Babel Tower, the bottom floor lobby.
At the entrance of the [Starting Road].
This was the throat of the entire Orario, swallowing and spitting out tens of thousands of desires and dreams every day.
It was currently twilight.
Which meant it was the time for adventurers to return to their nests.
Countless adventurers who had been rolling through the mud and fighting in the Dungeon were surging out along that massive spiral ramp.
Some had faces full of exhaustion but couldn't hide the joy at the corners of their eyes; these were the lucky eggs who had touched good goods.
Some were covered in blood, supported or even carried on the backs of their companions; these were the unlucky bastards who had been taught a harsh lesson by reality.
The smell of sweat, the smell of blood, and the smell of dust.
They fermented within this gigantic space.
However.
To one side of the exit where the flow of people was densest.
A strange vacuum zone had appeared.
When passing adventurers went by this spot, they all acted like frightened rabbits, burying their heads low one by one, their steps moving swiftly, afraid to make eye contact with the people here for even a second.
There was no other reason.
Simply because a great deity was planted there.
——「Ankusha」.
——Shakti Varma.
This Captain of the Ganesha Familia's Military Police, famous throughout Orario, was currently fully armed, standing there with a face as cold as frost.
She was simply like a 'No Entry' warning sign erected by the roadside.
She naturally carried an aura of solemn silence.
Coupled with the black-haired god beside her—who, although not wearing a uniform, was holding a long spear in his hand and possessed an equally extraordinary temperament.
This combination.
In the eyes of ordinary adventurers, no matter how one looked at it, it looked like a posture of staking out to arrest some unlucky wanted criminal.
Who dared to join in the fun?
Did they think their lives were too long?
...
"Mmm, mmm... Tashty! So tashty!"
Right in this atmosphere where people didn't even dare to breathe loudly.
A burst of extremely untimely chewing sounds rang out, directly shattering this solemnity.
One could only see.
Hestia was holding a bag of freshly made Fried Potato Snacks in her hands.
Her cheeks were puffed up like a hamster, and she narrowed her eyes with a face full of happiness.
This was something Haimer had casually bought from a roadside stall to stuff her mouth with, so she wouldn't go hungry.
Facts have proved.
For Hestia, there is no trouble that a Fried Potato Snack cannot solve.
If there is, then two.
"Haimer, Haimer!"
Hestia had just swallowed the food in her mouth when she immediately skewered a golden, crispy potato ball with a bamboo stick, standing on tiptoe to deliver it to Haimer's mouth.
"You taste it too! This place makes them super delicious! The cream flavor inside is very rich, oh!"
"Pass."
"I'm not hungry, you eat it yourself."
Haimer shook his head, refusing that teetering potato ball Hestia was offering.
"Mmm... You don't know good goods."
Hearing these words, Hestia muttered in dissatisfaction. She didn't insist, immediately stuffing the potato ball into her own mouth, making a sighing sound of incomparable satisfaction.
"Haa... I've come alive again..."
"If I could eat this every day, I would be willing even if I had to sleep on the floor in your mansion, Haimer..."
Just as Hestia was speaking intermittently.
Suddenly.
From the depths of the spiral ramp ahead, a commotion could be heard.
"Make way! Make way!"
"What the hell is that thing?!"
"How did this thing come up from below?!"
The originally crowded throng of people seemed to be forcibly plowed open by some massive object.
Accompanied by cries of alarm and curses.
The adventurers revealed looks of shock one by one, dodging to both sides in succession, forcibly squeezing out a spacious passage.
Immediately after.
"Thud."
"Thud."
Heavy and powerful footsteps stepped onto the stone slabs, shaking people's hearts to the point of trembling.
A colossus barged into everyone's field of vision.
It was a black bear.
A black bear with a body size that was ridiculously large.
Its four limbs were thick as pillars; every step that landed carried the force of a thousand jun.
But this was not the most shocking part.
What made people's eyeballs almost pop out was the thing on its back.
That was a gigantic package simply sewn together from the fur of 12th Floor monsters—probably Silverbacks.
Bulging and stuffed full.
It was almost as large as the bear's body itself.
Accompanied by the black bear's movement, that huge package emitted a crisp "clatter, clatter" sound.
That was the sound of stones striking against stones.
Crisp.
Dense.
Pleasing to the ear.
For all the adventurers present, they were all too familiar with this sound.
——It was precisely the crisp sound of Magic Stones squeezing and rubbing against each other in a crowded space!
"This... this is a black bear, right?"
A surrounding adventurer stared with wide eyes, the half-bag of low-purity Magic Stones in his hand almost falling to the ground.
"It's actually really a black bear! There's actually someone bringing this kind of fierce beast into the Dungeon?"
"Doesn't it attack people?"
"That's not the main point, is it?!"
Another companion swallowed a mouthful of saliva, staring fixedly at that gigantic package, unconcealable greed revealed in his eyes.
"Listen to that sound... could it be that what's inside is all Magic Stones?!"
"Are you kidding... how many monsters had to be killed to fill such a big bag?!"
The surrounding adventurers widened their eyes one by one, their jaws dropping to the ground.
In this city where Magic Stones served as the energy source and monetary foundation.
This dense and crisp collision sound was simply more moving than any musical movement in the world.
That was the sound of gold coins dropping into a pocket!
That was the sound of wealth!
Thus.
Amidst the horrified gazes of the crowd.
A group of people walked out one after another from the shadows behind the black bear.
Tsubaki.
Amou Kirukiru.
Inaba Tsukuyo.
Onigawara Rin.
And a few other young girls.
Although the equipment on everyone's body was more or less stained with some blood that had not yet dried, emitting a faint smell of gore.
However.
They were not injured.
One couldn't even see a bit of obvious fatigue.
Especially that figure walking at the very front.
——Captain of the [Hephaestus Familia], Tsubaki Collbrande.
...
"Haa—!"
As soon as she walked out of the passage.
Tsubaki stretched extensively, the joints all over her body emitting a burst of crisp cracking sounds like popping beans.
"Sure enough, the air on the surface smells a bit better."
Tsubaki reached out and patted the back of her neck forcefully, as if to shake off that moldy smell stained in the Dungeon.
Subsequently.
She raised her head, that single eye scanning around the crowd, and very quickly locked onto Haimer who was standing not far away; her eyes lit up.
Originally.
According to Tsubaki's expectations.
She was already impatient to see the expression of this Kami-sama when he saw that large bundle of loot.
Presumably, it would definitely be very interesting, right?
After all.
Even she, a Lv. 5 who was accustomed to big scenes, was startled by the sweeping efficiency of this group of newcomers this afternoon, which was like locusts passing through.
A few hours ago, this was still a baby squad that would be pointed at by others.
The result was that they now returned fully loaded.
This kind of contrast was enough to make many people startled.
She had even already thought of what kind of triumphant tone to use to claim credit from Haimer.
However.
When her line of sight truly saw clearly.
The smile on her face.
Directly froze.
Or speaking more accurately.
It was when she noticed a human figure beside Haimer.
Dark blue short hair.
Meticulous standard-issue armor.
Specially made metal gauntlets.
And that iconic serious face.
——Captain of the [Ganesha Familia]!
——「Ankusha」, Shakti Varma, no mistake!
"..."
That single eye of Tsubaki's suddenly widened.
As an old timer who had mixed in Orario for many years, and being a Familia Captain.
She was naturally clear about the gold content of this Military Police Captain.
As long as she appeared fully armed, it meant there was absolutely nothing good.
Either a riot had occurred somewhere.
Or some unlucky bastard had committed a crime and was going to be arrested and taken to the station.
Now.
This baleful star was standing motionless beside Haimer; the two were not even five steps apart.
This positioning...
Could it be that something happened?!!
"..."
Tsubaki's heart immediately went "thump".
...
Fortunately, after Haimer saw them, he went up to welcome them.
"Good work, everyone."
Haimer had a gentle smile on his face; his gaze swept over the girls, finally landing on that gigantic package, and he nodded with satisfaction.
"Looks like the harvest is bountiful."
"Kami-sama!"
Seeing Haimer coming over, Amou Kirukiru, Inaba Tsukuyo, and the others immediately bowed in succession.
"Mn."
"You've worked hard, everyone. Welcome back~"
After Haimer responded with a faint smile, he noticed Tsubaki who was still in a daze.
"What's wrong, Miss Tsubaki?"
"A look like you've seen a ghost."
"Uh..."
Tsubaki came back to her senses, awkwardly scratching that head of messy hair, her eyes wandering a bit strangely back and forth between Haimer and Shakti.
"That... Haimer-sama."
"This person..."
Tsubaki pointed at Shakti who stood silently to the side.
"Captain Shakti, you should know her, right?"
"Of course I know her..."
The corner of Tsubaki's mouth twitched.
Was there anyone in Orario who didn't know this face?
"It's just... I'm very curious why she would be here?"
"And even..."
And even a posture of closely following Haimer.
This was too weird.
"As for Captain Shakti."
"She was entrusted by Ganesha today to specially come and protect my safety."
"Protect safety?"
Tsubaki was stunned.
Whose patron deity needs the Military Police Captain to be mobilized for protection?!!
____
New Story: Danmachi: But I am a God, time to make a family!
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