The Moon Is Definitely a Fool (11)

After finishing our second climax, we enjoyed each other one last time before finally pulling apart. We had kissed, gone down on each other, caressed, used hands and feet and even thighs—every part of our bodies except the actual hole—so even after the act was over, the heat lingered between us.

Artemis had demanded these acts mostly out of curiosity, but afterward we grew closer. That curiosity transformed, quite simply, into clear affection. I could stroke her hand or her cheek without issue, and by the next morning Danae and Achilles had already caught on and were teasing me with knowing looks—So you went for it, huh?

After breakfast I spent the day resting with the servants, and before I knew it a new mark had appeared on my back. A beautifully glowing stag emblem—unmistakably Artemis's symbol. I knew a new power had been granted.

She said she'd give me one outright, and I already got the bow, so it's almost certainly that kind of ability.

I was sketching out a new schedule to go hunting and test my archery when the three women I'd been intimate with approached from a distance. I'd wanted a peaceful day lounging in the courtyard, but Artemis's expression was particularly grim.

"Something wrong?"

"You! I never cared what you did before, but this is not okay!"

"Huh?"

Achilles was rarely this angry. I wondered if she was upset about me sleeping with Artemis. But even Achilles shouldn't have the standing to get mad at Artemis—so why this atmosphere?

"What's the matter? Look, I know I've left a lot of things undone for you and I'm sorry, but flying off the handle like this is a bit... Mother's here too. Wouldn't it be better to talk it out first...?"

"Huhhh? What are you talking about? I said this is not okay!"

"So what isn't?"

"Obviously Artemis!"

I have no idea where this conversation is going, you idiot.

"Mother, what's this about?"

Cursing my own stupidity for asking Achilles anything, I turned to Danae. Her answer was simple, clear, and extremely inconvenient for me.

"Well... Artemis was supposed to return to the moon this evening, remember...?"

"Yes. That's why we called Apollo, discussed things, built a new building, and planned to get busy starting tomorrow."

"But she suddenly said she doesn't want to go back to the sky..."

"...Suddenly?"

So that was why Achilles was throwing a fit. I looked at Artemis, who had ducked behind Danae's back and was hiding there. She was acting like a child who'd done something terrible in front of her parents—I had no idea why she was putting on that act with me. Just yesterday she'd been laughing and acting like a little rascal, and now she was going for the gap moe?

"Artemis, why are you hiding? You need to explain yourself properly."

"B-but~!"

"But what? You agreed to go back once you recovered your power. You'll have plenty of work to do up there, and you wanted to return, didn't you?"

"I-I don't want to! It's more fun here! I get along great with Achilles, Atalante is adorable, and you're here too—everything's great! Going back to the moon just to loaf around with Hecate is..."

"What about the nymphs who follow you?"

".........Should I bring them?"

"Don't be ridiculous. And what about Apollo, who bowed his head to Zeus for your sake? Even if you two don't get along, the fact remains he stood up for you—and you'd stab him in the back like this?"

"Hiiing..."

She puffed out her cheeks and threw a tantrum, but neither I nor Achilles looked impressed. The only reason Achilles wasn't more furious was because she was a goddess—if she'd been an ordinary girl, Achilles would already have slapped her a few times and kicked her out.

"It's not that we hate you, Goddess. You know that, right?"

"Of course I do! I don't doubt that at all!"

Why get so serious about that?

Is she thinking about last night?

Her face has gone red, too.

"If you truly feel that way, then go back as soon as possible, settle your affairs, and return. If this whole thing goes wrong and Zeus genuinely loses his temper, not only you but I will be in serious danger."

"Would that slippery bastard lay a hand on you?"

"One bolt of lightning and I'd be gone—along with every citizen of Argos."

"I don't want that..."

There was precedent. Zeus once dropped a lightning bolt to punish some madman who'd claimed his name, and an entire city vanished. The people living there died without even knowing what they'd done wrong. Divine punishment was something to avoid at all costs.

"Honestly..."

I scratched my head in annoyance and waved a hand, and Danae and Achilles withdrew. I'd wanted a more private conversation between just the two of us, but those two clearly imagined something else from my gesture and kept shooting me suspicious looks the whole way out.

I'm a real piece of work. Danae, Achilles, and now Artemis too...

None of them were bad women. Achilles, who knew I was sleeping around and didn't care in the slightest—true upper-woman energy. Danae, who never tried to leave the domain of being my mother. And Artemis, the virgin goddess who casually said service was fine—an affection-starved goddess...

I'm going to get stabbed someday.

Even if I did, I'd probably die happy. I was quietly smiling at the thought when Artemis awkwardly approached. She clearly had no idea why I was smiling and just figured I was in a good mood.

"Uuuh..."

Then she reached out, stroked my cheek and chest, and pulled me into a full-body embrace. It was morning, so she was in her child form—my head nestled right into her chest. Even after all the filthy things we'd done last night, her body smelled refreshingly clean, and my eyes drifted shut of their own accord. I didn't fall asleep, though.

"So I just go back like this? I finally found someone I like... go up there and get scolded by Father... leave you down on earth..."

"Going up doesn't mean you can't come back down. You're talking like this is an eternal farewell."

"What if you die while I'm not on earth?"

"You worry too much. I won't even be leaving Argos for a while—why would you say that? Besides, do I look like a man who dies that easily?"

"...Orion."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"You're still hung up on that."

"I was just giving an example because I'm worried. That guy was full of confidence that he wouldn't die either, and then he just dropped dead. And unlike me, you age—you could suddenly die of illness anytime..."

"Ugh, you're not a child. If you're that worried, look at this."

I stood up, looking for something sharp, and found a knife left over from cutting meat yesterday. I lightly pricked my finger with it.

"What are you doing?!"

"Just watch."

Artemis cried out in alarm, so I showed her the bead of blood. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Sure enough, Demeter's mark on my back glowed, and nearby plants gathered to stop the bleeding and heal the wound. Having grass crawl into a cut was ticklish, but once the healing was done there wasn't even a sting ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠left—as if nothing had happened. Artemis was stunned.

"See? I'm different from Orion. And you know how careful I am. I'm not the type to go pick big fights, so cut it out."

"You received a blessing from her side too... and it looks like she poured a tremendous amount of power ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠into it... Did something happen that made her dote on you...?"

"I just did a few favors she asked for and left pretty quickly."

I said it lightly, but Artemis grew serious.

"Do you know how difficult it is to grant a human immortality? This looks like she put far more effort into it than the mark I carved... I never imagined she'd hand you this kind of power..."

Huh? Really?

Come to think of it, Demeter's authority was unusually strong.

Hera: the power to grow into an adult. Hermes: conditional transformation. Hades: access to the underworld and the ability to speak with the dead. Hephaestus: a flame that repels curses. Demeter: the power to heal anything as long as plants are nearby...

The other authorities weren't to be dismissed in terms of versatility or strength, but Demeter's reliably blocked the death that came for humans—no wonder it was impressive. When I'd been stabbed by Poseidon's spear, I'd braced for death, only to revive with almost comical ease. And given that it worked even against a god's spear, Artemis was right—as long as plants were present, I was practically immortal.

"You didn't have sex with her, did you?! She's an earth mother goddess! She'd get pregnant immediately!"

"She was fond of me, but we never even touched lips."

"R-really?"

"Why so surprised? The only goddess I've actually mixed bodies with is you, Artemis. Want me to swear it on the River Styx right here?"

"It's not that I don't trust you... b-but could you? I just find it hard to believe she'd give you something like this with no conditions attached..."

I opened my palm in the oath-taking posture, half amused at how shocked she was. It hadn't been long since the trials ended and I'd gone down to the underworld to refill the Styx water, so the effect should still work even inside the temple.

"I, Perseus, swear upon the water of the River Styx that I have never had relations with the goddess Demeter with this body──?"

Shrrrk!

"──Eh?"

"?!"

The moment I tried to speak the truth with Styx water, Demeter's mark blazed and vines and grass erupted from my entire body, sealing my mouth. The suddenness left me baffled, but my body was genuinely bound tight and wouldn't come free.

"Mmmphhh! Mmph! Mmmmmph!!!"

"Whaaat?!"

Artemis sucked in a breath, looking flabbergasted—then her expression turned furious. At first she seemed to feel betrayed by me, but when I shook my head and thrashed inside the vines, she seemed to realize something and looked up at the sky.

"Aaaah, I see! You mentioned the River Styx, so there's no reason to doubt you! Of course! I was wondering why she put so much work into that mark—I never thought that woman would pull something like this!"

"Mmmphhh!!! Uuuhh!!!!"

"Hold on a second!"

Light blazed from Artemis's body, and the vines shrank away from the moonlight, sinking back into my flesh and vanishing. I was relieved, but I never expected vines to grow out of my own body—I gasped for air, making no attempt to hide my shock.

"What the hell was that...?"

"You got played by Demeter!"

"...Played?"

"That woman screwed you! She poured two powers into the mark as a gag order! In case something like this ever happened!"

"Huh?"

I fell silent for a moment, then opened my mouth with a vacant expression. Artemis immediately pulled me into a hug. Apparently my idiotic look was so rare that this reaction alone convinced her I hadn't been lying.

"Now I've got a reason to go back... Just wait... I'll find out everything and come back..."

The growling virgin goddess then transformed her body into light and vanished somewhere.

I got screwed by Demeter?

Left alone, I sat there blankly, replaying what I'd just heard—still wearing that same stupid expression, with no idea what any of this meant.