Inside the shrine chamber, Astraea spoke gravely.
"I suspect the monster incident was man-made."
Shaka's expression darkened, his pupils contracting slightly.
Man-made…?
Astraea took out the magic stone Shaka had seized earlier and carefully examined it.
"After reproduction, most surface monsters degenerate. The probability of an enhanced species appearing naturally is extremely low."
"Boss-class monsters can command lower-level monsters. Once discovered, quests are usually issued immediately to subdue them."
"I know," Shaka nodded.
Those goblins had already demonstrated basic tactics forming encirclements and making proper use of their weapons. When they couldn't prevail, they summoned their leader, which had nearly put them in serious danger.
And more importantly,
The appearance of an enhanced species so close to a village was far too dangerous. It implied the possible presence of a monster horde nearby.
With a solemn expression, Shaka placed a palm-sized purple magic stone on the table.
"This magic stone,do you see anything wrong with it?"
Astraea lifted the stone and examined it under the light of a magic lamp. After a moment, she let out a quiet breath.
"What did you find?" Shaka asked.
"No signs of artificial modification," Astraea replied calmly. "That rules out monster alteration for now. The most likely conclusion is that someone fed the monster a large quantity of magic stones."
Fed it…?
Shaka's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"So that means…"
"The fact that the mastermind couldn't even control the monster they cultivated tells me one thing," Shaka continued.
"The opponent is weak."
He stroked his chin, laying out his reasoning.
"If it were me, I'd lock a powerful monster in a controlled environment and strengthen it gradually. I wouldn't let it roam freely."
"The loss of control suggests either that they couldn't even capture basic monsters, or that the enhanced monster exceeded their expectations and broke free entirely."
"Either way, it means the conspiracy's scale and influence are limited."
Drawing on her long experience dealing with the Dark Faction, Astraea nodded.
"Even so, we can't ignore it. If they have follow-up plans, things could escalate quickly. We should uncover the truth as soon as possible."
Shaka wrinkled his nose slightly.
"That's true, but to investigate, we need to understand their goal. If it's just to create panic, it's inefficient. No matter how strong surface monsters become, they cap out around Level 3."
"Submitting a random request to Orario would be pointless."
Astraea sighed softly.
"I'm likely their real target."
"…Lady Astraea?"
Shaka froze for a moment before understanding.
As a frontline opponent of the Dark Faction, Astraea was widely respected among the gods but equally hated by their remnants.
Although the Dark Faction had been defeated, many accomplices and followers remained active outside Orario. Leaderless yet numerous, they blended into society and were nearly impossible to eliminate completely.
Like secret societies that never truly disappear.
Astraea spoke slowly.
"I periodically leave the city to search for spirits. They're probably watching for an opportunity hoping I'll die in the jaws of a monster."
Even the most radical factions wouldn't directly kill a god. Their methods relied on indirect chaos: traps, disasters, monster offerings.
That last method
Using monsters as sacrifices
Was their specialty.
"So," Shaka said quietly, "you went through all this effort to cultivate monsters because ordinary surface monsters aren't enough to threaten a god?"
But
Things were different now.
Astraea had a brand-new Familia.
"What should we do?" Shaka asked.
Astraea chuckled lightly and shook her head.
"I'm afraid this matter can only be entrusted to you, shaka-chan."
"…Me?"
"Yes." Astraea's voice carried a hint of apology. "I'm sorry. I can only rely on you."
"Cecil has just received her blessing and is still focused on logistics. Sending her into danger would be reckless."
"But you're different. You have combat experience and powerful abilities."
Shaka straightened, placing a fist over his chest.
"I understand. The moment I joined the Familia, I swore an oath to the Sword of Justice and its wings. I will not turn away."
His resolve was firm.
In the end, the story of this world would be written by those who lived in it. If the size of the "gate" limited his ability to travel between worlds, then one day he would challenge even the Black Dragon for the sake of this world.
Life or death, there was no third option.
"It's not that dramatic," Astraea said gently. "If you're outmatched, I want you to escape."
Shaka laughed softly.
"Then I'll bring Dekomori and the black cat—"
Before he could finish, Astraea shook her head.
"Don't involve them."
Shaka froze, confusion flickering across his face.
Astraea reached out and gently ruffled his hair.
"I know what you're thinking. But they're still children. They shouldn't have to bear this burden so early."
"Shaka, pursuing power isn't wrong but don't let power blind you."
She recalled a golden-haired elf from the past upright, stubborn, and convinced that justice required strength above all else.
Now, she saw a similar innocence in the eyes of Dekomori and the black cat.
Unlike those burdened by tragedy since childhood, those two were closer to Ryuu, still unbroken.
Fragile hearts were easily wounded.
Astraea looked Shaka straight in the eyes.
"I saw their longing for the world. I saw happiness. If possible, I want that happiness to last."
"Don't let your guard down just because their bodies are only summons. Some wounds don't come from the body."
"Carelessness leads to regret."
Shaka remained silent for a long time before nodding slowly.
"I understand. Then… should we limit their involvement in dangerous activities going forward?"
Astraea gently cupped his cheek, her voice patient and warm.
"You've always protected Ruri-chan well, haven't you?"
"I'm not telling you to reject power, only to look beyond it. Some things matter more."
Shaka didn't fully understand yet, but he began to reflect.
As the guide who brought them into this world, ensuring both the physical and mental safety of young players was undeniably his responsibility.
Future adjustments were necessary both in recruitment and invitation methods.
Thinking carefully, Shaka spoke.
"Externally, we'll maintain the image of a game company to preserve everyday peace. Internally, we won't actively expose the truth, but we won't conceal it either."
"Look at how Kobayashi treats her neighbors, or how Gabriel interacts with her classmates that balance is enough."
"When relationships deepen, the truth will surface naturally."
"Still, precautions are essential. Pain adjustment, mental thresholds…"
"I'll modify the login device. If a summoned body suffers fatal damage, loses consciousness, or takes severe mental shock, the magic will forcibly disconnect like a network outage."
Next came personnel selection.
Craving power after transmigration was natural but Shaka also wished to fulfill the will of the Goddess of Justice and truly help others.
After clarifying his path, Shaka nodded firmly.
"I'll resolve issues like this as quickly as possible."
Astraea smiled faintly.
"I believe you can."
Shaka hesitated, then asked, "What about Cecil? Should we keep this from her?"
If she knew, she wouldn't stand aside.
Astraea smiled mysteriously.
"The School District is approaching. Aren't you still competing?"
"I'll make Cecil a Familia recruiter. She'll head to Orario with the School District and recruit members."
It was protection and balance.
Compared to Shaka's summoning abilities, Cecil was at a disadvantage. Astraea wanted to give her a fairer path. Win or lose, she would accept the result.
Shaka's eyes flickered.
The School District…
A massive talent-development institution belonging to Orario, traveling the world and returning every three years for maintenance.
This time, it would remain unusually long over a year.
Perhaps he could send his own people for proper training.
"But the School District…" Shaka said wistfully,
"I'd really like to see that legendary warship the one that once fought Leviathan."