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

Chapter 46: Eyes on Orario

Following Day

After all the excitement with Wiene yesterday, I hadn’t been able to help Emma search for her sister, and it looked like today would be no different. We were finally moving into the mansion we’d won after our War Game with the Apollo Familia, and preparations were already underway.

Since Wiene currently only trusted me, she’d been allowed to sleep in my room while the other girls, for once, took their rest in theirs.

Now, waking up, I felt someone curled up against my chest. Glancing down, I saw a familiar cascade of long blue hair and a peaceful smile resting on Wiene’s face.

Smiling softly at the sight, I tried to raise my arm to brush her hair, only to realize I couldn’t move it. Turning my head, I already had a pretty good idea why.

As expected, a head of white hair was using my arm as a pillow, her arms wrapped snugly around my waist.

Est.

Ever since I’d found Wiene, Est had been unusually clingy, even by her standards. Given their similar size and height, I figured she might be feeling a little jealous from all the attention I’d been giving the new girl.

Of course, she had nothing to worry about. Est was irreplaceable to me, almost a part of myself at this point, considering she was my spirit weapon and we were rarely apart.

Knowing we had a long day ahead, I decided it was time to wake them both. Starting with Est, since she usually needed more than one attempt to rouse her, I leaned down and gently captured her lips in a soft kiss. It lasted a few seconds before I pulled away, just as her sleepy violet eyes fluttered open and she leaned forward, trying to prolong the kiss.

“It’s time to get up, Est,” I murmured, caressing her cheek. She leaned into my touch with a contented sigh.

“Morning, Reinhard,” she whispered, yawning as she rubbed her eyes. Then she leaned up again to peck my lips and pulled away with that dopey little smile she only ever gave me.

After sharing a bed with more than one girl for weeks, I was pretty numb to these morning affection attacks, the girls never missed a chance to steal a morning kiss from me. While nothing more than heavy kisses had happened yet, I could tell some were getting impatient.

Ram, Rem, and especially Est.

It was only a matter of time before one of them got bold enough to escalate things… and when that happened, chaos was sure to follow.

“Morning. Now come on, we’re moving into our new home today, remember?” I whispered.

Seeing her lips pout for another kiss, I rolled my eyes and playfully poked her nose. “Don’t be greedy.”

“Mou… okay,” she grumbled, finally releasing me as she stretched beside me uncaring as the sheets fell around her showing she was naked underneath except her knee-socks.

Turning to Wiene to distract myself, I gently ran my hand through her soft blue hair. She muttered something in her sleep before slowly blinking awake, her amber eyes lighting up with recognition.

“Rein! Rein~ Hihihi, so it wasn’t a dream after all,” she giggled, throwing her arms around my head and hugging me tightly.

“Of course not,” I said, chuckling. “You’re safe now, and you’ll never have to go back to that dark place again, not if you don’t want to.”

“Mmn! I want to stay with Rein forever,” Wiene declared passionately.

“If that’s what you want, then that’s what you’ll have.”

It took several minutes of reassurance before Wiene was fully convinced yesterday hadn’t been just a dream. Eventually, we completed our morning routine and headed downstairs for breakfast.

At the moment, aside from trimming her claws so she wouldn’t accidentally hurt anyone, Wiene still looked the same as yesterday. In order for my plan to work, to integrate her into Orario safely, I needed to buy her the Anthropize perk. It would grant her another transformation that would allow everyone to perceive her as a normal human.

Unfortunately, the Intensity setting meant we’d need two full days for the process to complete: one day for the capture effect to settle, and another for her to fully manifest her second form.

=====

Several Hours Later

After hours of work, greatly eased by my infinite inventory, we managed to move everyone’s belongings into our new home and personal rooms. Fortunately, we didn’t have to worry about furniture or decorations; Hestia had made sure Apollo footed the bill for all of it, including some custom renovations to better suit our needs.

Since Wiene couldn’t be seen in public yet, the girls took turns keeping her company in our personal Demiplane while we finished up. Once the move was complete, we opened a portal door to bring her into the mansion safely.

It was mid-afternoon by the time we wrapped everything up. Now, we were all collapsed in the massive living room, recovering from the tedium of moving.

“While I love our new home, please let’s never move again,” Lante groaned from the sofa, staring at the ceiling with zero energy.

“At least now we have a proper residence in Orario where Rem can resume her maid duties,” Rem said cheerfully. Unlike the rest of us, she looked energized, clearly thrilled to be in a mansion where she could fully step into her role.

“Woo,” Ram chimed in flatly from the adjacent armchair, offering a monotone cheer that couldn’t sound less enthusiastic about the increased workload.

“Cheer up, everyone!” Hestia said, springing to her feet on the couch and using it as a makeshift stage to address us all. “Now that we finally have a proper home big enough for all of us, no more relying on Rein-kun’s Demiplane, there’s just one thing left to—”

“One moment, Hestia. Wiene and Lili are about to join us,” I interrupted, raising a hand gently.

Lili had taken it upon herself to bring Wiene here, a gesture of goodwill after how she’d reacted yesterday. She’d been trying hard to make amends, and while I still planned to speak with her later to make sure everything was truly resolved, this was a good start.

Moments later, we heard the rapid pitter-patter of footsteps echoing down the hallway, clearly more than one set.

“Please slow down, Wiene-sama!” Lili’s voice called from the corridor just before Wiene burst into view.

Her amber eyes instantly locked onto me. A huge smile lit up her face as she ran straight toward me.

“Rein~! I missed you! This house is so big!” Wiene beamed, launching herself into my arms and hugging me tightly.

“Hey there, Wiene. Did you have fun with the others?” I asked, smiling as I pulled back to look at her face. She nodded rapidly, eyes sparkling.

“Mhm! We played lots of games, and we even saw the ocean! It was sooo pretty~!”

“I’m glad,” I said, gently patting her head. She closed her eyes with a pleased hum, leaning into my hand.

“She didn’t give you any trouble, did she, Lili?” I asked, turning to the Pallum, who blinked in surprise at being addressed.

‘Does she think I’m still upset about yesterday?’ I wondered as I watched her face carefully.

When my expression didn’t change, Lili’s posture relaxed. A bright smile spread across her face, washing away the lingering gloom in her eyes.

“Don’t worry, Reinhard-sama~ Wiene-sama was an angel. She didn’t give Lili any trouble at all,” she chirped, waving off my concern.

“Good,” I nodded, before turning back to Wiene. “Make sure to get along with everyone too, alright?”

“Okay~!” she chirped with another radiant smile.

With that settled, I turned back to Hestia, who, unsurprisingly, was now pouting with jealousy at all the attention Wiene had just received.

“Now… you were saying, Hestia?”

“Ahem! It’s been about two months since we officially became the Hestia Familia… and we still don’t have a Familia emblem,” Hestia announced, her hands hidden behind her back and a mischievous glint in her eye.

I blinked. She was right.

Originally, the Hestia Familia emblem was supposed to be a bell surrounded by flames, but since Bell hadn’t even arrived in Orario yet (let alone met Hestia), that idea had quietly faded into the void.

“Did you have something in mind?” I asked curiously, only to suddenly feel two familiar weights plop into my lap. I looked down to see both Wiene and Est had claimed a leg each, looking far too proud of themselves. I shook my head with a small chuckle but didn’t move them.

“Tadaaa~!” Hestia beamed, finally revealing what she’d been hiding behind her back.

She held up a drawing, an emblem design. I immediately recognized the flame motif, clearly symbolizing Hestia herself… but what surprised me was the second element. It was unmistakably the emblem of House Astrea, my family crest, worked seamlessly into the design. Surprisingly, the combination looked natural, the flame wrapping around the crest like a protective aura.

“Whoaaa~ Amazing! That’s Reinhard-kun’s house emblem, right? Along with Hestia-sama’s symbol?” Rem said excitedly.

“It looks surprisingly good,” Ram added with a satisfied nod. “Ram approves.”

“It looks amazing, Hestia-sama!” Naaza chimed in with clear admiration.

“Lili likes it too,” Lili agreed with a small smile.

“Soo pretty~” Wiene said in awe, eyes wide with wonder.

Hestia turned to me at last, clearly waiting for my judgment. I met her eyes and nodded with a smile.

“It looks great, Hestia. I really like it.”

“Wooo~!” Hestia squealed, grinning ear to ear as she puffed out her chest with pride. “Then it’s settled! From this day forward, this will be our Familia emblem!”

A round of cheers followed, echoing through the massive living room.

With the emblem now officially decided, Hestia enthusiastically declared it was time for a tour of the mansion.

Our first stop was the onsen, a large bathhouse built to comfortably fit at least ten people, complete with steamy water and carved stone benches. The sight of it had several girls already planning who would get dibs on the first soak.

Next was the forge, tucked behind the mansion. A proper smithy, complete with enchanted bellows and first-grade tools, ready for any future crafting.

Then came the party room, the same space where we’d once held our dance before the War Game. It had been cleaned, polished, and stocked with more celebratory potential than ever before.

Finally, we ended the tour in the kitchen, a massive, fully stocked space that would’ve made any chef weep with joy. Naturally, we wasted no time putting it to use. Artemis and I teamed up to cook a hearty meal for everyone, using up some of the fresh ingredients already delivered courtesy of Apollo (another thing Hestia had wrangled from him in the aftermath of our win).

After dinner, with the sun dipping below the horizon and exhaustion settling in, the others began retreating to their rooms for the night.

On my way back to my room, I paused by the wide windows overlooking the rear garden. That’s when I felt it, the distinct sensation of being watched.

My eyes scanned the rooftops, and sure enough, perched quietly on a corner tile was a strange owl. What made it unusual were its two differently colored eyes, gleaming softly in the moonlight.

‘A Familiar?’ I wondered immediately, stepping slightly to the side to subtly shield Wiene, who had wandered over next to me.

“Rein?” she asked, tilting her head curiously at my sudden movement.

I kept my gaze locked on the owl. Strangely, it wasn’t giving off any hostility, only… curiosity.

Just as I was about to speak, the owl spread its wings and silently flew away, disappearing into the night sky.

“It’s nothing, Wiene. Let’s head to bed,” I said, relaxing my shoulders and giving her a reassuring smile.

“Okay~,” she replied brightly.

I reached for her hand, and together we walked toward my room, her voice filling the hallway as she happily chatted about everything that had caught her attention during the day.

Still, even as I listened to her, one thought lingered in the back of my mind:

‘There’s more to Wiene’s sudden appearance in the dungeon than I first realized. Could there be another species, hidden within the Dungeon… one that could be reasoned with?’

The question haunted me even as I drifted off to sleep later that night, Wiene curled beside me like a contented kitten.

=====

Room of Prayer — Beneath the Guild

Deep beneath the Guild, in the solemn stillness of the Room of Prayer, sat none other than Ouranos, one of the first gods to descend from Heaven, and the very first to bestow a falna upon mortals.

Seated upon an ancient stone throne at the heart of the temple-like chamber, Ouranos radiated a quiet, unwavering authority. Through his unbroken connection to the Dungeon, his divine prayers and presence were the sole force keeping the monsters below from flooding into the surface and ravaging the Lower World.

For over a thousand years, he had watched — silently, tirelessly — guarding the balance between the Dungeon and the world above. And in that time, there was little about the Dungeon he didn’t know.

Including the existence of monsters unlike the rest.

Those who could think. Those who could feel.

Suddenly, from the shadows, a robed figure emerged. Cloaked head-to-toe in black, their face and form were completely obscured. Even their voice defied identification, neither distinctly male nor female.

“A monster… one endowed with intelligence,” the figure began, tone low and unsettling, “has made contact with an adventurer. It’s outside of Babel now.”

Ouranos didn’t move, merely looked down at the robed figure with calm, ancient eyes.

“And who is this adventurer, Fels?”

“Reinhard van Astrea.”

“The Sword Saint,” Ouranos mused. “Hermes' favorite, isn’t he?”

“What will you do?” Fels asked, stepping closer. “For better or worse, the Hestia Familia has gained too much attention in town.”

There was a long pause.

“I would like to determine,” Ouranos said slowly, his tone unreadable, “whether Hestia’s family… can become their hope, or not.”

That was all.

With a nod, Fels turned and silently retreated into the shadows, leaving the god alone once more in the dim light of the chamber.

Ouranos’s gaze drifted to the flickering flame of a torch nearby, his voice barely a whisper:

“You’ve found quite a strange child, Hestia… The only question now is—” his ancient eyes narrowed slightly “—is he the one we’ve been waiting for? The one who will bring change to Orario?”

A pause.

“Only time will tell.”

=====

Outside of Orario — Unknown Location

In a quiet village far from the towering walls of Orario, the soft flicker of candlelight still danced behind the windows of a small wooden shack. Inside, laughter and voices broke the night’s calm.

“Tomorrow we finally leave for Orario, for our own adventure, just like Grandpa wanted~!” a boy's voice exclaimed, filled with excitement and boundless energy.

A softer voice responded, muffled but present.

“So what if I do want to become an adventurer just to find cute girls in the Dungeon?” the boy replied, flustered. “Grandpa said that was the best way to make a good impression!”

Another murmur answered him.

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” the boy huffed. “We should get to sleep. We’ve got a long journey ahead if we want to reach Orario by tomorrow.”

Silence.

“…Yeah. Good night,” he added after a beat, then giggled quietly. “Hihihi, I can’t wait to get there. I wonder if I’ll learn any cool magic…”

His voice continued in hushed ramblings, gradually fading into stillness as sleep finally overtook him.

The second occupant of the room, though quieter and less excitable, was also awake, their eyes reflecting faint candlelight. Unlike the boy, they weren’t thinking about girls or magic. Instead, they were quietly hoping for a better life, a fresh start, something they could claim as their own.

Of course, everything hinged on finding a Familia willing to take them in.

But surely… that couldn’t be too hard, right?

With that final thought, the small home fell into complete silence, the last candle dying out. And in that darkness, both dreamt, of adventure, of magic, of the Dungeon, and of the uncertain road ahead.

Whatever awaited them in Orario…

It was certain to change their lives forever.