After investigating the wine cellar, the two did not leave immediately.
Once the shopkeeper woke up, Shaka obtained another important clue.
"Beck wasn't among the bodies. He must have left the city with his guards overnight."
Could this be because of me?
Since they were from Orario, and their subordinates had offended the Astraea Familia. That alone would have been enough to make them wary. Retreating quietly and avoiding further involvement seemed like a reasonable choice.
"He really is a cautious man…"
Before leaving, the two summoned the city guards. With so many people dead inside the city and a dangerous magical beast still at large, Shaka hoped for more help. Anyone capable of assisting in the search would be invaluable.
After watching the shopkeeper and the guards depart, Shaka said,
"Let's return to the base first. I'm a little worried about Lady Astraea."
Lulune had no objections, and the two quickly returned to Cecil's blacksmith shop.
When they pushed the door open, they saw Sanae Dekomori slurping down a bowl of noodles. In the corner of the room was a large pile of supplies she had obtained for free.
"Oh, it's Old Xia."
"What do you mean 'Old Xia'?"
Astraea stood near the doorway, as if she had been waiting for Shaka's return.
"Welcome back. Do we have guests?"
"Lady Astraea," Lulune greeted politely.
After the three entered the house, Shaka looked around and asked,
"Where's the black cat? Isn't it mealtime?"
"Ruri-chan went out," Astraea replied. "She said there weren't enough materials to weave formal attire."
"She went out?"
Cecil spoke casually, "She went to the commercial district. It's fine."
The commercial district…
There are too many people there. She shouldn't be unlucky enough to run into trouble, right? Even if something happens, she can revive, so she won't really die.
Shaka finally felt relieved.
"shaka-chan, how did the investigation go?" Astraea asked gently. "And this is Mud Dog, right? How did the two of you end up working together?"
She pulled Shaka down to sit and handed him a bowl of noodles.
Shaka glanced at the noodles but had no appetite. He simply recounted everything they had learned that morning.
"The trail has gone cold. If we want to continue investigating, we'll likely have to confront monsters outside the city."
Lulune didn't hesitate at all. She picked up a bowl of noodles for herself, slurped loudly, and chimed in,
"Don't worry. I'll stay here for the next few days to protect you. Besides, the school district will be arriving soon. They'll definitely send people to help, this won't turn into anything major."
Astraea nodded. She had also received news that the School District would arrive at a nearby port city tomorrow.
Not to mention the level-7 Knight is stationed there even if only a few students were sent out for practical training, it would be more than enough to suppress a disturbance of this scale.
Only…
"You've worked so hard, Shaka," Astraea said softly.
"I've only just joined the Familia, yet you're already doing so much for me."
Her eyes were filled with warmth as she gently stroked his hair.
"It's fine," Shaka replied honestly.
"To be honest, I really enjoy the feeling of being welcomed home."
Sanae Dekomori was slurping her noodles when a large face suddenly leaned in close.
"School district? What's that? Is it some kind of evil organization that restricts freedom, Death?"
Lulune grinned wickedly.
"Heh, want to know?"
"I want to know!" Dekomori exclaimed.
"Then—"
Lulune was just about to start when Shaka interrupted her.
"The school district is essentially a floating ship several hundred meters long. It used to be a military fortress, but it was heavily damaged during the great battle against Leviathan. After being decommissioned, it became an educational institution that recruits talent from all over the world."
"Simply put," he added, "it's the world's top academy."
Of course, the school district's world tour also involved exterminating monsters that had wiped out villages and forests.
"Hey!" Lulune slammed the table in irritation.
"Don't steal my lines!"
"Don't mess with our clan like that," Shaka rolled his eyes. "They'll take it seriously."
"Tch."
After hearing the explanation, Sanae Dekomori's eyes lit up.
"A huge airship?! That's amazing! I absolutely have to see it, Death!"
Did you not hear that it's a school?
Shaka warned, "That's an educational institution. Only students preparing for exams can enter. Are you sure you want to go to school in a game?"
Dekomori scoffed, rubbing her nose proudly.
"Hmph, so sweet! Since it's another world, what we learn will obviously be different! Maybe I can even teach you magic!"
"Watch me, the Thunder Hammer user, Sanae Dekomori! I'll master magic in no time and show you!"
Shaka paused.
Come to think of it, this idiot girl was actually excellent in both character and academics, someone who had ranked first in her entire grade.
Perhaps if she read enough magic texts, she really might awaken magic. After all, when magic manifests, it often originates from obsession.
In a sense, even delusions could qualify as a form of self-awakened magic.
While Shaka hesitated, Astraea made the decision for him.
"Then let Ruri and Sanae accompany Cecil to the port city tomorrow."
"Yay!" Dekomori cheered.
"As expected of the Goddess of Stars and Justice! Totally different from that dog-like leader, Death!"
Hey, don't agree so easily!
They're logging out soon! How are they supposed to travel?
Shaka screamed internally, staring at Astraea with a complicated expression.
"Isn't this a bad idea?"
"It's fine," Astraea replied with a smile.
"This will be a mission. Deliver a plea for assistance to the school district, 500 contribution points."
She opened her palm teasingly.
Lady Lia… are you enjoying this?
Or… are you protecting them?
"…Alright," Shaka sighed. He had no choice but to agree, these were the rules he himself had established after all.
Still, this meant more strain on his end. He would need to maintain the magic while Sanae and the others were offline.
My mental energy is running low…
No, he needed to compensate.
Shaka suddenly turned to Sanae Dekomori.
"If you want to go, fine. Then we'll have a surprise training session this afternoon."
"The road is dangerous. You won't make it without the ability to protect yourself."
With that, Shaka grabbed Dekomori by the back of her collar and dragged her into the backyard.
He took out several goblin magic stones, chanted an incantation, and performed a summoning ritual.
Five goblins appeared on the training ground, baring their teeth menacingly.
Dekomori's eyes sparkled.
"Wow… magical death!"
Shaka said calmly,
"If you want to grow stronger, don't fear hardship. Goblins are among the weakest monsters in this world."
"If you can avoid being hit by a goblin for five minutes, I'll agree to let you go to the school district."
As he spoke, he helped Dekomori put on a simple set of light armor. Cecil had already prepared protective equipment for both girls, waiting only for enough contribution points to distribute it.
"That guy really is suited to be a leader," Cecil muttered.
"He takes good care of people."
Moments later, Dekomori struck a flashy pose
and was immediately hit by a thrown stone, forcing her to flee while clutching her head.
"You should focus on training here," Shaka said flatly.
"You're still a long way from fighting the Black Dragon."
"Just wait, Death! I'll pass the Death test soon!" Dekomori shouted excitedly.
Before she could finish, a sandbag slammed into her chest armor.
"Awooo—"
When Shaka returned to the front hall, he found an unfamiliar man sitting in the living room.
The man wore traditional Far Eastern attire. His long hair was tied into a club-like knot at his temples. At that moment, he was speaking with Astraea.
Shaka felt an inexplicable pressure and asked cautiously,
"A guest?"
"Hello. My name is Takemikazuchi. Sorry for visiting so abruptly."
The man smiled broadly, showing his teeth, radiating strong Might Guy energy.
Astraea lowered her gaze slightly, looking uneasy.
"Take just arrived in Sword City today. I heard that monster activity outside the city has been increasing, and the guild issued an investigation request."
"He came to seek allies."
Takemikazuchi scratched his cheek sheepishly.
"I don't have enough money for travel expenses, so I had to accept this commission to earn some funds."
"But most of my children are still level 1. I heard we might encounter level 2 monsters, so I wanted to ask for your assistance."
So he heard about my Minotaur incident through the guild?
Coincidentally, Shaka also planned to investigate outside the city. He nodded.
"Understood. I'll depart with you this afternoon."
"However," he added, "I have a small request. I hope you'll grant it…"