Rivira on the 18th floor is one of the safe zones where the monsters will not spawn, but according to the book, the monster can attack this town. The name Rivira came from one adventurer named Rivira Santilini, she and her Familia built and found this base. The law and order in Rivira were all governed by the adventurer and the guild, but the guild had little oversight of whatever happened and could not enforce their order, so they relied on powerful Familia to make sure Rivira was safe.
My attention was taken by the light that came from the crystal on the ceiling and the size of the 18th floor. Oberon was confused about how the tree managed to stay alive underground, where there was no way sunlight above ground could reach it. He theorizes that the crystal that lights the floor has the same composition of sunlight that can support the tree to stay alive and the ground has nutrients to sustain the tree's life.
'I should take samples from the crystal on the ground and the shealing of this floor.'
If Oberon could recreate that light emitted by the crystal, it would benefit the Elven kingdom greatly because there would be no need to clear up the forest to build a farm to feed the Elven population in the future, especially in the northern territory of the Elven kingdom, where the land was too cold for cultivation, and that is where Alicia came from.
Rivira is just like an Oasis in the dungeon, where everything looks so beautiful and mesmerizing, from the lush forest and clean lake to the shining crystal. Oberon wants to explore more of the area, but he must head to Rivira's adventure base to meet Gareth to aid him. When I arrived at the entrance of the base, I was welcomed by two adventurers who guarded the entrance. When our eyes met, they both looked so shocked. Then one of the guards left in a hurry, while the other guard welcomed my arrival.
"Oberon-sama, welcome to Rivira."
'Hm, how did they know my name?'
"Thank you, but please drop the formality and just call me Oberon. I am sorry to ask, who are you?"
"I am one of the members of Loki Familia. All of Loki Familia already know your name because of how famous you are."
'That's a bit embarrassing.'
"I see, I am here because of the goddess Loki's order. She said that I had to say hello to Gareth-san. Can I meet him?"
I could see he was a bit hesitant to answer my question. One of the guards who left his post came back with an old man with right shoulder armour and a one-hand sword on his wrist. He saw me closely, and I could see a grin on his face when he laid his eyes toward the large chunk of magic crystal floating beside Orstrid.
"I did hear that you were just joined days ago, and... that magic crystal must be from the floor boss Goliath. I never expected to see a new hero potential adventurer at this old age hahaha. Ah, where is my Ehem! My name is Noir Sachsen, and I am an adventurer from Loki Familia. Nice to meet you, Oberon-dono, is it? I want to shake your hand, but I believe the elven don't like to be touched by other races. Is that right?"
'Well, I am glad he knows our people's costumes.'
"Nice to meet you, Noir-san. Yes, you can call me Oberon, and the woman beside me is my trusted servant her name was Orstrid."
Orstrid just bows gracefully toward the old man.
"Okay, the introduction was over. Time to guide you around this sad, wretched town we had hahaha."
From what I see, the old man called Noir is a cheerful old man, but he has a strong fighting spirit. The town was not so bustling; most of the inhabitants were merchants and adventurers. I could understand why. This place is where all the adventurers take a rest and resupply most of them don't bother to live here.
Noir told me that this place was important for every adventurer because of its location, but lately, they are being attacked, or at least their supplier got attacked, and the warehouse was all the supply for the support of this small town. Because of that, a thief tried to break in.
"Sigh. There is a rat inside this town that reports our patrol schedule and other vital information that makes life in this town not safe anymore."
When I looked around, I activated my magic eyes to see the town's inhabitant's aura. From what Oberon saw most of the inhabitants had a grey aura to them, but Oberon can't hundred percent sure they were members of Evilus or not.
Oberon does not fully understand how someone is to exactly can have a dark aura because his home Wishe Forest is so peaceful and rarely probably never such crime happens as far as he knows, but know from his experience people with dark aura are helpless and must be killed in the spot because of their evil deeds after all the goddess judge the dead should know better than anyone who should be punish.
"I see, Noir-san, how many inhabitants live on this floor? And if there is a specific percentage of how many adventurers and commoners there are, that will be a major help."
I asked Orstrid to survey most of the living things that live on the 18th floor so that I could compare the differences and rule out the possibility of undocumented people because most of the criminals tried to hide from other people's eyes.
"Hm, there are 24 in total. Eighteen of them were adventurers; fifteen of those adventurers were from our Familia and the others were merchants. There is a low chance the outside can sneak in without our notice; ah, don't need to worry, most of the guard's patrol is from our Familia and Ganesha's Familia helping us they have good records, so you can trust them."
'That means most of the inhabitant was well documented, but it makes it more complicated. I'm not sure I can solve this in less than a day.'
Noir did tell me that most of the adventurers were Loki Familia and Ganesha Familia their job was to secure the safe floor, and there was another adventurer who just planned to venture to a deeper floor or just came back from a deeper floor so the number could be changed anytime, but according to Noir, most of the adventurers were going to come back to the surface because most of the gods were afraid their children could be attacked by the Evilus group.
"Left that large chunk of magic stone to them, and we will head to our safe house. I believe you want to get some brief about our situation, right?"
"Yes, I will be grateful to Noir-san for giving me all the information that I need to know."
"Captain is one of our brightest minds in Loki Familia and Orario to the extent he couldn't rule out the spy. It will be hard I guarantee you."
"I had an advantage that the captain doesn't have. I will explain later what I meant."
"Sure, do what you must."
After giving them the material, we gathered, we headed to the centre of the base, where I saw a two-story building made of wood. If I think about it, most of the hoses and shops are made of wood, construction material that is hard to deliver on this deep floor. Noir guided me toward the room located on the second floor, where there was a window open so that you could see the gate entrance of the town.
"I am sorry to say that Gareth-dono was not here. He was now probably on the 16th floor. His mission is to become the guard of the supplier who wants to bring the goods into this floor and deeper. The problem was founded by the captain, because of many attacks of the caravan in good timing and place that made the captain think there was a spy to give the information for the attacker to set an ambush. You don't know this, but the route used by the adventurer and the supplier is different, and it is kept secret by the guild and the Familia that had to guard them. We don't need to do this kind of measure in the past, but everything changed when the Evilus was gaining power."
'How did they manage to know the schedule of the time of the resupply because that was possible if there was a leaker inside Loki Familia? No, it is not possible if I think about it because of the god's ability to know when a mortal splits a lie all Loki had to do is ask them one by one. That means...'
"Does Captain already know the possibility of the guild being the one that had Evilus spy?"
"Yes, he did report to the guild and send a letter, but they denied the possibility."
"There is a possibility that the guild tried to hide the truth."
"Why is that? I think it is in their best interest to rule out the spy."
"If the public knew that the guild was being compromised by the Evilus, they would be mistrusted by the public and the adventurer. The head guild should know that trust is something that cannot easily be regained; even if they tried to do something about it, they would do it hidden without anyone noticing it."
"That… makes a lot of sense."
Noir was impressed by Oberon's deduction. Riveria did tell him and others that Oberon is the brightest mind, and thanks to that, he earned most of the respect of the elven people at such an early age. Noir understands now why his goddess and the famous goddess of beauty, Freya, want him so much.
"But I will not rule out the possibility that there is an Evilus group on this floor, and please hide the accusation. I made it only based on theory without any proof. I will do my investigation if you allow it, Noir-san, because I am not sure goddess Loki will be satisfied with a simple answer."
"Hahaha, you are right. Oberon-dono, you know where to find me if you need help."
"Thank you, Noir-san."
----
"Hm, the light gets more dimmer."
I can't help but notice the change When I asked one of the Loki Familia, he said that it was afternoon. It had been half an hour I still couldn't feel any eyes watching my back like I did when I first arrived at Orario. It made me think about the possibility that there was no spy in here.
I start by wandering around Rivira to look for any sign of a dark aura among the adventurers, but it is not an easy task. Oberon still had not found anything he did try to interact with the merchant, but it was no use if I tried to talk about the Evilus; they all tried to change the subject quickly out of fear, only adventurers that dared to touch the subject.
"OOOOY OBERON!"
'That sound, Kara?'
When I looked at the source of the sound, my guess was right it was Kara and Una Familia. They just arrived at the front gate of the town. I already expected them to arrive minutes after I did.
"Hello Kara, everyone I did expect you to come soon. Hm, I am not seeing Anya or Allen; did they not come with you?"
"Ah, about that, Anya and her brother had another mission that had to be completed, I believe... Put that aside, what kind of magic did you use to defeat the floor boss, Oberon? Was it magic or a skill? When we arrive at the scene, there is a long slash on the ground and the wall that is so amazing!"
"Tchiii, keep your voice down; others will hear our conversation, Kara."
Then Kara looked around and realized her mistake while Valda and others put her hand on her forehead.
"Sorry~"
"Sigh, it's okay. Welcome to Rivira, everyone. I believe it's not your first time visiting this place, right?"
"Yes, if we want to go to the lower floor, every adventurer must pay a visit to this small town to resupply and take a rest."
Then Kara looked around town.
"This place has not changed at all... So, Oberon, now that you arrive here at Rivira, do you plan to come back to the surface, or do you want to venture into the deeper floor?"
"I think we should change the place to talk about that, Kara. Too many eyes are watching us. You could take Oberon-sama to one of our usual meeting places; it should be fine."
"Hm, you are right. Valda-san, please take everyone to the inn."
"Sure, let's go, everyone... Oberon-sama, see you later."
I just nodded while Kara just smiled and waved to the group, leaving Kara, Orstrid, and me. We head to the place that Kara knows can give us some privacy to talk about, and she understands it is an important matter.
----
The place was in the north of the town, where there was an old three-and-bench and a farm from a nearby house, and thankfully we were the only ones around.
"This place is nice, Kara. I will put up a sound barrier so someone can't hear our conversation, and I thank you, Kara, for helping me once again. I will repay you in kind when I have a chance."
"Don't mind it, Oberon. Thanks to you, Valda-san and Rina can know more magic."
'I just teach them some basic thoughts on how to become much better mages, but it is still not enough to make them more proficient.'
"I want to teach Rina more, but there is a rule not to teach too much of my people's way of magic to other races. The rule exists for good reason, but it makes people with talent like Rina get pushed aside."
Rina, as a mage, had decent quality mana and knowledge of magic; it was just that she only saw the branch, not the root of the magic. Roxy did say that the difference between great mages and amateurs is that the master had the roots to grow their knowledge of magic and create an amazing spell. When I asked what the root of magic was, Roxy told me that it was about mana manipulation and control, and one thing she learned from her master was imagination.
Those perspectives were supported when I did my research on the history of magic in the Dragon Race civilization because my theory is that they were the ones who brought and taught humans how to cast magic in my earlier world.
"Willing to teach her that is good enough for me, Rina will think the same."
"Yeah, you are right... I talk about the case... There is a spy who leaked information to the Evilus group, according to Captain Finn's hunch. I already guessed it was from the merchant, or it could be an adventurer, but the captain already makes sure no adventurer affiliated with Evilus can gain any access or give the adventurer a long stay without any permission, but it looks like it's not enough."
'I will try not to mention the problem about the guild; after all, it is based on my theory without any concrete proof.'
"Hm, it only left you with the merchant. Your captain already realizes that he can't make a hasty decision if it deals with the merchant."
"Indeed, he can't take the risk of upsetting the merchant. So, Kara, how much do you know of the people that are living here?"
"Hm, why did you ask your Familia members? I could see many of the Loki Familia that you can rely on."
"Because you and your Familia members are the ones I can really trust now."
"Hehe~. You make me feel a bit embarrassed. Thank you, Oberon; I will do my best to help."
Kara then explained that she was well-known and knew most of the merchants that lived here because she always looked around and tried to find the best price. Most merchants were Familia members who dealt mostly with business, and there was the blacksmith; most were from Hephaestus Familia because they were well known for craftsmanship.
When I asked about any suspicious things the merchant ever did, she was silent for a moment before answering. I could see she tried to recall any of her memories that could help me with the case. In the meantime, I asked Ortrid if anything was happening around us, and she told me there was a human person that walked back and forth looking for something.
I tried to steal a glance at the person, and then I saw a teenage human girl with dark hair, and she had the expression of someone who was in deep distress.
"Oberon?"
"Ah, I am sorry, Kara. Did you remember anything?"
"Yes, there is something that I was a bit hesitant to tell anyone about because it was a family matter, but I believe you had to know... In Rivira, there is a bar that has existed since the beginning when Rivira was founded; it was just a commoner; it was run by Mister 'Rainar' and his daughter 'Mina'. I was a good friend of her daughter, and she always told me that she hated living here, and she told me that sometimes her father was talking with someone with a scary face."
'Is this too convenient? Did the captain does not know about this?'
"How old is she, Kara?"
"Mina should be twelve right now... I know what you are thinking, Oberon, but I do not think they are the ones responsible. Even if they were, your captain should manage to find out sooner."
'She was right about that. Captain Finn should know about that, or at least do something about it. Is it possible that captains do let them continue their activity, but for what reason?'
Then Kara looked at the girl, who was looking around for something. Her face is immediately recognized because she is the girl that she and Oberon are talking about. When both of their eyes met, the girl with dark hair rushed in their direction. Oberon had already noticed her heading this way.
"Mina?"
She still tried to take a breath, so I created an earth cup with water in it and handed it to her.
"Here, drink; it will make you feel better."
Mina looked confused when I managed to create a glass and water out of nowhere, so she was a bit suspicious about it, but when she looked at Kara,
"It's okay, Mina; he is a nice elf."
Kara tried to calm her down, but the girl's expression still didn't change.
"Kara-san… My father, he…"
"What happened to Rainar-san?"
"He is gone. I couldn't find my father anywhere!"
From her expression, Oberon knows that she doesn't lie, so Oberon asks Orstrid to search the outside of the wall. She finds no trace of people living outside the wall, which means that the father is already gone before Oberon arrives.
"Can you explain exactly when you realized your father went missing?"
"Um."
Mina was in her home cleaning the bar the family ran, but lately, the adventurer that had become less of her father told her that because of the incoming Denatus in days, the gods and goddesses were worried about the rising power of the underground criminal led by the Evilus group.
When I asked, she was headed to meet Noir-san and Loki Familia members for some help. She went silent for a moment. In Kara's story, her dad had to make some deal with a scary-faced adventurer, but most adventurers do have scars or scary looks on their faces, and no evidence can connect her father with Evilus yet.
"I understand. Just tell us when you last met your father; I will help you find your father."
----
After learning everything that Mina knows about how his father looks, what he is wearing, and the last time he met him, I and Kara split on looking for her father without telling Noir-san exactly what happened. When I asked one of the guards at the gates, they both said there was no man with the description I gave through the gate, as far as they remember.
'Days almost went dark, and I am still not finding any clue where he is.'
("Orstrid, did you find anyone outside of the town when we arrived?")
("I am sorry, master, when we arrive; I have not yet expanded my radar to cover the floor.")
("So, when I ask you to expand your radar, there is no one outside of the wall, am I correct?")
("Yes master.")
Orstrid radar ability is a passive ability because it does not use the user's mana in the passive state; when she is in her passive state, it can only reach three hundred meters away. It could expand the range more, but it will cost mana, and the longer it is used, the more it takes up the user's mana. If I am correct, Orstrid's mana capacity is the same as Sylphy's and Roxy's if combined, so when there is a spell that costs more than Orstrid is capable of, she can use my mana reserve, but if only I were close with her.
"Sigh, it's troublesome. He was either still inside town or he was somewhere inside the town."
There is a chance that he was kidnapped and hidden somewhere inside the town, but Orstrid can't find anyone with any signs that hold without their consent.
"Master, there is a group of people who just arrived here... They look in a hurry. They came south of here."
I quickly cast gravity, flew up, and laid my eyes in the direction of what Orstrid said. There were three of them when I activated my magic eye; two of them had the same aura as the Evilus group I met, but there was one that had a gray aura among them. From the look of the direction they head, they are heading toward the deeper floor, not the town.
'They look like they're running from something; I can't see their faces clearly because of the cloak covering them.'
"Master, what should we do?"
'I can capture them and give them to Noir-san, but I could tail them and find where they are heading and maybe find where their hidden base is.'
"We will follow them, Orstrid, and there is a chance that one of them was Rainer."
"But master, they are heading to the deeper floor; is it okay to break a promise that master made toward goddess Loki?"
"If I explain the reason, she will understand. I hope."
I keep a great distance from them, and with Orstrid on my side, I don't need to lie an eye toward them to track their movement and location. I am guessing they are indeed heading to the deeper floor because they are likely to avoid contact with Loki Familia, who guards Rivira. After half an hour of tailing them, they arrive at the entrance, heading to the lower floor that is not guarded because they are all concentrated on guarding Rivira and not outside of it, because of a lack of manpower.
They take a rest after an hour of running and look behind them for any signs they are being followed. My distance between them was a hundred meters, and I just needed to keep my close distance and let Orstrid explain what they were talking about and where they were heading.
'I wonder who is after them? Is Gareth-san? Yeah, he must be the one after them, but Orstrid does not detect anyone following them other than us.'
They are starting to argue with each other. Orstrid said that one of them said he wanted to come back to Rivira, but the others insisted on following them to the twenty-first floor, but he refused. Then one of them stabbed the one who wanted to leave, knowing that I had abandoned my goal, and sprinted toward their location. I don't want to bring bad news to Mina.
"YOU, YOU AR-!"
{Electric}
((Argh!!))
I stunted both at the same time, while the one that got stabbed dropped unconscious while bleeding. When I tried to look at his face, it matched the description that Mina told me.
"Rainar-san… Orstrid handcuffs them, making sure they can't escape."
I could see that Rainar-san was already unconscious, from the shock he felt from the pain. When I inspected the weapon, it was coated with poison. I don't know what kind of poison it is. Then I cast healing magic to close the wound and detox magic to erase the poison. When all is well and done, Rainar-san is still unconscious, so I decide to caress him while Orstrid binds two of the Evilus members and drags them with a rope.
"Orstrid carried both and handed them to Noir-san while I went to meet Kara and Mina. When Noir-san asks where I am, I just say that I have work to do and will come back soon."
----
I decided to carry Rainar-san to hand him to Mina while Orstrid will hand over two Evilus we capture. I tried to avoid using the entrance gate of the town with my flying ability and using the cover of darkness, so nobody would spot me flying above the town. According to Orstrid, both Mina and Kara are waiting for me at the same place we met Mina, so I start to descend the alley and walk toward them.
"It's okay, Mina; he just dropped unconscious, and in a matter of minutes he will wake up... Mina I need to talk with your father alone. Could you guide us to your home? And Kara, you can go back now. Let me take care of the rest."
"Sure, Oberon, just keep in mind that Rainar-san is a good person. He just wanted to protect his daughter."
"Yes, I know. Don't worry. I just want to know something he may know about. After that, I will let him be."
Hearing that Mina's expression changed a bit, she felt that now she could relax a bit knowing that her father would not be arrested. Mina's home was found on the edge of the town. It was a small tavern. According to Mina, that tavern was built a long time ago by her grandfather.
"I am sorry to ask. Is your mother in your home as well?"
"Mother, she... She takes part in the advance party in the hue fight against the One-Eyed Black Dragon and my father was an adventurer, but he decided to stay behind to take care of me because my mother had a higher level than my father. She promised to come back, but she never did."
"I see… I am sorry."
'I did hear that there is no survivor all of the adventurers that take part in the hunt are all die there is no single survivor.'
"It's okay; my father and I already got over it, but still... I am not sure my father could forget my mother."
" The love and the memory will always remain, no matter the time."
"Did Oberon-san lose a family member too?"
"No, I am lucky that I still have a mother and a father that I love. I will do anything to protect them... Is that the place, Mina?"
"Yes, that is the place, Oberon-san... Did you really need to talk with my father alone?"
"Yes, Mina I have to talk to him alone; trust me, I will not harm your father."
"Okay, I will trust you, Oberon-san."
Then we went inside the tavern. I asked Mina to wait in her room. I put Rainar on the table and waited for him to wake up. It did not take long before he started opening his eyes in reflex. He woke up quickly and checked the wound on his back; he could not feel any pain at all, and there was no scar left.
"Rainar-san?"
When I called his name, he jumped backward and fell from the table.
"H-how did you get here? and how did you know my name?"
"Your daughter was looking for you. She asked me to find out where you were."
I could see that he was panicking.
"If you are worried, I will report this to the authorities. Don't be... well, if you answer my question, please don't try to lie to me because I can see through someone who is lying."
'It is not true, of course.'
"First, take a seat, Rainar-san."
Then I created a glass and filled it with water to calm him down a bit.
"Thank you."
"Now where should we begin… Ah, right. I think you need to know that I have been following you since you arrived on this floor. I was expecting you three to bring me toward the other hiding place of Evilus, but when I saw you get stabbed by them, I changed my mind and saved you."
"For that, I thank you, but I am sorry that I can't answer any questions because they will put a bounty on my head and my daughter."
"I think you should be safe because they point the blame toward those two people that went with you. Every piece of information that you give toward me, I will give both of those scum credit, so you don't need to be worried."
"Still…"
"If you still refuse, I will hand you over to Noir-san, and we will take Mina away from you. This is your choice. You either tell me everything you know, or I will hand you over to my Familia and take away your daughter from you."
He still looked reluctant, but when he looked at me, he knew that he didn't have any choice. Rainar-san is aware of who the elven boy is that he is talking to because it has already spread among the adventurers.
There is a rumor that he single-handedly killed a level 3 adventurer without dropping a sweat. At first, he thought it was just a stupid rumor to spread fear among people who had ill intentions toward him, but he now believes all the rumors are true because he managed to reach the middle floor.
"I understand, but please, can you promise me that my daughter will be safe?"
"I promised, as my name is Oberon Aendryr Wishe, the right heir of the Wishe forest, that I would give your daughter my protection."
Hearing the seriousness in my tone, Rainar-san looked calmer than before because the Elven race is well known when they use their family name to make a promise, they will do anything not to break it, but he was a bit confused as to why he wanted to go to such lengths just to have a bit of information.
"I understand. I will tell you everything that I know I will start with…"
Rainar started to explain what happened that day. He told me that he received a message from an adventurer; he didn't say his name or his familia, but Rainar-san still remembered his face, so I asked him to write down how he looked; maybe it would be useful later. They, the Evilus, ask him to come to the 17th floor in the afternoon for an unknown reason.
"Um, did Rainar-san go alone? and how did you manage to avoid the guard?"
"I was a former adventurer so I can take care of myself, and for how I manage to avoid the guard, I use a hidden passage that I built in the chase I have to escape with my daughter."
Rainar-san doesn't know the exact reason they want to meet him, but he knows what will happen if they don't answer. He avoids telling his daughter because she will be worried, and Rainar-san believes they just want some information or are asking to gather information about a certain adventurer, but everything turns to the worst when he arrives; their base is attacked by someone.
"Who is the one attacking them?"
"I am not seeing them directly. I only heard them shouting two names. Allen and Anya are both well known in Orario, especially Allen. He slaughters everyone in his sight without a second thought. We managed to escape, but only three of us. When I told them that I wanted to come back and refused to follow them because their captain was there, one of them stabbed me in the back."
"I see. Did you know who this captain is you talking about?"
"I thought her name had already reached you right now... Her name was 'Valletta Grede'; she was the most ruthless and feared one of the Evilus members. It speaks volumes when compared to the other Evilus members; she is the one most feared."
'Valletta Grede It's the first time I've heard that name. I will research her later.'
"Is there another spy collaborating with you?"
"As far as I know, there is none other than me, but I will not rule out the possibility that there is another one like me."
'So, there are more, but even if I capture another spy, they don't know the other spy... The captain must suspect him to be one of the spies; then why did he not capture him?'
"The last one is: what kind of information do you share with them?"
"I just need to hear and write down what kind of rumor those adventurers shared. You can't believe how much information you can get from drunk adventurers."
"Hm, then can you write down the recent report you shared with them and the names of people you know were affiliated with Evilus?"
"I can do that. Please come back here tomorrow; I will hand it to you."
"Good. Can you call your daughter here? There is something I will give that will ensure your family's safety."
I had in mind to summon one of the protector beasts for his daughter, but the summon scroll was in my bag that I left in the care of Noir-san.
("Orstrid, can you hear me?")
("Yes, master, I'm just heading to your place.")
("I am sorry to ask this; could you bring me one of the summon scrolls for Secret Beast?")
("I understand, master, I will bring it to you in minutes.")
("As always, thank you, Orstrid.")
----
It did not take long before Mina and Rainar-san came back. I asked them to wait for one of my partners. I explained to them that I would summon a protector animal that could protect Mina from any danger, and I asked both not to reveal my summon magic to anyone. If they did, I would hand over Rainar to the authorities.
Just as Orstrid said, it took her a minute to arrive at the tavern and hand me a scroll to be used to summon Mina's guardian.
"Came here, Mina. I need you to put your hand in the middle of this magic circle."
"I am not sure I can do it, Oberon-san... I can't use magic."
"In that case, I take this."
I handed over one man a crystal that I had because all she needed was a bit of mana to activate the spell. Then I put the paper on the table.
"Now put your hand in the middle of the magic circle with the mana crystal in your hand, and Orstrid will make a barrier so no light can escape this building. I don't want unnecessary attention."
Following my instruction, Mina put her hand in the middle of the magic circle with a mana crystal in her hand, and it started to glow with a blue color. It was a different kind of color of light when I summoned Orstrid.
"Mina Try to imagine the beast you like to summon and what you expect from them; it will help make the beast you summon useful and maybe cute. When you are ready just chant 'Summon' You got it?"
She just nodded and followed my instructions. When she started to close her eyes, the summoning circle started to get brighter.
"SUMMON!"
When the light started to get dimmer, we could finally see what kind of beast Mina managed to summon. What I saw was a white fluffy thing that had white fluffy fur and it had a long tail. It looked like she was sleeping; it did not take long before it woke up. I could see her actual face and size; it had the look of a normal cat, but she had two long tails and long ears with azure blue eyes with gold pupil color, and it was twice the size of a normal cat.
("Are you, my master?")
I was a bit surprised that I was the one he asked.
'Did I draw the summon magic circle wrong?'
("That lady with dark hair will be your master.")
I could see that she looked disappointed.
"Oberon-san?"
"It's okay. Now Mina, give her a name to finish the ritual; after that, she will protect you from whatever harm may come."
Mina went silent for a moment; she thought it was a good and fitting name.
"I will name her 'Fett'"
Fett starts to get closer to Mina and shows her affection with a snuggle on his arm.
'She does look like a cat, but I don't think she is.'
"Mina, could you hear Fett's voice?"
"Voice?"
'Don't tell me that.'
Fett then tried to look into Mina's eyes. I know that she tried to use telepathy on her, but Mina just looked confused. Then I realized that Fett could use telepathy only for me, not for Mina. When I asked Orstrid and Fett why I was the only one able to do so, they both didn't know the exact answer, but when I tried to ask Orstrid directly, she looked like she was trying to hide something.
After finishing everything, I excused myself and left the tavern. Rainar-san kept thanking me for what I did to his family. He promised to provide the information I needed to know what he thought was important, handed it to me tomorrow, and helped me find more spies in Rivira.
"Then Mina, Rainar-san If there is something that you are in dire need of, just send me a letter, and Fett, please protect this family the best you can."
("I understand I will not let any harm come to her young master.")
The night in Rivira was incredibly beautiful. When I look at the ceiling of the dungeon, there is a ceiling that looks like a star and is sparkling like a jewel. When I tried to remember the things that happened today, I couldn't shake this feeling that everything that happened today had been set up by Loki because there was no way that she and Captain Finn couldn't find that Rainar-san was the spy. It's so obvious that it feels like they left Rainar-san to operate as an Evilus informant for a good reason.
'Did she ask Lady Freya to send Allen to slaughter them, but how did Rainar-san and others manage to escape?'
Oberon thinks that Allen let them escape because, according to Anya, her brother will obsess with pleasing goddess Freya if he lets some of them escape, which means he just makes his goddess disappointed.
"Master?"
"Orstrid, what is it?"
"Did Master worry about something?"
"I feel like everything that happened today has been set up to end like this, and the funny thing is that goddess Loki only told me to visit Rivira and meet Gareth-san, and when I did, everything started to move, and if she predicted this outcome, I couldn't help but feel scared of her. It reminds me of the time I was under that bastard that makes me can't stop feeling worried, Orstrid... did I wrong to choose to trust Loki?"
Orstrid doesn't know what to say to her master, and she understands her master's fear because his memory of past lives still haunts her. To this day, his fear of the gods stays, but his master believes that he has no choice but to build some connection with the gods if he wants his current and future family to be safe from any danger.
"I don't know if goddess Loki deserves Master's trust, but I know that everyone surrounding her are all good people I know because that is what Ais told me."
"Ais-chan… Yeah, if Ais-chan said that it may be true."
'It's no use to be suspicious of her; after all, it's only been a week since I was under goddess Loki. I had to keep an open mind and let myself trust her.'
"I need to write some report for goddess Loki. *sigh* It will be a long night."