Chapter 276: A New Suspect

"Captain is so bold."

"She really loves Asahi."

"Looks like it."

Alise's declaration sparked a flame in the girls' hearts. They fervently discussed the budding romance between Alise and me.

I didn't expect her to have this heroic side. Alise reddened from my teasing grin.

"S-Stop saying that. I only l-love him as my fellow adventurer."

"People don't love their fellow adventurers."

Kaguya's remark earned a glare from Alise.

It didn't seem like Alise was going to acknowledge her feelings. As perfect as she believed herself to be, her heart was still that of a teenage tsundere girl. I just had this urge to hug her, just to see her blushing like a maiden. I got plenty of time with her feelings.

"Enough teasing. Did you find anything else here?"

"Nope."

The Evilus wiped everything clean.

"Then, let's return."

"Wait, Master!" Natsumi hurried, her wolves tailing her. "Don't leave me!"

I forgot about this slave of mine. She had done so much this time. A little reward for her would be good.

I teleported everyone back to Astraea. Alise and Kaguya briefed their findings to Astraea.

"We must report everything to the Guild and our allied goddesses," Astraea said.

Hephaestus, Loki, and Astraea.

My existence created some spicy alliances in Orario. Especially Loki and Astraea, both were on the opposite end of the spectrum as one ruled over Justice and righteousness and the other prided herself for her trickery.

"We'll go there after dinner. Everyone must be tired. Go, rest."

The women rejoiced and launched themselves toward the bath, leaving Alise, Kaguya, Ryuu, and Lyra behind. Whether it was Earth or this world, no one liked to stay dirty.

Well, they had nothing else to do until they found the location of other Evilus members, who could be hiding anywhere outside Orario. Still, Evilus was finished without the second dungeon to help them re-enter Orario.

The matter of Ishtar and Xenos will be handled by me, the goddesses, and the Guild.

I hope Asfi shows up for the meeting on time. She will be the key in explaining more about Xenos race. I asked Grayfia to call Loki and Hephaestus to be free in one hour. Having Loki and Hephaestus here would be better.

"Asahi-sama, wait!"

Aimi's abrupt shout stopped me. Aimi and Nao appeared through Klyscha's teleportation.

"Thanatos Familia isn't anywhere in Orario."

"Their base looks like it had been abandoned for months."

Thanatos was the god of death in Greek as far as I remembered. Could his Familia be a part of Evilus?

"Thanatos-sama looks like the man to do shitty things," Kaguya cursed him politely. "Don't you agree, Lyra?"

Lyra nodded her head seriously. "Hundred percent. His gloomy aura is too much to handle."

Thanatos seemed to have quite a reputation.

Aimi looked like she was about to go and destroy everything in search of this god. I stroked her cheeks. "We'll look into him tomorrow. Let's call the others to the bath."

"Umm."

I asked the Busujima twins, and they didn't find anything shady after searching through the Goibnu Familia. Rika also had no luck with the Dian Cecht Familia. That left Ishtar as a confirmed sponsor and Thanatos as a suspect.

Alise finished her talk with Astraea and prepared to head to the bath with Kaguya and others. I grabbed her hand with a grin.

"Wanna join my group in the bath?"

She yanked back her hand, blushing like a mad tsundere. "No man will see my perfect body before marriage!"

"I never knew Captain was so pure."

"Pure and perfect," she added and dragged Ryuu out of the room.

Kaguya giggled at me before following them.

Astraea stared at me. "You enjoy teasing others too much."

"My Lord won't change this habit."

Astraea and Grayfia looked at each other, eyes gleaming with sympathy. The devil maid and the goddess had bonded nicely after suffering the same playful treatment from me.

"It's kinda fun," I said in my defense. "Grayfia, you hate it…?"

"I didn't say I hate it… just do it moderately."

Teasing Grayfia a little more, I waited for the girls. After they arrived, Astraea went off to her room, and we headed to the bath.

Natsumi snuck into the bath with a towel wrapped around her body. The thin towel hid nothing. Not her nipples or the hints of brown pubic hair.

She curled her dark brown hair around her fingers, giving shy glances. "J-Just this once, Master."

The black cat tattoo on her forearm caught my eye. In middle age, black cats were perceived as shape-shifting witches.

Is that just a coincidence?

I was a little curious about her past.

Just a tiny bit.

"Alright."

That's her reward for today.

***

On one of the towering walls of Orario, Hermes admired the stars twinkling in the sky shrouded in bluish darkness. The feather in his hat swayed with the cold wind.

"A Sword Princess with no fear, a mighty Boaz with steel will, a high elf princess mage, a pallum who set out to save his race, and a dwarf warrior who used to mine silver stones."

He softly recounted the rising legends of Orario. Each one had limitless potential only held back by their own will.

"And now there is the Noble Rookie..."

Ouranos and Fels had positive thoughts about the new adventurer who had surpassed every other adventurer's record in reaching level 2. He was only active for a few days, but now he seemed to be busy in the dream life of every male in Orario.

Hermes turned around and overlooked the lively and noisy city with his orange eyes. He hadn't seen the Noble Rookie, so he couldn't hastily judge whether he was worthy of rising to power.

But he was about to see them with his diligent assistant Perseus.

Perhaps the golden age of heroes Erebus wished was coming sooner than expected.

Hermes looked up and smiled at the dark sky. "Nyx, your child's sacrifice might be worth it."

"Lord Hermes!"

Asfi's shout pierced through the silence.

Hermes chuckled. "Speaking of the devil."

Asfi climbed the wall in one go and stood behind him, her brow knitted in an annoyed frown. She couldn't believe Hermes would be admiring the stars while she was storming through every street of Orario in search of him.

Hermes wore a delicate smile. "Sorry, Persues. Is it time?"

"We're late."

Asfi passed an irritated sigh. It wasn't the first time Hermes did this. In the past six months, she came to realize how weird and perverted this deity was. He peeked into the bathhouse of the goddesses and charmed elves on the streets. And he did that on his whims. He didn't seem to be the same person who saved her from her fate of the 'Princess.'

"Then, what are we waiting for? Let's go. I haven't met Astraea since the Great War."

The whimsical deity dragged his fuming secretary along the streets.