Chapter 4.

All seems to be going fine. My mother, while nervous, still looks quite happy to meet Goddess Artemis—who pulled my mother into a hug, with me still clinging to her. Then, it seemed Goddess Artemis said something dangerous, as my mother's heartbeat started to rise a little. I still don't have a good grasp of the language, but it seemed to be something about an exercise.

Then, as if letting go of that matter, Goddess Artemis asked my mother about my name. They seemed shocked for some reason, with my mother speaking with growing excitement. Then, as if to prove a point, she held me up by my underarms and presented me to all the familia members. She then told me to say "mama."

I was quite confused for a second. I had no problem saying "mama" when it was just the three of us, but doing it in front of so many people was mildly embarrassing. Still, if it was for my dear mother, I would even defeat that one-eyed black dragon.

"Ma... ma,"

That was all I could manage with my limited capability, but don't worry, my dear mother—just give me another month, and I'll be talking like a parrot for you.

"Wow."

It seemed everybody was impressed by that. Well, to be honest, I would be too if a month-old kid could say simple words.

Yawn.

Ah, it seems I'm tired now. Well, it was to be expected—I did wake up early in the morning to say goodbye to Father, and if I'm not wrong, it's past noon right now. It looks like they're all tired from their journey too and are setting up their camps near the forest entrance. They seem quite experienced at it, but that's expected of a hunting familia.

They travel around the lower world hunting monsters that roam freely. They're always on the move, going from place to place, protecting villages suffering from monster attacks.

Well, let's sleep for now. I'm too tired just watching them.

POV change.

"Callisto, where is Agar? I haven't seen him since we arrived," Artemis asked in confusion, wondering where the young man—who had led her daughter astray—had gone.

"Maybe he ran away after learning you were coming, Lady Artemis," Rethusa muttered mockingly. She did not like Agar, as he had taken away her beloved elder sister from her.

"Rethusa, that's no way to talk about someone behind their back. I know you're angry at him, but he hasn't done anything wrong and was granted permission by Lady Artemis herself," Iphigenia scolded Rethusa. She genuinely felt happy for Callisto and Agar being in a relationship, though she was also a little jealous.

As an elf, it was hard for her to fall in love with short-lived races. While she had been looking for a suitable match, she hadn't found anyone yet. She always looked too deeply into people and found small flaws in them. She knew these were just excuses she made to stay by Goddess Artemis's side, as she was the first child to join Artemis when she came to the lower world. So she felt a sense of duty to always remain by her Goddess's side. Still, she sometimes felt something was missing from her life whenever she saw couples living a romantic life.

"It's okay, Iphigenia—and you're not entirely wrong, Rethusa. He did leave a little quickly after learning Lady Artemis was coming. But the truth is, he went to Orario to complete his final quest before retiring from adventuring," Callisto explained the reason behind Agar's absence.

"Hmm... Orario, huh? We'll also be heading there soon to gather supplies and other things. I guess we'll meet him en route or in Orario, depending on the length of his quest," Artemis said, thinking about the news she'd heard from merchants during her journey here.

"But isn't it dangerous in Orario right now? I heard a group calling themselves Evilus is on the rise there. They're despicable—attacking innocent people and merchants without any care," Rethusa said, concern in her voice. Even if she didn't show it, she cared for Agar too.

"Don't worry. As long as that idiot doesn't do anything stupid, he should be fine. It's just a check-up on the orphanage there—to see if everything is fine and if there are no issues with the children," Callisto said, trying to calm Rethusa's worries.

"Still, for Eileithyia to send him now of all times… something important must have happened. Anyway, with Agar's strength, he should be able to handle current Orario. What I wanted to discuss with you two was about building the familia headquarters here in this village. Would there be any objections from the villagers?" Artemis asked Callisto, casually dropping a bomb.

"Huh?! What? Familia headquarters? There's no problem building one—heck, the villagers would be more than happy! But... if I may ask, what led to this decision, Lady Artemis? I always thought we were a wandering familia with no fixed base," Callisto responded, clearly shocked by Artemis's sudden decision.

"We will still be a wandering and traveling familia. But I think having a place to return to would be good for all the members. As for the other reason—it's the decline in the monster population after the Zeus and Hera familias' recent expeditions in the lower world. Before, we would travel from place to place helping people and villages along the way. That's not the case anymore, and I believe a change is required in how our familia operates," Artemis explained her reasoning while hiding one more personal motive.

Artemis, while strict with her familia, loved them deeply. She had promised to let them go once they found their true love, but every time one left, it felt like a piece of her heart was being torn away. Watching them leave and not knowing whether she'd ever see them again made her feel lonely.

So when Callisto left, she decided this couldn't continue. She began thinking of solutions and ultimately decided to build a village—one where her daughters could live even after finding their fated partners.

At first, she considered building near Orario, but due to recent developments, she changed her mind. Then she learned about Callisto giving birth—and decided to implement her plan in Callisto's village. Later, she would bring all her daughters who had left her into this village to live together. That way, she would never have to feel that heartbreak again.