Is it wrong to be an High-Elf in Dungeon?

…

{Ember POV}

I could barely hold back my tears as I stood there, staring at the grand gates of Altena.

My vision blurred slightly, my eyes turning moist as everything I had gone through replayed itself in my mind, one memory after another, all leading to this very moment.

I had almost met that bitch, Thanatos, countless times.

Not once or twice, but so many damn times that I had completely lost count.

Only the Goddess knows how terrified I was of my soul getting scrubbed clean by that Death God in the Underworld like being washed with a dirty mop until nothing of me remained before being forced into some miserable, half-baked respawn.

The thought of it still made my spine crawl.

I honestly didn’t know how close I had come to that fate, but it felt too close for comfort.

At some point, I had even resorted to self-motivation monologues and straight-up hallucinations just to cope with reality.

I talked to myself, argued with myself, reassured myself, all while my body was falling apart and my mind was hanging by a thread.

But now, through sheer fucking willpower and, of course, my healing magic I was back in Altena, standing here alive and breathing.

“Victory!” I cheered right in front of the gate, throwing my arms wide open like an idiot.

That earned me dozens of stares.

People stopped walking. Guards looked at me like I had lost my mind.

Even the guy who had hired me earlier immediately turned his face away in embarrassment, pretending very hard that he had absolutely nothing to do with me and definitely didn’t know who I was.

I took a deep breath, calmed myself down, and ignored all the looks directed at me.

Then I quietly joined the line and waited until it was finally our turn to enter.

When I reached the front, I greeted the guard politely.

Naturally, he had no idea who I was, and that was perfectly fine with me.

I kept my head down, minded my own business, and made sure to stay modest and unremarkable the entire time I was inside Altena.

No unnecessary attention or dram required, thank you.

After my documents were verified, I suppressed the urge to grin like a madman and walked straight toward my house without wasting a second.

There were important things I needed to do.

First, I needed to dye my hair again.

That was non-negotiable.

After that, I had to write two letters and send them through the guild. One was for my Goddess.

The other was for my mother and my sister, just to let them know I was alive and hadn’t dropped dead as collateral damage from some world-ending monster’s random tantrum.

They deserved to stop worrying.

And honestly?

So did I.

Thus, with the grace of someone balanced precariously between sanity and madness, I headed toward my house.

I hadn’t even reached the door when I noticed something that made my steps slow.

Two guards were standing right in front of my house.

“…The fuck?”

My mind froze for a split second as countless possibilities flashed through my head.

'What kind of twist is this now?'

I thought, genuinely mortified.

Had the Athena Familia figured something out?

Did they realize that the mysterious Level 3 who had fought a Level 4 Bloodsaurus was actually a Level 2?

And worse did they somehow connect that person to me?

I let out a quiet sigh.

There was no point panicking here.

Acting nervous would only confirm suspicions that might not even exist.

So I did the exact opposite.

I walked past them calmly, without so much as a second glance, as if they were nothing more than decorations placed there for no reason at all.

I headed straight to a nearby shop and bought black hair dye, keeping my hood low and my behavior unremarkable.

After that, I went to a public bathhouse.

Using the money I had earned on the way here, I rented a private room without hesitation.

I needed privacy, and I needed it now.

I quickly took a proper bath, scrubbing away the grime of travel, blood, sweat, and everything else that clung to me.

Then I dyed my hair, making absolutely sure the color was even and deep enough to hide any trace of green.

Only after I was done did I feel slightly more at ease.

With that taken care of, I made my next decision.

I would go to the guild.

If anyone knew why there were guards stationed in front of my house, it would be there.

I also wanted to see if I could meet up with my party members and figure out what the hell had been happening while I was nearly dying in every possible way.

I hadn’t committed any crimes or broken any laws.

So why the guards?…Or was it because they had realized my true identity?

The escaped Elf prince from Alf’s Forest.

That possibility lingered in my mind as I headed toward the guild, my expression calm but my thoughts anything but.

Whatever the case was, I needed to figure it out.

There was no point standing around and overthinking it.

So after entering the guild hall, I moved toward a corner and leaned against the wall, keeping a low profile while scanning the room.

My eyes drifted across the crowd as I waited for Lance’s party to show up.

I didn’t even know if I would encounter them today.

If I didn’t, then all I could do was leave, camp somewhere outside the city, and wait until I eventually ran into them.

It wasn’t ideal, but it was still an option.

I also considered approaching the guild receptionist and directly asking what was going on.

However, I dismissed that idea almost immediately.

I didn’t trust her enough to casually bring this up, especially when there were guards involved.

Asking questions openly was a good way to attract attention, and attention was the last thing I needed right now.

So I waited.

I stayed still, making sure my posture looked relaxed and unimportant, and that no one was paying me any special attention.

Then, finally, I saw them.

Lance’s party entered the guild hall.

Judging by their casual clothes and relaxed expressions, they had just returned from some light work or a completed quest.

Nothing urgent, or nothing too extreme as that can be seen from lack of injuries on them.

I pushed myself off the wall and started walking toward them quietly, blending in with the flow of people.

Before I could say anything, Jasmine noticed me first.

“Hey guys… isn’t that Tet?” she said, tilting her head slightly.

In an instant, all of their attention snapped toward me.

I didn’t hesitate. I raised my hand briefly and made a subtle gesture, signaling them to meet outside.

Then, without waiting for a response or explanation, I changed direction completely and started walking away from them, heading straight toward the exit.

If we were going to talk, it wasn’t going to be inside the guild.

After waiting for about two minutes in the alley, they finally showed up.

“Well, if this isn’t our dear Tithonus,” Lance said with a grin.

“I honestly thought you’d either be delayed for a few more weeks because of the recent Behemoth attack… or dead, if you had already started your journey.”

In an instant, Jasmine smacked him on the head.

Bonk.

“You idiot! Is that something you say to someone you haven’t seen in a while?!” she snapped at the captain.

Lance grabbed his head with a slight grimace and muttered, “How the hell are your smacks always this powerful…?”

“It’s good to see you again, Sir Tithonus,” Aurielle said warmly, a gentle smile on her face.

Ash nodded as well, though his expression was more curious than relieved.

“I’m glad to see you too,” he said, “but why are you acting so suspiciously?”

At that, everyone’s eyes turned toward me.

I coughed lightly, buying myself a second.

“I’m definitely happy to meet all of you again,” I said honestly.

“But right now, there’s something I really need to know.”

I paused, then frowned.

“Why the hell are there two freaking guards standing right in front of my door?”

They stayed silent for a brief moment, staring at me, and then suddenly burst out laughing.

“I can’t believe this we almost completely forgot about that!” Jasmine said between laughs.

Lance let out a low whistle and smirked.

“Looks like our Tet has become a pretty famous guy. You’ve got a goddess chasing after you now.”

Before I could even react, Aurielle spoke up calmly, her expression still perfectly innocent.

“I sincerely hope you don’t make jokes like that in front of Goddess Athena,” she said.

“The last man who tried to flirt with her had his penis cut off, and his body was impaled with iron before he died a very slow and agonizing death.”

She said it so casually that my eyebrows twitched on their own.

I honestly didn’t know what disturbed me more the content of what she said, or the fact that she said it with such a gentle smile on her face.

I couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of disappointment upon hearing that.

So Athena really was a man-hater to that extent.

I had expected her to be strict, cold, maybe even ruthless but this?

She was being frighteningly accurate to her lore.

Unlike Zeus, who was basically just a loud, shameless pervert constantly getting beaten up by his wife…Figures.

Ahem.

“So why does this goddess want to meet me?” I asked, narrowing my eyes slightly.

“I’m assuming she noticed my genius or something?”

Lance nodded immediately. “Yup. The Goddess noticed your genius, and you honestly wouldn’t believe how eager she is to meet you.”

“Good luck, bud,” Jack added, patting my shoulder with an expression full of pity.

“She’s spent days just thinking about meeting you. That’s basically an open secret by now but don’t tell anyone if you don’t want to incur her wrath. And, well… I really hope you meet her standards.”

He paused meaningfully.

“Otherwise…”

My eyebrows twitched.

At that moment, I quietly made a decision.

If Athena turned out to be a toxic bitch, I would escape Altena without a second thought.

No hesitation or there will be regret for escaping toxic people.

After all, one should never underestimate the power of a common High-Elf.

Ahem.

...

Okay, I thought she would be a toxic bitch at worst.

But somehow, she managed to completely surpass my expectations.

“C’mon, bro! Let’s get started on building this flying ship model already!” Athena said excitedly, grabbing my hand and dragging me along without giving me even half a second to react.

She was practically bouncing with energy as she pulled me toward her private workshop, a massive space filled with half-finished vehicle prototypes, magical machines, blueprints, and models scattered everywhere.

Yes.

Athena was that kind of person.

She was like your brother from no mother despite technically being a sister.

“Goddess, please stop pulling me,” I requested, trying to slow her down while keeping my footing.

She immediately stopped, turned around, and pouted at me like I had personally offended her.

“Don’t call me ‘Goddess,’ bro,” she said seriously.

“That makes you sound like a simp. Call me Athy!”

My eyebrows twitched violently.

'How the hell does she even know what a ‘simp’ is?' I screamed internally.

'Seriously, are all gods just otakus who somehow ascended into godhood?!'

I stared at her as she smiled brightly, completely unaware or maybe painfully aware of my internal suffering.

She had the enthusiasm of a kid in a toy store and the energy of someone who hadn’t slept but somehow felt more powerful because of it.

As she resumed dragging me toward the workshop, I couldn’t help but wonder one simple thing.

How the hell did my life end up like this?

...

{3rd POV}

Ember finally met the guards stationed at the entrance of his home, this time accompanied by his party members.

After a brief exchange and verification, the guards no longer blocked his path.

Instead, they formally escorted him away from his house and toward the palace, informing Athena along the way that he had arrived as requested.

As Ember entered the palace grounds, he immediately sensed the change in atmosphere.

The place felt heavy, formal, and rigid in a way that made even experienced adventurers uncomfortable.

Inside the grand hall, long rows of ministers stood in orderly lines, accompanied by scholars and officials dressed in elegant robes.

Their gazes occasionally shifted toward Ember, filled with curiosity, scrutiny, and thinly veiled judgment.

At that moment, Ember couldn’t help but feel as though he had been summoned for a trial rather than a simple introduction.

Every movement, every glance directed at him made the situation feel far more serious than he had expected.

Still, he remained calm and waited patiently, standing quietly while the silence stretched on.

Then, footsteps echoed through the hall.

Ember lifted his head and looked toward the source of the sound.

A woman entered the hall, and the moment she did, the atmosphere shifted instantly.

She was breathtakingly beautiful, with long white hair that flowed down her back and piercing blue eyes that seemed to command the room without effort.

Without a single word being spoken, every official, scholar, and even Lance’s entire party immediately bowed deeply in her presence.

The movement was so synchronized that it was almost instinctual.

Ember, however, remained standing.

For a brief moment, he was confused until he realized he was the only one still upright.

As an High-Elf of royal blood, he had never developed the habit of bowing to others.

Even among nobility, bowing was not something expected of him.

And now, despite the overwhelming pressure in the room, he didn’t move.

While everyone else remained bent in respect, Ember stood still, fully aware that he alone had not bowed.

“Everyone! You are in the presence of the Ruler of Altena, Goddess Athena!” a guard announced loudly, still deeply bowed.

Athena turned calmly and took her seat upon the throne, her movements composed and authoritative.

By the time Ember realized that he probably should have bowed, it was already far too late to correct it without making things worse.

He scratched his cheek awkwardly, forcing a casual expression, silently hoping that this small gesture might somehow make the infamous man-hater forget his moment of discourtesy.

Deep down, he knew that was wishful thinking.

With a simple snap of her fingers, Athena signaled the end of the formal greeting.

Instantly, everyone in the hall straightened up, lifting their heads and returning to their previous postures.

The atmosphere remained tense, but the weight of the bowing pressure vanished.

Athena’s sharp blue eyes immediately locked onto the lone elf standing before her—the one with long black hair who had failed to bow.

Instead of anger, however, there was clear excitement flickering in her gaze.

With genuine interest, she leaned forward slightly and spoke.

“Tithonus Ber,” she said, her voice clear and authoritative, “if I may ask… is it true that you scored a ninety-eight in the Magic Craftsman examination?”

“Yes, Goddess,” Ember replied calmly, keeping his tone respectful even as his mind raced.

Athena crossed one leg over the other, resting her elbow lightly against the arm of the throne.

A faint smile appeared on her lips as she tilted her head, clearly enjoying this moment.

'Of course, she has to farm aura', Ember thought amused.

“Then tell me,” she continued, her eyes shining with curiosity,

“What do you think the stars in the sky really are?”

Everyone else in the hall remained completely silent, not daring to intrude or even whisper among themselves.

The question Athena had asked was not written in any book, nor was it part of any formal curriculum.

During her descent into the Genkai, she had asked this same question to countless people scholars, nobles, craftsmen, and so-called geniuses.

And without exception, every single one of them had failed.

Some answers were completely wrong.

Others were close but still missed the truth by just enough to be incorrect.

Athena had never bothered to correct them.

In fact, she deliberately avoided giving the answer.

If people learned the answers to what she considered easy questions, then finding someone truly intelligent would become far more difficult when she moved on to questions that were even more complex and completely outside their established knowledge.

That was why this moment mattered.

“I think they are the same as our sun,” Ember replied calmly, his tone steady and confident.

“They are just much, much farther away.”

To Ember, this question was nothing more than child’s play.

Athena froze.

For a brief moment, she simply stared at him, disbelief flashing across her face.

He had answered it correctly.

It wasn't like he was only partially right about the question, even if it wasn't full answer it was completely right.

She raised a hand and pressed it against her forehead, lowering her face slightly as if overwhelmed.

The movement barely concealed the wide, excited smile threatening to break across her lips.

Her heart raced not with anger, but with exhilaration.

After a short pause, she straightened up again, her eyes gleaming with renewed interest.

“Then let me ask you something else,” she said, clearly enjoying herself now.

“What do you think the sun itself is made of?”

“Hot magma,” Ember replied without hesitation, “and it should be so hot that its heat can reach all the way here to the Genkai.”

It was the most reasonable answer anyone could give with the knowledge available in this world.

Ember deliberately kept it grounded, something that would sound logical rather than absurd or overly complex.

Athena opened her mouth, clearly intending to ask the next question but no words came out.

The hall fell into an uneasy silence.

Everyone except Ember began to sweat.

Some officials stiffened, their minds racing as they wondered whether Tithonus had finally disappointed the Goddess.

A few of them even felt a flicker of relief, quietly gloating inside.

If this elf failed here, it would eliminate a dangerous competitor for Athena’s attention and favor.

The tension grew thicker by the second.

Then, suddenly...“Tet,” Athena said.

Her voice broke the silence like a blade.

“Can I ask you something?”

She stood up from her throne as she spoke, her expression unreadable.

The sound of her rising drew everyone’s attention instantly.

Ministers, scholars, guards every pair of eyes locked onto her.

And then, a heartbeat later, many of them realized something else.

She had called him by a nickname.

Even Ember noticed.

His brows knit together slightly as confusion flickered across his face.

That wasn’t something a Goddess usually did, especially in front of this many people.

“Uh… yes, Goddess?” Ember replied cautiously, clearly unsure where this was going.

“Where the hell have you been, bro? Do you know how many brain cells I’ve lost because you were gone?!” Athena complained loudly.

Before anyone could even process what she had said, she leapt down from her place and rushed straight toward Ember.

Acting on pure instinct, Ember stepped forward and caught her before she could crash into him.

“My brother from another mother!” she shouted happily, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.

“I’ve finally met you at last!”

The entire hall froze.

For a long moment, no one moved.

No one spoke.

Dozens of people simply stared at the scene unfolding right in front of them, their eyes wide with sheer, unfiltered shock.

'Is this really the same man-hater Goddess?'

'The one who kills people on the spot for flirting with her?'

'The same Goddess whose mere presence overwhelms us with majesty and fear?'

That Athena?

Officials stood stiff as statues.

Scholars felt their minds short-circuit.

Guards forgot how to breathe.

This was the same Goddess whose authority left entire halls trembling yet here she was, clinging to an elf like an overexcited child.

Jasmine’s jaw practically dropped.

Lance looked like his soul had momentarily left his body.

Neither of them could believe what they were seeing.

Their almighty Goddess hugging someone.

And not just someone.

Hugging him.

(A/N: Why? You jealous :P)

...

Ember let out a quiet sigh before shifting the conversation entirely.

Instead of reacting to the chaos around them, he calmly started discussing design models with Athena.

He explained that if she truly wanted the flying ship to work properly, she should make it more dynamic something closer to a bird so it could actually generate lift and maneuver naturally instead of relying purely on brute force or magic.

Athena listened intently, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

With every suggestion Ember made, she became more impressed.

Each idea he shared only seemed to push her curiosity and enthusiasm further, to the point where she started throwing out ideas of her own at a rapid pace.

The two of them quickly fell into a heated but playful discussion, completely ignoring the stunned crowd behind them.

Meanwhile, the people observing from a distance were having a full-blown reality crisis.

“This is ridiculous,” Merina muttered, staring at the scene with disbelief clearly written on her face.

Amphithea sighed deeply, rubbing her temples.

“Everyone saw how she acted just now. We’re going to need to make sure no rumors spread about this,” she said quietly, already imagining the political nightmare that would follow if word got out.

Behind them, officials whispered nervously, scholars exchanged confused glances, and guards stood frozen, unsure whether they were witnessing history or a disaster in the making.

“Our Goddess was a tomboy? Who knew,” Gandalf muttered, stroking his beard thoughtfully as he stared at the scene unfolding in front of him, still struggling to reconcile it with everything he believed about Athena.

Before anyone could respond, Athena casually waved her hand.

“Alright, everyone, you can leave now,” she said cheerfully.

“I’m having fun with my bro.”

Her tone was light, playful but then her gaze shifted slightly.

“Merina, handle the outburst,” Athena added with a smile that made Ember feel a sudden chill run down his spine.

“The last thing I want right now is to silence them all.”

Merina stiffened immediately.

“Y-Yes, Goddess,” she replied, already turning to deal with the shocked officials and scholars, who suddenly looked very motivated to behave.

Athena turned back toward Ember, her expression bright again, as if she hadn’t just implied mass murder a second ago.

“Hey bro,” she said casually, tilting her head.

“What do you think is the best way to assassinate someone?”

The question came so suddenly and so naturally that Ember didn’t even process it properly.

He replied on pure habit.

“Leave no one alive,” he said flatly.

“Including any possible witnesses.”

The air froze.

“…”

Every elite member of Athena’s familia stood there with their jaws practically hitting the floor after hearing such an absurd answer. Their minds simply couldn’t keep up with what they had just witnessed.

First, the Goddess hugged an elf like a long-lost sibling.

Now this?

Athena, on the other hand, reacted completely differently.

She gasped sharply, as if an invisible arrow had pierced straight through her heart.

“Such a brilliant answer!” she exclaimed, clutching her chest.

“So full of divine wisdom!”

Her eyes actually grew moist, and for a moment it looked like she might start crying from sheer emotion.

At last finally she had found someone who walked the same path of thinking as her.

Someone who shared her wavelength of logic and madness, without hesitation or fear.

Meanwhile, the others exchanged uneasy glances with one another.

The realization settled in painfully clear.

Their Goddess’s bro… was just as crazy as she was.

Great.

Fucking Great.

To be continued…

PS: If this fanfic does well, other than 5 weekly chaps I will also do bonus chaps(Basically if it shows in top 5 of the ranking for two days or more, or maybe in top 8 of weekly ranking, and also if you have noticed now has 29 advance chaps which should again become 30 chaps with today's update later down the night. So yeah is now at 30 advance chaps and I plan to maintain this, maybe increase it to 35 or even further. But I am tired of uploading 3 chaps per day, I still need to focus on Mushoku One(Which I will release here as well next month) and I still need to continue writing my all Re: Zero fanfics(I have six of them so fuck me).