Danmachi: A Despicable Stranger

Chapter 89: Don't pull down my pants!

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All day.

This was the time Izzy spent with Artemis today.

When the sunset disappeared and the sky turned dark, the magic stone lamps hanging high above lit up, dimly illuminating the entirety of Orario.

Though time gradually turned to night, Orario grew even livelier than it had been during the day. This was due to the special nature of the city's professions.

The street vendors were still full of energy, each lighting up their magic stone lamps and eagerly waiting for a good harvest.

East Street.

The boy and the goddess walked along the main road paved with red bricks and tiles, strolling leisurely through the bustling street.

A comfortable and cool evening breeze drifted by, ruffling the goddess's aqua blue hair.

The aqua blue bracelet she had purchased earlier while shopping now adorned her wrist, making her look even more charming.

The high-heeled sandals that Izzy had half-coaxed and half-forced her to wear clicked against the ground, creating a crisp clattering sound.

At first, Artemis had struggled to adapt to these shoes, but now she had completely mastered walking in them.

The rhythmic sound of her steps brought a natural smile to Izzy's face.

The glow of the magic stone lamps along the roadside, the laughter of the demi-human shopkeepers and their customers, and the lively energy of the street created an infectious atmosphere.

Artemis took in everything around her, and the smile in her eyes gradually softened, becoming more profound.

How long had it been since she last put aside all her responsibilities and strolled through Orario like this?

It must have been a long time ago…

She remembered it faintly—those early days when she had just descended into this world.

"Lady Artemis, how about another serving of octopus balls~?"

Just as Artemis was enjoying the tranquility and soaking in the atmosphere, Izzy's cheerful voice interrupted her.

"Ah—"

Before she could refuse, Izzy had already handed her a slightly hot octopus ball, holding it right in front of her mouth.

"We just ate dinner! Are you trying to stuff me to death?"

Artemis turned her head and gave Izzy a small glare, but she still opened her cherry lips and took a light bite.

The food culture in Orario was incredibly advanced. The residents poured their hearts into perfecting their cuisine, drawing inspiration from all over the world.

Octopus balls, crepes, pancakes, and an endless variety of cold snacks were all available.

After all, this was a city that served the gods. In terms of food and drink, they couldn't afford to be careless.

The same was true for other aspects of life.

The portions were also generous. The octopus balls were so large that Artemis couldn't finish one in a single bite. She bit off about half and chewed slowly, savoring the taste.

Her gaze lingered on the remaining half that Izzy was holding. The thought of continuing to eat it flashed across her mind.

But before she could act, Izzy casually took the rest of the octopus ball and popped it into his mouth.

"Hmm, this one's sweeter than the last," he commented, speaking through his chewing.

Artemis blinked slightly at his casual action.

A moment later, her soft cheeks flushed a deep red.

Wasn't this… the legendary indirect kiss?

They had already held hands, hugged, and gone on dates… but was he still not satisfied?

"I-Izzy! How can you eat something I've already bitten!?" Artemis exclaimed, stamping her foot in shame.

"Uh… because I wanted to eat it?" Izzy answered honestly, tilting his head as though confused by her reaction.

"Who asked you that!?" Artemis snapped, her voice flustered and defensive.

Wasn't that exactly what she had asked? Izzy thought to himself, puzzled by her outburst.

Izzy subconsciously grumbled in his heart, but at the same time, he couldn't help but smile.

Artemis-sama is so cute right now. I want to…

At that moment, Artemis noticed his silence. She glanced up to check on him and found Izzy smirking mischievously.

"You must be thinking something weird! I don't want to bother with you anymore!"

"Ahem, how could you think that? Lady Artemis, my thoughts are pure!"

"I'd be a fool to believe you."

---

In the inner area of East Street, in front of a large brick-and-tile hotel with a wooden structure, two girls sat outside the hotel door, resting their cheeks in their hands with helpless expressions.

"Aaaaaahhh—"

"Why hasn't Lady Artemis come back yet?"

"I've been waiting so long, even the flowers have withered!"

"Do you think Izzy might've tricked Lady Artemis into… into doing that?"

Finally, the blue-haired half-elf, Lante, couldn't hold back anymore. She flopped backward, stretched out her legs, and whined like a spoiled child.

The girls in Artemis' Familia all knew that their goddess was spending the entire day alone with Izzy.

So, early in the morning, they had decided to head out together to give the pair some space, agreeing not to return until after nightfall.

Yet, to everyone's surprise, it was already dark, and they had all returned…

But Artemis and Izzy were still nowhere to be seen.

This was… well, hard to describe.

The goddess's absence had their imaginations running wild, sparking both worry and curiosity about what might be happening.

Humans are strange creatures.

It was they who had deliberately created this situation in the first place, and now here they were, fretting about the results.

"Ahem, Lante, watch your words," Rethusa said with a sigh, covering her cheeks in exasperation.

Although she harbored the same thoughts deep down, it was better to keep such ideas to herself.

It wasn't proper to openly voice slanderous comments about their goddess.

Still, Rethusa felt both helpless and a little… surprised.

Could it be…?

Was there a chance their goddess wouldn't return tonight?

Doesn't that mean…

Shaking her head violently, Rethusa banished the thought.

But a tiny version of herself in her mind was already rubbing its hands in anticipation.

"What's so wrong about that? If Izzy manages to win over Artemis-sama, doesn't that mean we'll be free? Long live liberation!"

Slapping the imaginary troublemaker in her head, Rethusa quickly pushed away all such messy thoughts.

---

"Lante, stop whining. Look, Lady Artemis is back… back!?"

Just as Rethusa was about to scold Lante again, she suddenly froze mid-sentence.

Oh. My. God.

Lady Artemis had actually learned how to dress herself up!!

The goddess's elegant figure, no longer hidden under her usual combat uniform, was enough to stun the two girls who lived with her day and night.

Even Lady Artemis's cheeks were blushing!

Rethusa, almost slack-jawed, watched as the goddess—her head lowered in embarrassment, her face bright red—hurried down the street and strode straight into the hotel.

So preoccupied was she with her shame and frustration that Artemis didn't even notice her two followers sitting at the hotel entrance.

She stormed past them, straight to her room, and disappeared inside.

It wasn't until the elf clerk at the front desk greeted Artemis that Rethusa finally snapped out of her daze.

Lante, too, had noticed the situation by now, and her reaction wasn't much better than Rethusa's.

The two exchanged a glance, their thoughts perfectly mirrored in one another's wide-eyed expressions.

This was… unbelievable! They'd never seen her like this before!

---

A few steps behind, Izzy approached the hotel and noticed the two girls sitting outside the door.

"Good afternoon, Rethusa, Lante. Oh, wait—good evening~"

"Izzy!"

"What did you do to Lady Artemis!?"

The moment the two girls heard Izzy's voice, they immediately turned into wolves spotting a defenseless lamb, their eyes gleaming with murderous intent.

In truth, their overwhelming curiosity (or rather, their insatiable gossiping tendencies) was driving them to extract firsthand information as soon as possible.

"Wait, wait! Let's talk this over—don't pull my pants off!"