is truly unfair~” Emma mumbled, face flushed and eyes downcast, her voice somewhere between a pout and a whisper. Then, after a moment, she smiled faintly to herself. “But… I guess that’s one of Senpai’s good sides.”

“Hm?” I blinked, tilting my head. “Did you say something?”

“N-Nothing!” she squeaked, shaking her head furiously before finally steadying herself.

Taking a deep breath, she looked back up at me with a determined expression, her small hands clenching near her chest. “I’ll place my trust in you, Senpai. So… tell me what’s the plan. I’m all ears.”

Smiling at her newfound resolve, I withdrew my hand from her head and met her gaze with a serious look.

“Here’s the plan…”