Mornings and evenings were Orario’s busiest hours.
At dusk, adventurers returned from expeditions lasting one or several days, coming back to the surface to rest and spend their earnings.
Morning was when adventurers prepared to enter the Dungeon.
“Ritsuka-san, what are you planning to do today?” Ritsuka and Ryuu walked side by side after leaving the Familia residence.
As adventurers hurried past them, Ryuu asked about his plans so she could arrange her own schedule accordingly.
Ritsuka did not answer immediately.
“Noel-san, we can consider ourselves friends now, right?
You’ve taken such good care of me, helping clean the residence and even making breakfast.” Ryuu froze briefly before nodding somewhat awkwardly.
Cleaning had gone well, but breakfast had been a complete failure.
Still, she readily agreed about their friendship.
“Of course.
We’re already friends.” Although she said that aloud, Ryuu privately believed their relationship was closer than friendship.
They were family from the same Familia.
“Since we’re friends, you should call me by my name.
You don’t need to keep adding ‘-san.’ It makes us sound distant.” “In return, I’ll call you by your name too.
What do you think, Noel?” Ritsuka smiled at her.
Ryuu blinked again before returning his smile and nodding.
“Of course, Ritsuka.
Is that right?” ‘The distance between my junior and me has grown even smaller.’ “Exactly!” Ritsuka gave her an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
“As for today, I already tested the Dungeon yesterday and reached the Twelfth Floor, so there’s no need to rush back.” “I’d like to explore Orario first and gain a proper understanding of the city.” “I declared that I would bring justice to Orario yesterday.
How can I do that without understanding the place?” “You’re right.” Ryuu strongly approved of his plan.
As a newcomer, he needed a thorough understanding of Orario before he could accomplish anything meaningful.
Someone who only focused on the Dungeon could become a powerful adventurer, but that alone would not make an entire Familia great.
Unless, of course, he farmed the Dungeon until he became Orario’s strongest adventurer.
A Familia would naturally share the glory of possessing the city’s strongest member.
“Noel, is there a route you recommend?” As a newcomer, Ritsuka knew far less about Orario than his senior, so he directly asked for her guidance.
“We should begin with the Tower of Babel.” Ryuu looked toward the distant Tower of Babel, which was bathed in the morning sunlight.
“It stands at the center of Orario and contains many businesses catering to adventurers.
The gods also hold meetings there.” “You can see the entire city from the upper floors, so I can introduce each district while we’re up there.” “Sounds good.
Let’s head to the Tower of Babel first!” Ryuu led Ritsuka toward the Tower of Babel.
At that very moment, a Denatus was being held high inside their destination, as today happened to be one of the gods’ regularly scheduled meetings.
“I am Ganesha!” The god presiding over the Denatus was Ganesha, patron of the Familia officially commissioned by the Guild to serve as Orario’s military police.
Wearing his beloved ivory mask, he stood before the moderator’s seat and raised both arms as he shouted to every god present.
His declaration immediately invited teasing.
“Ganesha!
You’re acting like a chuunibyou again!” “He wouldn’t be Ganesha without his ridiculous theatrics!” “Hahaha!
Ganesha, I heard a rookie tore into your military police yesterday!” “I heard about that too!
He didn’t stop with the military police.
He even criticized the Guild!” “It’s been ages since we’ve seen such a fearless rookie.
Orario is about to become entertaining again!” Ritsuka’s declaration of justice had spread among adventurers the previous evening and naturally reached the patron gods of the major Familias.
The gods eagerly mocked Ganesha during the Denatus.
A rookie openly condemning both the military police and the Guild was rare entertainment in Orario.
Why had the gods descended from Heaven in the first place?
To find entertainment, of course!
They had lived for so long in Heaven that boredom had driven them to the Lower World, where they raised adventurers for amusement.
When nothing else was happening, they even entertained themselves by giving ridiculous aliases to adventurers who reached Level Two.
Now something far more amusing than naming adventurers had appeared, leaving the gods absolutely delighted.
Ganesha showed no embarrassment at their teasing.
He folded his arms, sat in the moderator’s seat, and grinned broadly enough to reveal his gleaming white teeth.
“Indeed!
I heard about it as well.
That newly arrived child possesses a powerful sense of justice!” The Ganesha Familia’s military police performed poorly enough to resemble officers who only arrived after everything was over.
Even so, Ganesha’s attitude was respectable.
He might be theatrical, but he genuinely wanted to accomplish something.
At the very least, he was not a god who merely wasted his days.
“After my children reported the incident last night, I reflected deeply upon our failures.” “Starting today, I will order my Familia to correct them!” “Wait, seriously, Ganesha?
You aren’t even going to defend yourself?” “The Ganesha Familia is one of Orario’s great powers!
A rookie insulted your authority.
Aren’t you going to retaliate?” Ganesha’s immediate admission disappointed the other gods.
They wanted him to become furious and send the Ganesha Familia after Ritsuka, preferably escalating the conflict into a War Game.
Of course, a War Game was only their selfish fantasy.
They understood it could never happen.
Ritsuka’s Familia currently had only one member, and he was merely Level One.
If the Ganesha Familia challenged him, everyone would only mock them for bullying a helpless rookie.
Faced with their questions, Ganesha merely laughed.
“Hahaha!
I do intend to take action!” “A newcomer was robbed twice on his first day in Orario.
That was unquestionably a failure by the Ganesha Familia, so we must improve!” “And I have already devised the perfect solution!” “What solution?” The curious gods stared at Ganesha, eager to hear his plan.
Just as before, Ganesha exposed his gleaming teeth in an enormous grin before suddenly raising both arms.
“I, Ganesha, intend to invite that child to join my military police!” …