Anime Crossover: I, the Shadow King, slaughter my way through DanMachi!

Hermes continued probing, "Speaking of which... Lord Yingping."

"You and your clan are definitely not as simple as they seem, are you?"

"His strength must be more than just LV1 registered with the guild; otherwise, he couldn't have defeated the Apollo Familia so easily."

He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice: "So here's the question... what's the purpose of you hiding your strength?"

Yingping finally turned his head, his eyes deep and unfathomable in the light.

He smiled calmly: "Lord Hermes, don't some people in your clan also hide their strength? For example, that captain, Miss Asphi?"

Hermes was startled, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"So...."

Ying Ping asked calmly, "And what is your purpose?"

The night wind howled between the two, and Hermes fell silent.

A moment later, he suddenly burst into laughter: "Hahaha! As expected of Lord Yingping, your intuition is indeed sharp!"

He spread his hands casually, "We Hermes's Clan just enjoy gathering intelligence; we don't have any particular purpose."

Yingping didn't expose him, but nodded meaningfully: "Is that so? Then we Hestia Familia just want to live a peaceful life."

“But then again.”

Yingping suddenly changed the subject, "Was the monster uprising in the Great Tree Sea really just a coincidence?"

Hermes' smile froze for a moment, then returned to normal: "Well... you'll see when we get there~"

He deliberately changed the subject: "The moonlight is so beautiful tonight!"

Ying Ping shook his head, a hint of sarcasm on his face, and said, "Yes, it's just a pity that you have to share a dragon with a man like me, right?"

"Hahaha, that's not true. Actually, chatting with Yingping is quite interesting."

Hermes laughed again.

The two chatted casually, their words subtly veiled in subtle sarcasm as they probed each other's intentions.

Hermes said half-jokingly, "Lord Yingping, how much do you know about Lady Artemis?"

Ying Ping's eyes flickered slightly: "Not much, all I know is that she is Hestia's good friend and the moon goddess who governs chastity."

Hermes nodded and continued, "In the realm of the gods, she's one of the three most famous virgin goddesses, just like Hestia..."

"She is one of the rare deities who would personally take up a sword and fight, possessing exceptional archery skills and combat techniques."

"Even without relying on divine power or divine might, one can still easily hunt monsters."

Hermes said meaningfully, "As for the Orion Spear you carry..."

Yingping didn't respond, but simply waited quietly for what would happen next.

Seeing this, Hermes continued, "That spear will choose its destined one... It seems you are that one."

"Destined?"

Ying Ping chuckled lightly, "To be honest, I'm more inclined to believe that human effort can overcome anything, and that people can conquer nature."

"Interesting answer."

A glint of light flashed in Hermes' eyes. "So... are you prepared for the danger that is about to be faced?"

Yingping looked into the distance: "Of course we're prepared. No matter what happens, we'll deal with whatever comes our way."

Hermes nodded thoughtfully and said no more.

The night wind howled, and their conversation was drowned out by the wind.

No one knew what the other was really thinking, but they all tacitly maintained a facade of harmony.

On the dragon behind, Hestia suddenly sneezed: "Achoo!"

Artemis asked with concern, "Are you cold?"

"no..."

Hestia rubbed her nose. "I have a feeling someone's talking about us behind our backs..."

She glanced at the backs of Ying Ping and Hermes at the front and muttered, "It must be that Hermes who instilled something bad in my Ying Ping..."

Artemis followed her gaze, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes: "Hestia... what kind of person is your kinsman, Yingping?"

Hestia immediately puffed out her chest proudly: "What kind of person? My Yingping-jun is the best!"

"is it?"

Artemis sighed softly, her gaze into the distance becoming deep and melancholy.

The flying dragon carried everyone from night to dawn, traversing countless mountains and rivers.

As the midday sun shone down on the earth, they finally landed and rested on a wide-open grassland.

"Let's rest here for a while."

Hermes stretched and said, "After flying all night and all morning, everyone needs to replenish their energy and get some sleep."

Yingping lightly leaped off the dragon's back, looked around, and walked into a deserted forest. He then took out a barbecue grill and various seasonings and meat products from the system's inventory.

"This...is this?"

Seeing Ying Ping return laden with his spoils, Hermes' eyes widened, his jaw nearly dropping to the ground. "Ying Ping, where did you get all this stuff?"

Ying Ping smiled without saying a word, but simply called out, "Everyone, come and help."

Chizuka and Takina immediately ran over to help start a fire, Elena used wind magic to control the heat, and Kokkoro carefully prepared the tableware.

Hestia wanted to help, but Artemis gently pulled her hand away.

“Let the children keep busy, Hestia, let’s have a chat.”

Artemis's voice was soft, but the melancholy in her eyes could not be concealed.

Chapter 44 The Moon Goddess Who Went to Her Death [Please Subscribe]

"Ok."

Seeing his best friend like this, Hestia could only nod.

While flipping the meat skewers, Yingping observed Artemis.

Seeing that she still couldn't muster any enthusiasm, Yingping handed the meat skewers he was grilling to Chizuka to watch over, and then went to sit down next to Artemis and Hestia.

"Lady Artemis, are you feeling unwell?"

Yingping asked softly.

Artemis shook her head, her short blue hair shimmering in the sunlight: "No... I just..."

Her gaze drifted into the distance, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Yingping didn't press further, but instead took out a small bottle from his person: "This is a type of lavender that's a specialty of the Orario area. It can relax you when you smell it. Would you like to try it?"

Artemis paused for a moment, then took the bottle and sniffed it gently.

The sweet but not cloying floral fragrance spread to her nose, and her tense expression finally softened a little.

"Give it to you."

Ying Ping said with a smile.

"Thanks..."

Artemis finally smiled: "Are you always this considerate to girls?"

Yingping smiled and said, "Of course not. I just don't want to see the beautiful goddess looking so worried."

Hestia witnessed their conversation.

Hestia frowned, struggling internally.

Artemis's behavior is so abnormal that it seems this is not just a simple matter of a monster uprising.

But as a close friend, she was unwilling to speculate in the worst-case scenario.

Hermes sat by the campfire, silently munching on roasted meat, his hat brim pulled low, obscuring his expression.

Only the occasional glimpse of his eyes from the shadows revealed that he was closely observing everything, constantly calculating in his mind.

"Master, the meat is ready! Come and eat!"

Chizuku's cheerful voice broke the delicate atmosphere.

Everyone immediately sat around the campfire to enjoy lunch.

Elena ate her grilled meat elegantly in small bites, occasionally stealing glances at Ying Ping and Artemis.

Kokoro thoughtfully poured flower tea for everyone, while Chitsuka and Takina discussed various things, looking incredibly happy.

Although Artemis still hadn't eaten anything, she seemed much more relaxed with Ying Ping by her side.

She even took the initiative to ask Hestia about her life in Orario.

"Hestia, the children of your clan... are all very good people."

"Artemis said softly, a hint of envy flashing in her eyes."

Hestia proudly puffed out her chest: "Of course! These excellent children were all brought back by Lord Yingping! Aren't you amazing?"

She paused, then asked hesitantly, "Artemis... By the way, are you really alright? Are you hiding something from me?"

Artemis forced a smile: "It's just a tiring journey, don't worry."

Seeing this, Hestia grabbed Artemis's hand and said, "Then come and try Chizuka's grilled meat! She's an excellent cook!"

Artemis forced a smile: "Hmm..."

But she just sat there and didn't reach out to take it.

Yingping noticed her unusual behavior, picked up a skewer of freshly grilled meat, and sat down next to her.

"Don't you like the barbecue?"

Yingping asked softly.

Artemis shook her head, her short blue hair fluttering gently in the morning breeze: "No... I just don't want to eat right now."

Her voice was soft, tinged with melancholy.

Yingping nodded thoughtfully: "Are you still worried about your clan?"

Artemis was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Hmm... I wonder how they are now."

Yingping nodded: "I understand how you feel, but worrying here won't solve the problem."

"The only way to help them better when we get there is to take advantage of the time now and conserve our energy, right?"

Artemis paused slightly, then smiled gently: "You're right, you truly are my Orion..."

She reached out her slender fingers and touched Yingping's face again.

Not far away, Hestia watched the two chatting happily, and suddenly the roasted meat in her hand no longer smelled appetizing.

"Artemis and Ying Pingjun...when did they become so close?"

"Seriously... is this really Artemis? She doesn't look like her at all."

She frowned and muttered to herself, a strange and inexplicable emotion welling up inside her.

Three days passed quickly.

Over the past three days, Artemis's attitude toward Ying Ping has undergone a more subtle change.

She began to intentionally or unintentionally seek opportunities to get closer to Yingping. During breaks, she would sit next to him and invite him to watch the stars and chat at night.

And Yingping always responded gently to her affection.

Their relationship progressed rapidly, and to outsiders, it had become quite ambiguous.

Three consecutive days of forced marches allowed the Flying Dragons to traverse thousands of mountains and rivers at an astonishing speed.

With Kokkoro's support magic and Elena's time acceleration assistance, the originally planned ten-day journey was shortened by more than half.

On the morning of the fourth day, a lush green was already faintly visible on the horizon—