Chapter 199

The next day…

A whole day had passed since the evilus sudden attack at the soup kitchen event.

While many lives were tragically lost, others were saved thanks to the efforts of the Loki, Bahamut, and Astraea familias.

Songs of praise circulated around the city, celebrating their heroic deeds.

However, a wave of discontent also swept through the populace.

Why couldn’t the adventurers stop such a tragedy before it occurred?

Who would foot the bill for the damages and rebuild the north streets?

Why did so many have to die at an event organized by the gods in the first place?

When and where would the Evilus strike next—south, east, or west?

What would happen to the survivors, and who would provide for their food and shelter?

These questions quickly dispelled any joy stemming from survival and the adventurers’ heroism, plunging the city deeper into paranoia and despair.

The guild's inability to offer immediate answers and solutions only worsened the situation.

This was why, along the northwest main street, several of Orario’s top adventurers had gathered within the guild’s main headquarters, in a room large enough to accommodate hundreds.

Finn, Riveria, and Gareth were present from the Loki familia.

Ottar and Allen represented the Freya familia, Shakti was there for the Ganesha familia, Alise and Kaguya from the Astraea familia, and Draco represented the Bahamut familia, along with many others.

This assembly consisted of familia captains, their vice captains, and other high-ranking officers.

It was a gathering of Orario’s best, at least most of them.

The Ishtar familia and several others weren’t present.

Draco felt a mix of shock and excitement at being invited to the meeting.

He had heard about several of such gatherings in the past but was never invited.

‘Does this mean that the Bahamut familia was finally being acknowledged as one of Orario’s top familias?’ Draco wondered, forcing down his excitement.

“I see that most of the representatives have arrived. Let us begin our regular meeting to discuss measures to address the threat known as the Evilus,” a man announced.

The man who address the congregation was a rather chubby looking elf, a sight that greatly intrigued Draco.

He always imagined elves to be, well always fit and beautiful, but the chubby eld named Royman Mardeel, quickly broke that illusion.

“But before that,” Royman paused, his green eyes wide with concern.

“How do you intend to explain the state of our fair city? I can’t recall the last time I woke up without hearing of some kind of attack, particularly the despicable event on North Main Street.” he questioned.

The evilus activities had become increasingly calculated.

It started with mere arson attempts on the magic stone factories, which, while horrible, resulted in little civilian casualties.

Then came the chaotic attack on the 18th floor, which, while devastating, primarily affected adventurers.

However, the soup kitchen massacre was different; it marked a disturbing new trend.

As one of Orario’s highest authorities, these constant attacks caused Royman significant distress.

He felt compelled to hold the adventurers accountable, as something needed to be done quickly.

“Well, maybe if you let us go after those bastards instead of ordering us in expeditions like a picnic, we would do something about it, you fat pig” Allen snapped, bursting with anger.

“You’ve got us trying to balance clearing the dungeon while also running around the city looking for evilus members, do you think we’re omnipresent or something?” Allen asked.

‘Ugh, I feel a bit embarrassed now. I pretty much cut off all dungeon activities, forgetting that monsters needed to be periodically cleared. I hope we won’t get penalized for this’ Draco thought, awkwardly massaging his temple.

“But you don’t understand!” Royman protested, somehow managing to shrug off Allen’s pressure.

“Without the Zeus and Hera familia, we must make effort to maintain our legitimacy, or else order could fall and give more strength to the evilus. This is why it is vital that we break new ground in the dungeon and continue demonstrating our strength on the world stage” Royman explained.

“Ugh, just admit it—all you care about is keeping your porky backside glued to that guild leader seat!” Allen countered, causing Royman to cower in fear as Allen's pressure intensified.

“Bickering will get us nowhere, my friend. We came here to end fights, not start them,” Finn interjected, stepping in.

“I am not your friend, pallum! So take your peacekeeping nonsense and shove it up your arse!” Allen retorted.

The bad blood that had long existed between Orario’s various factions was rearing its ugly head once more.

“Your stubborn refusal to listen to others reflects poorly on your goddess,” Riveria said, also joining the argument.

“Do you want me to tear off your wings, you damn pixie?” Allen snapped back, his eyes shining with murderous rage.

Most members of the Freya familia didn’t take kindly to anyone who spoke ill of their goddess.

Beads of sweat trickled down Royman’s face as the situation deteriorated.

It seemed a bloodbath was imminent before the meeting could even begin.

In the midst of the chaos, only a few members remained undisturbed.

Shakti wore a serene expression as if she had witnessed such discord many times before, while Ottar displayed little emotion, as was his nature.

‘I want to go home,’ Draco and Asfi thought in unison.

This was their first time at such a meeting, and they were not enjoying the experience.

‘It’s a wonder how Orario is surviving when its top familias behave like this. Will anything productive happen today? I should probably keep my mouth shut; I don’t want to get into a fight with anyone.’ Draco mused.

Turning to his left, Draco met Kaguya’s gaze, which seemed to be directed at him. Initially, he thought she was looking at him, but she was actually focused on Asfi.

Although he hadn’t paid much attention when he first entered the hall, it was still surprising that he didn’t notice that Asfi was seated so close to him.

‘She really does have little presence, perhaps due to the nature of her job’ Draco thought.

Asfi noticed his gaze and awkwardly waved her hand at his direction.

Draco and Asfi weren’t particularly close, but with how often he caught her spying on his familia’s dungeon activities, a weird kind of relationship had formed between them.

Seeing her awkward greeting made Draco smile and wave back, scooting a bit closer to her.

“First time here?” Draco asked.

“Hmm,” Asfi nodded, unsure of what he wanted.

“Relax, just making some small talk. It’s my first time here too,” Draco said, trying to ease her tension.

“Ah, I see. I never formally introduced myself. My name is Asfi, vice captain of the Hermes familia,” she replied, extending her hand for a handshake.

“And I am Draco, captain of the Bahamut familia,” he said, taking her hand.

Asfi felt nervous being so close to him for the first time.

She had always watched the Bahamut familia from a distance, but proximity made her self-conscious.

‘I wonder if he thinks I’m a stalker. My previous actions do give that impression. How embarrassing!’ she thought, her ears reddening with shame.

Attempting to ignore him, she focused on the chaos unfolding in front of them.

An awkward silence settled between them, punctuated by shouts in the background.

“The Loki and Freya familias have always been at each other’s throats, so just sit back and let things unfold,” Draco said, attempting to break the silence with an awkward smile.

“Oh, so no one is going to stop them?” Asfi asked.

“Not unless they want to become the next target,” Draco replied.

“Ugh, then why did Hermes and Lydis send me here alone? Those two are going to get an earful when I return,” Asfi grumbled.

“Oya! Oya! If it isn’t Asfi-chan and Draco!” Alise suddenly interjected, joining them.

“Why does it sound like I am being treated as a tagalong?” Draco muttered, wondering why Alise had come over.

“I hope he wasn’t bothering you too much. A pretty girl like you shouldn’t fall for the flirting of a guy like him,” Alise said, nodding as if she had imparted sage wisdom.

“And what exactly is wrong with me?” Draco asked, genuinely curious.

“You’re almost always around pretty girls these days, making one wonder what you’re up to,” Alise replied, narrowing her eyes.

“Hooo!! Do I perhaps smell jealousy in the air,” Draco teased.

“Pfff, me jealous?” Alise repeated, as if the idea was absurd.

Kaguya’s ears perked up, intrigued by the banter and amused by her captain’s odd behaviour.

“Ahem, I was just making small talk, not flirting,” Asfi interjected hurriedly.

……………………………………………………………….

While Alise, Asfi, and Draco were bickering, the meeting finally began to make some progress.

“As much as I hate to agree with Royman, the blame for the attack at the soup kitchen rests squarely on me,” Gareth admitted loudly, commanding everyone’s attention.

The atmosphere turned solemn as all eyes shifted to him.

“This was a brazen and sudden attack on our city,” Shakti interjected.

“There’s no way we could have predicted it. Even if we had, there was little we could have done to stop it, especially with the perpetrator being Arachnia herself,” she explained.

“Finn and I had anticipated an attack would come in the form of explosives, so we issued orders to be on the lookout for suspicious packages. But who would have guessed that Arachnia would show up?” Shakti continued.

“Explosives? But why?” Alise asked.

“Have you forgotten the stolen ignition pieces? Remember how Draco speculated that they could be making portable bombs? His speculation was very plausible, so we took precautions,” Shakti answered.

Heads nodded in understanding throughout the hall.

Finally, an explanation had been provided regarding the attacks on the magic stone factories.

If such explosives had been used along the northwestern road—also known as the Adventurer Way—the damage would have been incalculable.

‘Ah, I completely forgot about that,’ Alise thought.

“Unlike magic swords and items, a bomb designed this way could be used by Evilus followers with no combat experience. It all fits too perfectly, but it seems we missed the mark,” Shakti concluded.

“No, I believe my speculation is correct. Perhaps the Evilus is just keeping that option in reserve, maybe preparing for a more serious attack,” Draco added, finally speaking up.

“Explain,” Finn urged.

“Doesn’t it seem strange that only Arachnia showed up? I recall that another suspected commander fought Alise, Kaguya, and Lyra during the 18th-floor disaster. Then there’s the mysterious woman Shakti encountered at the abandoned church, plus the two suspected first rate adventurers from the factory incident,” Draco stated, ensuring everyone was paying attention.

He avoided saying their levels because such information was a product of his future knowledge and speculation.

“The Evilus clearly has these powerful individuals, so why did only Arachnia appear? Was she testing the waters, or was something else happening behind the scenes?” Draco questioned.

“Okay, but that still doesn’t explain why you believe they have bombs lizard boy,” Allen interjected, clearly annoyed by Draco’s presence.

Draco sensed his hostility, but ignored it for now.

“Does anyone remember the incident in Dedyne?” Draco asked.

“Yes, what about it?” Riveria replied.

“Have you ever wondered why the Evilus would recruit so many non-combat worshippers?” Draco posed.

“Arming them with magic weapons and items is too expensive, even for the merchants backing them. Additionally, they lack combat training, so the only way they can be useful is either as spies or expendables. What better way to arm them than with easy-to-use explosives?” Draco concluded, resting his case.

He had felt a surge of panic when it seemed they might dismiss his speculation.

To mitigate potential casualties in Orario—where many he had come to care about resided—he had hastily devised a way to encourage vigilance without raising questions on where he got information.

He couldn't fully trust his future knowledge, but still hoped to provide helpful clues to the struggling adventurers.