Chapter 278

Chapter 281: Full Bloom in All Directions～(Please Subscribe!)

The place Izay chose for the battlefield was a relatively spacious empty lot amidst the streets of houses.

Probably a spot meant for children to play… Compared to the crowded main streets, there were almost no residents visible here.

Of course, those staying indoors within nearby houses didn’t count.

As soon as they heard the sounds of battle, they immediately shut their doors and windows tight, peeking through the slits in their blinds to quietly observe the situation.

There were many unseen gazes observing from the surroundings, and Izay could sense them.

But he paid it little mind.

During the previous fight, he had even been careful enough not to let the man-eating flowers damage the houses, which already said a lot about his intentions.

Now the entire open space was ablaze, enveloped in the scorching heat brought by the azure flames of Starflame magic.

Taking advantage of the moment before the scattered Magic Stones were burned up by the Starflame, Izay began collecting them.

“——!”

At this point, upon witnessing the powerful Adventurer easily defeat the monsters, bursts of joy erupted.

The residents who had been hiding at home or in the corners of alleyways, anxious due to the battle, seemed to have received a signal that safety had been restored.

They no longer hid inside but instead poked their heads out of windows to cheer, offering praise and applause to the Adventurer who had defeated the monsters. A corner of the Labyrinth Street buzzed with excitement akin to that of an arena.

Fortunately, these residents were all rational; they merely celebrated around the area without rushing forward.

Thanks to this, Izay’s departure went smoothly.

…

Without much distance separating them, the girls’ battle also proceeded smoothly.

Their enemies numbered only three, though they were unfamiliar creatures with exceptionally tough armor capable of withstanding even Level 5 upper-tier punches.

However, when they opened their corollas and exposed the Magic Stones hidden beneath their petals, their fates were sealed.

Refia and Haruhi barely got a chance to act. The two girls then shifted focus, helping the Guild staff guide the surrounding crowd to safety, ensuring they wouldn’t step into the danger zone and become a “burden” during the fight.

Ais, Tiona, and Tione completely took over the battle.

The Amazon sisters roughly thrust their arms under the corollas and forcibly extracted the Magic Stones.

Ais channeled a gust of wind through her slender sword, destroying the Magic Stones.

“OOOOOOH!”

Ignoring the howls, the final strike instantly ended the life of the monster.

Ais casually flicked her wrist, causing her thin sword wrapped in a spiral of wind to emit a sharp sound before sheathing it gracefully.

This should have been the ideal sequence of actions… but reality always has a way of surprising us.

Pikiji—after the cracking sound, the slender sword shattered.

“——!?”

“A!?”

“This…”

Seeing her weapon break unexpectedly after the battle, not only Ais but also Tione and Tiona were left speechless.

Due to the strain from the Additional Magic ‘Wind Spirit Rush’ and Ais’s fierce sword techniques, the elongated slim sword finally couldn’t withstand the pressure and cracked.

(Finished…)

Staring blankly at the broken substitute sword, Ais immediately thought of these two words.

Until just now, she had been so focused on cutting down the monsters that she had subconsciously ignored the fact that this weapon wasn’t her own Sword of Despair.

Second-level armed equipment without the Unbreakable attribute simply couldn’t handle the burden of her magical attacks.

The sword breaking into pieces was proof enough.

“Ah well—this is troublesome… I remember, Ais, this sword you borrowed?”

Tiona, shaking her numb arm, walked beside her and glanced at the remaining hilt of the broken rapier.

“…Yeah, it’s borrowed…” Ais’s expression looked somewhat awkward.

If one had to describe it, it would be like a child who accidentally broke furniture, realizing they’ve done something wrong while also fearing the impending reprimand.

“It’s fine if the weapon breaks, as long as no one gets hurt.” Tione said.

This battle had gone relatively smoothly. Earlier, when she had tried to destroy the Magic Stones by hand, she had prepared herself for corrosive Poison. But these man-eating flowers lacked such toxicity.

Having swiftly concluded the battle, Tione felt relieved. After all, who would willingly get injured if they didn’t have to?

After the battle ended and the girls left, a figure quietly arrived at the scene.

Seemingly searching for something, but finding nothing, He had to leave empty-handed.

In a collapsed rooftop of an ancient ruin. The decrepit building had walls damaged in various places, exposing its stonework.

In Orario, where everything remains bright day and night, only this deep back alley remained untouched by light, shrouded in twilight.

Amidst these ruins, a shadow gazed at the sky, gazing at the bustling prosperity of Orario.

Footsteps approached softly beside him.

“How did it go? What was the result of the battle?”

Without turning around, he clearly knew who had come and asked directly.

“I apologize, my Lord. The ambush failed. Due to the disturbance caused by the monsters, we missed the optimal timing, and there were some issues with the planned strategy. The strength of [Silver Star] exceeded our expectations.”

That was beyond what a newly promoted Level 5 Adventurer could achieve. The visitor added.

Upon hearing this, the shadow paused for a moment, then chuckled reassuringly, “It’s not your fault. Monsters escaping their cages are unforeseen developments I couldn’t predict either.”

“The ambush failed, so be it. Anyway, it’s not me who will have to worry about it. By the way, did you recover the item before the Guild did?”

“Uh… No…”

The visitor awkwardly shook their head, clearly embarrassed.

“What happened?”

“The Loki Familia recovered the item first. I couldn’t find an opportunity to intervene.”

Finally, the shadow erased the smile from his face and sighed.

“Well, things are getting more complicated…”

…

Daedalus Street.

The prank from the Goddess was nearing its end.

The White Rabbit Adventurers received a new weapon gifted by their patron deity, successfully performing a “heroic” act.

Though it was only on the level of fledgling heroes.

On the roof of a house,

From a high vantage point where Beier’s position could be seen clearly, the instigator of it all, the beautiful goddess Freya, curved her lips and muttered to herself.

“Oh dear, I’m terrible. I originally intended to watch the child grow for a while… but I just couldn’t resist… wanting to tease her a little bit~”

Freya laughed at herself like a child.

Playing pranks on someone you care about, attracting their attention this way.

Wanting to see how the other person reacts to the prank, finding amusement in it.

“This time, I really feel bad for Hestia, though I can’t deny that I was jealous of her~”