Inside the huge tent, Artemis asked Lumine many questions about Barbatos.
At first, there was no doubt: the goddess' curiosity was merely spurred by Barbara's devotion. Artemis had her own special purpose in learning about the God of Freedom.
But as the conversation proGarethed…
"So this is what the children (the mortal beings of the lower realm) consider a truly great deity."
The moon goddess, guardian of purity, gradually understood why the "Orion" she had singled out was so devout in her faith toward this otherworldly god.
In the end…
"He is a being worthy of respect."
Even if he usually slacked off, always goofing around…
Even if he was a drunken troublemaker?
Lumine occasionally mentioned Barbatos' flaws.
But…
"Isn't that perfectly normal?"
Artemis' expression remained calm.
"Humans have such flaws, so why shouldn't a god?"
"You mortals seem to hold gods to impossibly high standards… Even when you yourselves might fail, you expect gods to succeed?"
"And yet, these are things you could do, you simply choose not to."
…Indeed.
What Artemis was really talking about was the principle of do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.
Merely not slacking off is something humans can manage; it doesn't need a "god" prefix.
So rather than mortals having high standards for gods, it's more like we impose our standards on others.
This, perhaps, is what they call the unpleasant trait of being stricter with others than with oneself.
Moreover…
Without comparison, there's no sense of admiration.
Looking at the fun-loving gods of Orario, those who do nothing all day, one could suddenly notice that some mischievous troublemaker was surprisingly diligent.
After all, his winds had been protecting the entirety of Mondstadt.
Strictly speaking, Barbatos had been operating in a 007 mode for millennia.
For such a hardworking god, occasional slacking or drinking was hardly a complaint-worthy offense.
In short, once this topic was settled, Lumine realized:
Previously, Artemis' apparent jealousy toward the mischievous god, alright, yes, there was some jealousy, wasn't the main point.
The real reason she inquired about the God of Freedom was her concern for "Orion."
Gods have their own ways of thinking and perspectives.
And Artemis knew well that whether in the heavens, the lower realm, or even other worlds, malicious gods were not lacking.
For example: those who exploit others under the guise of righteousness for personal gain.
Or simply malicious, careless, life-disregarding brutes.
Artemis confirmed that Barbara possessed a pure and flawless soul recognized even by the Orion Arrow.
So even though Artemis was the "later arrival," she did not want such a good child to be deceived by potential malicious gods.
Through a brief conversation with Lumine, Artemis at least preliminarily confirmed:
Barbatos clearly did not fall into that category.
However…
"Even so, I will not yield to such a respectable otherworldly god."
Alright. The moon goddess, who had been bearing the heavy responsibility of preventing the destruction of the lower realm, was clearly fired up with intense competitiveness.
From Renjiro's perspective…
"As long as it's not a villain who schemes or manipulates, if it's just 'healthy competition'… what's the harm?"
Ahem, he certainly wouldn't admit that he also wanted to watch this divine-level brawl unfold. Absolutely not.
When the conversation between Lumine and Artemis ended, more than two hours had passed.
Next, according to Renjiro's draft plan, Lumine was to meet with Grace and others to share critical intelligence with them.
After all, when the Black and White Sword duo entered the Large Tree Labyrinth, suffered severe injuries, and even the Lv.6 Hogni lost an arm… it silently revealed a grim fact:
"The danger level of the ancient monster, Secret Realm Scorpio, far exceeds anything I saw in the 'Earth Error Movie' before my transmigration."
So enlisting more helpers was a necessary and feasible approach.
At present…
"Mr. Hogni."
Lumine had just exited the tent used by her familia and saw the silver-haired dark elf still standing guard.
As for the previously extremely annoying Hermes, he was nowhere to be seen.
Based on Lumine's guess, he had likely been kicked out. Otherwise, he would have definitely eavesdropped during her conversation with Artemis about Barbatos.
Now…
"Excuse me, where did Mr. Hogni go?"
Lumine asked casually.
She suspected that anyone capable of chasing away that mischievous god would be the one with the White Demon Wand.
Given the elegant yet explosive temper of the blonde-white elf, even Hermes would have to back off.
After she asked…
Hogni, sword planted firmly, seemed extremely hesitant.
Several times, he opened his mouth to speak, then swallowed his words.
This repeated for quite a while…
Lumine, showing a helpless expression, could only coax:
"No need to force yourself. Just speak in the way you're most accustomed to."
The silver-haired dark elf immediately relaxed, visibly relieved, and showed a "saved!" expression.
Then…
"As for my comrades, I've always done as I please."
Alright, Lumine, accustomed to Fischl-speak, immediately understood.
In short: I have no idea either~
"Sorry for the interruption."
Lumine had only asked casually. Since Hogni didn't give the answer she wanted, she didn't press further.
After receiving his response, she shrugged and turned toward the tent used by Loki's familia.
At the same time…
"By the way, your right arm has just healed. Although Barbara's healing is strong, it still consumes your stamina."
"If there's nothing urgent, it's best to rest first."
Leaving these words, Lumine arrived at the tent entrance used by Loki's familia members.
After he disappeared inside…
"Emmmm~"
Hogni, standing at the entrance of Freya's familia tent, fell into thought.
"Why did Freya's adoptive sister call me 'super troublesome' before, but now tell me to go back to my usual way of speaking?"
He never considered that without his chuunibyou-style speech, he couldn't even communicate properly.
Might as well let him babble on, at least it was just incomprehensible, not completely silent.
Lumine indeed thought the same.
However…
"Ohhh, I see now."
Hogni Ragnar, the Dainsleif, was a magic swordsman.
His magical knowledge wasn't low.
So his imagination skills… you get it.
Thus…
"So Freya's adoptive sister also prefers that style of communication."
"Right, I remember now. She only said: Freya finds it 'super troublesome,' not that she finds it troublesome."
"Got it, got it."
Hogni squinted slightly, pleased at discovering this key point as a "blind student."
"From now on, just don't use that speech in front of Freya."
"And when communicating with others, especially with this 'goddess' adoptive sister,' use the 'ancient method that relieves psychological pressure.'"
"After all, it's a precious cultural heritage passed down by the gods for centuries. Freya probably got tired of it, hence finding it troublesome."
"But my adoptive sister Lumine… she understands it too."
"Great, finally a kindred spirit."
In the end, Hogni nodded with self-satisfamilia.
"Hmm, careful observation, proper analysis. That's my genius!"
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