The pallum Lyra hopped down from her chair, rested her hands on her hips, and called her out without mercy.
“You promised the exact same thing last time, but what happened? Every single one of us ended up half-starved!”
Ryana, who was wiping down her staff nearby, smiled and chimed in, “Good thing Lyra noticed early and rushed into the kitchen to whip something up, otherwise we really would have gone to bed hungry that day.”
Right as everyone was playfully scolding Asta, a knock sounded at the manor door.
Knock, knock, knock!
“Coming, coming!”
As the Astraea Familia’s unofficial door greeter, Lyra was the quickest to react, dashing over on her short legs.
“Ardi, you’re here! Come on in.”
Standing at the entrance was a young woman with a healthy, well-proportioned build.
Her short, grayish-blue hair seemed to glint beneath the sunlight, and a bright smile lit up her clean, charming face.
The visitor was none other than Ardi Varma from the Ganesha Familia.
Ardi and Lyra exchanged a familiar fist bump.
A moment later, she made a beeline straight for Ryu.
“Ryu, I’m getting my hug today no matter what! Ardi Varma has arrived, ta-da!”
Ardi threw her arms wide and pulled Ryu into a firm embrace.
Once she let go, she noticed Mizuki and froze.
The core manor of the Astraea Familia had never housed a male member before.
“Ryu, who is this?” Ardi asked, full of curiosity.
A rare hint of amusement danced across Ryu’s calm face.
Instead of answering directly, she tilted her chin toward the other side of the room.
“Ask Kaguya.”
Ardi followed her gaze and saw Kaguya sitting with a sour expression, her face turned away in stubborn silence.
She had deliberately moved to the seat farthest from Mizuki before sitting down again.
Mizuki did not mind in the slightest.
An unexpected fiancee was still a fiancee, and feelings could always be cultivated over time.
He stood up politely, greeting Ardi with a gentle smile.
“I am Gojouno Kaguya’s fiance, and the one who bested her in a duel, Mizuki.”
Hearing that, Kaguya whipped her head around and glared daggers at him.
Mizuki spread his hands innocently.
“Did I say something incorrect?”
Haruhime quickly backed him up.
“Yes, everything Lord Mizuki said is the absolute truth. Just now, without relying on any adventurer abilities, he defeated Lady Kaguya in a pure contest of swordsmanship.”
“You… you’re pulling my leg, right?” Ardi managed, her voice suddenly dry.
Ryu added from the side, “It is true. We all just witnessed it.”
Ardi’s mind came to a complete halt.
A duel?
An engagement?
Her gaze darted back and forth between Mizuki and Kaguya.
How was this possible?
Kaguya?
The Yamato Nadeshiko who cared for nothing besides her blade and her ideals of justice?
The very same Kaguya who had claimed more than once that men would only slow down her sword arm?
Kaguya was a level three adventurer, renowned across Orario for her mastery of the blade.
Who could possibly defeat her in pure technique and get her to agree to something like this?
Yet, seeing Kaguya’s flushed cheeks and her frustrated inability to deny it, the story had to be true.
Ardi turned her attention back to Mizuki.
Just who was this man?
He did not carry the presence of an adventurer, yet he possessed such skill. The source of this chapter is g.com.
Could he be tied to the ancient spirits?
Ardi, who had read plenty of hero tales, knew that ancient spirits could bestow strength upon mortals.
Then again, had spirits not vanished from the world long ago?
Regardless, this man was clearly extraordinary.
Ardi set her confusion aside and offered a warm greeting.
“Nice to meet you, Mizuki. I’m Ardi Varma. Since you’re with the Astraea Familia now, I’m sure we’ll be seeing plenty of each other.”
Ardi Varma, the younger sister of Ganesha Familia’s captain, Shakti Varma.
In the anime, she lost her life during the Seven Days of Death amidst the Dark Age.
At present, the evilus faction had not yet begun their full-scale, blatant rampages.
From what Mizuki had gathered over the past few days, there was still some time left before that tragic week arrived.
“A pleasure to meet you, Ardi,” he replied with a friendly smile, greeting her like an old friend.
Right before everyone’s eyes, Ardi leaned close to Mizuki’s ear and whispered, “Mizuki, have you ever met a real, living spirit?”
“What?”
She spoke so quietly and quickly that Mizuki could barely catch the words.
Ardi merely nodded to herself.
“Right, right, I get it. Too many ears around. I’ll ask you about it later in private.”
With that, Ardi took Alise by the hand and led her toward the table by the window.
Mizuki stared after the energetic girl, completely baffled.
Neze, who was sitting closest to him, leaned over with interest.
“Mizuki, what did she whisper to you?”
Mizuki shook his head.
“I honestly have no idea.”
Over at the window, Ardi caught his eye and gave him a knowing thumbs up, her expression screaming that she understood everything.
Even Haruhime looked at him with gentle bewilderment.
Mizuki threw his hands up in defeat.
“I’m telling the truth. I couldn’t even make out what she whispered.”
While his answer failed to convince anyone, the girls let the matter drop as Ardi and Alise turned to official business.
Ardi pulled a scroll of parchment from her tunic and laid it out.
“Here is the patrol route map for this month.”
“Also, just so you know, that band of thieves who slipped away from you last night was rounded up by our Ganesha Familia.”
“Oh? You caught them?” Alise perked up, and the rest of the room tuned in.
Alise asked, “Did they give up anything during questioning?”
Ardi shook her head, her tone turning grave.
“We couldn’t get a coherent word out of them. They’re out of their minds, babbling nonsense, and passing out every couple of minutes.”
She then glanced at Alise.
“Didn’t you catch one of their stragglers yesterday, too? Did he mention anything useful?”
Alise opened her hands with a shrug.
“We interrogated him right here. The poor guy was terrified. He spilled everything from his hometown to his family tree.”
“Turns out it was just bad luck. He got caught up in the commotion and ran along with them by mistake.”
“I see…” Ardi nodded thoughtfully.
Remembering another detail, she added, “Oh, right. Those frenzied thieves were using a new potion developed by the Dian Cecht Familia, something designed to boost running speed.”
Running?
Speed?
Several pairs of eyes immediately drifted back toward Mizuki.
Ardi looked at Mizuki, then back to Alise, thoroughly perplexed. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
“Why is everyone looking at him?”
Indeed.
Why was everyone staring at him again?
Mizuki sighed, offering a dry explanation.
“They just know I’m quick on my feet, but I didn’t drink any strange potions.”
Ardi nodded and continued, “That potion is currently in high demand and short supply. It makes no sense for petty thieves to have their hands on it.”
“Nothing is confirmed yet, but do you think this could be connected to evilus?”
Alise tapped her chin.
“I’ve heard rumors about it, too. Supposedly, small batches of the potion have surfaced on the black market. We can’t say for sure if evilus is behind it, but it’s definitely worth investigating.”
Lyra leaned out from behind her chair to contribute.
“Word on the street says the Loki Familia got their hands on some samples, and the stuff supposedly carries nasty side effects.”
“Who knows, then. Our Lord Ganesha isn’t particularly close with Lord Dian Cecht.”
With the discussion wrapping up, Ardi stretched her arms and prepared to take her leave.
“Well, the message is delivered, so I should be heading back.”
She reached the front door before pausing, turning around with a sudden thought.
“By the way, I think I spotted Heith from the Freya Familia loitering outside your manor.”
“Heith?” Kaguya, who had stayed quiet this entire time, furrowed her brows in confusion.
“Someone from the Freya Familia? Don’t they spend every day brawling among themselves? What business would they have out here?”
Alise rose immediately and strode toward the door.
“I’ll go check it out.”
A short while later, Alise returned, wearing an odd, contemplative look.
She walked straight up to Mizuki and looked him over from top to bottom.
“She says she’s waiting for someone.”
“Waiting for a man.”
Mizuki blinked, somewhat taken aback.
He pointed at his own chest.
“Why are you looking at me?”
He had only just arrived in Orario, so how could anyone from the Freya Familia possibly know who he was?
“Step outside and you’ll see,” Alise said.
Mizuki nodded, rising to head out.
“Lord Mizuki! I will come with you.”
Haruhime stood up anxiously, eager to accompany him.
Mizuki turned and gave her a reassuring smile.
“It’s all right, Haruhime.”
“We’re right outside the headquarters of the Astraea Familia, the goddess of justice. Nothing bad will happen.”
Alise puffed out her chest with pride.
“Exactly! You are completely safe on Astraea Familia grounds.”
After offering her guarantee, Alise shot Mizuki a meaningful look.
“Just don’t forget, your fiancee Kaguya is watching from right in here.”
Mizuki stepped past the front gates and surveyed the area, finding the street quiet and empty.
Just as he was wondering what was going on, a sprightly figure stepped out from behind a large tree beside the estate.
“Found you!”
Mizuki turned to look.
Standing there was a girl with pink twintails, her hands clasped behind her back as she tilted her head, observing him with curiosity.
She wore a practical healer’s robe that allowed for easy movement, and despite a faint trace of exhaustion around her features, her bright, straightforward charm shone through.