'Moon Goddess Festival? Artemis?' Leon thought.
'The plot sure has taken a turn. I wonder if I'll meet Artemis?'
'If I do, then the problem with Antares might be solved.'
'I think defeating Antares is enough to get me the special excelia I need to rank up to level 7.'
'I don't have to worry about increasing my stats. Even without fighting powerful adventurers or monsters, I can increase them slowly through training. What I really need is special excelia.'
In the original story, Antares devoured Artemis' divine body and gained divine power, at least Lv. 7 or even Lv. 8.
That monster was killed in the original story for two reasons.
One, it used most of its divine power to create a giant arrow. Two, the protagonist used the Arrow of Orion, the holy spear summoned by Artemis from heaven. It was basically a plot-driven death.
'Even if I can't pull or use the Arrow of Orion now, I'm confident I can kill Antares.'
Leon touched his chin, lost in thought while sitting cross-legged. He'll know soon enough.
Standing up, he patted his trousers habitually and walked toward his bedroom.
After washing up in the bathroom, he saw that Hestia was still not ready, so he waited quietly.
Since Hestia was planning to watch the Moon Goddess Festival, the library was closed for the day.
Belle and the others had secured Leon's promise that once their main fighters reached Lv. 3, they could join an expedition. They were excited. They had returned three days ago and spent the first day preparing supplies.
On the third day, yesterday, they ventured again into the dungeon's middle floors without even considering rest.
The entire library was quiet, with only Leon and Hestia present.
Hestia didn't keep Leon waiting long. After sitting in the pavilion for about ten minutes, Hestia finally appeared, dressed and ready.
She still looked like the young, beautiful girl Leon remembered, wearing a loose shirt and hot pants. Her usual twin ponytails had been let down, leaving only a delicate hairpin in place, the same hairpin that once bore Ellie. It was the exact outfit she had worn on their very first date.
Hestia loved this outfit dearly, she said it held special meaning for her. Leon liked it too, he always did.
"Let's go." Hestia said with a smile, taking Leon's arm gently.
"Yeah."
The Moon God Festival had been celebrated in the lower world for thousands of years. It predated even the Heroic Age and was a sacred festival to worship Artemis, the goddess of the moon.
Though the mysteries of the gods had been unveiled over time, the festival's significance never faded. Every year in Orario, the festival was held with great fervor, much like the recently popular Monsterphelia.
As Leon and Hestia strolled down the street, they were surrounded by decorations and emblems dedicated to the Moon God Festival. The festive atmosphere was even more intense than that of Monsterphelia.
"Huh, I didn't notice this before." Leon looked around in surprise at the Moon God emblems adorning shop walls on both sides.
Maybe they hadn't been there before or perhaps they had only been hung up today.
"Hehe, preparations have been going on for days, but everything wasn't ready until last night. They just put everything up." Hestia explained with a smile.
"It's not too crowded here yet. The major squares are where the real excitement is. Let's head there quickly. I'm looking forward to the food stalls." She added eagerly.
"Is that so?" Leon nodded.
Hestia tugged him forward.
Soon, they arrived at the first square. Orario had many squares, but Leon only really knew two.
One was Amor Square, the couples' square, where he had been with Hestia before.
The other was Babel Square, near the Babel Tower, the gateway to the dungeon, which he visited often.
'No.' Leon murmured to himself, carefully sensing the air around this square. There was no trace of Artemis here.
Before he could think further, Hestia pulled him toward the snack stalls lining the square. Their usual pattern remained unchanged.
Hestia eagerly sampled each snack, tasting just a little before leaving most for Leon to devour, while she eagerly moved on to try other delicacies.
Orario was vast and full of food. Though they often went shopping and tasting, many dishes were still new to Hestia.
Most were sold by merchants from distant lands who came to Orario specifically for this festival.
Hestia's eyes sparkled as she spotted numerous treats she had never tried before.
"Leon, this is delicious. And this one too, make it for me when we get back." She begged, holding out several chosen snacks after they finished circling the square.
These were exactly her kind of flavors, but having tasted Leon's cooking, she was confident he could make these even better.
"Okay, okay, I'll make them for you." Leon promised with a smile, running his fingers gently through Hestia's hair.
Many of these treats were new even to Leon, but that didn't matter. With his cooking skills, all it took was a bit of thought to replicate or even improve them.
"Hehe, Leon, you're so nice." Hestia said with a smile before throwing herself into his arms.
"Let's go to the next square." She cheered after a moment, brightening up as she led Leon onward.
From morning until evening, they walked through square after square. Eventually, Hestia was full, and even Leon's stomach was stretched to its limit.
Their focus shifted from devouring food to simply shopping and enjoying the festival.
At one new square, Leon instinctively activated his detection magic and froze briefly.
'Sure enough, Artemis has appeared in Orario during the Moon Goddess Festival just like in the original story.'
'And she's still with Hermes, exactly as the original story described.'
'Hermes really gets around—running back and forth nonstop for over a week.'
Leon's lips twitched into a slight smile as he silently muttered this to himself, having just received the image from his detection magic.
"Hestia, this way." Leon said, taking her hand and guiding her forward.
"Huh? What's so interesting here?" Hestia asked curiously as she followed.
"I found something interesting." Leon answered with a grin.
"Really?!" Hestia's eyes lit up instantly.
Soon, they reached an open space.
"Hermes! Why is it you?" Hestia called out when she spotted Hermes standing on the stage.
"Hey, Hestia, Leon, you're here too." Hermes' eyes brightened as he greeted them warmly.
"What's going on?" Hestia asked, then glanced curiously at the crystal pile topped with a spear on the stage.
The spear embedded in the crystal pile was the Holy Spear of Heaven, the Arrow of Orion, the sacred artifact of Artemis herself.
"This event is sponsored by me and the guild." Hermes explained. "Anyone who can pull this spear will get a trip around the world for free."
"Leon, want to give it a try?" Hestia said with a burning gaze.
"Alright, I'll try." Leon replied with a meaningful look toward Hermes.
He stepped onto the wooden platform, fully visible to the crowd.
"Come on, Leon!!!" Hestia shouted loudly, cheering him on.
"Come on, Leon." The gathered residents and adventurers echoed the encouragement.
'Can he pull it out?' Hermes thought, pressing the brim of his hat nervously.
Leon didn't respond but quietly approached the spear. He reached out and grasped it. The spear's surface shimmered, glowing with tiny sacred runes flashing rapidly.
Before Leon could react, the crystal pile beneath exploded violently. At that moment, a soft, gentle female voice echoed in Leon's mind.
"Found it, Orion!!!"
Leon: ???