With the presence of the two Great Bears gone, the monster tide collapsed almost at once. Whether they had taken too many losses in the assault, or simply lost the "masters" that had been driving them from behind—no one could say for sure. What mattered was that the frenzied pressure finally eased. After judging the balance of forces, the remaining monsters abandoned Artemis's group and scattered into the forest.
"It's finally over…"
Among the crowd, the most talkative of them all—Ranti—let out a long breath of relief. With Artemis Familia's lineup, plus two Level 3s who could each hold off a hundred, an ordinary beast tide like this wouldn't normally cause catastrophic casualties. But for everyone else, the strain had still been real.
Especially now that they'd reached the deeper parts of the Tree Sea—no one had been able to get proper rest. The constant harassment tested more than skill; it crushed morale. Sleeping soundly in a place where you could be ambushed at any moment wasn't something you learned overnight. Several of the Level 1 members had already been injured simply from exhaustion dulling their reactions.
"Same rules as always," Lya said. With Letsa away, the eldest-looking among them naturally assumed command. "Ranti, form three teams—three people per team—to extract magic stones and gather drops. Each team must have a Level 2 leading. Everyone else cleans the field."
"Yes!"
Ranti immediately began directing the others, her movements practiced and efficient.
"Oh—looks like it's wrapped up here too."
Not long after, Letsa and Duncan returned from the forest. Letsa held her rapier in one hand and two palm-sized magic stones in the other.
"Captain! You're back!"
The moment the two appeared, the party surged forward, voices overlapping in a flurry of excited chatter.
"Quiet—quiet!" Letsa snapped, halting them in place. "No one leaves their post without orders. Lady Artemis, we're back."
"Good work," Artemis said, nodding. "What happened up front?"
She looked the two of them over. Letsa being drenched in blood made her stiffen for a heartbeat, but Letsa's posture and movements didn't read as injured, and Artemis visibly relaxed. Then her gaze shifted to Duncan—dusty, yes, but nowhere near as battered-looking as Letsa—and she asked bluntly, curiosity plain on her face.
"…We got outplayed for a moment," Letsa answered, sounding slightly embarrassed. "But it wasn't serious. These are the two Great Bears' magic stones. And Duncan's got a bear hide as a drop."
The answer was vague—either she didn't want her goddess to know she'd slipped, or she didn't want Artemis worrying. Probably both.
"…Go have Risha treat you properly," Artemis said after a brief pause. "And wash all that blood off."
Letsa's shoulders loosened. Artemis wasn't pressing further. Her children were grown now—she couldn't expect them to report every detail.
"Yes!"
As if granted a reprieve, Letsa handed the stones over to Artemis in one motion and hurried off alone toward the stream.
"You did well too, Duncan," Artemis said once Letsa was out of earshot. She smiled and ruffled his hair. "You look much better than that girl."
"It was just timing," Duncan replied. "I've run into Great Bears before, so I'm familiar with how they fight."
"That only makes it more impressive," Artemis said immediately, seeing through his modesty. "The last time you met one, you weren't Level 3 yet, were you? Surviving them at that level… that already puts you above Letsa."
"Haha…" Duncan laughed awkwardly, not sure whether to accept that comparison. Then he remembered something and quickly offered what he'd been holding. "Lady Artemis—this is the drop. Please."
It was a bear hide, nearly as large as half a person. Artemis took it, inspected the texture and thickness, and gave a crisp evaluation.
"Excellent quality. In Orario, this would sell for around six hundred thousand valis. Prices out here are lower, though—you may not get that much."
Then she extended it back toward him.
"Since it's your trophy, it belongs to you."
"No," Duncan said at once, shaking his head. "I told you: I won't take any drops on the road. In exchange, if we find the material I need at the ruins, I'm asking you to let me have it."
Monster drops were often worth far more than magic stones; to adventurers, drops were the true measure of whether an expedition made money. Magic stones were, more often than not, what kept your supplies running.
"If we find it, I'll give it to you," Artemis said, brows knitting. Her voice turned firm. "But there's no reason you should come away empty-handed."
"It's a fair contract," Duncan insisted. "I lack manpower and resources. You have what I desperately need. Drops going to the familia as compensation is reasonable."
His gaze didn't waver.
"My family's life matters more than anything. If our positions were reversed, Lady Artemis… I believe you'd choose the same."
"…All right. I understand."
He was too stubborn to yield. Artemis's eyes softened at last, and she accepted the hide.
"So this is the kind of blessing you earn by guarding the Lower World for centuries," she murmured with a small, wry smile—half regretful that he belonged to Zeus, half envious despite herself.
"To think that old scoundrel found a child who's nothing like him."
"I think Grandpa Zeus is pretty great," Duncan said honestly. "At least—to me. Without his help, I wouldn't have grown this far."
The grudges between gods were tangled beyond any mortal's ability to untie. Zeus had ruled the Lower World as a hegemon; Zeus and Hera Familias had dominated Orario for a thousand years—yet that never stopped Zeus from being hated by a vast number of goddesses.
But putting all of that aside, Zeus had cared for Duncan and Bell with real effort—so much so that even Chaldeo and Alfia had commented on it with a kind of reluctant envy. In their own early days, they'd never been afforded such luxuries: resources, instruction, sparring. The "Hero" and the "Empress" didn't have the leisure to play tutor.
"I won't comment on training," Artemis said, patting Duncan's shoulder. "The strength of Zeus and Hera Familias speaks for itself."
Then her expression sharpened slightly.
"But Duncan—don't learn that old man's personality. Especially when it comes to—"
She cut herself off mid-sentence, visibly stopping the words as if they burned. Then she turned sharply toward the women who had drifted close to listen in.
"And you—stop gawking. Back to your posts. Now."
Duncan's refusal to accept the drop meant the familia had gained a valuable haul. Once Artemis formally accepted it, the members' tension visibly eased. They scattered in a hurry, like children caught eavesdropping.
"Honestly…" Artemis exhaled, the sound heavy.
A flicker of guilt crossed her eyes.
She didn't regret leaving Orario. She didn't regret the choices she'd made. But looking at the children who had followed her without hesitation—who trusted her, who bled for her—even the steadfast Huntress felt doubt creep in.
…Perhaps returning to Orario someday wouldn't be so bad after all.
....
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