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...
"This is the place, right?"
Fully equipped, Mika stood on a street in the western district, addressing Mellie, who stood beside him.
"Yes, this is it," Mellie replied with a chuckle. "It seems the Ganesha Familia is quite considerate, assigning us to patrol near our own home. How convenient."
"Shakti Varma, the Ganesha Familia captain who wields the 'Staff of Ganesha,' is a highly capable commander, especially now with the various Familias working together," Airmid added.
"It appears her strategic planning is meticulous."
Mika nodded, acknowledging Mellie's praise.
In the future, Shakti Varma, despite not reaching Level 6, would become an elite Level 5 adventurer.
Under her leadership, the Ganesha Familia, though still unable to match the Freya and Loki Familias, would grow exponentially in strength.
Their position as the strongest Familia after the Freya and Loki Familias would be undisputed.
"Since we've confirmed the location, let's begin our patrol."
"To cover more ground efficiently, Airmid and Mellie, you two work together, while I'll patrol alone. How does that sound?"
"An impeccable plan," Airmid agreed.
Although Mika, Airmid, and Mellie were secretly Level 3, boasting combat prowess comparable to Familia executives, and theoretically shouldn't fear any opponents, Mika took precautions. He paired Airmid and Mellie together to ensure their safety in case they encountered an executive from the dark factions.
"Let's get started then."
The three exchanged smiles before heading off in different directions.
...
As Mika walked along the streets, observing his surroundings, a sense of melancholy washed over him.
The current Orario bore little resemblance to the bustling city he knew from the future.
Especially now, with the threat of the dark factions looming, all the shops were closed, and the streets were eerily deserted.
Occasionally, Mika spotted homeless individuals huddled in the shadows.
He guessed they were those who had lost their jobs and livelihoods, as Udo had mentioned.
"What a tragic era."
Even though this was the center of the world, the harsh reality of the times had cast a dark shadow over its former glory.
"This is the tide of the times."
Shaking off his somber thoughts, Mika refocused on his surroundings.
All he could do now was protect these businesses and hopefully prevent more people from falling victim to these dire circumstances.
Mika wasn't the only High-level adventurer patrolling this street.
There were others from various Familias.
After all, in the event of a real attack, two or three High-level adventurers wouldn't make much of a difference.
"You're here too, Mika?"
"Of course. It's a Guild summons. They wouldn't just mobilize you guys and leave us out."
"I just didn't expect to see you on this street."
"There are a lot of things you wouldn't expect."
After exchanging greetings with a familiar acquaintance, they quickly parted ways, resuming their duties.
"Quite a few familiar faces."
"It seems the situation really is tense."
Mika pondered the current situation.
Both the Guild and the various Familias had made significant sacrifices to quell the initial chaos of the Dark Age and restore a semblance of order.
They wouldn't allow the hard-won peace to be shattered so easily.
"Stop! Thief!"
"Is that… a robbery?"
Spotting two figures chasing each other in the distance, Mika noticed the lead figure clutching a package and sporting a sinister grin. He instantly recognized the situation.
"Technically, this should be handled by the Ganesha Familia, but since I'm here, I can't just ignore it."
With that thought, Mika dashed towards the fleeing criminal.
Suddenly, a flash of emerald green streaked past him, intercepting the thief with incredible speed.
"Surrender yourself!"
With a powerful swing of her weapon, the criminal was sent flying through the air, landing right at Mika's feet.
Mika swiftly pinned the thief down, preventing any further escape.
However, his attention wasn't on the subdued criminal but on the emerald-haired girl who had apprehended him.
Looking at her face, a sense of familiarity washed over him.
Ryuu Lion.
In the future, she would be a member of the "Hostess of Fertility," and though she wouldn't join the Hestia Familia, she would, due to Syr's intervention, help Bell and his companions on several occasions.
In the future narrative centered around Bell Cranel, Ryuu's role would be even more prominent than Ais Wallenstein, the "Sword Princess."
"I never expected to see her here."
Mika watched as Ryuu picked up the dropped package and returned it to the person chasing after the thief, a sense of wonder filling him.
"Ryuu, you're too fast!"
Following a cheerful voice, three slender figures came into view.
The first was a warrior with fiery red hair, the second a raven-haired girl in a elegant kimono, exuding a noble aura, and the third a petite, pink-haired Pallum girl.
Mika was familiar with them as well.
In the current Orario, their reputation rivaled that of the Freya and Loki Familias.
They belonged to the Astraea Familia.
A Familia that would vanish without a trace in the future.
They wouldn't survive the Dark Age.
The red-haired girl leading the group was Alise Lovell, the captain of the Astraea Familia.
Beside her was Gojouno Kaguya, the vice-captain, dressed in a black kimono.
The petite, pink-haired Pallum was Lyra, another member of the Astraea Familia.
The Astraea Familia, comprised of these young women, upheld "justice" as their core principle, constantly aiding those in need throughout Orario.
Because of this, their reputation surpassed even the Freya and Loki Familias in the city.
"As expected of our Astraea Familia's fastest runner. Even a perfect maiden like myself can't keep up once she takes off!"
The speaker was none other than Alise Lovell, the captain of the Astraea Familia.
Listening to her words, Mika began mentally labeling her.
Airheaded, narcissistic, energetic.
She seemed like a captain with charisma and leadership qualities.
"Don't say that, Alise! We're in public! Please be mindful of your surroundings!"
Unlike her future self, Ryuu was still quite straightforward and honest.
Alise's words caused her to blush profusely.
---
"My surroundings? What about them? What did I do?" Ryuu was immediately flustered by Alise Lovell's retort.
At this point, she was completely incapable of handling Alise's personality.
"Alright, you two, remember there are other people present." Gojouno Kaguya gestured towards Mika, a hint of exasperation in her voice.
The next moment, Mika felt four pairs of eyes focused on him.
"Who are you?" Alise, the leader of the group, inquired.
"Good morning, members of the Astraea Familia. My name is Mika, from the Yahweh Familia. I'm currently patrolling this area on a Guild assignment."
"I actually intended to stop that thief earlier, but this elf lady beat me to it," Mika explained with a chuckle.
Due to concealing his true strength, Mika's speed was merely above average for a High-level adventurer.
"Patrolling? Oh right, Orario is under martial law right now," Alise said, suddenly realizing.
"I completely forgot about it because we've been so focused on tracking down the dark factions."
The Astraea Familia's primary objective was upholding justice, so they were frequently engaged in battles against the dark factions, even in the current situation.
As one of the primary forces combating the dark factions, the Astraea Familia was rarely assigned patrol duty.
However, during their downtime, they often patrolled voluntarily. They never tired of maintaining order in Orario.
"I heard that many shops in Orario have been attacked recently, causing significant damage. How bad is the situation?" Mika asked curiously.
"It's pretty dire," Gojouno Kaguya replied with a sigh, recalling her recent missions. "Actually, Orario itself is relatively safe. It's outside the city where things are truly dangerous."
"Apparently, there are traces of the dark factions all over the world. They're wreaking havoc everywhere, with elf settlements being their primary targets."
"I've heard that many elf villages have already been attacked."
Mika was stunned as he listened to Kaguya's grim report. He hadn't expected the situation outside Orario to be so chaotic.
Elf settlements were renowned for their strength.
The elves had their own training grounds called "school districts."
Many elves underwent rigorous training in these districts.
There were undoubtedly many such skilled elves residing in the elf villages.
Yet, these powerful settlements were being targeted and plundered by the dark factions.
"It seems there are quite a few strong individuals among the dark factions," Mika remarked, a sense of urgency gripping him.
They needed to increase their strength as quickly as possible.
A fierce battle was looming on the horizon.
Shaking off his thoughts, Mika applied a bit of pressure with his foot on the subdued criminal, eliciting a groan of pain. "What should we do with this guy?"
"Let's wait a bit. The Ganesha Familia should arrive soon," Alise replied with a carefree smile.
"By the way, we haven't introduced ourselves properly yet."
"That's not necessary. Your reputation precedes you throughout Orario," Mika responded with a gentle smile.
"Hmph! As expected of me!"
As Alise puffed out her chest proudly, Ryuu, Kaguya, and Lyra all sighed in unison, shaking their heads in exasperation.
"Speaking of the Yahweh Familia, I believe Astraea mentioned them before," Alise suddenly remarked, ignoring her companions' sighs.
"Apparently, Astraea and Yahweh were close friends in Heaven."
"Really? Is that true?" The other three members of the Astraea Familia asked curiously.
They had no knowledge of such a friendship.
"Yes, it's true. I heard Yahweh-sama mention it as well."
Mika was well aware of Yahweh's social circles.
However, it didn't hold much significance for him.
Similar to Loki and Freya, who were also good friends despite their Familias being bitter rivals, Mika wouldn't treat the Astraea Familia differently just because their goddess was friends with Yahweh.
"There's such a connection?"
"Of course! See, you didn't know that, did you?" Alise said triumphantly. She then approached Mika, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Mika, my friend, if you ever need anything, feel free to come to us."
"Thanks," Mika responded, forcing a smile.
Although he was indeed younger than them based on his time in Orario, if he included his time in other worlds, he was undoubtedly older.
Why was she calling him "Mika, my friend" as if he were a child?
"By the way, who is the captain of the Yahweh Familia?" Alise suddenly asked.
"That would be me," Mika replied.
"Really? Then let's form an alliance!"
"Huh?!"
Both Mika and Alise's companions gasped in surprise.
"Hold on, Alise! What are you doing?!"
Kaguya placed both hands on Alise's shoulders, shaking her frantically.
"What am I doing? Forming an alliance, of course!"
"But we just met! We don't know anything about each other!" Kaguya exclaimed, exasperated.
"But isn't Yahweh a good friend of Astraea?"
"If that's the case, then I'm sure Yahweh is a virtuous goddess, and her Familia members wouldn't be any different."
"Although we just met, judging by his actions and demeanor, I believe Mika is a trustworthy individual."
"Therefore, I don't see any reason why we shouldn't form an alliance with such a Familia."
Kaguya was speechless, unable to counter Alise's logic.
"But isn't this a bit too hasty?"
"Hasty? I think it's fate."
At this point, Kaguya had run out of arguments.
Seeing this, Ryuu and Lyra didn't try to dissuade Alise any further. If even the vice-captain couldn't reason with her, they stood no chance.
"So, what do you say, Mika? Will you accept our alliance?"
Alise turned to Mika, her hand outstretched, her eyes filled with sincerity.
"You've already put it that way. How can I refuse?"
With a smile, Mika extended his hand as well.
The next moment, their hands clasped together, sealing their unexpected alliance.
...
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