Finally, after Yami's persistent "persuasion," Goddess Artemis came to her senses.
Although the goddess of the moon still mourned the loss of her children, she no longer placed all the blame on herself.
The dead are gone, but the living must continue on.
What she could do now was live well, honoring the sacrifice her children made for her by not letting their deaths be in vain.
Perhaps, when Artemis returns to the heavens, she'll be able to use her divine power to find the souls of those children and guide them to the heavenly realm.
This might be the best resolution she could hope for.
After all, even a god with divine power cannot bring the dead back to life. Even Hades, the ruler of the underworld, can only manage the souls of the dead—he cannot resurrect them.
Such are the limitations of the gods.
After burying all the members of the Artemis Familia at the site, Artemis herself slew Antares to bring peace to the spirits of her fallen children.
With this final act, they began their journey back to Orario.
Yami initially planned to use spatial magic for a swift return, but the idea was quickly rejected by everyone.
Neither the three goddesses nor the adventurers wanted to rush back to Orario so soon.
On their journey from Orario to the Sea of Trees, they had flown on a dragon and couldn't fully appreciate the scenery along the way.
Now that the threat of Antares had been dealt with, there was no longer a need to hurry.
This was a chance to make up for what they'd missed before.
Hearing everyone's thoughts, Yami had no objections. He didn't mind taking the time to enjoy the scenery outside of Orario.
For him, there were still many unknown places in this world.
Now that he had the opportunity to explore, he wouldn't miss it.
As they left the ruins, the world outside had undergone a dramatic transformation.
The lands and forests that had been ravaged by Antares had completely recovered. The ominous purple-black atmosphere had entirely dissipated.
Lush greenery and warm sunlight once again graced the area.
The singing of birds and the fragrance of flowers filled the air, bringing a renewed sense of life.
Yami's heightened senses detected numerous animals around them.
It was hard to believe such a drastic change had occurred in such a short time—it was truly remarkable.
"Hermes-sama!!!"
As they entered the forest, an angry shout rang out.
Soon after, hurried footsteps approached from the front.
A blue-haired woman in a white cloak appeared, walking briskly toward them.
Behind her were several adventurers, clearly members of the Hermes Familia.
As the god of travelers, Hermes often wandered the world, searching for things that piqued his interest or dealing with troublesome matters for Orario.
"Yo, Asfi, and everyone else."
Hermes greeted them with a slightly embarrassed smile.
However, his twitching expression betrayed his guilt.
Fortunately, because of the presence of other gods, Asfi Al Andromeda, the captain of the Hermes Familia, saved face for her god, refraining from scolding him in front of everyone.
But soon after, Hermes left with his followers.
What happened when they were out of sight is anyone's guess.
Without Hermes around, Yami and the others enjoyed a more relaxed journey.
The group stopped frequently, lingering at points of interest and leaving their mark in many places.
They all took in plenty of interesting sights along the way.
The return journey took a full month.
When they finally arrived in Orario, the gate guards didn't stop them.
According to the guards, the Ganesha Familia had already been informed and had found an excuse to cover for Hephaestus and Hestia.
This spared the two goddesses the hassle of explaining themselves.
"Well, we're finally back. That trip took longer than expected!"
The group gathered at the Hostess of Fertility.
Having saved the world and brought Artemis back to life, it was also the day when the three goddesses were reunited.
At Hestia's suggestion, the two Familias held a joint celebration.
In addition to members of the Hephaestus Familia and the Hestia Familia, the guest of honor was, of course, Artemis.
There were also representatives from the Adventurer's Guild.
"Although we don't know exactly what you did, Mr. Yami, we're here on behalf of Lord Ouranos to express our gratitude."
"Lord Ouranos specifically asked us to thank you for saving the world."
Eina and Misha stood beside Yami, smiling as they relayed the message from Ouranos.
The two girls' eyes were full of curiosity and admiration.
They had witnessed the strange phenomenon of two moons in the sky before, but they didn't fully understand what had happened.
However, based on Ouranos's reaction, Eina was certain of one thing.
It must have been an extremely dangerous situation, and Yami had resolved it.
The handsome young man before them was no longer the novice who once needed guidance at the guild hall.
Now, Yami had become a true powerhouse—a figure both Eina and Misha admired.
"Miss Eina, Miss Misha, you're too kind."
"I just did what I could. There's no need for such praise."
"And please pass along a message to Lord Ouranos."
"I'll fulfill the tasks he's given me, but I hope he'll support me in the details unconditionally."
"Don't worry, even though we don't know what it is, we'll make sure to convey your message to Lord Ouranos, Mr. Yami," Eina and Misha promised quickly.