The day after hearing about Haruhime from Mikoto.
I wonder if he's here…? Tsuna was currently making his way toward Twilight Manor, the grand home base of the Loki Familia.
After hearing Mikoto's desperate plea to save Haruhime yesterday, Tsuna had racked his brain trying to figure out how he could help. He reasoned that the Loki Familia, being one of the two massive pillars of Orario, would likely have actionable intelligence on the Ishtar Familia. He could have gone to the Guild, but he suspected the Loki Familia might possess their own unique, classified information.
As he approached the towering gates of Twilight Manor, the two guards stationed at the entrance noticed him.
"Oh, Tsunayoshi-san."
"Hello."
The two guards were a human woman and an elf man—both of whom had been part of the 59th-Floor expedition and had suffered from the Poison Worm's deadly venom.
"Sorry for dropping by unannounced, but… is Finn around?"
"The Captain? Unfortunately, he's currently out on an assignment."
"I see…"
Learning that Finn was absent, Tsuna's face fell slightly in disappointment.
"Did you have urgent business with the Captain?"
"Not specifically with Finn, actually… I was hoping to learn more about a faction called the Ishtar Familia. I figured the Loki Familia might know something…"
"!?"
The female guard had asked politely, but the moment the words "Ishtar Familia" left Tsuna's mouth, both guards stiffened, their expressions instantly hardening into masks of pure shock.
"U-Umm… why exactly are you looking into the Ishtar Familia?"
"Well, a friend of mine is looking for a childhood friend from their hometown, and we heard a rumor that she might be caught up with the Ishtar Familia…"
"Ah, so that's the situation…"
The female guard's initial flare of intense suspicion faded instantly. Hearing that Tsuna was doing this solely for the sake of a friend, she relaxed her guard.
"E-Err… Was it bad for me to ask about them?"
"No… it's just that there are some complicated circumstances… But if that's your reason, it's fine. Please, come inside."
"Are you sure it's okay to let me in without Finn's permission?"
"Yes. You saved our lives by curing that poison, Tsunayoshi-san. We owe you a debt."
"I'm certain the Captain would say the exact same thing if he were here."
Despite Finn's absence, the two guards cheerfully opened the heavy gates, welcoming Tsuna inside without a moment's hesitation.
There's barely anyone here… Are they out investigating Evilus? Stepping into the compound, Tsuna immediately noticed how deserted it was. For a faction that boasted hundreds of members, the quiet was unnatural. He deduced that Finn and the core executives must be out conducting a massive raid or investigation against the remnants of Evilus.
The guards led him to the Familia's expansive archives. The male guard scanned the shelves and pulled out a thick ledger.
"This contains our intelligence on the Ishtar Familia."
The guard laid the book on a reading table and flipped through the pages until he reached the designated section. It detailed everything the Loki Familia currently knew about Ishtar's faction.
I don't see the name Haruhime anywhere… Tsuna carefully scanned the comprehensive list of known Ishtar Familia members, but the name Haruhime was entirely absent.
"Excuse me, have you ever heard of a Renard named Haruhime being part of their Familia?"
"Haruhime…"
"A Renard…"
No luck, huh… Tsuna asked the guards directly, but judging by their confused expressions, neither of them had any idea what he was talking about. At this rate, he wasn't going to find any clues leading to Haruhime.
Wait a second… I remember Mikoto saying… Just as he was about to give up, a vital piece of information sparked in his memory.
"What about someone who uses incredibly rare magic? Have you heard any rumors about that?"
"...!!"
Tsuna remembered Mikoto explaining that Renards wielded a unique brand of magic entirely distinct from Elves. He figured that if he shifted his inquiry toward anomalous magic, it might trigger a lead.
The two guards immediately exchanged a meaningful, loaded glance.
"Do you know something?"
"Well, we do know something… Actually, nine times out of ten, it's exactly what you're looking for…"
"But… are we really allowed to just hand out this information…?"
Even though Tsuna was their savior, the guards hesitated, unsure if they had the authority to disclose classified tactical data without the Captain's approval.
However, after a brief moment of silent deliberation, they decided they could trust Tsuna and chose to speak.
"…Actually, this happened a short while ago when we were deployed to Melen."
"Melen?"
"It's a bustling port city located just outside Orario. For some reason, the Ishtar Familia was operating there, and they provoked a skirmish with us. During that battle, something completely inexplicable happened."
"Inexplicable?"
"The Captain of the Ishtar Familia, Phryne Jamil—alias Androctonos—somehow underwent a temporary Level Boost."
"Temporary?"
"Yes. Our current working theory is that the Ishtar Familia is hiding an adventurer possessing a hyper-rare spell or skill capable of temporarily forcing a Rank Up… However, we haven't been able to confirm if the caster is a Renard."
"I see… Thank you, both of you."
While they couldn't definitively prove the caster was Haruhime, confirming the existence of a rare magic user perfectly aligned with Mikoto's information. Tsuna smiled, grateful for the crucial intel.
"Umm… Please promise you won't breathe a word of this to anyone else. If a baseless rumor starts spreading, the Ishtar Familia might target you…"
"Are they really that dangerous? The Ishtar Familia, I mean?"
"Actually… there are strong suspicions that the Ishtar Familia is secretly colluding with Evilus in the shadows…"
"E-Ehhh!?"
The female guard leaned in and delivered the bombshell in a hushed whisper, causing Tsuna to let out a cry of sheer shock.
So that's why… Tsuna finally understood why the guards had completely frozen up the moment he uttered the Ishtar Familia's name at the gate.
"Of course, we don't have definitive proof yet… But even putting their potential ties to Evilus aside, picking a fight with the Ishtar Familia is practically suicide…"
"What do you mean?"
"Look at this."
As the female guard stressed the danger, the male guard unrolled a massive map of Orario across the table.
"…This entire area belongs to the Ishtar Familia."
"Eh!? All of this!?"
The male guard traced his finger in a wide, sweeping circle, encompassing a massive chunk of the southeastern sector. Tsuna's eyes widened in disbelief at the sheer scale of their territory.
"The Ishtar Familia rules over the Pleasure Quarter in the southeastern part of the city. That district plays a massive role in Orario's economy, which means even the Guild can't just forcefully intervene in their affairs."
"…Hey, what exactly is the Pleasure Quarter?"
""Eh!?""
"I asked my Familia about it yesterday, but everyone refused to tell me…"
Are you serious… Realizing that Tsuna was genuinely, innocently completely ignorant of what a red-light district was, the two guards' jaws dropped.
"I-If you don't know, it's better that you stay ignorant!! Anyway, it's a district managed entirely by the Ishtar Familia, and it's one of the core pillars of Orario's entire economy!! That's why no one can make a careless move against them!! Right!?"
"E-Exactly!! What's more, there are countless people in the city who devoutly worship Ishtar-sama as the Goddess of Beauty. If you make an enemy of her Familia, you make an enemy of half the city!!"
"I see…"
W-We somehow managed to dodge the question… By aggressively pivoting back to the sheer political and economic terror of the Ishtar Familia, the guards managed to prevent Tsuna from digging deeper into the actual nature of the Pleasure Quarter. They sighed in profound relief, having successfully protected his pure soul.
"So, as much as we feel for your friend, Tsunayoshi-san… it would really be best if you didn't get involved with the Ishtar Familia…"
"…"
The female guard offered a grave, earnest warning, but Tsuna couldn't bring himself to agree.
Having acquired the information he needed, albeit wrapped in deeply concerning layers of danger, Tsuna thanked the guards and left Twilight Manor.
What am I going to do… Not only were they a massive, untouchable faction deeply entrenched in the city's politics, but they might also be tied to the murderous remnants of Evilus. Rushing in blindly was out of the question. With a heavy heart and a clouded expression, Tsuna slowly made his way back to Hearth Manor.
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