Leon and the others hurried through Adventurers Street, heading straight for Babel.
Naturally, they drew plenty of stares along the way.
The wide hooded mantles and masks hid their faces and identities, but the wheat-stalk crest stitched in gold thread across the chest of each cloak left no doubt.
The Demeter Familia had begun their Expedition!
Before Leon's group even set foot in the Dungeon, the news spread like the wind, passing through the mouths of informants, acquaintances, and onlookers of every stripe, reaching the ears of the heads of Orario's familias great and small.
And, of course, that included those who had long been watching the Order Alliance from the shadows... Evilus.
...
"The [Shadow of Sorcery], Leon Hart. The [Holy Maiden], Jeanne d'Arc. The [Pure White Shield], Rose Marbleheart. Demeter Familia, Level: Lv.2?"
A handsome man with black hair and black eyes gave the sheet of parchment in his hand a light shake, lifting his gaze to the familia member kneeling on one knee before him, the faintest trace of a smile at the corner of his mouth.
"Demeter, hm. She's an old hometown friend of mine up in heaven. I don't know her as well as I know Hermes, but I understand her well enough..."
"And yet, my dear child Vito, these are just Lv.2s who've barely crossed the threshold into High-Class Adventurer. Such utterly unremarkable nobodies... are they really worth a respectable Lv.4 like you, the [Faceless], going to gather intelligence on personally?"
He tilted his head slightly, a hint of amusement seeping into his tone.
"Is it really necessary?"
The man's gaze slowly settled, and his voice dropped a notch.
"Or are you saying... you think their existence threatens the plan we're about to set in motion?"
The man... no, the god Erebus, who walked among mortals under the name "Eren," slowly reined in his expression, his eyes turning calmly toward his one and only child.
"Even though you are my only child, I still need an explanation."
In the dim, cold stone hall beneath the earth, the torches set into the walls burned fiercely.
The god's question hung in the air, and for a moment there was only the faint crackle and sputter of burning oil, winding through the silence and seeping into the cracks between the stones.
The "Faceless," Vito, knelt on one knee, head bowed deep. He licked his chapped lips and pulled out a smile that wasn't much to look at.
"Lord Erebus, you may... be underestimating these few from the Demeter Familia a little. Their strength is nothing as simple as the Lv.2 they appear to be on the surface."
Erebus said nothing, waiting quietly for the rest.
"During the [Blood-Red Christmas] operation we launched some days ago, the ultra-wide-area annihilation magic the [Shadow of Sorcery] unleashed... by our assessment, its range and effect already exceeded the bounds of Lv.2, even Lv.3. Of course, we can't be certain that was his full strength. But what he did show was enough to put us on guard."
"Beyond that, the [Holy Maiden] and the [Pure White Shield] shouldn't be taken lightly either. There are rumors they faced the Monster Rex, the two-headed dragon Amphisbaena, head-on, and walked away intact after the subjugation was over."
"Of course, I have my reservations about that one... We lack actual intelligence to verify it, and the source is nothing more than 'street gossip.'"
Vito lowered his voice a little.
"It's said the original source traces back to those 'agents of justice,' and within Evilus the consensus is that its credibility is next to zero. Not just because of the source, but also because, as adventurers, we can't even imagine how a Lv.2 could go toe-to-toe with a Lv.6 Monster Rex and come back without a scratch."
People, in the end, cannot imagine things beyond their own understanding.
Clearly, whether it was the Lv.4 "Faceless," the Lv.5 "Arachnia," the Lv.3 "Vendetta," or other officers like Basram, the Berserker, and their ilk... not a single one of them could picture such a scene. Two mere Lv.2s? How could that possibly be?
Impossible, absolutely impossible!
Was this some kind of joke?
They'd sooner believe the Zeus and Hera Familias had been reborn than believe a Lv.2 had gone head-on against a Lv.6!
Yet they overlooked one thing: who ever said their levels were truly still just Lv.2?
And of course, even factoring in that variable, no one would believe a Lv.3 had what it took to fight a Lv.6 Monster Rex head-on. That simply defied the basic logic of how the Falna system worked.
...
After hearing Vito out, Erebus fell silent for a moment, then suddenly chuckled to himself.
"So that's how it is. Rather interesting, actually."
"Up in heaven, a super shut-in just like Hestia... down here in the lower world, she's begun to change, has she?"
"Hm, in my memory, she wasn't the type to enjoy sticking her nose into this kind of trouble..."
After murmuring to himself for a while, he raised his eyelids and gave a quiet order.
"Very well. Since you believe they may obstruct our plan... then we can't simply leave them be."
"But the forces in our hands are already entirely committed to keeping the Freya, Loki, Astraea, and Ganesha familias in check. We can't free up any more hands..."
The god frowned slightly, then the corner of his mouth curved upward.
"Here's what we'll do, Vito."
"They've gone down to the Dungeon for their Expedition, haven't they? They're after Great Feats. So we'll adjust our underground plan just a tiny bit, and find some 'fun' for Demeter's children. While we carry out the plan, we just keep them tied up in the Dungeon."
"The [Greatest Evil]'s lure point is on the 37th floor, isn't it? Perfect... On its way up to the surface, let it add a little trouble for the Demeter household's children along the road."
"As for whether they can get out of that trouble..."
Erebus gave a soft laugh, a flicker of dark interest passing through his eyes.
"After all, every single person in the Orario above ground is about to go through a trial. And since they belong to the city, they can't be the exception either."
"Consider it... the belated 'New Year's gift' I'm giving them."
"What do you think of the plan, Vito?"
Listening to his god lay out the cruelest of plans in that amused tone, Vito's twisted heart suddenly thrilled.
"Lord Erebus... how brilliant!"
A sickly smile spread across Vito's face as he bowed his head in flattery.
"No need to alter the plan, no need to mobilize extra resources."
"Just going with the flow, and a potential threat is dealt with on one front. Truly masterful."
Erebus waved a hand casually.
"Brilliant? Don't flatter me. I'm nothing but a bored, washed-up god."
"That said... even as a washed-up god, I'm picky. The Demeter Familia isn't a priority of ours. A bunch of children without even the potential to be heroes. Demeter may dote on them, but I'm sorry to say... I'm not all that interested in them myself."
With that, he changed tack, an eager look coming over his face.
"Now, tell me about those children of Astraea's who yearn for justice. Them, I'm... very interested in."
At that, a smile tugged at the corner of Vito's mouth.
"Yes, sir!"
...
...
The Adventurers Plaza beneath Babel.
The group gathered at their usual spot, as always: the bench beside the stone-carved fountain, for one last bit of preparation before setting out.
On top of that, they'd arranged with the goddess Demeter to meet up and see each other before departing. Beyond easing her worries and soothing her concern, there was also Lydia's matter to entrust to her in person.
"Demeter, there's no need to worry about us. Say what you will, we've been adventurers for years now. We stopped being inexperienced, clueless Lv.1 rookies a long time ago. Besides, we've got the [Wonder Pack], haven't we? Even if we run into an [Irregular], with these ample supplies and elixirs, we're confident we can handle any challenge that comes our way."
Demeter reached out to straighten the collar of Leon's cloak, then rose on her toes and pressed a light kiss to the side of his face. She stepped back, clasped her hands before her, bowed her head slightly, and murmured a devout prayer.
"In the name of the goddess Demeter..."
"May fortune in battle be ever with you!"
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