The Squad Leader waved his hand decisively, the movement crisp and swift, leading his team to quickly turn into an unknown alley, disappearing without a trace in a flash.
Leaving behind a group of bewildered passersby.
"..."
"..."
"Huh?"
The other pedestrians were stunned, looking at each other, their foreheads covered in question marks.
What was that?
Collective blindness?
Or was this bear actually an unofficial member of the [Ganesha Familia]?
"I knew it... How could such a dangerous monster be running around freely in Orario..."
A passerby wiped the cold sweat from his brow, trying to convince himself with this reasoning.
"So it was Lord Ganesha's arrangement. Then it's fine, it's fine, disperse, disperse."
Everyone found an excuse to save face.
Although they still felt that a giant bear was terrifying just to look at.
But since even the military police responsible for security turned a blind eye, they, the common folk, naturally had no desire to meddle.
...
Meanwhile,
at an outdoor coffee seat not far away,
within the shadow cast by a sun umbrella,
three figures were seated there.
Despite being in a bustling area, surrounded by noisy crowds and vendors,
there seemed to be an invisible aura around their table that made passersby subconsciously tread lighter or cast a glance of awe.
Seated in the middle,
was a little boy who looked about ten years old, wearing exquisite light armor, possessing soft golden hair and a pair of deep blue eyes.
Even just sitting quietly holding a teacup, it seemed as if the command of a vast army was held in his small hands, giving people a sense of mountain-like stability and reliability.
— — [Loki Familia] Captain, Lv. 6.
— — [Brave], Finn Deimne.
To his left,
was a tall, beautiful woman with long green hair that flowed with a luster like the finest jade, and pointed ears that signaled her noble bloodline.
Even while sitting at this kind of street-side outdoor coffee seat,
she maintained an elegant posture as if seated on a royal throne, her back straight, holding an ancient-looking book.
However, at this moment,
the Elf lady's gaze was not fixed on the pages of the book in her hand, but was directed towards the street corner where the giant bear had just disappeared.
— — [Loki Familia] Vice-Captain, Lv. 6.
— — [Nine-Headed Dragon], Riveria Ljos Alf.
As for the right side,
the style changed drastically.
A short but robust Pallum, his face covered in messy, bushy beard that obscured more than half of it, was gripping a wooden mug.
"Gulp gulp— Ah!"
He boldly downed a large gulp of ale, casually wiping away the white foam clinging to his beard.
— — [Loki Familia] Highest Executive, Lv. 6.
— — [Heavy Juggernaut], Gareth Landrock.
It could be said that these three were beings standing at the apex of Orario's pyramid, and also the most famous core combat strength of the [Loki Familia]—the [Three Giants].
Normally, these three busy individuals were constantly occupied.
The reason they were all gathered in such a leisurely place at this moment,
was entirely because of their troublesome Goddess—Loki.
That red-haired Goddess had gone crazy about something; using the excuse of inspecting public sentiment, she had surely snuck out to drink and harass people.
Helplessly, they had to collectively come out to catch her, coincidentally waiting at this intersection with a clear line of sight.
As a result, before they could catch her,
they saw this scene first.
"Interesting..."
Finn set down his teacup, the porcelain cup making a light clinking sound against the saucer.
His deep blue eyes narrowed slightly, looking in the direction where the small figure riding the bear had vanished, a meaningful arc curving at the corner of his mouth.
His thumb gently stroked the handle of the cup.
This was his habitual gesture when deep in thought.
"Is that the Heimdall Familia that has been causing such a stir in the recent rumors?"
Finn's voice was low, gentle, and clearly audible to his companions.
"They certainly look... special."
"Hmph."
Gareth, sitting beside him, let out a grunt and set down his mug, the ale inside sloshing.
"Special? That's an understatement."
"Daring to parade around the streets on the back of such a massive bear, and even the members of the Ganesha Familia didn't dare to intervene."
The old dwarf's eyes were sharp; he had seen the scene clearly.
That Squad Leader from the Ganesha Familia had clearly recognized the rider, and then fled with his men as if they'd seen a ghost.
He didn't even dare to utter a single word.
What does that mean?
It means someone higher up had already given orders.
"Lord Heimer's influence truly is vast."
Gareth sighed, a glint flashing in his eyes as he seemed to recall every detail of that giant bear.
"And, Finn, did you notice?"
"That bear's physique..."
"It's absolutely no ordinary beast, not even a typical tamed monster."
"That oppressive aura... it felt stronger than some of the monsters on the middle floors of the Dungeon."
"Mm."
Finn nodded in agreement.
Of course he had noticed.
Moreover, the bear's steps were incredibly steady, yet didn't produce much sound, indicating superb control over its strength.
"And, it's not just that."
Finn turned his head to look at Riveria, who had been sitting quietly beside them without speaking.
"Riveria, do you remember what Lefiya said when she returned yesterday?"
Riveria slightly raised her head, closed the book in her hands, a light shimmering in her emerald-green eyes.
"You mean, regarding the relationship between Lord Heimer and Lady Loki?"
"Exactly."
Finn smiled, a touch of helplessness in his expression.
"That child, Lefiya, though she tends to get flustered easily, she probably didn't mishear something like that."
Last night, after Lefiya Viridis returned, though for some reason she was evasive about the details, her face red as an apple...
She still brought back a crucial piece of information.
Lord Heimer was actually an old acquaintance, a friend of Loki's from the heavens.
And from the sound of it, their relationship was far from ordinary.
This was very interesting.
They knew their own deity's temperament all too well. Any god recognized by Loki, let alone considered a friend, was definitely no ordinary figure.
"No wonder the Ganesha Familia reacted that way."
Riveria said calmly, her voice clear and cold, yet pleasant.
"It seems this newly descended deity, though his Familia is still in its infancy, holds considerable weight among the gods."
"However..."
Finn's tone shifted, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, which appeared somewhat youthful but were actually filled with wisdom.
"Influence is one thing, but strength is another."
"What I'm more concerned about is the little piece of news that just came from the Guild."
In Orario, no wall is impervious to sound.
Especially for a top-tier Familia like the Loki Familia, their intelligence network had long permeated every corner of the city.
"I heard, just yesterday..."
"Those children of the Haimo Familia have already reached the middle floors."
Finn extended a finger and gently tapped the tabletop.
"The middle floors..."
"And it's only their second day."
Hearing this, Gareth raised an eyebrow, his beard twitching.
"Daring to go to the middle floors on the second day? Do those kids have a death wish?"
"If it's true, then they certainly have guts."
"It's not just guts."
Finn shook his head, his expression turning a bit more serious.
"Being able to reach the middle floors on the second day means their accumulation of strength is alarmingly fast."
"If they continue at this pace..."
"Though we don't know the exact numbers yet..."
Finn paused, his gaze turning towards the direction of the Guild headquarters, where Babel Tower stood.
"It seems the record for fastest promotion to Lv. 2, which our Ais set back then, has truly met a challenger this time."
Hearing Ais's name.
Riveria, who had maintained a calm demeanor until now, also had a flicker of emotion pass through her eyes.
— Ais Wallenstein.
She was the pride of the Loki Familia, a child they had watched grow up.
That Sword Princess, who would stop at nothing to grow stronger, had desperately fought to set the record of reaching Lv. 2 in one year.
It had always been regarded as an unbreakable legend in Orario.
And now...
"Reaching the middle floors on the second day..."
Riveria repeated softly, her brow slightly furrowing.
"That implies their base status accumulation is probably already quite substantial."
"If that rumor is true..."
"Perhaps within a day or two, that record will be rewritten."
The three of them fell silent for a moment.
The air seemed to grow heavier.
If someone could truly reach Lv. 2 within a few days...
It wouldn't just be a matter of breaking a record.
"Interesting."
Gareth grinned, breaking the silence, a flash of fighting spirit in his eyes.
"Looks like Orario is going to get lively from now on."
"I'd really like to see if those little girls truly have three heads and six arms."
"There will be an opportunity."
Finn picked up his cup again, resuming his usual composed demeanor.
"Since Lady Loki and Lord Heimer are on good terms..."
"I think we'll be meeting them formally soon."
"Perhaps even..."
Finn glanced at the distant sky.
"Sooner than we imagine."
...
...
The scene shifts back to the Guild.
After Eina had finally digested the bombshell of 'all members Lv. 2' and, with trembling hands, stamped the confirmation seals on those Guild cards...
"Whew..."
Eina slumped into her chair as if drained of all strength.
Looking at the deity before her, who still wore an utterly unperturbed expression.
Eina felt that her professional career had faced an unprecedented challenge today.
"Um... Lord Heimer..."
Eina gathered her thoughts, preparing to ask about the details of the leveling-up process — this was standard Guild procedure, though she seriously doubted whether such procedures applied to this deity.
Suddenly.
A series of hurried, heavy footsteps sounded from the corridor outside the door.
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