Ganesha's voice crashed against the ceiling, rattling the magic stone chandelier overhead until it swung on its chain.
Faced with this enormous elephant on the verge of a complete rampage.
Haimer sat in the reception sofa, legs crossed, a freshly brewed cup of clear tea cradled in both hands.
"This is merely a preliminary proposal," Haimer said, blowing gently at the tea leaves drifting on the surface before taking a small sip. "After all, my estate is spacious enough for a dozen or so people, but if I intend to bring in more in the future, there simply won't be enough room."
"The way I see it, that entire residential district runs together in one continuous stretch. Evict the wealthy merchants and nobles, level the whole thing, and rebuild — the footprint would be just right."
"Impossible! Absolutely out of the question!"
Ganesha straightened his mask and strode around the table in a few long steps, planting himself squarely in front of Haimer.
"Do you have any idea how many guild representatives who control Orario's supply chains live there? How many high-ranking Familia sponsors?"
"You sweep them all out the door," he said, "and by tomorrow the prices across Orario will have tripled. The entire city's economy will collapse on the spot!"
"As the constabulary of this city — I, Ganesha, will absolutely not permit any act that disrupts this order!!"
Watching Ganesha in full battle-stance, vowing to defend Orario's economic lifeline to the last breath.
Haimer lifted his gaze.
His eyes slid past Ganesha and settled on the woman standing off to the side.
The captain of the Ganesha Familia.
Known as the "Staff of the Elephant God" — Shakti Varma, Level 5.
This first-class adventurer, given the title "Staff of the Elephant God," stood slightly behind and to the side of Ganesha.
Her sleek blue hair was pulled back and bound behind her head. She wore the Ganesha Familia's high-grade combat uniform, the fitted fabric hugging her frame and tracing a tall, powerfully built silhouette.
Her cool, striking face wore a look of sheer exhaustion.
She had raised one hand, pressing the tips of her half-gloved fingers hard against the bridge of her nose.
As captain of this enormous Familia, she had to wrangle the city's public order every single day, keep her own main god — who erupted into theatrics at the drop of a hat — in check, and now she was face to face with this plague-bringer that even the gods above spoke of only in hushed, evasive tones.
One truly had to feel for this diligent and capable woman.
"Lord Haimer," Shakti said, her voice level.
"As Lord Ganesha has stated, forcibly clearing out the high-end residential district would entangle interests far too deeply rooted."
"If the merchant guilds were to unite in protest, even the Guild itself wouldn't be able to suppress it — let alone us."
"If at all possible..." Shakti paused, then pressed on, steeling herself. "Might I ask what purpose you had in mind that would require clearing out such a large area? Perhaps we could offer some alternative compromise."
Shakti's mind worked quickly.
She understood perfectly that with an existence of this caliber, a flat refusal was the stupidest move possible.
The only path forward was to identify the core demand.
Haimer set his teacup down.
Porcelain met glass tabletop with a clean, sharp clink.
"Since Miss Shakti puts it that way."
Haimer leaned back against the sofa, fingers laced together over his stomach.
"I was only throwing the idea out there," he said.
"If you feel evicting everyone would damage Orario's economic lifeline and make things difficult — I understand completely."
Haimer paused, his tone unhurried and perfectly mild.
"If you'd rather not give up that district, then I can take a step back."
"What I want is a castle."
"A castle capable of housing over a thousand people, fully equipped with living facilities, an independent water supply, and its own defensive fortifications."
"The location needn't be in the city centre — somewhere on the outskirts or the outer ring would do just fine."
"So long as the area is large enough and sufficiently secluded."
The hall fell utterly silent.
Ganesha's hands froze mid-gesture, halfway through another sweeping monologue he had been about to launch into.
Shakti's fingers went still against the bridge of her nose.
A castle?
Over a thousand people?
"A thousand people?!"
The eyes behind Ganesha's mask went perfectly round.
"Your — your Familia was only established less than half a month ago! Even if those little monsters of yours are growing at a ridiculous pace — where in the world are you going to find a thousand people?!"
"That's not something you need to worry about."
Haimer spread his hands.
"I plan to take in quite a few more children in the near future." He paused. "I can't very well have my children all crammed on top of each other."
"And they need a place of their own, somewhere in the sunlight."
"So — either clear out the high-end residential district, or get me a castle."
"One or the other."
This was the true purpose behind Haimer's visit today.
After descending to the Lower World, the gods absorb, to some degree, the habits of the world's inhabitants.
If you walked in and asked straight for a castle, they would drag their feet — going on about land scarcity and how costly the building materials were.
But if you first threatened to bulldoze Orario's most valuable high-end residential district —
And then graciously backed down, declaring that all you needed was a castle somewhere on the outskirts —
They would feel as though they had won an enormous concession. As though they had heroically preserved the city's economic backbone through sheer brilliance.
"A castle, you say..."
Ganesha stood where he was, arms folded, already unconsciously beginning to weigh the options.
There was still quite a bit of open land on the outer ring. A few of the derelict old military fortresses out there could be renovated without too much trouble.
"We can coordinate with the Guild on the land application on your behalf — there are indeed several suitable plots in the outer zones," Ganesha said, mulling it over, his tone now entirely unlike the heated bluster from moments before.
"But the construction costs, and the Guild side of things..."
"Don't worry about the Guild — they'll agree. And someone will be footing the bill," Haimer cut him off.
Hearing that they wouldn't be expected to cover the costs.
Ganesha exhaled with visible relief.
After all — if all they had to do was push through some Guild paperwork and provide a bit of practical assistance, this didn't amount to a major crisis for the "Labyrinth City Constabulary."
"Done deal." Ganesha waved a broad hand. "I, Ganesha, shall handle this trifling matter personally!"
Shakti stood to the side watching it all unfold, her mouth opening slightly. Something about it nagged at her instincts — but her own main god had already given his word, so she swallowed whatever she'd been about to say.
The matter was settled.
Haimer rose, smoothing the creases from his jacket.
"Good." He said. "For the details going forward, I'll have members of my Familia liaise with your people directly."
"I have some personal business to attend to this afternoon, so I won't linger."
With that, Haimer left without the slightest hesitation, walking straight out of the reception hall.
The doors closed behind him.
Silence returned to the hall.
Ganesha dropped back into his wide chair and seized the water glass from the table, draining a large gulp of the now-cold water.
"Finally managed to keep that man in check," Ganesha exhaled in a long, slow breath.
Shakti stood beside him.
Her cool, striking face wore a frown that was growing steadily deeper.
She was replaying every word and move Haimer had made.
First, throw out a condition so outrageous it could never be accepted.
Generate panic.
Then, naturally, reveal the true objective.
Let them agree without a moment's hesitation, buoyed by the relief of having "saved the major prize."
"Lord Ganesha..." Shakti spoke suddenly, her voice carrying a chill.
"Lord Haimer's actual objective from the very beginning — was it just the castle?"
"Hmm?" Ganesha looked up, the two small eye-holes of his mask trained on Shakti.
"And furthermore — Lord Haimer said he needed a compound for over a thousand people..."
"Does that not mean Lord Haimer has, quite suddenly, come to command an armed force of over a thousand?"
"And he has asked us to handle the approval process through the Guild on his behalf."
"Which means — in name, it is the Ganesha Familia vouching for Lord Haimer's Familia."
As the last of her words landed.
Shakti's meaning became crystal clear.
Ganesha froze in his chair.
That great elephant mask hung suspended in the air for a full second.
Then — with a bang.
Ganesha shot up from his chair.
"I, Ganesha, have been played!!"
---
In the Dungeon, drawing ever closer — City Encounter: Reverie of Memories
[Author's Note — Character Profile]
Ganesha
As a main god, his Familia boasts many tamers among its ranks. Known as the "Master of the Masses," he enjoys enormous popularity among the common people — at once a cheerfully eccentric oddball, and a deity who genuinely cares about gathering the people together.
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