Chapter 101: [BONUS] - Who the Hell Said I Forbade It?

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Night had settled in.

As reconstruction continued, new stone buildings slowly rose across the ruined village.

While cleanup crews were still hard at work, two figures had slipped away from the resting platoons. They sat together on a grassy patch of farmland just outside the village.

Neither of them spoke.

They sat quietly, looking up at the waxing moon.

They both knew time was running out, but the words they wanted to say felt impossible to speak. Sometimes, love appeared in a single moment, forged by surviving disaster together, where one look felt like forever. But the stronger those feelings grew, the harder it became to find the courage to confess.

So they stayed silent.

Meanwhile, hidden in the distant treeline...

"Ugh, this is actual torture to watch," Hestia groaned.

She and Artemis were spying on the couple. Watching the man and woman sit together in the moonlight without saying a word drove the Goddesses crazy. To them, a moment like this called for a passionate confession.

Why were they out here snooping?

Because the Artemis and Hermes Familias had protested the military patrols for interrupting true love. They wanted the couple to have a real chance.

Secretary Jack, the seasoned veteran in charge, noticed his subordinates slipping out of camp late at night and came to investigate. He stayed back in the shadows, watching from a distance.

As a married man, he completely understood what his soldier was going through.

Finding someone you cared about in a disaster zone, holding on to each other to survive, and forming a strong bond was a kind of romance born from common hardship.

"Star-crossed lovers," Secretary Jack sighed heavily.

He wasn't heartless. He had already given his warnings, but he couldn't deny the two genuinely cared for each other. If he were in the soldier's place, he would feel the same.

But Jack knew this medieval village was not a good place. Staying here was a dead end. It was a poor, forgotten part of a failing kingdom, and staying would only lead to ruin.

If they were back on Earth, Jack wouldn't have minded if his men found girlfriends.

He also knew what these young men really wanted. They might joke about finding a rich, beautiful heiress—yet deep inside, they just wanted a simple, real connection. Most were regular guys hoping to find a soulmate. Soul resonance.

And true love like that was a rare luxury.

"Hey, old man, where the hell is your conscience?" a young female adventurer hissed beside him, fed up with his cynical sighs. She felt she had to call him out.

Jack ignored the insult and steadied his expression, his face turning serious.

"Love is a fleeting emotion, but it's also a heavy responsibility," Jack lectured in a low voice. "If a momentary spark ends up dragging someone down into a bottomless abyss... If there's no future in it, then you shouldn't start it."

"Young lady, you're an Adventurer. You've seen a lot of people and a lot of tragedy. Love isn't just something you say—it's something you have to back up."

As the Secretary, he was the voice of harsh and practical restraint.

"Can't you just hope for the best for once?" Hestia grumbled. "Why do you always have to throw cold water on everything?"

"No. I agree with him."

Artemis's voice broke the silence. She understood why her followers wanted the couple to succeed, but she couldn't let sentiment cloud her judgment.

Secretary Jack was right. Love was more than words—it was action.

With her divine sight, Artemis could tell Jack was honest. He didn't dismiss the feelings of these kids from another world, but the responsibility of taking someone across dimensions was huge. It couldn't be ignored.

As a Virgin Goddess, Artemis knew she had to judge the situation fairly, without letting her own wishes turn it into a romantic story with a tragic ending.

"If there's no answer, there shouldn't be a response," Artemis stated firmly.

Hestia and Hermes stared at her in shock. They never expected the famously kind Artemis to give such a harsh answer. Weren't they supposed to be rooting for these kids?

'Crap. We've got a traitor among us.'

"No matter how you look at it, I cannot support this relationship. I believe walking away is the best possible outcome for both of them," Artemis declared, her tone uncompromising.

You couldn't force two lives together in a moment of passion. That would only cause lasting harm.

Hearing Artemis back him up, Secretary Jack breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

'As expected of the legendary Goddess of the Moon. She doesn't pull her punches.'

No one else came out of the shadows to interfere. It was a private moment for the star-crossed lovers, and the others just watched in silence.

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But time did not stop for their broken hearts.

Thanks to thousands of soldiers, the village was rebuilt. Rows of new houses stood where the ruins once were. The village was effectively reborn.

The next day marked their scheduled departure.

The two-day grace period promised by Ouranos was over. On the last night, several soldiers who had grown close to village girls snuck out to share one last calm moment under the stars. They sat together, said nothing, and parted in silence when the moon set.

The young soldiers knew this was their last day. They wouldn't stay. Sharing the moonlight was the best goodbye they could give.

Watching these silent goodbyes made Hestia feel like she could hardly breathe.

The time to leave finally arrived.

The military broke camp. After August put the heavy armor and artillery back into his spatial inventory, the huge army lined up to march through the dimensional portal.

Ten thousand troops stood in formation. The young soldiers wore proud, tired smiles, eager to go home as victorious veterans.

As the army got ready to march to the gateway, the villagers gathered to give them a heartfelt send-off.

But as the troops started to move, a young woman in the crowd, her eyes fixed on the man she was about to lose, couldn't hold back any longer.

"SAM! I LOVE YOU! I REALLY DO!"

Her scream broke the disciplined silence of the marching soldiers.

The villagers were stunned for a moment, but soon understood. They knew exactly what was happening, especially the elders. In a place like this, if you loved someone, you just said it. No one would judge you.

The girl broke through the crowd, sprinting desperately toward her target.

Her run was anything but graceful. She was crying hard, her face stained with tears and her nose running. She crashed into the soldier and grabbed his uniform tightly, as if holding on for dear life.

She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to do. She just sobbed, burying her face into his chest as her tears soaked his uniform.

The young soldier—Sam—stood at attention, but his hands shook badly.

He stared ahead for a while. Then, unable to hold back, he slowly put his arms around her shaking shoulders.

As soon as his rough hands touched her back, she held him even tighter and cried harder.

When the others saw her, it set off a wave through the village. More girls ran into the group, looking for their own soldiers. They needed to say goodbye.

A few young widows stepped forward quietly. They didn't cry out. They simply walked up to the men they cared for and gently touched their faces, trying to remember them one last time.

Out of an army of tens of thousands, maybe only a few dozen men had found someone here. The vast majority already had fiancées or girlfriends back home and kept their distance.

But seeing all this heartbreak left August completely stunned.

"What the hell is going on?"

August stood by the portal with his hand on the dial. He wondered why everyone was so upset, as if they were being sent to their doom.

"Star-crossed lovers, Advisor," Staff Officer Thomas sighed heavily, standing next to him.

To Thomas, it was a familiar tragedy: people finding love, only to be separated by the gap between two worlds. He understood what was happening because the field reports kept him informed.

"No, seriously, what is happening?" August asked, utterly lost. Why was there an atmosphere of literal life-or-death tragedy radiating across the field?

"Lili, what am I missing here?"

Lili sighed, giving him a knowing look. "Lord August, these men met girls here. You know they have to go back to their world now, which means saying goodbye forever. The girls can't bear it."

She paused. "Plus... didn't you explicitly forbid them from getting involved with anyone here?"

"So, this is the result," Lili shrugged helplessly.

In her mind, and it seemed in everyone else's, August had set a strict 'no fraternization' rule. This was a military mission, and they came from two different worlds. It was bound to fail from the beginning.

August was shocked. It took him a moment to understand what she meant.

"Who the hell said I forbade it?" He snapped his head toward Hestia and Lili, looking at them like they were crazy. "Wait, you guys thought I banned this?"

"Are you kidding me? Look at me and Hestia! Do I look like a guy who's against inter-world relationships??"

"I brought them here to fight because Ouranos asked for backup! How they manage their personal lives is their own damn business!"

Why would he care? If they found someone they loved and wanted to take them back to Earth, what was the problem? He didn't mind playing the inter-dimensional doorman for a few extra passengers.

"Bullshit! Don't you pin this on me, old man!"

August snapped, pointing an accusing finger at Staff Officer Thomas. "I specifically said 'don't let it interfere with the mission.' I never said a damn word about banning romance! You guys manage your own troops! Don't use me as the scapegoat!"

August was angry.

The idea that he was against it was impossible. He was an inter-dimensional traveler dating a Goddess from another world. How could he deny his friends the chance to find their own fantasy romance?

Someone had framed him.

Staff Officer Thomas and Commander James suddenly froze, realizing what had happened.

Wait...

Thinking back, they realized August had only told them not to delay the mission. He never banned relationships. August wasn't a military officer, so he wouldn't care about their rules. If a soldier fell in love, it was up to the commanders to handle it.

"Wait, so you're actually okay with this?" Rethusa, Asfi, and the other girls stared at August in shock. They hadn't expected him to be so chill about it.

"I'm literally dating Hestia. How could I say no?" August scoffed.

"What, am I supposed to say 'rules for you, but not for me'? That's just being a hypocrite."

Case closed. The truth was out.

Right away, Hestia, Artemis, and all the Familias turned and glared at Staff Officer Thomas and the commanders.

'I'm the clown?' Secretary Jack stood in the background, realizing the horrific truth. 'Wait, am I the villain of this story?'

"Ahem. Well, about this..." Staff Officer Thomas wiped his brow and looked at Commander James for help.

But James and the other officers were experts at avoiding blame. They quickly looked away, pretending not to notice. They didn't want to get involved.

'Cowards, every single one of you,' Thomas cursed internally.

He had to bite the bullet.

August realized exactly what had happened. Thomas and the commanders had completely misinterpreted his original orders, assuming he wouldn't allow it. But in reality, August didn't care at all.

"Just treat it like international marriages," August offered pragmatically. "Take them back and register them as foreign spouses."

"Though..." August glanced at the weeping girls. "Are we sure they're willing to leave everything behind and go with them?"

Catching his look, Hestia immediately jumped into action.

"Chief Olly!" Hestia yelled across the field. "If these girls leave to go live in that other world, is that going to be a problem for the village??"

Chief Olly, who had been watching the drama unfold in confusion, suddenly snapped to attention.

His face broke into a look of absolute joy.

"No problem! No problem at all!" Olly shouted back enthusiastically.

He fully supported the idea.

The village was facing a serious population problem. With so many men gone, there were five women for every man. If some women left with the soldiers, it would help balance things and improve the village's chances of survival.

Even more, it helped the widows. Without men to support them in a tough world, their futures looked grim. Leaving with the soldiers gave them hope for a better life.

"Well, you heard the man. They have the village's blessing," Hestia said, turning back to Staff Officer Thomas with a smug grin.

"I... I can't officially authorize the policy yet. I have to report this to high command," Thomas stammered, rubbing the back of his neck.

"But..." He sighed, looking at the weeping soldiers. "I can take them back with us first."

He realized he would have to go through with it. Once they crossed the portal, it would be done. It would be easier to ask for forgiveness later, after the girls were already on base.

"Alright, listen up!" Hestia spun around and projected her voice across the entire army.

"I hereby declare that anyone who wishes to follow this army back to their world is free to leave with them!"

"Those who wish to stay, step back! Those who wish to go, fall in line with the troops!"

The moment the decree rang across the field, the entire army erupted in cheers.

The somber atmosphere vanished in an instant, swept away by shouts of joy.

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