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

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{3rd Pov}

Ember finally departed from Altena alongside Merina and Athena, both of whom were traveling in disguise.

Since Ember had already dyed his hair black long ago, he didn’t need to alter his appearance any further.

His face was not widely known outside of a few specific locations.

He was somewhat recognizable in Argon Town and Shawn Village due to his previous activities there, but beyond those places he had not accomplished anything that would make him famous in the wider world.

Even within Altena, his proximity to Athena had been kept strictly confidential.

The palace officials had taken extreme care to ensure that no rumors escaped the inner circle.

Allowing the public to know that their Goddess—an ancient being older than civilizations of Genkai itself—had suddenly found a mortal she called “bro,” and now treated him like a sibling she never had, would create unnecessary complications.

And technically speaking, it would sound absurd.

The idea that the Goddess of Wisdom was casually hanging around a mortal man, acting like a playful younger sister despite being millions of years older, was the kind of story that could easily spiral into gossip or ridicule.

More importantly, it would be strategically foolish.

Revealing such delicate internal dynamics would essentially hand useful information to enemy spies.

And there were definitely spies hiding among the lower strata of the city.

Every major nation had them.

Not to mention the political consequences.

The people of Altena held deep faith in Athena.

Even though the gods had descended into Genkai thousands of years ago and gradually adopted human-like behaviors, quirks, and habits, the reverence mortals felt toward them had never fully disappeared.

Gods were still divine beings.

They were still objects of respect and fear.

In places like Orario, the situation was slightly different.

Because that city hosted a massive concentration of gods, its citizens had grown accustomed to their presence.

Seeing a god walking down the street without bowing or making special requests had become normal there.

But outside such regions?

Most mortals still treated divine beings with deep reverence.

And Athena was not just any god.

She was the Goddess of Wisdom.

Her influence had shaped the technological and intellectual development of the world.

Many credited her with guiding civilization forward after humanity had nearly collapsed under the combined pressure of the Dungeon and the terror of the Black Dragon.

For many people, she was not just a ruler.

She was a symbol of progress and survival.

Which was exactly why the truth about her casual behavior around Ember had to remain hidden from the general population.

Not to mention, for the people of Altena, receiving recognition from their Goddess and Monarch was considered the highest honor a citizen could ever achieve.

People spent decades working tirelessly for that moment.

They poured their blood, sweat, and tears into their duties just for the chance to stand before their Goddess one day and receive her acknowledgment.

Sometimes that recognition came in the form of simple words of praise.

Other times it came through an official government position, or through direct approval from one of the elite members of her core familia.

Regardless of the form it took, the blessing of Athena was something citizens considered the ultimate reward for a lifetime of dedication.

Because of this cultural reverence, it was absolutely critical that the truth remained hidden.

If word spread that the Goddess of Altena had become unusually attached to an outsider and had even left the city to travel with him, the reaction among the people would be unpredictable.

It could cause confusion, jealousy, or even political instability.

For that reason alone, the entire matter had to remain secret at all costs.

Everything had been prepared carefully.

Disguised as ordinary citizens of Altena, Ember, Merina, and Athena finally approached the main city gate.

Technically speaking, they could have easily informed the guards beforehand or issued orders through the palace to ensure a smooth departure.

However, doing so would leave traces and raise questions among the gate guards and record keepers.

To avoid any suspicion and completely eliminate the risk of Athena’s journey leaking to the public, they decided to rely on normal procedures instead.

Even if it meant deliberately ignoring the privileges they normally possessed.

When they reached the gate, the guards followed their usual routine.

They inspected the citizens’ identification numbers and travel certificates carefully, checking the documents against their registry before allowing passage.

Since everything had been prepared in advance and the disguises were convincing enough, the guards found nothing suspicious.

Within a few minutes, the three of them were allowed to pass through the gates without any trouble.

Just like that, they cleared the first hurdle of their journey.

Once outside the city walls, Merina took control of the wagon they had prepared for the trip.

It was an ordinary wooden wagon loaded with travel supplies, food, water, and several other items necessary for a long journey.

Nothing about it stood out.

It looked exactly like the wagons used by merchants or travelers moving between towns.

With Merina holding the reins, the wagon began moving steadily down the main road.

Their first destination was Mellow Town, a border settlement located near the territory of the Empire.

After reaching Mellow Town, they planned to continue through two more cities before finally arriving at Argon Town.

From there, Ember would eventually be able to return to his village.

For now, however, the long road ahead had only just begun.

As they finally moved far enough away from the city walls, Merina spoke up while keeping her attention on the road ahead.

“I can’t sense any other wagons or carriages within a one-kilometer radius,” she said calmly.

“I think you two can finally speak freely now.”

“Damn… the senses of high-level adventurers really are impressive,” Ember commented, clearly impressed.

Even though his own senses had been enhanced through Falna and were roughly comparable to those of a Level 3 adventurer despite him still being Level 2, they were nowhere near the level of someone like Merina.

A Level 5’s perception was simply on a completely different scale.

Still, Ember was confident about his future growth.

Once he returned and updated his Falna with his goddess, the massive amount of experience he had accumulated would likely push him to Level 3 immediately.

And with the absurd improvements his parameters had probably received after surviving the Behemoth incident, he suspected his actual combat strength might even brush the lower realm of Level 5.

That thought alone made him excited.

“Indeed. With this granny here, we’ll be perfectly safe, bro,” Athena said casually, completely shameless as usual.

Merina’s eyebrows twitched immediately.

“Miss Art,” she said slowly through clenched teeth, “why don’t you kindly shut up?”

She deliberately used Athena’s disguised name.

For this journey, all three of them had adopted simple identities to avoid attracting attention.

Ember was traveling under the name Tithonus, also known as Tet by those close to him, and they didn't knew his current name was already a disguise, and his real name was Ember.

Athena herself was disguised under the name Art.

And Merina was traveling under the name Mary.

Interestingly enough, both Athena and Merina had chosen aliases that began with the same letter as their real names, while Ember’s was completely different.

The coincidence was mildly amusing to him.

Athena simply giggled.

“Hehe… don’t mind her, bro,” she said cheerfully, completely ignoring Merina’s irritation.

Then she leaned slightly toward Ember from the wagon seat.

“By the way, what do you think about the Empire?” she asked casually.

“Well, the Empire is ruled by an Emperor,” Ember began, recalling what he had learned from books and various accounts.

“They maintain a strict hierarchy of nobility, and only those nobles—along with certain individuals selected by their Parliament—are allowed to receive Falna through agreements or divine oaths made between the gods and the Empire.”

He paused for a moment before continuing.

“The Parliament operates under the authority of the Emperor and serves as the body that decides which ordinary citizens can receive Falna. So technically speaking, the Empire isn’t a human-supremacist nation. However, most of its ruling class is still human.”

Ember shrugged slightly as he spoke.

“From what I know, humans make up roughly seventy percent of the Empire’s nobility. Demi-human nobles do exist, but they only account for about thirty percent. To prevent racial conflict and political instability, the Empire established that Parliament system so that citizens of any race could theoretically gain access to Falna if they prove themselves worthy.”

He finished explaining what he knew, confident that his summary was fairly accurate according to the information he had read.

Athena listened quietly before shaking her head slightly.

“You’re correct,” she said, “but the situation there is actually far more complicated than that.”

She leaned back slightly as the wagon continued moving along the road.

“In the Empire, the authority of the nobility over the common population is extremely strong. Social hierarchy is not just a political structure there—it is deeply embedded into their culture. Rank, titles, and lineage are given enormous importance in everyday life.”

She glanced at Ember while continuing her explanation.

“In that sense, the Empire isn’t that different from many other human kingdoms. However, the gap between rulers and commoners is much wider there.”

Her tone remained calm and factual.

“For example, it would be nearly impossible to see a noble casually eating at the same table as a common citizen. Such behavior would be considered improper and beneath their status. The only exceptions might be high-ranking adventurers who possess enough strength or influence to be treated as equals.”

Athena finished her explanation as the wagon rolled steadily down the road, the distant countryside stretching out ahead of them.

Even his father, the King, often attended public gatherings and celebrations alongside ordinary citizens.

During such events, Ember—despite being a prince—had frequently stayed in the same halls and eaten in the same chambers as soldiers, guards, and commoners.

Of course, that situation had a lot to do with his upbringing and daily training in Alf’s Forest.

Because of that environment, Ember had grown accustomed to interacting with people from all walks of life rather than remaining isolated in royal privilege.

Even though the elves respected him greatly for being a High-Elf and a member of the royal family, they still had the confidence to speak to him casually when necessary.

But according to Athena, the situation inside the Empire was very different.

There, nobles and commoners practically lived in two completely separate worlds.

“Eh… I don’t really want to think too much about their social norms,” Ember said honestly with a small shrug.

“Right now I just want to return to my village.”

Merina nodded slightly while steering the wagon.

“We are travelers from Altena,” she explained.

“And Altena is one of the Empire’s major suppliers of magical artillery such as Magic Cannons. Because of that, the relationship between the two nations is generally neutral, though it leans toward friendly cooperation.”

She adjusted the reins before continuing.

“That means citizens of Altena are often treated with a special guest status when traveling through Imperial territories. As long as we don’t insult their nobility or interfere with their internal affairs, we are given far more leniency than ordinary travelers.”

Ember listened carefully and realized that the political relationships between nations were far more complex than he had originally assumed.

Before he could think further about it, Athena suddenly leaned closer to him.

She grabbed his hand and held it between her arms in a very casual and familiar manner.

“That’s enough, Merina,” Athena said cheerfully.

“It seems bro doesn’t want to hear about politics anymore. Why don’t we talk about something more interesting instead?”

She looked at Ember with excitement.

“How about we discuss magnetic loops?”

Merina’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

‘Goddess… you were the one who started the political discussion in the first place,’ she thought with mild frustration.

She considered saying something, but in the end she decided to let it go.

Even Merina had limits to how much she could scold Athena.

No matter how casually the Goddess behaved sometimes, she was still their ruler and the deity they served.

So with a quiet sigh, Merina focused on driving the wagon.

Meanwhile, Ember and Athena quickly shifted into a discussion about magnetism and magnetic loops.

The conversation quickly became highly technical.

Concepts of invisible forces, circular fields, and interactions between metals were discussed as if they were obvious facts.

Unfortunately, almost everything they said went completely over the head of Merina, who—despite being an experienced elf—had grown up in a medieval society where such scientific concepts simply did not exist.

To her ears, it sounded like two strange scholars speaking an entirely different language.

As the wagon continued along the road, Merina occasionally sensed other travelers approaching from a distance.

Whenever another wagon or carriage came close, she would quietly warn the two of them.

At that point, Ember and Athena would immediately stop discussing their strange theories and sit quietly like ordinary passengers until the other travelers passed.

Only after the road was clear again would their bizarre scientific discussions resume.

However, it soon became noticeable to both Merina and, especially, Ember just how close Athena was sitting to him.

She was practically glued to his side without showing the slightest concern about personal space.

At times, their shoulders brushed together, and she leaned against him so naturally that it looked almost intentional.

Merina noticed it immediately.

Ember noticed it even more.

From his position, Ember could clearly smell the pleasant scent coming from Athena’s hair.

It carried a soft fragrance, something subtle yet refreshing, and with how close she was leaning toward him, it was impossible not to notice it.

On top of that, Athena was still holding his hand between her rather generous chest as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Needless to say, this did not help Ember remain calm.

For Athena, however, this closeness was entirely deliberate.

She had intentionally moved closer to him earlier, carefully positioning herself so that physical contact would happen naturally during their conversation.

Her goal was simple—she wanted Ember to feel something toward her.

Even a small spark of attraction would be enough.

As long as he began to develop even the slightest romantic interest in her, she believed she could eventually pull him away from Aurora.

‘Sorry, Aurora… but you are not worthy of Tet,’ Athena thought quietly in the depths of her mind.

Her expression on the outside remained completely calm, almost innocent.

‘A man like Tet should bask in my love and stay by my side for eternity.’

To Athena, Ember was far more than just an intelligent mortal.

For the first time in decades, she had opened her mind completely while speaking with someone.

For centuries she had struggled to find anyone who could truly understand her ideas.

Most people could barely grasp the concepts she explained, much less discuss them with her as equals.

But Ember was different.

He understood her explanations immediately.

He followed her reasoning without confusion.

Sometimes he even added ideas of his own.

That alone was enough to shake her heart.

To Athena, Tet was not simply a clever man in the lower world.

He was someone who could stand beside her intellectually, someone who could truly understand the things she had carried in her mind for centuries.

And because of that…

He had already become something far more dangerous to her.

An obsession.

Someone who made her feel safe, comfortable, and strangely warm inside.

That feeling only strengthened her determination.

In Athena’s mind, the conclusion was already clear.

Tet had to become hers.

She had even begun planning far ahead, imagining the moment when she would steal him away from Aurora.

In her thoughts, she would bind herself to him through a Divine marriage vow, an oath recognized even among gods.

With that, she could remain by his side forever, legally and spiritually tied to him for the rest of his life.

Athena simply could not believe that Aurora had already taken such a step.

To her, Aurora seemed like someone who had acted impulsively—a goddess who lost her composure and her virginity simply because she had encountered a man as capable as Ember.

‘I can understand why she fell in love with such a man…’ Athena thought silently.

Then her thoughts darkened slightly.

‘But what a pity.’

‘Because he belongs to me.’

The thought settled in her mind with dangerous certainty.

Without warning, Athena leaned forward and planted a kiss on Ember’s cheek.

The sudden action caught him completely off guard.

“Damn it, Art,” Ember said in surprise, instinctively pulling his head back slightly.

“This skinship is getting a bit too much. Also… I’m pretty sure bros don’t kiss each other.”

Even Merina struggled to keep her composure.

She had to concentrate very hard on the road ahead just to prevent her expression from completely breaking.

This was the first time in her entire life that she had seen Athena kiss anyone.

Their goddess was famously distant when it came to physical affection.

She was the type who would not even kiss children on the forehead when comforting them.

And yet now…

She had casually kissed a man on the cheek.

Merina almost stopped pulling the reins in pure shock.

“What can I say?” Athena replied cheerfully, giggling as if nothing unusual had happened.

“My bro is just so awesome. Someone that amazing deserves lots and lots of love.”

For a brief moment, Ember was left completely confused by her response.

Meanwhile, Merina nearly halted the wagon entirely before quickly regaining control and forcing herself to continue driving as if nothing strange had just occurred.

For someone who had known Athena longer than anyone else, Merina was now the most suspicious of her behavior.

The way Athena was acting no longer fit the image of an overly excited goddess who had simply found someone capable of matching her intellect in Genkai.

It felt like something else entirely.

Athena’s behavior had begun to resemble that of a woman getting uncomfortably close to a man she desired.

The physical closeness, the casual touching, the way she leaned into Ember without hesitation—all of it made Merina increasingly uneasy.

From Merina’s perspective, this was no longer the behavior of someone treating another person as a friend.

It looked far more like a woman who wanted something more.

Thinking back on Athena’s insistence on leaving Altena and traveling together with Ember made the situation feel even more suspicious.

At first, the reasoning had seemed valid.

After all, Athena had spent decades—even centuries—not leaving Altena, often remaining within the palace itself for long stretches of time.

But now that Merina looked at the situation again, that explanation felt less convincing.

It almost seemed as if Athena simply didn’t want to let Ember leave.

As if she couldn’t bear the idea of him going somewhere beyond her reach.

Right now, her behavior looked dangerously close to obsession.

‘This should be impossible…’ Merina thought while tightening her grip on the wagon reins.

‘Goddess Athena is a virgin goddess.’

Among the divine, Athena was known as one of the three greatest virgin goddesses in Heaven.

Her purity and independence were legendary even among the other gods.

The idea that she could fall in love with a man should have been impossible.

Merina whipped the horses again, urging the wagon forward as her thoughts raced.

But then another realization surfaced.

Aurora.

According to Athena herself, Aurora had also been a virgin goddess.

And yet… she had married Tet.

That thought alone made Merina feel an unfamiliar tension creeping into her chest.

Although Aurora was technically a virgin goddess as well, she was considered only a minor one.

She could not be compared to Athena, who was famously known as part of the so-called “man-hater trio” alongside Artemis and Hestia.

At least, that was the reputation Athena carried among the gods.

Whenever the topic of Athena having a man in her life was brought up in front of other Gods in Genkai, most gods would laugh at the mere suggestion.

To them, it was more likely that Heaven itself would collapse than Athena willingly choosing a man for herself.

That had always been the assumption.

So what exactly was happening now?

Merina couldn’t help but question it.

It wasn’t just her noticing the strange change either.

Even Ember had begun to feel that something about Athena’s attention toward him was slightly unusual.

Still, the goddess remained by his side without showing any intention of distancing herself.

In truth, Athena wanted Ember to eventually realize her feelings.

She wanted him to understand that she loved him—not as a friend, not as a sibling, but as a woman loves a man.

She was even willing to bind her own divine existence to his if that was what it took to stay with him.

And as for Merina?

Athena did not mind if she started noticing the truth as well.

In fact, she was prepared for that possibility.

She wasn’t planning to hide her feelings forever.

She simply wanted things to unfold slowly.

If Ember realized her intentions gradually, if she slowly became someone he grew comfortable with, then perhaps she could eventually move closer to him without resistance.

Because Athena knew one thing very clearly.

If she confessed directly right now, Ember would most likely reject her outright.

His personality made that painfully obvious.

So instead, she chose a different strategy.

She would move closer to him physically while maintaining the appearance of someone who simply treated him like a “bro.”

From the outside it would look innocent—playful even—but little by little she would close the distance between them.

It was a dirty method.

A deceptive one.

But to Athena, love was no different from war.

And she had no intention of losing.

She was the Goddess of Wisdom—and the Goddess of War.

When she fought for something, she did not merely aim to win. She aimed to win completely.

And so their journey continued.

None of them yet realized how much this journey would eventually change Ember’s life.

To be continued…