"A guide?" Duncan blinked. "Which ruin in the Great Tree Labyrinth are you planning to head to—do you have a specific location? And Goddess Artemis herself is going with you?"
He'd imagined all sorts of possibilities, but not this. For a moment he'd even suspected it had something to do with Zeus. The questions spilled out before he could stop them.
"Heh—don't underestimate our Lady!" Lanti puffed out her chest. "Goddess Artemis's martial skill is more than enough to beat a Level 2 adventurer, and if she gets serious, even a Level 3—"
"Lanti. Don't boast so carelessly." A calm voice cut her off. "And forgive us—we never meant to disturb you."
Artemis stepped forward from the crowd. She studied Duncan—who was still half a head shorter than her—then, as if by instinct, glanced toward the cabin interior. The sharpened intuition of a hunter told her there were others inside.
She withdrew her gaze and looked back at Duncan, the tension in his posture not escaping her. Her expression softened.
"This visit is abrupt, I know. We truly came only to seek a reliable guide. Our familia is still new to the Great Tree Labyrinth. The coachmen told us a powerful local adventurer lives here—broad-shouldered, imposing—so we thought to ask. It seems we've arrived at an unfortunate time."
"If you're looking for the adults in my household," Duncan said, "they've gone to Campbell to buy supplies. Even moving at full speed, they won't be back until tomorrow."
As he spoke, he moved quickly into the open field, pulled his spear from where he'd planted it earlier, and returned at a brisk pace.
"So fast…" Letsa's face tightened. "At the very least, he's a Level 2."
"Huh? Seriously? This kid's the same level as me?!" Lanti yelped.
"He's stronger than you," an Amazon beside her replied, her earlier annoyance gone, replaced by a wary gravity. "Look at how cleanly he retrieves and repositions his weapon—his steps are disciplined. That's not an ordinary Level 2. And those marks across the plain—battle scars. The fighting here was brutal. The coachmen weren't lying. The 'big man' they mentioned is probably at least Level 4."
"Stronger than the captain, then?" someone murmured, half in disbelief. "And he's showing his strength on purpose—warning us not to cause trouble. Lanti, watch yourself."
"I know!" Lanti hissed. "A kid this young at Level 2—of course he's not normal."
"I'm talking about his skill," the Amazon snapped.
"Quiet," Letsa cut in. "He's coming back."
Artemis stepped forward again, ignoring the whispers behind her. Her tone remained gentle, almost formal.
"Young man… would you be willing to guide us?"
The question, coming from Artemis herself, drew another ripple through her familia.
Artemis Familia was composed entirely of women, and even when they had debated the logistics of hiring a guide, the fiercest dispute had been between the goddess and her own followers.
Her followers, frankly, wouldn't have cared if a guide was male or female.
Artemis did.
As one of the three great virgin goddesses, she was—by her familia's own blunt phrasing—practically "allergic to men." She not only kept strict distance herself, she required her familia to do the same. Any member who violated that rule would be asked to leave.
In the Lower World, being expelled by one's deity wasn't a slap on the wrist. It was closer to exile.
Yet their previous expedition had ended in failure—poor preparation, a forced retreat. This time they intended to push deeper than before. To ensure the commission was completed, Artemis had no choice but to compromise: a guide could be male.
And compared to the "hulking man" they'd expected, the person in front of them being a boy made the concession easier for many of them to swallow.
"Why me?" Duncan countered. "I'm just a kid."
"Because you're Level 3, aren't you?" Artemis answered with a small, self-aware smile. "A god cannot outmuscle high-level adventurers in raw strength—but in technique, we can still read skill. I'm not boasting when I say I trust my own hands. Among goddesses, only Athena and a few others can truly cross blades with me."
Her warmth made several of her followers look as though they'd seen a ghost.
"Level 3?!" someone hissed. "Same as the captain?! How old is he?!"
"Even in Orario, Level 3 at that age is rare!"
The murmuring surged.
"It's over," another girl muttered, deadpan. "Lady Artemis definitely ate a weird mushroom. I told you—if you don't recognize it, don't eat it. You all said 'boil it and it's fine.'"
"Idiot," a companion snapped back. "It's because he's a child. In Lady Artemis's eyes, kids don't count as men."
Artemis turned her head slowly. The chill in her gaze could have frozen a bonfire.
"You three… you're carrying the luggage from now on."
"Y-yes, ma'am!" The named girls bowed so fast their bangs nearly hit the dirt.
Letsa stepped in, flustered but earnest.
"I'm sorry. Because of Lady Artemis's rules, we don't accept men at all, so… some of them have become a little strange. And honestly, the fact that Lady Artemis is paying attention to you is—well, it's a little—"
"Letsa?" Artemis's voice was quiet.
"N-nothing!" Letsa blurted, immediately and loudly.
Artemis pinched the bridge of her nose as if she had a headache.
"You're all getting worse."
Then she looked back to Duncan, expression composed once more.
"My divine intuition tells me the god behind you is someone I would deeply dislike," she said plainly. "But my instinct as a warrior tells me we need a guide as capable as you."
"So, child—what will you choose?"
"I—"
Duncan was already forming his refusal. Alfia was ill in the next room; he had no intention of leaving.
Then, deep inside his mind, the marketplace interface—its home screen's blacked-out question mark that had stayed dark for so long—flared with light.
It wasn't just that it finally activated.
It was what appeared inside the newly opened slot.
A silver pendant.
A crystal-clear diamond-shaped gem, starlight glittering within, ringed by mysterious rune-like characters.
[Sacred Pendant]
A god-forged artifact. Its maker is an unknown deity. Constructed with the World Tree as its core, the primal stones of the four corners of the world as its foundation, and woven through the burning of divine blood and divine power. Within it sleeps a god's blessing, able to dispel all sickness, calamity, and misfortune. May holy light be with you.
Exchange Requirement — Materials dropped from the Elsos Ruins.
Even before he could process the saccharine sales pitch, Duncan felt a cold clarity settle over him.
So this was it.
No matter what mask a god wore—benevolence, order, salvation—at their root, they were still beings who watched mortals struggle and called it entertainment. In the Lower World, and in Heaven alike.
Duncan raised his head. The words of refusal dissolved before reaching his tongue. He looked Artemis straight in the eye, his voice steadier than it had any right to be.
"Lady Artemis… may I ask one thing?"
"Which ruin are you headed for?"
....
My Patreon : patreon/RuneA
If you want to read the novel in advance, you can subscribe for early access. I also have many more novels in my collection that you might be interested in
I upload ten novels a day, with 3 to 4 chapters per title depending on the length. If you're following a particular series, please wait your turn a little
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it