Robin was somewhat overwhelmed by Lante's straightforward words, so she could only smile and change the subject. "Sounds like you're very interested in romance, Lante?"
"Of, of course!"
Lante first looked back cautiously at the carriage where her main god was, then lowered her voice and leaned into Robin's ear to whisper,
"I really want to experience that kind of... sweet romance. But you also know, our Familia... forbids romance."
"Lante, if you want to fall in love, you can leave the Familia. I won't stop you."
A cold voice clearly entered everyone's ears.
As the Goddess of Hunting, Artemis's five senses far surpassed ordinary people even without using divine power.
Lante's self-thought "whisper" was no different from speaking loudly in her ears.
The atmosphere of the caravan stagnated instantly.
Artemis felt somewhat depressed in her heart.
She clearly raised this child herself; how did she grow crooked? Becoming like those gods in Heaven she hated most who indulged in love.
"No, no, no! I won't leave Lady Artemis even if I die!"
Lante shook her head like a rattle drum, her attitude incredibly firm.
She was picked up from the forest and raised by Artemis since she was little. To her, Artemis was both a main god and a mother.
"I just don't understand..."
Perhaps the long-term suppression exploded at this moment; Lante summoned her courage and asked loudly, "Lady Artemis, why do you taboo romance so much?"
"Hey! Lante!"
Captain Rethusa's face changed upon hearing this, and she glared at her fiercely.
But Lante didn't back down. She clasped her hands together and pleaded to Artemis, "Please, tell me! I really want to know!"
Facing the child's eyes filled with incomprehension and longing, Artemis fell silent.
For the first time, obvious confusion appeared in her pure green eyes.
"I can only say... precisely because it is me, it is not allowed."
She spoke slowly, a trace of blankness she hadn't noticed herself in her voice.
"I am the Goddess in charge of 'Chastity.' My stance is exactly opposite to the Goddess in charge of 'Beauty.' If I acknowledged love, I... would no longer be me."
She was like a child ignorant of worldly affairs, stating a truth she might not even understand herself.
"Lady Artemis should fall in love too."
Lante retorted loudly.
"Love is a very beautiful thing."
"I want Lady Artemis to also know the beauty, joy, and warmth of love."
She clenched her fists, her momentum like a rainbow.
The surrounding girls looked at each other. From the initial surprise to this moment, flames of support ignited in their eyes.
"That's right, Lady Artemis. For girls, love is really wonderful."
They spoke in unison.
This sudden "Romance Persuasion" meeting made the atmosphere of the caravan extremely heated.
As an outsider, Aiden silently shrank his neck in his carriage.
He totally didn't expect the topic to evolve like this. At this time, maintaining silence was the only choice.
On the other side, Furina looked completely stunned, her blue heterochromatic eyes wide and round, watching all this dumbfoundedly.
Facing the unprecedented excitement of her Familia children, Artemis was thoroughly confused.
She cast a seeking gaze toward the Captain she trusted most.
"Rethusa, do you think so too?"
Named, Rethusa's face turned red then white. She stammered, "I... I, um... pr-probably. We do change before and after love; this is certain."
Receiving the Captain's "affirmation," Artemis stopped speaking.
She raised her head, looking up at the boundless sky, her pure green eyes filled with deep bewilderment.
Night fell. The caravan chose to camp in a clearing by the forest near a water source.
Bonfires were lit, dispelling the chill and darkness.
After relieving himself far from the camp, Aiden was preparing to go back when he saw a blue figure standing alone by the babbling brook on his return path.
Moonlight fell like water on her body, making her look like an elf under the moon, holy and lonely.
It was Artemis.
And Artemis clearly discovered him too.
"Lady Artemis."
Aiden stopped and greeted politely.
"You are called... Aiden, right?"
Artemis turned around. Under the moonlight, her voice added a few degrees of softness compared to the daytime.
"Yes."
Aiden nodded. Looking at her expression which seemed still shrouded in mist, he probed,
"It's so late, and you haven't rested yet. Is something on your mind?"
Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the forest branches, sprinkling broken silver on the gurgling stream.
The night breeze brushed past, bringing the fresh scent of soil and grass, as well as a bit of warmth from the distant camp bonfire.
Artemis stood quietly by the stream. The cold moon's radiance enveloped her, adding a trace of softness and confusion belonging to the night to her awe-inspiring temperament as a main god.
She looked at her blurry reflection in the water, as if scrutinizing a stranger.
"Do you think... as an unchanging god, I will change?"
She didn't look back. Her voice was very light, like talking to herself, or asking the only audience behind her.
Perhaps, precisely because Aiden was the only male in this small group, an existence completely contrary to her doctrine.
Or perhaps, precisely because he was a complete outsider, a safe object to confide in, this goddess who always showed strictness let down her guard.
"You will."
Aiden's answer was immediate and decisive.
This affirmative reply made Artemis pause slightly. She turned around, her pure green eyes written with doubt. "Why?"
"Because the one standing here now is Artemis of the Lower World, not the Goddess Artemis of Heaven."
Aiden met her gaze, his tone sincere and calm.
He knew that every word he said was verified at some moment in the future.
When gods descended to the lower world, they were no longer high-above, eternal, unchanging concepts.
They had Familias, had "children," had responsibilities and bonds.
They would rejoice for their children's growth, grieve for their children's departure, waver because of their children's wishes, and change because of worldly experiences.
"Then..."
Artemis seemed touched by his words. She took a half-step forward, the moonlight illuminating the confusion on her face.
"Do you also think that love is beautiful?"
"I don't know."
Aiden shook his head, his voice sinking.
"This requires you to find the answer yourself."