Chapter 206

Chapter 208: Pummeling the Dungeon Retirement Home, Kicking the Scorpio Kindergarten

“Am I being watched? Ishtar perhaps?”

On the road back to the familial group’s quarters, Izay muttered under his breath, audible only to himself.

After all, as a Level 4 adventurer, he wasn’t so inept that he couldn’t notice someone tailing him.

Unless that person’s level far surpassed his own.

But in Orario, finding an adventurer whose level far exceeded Level 4 was about as likely as winning big at the casino.

After all, in the entirety of Orario, you could count on two hands the number of people with such prowess.

And within the Pleasure Quarter, Izay felt that aside from Ishtar, no one else would be monitoring him.

“But it’s not necessarily me; it might be Haruhi… There’s never been anything like this before. So does this mean Ishtar is about to make her move…?”

As thoughts raced through his mind, Izay had already begun to grasp the reason for this situation.

Looks like I won’t be seeing that fox for a while!

What could have prompted Ishtar to suddenly take interest in him or Haruhi?

It’s simply because she doesn’t want the Killing Stone ritual to fail.

Which means Hermes’ return isn’t far off.

The Killing Stone ritual must be conducted during the full moon.

It’s the end of the month already, so the date would likely be around mid-next month?

With his original memories, plus “Divine Revelation” and “Intuition,” Izay was almost able to guess what color underwear Ishtar wore today.

If Ishtar knew this, she’d probably lose her composure before even starting the fight.

After all, she previously thought Izay was nothing special and was overly confident in her secrecy.

Because since Haruhi arrived in Orario, there were secrets kept hidden for years, and who would’ve guessed they’d be completely uncovered by a rookie who hasn’t even been in Orario for a year?

That feeling is akin to being in a competition where you think you’re guaranteed to win, but then your opponent suddenly reveals all your cards and adds, “You’re only on the second level! You thought I was on the first level! Actually, I’m on the fifth!”

BOOM～, instant mental explosion.

Izay saw through everything clearly inside, but he didn’t let the matter of being surveilled bother him, still leisurely heading back to Twilight Manor.

There’s a saying—before absolute power, schemes are meaningless.

Ishtar’s faction has one Level 5 member openly, several Level 4s, plus some Level 3s, which isn’t enough to worry him.

Haruhi is mine for the taking! No one can stop me!

I am the man who punches the dungeon retirement home and kicks the Scorpio kindergarten. Why would I fear Ishtar’s faction?

Impossible! (Black-and-white guy raises hand.jpg)

After washing away the scent in the large bathhouse of Twilight Manor, it just happened to be breakfast time.

In the lively atmosphere among his companions, Izay began the melody of a new day.

……………

The next day, a rare guest suddenly sought out Izay.

The location was The Bountiful Mistress Tavern, one of the more upscale taverns in Orario.

The tavern owner was a middle-aged elf, a fellow townsman of that little girl Refia. Both hailed from the “Vishen Forest” Elf Race, and the tavern was named accordingly.

Few people knew about this place. Inside, it was decorated with solid wood, peaceful and pleasant, suitable for conversations.

Precisely because of these features…a Deity and an adventurer came here.

“How about it? Are you happy to see me, Izay-kun~?” The blonde god smiled cheerfully, waving from across the round table in the private room of the tavern.

“……” Not knowing what to say, Izay could only look toward Asfi.

That gaze was like asking, “What’s up with this unreliable deity? This isn’t what we agreed on, right?”

The princess of the sea kingdom blushed slightly as she lowered her head under Izay’s stare.

She sighed softly, somewhat embarrassed: “When I left earlier, Lord Hermes noticed me. After briefly explaining the situation, he insisted on following.”

Remembering her agreement with Izay and also wanting to experience the effects of the “Eye Crystal,” a magical artifact version of the telephone, Asfi had prepared to contact Izay as per their arrangement.

The two planned to exchange knowledge about “Mysteries” at The Bountiful Mistress Tavern.

After all, holders of “Mysteries” were extremely rare, each belonging to different factions and having their own insights into “Mysteries.”

If they could share some knowledge, it would benefit both parties.

But until now, aside from Izay, Asfi hadn’t encountered such an opportunity.

For instance, one holder of “Mystery,” Bakka or Balgar, hadn’t appeared publicly in Orario for years, and many even doubted his existence.

Fels? Almost no one knows about him.

Amide? Following the temperament of the deity Kadient, exchanges are fine! But first, pay up! Money talks! Or owing favors works too, but no credit allowed.

How can anyone communicate like that?

So this meeting with Izay was truly the first time, and Asfi naturally agreed.

However, an unexpected incident occurred when she was preparing to leave—she was discovered by Hermes, who stubbornly tagged along, leading to the current situation.

“Come now, don’t be so formal, Izay-kun~ I came to deliver a message to you.” Hermes chuckled, trying to liven up the slightly awkward atmosphere.

“…Like?”

“Something about the Killing Stone?”

Before Izay could react, Asfi beside him became slightly uneasy.

Killing Stone? A forbidden magical artifact?

Why are they talking about something like this!?

Though filled with doubts, her upbringing prevented her from interrupting at this moment.

After a while, when Hermes, with anticipation, looked at Izay expecting confusion or surprise, the latter merely gave a light “Oh.”

“Killing Stone? I know about it. Did you come here just for this?” Izay’s expression said, “Is that all?”

For a moment, Hermes felt as if he was being mocked… He tentatively asked, “Uh… Isn’t Izay-kun surprised?”

Izay responded matter-of-factly, “Why should I be surprised?”

“We’re talking about the Killing Stone here. A forbidden magical artifact specifically for fox people.”

“Ahh, I know. Haruhi told me.”

“…” Now it was Hermes’ turn to be confused. The god opened his mouth, adjusting his disoriented mood: “Haruhi? Who’s that?”

“The fox person you mentioned.”

“Oh～～” Hermes nodded knowingly. “I get it! Izay-kun, you’re impressive as always!”

????

What do you get?

I don’t understand.

Compared to the two who seemed to be speaking in riddles, Asfi currently felt utterly baffled.

She couldn’t figure out at all what Hermes and Izay were discussing.

To her, the conversation made absolutely no sense, like mismatched pieces that wouldn’t fit together.