Chapter 182

"Captain, I have just returned from our scheduled meeting with the Ganesha familia. The details are in this scroll," the voice of a young man echoed through the room.

This was Twilight Manor, headquarters of the Loki familia, located in the northern part of Orario.

Finn took the report, briefly glancing over it.

"Thank you, Raul. Good work," Finn said.

"Not at all, sir. If you'll excuse me, I'll be heading to join the others on patrol," Raul replied.

Raul was a young human who had joined the Loki familia early in the previous year.

"Wait," Finn called just before Raul reached the door.

"What is it, sir?" Raul asked.

"Remind me, how old are you this year?" Finn inquired.

"Fourteen sir!. Why do you ask?" Raul replied.

"No particular reason. Sorry to stop you; go on and join your patrol," Finn said, his azure eyes piercing into Raul's.

Raul nodded in response before exiting the room.

"Finn, why did you ask his age?" Riveria asked, having been silently observing the conversation.

"I just feel like we've grown too complacent lately," Finn replied, leaning back in his chair, which creaked even under his light weight.

"Why do you think so?" Riveria probed.

"We don't seem to even hesitate sending out youths like Raul into the lawless streets where danger lurks in every corner and death can come in the blink of an eye," Finn stated.

Sighing, Riveria said, "I know, but it's not a problem we can ignore."

"Raul, along with others, are just supporters. It's not like we send them to fight on the frontlines," she added.

Finn, as seasoned adventurer, spoke from bitter experience.

Riveria had challenged his perspective, not out of disbelief but to offer an alternative view.

Finn contemplated Riveria's words for a moment before a grin spread across his face.

"You know, the girls from the Astraea familia are around the same age." he said.

"That's different. They are highly skilled and possess strong convictions. I have no doubt that great things will come of them in the future," Riveria replied.

Riveria was a highly experienced level 5 adventurer, one of the strongest in Orario, so praise from her held significant weight.

"Hoh, what about the Bahamut familia? I've been hearing a lot about them lately. You, Gareth, and Ais are the only ones in the familia who have met them in person," Finn asked.

Riveria's face scrunched as she recalled the incident involving Ais and the Bahamut familia.

"Honestly, I don't know how to gauge them. Their growth is abnormal, but their strength is real. I heard from Asfi of the Hermes familia that their captain is already level 4, and the others have recently reached level 3," Riveria revealed.

"What?!" Finn and Gareth exclaimed in shock.

"Level 4 in just over a year?" Finn muttered in disbelief.

"Aren't they around 12 or 13 years old?" Gareth asked.

"Yes, that's what the guild records indicate," Riveria replied.

"If it were just the dragon-kin, I could understand, but all of them are growing too quickly," Finn said.

"Is it perhaps the effect of a skill possessed by the dragon-kin?" Gareth speculated.

"Hmmm, I had the same thought. There wouldn't be a level gap between the dragon-kin and his familia members if they all had that same skill," Finn said.

Riveria nodded in agreement. "I think so too. I tried to squeeze more information from Asfi, but she wouldn't budge."

"Riveria, what are the chances we could negotiate the use of the dragon-kin's skill for our familia members?" Finn asked after a moment of contemplation.

"Not to recruit him?" Gareth raised an eyebrow.

"Sadly, that might be impossible," Riveria interjected.

"Why?" Gareth asked, stroking his beard.

"First, no god or goddess is making any direct moves on the Bahamut familia because they are wary of Goddess Bahamut. She has caused all of them to avoid direct confrontation, including our goddess. Would you dare to challenge a deity capable of such feats?" Riveria asked, pausing before continuing.

"Secondly, all the members of the Bahamut familia are apparently step-siblings, so we would have to recruit them all if we try. Lady Bahamut wouldn't allow that, would she?" Riveria added.

"Lastly, what can we offer to acquire someone with such a skill? The Bahamut familia seems to be doing well on their own. What would they gain from leaving their current goddess? In fact, any familia unable to replicate what Lady Bahamut is doing would likely face significant issues," Riveria explained.

"We could offer training, resources, or experience. Aren't those enticing?" Gareth suggested.

Sigh, "They can acquire all those things by themselves. They couldn't have reached such levels without at least a minimal level of all of that," Finn said quietly.

"What about their alignment?" Finn asked.

"Quite good. They do patrols with the Astraea girls and the Ganesha familia. In fact, they helped with the fire yesterday," Riveria said.

She had been monitoring the Bahamut familia's activities since the incident with Ais.

"I see. Isn't that great? Another beacon of hope for the city. I am now certain that the Bahamut familia, along with the Astraea familia and all the young ones, are the light for the future. We dusty old heroes need not deny them the chance to change the world," Gareth said thoughtfully.

Gareth cracked an age-old smile as he noticed Finn's sudden saddened expression, so he attempted to cheer him up.

"Stop thinking about their age, Finn. They may be young, but they're not naïve. I remember you were around 16 when you started the Loki familia. Age is just a number on the battlefield." Gareth said.

Finn felt as though they were placing a heavy burden on the younger generation, given how things had unfolded due to the actions of the previous generation.

It wasn't easy to witness young adventurers fall.

"Things were different then, Gareth. But I suppose you're right. That kind of sentiment won't do us any good in these times. Perhaps I should rely on your wisdom and bury my sentimentality for a while," Finn said.

With the seed of sorrow temporarily cleared from his heart, Finn shared a warm smile with Riveria and Gareth before they moved on to more serious matters.

"Now, as for our regular meetings with the Ganesha familia…" Finn began, lifting the scroll that Raul had given him earlier.

"We've been meeting with Shakti quite often lately. Is something the matter?" Gareth asked, noticing Finn's furrowed brow after reading the scroll.

"While grief and terror still linger in the city, things are looking far better than they did eight years ago when the age of darkness truly began. There has been marked improvement in public order, and the Evilus are somewhat under control for now, thanks to the efforts of peacekeepers like us working with the guild," Riveria stated.

Without looking up from the scroll, Finn replied, "I am concerned about their recent activities. At first glance, it doesn't seem like there is any pattern, but it feels as though they are taunting us, daring us to uncover their plans." he said.

"You think Valletta is behind this?" Gareth asked.

"Most likely. Either she is confident we will never figure it out, or she believes it won't matter if we do," Finn replied.

The name Valletta sent shivers down the spine of many, including Finn.

She was a senior member of the Evilus and one of the most dangerous individuals, blacklisted by the guild for being responsible for the highest number of adventurer deaths in history.

"According to Shakti's report, the Evilus made off with a shipment of ignition pieces," Finn continued.

"Now what would they need those for?" Gareth pondered.

"Switches and buttons alone do not make a magic item," Riveria muttered.

"About that, the dragon-kin made a concerning speculation," Finn said.

"What?" Riveria asked, intrigued.

"According to him, the Evilus might be crafting portable bombs or something similar," Finn said.

"That is indeed very concerning," Gareth muttered, envisioning the worst.

"By the way, any news on smuggling activity?" Riveria asked, shifting the topic. She had an interest in smuggling activities due to the branches of the elven sacred trees circulating in the black market.

"Yes, there are reports of some shady dealings. We don't know if it's directly related, but there are likely another organization, or several, working with the Evilus," Finn replied.

"So what's our plan? We don't have the time or numbers to follow every lead," Riveria asked.

"We will let the Hermes familia handle investigations outside the city. As for us…" Finn was interrupted as their goddess Loki suddenly barged into the room.

"Sorry to disturb you kids, but it's an emergency. We're getting reports of someone attacking adventurers in the dungeon," Loki announced.

"Again?!" Finn yelled in frustration.

Riveria immediately rushed to grab her staff, which leaned against the wall.

"Shall we head out, Finn?" she asked.

"Aaah, that won't be necessary. I already anticipated this. Those girls are probably on their way, along with the Bahamut familia, hopefully," Finn said, a flicker of foresight in his gaze.