The banquet lasted until midnight.
Nearly everyone was drunk, yet the atmosphere remained joyful.
In the end, only Yami stayed sober, along with a few adventurers who couldn't drink.
As Yami looked at the mess strewn across the floor, he sighed helplessly.
While the celebration had been enjoyable, dealing with the aftermath of so many drunk companions was a real headache.
Fortunately, it didn't take long to resolve.
Using his heightened senses, Yami identified everyone's residences. Then, with his spatial powers, he sent each person back to their respective homes, sparing himself the trouble of escorting them one by one.
However, when it came to Hestia and Artemis, a small mishap occurred.
The tipsy goddess Hestia, instead of returning to her Familia's home, insisted on dragging Artemis along to follow Hephaestus back to the Tower of Babel. Her excuse? They hadn't seen each other in a long time and wanted to sleep together.
Yet, this had been their routine almost every night during their journey to the Sea of Trees.
But the inebriated Hestia was in no mood to be reasonable. When denied, she dramatically lay on the ground, refusing to budge.
With no other choice, Yami ended up taking all three goddesses back to Hephaestus's residence.
Thankfully, the bed in Hephaestus's room was large enough to accommodate all three without it being too cramped.
The lingering scent of alcohol on the goddesses, however, was a different issue.
Yami had no intention of washing them himself.
Luckily, Kanae, Shinobu, and Kanao were still sober and offered to take care of the goddesses, which was a relief for Yami.
Facing such a situation alone would have been awkward for him.
To avoid any unexpected situations, he decided it was best to leave as soon as possible.
"Then, I'll leave Hephaestus and the others in your care. Kanae, Shinobu, Kanao, I'm really grateful you're here today. Thank you for your help."
Yami, standing at the door of Hephaestus's room, didn't forget to express his gratitude.
Kanae smiled gently.
"Yami-kun, you don't need to thank us. Taking care of Hephaestus-sama is our duty."
"Don't worry, we'll make sure Hephaestus-sama and Hestia-sama are well taken care of. You've had a long day, so go and get some rest."
Hearing this, Yami didn't insist on staying.
Given their close relationship, there was no need for formalities.
"Then, I'll leave it to you. I'm heading back to my room now."
"Good night, Yami-kun. Sweet dreams!"
After a brief goodbye, Yami turned and walked to his room.
It hadn't been lived in for some time, so the room was dusty and cluttered.
With a simple cleaning spell, the room became spotless in an instant.
"Time to sleep."
"As for discussing the journey through the simulated world, I'll talk it over with Hephaestus tomorrow."
As Kanae had mentioned, Yami was indeed a bit tired.
Even though the trip hadn't been particularly challenging, the long journey had drained his energy.
This exhaustion had nothing to do with whether his soul was materialized or not.
With these thoughts in mind, Yami lay down, turned off the magic stone lamp on the wall, and slowly closed his eyes.
It was late at night, and Orario had fallen silent once more.
Few people appreciated the beauty of the night, and most Familia adventurers were too tired to enjoy such a peaceful moment.
After a busy day, it was time for a good rest.
But just then, the door to Yami's room was quietly pushed open from the outside.
In the corridor, light from the magic stone lamp filtered through the crack in the door, casting a soft glow into the room.
The shadow of the intruder stretched across the floor.
Despite this, Yami, lying on the bed, kept his eyes closed, seemingly unaware that someone had entered his room.
The door closed softly behind them.
As light footsteps approached, the intruder stood by the bed, gazing at Yami's peaceful face.
The figure then slowly knelt beside him.
"Thank you, Orion."
"Thank you for saving me and freeing me from my guilt. You're such a special person—you've even made my heart race."
"It's a feeling I've never experienced before."
"And you're the only man I don't push away, Orion. You make me feel different from how I've ever felt around others. Is this what they call love in the lower world?"
"I had promised Hephaestus and Hestia that I wouldn't rush things, but I didn't expect that Hephaestus would already become your partner."
"In that case, there's nothing to worry about."
Goddess Artemis's eyes sparkled, her face glowing with a soft blush.
She gently caressed Yami's cheek with her hand.
"I've decided to stay in Orario."
"Orion… no, Yami, please guide me from now on."
With that, Goddess Artemis smiled sweetly.
She leaned down and softly kissed Yami's forehead.
When she pulled back, her face was even more flushed, but the dim light of the room hid it well.
After finishing her tender gesture, Goddess Artemis stood up again.
She took one last look at Yami before turning and leaving the room.
The door closed with a soft click, and the room was silent once more.
Moments later, a quiet sigh broke the stillness.
Yami, who had been pretending to sleep, slowly opened his eyes.
He had been fully awake the moment Goddess Artemis entered the room but kept his eyes shut since there was no danger.
He hadn't expected something like this to happen.
"It's hard to resist a goddess's charm."
"But I'm truly surprised… Did the three goddesses really have such an agreement?"
"It's… quite something!"