The towering pillars of fire represented the punishment of criminals.
Sanjōno Haruhime and Astrea, who were present, witnessed everything that had just happened.
They didn't know exactly what Chen Hai did, only that some of the criminals connected to the 'Night Street' had turned to ash.
Such terrifying power proved the might of the 'Dungeon Lord.'
Swallowing hard, Haruhime looked at the person who had ordered her rescue, a hint of unease on her face.
Surely, he only treats enemies this way, right?
Haruhime thus determined what she would do in the future.
Absolutely never become an enemy of Mr. Chen Hai.
Meanwhile, Astrea, as one of the eyewitnesses to this incident, having just led her Familia to settle in Orario, believed that this situation was not a bad thing.
As the Goddess of 'Justice and Order,' Astrea knew very well that some criminals were unforgivable.
For example, those of the 'Dark Faction.'
Her former Familia members had suffered terrible misfortunes precisely because of the traps those guys set.
However, Astrea also didn't want the city of Orario to become extreme.
So her plan was simple—
To find a way to secure a position given by Chen Hai, to properly manage the Labyrinth City.
At the same time, all those terrifying towering flames extinguished.
Even the distant red light that had almost ignited the sky slowly dissipated.
"Now, we wait."
After Chen Hai completed the 'punishment' of some criminals, he returned to his original position.
Seeing this, Haruhime and Astrea also hurried to follow.
"What are your plans next? I'd like to hear your thoughts."
After taking her seat, Chen Hai's gaze fell on the fox-girl.
The recently rescued girl hadn't fully recovered yet.
Upon hearing the question, she took a deep breath.
Her fluffy ears twitched, then she replied,
"I don't know what I can do in this city... but I don't want to leave here."
From being expelled from her home to being kidnapped by bandits, and finally arriving in Orario, Sanjōno Haruhime believed this was also fate.
Since this was the end of her wandering fate, she also wanted to use this opportunity to start anew.
Chen Hai pondered for a moment.
"Are you interested in the profession of an 'Adventurer'?"
"I've heard of it..."
"Perhaps you could try it. I happen to have a team I can recommend to you."
The team Chen Hai spoke of was Saeko Busujima and Liliruca's team.
If the three formed a team, Chen Hai believed their future was promising.
What's more, Haruhime's special abilities could also help Saeko Busujima quickly improve her strength.
For example, strengthening from LV.1 to LV.2, and then fighting high-level monsters to gain more experience.
"What kind of team is it, please?"
Haruhime asked nervously.
Chen Hai briefly introduced Saeko Busujima and Liliruca's squad.
After listening, Haruhime became interested.
Sanjōno Haruhime, of noble birth, her father was an official serving Amaterasu Omikami, the goddess who reigned in the Far East.
Taught from a young age to be a refined lady, she once had a group of playmates.
They were free, lively, and loved to explore the city.
But due to her status, Haruhime's relationship with them didn't last long.
However, it was from that time that Haruhime looked forward to a truly meaningful adventure.
Of course, this kind of adventure wasn't being kidnapped... Now that she had this opportunity, she looked at Chen Hai earnestly.
"If possible, please let me meet those two ladies."
"Of course, no problem. It's just that they are most likely in the Dungeon right now and probably won't be back until noon."
"That's fine."
Haruhime wasn't in a hurry; she actually needed some time to mentally prepare.
After they finished talking, an urgent knock on the door sounded.
After Chen Hai let the person in, he saw a flustered Eina.
"C-confession... Someone has come to confess."
"Criminals?"
"Yes, and there are many of them. Some even want to meet Mr. Chen Hai."
"Alright, let's go take a look."
As Chen Hai walked past Astrea, he said with a smile,
"Before establishing 'Justice and Order,' 'Might and Severe Punishment' are the most solid foundations."
"..."
A speechless Astrea could not deny it. She could only stand up and follow Chen Hai to the scene to see what was happening.
— — — —
— — — —
The Adventurers' Guild hall had been bustling since morning.
Increased magic stone transactions, applications for equipment repair and updates, requests from merchants and artisans, and so on.
But now, something was different.
Adventurers and merchants alike had cleared a path, leaving it for another group of people.
Some of these people had fierce expressions, some were disheveled, some were well-dressed, but most of their expressions were the same: tension and unease.
In this situation, there were also exceptions... "Ah! It's you, you scoundrel! You cheated me out of a hundred thousand Valis before! Give me my money back!"
"Ha! Who are you?! Ugh! Do you want to fight, you scoundrel?!"
"Pay me back! Give me my money back!"
The two immediately started brawling.
Their fists flew towards each other's faces.
The Adventurer who had been cheated out of money had higher combat power.
As for the swindler, he was mostly on the defensive, rarely making clear counterattacks.
"You two, stop causing trouble here! This is the first warning. After three warnings, you won't be able to enter or leave Orario!"
An Adventurers' Guild employee shouted a warning, which made the two stop.
They separated from each other, glaring fiercely.
"Lord Chen Hai, please sit here."
Eina's voice sounded, inviting Chen Hai to sit on one side.
Seeing the Dungeon Lord appear, the confessing criminals immediately stood up straight, obediently lining up in a row.
It was Eina's first time seeing such a situation, and she retreated with a subtle expression.
The man at the front of the line was at least two meters tall.
However, at this moment, he was like a child who had done something wrong, holding up a bag with his burned hands.
"Inside are the money we robbed before and our accumulated wealth, totaling three million Valis. We hope Lord Chen Hai can forgive us!"
"What happened to your hands?"
"When someone next to me caught fire, I wanted to help, but it was no use..."
"So now you're scared?"
"Yes..."
The tall man was very honest.
"The only one who can do such things in Orario is Lord Chen Hai. I hope... I hope you can give us another chance!"
It wasn't just the man at the front; the criminals who came to confess behind him had the exact same idea.
They surrendered their wealth, only asking for a chance to reform.
After all, no one wanted to suddenly lose their life like those who were burned to ash by the great fire.
"Astrea."
After hearing the requests of the confessing criminals, Chen Hai called out to the Goddess of Justice behind him.
"I'll leave this to you. After figuring out their specific situations, assign them to designated floors based on their different crimes and levels; as for the time working in the Dungeon, let's set it at five years for now."
These self-recommended workers, afraid of death, were free labor, so why not take them?
Before Chen Hai finished speaking, and before Astrea could reply, the number of criminals queuing outside the Adventurers' Guild to confess increased again.
Just as Chen Hai had said before, 'Justice' is built upon 'Strength!'