There's definitely something going on here.
Tsubaki raised an eyebrow, her gaze sweeping over the fully armed Commander of the Military Police, who hadn't even removed his gauntlets.
She looked at his cold face, which seemed to say, 'I'm just doing my job, don't ask unnecessary questions.'
After a moment of thought,
Tsubaki decided not to pry further.
After all,
from morning till now, this Deity had given her enough surprises for one day.
First, her usually stingy Deity had unexpectedly allowed her to bring people into the Familia's armory to choose freely.
Then, there was the performance of these little monsters in the Dungeon for the first time.
Now, there was one more surprise.
Especially since it's best not to ask too much about a Deity's business.
So,
Tsubaki turned her head and looked at the group of girls behind her.
They were covered in dust, some even had bloodstains on their clothes, but they were still full of spirit, showing no signs of fatigue.
Especially when she saw the Black Bear, which was being directed by Hanazake Warabi.
The massive beast was standing there, its huge body covered in a beastskin wrap that rose and fell slightly with its breath.
Although she couldn't delve into the Deity's business,
the contents of that wrap were real.
'Well...'
Tsubaki shrugged, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth as she looked at Heimdall.
No matter what, Lord Heimdall, the new recruits you've enlisted are truly a group of little monsters.
They swept straight from the 1st floor to the 12th floor of the Dungeon.
If it weren't for the fact that this is their first day getting familiar with the environment, and it's getting late, I would have even considered taking them straight into the middle layers for an adventure.
Tsubaki was clearly eager for more.
And this evaluation was high praise indeed.
After all, there aren't many in Orario who can earn such praise from Tsubaki.
At the same time,
hearing this,
including Shakti, the other passersby were left speechless.
From the 1st floor to the 12th floor on their first day?
What a joke!
A normal newbie team would be considered competent if they could survive the first 6 floors on their first day!
However,
seeing the serious expression on Tsubaki, a Level 5 Adventurer,
and looking at those girls who, despite their delicate appearance, clearly had the aura of battle,
the other passersby felt their throats go dry.
To receive such high praise from Tsubaki, it seems these kids have not disappointed me today.
Heimdall nodded, a smile of satisfaction on his face.
Then,
he changed the subject and said smoothly,
'Since that's the case,
why don't you join us for a celebratory dinner at the tavern tonight, Tsubaki?
I'd also like to hear about their brave deeds down there.
As for the expenses,
due to the special circumstances today, I have already handed over all my expenses to Shakti.
So, there's no need to worry about that.'
With that,
Heimdall stepped aside, smoothly putting Shakti in the spotlight.
Shakti: '...'
Suddenly put on the spot,
Shakti felt a bit helpless.
For some reason, this made her sound like the one footing the bill.
But she had made a promise to cover all of this Deity's expenses for the day,
so she couldn't back out now.
So, she silently nodded.
However,
Tsubaki noticed the subtle distance between the two and raised an eyebrow.
As expected, there was something going on here.
But,
Tsubaki didn't intend to pry further.
'Of course, no problem!'
Tsubaki laughed heartily, flashing a wide grin.
'I never say no to a free meal!
But before that,
Lord Heimdall, I think we should take care of business first.
After all, the Guild's exchange counter has a rule: first come, first served.
If we're late, we'll have to wait until tomorrow to exchange these magic stones.
And...
I thought Lord Heimdall would be surprised too.
Now it seems I was overthinking it.
But I can't be the only one surprised on this trip; that just doesn't sit right.
So, I want to see the looks on the faces of those Guild workers who sit behind the counter all day yawning,
when they see a group of new recruits, registered just today, bring back this kind of haul!
After all, a joy shared is a joy doubled.
Seeing others' reactions will make me feel better.
Heimdall listened and nodded.
'Since Tsubaki is so enthusiastic,
let's go.'
...
Thus,
in the setting sun, an unusual procession made its way through the streets of Orario.
At the front,
was the fully armed Commander of the Military Police, Shakti, and Tsubaki, striding confidently with a mischievous grin.
In the middle,
was a massive Black Bear, carrying a beastskin pack almost as large as itself, its steps echoing with a 'rustle, rustle.'
Behind it, a smaller bear followed, also carrying a pack.
Further back,
was a Black-haired Deity with a silver-white lance, his ethereal presence contrasting with the group of high-level, battle-hardened girls.
And mixed among them was a Loli God, munching on fried potato balls.
This configuration
turned heads everywhere they went.
Hey... isn't that Shakti?
And behind her... is that a bear?!
Which Familia is that? Their entourage is insane...
Passersby and Adventurers alike stopped and stared, but no one dared approach too closely, intimidated by Shakti's uniform.
The procession marched straight through the streets,
heading for the grand building—the Guild Headquarters, the Pantheon.
...
Creeak—
The Guild's door was pushed open.
The previously noisy hall, filled with the boasts and chatter of Adventurers,
fell silent as if an invisible hand had suddenly choked it.
The sound disappeared instantly,
leaving only the heavy footsteps.
Thud.
Thud.
Countless eyes turned to look.
When they saw Shakti at the head of the procession, in her Ganesha Familia uniform,
many Adventurers who had something to hide or had recently caused trouble instinctively ducked their heads.
The hall was eerily quiet.
Tsubaki was quite pleased with this.
This entourage was impressive enough.
So,
Tsubaki ignored the reverent gazes, leading the procession straight through the crowd to the newcomer reception desk on one side of the hall.
There,
the Half-Elf girl from earlier in the day,
Eina Tulle, was buried in a pile of documents half her height.
Her brow was furrowed, her feather pen flying across the parchment as she struggled with the day's complex data entry.
As a multi-tasking advisor, this was her busiest time of day.
'Eina.'
A familiar voice sounded above her head.
Eina's pen paused, then she looked up.
The first thing that caught her eye was Tsubaki's signature smiling face, complete with an eyepatch.
'Tsubaki... Miss Tsubaki?'
Eina was taken aback.
Then,
her gaze shifted past Tsubaki.
'Lord Heimdall?'
'And...'
Further back,
there was the blue-haired beauty in neat, light armor.
'Shakti?'
Wait...
Hold on...
Why is Shakti with Lord Heimdall?!
Seeing this, Eina's green eyes behind her glasses widened slightly.
-------------------------------
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