Is It Wrong to Try to Tame Monsters in a Dungeon? (Written seriously)

(This chapter was uploaded on Sunday 1/December/2024 11:10 AM, timezone GMT+3)

It didn't occur to me before, but Aphrodite's promise of revenge or her ambition of making Artemis fall in love weren't touched on during Henryk's stay in Preblica. My bad 😅.

For that, I thought I must at least make side stories about Aphrodite and her troublemaking(?).

Please, enjoy.

(Line Break)

('1), ('2), ('3), etc. means that there is some explaining for the thing in the chapter's footnotes.

"..." small moment of silence.

"Talking"

[Different Language Dialogue (Different from the language of the PoV)] (What language it is: Accent if necessary)

"He-" Someone was interrupted.

'Inner Monologue'

{Skills' names, chanting, spell keys and spells' names}

(PoV)

(Flashback, including the text)

Don't shy from commenting on typos and/or inconsistencies. That and/or suggesting a modification to certain things that didn't make sense to you.

I hope you enjoy reading this chapter.

(Line Break)

(Tuesday, 18/2/1057. AKA, the day Henryk held the arrow of Orion for the first time)

(Aphrodite's PoV) 

"Hurry! We must intercept Arti before she leaves the village!" I shouted my commands to my lovely familia members. They were of the same opinion as me; that we should help Arti find a lover. 

With my smarts, I foresaw her returning here in an attempt to get closer to that eagle. She might as well make an excuse of making sure the village's surroundings don't have any more wyverns from all that way back then. 

By stationing a familia member to watch the village's only entrance under the guise of a merchant's companion, I had received a lead on Arti doing exactly as I expected her to. 

'I now have to enact my part of the plan! I should tell her that her man is inside the village!' 

After minutes of my lovely children running at their limit, we finally arrived at Preblica. 

"Goddess Aphrodite?" One of the guards recognized me immediately. He bowed down. "Welcome to our humble village" I was permitted entry without further question. 

"Thank you for making it easy, child" I said before walking inside, followed by my few children who could closely match the speed of our fastest member. 

After walking down the path to the center of the village, we saw a pretty shocking sight. I, for one, was shocked to witness that aggravating man groveling to Artemis. For what reason, I don't know. But this might just help me accomplish my goal. 

"My lovely children, we will go back outside. When we see Arti's familia members leave, bring me that pretty half elf. I have to have a talk with her about Arti herself" I said to my lovely children. We left one of them behind inside the village to talk to Arti's child and bring her over. 

(Later) 

"You wished to talk, lady Aphrodite?" The half elf, Lante if I remembered right, bowed down to me in respect. I appreciated it, unlike that aggravating man. 

"Yes, Lante" I said. "I see it in you, the potential to convince Arti to allow herself some love in her life" My words startled her. "Didn't you wish for that? Not even once?" I saw her turn her head to the side with a light blush, a guilty one. 

'She's one of my people!' 

"I..." Her voice was shaking. I could glimpse some hope in her face. She then raised her head, stood up and held my hands as one would a friend's hands. "Will you help me give proper advice to lady Artemis?" With her honest desire to help Arti to find love clear in her eyes, it told me enough. I can rely on this child. She's a lovely child. 

"I will, lovely child!" I squeezed our hand together, much tighter than she was going for. I also closed the distance between us with a smile. 

We started talking. 

"So, what you say is that Arti came here with the excuse of checking on the villagers, and that she was intercepted by that aggravating man?" That was the part we reached. 

"Yes, lady Aphrodite" The lovely child nodded. "But what none of us expected was for him to request entering lady Artemis' familia" She then put a finger to her chin, wondering if she should continue. 

"Continue, please. This is precious information, necessary for our operation" I asserted that fact with a stern yet gentle voice. 

"Yes!" She saluted while adopting a serious face. "He held the arrow of Orion!" I was taken aback. 

'Arti never allows anyone near that ancient thing...' I closed my gaping mouth. 

"And it glowed!" Her words threw me for an emotional rollercoaster. 

'But wasn't that linked to an unclear prophecy? No one believed that the prophecy would ever come to pass. And you tell me to me that he was the realization of that prophecy on Arti's side?' 

"Lovely child, we must make this happen!" I held her hands in hope. She is my one last hope right now. She either succeeds or we might not see Arti in love for the rest of existence. Another one that could make the Arrow of Orion glow will never come again. That accursed thing will ever recognize an owner once, never to be handled by another person. Not even Arti could make it glow, since it's supposed to glow in the hands of a man, particularly. 

"I thought about it deeply. And through my deep meditation over what chastity is, I reached the conclusion that chastity could also be between a man and a woman who are loyal to their relationship as husband and wife!" I started uncontrollably jumping in joy. This is my chance. This is my best one yet. I can't possibly lose it. 

"Trust me! Lady Aphrodite!" Arti's lovely child said with conviction. I was sure that she would accomplish something with that flame burning in her gaze. 

(Saturday, 4/9/1058) 

"Lady Aphrodite! Good news!" One of my lovely children came to me with most pleasing of words. 

A letter from Lante, that lovely child. She exchanged letters with me whenever she could, telling me of her progress. And today, word reached me that she managed to have Arti to think of the man romantically. She even managed to make Arti promise to try proposing a dance with that man. 

"All we have to do now, my lovely children, is simply wait for some short days. Arti will finally taste all that she was wasting her life without!" My divine essence was almost stirred out of my mortal body from the excitement. And I was telling my lovely children to wait! 

"Should we attend to witness the glorious moment a new love is borne in this world?" One of my lovely children asked, a lovely daughter who shared my goal of making Arti fall in love more than any other lovely child of mine. 

"Sadly, I think we shouldn't. Arti might become apprehensive of us and thwart our grand plan's execution" I said with a sense of loss gnawing on my mind. But I had to persevere. I will forever regret interfering with this and making it fail. 

(Thursday, 17/9/1058. It was the day Henryk and Shira got married) 

"Lady Aphrodite!" One of my lovely children came to me with an alarmed voice. She was devastated by something. And if my guess is right, then Arti... No, I should ask her first. 

"Yes, my lovely child?" I said as I set aside my dinner and dedicated my whole being to listening to her report. 

"Lady Artemis failed!" My lovely daughter shed another tear. I could see the traces of ones that the wind blew clear off her face while she ran towards us. 

"What?!" I screamed, exasperated. "How?!" I stood up so suddenly that some stepped back, fearing my anger. 

"The man she was supposed to get closer with got married on the day of Preblica's spring festival! He was seen tossing his torch with a woman before lady Artemis could ask him out!" My lovely child told me, her tears finally finding the opportunity to burst out. I collapsed to my knees and hugged her to cry over this loss together. Arti deserved better than this. 

(Friday, 18/9/1058. The day Henryk departed from Preblica alongside his family) 

"Lady Aphrodite!" I saw Arti's lovely child, Lante, running at me when we were about to depart. She was coming with tears in her eyes. But her tears with accompanied by a happy, deeply relieved smile and her holding both hands close to her heart. 

"What is it? Did something change from yesterday?" I asked. I had hoped that what I heard was a hallucination, that Arti was able to do something before everything was lost. When she reached me, my lovely children allowed her to throw herself at me, enveloping me in a tight hug. 

"Lady Artemis gathered her courage and sent me to him with the Arrow of Orion! And he kept it with him while showing an expression that says he knew of the gesture's hidden meaning!" Lovely Lante jumped up and down with me. I would have done the same if not for my short height. 

"He what?! That's a happy thing! Quick! Take me to her! Now!" I said, no, demanded to be taken to Arti. I needed to congratulate her on this happy occasion. 

"Yes!" And it seems lovely Lante agrees with me. 

(Artemis' PoV) 

'He... accepted the Arrow of Orion! Lante said that he stared at her in a way that meant he knew of its meaning!' I thought as I shed tears. My eyes were not mine to control right now, as my heart made them spill out tears without constraints. 

"There. There" Rethusa patted my back as the rest of the familia huddled around us. My children were smiling warmly at me, silently congratulating me on the good news. 

'Even though he is married already, men, especially adventurers, often practice polygamy. I won't want to ruin their marriage, but I want to at least ask her about her opinion on the subject. If his wife disagrees, then I will wait for his next reincarnation' 

"Arti! Good for you he accepted the Arrow of Orion!" I hear a voice I couldn't recognize. Between my sobs and the noise around me, I failed to recognize Aphrodite's voice. But once I did, I left her be. I was too relieved and happy to shoo he away. 

"Who even is Arti?" I asked while wiping away my tears, of which there was more coming out. My smile didn't wane. 

"That's the endearing nickname I call you with! You've become much more loveable than before! Arti!" Aphrodite came and gave me a hug, a comforting one. I don't know why, but I accepted and returned it. 

"I don't want you to call me that, Aphrodite" I said, not really meaning it. 

"I know you don't mean it, Arti" Her voice became softer, as if she herself was feeling a sense of relief. But why is she relieved? 

"Why are you relieved, Aphrodite?" I asked. 

"Because I care about you" She said as she snuggled her head deeper into my shoulder. "Our views might differ, but I truly think that you were losing in life. I am truly relieved to see you attempt to try another aspect of chastity, to explore a whole new world that you know nothing about and might find enjoyable after a while. The warmth of one's partner at night, when one is simply sleeping beside each other, it is magical to feel that emotional warmth, Arti. Even a frozen heart will melt and become warmer with that" Aphrodite... I don't know what to think of Aphrodite. I may start thinking of her differently... without my arrows coming to mind. 

"Now, should we head for Orario a month from now? They would be close to each other by then, but not enough to prevent you from ever having a chance to be a part of his life" Aphrodite said, her words deciding our next plan of action. 

(End of Chapter)

Greetings, dear readers

First things first, I only wrote this chapter. I didn't edit it, not even once. What are your opinions on it? Is it good at this stage?

Again, sorry. Like I said above, I really just.... totally forgot about Aphrodite... I guess, I respect her as much as Henryk does. Anyway, her revenge plot still needs some light. And it starts by gluing Artemis to him and accompanying her to Orario as her new friend.

So, how do think Aphrodite appears here? Did I successfully show her as some caring acquaintance who wants to become a friend of Artemis? Of course, I tried to also make it so she already thinks herself a friend of Artemis, partially. She realizes that it is one-sided.

I also want to know your opinion on making her side-story revenge-focused once they Orario. What do you think about that?

Oh, yeah. Do you think that Aphrodite manipulating Artemis' understanding of "Chastity" is an unfair play on her part? Is it at least valid?

Be well, ladies and gentlemen.