"Kami-sama, will you go open the door and see Miss Shakti?"
Inaba Tsukuyo tilted her small face up slightly, eyes tightly shut, cheeks turned toward Haimer's direction, asking in a soft voice.
Hearing this, Haimer raised his hand and gently patted Tsukuyo's head of smooth white hair.
"Since the guest has already come to the door, we can't just leave her standing out there like a fool."
Haimer stood up.
He casually picked up the black house coat draped over the back of a nearby chair and slung it over his shoulders.
"Let's go, Tsukuyo."
"Come downstairs with me."
Hearing this, Inaba Tsukuyo quickly nodded.
She hopped straight down off the edge of the bed without even putting on shoes, her two clean little bare feet padding along as she followed close behind Haimer, just half a step apart.
The corridor was laid with a very thick carpet.
As the two walked across it, the sound of their footsteps was swallowed up entirely.
In the spacious master bedroom, only Hestia remained, sprawled out spread-eagle on the big bed, clutching the corner of the blanket for dear life, snoring away in a deep, contented sleep. Then—
When Haimer led Inaba Tsukuyo down the stairs and through the quiet first-floor hall, arriving before the entryway, he reached out, grasped the brass handle on the door, and pulled it inward.
The two heavy carved wooden doors slowly swung open. The morning breeze, carrying a slight chill, immediately poured in through the gap.
On that row of long stone steps outside the door.
Stood a single figure—none other than the captain of the [Ganesha Familia].
—"Staff of the Elephant God," Shakti Varma.
Shakti, with her short blue hair, was today wearing a set of lightweight leather armor well-suited for swift movement.
The moment she saw the great door open.
This female Constable captain—normally swift and decisive on the streets of Orario, never sparing anyone a pleasant expression—reacted with lightning speed, quickly stepping half a pace forward.
Then she pressed her right hand over her left chest and, with utterly proper bearing, gave Haimer a standard knight's salute.
"Lord Haimer."
"Ganesha Familia, Captain Shakti Varma."
"On behalf of the patron deity Ganesha and by the joint resolution of the Guild, I have come to report to you and submit today's intelligence dossier."
Shakti's voice was crisp and clean, without a shred of hesitation, not half a word wasted.
"Come in."
Seeing this, Haimer let out a helpless chuckle, turning his body to one side to make way for her.
"Standing at attention at my doorstep this early in the morning."
"To put it plainly, if the neighbors around here happen to see this later, they might just think I've done something illegal—something that'd make a full-fledged Constable captain come knocking to haul me away in person."
Haimer's tone was easygoing as he tossed out the joke.
Hearing this, Shakti could only shake her head again and again with a wry smile.
"Lord Haimer jests."
"In all of Orario, in these lands as they now stand, who would still dare harbor even the slightest thought of offending you?"
Shakti hurried to respond.
After all.
This man before her was the very fiend who, at the Denatus yesterday, had with just a few words cowed the patron deities of all the city's major factions into not daring to make a single peep.
Especially yesterday in the Guild hall, when she'd invoked Haimer's name to pressure Ishtar.
Ishtar, who'd been so brazenly arrogant and utterly contemptuous of both her and Lord Ganesha, had at that moment immediately swallowed her anger and backed down.
That had made Shakti realize with utter clarity just how much weight Haimer's reputation as a fiend truly carried.
At this thought.
Shakti grew even more cautious, carefully stepping up onto the threshold and entering the spacious entryway.
After entering, Haimer walked straight over to the hall's lounge area and picked a single-seat sofa to sit down on.
Inaba Tsukuyo, without a word, quite naturally moved to a spot just behind and to the side of Haimer, standing steadily and dutifully playing the role of an attendant.
Seeing this, Shakti didn't dare simply take a seat.
She straightened her back and stood properly across from Haimer.
"Sit and speak, Shakti."
Haimer casually gestured to the chair across from him.
Shakti hesitated a moment, but in the end, under Haimer's calm yet irresistible gaze, she stiffly perched half her rear on the edge of the chair.
"Lord Haimer."
The moment she was seated, Shakti got straight to the point.
"This is the dossier our Familia's intelligence division compiled after sorting through everything all night long."
"It contains a list of every high-risk individual currently in an abnormal state within the city."
"It also includes records of the surface-level movements of each faction after yesterday's Denatus concluded."
As she spoke, she drew that thick stack of papers out from her bosom.
But Haimer was in no hurry to take the dossier.
He looked Shakti up and down and immediately spotted the two faint dark circles beneath her eyes.
"Looking at your face."
"You must've been run ragged all through the night."
Haimer leaned back against the chair.
"Give me the key points—tell me about the situation with the Ishtar Familia."
"I hear she vented all her pent-up fury in the Guild hall yesterday, even slapped that pig Royman's face until it swelled up. After all that, what has she done since?"
Hearing Haimer's blunt question, Shakti couldn't help but feel a jolt inside.
Just as she'd thought.
Lord Haimer already knew.
"Yes, Lord Haimer. After Lady Ishtar caused that uproar at the Guild and left yesterday."
Shakti quickly straightened her posture and collected her thoughts.
"The moment she returned, she outright declared a complete lockdown of the entire Pleasure Quarter in the Southeast District."
"All the battle courtesans belonging to the Ishtar Familia are, for the time being, forbidden from taking on any Dungeon exploration missions."
"All personnel out in the field have been urgently recalled, pulled back to fully defend their home base at Night Street."
"Even our Constable squads on outer patrol duty—the moment they draw even a little closer to the outskirts of the Pleasure Quarter."
"They're immediately hit with severe warnings from them."
As Shakti reached this point, her brow suddenly furrowed deeply.
"Lord Haimer, her reaction is far too extreme."
"It simply doesn't make sense."
"Honestly, from the way she's carrying on, it's as if she's terrified someone will suddenly force their way in and turn the whole place upside down."
"What's more, our informant on the inside there passed along some news."
Shakti lowered her voice a touch.
"Just in the dead of night yesterday."
"A group of people secretly slipped into the bounds of the Pleasure Quarter."
"This bunch was cloaked head to toe in black, wrapped up so tightly that their race and appearance couldn't be made out at all."
"By any measure, these were definitely not pleasure-seekers out for a good time."
Hearing this, Haimer gave a slight nod. The situation was clear.
Ishtar was clutching a trump card tightly in her hand.
Her original plan was to use that Killing Stone of unknown origin to sacrifice Sanjouno Haruhime, the renard member of her own Familia.
She intended, through this cruel means, to mass-produce and upgrade the exclusive magic [Uchide no Kozuchi].
And by this, to forcibly raise the levels of all her battle courtesans by one full rank.
So as to utterly crush her arch-rival, the [Freya Familia], who had long sat securely atop their perch.
But now, everything had changed. Haimer had directly taken over the authority of the Constable.
The [Ganesha Familia], who had previously been in charge, had now fully stepped back to a secondary role.
The Guild, too, had completely loosened its bottom line, no longer restricting even the ultimate acts of violence.
The Orario of today no longer had that old, soft-hearted style of gentle law enforcement.
As long as it was in the name of maintaining order.
This meant that Haimer could, at any time, muster his forces and openly, legally, and by the book break down the doors to sweep the place clean.
With such a guillotine blade hanging over her head, ready to fall at any moment—how could the guilty-conscienced Ishtar not be burning with anxiety?
As for that bunch of black cloaks who'd sneaked into the Pleasure Quarter in the dead of night—Haimer saw through it as clear as a mirror.
Those fellows were, in all likelihood, the remnants of shadow factions that normally lurked deep in the Dungeon or hid away in Daedalus Street.
Or else, they were one of those underground assassin syndicates that took money to do people's dirty work.
By the looks of it, Ishtar had truly been cornered into a dead end this time, with no way out.
Her fear was that, before she could get the Killing Stone ready, Haimer would lead his people to strike right at her door ahead of time.
So now she would surely be desperate to spare no expense, calling in this band of outside help to serve as a line of defense, guarding to the death the progress of her plan to sacrifice Sanjouno Haruhime to the Killing Stone.
In that case, he too would have to make haste.
After all, though he knew that even if Ishtar's entire Familia were raised by one rank, they still wouldn't be a match for the [Freya Familia].
But as for Sanjouno Haruhime, who possessed the level-up magic—he absolutely could not allow Ishtar, who before long would innocently vanish in the Lower World, to sacrifice her.
"It seems."
"This time Ishtar is dead set on shutting herself away and doing things her own way, with no intention whatsoever of talking rules or reason with you all anymore."
At this thought, Haimer came back to himself and continued his conversation with Shakti.
"But speaking of which, Miss Shakti."
"Ishtar's current maneuvers."
"They're not just guarding against you all—at the end of the day, she's really keeping a strict, desperate watch against me."
Haimer's tone seemed rather relaxed and at ease. And yet, Shakti, upon hearing this, felt only wave after wave of chill run down her back.
It seemed Lady Ishtar had, this time, likely been marked by Lord Haimer.
"There's more than just this, Lord Haimer."
At this thought, Shakti's gaze grew complicated as she steadied herself and continued her report.
"Early this very morning, over by the East Gate."
"Members of the Apollo Familia also began a large-scale mustering operation."
"It was led personally by the captain of the Apollo Familia—Hyacinthus, the one who bears the title of the Sun's Favored Child."
"This morning they went to several small workshop grounds that had long been under the protection of the Demeter Familia."
"Just as the Demeter Familia's people were carrying their freshly harvested agricultural mission goods, about to head to the Guild hall to hand them over."
"The bunch Hyacinthus led deliberately knocked it all over, right in the middle of the street in broad daylight."
"Leaving the ground strewn with wheat ears, fruits, and vegetables all trampled to a pulp."
"Granted, they still had reservations about the Guild's new rules, so they didn't dare openly injure anyone in the street."
Shakti's expression grew extremely grave.
"But this was clearly aimed at you—a textbook case of exploiting loopholes, a provocation skirting right along the edge of the rules."
"That Hyacinthus, as he left, even loudly jeered, both openly and between the lines."
"Saying that those goddesses fit only to remain at the bottom—even if they'd thrown in their lot with someone—had merely embraced a pretty but useless ornament."
"Lord Haimer."
"If this matter is simply left unaddressed."
"The prestige of your newly assumed post as Constable will inevitably suffer a very serious blow."
"And those fence-sitters below who were already wavering will all the more feel that you, Kami-sama, are nothing but an empty name—easy to push around."
Haimer patiently heard out this detailed report.
He rested his elbow casually on the sofa's armrest, the back of his hand propping up his chin.
From beginning to end, not the faintest trace of irritation could be found on his face.
"I understand your concern, Miss Shakti."
Haimer's eyelids drooped slightly.
"Since there really are those so reckless of their own lives that they want to test my measure."
"Then, this afternoon."
"I'd like to arrange a time in advance with you, Miss Shakti, for us to head out together."
"And, while we're at it, deal with all these flies that have nothing better to do than buzz about out here—every last one of them, all in one go."
And just like that, Haimer casually settled the afternoon's itinerary.
Yet it was precisely this utterly offhand-sounding reply that suddenly left Shakti, seated across from him, stunned.
"To-...to deal with it today?"
"Lord Haimer, do you mean to personally step in and handle this matter yourself?"
Shakti's eyes went wide in astonishment.
After all, for a deity so high above to personally step in and deal with this sort of dispute and friction between Familias.
Such an approach had, in the past, been quite unheard of.
"That's right."
Haimer merely gave a light nod, firmly confirming this astonishing piece of news.
At the same time, just as the two of them finished their discussion and settled on the plan, from the direction of the second-floor corridor came the slow approach of somewhat light, pattering footsteps.
Then, figures began to sway back and forth on the solid wooden staircase.
The others living in this residence were gradually waking, their dreams coming to an end.
Among the Xenos, the siren-bird Rei, the harpy Fei, and the spider-woman Rania and the rest were the first to wake.
After all, given their monster nature, they never slept soundly to begin with.
Aruru leaped straight into Haimer's arms. Then, Amou Kirukiru.
Onigawara Rin and Kikakujou Mary came down, mouths gaping in wide yawns, rubbing their bleary, sleepy eyes, shuffling along in their slippers.
Nomura Satori, Hanasaka Warabi, the Holy Emperor, Tendou Kisara, Aihara Enju, and Kohina Hiruko also appeared one after another in the second-floor corridor, walking together as they made their way downstairs.
As the women all gathered downstairs one after another, the first-floor hall, which had seemed rather cold and quiet before, suddenly became lively and bustling.
Watching this increasingly lively scene, Shakti knew it wouldn't be appropriate for her to linger here any longer—she oughtn't intrude further. She calmed her thoughts, quickly rose to her feet, straightened the hem of her garment, and gave Haimer another respectful bow.
"Since Lord Haimer has already reached his decision."
"Then I'll head back first to inform my people."
"I'll have everything ready in advance."
"When afternoon comes, I'll return to coordinate and act together with you."
"Mm. Thank you for your hard work, Miss Shakti."
...
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