The Hostess of Fertility.
After finishing her morning duties, Ryuu was about to return to her room when a silver haired young girl stopped her.
"Ryuu, are you not feeling well?"
"No. Why do you ask?"
"Your complexion looks a little off."
Syr Flova took out a small hand mirror from her sleeve.
Ryuu lowered her gaze and glanced at her reflection.
"It looks the same as usual. You must have seen it wrong."
"Sigh. I knew you would say that."
Syr Flova sighed softly and put the mirror away.
It had been two years since she first met Ryuu.
After two years of constant companionship, she understood very clearly how serious the Elf Maiden's personality was.
In just one morning, Ryuu had already knocked over a wine glass twice.
Even Anya, that clumsy cat girl, had noticed something was wrong, let alone her.
"I heard Cain came yesterday morning to give you a gift. What was inside it?"
"...Nothing. It was just a bento he made."
"Ryuu, has no one ever told you that when you lie, your eyes always drift to the left?"
"..."
"Tell me about it. I won't tell anyone else."
"..."
"I understand. Then I won't ask anymore."
Syr Flova stood on her tiptoes and gently touched Ryuu's head, a faint smile appearing on her face.
"I'll handle Mama Mia. You go and resolve whatever you need to take care of."
"Syr Flova, I..."
"No need to explain or apologize. We are good friends. Isn't it normal for friends to help each other?"
Syr Flova placed a finger against her lips and winked at the Elf Maiden.
"Go on. I and everyone else will wait for you to come back."
"...Then I will trouble you."
Ryuu hesitated for a moment before nodding.
Ever since she returned from the church, her mind had been completely occupied by thoughts of Jura and the remnants of the Dark Faction.
Taking leave and stepping away for a while was better than continuing to work absent mindedly in the tavern.
"It seems something interesting has happened."
After watching Ryuu leave, Syr Flova, who had been smiling, stroked her chin thoughtfully.
"Allen."
"Yes?"
A figure appeared silently beside her.
"Do you know what Cain gave Ryuu?"
"I do not know. You took leave yesterday."
As the Goddess's personal guard, Allen normally stayed hidden in the shadows to protect Syr Flova.
Yesterday, when Syr Flova had taken leave to spend the day with her Familia, he had accompanied her back to the manor.
"Then go investigate."
Syr Flova spoke again.
"Find out what Cain gave Ryuu, and also what Ryuu is doing right now."
"That is not possible."
Allen shook his head.
"I must protect you and cannot leave casually."
"Do not worry. Mia is here at the tavern. I will not be in danger."
"That is still not possible."
"Sigh. You are so rigid."
"Please stop being willful."
Allen revealed a helpless expression.
If he dared to leave Freya alone for too long while on guard duty, the other members of the Familia would gang up on him once he returned.
Allen was not afraid of fighting, but being beaten by a group of people was still extremely painful.
Especially that pig. His punches were terrifyingly powerful, and even Allen could not endure many of them.
"If you want to investigate this matter, I can pass the message to Hedin."
"Then leave it to Hedin."
Syr Flova decided immediately.
As long as she could learn the truth, it did not matter who performed the investigation.
"Oh, and also investigate what Cain has been doing lately. He has not been setting up his stall for the past two days."
"...You seem very concerned about that man."
"Yes. That child's soul is very interesting. It is the first time I have seen a soul like that."
Syr Flova nodded without concealing anything.
Although it was not obvious on the surface, she had been secretly paying attention to Cain.
Not out of affection, but pure curiosity.
With eyes capable of seeing through the essence of souls, Syr Flova could easily perceive the nature of another person's soul and understand their true character.
Relying on this ability, she had selected Ottar, Allen, and others from among countless people and recruited them into her Familia, eventually establishing the famous Freya Familia.
Yet this powerful ability had failed for the first time not long ago.
When she recalled the dense mass of mist surrounding Cain's soul, the curiosity in Syr Flova's eyes grew even stronger.
"Please pass a message to Hedin. If Ryuu and Cain are doing anything dangerous, he may intervene and assist them appropriately, but he must not reveal his identity."
"Understood."
...
Time passed, and night soon arrived.
Outside the Tower of Babel, adventurers who had finished their day's exploration began leaving the Dungeon in large groups, heading toward a corner of the first floor lobby.
To make things convenient for adventurers, the Guild had established an exchange counter on the first floor of the Tower of Babel where Magic Stones and monster materials could be exchanged for Valis.
During the busy evening hours, several long lines would normally form in the first floor lobby, with large numbers of adventurers crowding together while enthusiastically discussing their experiences in the Dungeon.
However, today that situation was disrupted.
"Huh? This smell... Ugh!"
"What's wrong with you? Are you not feeling well... Ugh!"
"Ugh! Who the hell fell into a cesspit? It smells terrible!"
"Bullshit! The last time I slipped into a cesspit it did not smell this bad!"
"Ugh! No wonder your reaction is so small!"
As several figures emerged from the Dungeon entrance, a strange and horrifying stench drifted through the entire lobby.
The adventurers waiting in line at the exchange counter stopped chatting and began gagging.
As people who constantly entered the Dungeon and fought monsters, adventurers had extremely high tolerance toward unpleasant smells.
Ordinary foul odors meant nothing to them.
But the smell spreading through the lobby now was completely different.
It was as if a corpse had rotted deep within a swamp for several months, mixed with sulfurous poisonous gas, and then been coated with fermented corpse oil and overheated filth.
This indescribable stench had already surpassed the limits of what humans could tolerate. Even experienced Level 2 and Level 3 adventurers could not adapt to it quickly.
Some weaker Level 1 adventurers collapsed on the spot and began vomiting, their faces twisted in agony.
"Over there!"
At that moment, the adventurer who had mentioned the cesspit earlier waved his arm frantically and pointed toward the members of the Takemikazuchi Familia approaching from not far away.
"Do not come any closer!"
Seeing that the source of the smell was not retreating but actually walking straight toward them, the gagging adventurers all displayed horrified expressions and scrambled away on hands and knees.
Within just a few breaths, the area in front of the exchange counters had been completely cleared, leaving a wide path in front of the Takemikazuchi Familia.
"Ouka, can I go back first?"
"It is too late now. A little longer will not make a difference."
Ouka sighed and took the lead as he walked toward the exchange counter ahead.
The effect of Cain's bait had been far more terrifying than he had anticipated.
Once someone had been contaminated by the smell of the bait, no matter how thoroughly they washed themselves, the odor could not be removed for quite some time.
With no other choice, the members of the Takemikazuchi Familia could only grit their teeth and return to the surface.
If there was anything comforting, it was that their sacrifice had not been in vain.
"Hello. I would like to exchange some Valis."
Ouka placed two heavily filled backpacks onto the counter, his voice containing a suppressed hint of excitement.
"Ugh! You... please stay back!"
The Guild staff member behind the counter was on the verge of tears.
Even adventurers could barely endure this smell, so someone like her without a blessing stood no chance.
She desperately wanted to run away, but she could not leave her post.
...
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