"Hey, did you see... that's the guy."
Adventurers and citizens whispered to each other, easily identifying the "celebrity" who had caused such a stir, even from a distance. Ever since Roland's promotion, his realistic portrait had been pinned to the Guild's bulletin board, making his face recognizable to almost everyone.
"I thought that kid was supposed to be a big deal, but he's probably just a pretty boy. [Morning Star]? That's just the star you see in the morning. I see that every day. I think 'Hound' sounds way tougher."
A group of adventurers huddled in an alleyway off North-East Main Street, already smelling of alcohol despite it being early morning.
"Hey, shut up," someone with a shred of sanity interrupted.
"What's it matter? Don't they keep shouting about 'Justice' and 'Heroes'?" he shouted, mocking the slogans often used by the Astraea Familia.
A nearby adventurer, who still remembered the recent justice patrols, whispered: "It's only been half a month. Have you already forgotten how they caught those Dark Faction members?"
"He can't hear me anyway! And so what if he finds out? Doesn't the Astraea Familia claim to be about justice!?"
The drunk adventurer, used to the grime of the Labyrinth, didn't fear the consequences. He wore a spiteful, envious grin. "I'm a law-abiding citizen! I've never broken a city law!" He laughed. "After all, he's a 'Hero'! He has to protect everyone, right?"
The man turned his head toward a young girl who had appeared in his blurry vision. He took a swig of his bottle and asked, "Am I right, little girl?"
A girl of about eleven or twelve with ash-grey hair and a clean grey-and-white dress stood at the intersection of the alley. She seemed to think for a moment with her head bowed, then looked up with a smile. "...Mm. You're right. Protecting everyone is indeed more important."
"Hahaha, see!" The adventurer tried to clap but hit his bottle instead, spilling wine everywhere.
"However," the girl continued, her grey eyes blinking innocently as she poked her cheek. "My mother told me that people who use the law as their bare minimum are, without exception... scum. My mother never told me if scum needed saving, though."
The drunkard looked at his smirking comrades and felt his pride wounded. "Of course... of course they have to save us! I'm an adventurer! I risk my life providing Magic Stones for this city!"
"I see..." The clever-looking girl put her hands behind her back, her gaze sweeping over the adventurers. "But even if we rank people by their contribution, you'd be at the very bottom of the list to be saved, wouldn't you? Is that really acceptable to you?"
A hero is not omnipotent. If a single hero could solve everything, there would be no need for the Ganesha Familia to maintain order in Orario.
"Huh!?" The man was speechless. His companions were now laughing at his expense, their low chuckles stinging his ears.
"Kid, I think I've figured something out." The adventurer sitting against the wall stood up, clutching his bottle. He spat a disgusting glob of phlegm onto the ground. He towered over the girl, who didn't show a hint of fear. "You're speaking up for that [Morning Star], aren't you?"
In the city's laws, there was no specific rule against a big man bullying a child.
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My : https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Danmachi : Mage's Infinite Journey (168 Chapters – Ongoing)
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"Hehe, I thought it was obvious. Did you only just realize?" the girl giggled, covering her mouth.
The adventurer, enraged by her sudden laughter and the mocking of his peers, felt his blood boil. Without thinking, driven by the habits of a Level 1 adventurer, he hurled the glass bottle straight at her!
The laughter behind him turned into gasps of shock.
In that instant, the man's jaw dropped. His eyes widened. In the narrow alley, the morning light caught the shards of the bottle. He noticed that the grey-haired girl also looked surprised. He immediately regretted letting go, wanting to reach out and snatch the bottle back, but the feeling of regret quickly turned into an impulse to flee.
Smash!
The sound of shattering glass echoed, but it wasn't the sound of hitting a person. Shards of glass and jagged stones fell to the ground together.
Roland sighed, slowly lowering the hand he had just aimed at the bottle. He hadn't intended to get involved, but he stepped past the stunned grey-haired girl and walked toward the adventurer.
"What are you doing? I'm a good person! Don't come near me! You bastard!!"
The drunk man was terrified, his mind a total blank. All he could do was instinctively reach for the weapon at his waist. In an instant, a hand with strength far exceeding that of a Level 1 adventurer firmly pinned his hand to the hilt.
Without mercy, Roland clenched his fist and struck the adventurer three times in the stomach like a sudden gale.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The man felt a surge of agony, as if he'd been hit by a sledgehammer. His drunken fog vanished instantly. His stomach churned, and the wine he'd just consumed sprayed uncontrollably from his mouth onto the ground.
"Cough... I was wrong. Let me go... aren't you from the Justice Familia?" the adventurer wheezed, curling into a ball on the ground.
"You should know how dangerous your actions were to others," Roland said with disgust. "If I didn't think you were just a drunk fool rather than intentionally malicious, I wouldn't let you off so easily."
Roland grabbed the man by the collar and dragged him to his friends, throwing him down in front of them.
"He's your responsibility now. And... if you want to drink, go drink at home." Roland released a wave of massive mana pressure, pinning them down. "If you gather like this and cause trouble again, don't blame me if I treat you all like the Dark Faction. Understood!?"
The drunks felt the air press against them, a terrifying aura radiating from the member of the Justice Familia. Their heads cleared instantly, and their legs began to shake.
"U-understood..."
"Where's your spirit? Louder!"
"UNDERSTOOD!" they shouted, scrambling to stand straight.
"Get lost," Roland waved his hand. They quickly grabbed their friend by the arms and legs and carried him away.
Roland turned to the young girl. "Are you alright?"
"I'm perfectly fine. Thank you very much, Mr. Adventurer," she said with a polite bow.
"No thanks needed. If you're okay, I'll be going. Be careful," Roland said plainly, waving as he prepared to leave.
"Wait! Are you leaving already? I haven't even introduced myself or expressed my gratitude properly," the girl said, looking startled and reaching out to stop him.
Nimbly avoiding her hand, Roland turned with a smile. "No need to be so polite. You were in danger because you spoke up for me. Just... don't talk back to people like that next time."
"Hehe, of course," she laughed. She reached out her hand. "I am Syr Flover. I'm a waitress at the 'Benevolent Mistress.' If you ever come by for a meal, let me know, and I'll give you a discount!"
Roland knew exactly who she was—this was Freya in disguise. He wasn't sure why she had targeted him. As a goddess, she was "grey"—neither good nor evil, following only her whims. However, when she became Syr, she showed her "true heart," interacting with others as a kind girl. When dealing with someone she truly liked, she would only use this persona. Thus, the girl before him wasn't dangerous at the moment.
"Roland, of the Astraea Familia," he nodded, shaking her hand briefly before letting go. "Goodbye. I have things to do, but I'll visit your shop if I get the chance."
"I'll hold you to that! Bye-bye!" Syr waved as she watched him walk away.
"How strange..." she murmured to herself.
No—it was Freya speaking. Her eyes allowed her to see the essence of a soul before any other god, letting her claim those she found interesting.
Yet, there was always an exception.
When Freya first saw Roland, the radiance of his soul hadn't piqued her interest. But now, seeing him a second time, his colors had begun to shift remarkably. Specks of starlight were now swirling around his soul like a celestial vortex.
"What a strange child," she murmured.
A tall, imposing figure emerged from the shadows of the alley. With a steady, deep voice, the man asked the girl, "Goddess, do you need me to deal with those adventurers?"
"No need. I wasn't hurt, after all. Let's go," Syr said with a brilliant smile, waving him off as she turned to leave.
"Understood." The towering figure vanished, continuing to guard Freya from a distance.