Is It Wrong to Explore the Dungeon Even Though I’m Overpowered? (Danmachi SI- WC)

Chapter 28: Beneath the Mask

Following Day — Demiplane

“Whoa~ Where are we?” Naaza’s voice came out soft and filled with awe.

We stood on a hill, overlooking the sprawling island paradise that made up my personal Demiplane. A gentle breeze brushed past us, rustling the trees and ruffling Naaza’s short hair.

I glanced at her, amused. Her tail was swaying wildly behind her, betraying just how excited she really was.

With Naaza now an official member of the Hestia Familia, I’d decided it was time to finally share a few of my bigger secrets. This world—our world—was one of them.

“This is my personal Demiplane,” I explained with a relaxed smile. “It can only be accessed by those I completely trust—and with whom I’ve shared part of my power.”

Naaza’s ears twitched, and her eyes lit up. Then she turned toward me, closing her eyes in concentration. A moment later, a tendril of her Shroud unfurled from her back.

“You mean this?”

“Exactly.” I nodded and summoned my own Luminal Shroud, a slender stream of glowing energy extending from my shoulder. It waved playfully at her, drawing a delighted giggle.

Knowing it was only a matter of time before Naaza was captured with the Divine Marking perk, I decided to offer her my Shroud and she had immediately accepted, not wanting to be left out once the other girls showcased their own shroud.

“Think of it like an extra limb,” I continued, slipping into a more serious tone. “With time and practice, it’ll feel natural. It’s versatile and incredibly useful—like this.”

I shaped my Shroud into a radiant bow, light coalescing into shimmering form. Naaza’s eyes widened as I formed an arrow and fired it into the sky.

“You can make any weapon you can imagine,” I told her. “But once it leaves your grip, it’ll dissolve—so melee weapons don’t last. But for an archer like you? You’ll never run out of ammo again.”

As I spoke, I felt my Divine Protections and talents stir slightly, helping me guide my words with clarity and calm authority.

Naaza had gone quiet, simply staring at me with open admiration.

Then—unexpectedly—she giggled, covering her mouth with one hand.

“Sorry, Reinhard,” she said with a faint blush. “I didn’t mean to laugh. It’s just… I never imagined you as a teacher. But you’re actually really good at it. I understood everything perfectly.”

Her ears twitched as she smiled, eyes glowing with warmth.

“It’s nothing that amazing, really,” I said with a sheepish smile, scratching the back of my head. “I’m just a little luckier than most. Having all these abilities makes explaining things a lot easier.”

“That’s right… you actually come from another world.” Naaza blinked, the realization resurfacing. “It all makes sense now. Why you, Rem-san, Ram-san, and Est-san have abilities unlike anything I’ve seen here. Why you know so much, even though you’re technically ‘new’ adventurers.”

“Sorry again for keeping that from you,” I said, more serious now, my smile fading into a regretful frown. “I’ve trusted you for a while… but I didn’t know how to even begin explaining some of it. And, well—there were risks.”

Naaza shook her head gently, and when she looked up again, her eyes were warm and kind.

“Don’t worry about it. I understand.”

Then, more softly—almost bashfully—she added, “Besides… while you did keep some things from me, you’ve never once failed to help. Even when I wasn’t part of your Familia, you used items and knowledge from your world to save me.” Her voice wavered slightly as a blush colored her cheeks. “So… I really have no complaints.”

Relief washed through me, and my smile returned, gentler this time. I raised a hand and rubbed her head affectionately.

“Thanks, Naaza. For understanding.”

If possible, her blush deepened, ears twitching as she began fidgeting in place. Then she looked up at me with wide, flustered eyes.

“A-Anyway! I should really get going!” she blurted, suddenly turning tail. “The others are waiting, and you’ve got your first lesson with Hephaistos-sama. S-See you later!”

Before I could even respond, she was already rushing down the path, her tail swishing like mad behind her.

I blinked at her sudden departure, then let out a small chuckle.

Guess she’s still not used to the headpats.

Still, she was right. I had my own things to prepare for. It had been about a week since I’d helped Hephaistos heal her injured eye—and today, she was finally coming over to begin teaching me the art of blacksmithing so I was taking the day off.

With Ram, Naaza, heading out to the dungeon meeting with Lili along the way, today was my turn to stay behind. Rem had kitchen and maid duty, and Est—who refused to be wielded by anyone but me—naturally stuck around as well.

“Alright, I should get a forge set up behind the church,” I said to myself. “Luckily the Demiplane has everything I need to make a blacksmithing workstation.”

With that, I got to work.

=====

A Few Hours Later — Back of the Church

A few hours later, the results were—if I say so myself—pretty spectacular.

Between my abilities and access to my Demiplane, I’d managed to construct a fully functional blacksmith’s workshop in record time. High-quality tools lined the walls, enchanted furnaces were arranged with precision, and a reinforced anvil stood at the heart of it all. Even Rem, after finishing her chores and joining us halfway through, looked impressed as she helped organize things.

Just as we were tidying up, I heard the creak of the back door and the sound of approaching footsteps.

“Looks like you’ve been busy.”

The familiar, confident voice belonged to none other than Hephaistos herself.

She stopped just inside the forge, her crimson eyes scanning the area with the discerning gaze of a true master. After a moment, she gave a small, satisfied nod.

“You really thought ahead. I forgot to mention during our last talk that we’d need a forge for these lessons… but you built all this in a single day?” Her lips curled into a smile. “Impressive doesn’t begin to cover it.”

Then her expression softened, and her gaze turned warm as her cheeks took on a faint pink glow.

“More than that… it’s good to see you again, Reinhard.”

“You too, Hephaistos-sama.” I smiled back—only for Est and Rem to suddenly latch onto my arms like magnets, their gazes zeroing in on our guest.

“Rem-san. Est-san.” Hephaistos greeted them both in turn—though her attention clearly lingered on Est, which caused my spirit partner to duck behind my back like a shy child.

“Reinhard…” Est muttered in a deadpan whisper as she peeked from behind me, “…the pervert returned.”

“Another of Rem’s rivals… the ecchi Goddess,” Rem muttered under her breath, casting a subtle glare at the approaching redhead.

“I-I’m not a pervert!” Hephaistos shouted, her calm, composed aura instantly shattering into that of a flustered young woman being caught doing something embarrassing by her crush. “And could you please not call me that!?” she added, completely ignoring the “rival” part of Rem’s remark.

“Girls, please don’t embarrass our guest,” I said with a sigh, placing a hand on each of their heads and rubbing gently.

Both Est and Rem instantly melted under my touch, their earlier hostility vanishing like fog in sunlight. Hephaistos, meanwhile, let out a visible sigh of relief.

But I wasn’t done.

My smile turned just a little too teasing. “Though, in her defense, Hephaistos-sama is a Goddess of Smithing. She can’t help herself after seeing your perfection, Est~”

The color drained from Hephaistos’s face… then came flooding back, all at once.

“Reinhard!” she gasped, eyes wide in horror. “Not you too! I thought you were the only one on my side!”

“Hahhaa, I apologize, Hephaistos-sama,” I said with a small grin. “I couldn’t help it—your expression was just too cute.”

It was only after the words left my mouth that I realized what I’d said. My eyes widened. “A-Ahem. Slip of the tongue. Sorry.”

But it was far too late.

Hephaistos’s face now resembled a cute strawberry, completely flushed as she turned her head to the side in embarrassment.

Before I could even try to recover, I felt the subtle crackling of jealousy radiating from both sides. Est’s fingers tightened slightly on my left arm, and Rem’s grip on my right was no less possessive.

And then—

“HEPHAISTOS!”

A shrill voice cut through the air like a knife.

“You’ve only been here a few minutes and you’re already flirting with my Rein-kun!?”

Hestia appeared from seemingly nowhere, hands on her hips, eyes blazing with righteous indignation as she confronted the taller goddess head-on.

With Hestia’s arrival, the tension gradually diffused. After a few more jealous glares thrown Hephaistos’s way—none too subtle—Rem and Est returned inside with Hestia in tow, leaving me alone with my fellow redhead.

“A-Ahem. Right,” Hephaistos cleared her throat, her composure slowly returning. “Let’s begin. This is my only day off until next week, so we should use our time wisely.”

Her earlier embarrassment was gone, replaced now by a professional air. I nodded, understanding the shift.

Then, without hesitation, I bowed deeply at the waist.

“Thank you again for agreeing to this, Hephaistos-sama,” I said seriously. “I know how busy you are, and the fact that you’re spending your day off helping me… it means a lot. I’ll give it my all—I promise I won’t waste your time.”

There was a pause.

When I finally looked up again, I found Hephaistos watching me quietly, her expression far softer than before.

“You’re not wasting my time, Reinhard,” she said gently. “Not at all.”

One hand slowly rose to her face, fingertips brushing lightly over the spot where her scar once marred part of her face and eye.

“You restored something I didn’t think was even possible—not even with the power of the divine. You even went a step beyond that and gave me confidence in my figure again.”

She smiled at me—warm, honest, grateful.

“So don’t think of this as a debt or a favor. This is a mutual exchange. And truthfully?” She glanced toward the forge with something almost like excitement in her eyes. “I’m genuinely curious. With your talents… I want to see what you can accomplish.”

Caught off guard by her earnest praise, I scratched the back of my head with a sheepish smile, feeling my cheeks grow warm.

“Thank you, Hephaistos-sama… I’m ready to learn~”

And just like that, my training began

=====

Hephaistos POV — Hours Later

It didn’t take long for Hephaistos to realize something.

Reinhard wasn’t just good, like she had initially assumed.

No.

After spending several hours teaching him the basics of blacksmithing—while trying her best to ignore the constant awareness of being in close proximity to her potential crush—Hephaistos had come to a shocking conclusion.

Reinhard was a genius among geniuses.

His talent was so absurd, it felt like reality itself was being mocked.

At first, she’d taken him through the fundamentals—tool handling, forging temperatures, metal selection, shaping techniques. He absorbed every word like a sponge. And not just absorbed—understood, processed, and immediately applied.

Curious to test the limits of his ability, she eventually let him try crafting something simple.

Just a basic dagger.

What she expected was what happened with all her previous students: failure. A warped blade, an unbalanced hilt, or a weak spine that would snap after one use. Then she'd guide him through his mistakes and have him try again.

But that didn’t happen.

Reinhard’s first attempt produced a dagger that was—by all accounts—usable. The balance was off. The tempering was uneven. It wouldn’t survive more than a few blows in actual combat. But still—it was functional.

For a first-time blacksmith without the [Blacksmith] development ability?

Unheard of.

She hadn’t even had the chance to offer feedback before Reinhard, disappointed with his work, apologized and immediately began another attempt. Too stunned to interrupt, Hephaistos simply watched.

His second dagger?

Ten times better.

By the time they broke for lunch, he’d forged a blade on par with the entry-level weapons sold by the Guild to new adventurers. Not mass-produced trash either—solid, practical steel.

And all within a single morning.

As they walked back to the church for lunch, Hephaistos found her gaze drifting toward the young man beside her. Her eyes lingered with open curiosity and wonder, unable to help herself.

“Thank you for being so patient with me, Hephaistos-sama,” Reinhard suddenly said, turning toward her with a sheepish smile. “Even with all my failures… I promise to try even harder after lunch.”

He looked so sincerely regretful that Hephaistos blinked in disbelief.

‘Failures?’ she thought incredulously, staring at him like he’d grown a second head.

A second later, she let out an amused giggle—one that surprised even her. Her cheeks flushed immediately.

‘Did I just… giggle?’

She quickly tried to recover, noticing the way Reinhard’s smile widened as he looked at her. That only deepened her embarrassment. There was just something about this boy—this man—that completely threw her off balance. Something that made her heart race and her thoughts blur.

“Ahem.” She cleared her throat, composing herself as best she could. “If that was a failure, then I honestly can’t wait to see what you call a passable result.”

Reinhard tilted his head, visibly confused and adorable in that moment.

“W-What I mean is,” she quickly added, “those weren’t failures at all, Reinhard. The only reason I didn’t comment was because I was honestly… stunned. Your progress is miraculous. At this rate, it won’t be long before you’re a Master Blacksmith.”

He blinked at her praise—then blushed, looking away and scratching his cheek.

“…Thank you for your kind words.” His voice was soft, almost shy.

Hephaistos felt something flutter in her chest at that—something far too dangerous for her peace of mind.

“They’re deserved, so there’s nothing to thank,” she replied with a smile. “Though… at the rate you’re progressing, I almost wish you had joined my Familia instead…”

The words slipped out before she could stop them.

Realizing what she’d just said, her face turned crimson.

‘Why did I say that out loud!?’

Glancing at Reinhard to gauge his reaction, she found him looking away, nervously scratching his cheek again.

‘Oh gods, he heard me.’

Before she could stammer out a recovery, another voice cut in.

“I’m sorry, Hephaistos,” Artemis said, stepping into view, her tone calm but firm. “Even though you’re a good friend, I won’t let you steal Rein from me. I already made that mistake once… and I won’t make it again.”

Her eyes narrowed—just for a moment.

Then, with practiced ease, she latched onto Reinhard’s arm with a soft smile… and just the slightest hint of possessiveness.

Artemis’s eye twitched for a moment before with a quick move she claimed Reinhard’s free arm and threw her a look as if saying ‘mine, back off.’

Hephaistos, even while embarrassed at herself for such a bold action, remained where she was—ignoring her friend—as they stepped into the kitchen.

Once there, she was met with more hostile looks coming from Hestia, Rem, and Est, but she stood her ground even with her face being red.

She had to spend lunch ignoring the looks sent her way and did her best to talk to Reinhard, disguising her talk as training.

=====

Afternoon — Reinhard’s POV

Seeing the setting sun, I finally allowed my mind to relax after working at the forge for the majority of the day, feeling accomplished at what I had done today.

Being a crafter at heart in all the games I played in previous lives, I was giddy to learn the art of Blacksmithing from the Goddess of said art herself.

Since I had no real experience in the craft though, I genuinely didn’t know what was considered good or bad—most crafting systems in games relied on stats instead of actual skill. Hearing from Hephaistos herself that I was doing well brought me a ton of joy.

Though thinking about it from a logical standpoint, I guess it was already a given that I’d be a prodigy in Blacksmithing too. With Reinhard’s ridiculous natural talent, Yuuya’s template allowing me to learn any skill super easily, and the talents from the Company all working in tandem… yeah, it made sense.

Back in the present, we stood just outside the church, saying our goodbyes. Hephaistos stood across from us, while Artemis and Hestia clung to my arms like decorative armor. I didn’t comment on how all three of them had spent the afternoon vying for my attention.

For the sake of my sanity, I simply refused to acknowledge it.

“Thank you again for today, Hephaistos-sama,” I said with a sincere smile and a bow of my head—limited, of course, by the fact that I couldn’t actually move with both goddesses latched onto me.

“It was a pleasure teaching you, Reinhard. Truly,” Hephaistos replied, her voice soft, her gaze locked on mine as she pointedly ignored the glowering goddesses at my sides.

That earned a twitch from Artemis. Hestia outright pouted.

“Keep practicing what I showed you today,” Hephaistos continued, switching to her mentor tone. “By our next lesson, I want to see just how much you’ve improved.”

“Of course. Next week, I’ll try to surprise you.”

She shook her head fondly and whispered under her breath, just loud enough for me to catch:

“…You already did.”

Then, with a parting smile—and a final, undeniably smug glance at Artemis and Hestia—Hephaistos turned and walked away.

“Haah, you’re impossible, Rein.” Artemis sighed fondly, shaking her head. Without waiting for a response, she rose up on her tiptoes and kissed me on the lips—brief, tender, and unexpected. Then, with a smile playing on her lips and a confident sway to her hips, she turned and walked away.

Not one to be left behind, Hestia grabbed my shirt, pulled me down, and kissed me as well—this one deeper, with tongue. She winked up at me mischievously before hurrying after Artemis, her own hips swaying as if in competition.

I stood there, dazed, watching them go.

“My life is strange,” I muttered with a lopsided smile.

Still carrying a warm feeling in my chest, I turned to follow—thinking that today had turned out to be a pretty good day.

Of course, that’s exactly when life decides to remind you that it’s never fair… and never plays favorites.

At the front of the church, I caught sight of Ram and Naaza returning from the dungeon. One look at their expressions—anger and betrayal simmering just beneath the surface—made the warmth in my chest curdle.

A pit settled in my stomach.

“What happened?” I asked quietly, already scanning them for injuries. Aside from a few scratches on Naaza, they both looked physically fine.

Ram, ever the hothead, had a scowl on her face—but I knew her well enough to see the worry beneath it. Naaza didn’t bother hiding hers.

“That Pallum you met yesterday,” Ram said through clenched teeth, “she betrayed us. Led us into an ambush… then ran with her tail between her legs.”

“…What?” I whispered, heart sinking.