"It's been a long time…"
Ryuu stood in front of the Artemis familia home. It has been more than four years since she last visited this place. Last time, she was still with her friends. This time, she is alone.
The gate opened.
"Welcome back."
Nobu served as their gatekeeper.
"The others are just inside. Probably, they're as tense as you are."
"...Alright."
Despite meeting him for a second time, she grasped his tendency to be playful at times. This personality emerged during his disguised form.
Nobu guided her inside the mansion. He seemed very familiar with the place. It further increased Ryuu's impression of him being their friend.
Soon, they arrived at the living room. Everyone was waiting for their arrival.
"..."
"Leon..."
Rethusa couldn't even finish her words as Lantes ran towards her. She gave Ryuu a tight hug. Her tears couldn't be concealed.
"Leon..! You're bwack…"
Infected by her emotions, everyone else in the room let out their tears. They all converged to Ryuu save for Artemis. As of now, she looked at them with melancholic eyes.
"Astraea… I understand why…"
"Lady Astraea didn't want to put everyone in danger. Perhaps that's why she carried the burden alone." Nobu commented. "She's well aware of the danger Evilus holds."
As someone who fought Evilus head-on, Astraea knew that they aren't completely annihilated since the Great Feud. They are more cautious than everybody thought.
Despite the execution of their main leader, Erebus, Evilus continued to exist. They remained spread out all over Orario. This is a fact known by her. Only, she did not expect that the remnants will annihilate her entire familia. The appearance of the Irregular who killed them went beyond everyone's expectations.
Knowing what happened to her familia, Astraea wanted to keep Artemis and her familia out of danger.
"Leon… Astraea let go of her. It's most likely for her own good." Artemis sighed. "Why did everything had to happen without us?"
"...At least, Lady Artemis has a chance to lend a hand now."
"You're right. I appreciate the thought, Nobu-kun."
"It's nothing. You know… You were there when I cried. That's why… If you want to…"
"..!"
While the emotional reunion happened, a romantic development happened behind their backs.
*****
It was a long day. After everyone got tired of crying, they calmed down. They began talking to Ryuu-san, but it's more of comforting her than anything. There are also their guilt of not being able to help when everyone suffered.
These events spiraled uncontrollably that I had to buy their lunch. Of course, I ordered takeouts at Benevolent Mistress. With my expanded bag, it is enough to carry everything.
These bags are common in this world. That's one of the advantages Gekai has.
"You didn't have to do this…"
"It's alright. No worries."
Everyone got embarrassed that they forgot the time.
"Nobu-kun is really attentive."
"That's his habit."
I heard Nana-san and Rethusa-san compliment me.
After that, I spent time outside the living room. I patrolled the mansion and checked each of the spells I engraved for their defenses. They are all placed inside a mithril slab. It uses the same technique Daedalus thought of when placing traps in Knossos.
By the time I finished, I saw Ryuu-san and Rethusa-san talking.
"What will you do now?"
"I… don't know."
*****
Two years ago, Ryuu had a fateful encounter. After meeting a girl named 'Syr', her life started to get back on track. The emptiness she felt after enacting her vengeance started to disappear little by little.
Since then, she lived as 'Ryuu', a waitress in the Benevolent Mistress.
When she met her past friends once more, she felt inexplicable emotions. She felt transported back to that day—when she destroyed a good portion of Orario's underworld along with Evilus bases. Several people with 'light' connections to Evilus were not spared. If they sold Evilus supplies, they would be designated as suspects, and in turn eliminated.
Fortunately, everyone in Artemis Familia is sensible. They did not mention anything directly related to that incident. To them, her vengeance did not matter as much as her safety.
This removed some of her guilt as someone who survived and did unspeakable deeds, yet it reminded her of the weight of her sins. It is a contradiction.
"Everything's fine, Rethusa-san?"
"Nobu-kun." Rethusa noticed the arrival of the white-haired boy. "Mn… Everything's alright. Everyone said the things they wanted to say."
"I see."
Seeing this casual conversation, Ryuu thought of him. Sirius was thought to be close to the Artemis Familia, but from what she had seen, it was much more than that. They are pretty casual with him.
"Uhm… I've heard of your dilemma, Ryuu-san."
"Yes..?"
"It's just a suggestion… You shouldn't think of it much. You can visit everyone anytime." He said. "Anyways… I'm sorry for intruding. I accidentally heard your conversation."
After speaking, he walked away. A smile was drawn to Rethusa's face.
"Nobu-kun is back with his wisdom." She turned to Ryuu. "He's right. You shouldn't think much of it. Live your life as you fit. We are here to help."
"Rethusa… Alright."
Ryuu settled everything. When she was about to leave the mansion, it was already nighttime.
Unexpectedly, she saw Nobu dozing off as he leaned against a wall. He is currently beside the gate. His body became tense with her gaze.
"Ah. Hello."
"I thought you went home."
"I waited for you. As to what it is…"
"Evilus..?"
Then, it dawned on her. The promised talk wasn't done due to how long it took her to reunite with others.
"It's fine. Seeing everyone happy is more important than this talk. I'm willing to wait."
"..."
She went silent as he predicted her words.
"I want to ask something."
"Go ahead."
"You went inside Knossos… alone?"
"That's right."
During one of her raids, Ryuu found an unusual red orb from an Evilus base. After some time, she discovered an entrance to Knossos. She thought everything was a coincidence, but it is actually Evilus' trap.
They wanted to regain the lost key thus they lured her. It was nearly successful when her intuition told her not to explore further. An ambush occurred, but she was able to escape with her insane agility.
"I nearly died in that place. I suggest you do not repeat the same mistake as mine."
"No worries. I wouldn't storm the place." He internally added, 'For now.'
Nobu looked at Ryuu before asking, "About the Irregular… Can you describe it?"
"...Why do you want to know?"
'Should I… No.'
Out of everyone, only he and Hephaestus knew about Jura Halmer's survival. He didn't choose to mention it to Artemis due to his worry. When he met Ryuu, this thing could even be worse than saying it to Artemis.
"You can forget about it. Thanks for the information, Ryuu-san."
Sensing Ryuu's turmoil, he didn't choose to continue and left.
"Sirius…"
She knew about his fame indirectly. From killing a Goliath as a Level one, leveling up in two weeks, and creation of indestructible magic swords, he swept Orario with a huge wave. Now, there is a difference between people with his magic swords and people without them.
She was amazed when she first heard of his feats. It eclipsed even Sword Princess' own. Though, meeting him personally felt different. It was as if she was talking to a refined man, not a young boy.
"Lantes told me something… What was it again?"
Fortunately, Ryuu forgot about Lantes' side comments about the 'ship'.
*****
On the highest floor of Babel, a goddess looked over Orario.
'She met them.'
Unbeknownst to everyone, the goddess possessed an edge as opposed to the other gods. Her eyes could see through the mortals' very souls. Just like Hephaestus' smithing skill, it was allowed to be brought over to Tenkai. It is something bundled with her charm, hence she retained it.
Through this eye and a mirror, she observes interesting people. One of them happened to be Ryuu Lion. Another person happened to be caught to her view.
"Just like that girl…"
Sirius—Akasaka Nobu—is the most talented adventurer at the moment. It is completely expected that he caught her eyes at least once.
Nevertheless, she never placed much attention to him. At most, his 'outsider' status and strong will akin to the Sword Princess served as his specialty. That, and his intertwined 'fate' with a chastite goddess—Artemis.
For someone like her, it didn't raise her interest high enough.
"He's interesting… but not the same as my Odr."
Just like Artemis, the goddess knew that her fated lover is in Gekai. At first, she lost hope after years of roaming the land, but she felt the arrival of her Odr. Not long, she will be united with her lover.
To that, the thousand-year-old spirit Aiz Wallenstein nor the otherworlder Akasaka Nobu weren't as important as him.
In her eyes, Odr is the one that matters.
*****
"..!"
A gaze prickled on my neck. When I looked back, I saw nobody.
"It's the same sensation as that time…"
In my first day in Orario, I also felt a similar gaze. However, it disappeared just like now. If not for my sixth sense honed by eight iterations of combat, I wouldn't have noticed that.
"Was it a god..?"
There are hundreds of gods in this place. There's no way I could pinpoint the source of that gaze.
'Ha… It could be Loki-sama herself.' I recalled a similar event. 'Speaking of which… Syr, huh?'
I harbored a suspicion. When I met Syr-san in benevolent Mistress, I vaguely caught onto something. I hid it at that time.
'Syr' is… well, another name for goddess Freyja (Freya). Along with that are Mardöll, Hörn, and Gefn.
I couldn't help but wonder if she's related to Freya-sama. When I spoke with her, I sensed several gazes on me. That sensation is similar to the feeling this time, although the latter is stronger.
Oftentimes, the myths of my world corroborated with Gekai's. There are many gods here that exists in my world too such as Takemikazuchi, Hermes, Zeus, Hera, Apollo, and so on. Even this world's first hero, Argonaut, is based on the band of heroes who sought the Golden Fleece.
"It's time…"
I checked the previous gaze. I couldn't feel it anymore.
After asking Ryuu-san, I went ahead and did another thing on my agenda.
I slipped into a dark alley and wore my mask. I set it to the previous appearance. It overlaid my appearance and changed the perception of others. This magic tool worked based on Plato's Idea Theory and Optics.
Tap.
The mask disappeared. It was concealed under an 'invisibility' function made by [Miracle Maker].
"I want to meet him but he's unpredictable…"
Lady Artemis recommended someone if we would go against Evilus. However, it'll be counterproductive if she is the one who will reach out. I don't want Artemis Familia nor Hephaestus Familia bearing the brunt of its impact. Who know whether there are spies nearby. It'd be best to introduce this information as someone 'unknown', at least for now.
I saw how crazy Thanatos' followers were from my memories. They aren't afraid of death. I could already imagine how destructive it will be if Evilus decides to attack them.
In the end, it is my selfishness.
I don't want to put everyone in danger. Rather than involving them like this, I could first use the help of Hermes Familia or Loki Familia who are already fighting against Evilus. That way, they won't be the ones bearing the brunt of danger. They would be the support at best.
Of course, I considered the suspicion Hermes Familia will have. Nevertheless, I have something to back it up.
Tap-!
Rustle-!
I climbed on top of a roof and began jumping through them. Every time I landed, I used my magic to reduce gravity. My footsteps became extremely light.
"Bis Firmus." (Twice Robustness.)
My speed became faster. I reached the equivalent of a level three.
"Fu…"
I discovered how refreshing it was to do this. The cold night breeze swept my face. It even went through my hoodie. A white fog came out every time I exhaled.
Soon, I saw the target destination.
Traveler's Inn.
The base of Hermes Familia. It is designed to look like a mix of an inn and a pub.
I held off from using Correspondence but chose to take out a ring instead. It is best to be cautious with Perseus, one of the greatest item-maker in Orario.
I recall hearing Thanatos' and Barca's shock when Perseus replicated the Daedalus Orb. That was also the time I was sent out to handle the escalating situation.
"[Hide Under Plain Sight]."
The next moment, I became completely concealed.
'It's effective.'
This magic tool does one thing: imposing Plato's Idea Theory to the next level. Instead of the physical world, I brought the world of forms to myself. It is abstract and non-physical—something that transcends space and time. For mortals, it is something unseen.
It is a complex thing to do, hence the imperfections the ring has. It could not completely impose the world of forms, only a small portion of its 'concept'.
In short, it could easily be seen through by high-level adventurers. Also, its duration is merely three minutes.
I took out my staff and started engraving a magic circle on top of a roof. I repeated the process several times in different locations. Once fifteen to twenty minutes pass, they would disappear.
"Everything's good."
Lastly, I took out a magic dagger and engraved the necessary details in its [Memorize]. Through this, I could come and go as planned.
I leaped from the roof. I landed myself to the ground.
"Hm…"
I decided to do the same modus operandi like last time. I climbed over a random window and entered through it.
My landing did not make a sound due to the ring.
Scanning the room, I found no one inside.
'I don't need to re-enter another room…'
I left the room. I looked at the corridor and saw nobody.
'There's nobody here…'
I knew from Lady Artemis that they are similar to informants. They greatly contributed during the battles against Evilus. Astraea Familia used to cooperate with them, which is how she knew their true nature.
When I left the corridor, I finally saw some people. What they have in common are slightly dark eyebags.
"Where could those remnants go…"
"It's useless… They thoroughly cut their connection with the outside world. It's going to be hard discovering their traces."
The two people passed by me.
'They're busy finding the Evilus remnants, I see.'
I started sprinting.
Within this duration, I have to find their location.
*****
In the last three or so weeks, Hermes Familia is persistently seeking for traces of Evilus. Their god, Hermes, knew it shouldn't have ended like that. They have multiple gods.
Unfortunately, they couldn't find them no matter how hard they try to do so. Valletta had the remaining Evilus members pull back from the surface. Vendetta coming to the surface to complete the Demi-Spirit's request is actually a risky move.
When Evilus' direct influence was removed, they began utilizing Ikelos Familia as their point of contact. They might be from the underworld, but they are clean with any involvement from them.
It is natural for Hermes Familia to not find any clues.
"You better not give more job after all this…"
"Yep! I promise!"
Currently, Hermes and his familia captain, Asfi Al Andromeda, are inside a room filled with many articles. It is akin to a detective's board in movies but filled with even more articles.
Asfi drank her remaining coffee in one gulp before returning back to work. She kept analyzing of the findings handed out every day. She is looking for any clues she missed.
"How did they clean their traces thoroughly…" She muttered. "...unless the twenty-seventh floor incident involves faking their death. They might have done the preparations before it happened."
Asfi froze. She thought of this due to her irritation, but it sounded more reasonable as she thought of it.
With this assumption, she has a new angle to look at.
"Hm… How long will you steal confidential information, mister?"
Suddenly, Hermes looked at their investigation board. Asfi was bewildered with his actions but she thought of something.
Just as she did so, an unexpected visitor appeared. He is dressed in a black hoodie. His red pupils scrutinized the web of information gathered by them.
"What a thorough analysis. Every familia associated with crime is here." The man turned his back to the board. "Whoa. Please drop that dart launcher, miss."
Click.
Sou-!
From Asfi's pen-like object, a swift dart flew at him. The man responded by throwing a black sphere. The chunk of a magnet with an [Attraction] magic redirected its trajectory.
Clang.
The two objects fell to the ground.
Asfi pulled out a dagger—
"Can we calm down for a while?"
"You intruder—!"
"It's fine, Asfi."
"Lord Hermes!"
Hermes smiled back at the man.
"What do you need in this place, mister-unidentified?"
"I need quite a few things. No… Rather, I want to offer a few things. These don't come free." The man replied. "For example, the current location of Evilus."
"..!"
While Asfi was startled, Hermes nonchalantly said:
"Shouldn't we start from a basis first?"
"You're right."
The two men easily reached an agreement.