Chapter 186: Return (2)

When Artemis called this arrangement "work," Sol shook his head with an amused smile. 

Despite her time in the lower realm, Artemis's personality hadn't changed; she was still as stubborn as ever. But as long as she accepted his conditions, she could call it whatever she liked. 

All that remained was for Sol to return and discuss this with Renata.

"By the way, I have something for you." Before leaving, Sol reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, sleek headset, offering it to her.

"This will make communication easier," he explained. "No need to waste time finding each other every time a caravan moves."

Artemis took the device, examining it curiously. "What's this?"

"Just a little gadget created by a genius from my familia. Let me show you how to use it."

Artemis quickly picked up on its function under Sol's brief demonstration, her curiosity evident as she fiddled with the new device. Seizing the opportunity, Sol slipped away quietly with Alfia, leaving the Artemis familia residence without any fuss.

When Sol and his companions returned to Orario, nearly a week had passed. They'd spent extra time indulging Lillia, a young girl to whom Sol had promised an adventure in the Danmachi World so it took a little more time.

Meanwhile, Renata had been busy mapping out future caravan routes; she, too, was intrigued by the mysterious creature, Antares. Her interest stemmed from a promise she'd made to Singed—to find monsters he could study. If Antaress could reproduce, it would supply a steady stream of experimental materials for his research.

This time, her patience had truly paid off, as Sol had solved her problem.

Once back in the Orario perimeter, Sol and the others returned to Valoran, and he naturally made his way back to the Labyrinth City without alarming anyone that he left the city. 

Renata promptly headed back to the Janna familia, eager to check on their stockpile. She'd made an agreement with the Ares familia for an upcoming trade and wanted to ensure the familia had the required items.

As Sol approached his familia's headquarters, he was puzzled. "Strange, where is everyone?"

The silence was unusual. He wandered around the grounds, grumbling to himself about the lack of a welcome.

Finally, in the backyard, he spotted someone—a young couple, in fact. Unfortunately, Sol's arrival was at the worst possible moment, disrupting their tryst.

At some point, the backyard had become a favored spot for couples to meet secretly. Sol had even heard that the vastaya tribe members Xayah and Rakan were particularly fond of this spot.

In fact, Sol himself had occasionally brought his children here to enjoy the thrill of a secluded meeting. As for Vex, a long-time resident of the backyard, she was so fed up with all the romantic activity she was considering moving out entirely.

Just then, Rakan spotted Sol and greeted him cheerfully. "Hey, Sol-sama—welcome back from your trip!"

The young couple, far from being embarrassed, seemed to grow even bolder under Sol's gaze. He felt like they might even put on a public display if he didn't interrupt.

"Is anyone else around? Do you know where Riveria is?" Sol asked, attempting to keep his composure.

"There's a temple fair in town tonight. Most of the familia went to the streets, and the guild called Riveria in for a meeting," Xayah replied lazily, looking blissful as she lounged in her partner's arms.

The couple exchanged fond glances, their love on full display. Sol's eye twitched.

Damn, that's enviable.

Not wanting to stick around and endure more "dog food," Sol decided he'd find Riveria himself.

Leaving the backyard, he headed towards the guild. The streets of Orario were already bustling with preparations for the evening's temple fair, and vendors lined the streets, setting up for the festivities. 

But Sol had one destination in mind—the guild.

Soon, the guild's towering building came into view. 

"Sol-sama! Why did you come here?" As he entered, he noticed Saria, a familiar adventurer advisor, busy at her window. She looked up, sensing his presence.

"I'm here to find Riveria. Where is she?" he asked without preamble.

"Riveria-sama is in a meeting discussing the Ares familia's planned attack on Orario."

Sol raised an eyebrow. "Ares? While I was out, I heard rumors he was stockpiling supplies. Didn't expect him to move so fast."

The meeting was indeed to discuss Ares. Sol hadn't anticipated that Ares would mobilize this quickly—it had only been a few days since Renata had sold him the supplies.

"Well, how long will the meeting last?" Sol asked, eager to join. As the head of his familia, he had every right to participate. Following Saria's directions, he headed straight to the council room, ready to see what plans were in store for dealing with Ares.