I Became Artemis’ Boyfriend

If a healthy man in South Korea, he must fully perform the sacred duty of national defense.

It is because of the soldiers who spend sleepless nights while guarding our country that we are able to have peaceful nights; we must remember that.

I am no exception.

If I had been attending university properly and hadn’t run into any issues, I would have likely entered the military after finishing my first year like my peers.

However, what is the reality?

Here I am, living in another world for two years after an unexpected transfer.

Because of this, I honestly disregarded my military duty, thinking it was someone else’s problem.

But… But, did I just receive a conscription notice?

Am I not even able to escape military service here in this other world?

What kind of fate is this?!

Still, I didn’t feel an overwhelming sense of injustice since it was a place I was supposed to go to eventually.

“Could it be that after serving here, I’ll immediately transfer back to South Korea and have to serve again?”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s nothing. I was just murmuring to myself, hoping to avoid the whims of the gods.”

Swish —

Suppressing my heavy-hearted feelings, I unfolded and read the conscription notice.

[War Mobilization Order]

– Recruit: Ark

– The recipient of this letter is to gather immediately at Athena’s military camp located south of the Mountain of the Gods.

“So, it’s Athena’s war mobilization order?”

True to her nature as the Goddess of War, she has the authority to gather militia to defend against external enemies.

Unlike regular peacetime enlistment with a set duration, Athena’s wartime mobilization will be lifted as soon as the war concludes.

It will likely be a short period, but the problem, of course, is the “wartime” aspect.

In simple terms, it means participating in a life-and-death war.

“Isn’t it strange? Even the priests have been called in this time. Looks like things aren’t going well on the battlefield.”

Artemis answered casually as if this were someone else’s country’s issue.

However, this is a matter of life and death for me.

As the word “war” sank into my brain, my scalp went numb with a sense of unease.

“Everything feels so sudden.”

While I was tensed up like a frightened deer, Artemis slowly approached me.

Then, leaning her upper body to one side, she looked up at my face.

“Hmm…? Are you scared, Ark? You are, aren’t you? Hahahahahah!”

This was definitely a form of retaliation for me teasing her earlier.

Haaah… You bastards! It hurts, yet you’re hitting my cheek.

“Hahahaha, what’s the big deal about war? You just can’t help being a coward, huh!”

Huh!?

Did I hear that correctly?

What exactly did she say?

“What’s the big deal about war?”

“I think that’s a bit inappropriate.”

“…What?”

Unknowingly, my throat tightened at her casual comment.

Once I became serious, she matched my expression and straightened herself.

As a result, the cheerful atmosphere of joking and laughing around us quickly transformed into a heavy, oppressive silence that felt suffocating.

A regular citizen might stay quiet out of intimidation by this atmosphere.

Nevertheless, I still had something I needed to say.

War is when many people die and get injured.

I’m about to participate in such a devastating war.

Though there are certainly feelings of anxiety, I do not intend to avoid this responsibility.

I will fight with the belief to protect the City Luna and Artemis.

Life and death come afterward.

I don’t hold any grudge for her misunderstanding my feelings.

However, it is irksome to hear arrogant evaluations from a goddess who enjoys her leisurely days at the temple while looking down on the idea of war without experiencing it herself.

“I guess I’ve somewhat misjudged you. Just because you haven’t experienced it doesn’t mean it’s right to speak so lightly about something that’s not your own business.”

My voice was unusually sharp even to my own ears.

Disappointment for a girl I like left me with a suffocating jumble of emotions.

I always believed that though Artemis might disregard formality, she wasn’t completely thoughtless.

Have I misjudged her?

“Hmph! What are you talking about? I got called out too, you know?”

Laughing as if the situation was absurd, Artemis waved her own enlistment notice.

What is this?

Did I misunderstand?

Haha! So it’s different then.

I was so annoyed by an uncaring individual teasing me about not joining the military that I wanted to hit them, but now I oddly feel a sense of camaraderie knowing the teaser is joining as well.

Is this what we call “misery loves company”?

If we look at the situation, it’s similar to how if a white person teases a black person about skin color, it might raise racial issues, but when a black person teases another black person, it is often treated as a lighthearted joke.

“You should’ve mentioned this first!”

“What? Feeling disappointed and then relieved… Like you’re playing drums and gongs.”

“Haa~ Anyway, it’s a relief that it was a misunderstanding. Hmm? Wait…”

Though I sighed in relief knowing the girl I like isn’t entirely thoughtless, a question arose in my mind.

Fine with me being summoned, but why is Artemis called up?

“Did you already forget that I’m a Goddess of war?”

Seemingly noticing my doubt, Artemis drew her bow without an arrow and elegantly shot toward the sky.

Right!

Due to overemphasizing her associations with the moon and purity, I overlooked another significant authority she possesses.

She is the Goddess of Archery!

Artemis, alongside Apollo, is considered one of the greatest archers in Olympus, if not the world.

Not far away, I am the living proof.

Didn’t I witness her incredible bow skills when she saved me from imminent death after being falsely accused by Katina when I transferred to this world?

Excellent! There could not be a better ally than her!

Looking at her now, I sent her a smile filled with trust.

“Th… That’s not it.”

Struggling with her words, Artemis turned her face slightly to hide her expression.

Unable to understand her reasons, I continued looking attentively at her until the ticklish silence finally prompted her to speak again.

“On the battlefield, stay close to me. Ark, you’ll die completing Twelve Labors if you stray.”

“Artemi…s.”

“Tha, that, i, I mean! Don’t be scared.”

Is this rough-and-tumble goddess trying to encourage me?

What a touching and heartwarming moment!

The instant she declared to be my solid support and pillar in this situation, every bit of fear of the war vanished like a lie.

Not only that.

Her one heartfelt sentence erased every trace of hurt I had felt toward her.

Walking towards her with wide-open arms.

“Artemis!!”

“C, crazy!”

Caught off-guard, Artemis stumbled backward trying to evade me, and ended up sitting down with a thud.

Still, my steps to tightly embrace the lovely goddess today do not pause.

“Artemiss!!”

“Don’t lose it!”

Crack!

Attempting to embrace her, she swiftly struck my cheek with the bow she held in both hands.

Her face red with embarrassment, she approached me as she shook her shoulders in distress.

“Wha, what gives you the nerve to hug a goddess like that?”

“It felt like the right vibe…”

“Deviant!”

Bang! Bang!

Apparently enraged by the situation where she fell, she started hitting me with her bow, its string already loosened.

Indeed the Goddess of Archery, using a bow as a weapon in unexpected ways.

Why do I find myself in so many beatings these days?

But today, my face remains plastered with a contented smile.

“Whew… Whew… Hoo. Let’s hurry up, we need to go to Big Sister Athena as we’re called to immediately gather.”

“Haha, Yes!”

Having received Athena’s wartime mobilization order, we boarded the pre-prepared carriage from the city stable and departed toward the Mountain of the Gods.

The Mountain of the Gods is at the very northernmost end of this large continent.

Even with minimal rest, I imagine we’ll only arrive by tomorrow morning.

Still, I’ve packed a month’s worth of preserved food into this carriage.

If the war drags on, supply lines will inevitably be the first problem.

This should be enough preparation.

“So why am I, a goddess, driving the carriage?”

Artemis, fumbling with the reins from the driver’s seat, complained loud enough for me to hear.

After covering the food with cloth, I moved to the passenger seat next to her.

“You’re the one who rejected when I suggested asking Uncle Jake, right?”

“Shut up! I already said we can’t!”

Looking at Artemis, who only throws tantrums without explaining the reason, it’s like watching a teenage high school girl.

Despite her heavy silence, Uncle Jake is a good carriage driver, and I suggested asking him, but she insisted on dragging her own carriage, which appeared seemingly prepared in advance.

What else can I do?

Since I can’t drive, the goddess has to take the reins.

“So, what kind of war are we participating in?”

“How would you, a mere priest, know?”

“Priests aren’t all-knowing. Did I receive the conscription today?”

“…The remaining Gigantes demons have declared war again this time.”

Gigantes.

A long time ago, Gigantes, grotesque giants, attacked Olympus and the entire continent.

At the end of a fierce battle, the gods of Olympus drove the Gigantes away and dumped their bodies in a large pit beyond the northernmost Mountain of the Gods.

However, this method of disposal turned out to be a huge mistake.

The decomposing flesh and blood of the Gigantes contaminated the land, turning it into the Land of Death, where even humans can’t breathe properly.

From that Land of Death, new demons were born.

The problem is that even after eliminating all the demons, the Land of Death regenerates more.

Concluding that they could never be entirely purged, the gods decided to simply block the demons from crossing the Mountain of the Gods by occupying the high grounds of the mountain and surrounding peaks.

The Mountain of the Gods has become a giant barrier, demarcating the border between this continent and the Land of Death.

“Why are we in an unfavorable situation even though we occupy the highlands around the Mountain of the Gods?”

“How would I know?”

What an absurd answer.

Hold it, hold it.

“Then why did you say the battlefield situation is turning unfavorable?”

“The defense of the Mountain of the Gods is originally handled by the careless Ares. But since our summons came from Big Sister Athena, this change in leadership doesn’t seem advantageous, right?”

Ah…

A reasonable deduction.

I didn’t know our goddess had such sharp judgment.

Ares and Athena are both Gods of War.

In matters of war, they are unrivaled.

However, appointing Athena as the successor commander-in-chief after Ares seems like a failure in personnel selection.

Ares is essentially a military god specializing in mountain warfare and spear-focused infantry combat.

On the other hand, Athena is a god specializing in mobile tactics, chariots, and cavalry.

Even if Ares made a mistake, reappointing him, considering his expertise, would seem more prudent.

Yet, the command has been changed to Athena, who excels in cavalry operations, just to fight the demons at the Mountain of the Gods.

Is this not suspicious?

With unresolved questions and a growing sense of unease, we pressed ahead toward the Mountain of the Gods.

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