yeah,renpy is the best option for visual novels.It has some restrictions regarding other elements,but if you don't make an open world game,just a vn,then there is nothing better.You will need to know the basics of python and renpy,but it's really easy.
As of hs,well,if you're actually going to make a big story,keep in mind you can't sell anything made with hs on steam or any other platforms.And it's something unique,you might need to manually port mods for hs,that obviously takes some time,compared to daz,where asset library is obviously bigger,but it's up to you.Just like all the other dudes here

I prefer hs graphics over daz or blender
P.S. OOO,I've just noticed,are you that guy making mods for hs?Cuz if it's you,I used your poses