"Ever since you went back to your hometown last time, Meteria has been running off to see Alfia all the time. She's barely home anymore."
Hephaestus tossed that out like it was nothing—yet it instantly made Takumi feel like he'd been shoved into a corner.
…Was I really that obvious???
Seeing the confusion on his face, Hephaestus clicked her tongue, looking thoroughly unimpressed.
"After Meteria came back, she kept chanting your name all day long. All sweet and gooey—like some lovestruck girl—and her whole vibe changed, too. I've never dated and I'm not exactly an expert with men, but I'm not blind."
Every sentence hit like a hammer.
Takumi had no counterattack. None.
So he did what any man would do when cornered by a goddess with perfect aim—he pivoted hard.
"Ahem. Hestia's probably about to starve to death. I gotta head back first—bye!"
He turned on his heel and tried to slip out and immediately walked straight into someone wearing armor.
"Ow, ow, ow—! Takumi-kun?!" The red-haired girl clutched her forehead, then looked up with sparkling eyes. "You're so hard—like running into a city wall!"
It was Alise.
Takumi leaned in without thinking, blew gently over the spot she'd bumped, and used a quick healing spell to take the sting out.
The cool, soothing sensation spread across her skin… and Alise was just about to thank him, but when she realized how close his face was, her cheeks flared a vivid red, and her mind promptly went blank.
"It doesn't hurt anymore, right, Alise? Sorry—I didn't mean to hit you."
That finally snapped her back to reality.
"N-no! I'm totally fine!!" She flashed a bright, sugary smile like she was trying to prove it.
She didn't even get two seconds to bask in it before a calm, cutting voice spoke from behind her.
"Don't mind our idiot captain. Clumsy, reckless, and always charging in headfirst."
Alise instantly puffed up. "H-hey! Kaguya, I just—ugh!"
She tried to argue and failed in real time, choking on her own words.
The woman who stepped forward was poised and beautiful in a way that felt almost unfair—Kaguya. She gave Takumi a graceful little bow, every movement refined and composed.
"I'm glad to meet you here, Takumi-kun. I didn't expect to run into you while we were visiting the Hephaestus Familia to purchase equipment."
Takumi shook his head. "Not this time. I was learning forging from Hephaestus and made a magic sword. But you two… shopping for gear? What are you working on?"
As soon as he said he'd been learning smithing, both Alise and Kaguya widened their eyes.
Alise blurted, "You're that crazy? You can forge too?!"
"And the magic sword he just made is already better than mine," Tsubaki's voice added from behind them.
Tsubakistepped in, then looked at the two Astraea girls with interest. "Scarlet Harnel and Yamato Rindou… what are you two looking to buy?"
Still half-stunned, Alise quickly explained their purpose. "We're planning a full-party dive into the Dungeon. We need some weapons reforged, and backups stocked."
Takumi immediately caught the strange undertone.
"A Dungeon dive? I thought you were still focused on hunting down the Evilus remnants."
Alise froze on the spot—completely stuck.
Kaguya shot her an I told you so look, then answered bluntly.
"Our idiot captain can't keep a secret to save her life. We're going after our old enemies—the Rudra Familia. They're Evilus leftovers, and we've gotten reliable intel that they're hiding in the Dungeon. We don't know what they're planning, so we're moving first."
Alise scratched the back of her head, completely unbothered. "Wasn't this supposed to be classified? But… telling Takumi-kun feels like it's probably fine."
Takumi's gaze tightened slightly.
In his memory, this exact operation was the one where the Astraea Familia walked into a Rudra trap and got almost completely wiped out. Before that disaster, they'd been riding high—after the war with the Evilus, most of them had leveled up, and Orario was already starting to treat Astraea Familia like the city's rising third powerhouse.
That nearly annihilated outcome was what erased them from the stage afterward.
He couldn't let that happen.
After a brief pause, Takumi spoke evenly. "Then let me join your operation—on behalf of the Hestia Familia."
"Huh?! Really?!" Alise's face lit up like fireworks. She grabbed his hand with both of hers, practically vibrating with excitement.
Right now, Takumi wasn't just an idol to Orario's girls—he was her idol too. The image of him saving everyone and smashing through Zard was still burned into her mind.
Takumi smiled, patted her red hair, and nodded again. "Yeah. I've honestly wanted to work with you guys for a while. Besides…" He raised an eyebrow, putting on a shameless face. "You're all beautiful girls—how could I resist?"
Instead of getting offended, Kaguya actually laughed softly, amused.
"So which girl in our Familia do you like, Takumi-kun? Don't tell me it's Ryuu—our useless elf."
"Achoo!"
Somewhere else, Ryuu, who was out buying supplies, suddenly shivered and sneezed hard.
Takumi didn't follow Kaguya's bait. He just looked straight at her.
"If I'm going to like someone, why can't it be you, Kaguya?"
Kaguya went stiff.
For the first time, the always-composed woman looked genuinely flustered—color rising to her cheeks, her voice catching.
"I—I have… reasons. Special reasons. I'm not suited for romance, Takumi-kun. Don't get ideas." She tried to pivot instantly. "If you insist, Alise might be an idiot, but she's a fine choice for dating."
She redirected the spear directly into Alise.
Takumi glanced at Alise's dazed, puppy-like expression and chuckled under his breath.
"Alise and you are both cute, both good girls. I like you equally." Then his eyes sharpened with playful heat as he leaned a little closer to Kaguya. "But the faster you reject me, the more it makes me want to try."
He stepped in and lowered his voice by her ear.
"And if it's because of your body…" His tone turned silky. "Kaguya—I can fix that."
The words hit Kaguya like a thunderbolt.
That poisonous-blood condition was a secret she'd guarded for years.
How… did he know?
Her face drained white, then flushed red again, and she stared at Takumi like he'd just ripped open the lock on her entire life.