I was making my rounds through the city during my patrol shift. The girls had already formed their own groups, leaving me to patrol alone.
Because of that, I'd decided to partner up with Shakti—though I hadn't been expecting Ardee to be here as well.
"Did you not go with Ryuu and the others?" I asked as the three of us made our way through Orario's streets. Shakti's calm, professional demeanor contrasted sharply with Ardee's barely contained energy.
"Humph!" Ardee replied with an exaggerated huff, turning her face away.
"Are you still hung up about not being invited on the expedition?" I asked, already knowing the answer. While her being there would have definitely been a huge help—especially with that ability of hers—we couldn't have just decided something like that on our own without consulting the others.
Shakti sighed at her younger sister's behavior. "Sorry about this, Arin. I've tried talking to her, but she's still sulking."
"It's not about explaining!" Ardee burst out, finally turning to face me. "I know why I couldn't go—different familias, official expedition, blah blah blah. I get it! But that doesn't mean I have to be happy about being left behind while you get to spend time with Lion!" Wait, that's why you're upset?! I thought.
"Listen, Ardee," I said, trying to be diplomatic. "I can't promise you a spot on official expeditions without consulting the others first, but how about you come with us when we're going to the dungeon by ourselves? Not the big expeditions—just our regular dives."
"You promise?" She turned back to face me, her eyes searching mine for sincerity.
"Yes," I said firmly. After all, she'd been diving with us before the expedition anyway, so there was nothing strange about continuing that arrangement. "Besides, we could use someone with your special ability. You've saved our necks more than once."
"Yosha! Hehehe," she laughed, her puffed cheeks deflating as her mood instantly improved. "Oh! By the way, sis, isn't this the right time to give him that?"
"Ah, you're right." Shakti's hand reached into her pocket, retrieving something small and rectangular.
"Hm? What are you two talking about?" I asked, watching them with growing confusion.
"Surprise, surprise!" Ardee jumped in front of me, blocking my path. "Be honored, Arin, for you are being granted a special privilege!" She announced it with theatrical arm gestures, as if presenting something to royalty.
"Special privilege?" I repeated, still completely lost.
"Let me explain," Shakti interjected, holding out what appeared to be an official-looking card. "You and the Astraea Familia have been granted special clearance to enter and exit the city as you wish, without any prior permission."
"Oh, I see." I took the card from her extended hand, examining it carefully. The Guild's official seal was stamped prominently on one side, with my name and familia affiliation inscribed in elegant script. "Thank you, but... is this really alright? This kind of clearance is usually reserved for Ganesha and Hermes Familia members, isn't it?"
"Yes, it's perfectly legitimate," Shakti assured me. "The Guild approved this after considerable discussion. The deciding factor was your ongoing work with both Hermes and Ganesha Familia on various security matters. Given that this work occasionally requires leaving the city on short notice—sometimes in response to time-sensitive intelligence. This clearance simply streamlines the process."
"Hehe, finally I won't have to cover for you anymore!" Ardee cheered, clearly relieved. "And we can even go out to catch some bad guys together without the extra paperwork!"
"Yes, thank you both of you, and also sorry for the trouble," I said.
"It wasn't trouble," Shakti said firmly. "You've helped us on numerous occasions. This is simply... reciprocation."
"Plus, it was fun sneaking around!" Ardee added. "Though I have to admit, having official clearance is way less stressful."
"This privilege comes with certain expectations," Shakti continued, her expression becoming more serious, "You're expected to inform the Guild of any extended absences, and if you're leaving on official business, there should be some record of your destination—at least in general terms."
"Makes sense," I nodded. "Can't have people with unrestricted access just disappearing without any accountability."
"Exactly." Shakti looked pleased that I understood.
We walked and talked, continuing our rounds. I looked back at the card, which would give the same privilege as the Hermes and Ganesha familia. Now, I would be able to go on missions with Asfi without worrying about troubling the Verma sisters.
We turned onto the northwestern street when a loud crash echoed ahead, followed by the unmistakable sounds of combat—metal on metal, shouting, bodies hitting stone.
All three of us looked at each other and nodded, running off in the direction the sound of the crash came from.
We took a turn and came to the location, only to find Finn standing in the center of what had clearly been a violent confrontation. The street around him bore the marks of recent combat with cracked cobblestone.
Surrounding him were four Prums bearing weapons—the Gulliver brothers. Alfrigg, Dvalinn, Berling, and Grer. Level 5 adventurers, all of them, and considered among the strongest Prums in Orario.
Finn's right cheek was visibly swollen, already beginning to bruise—clear evidence that the brothers had managed to land a solid hit. That's impressive, I thought. Getting a clean hit on Finn requires serious skill.
"What is happening here?" Shakti's firm voice echoed through the street, drawing everyone's attention.
"Hm, it was nothing major, Ankusha, we were just having a friendly bout," Finn answered, while the Gullvire brothers looked on in disgust.
"A friendly bout? In the middle of the streets?" She asked back.
"Tsk! You are saved, Braver," One of the brothers holding the spear said.
"Yes, next time you won't be so lucky," another prum, holding the axe, spoke.
"You'd better be ready," the one with the hammer added.
The brother with the sword stepped forward. "And stop using our name for your political benefit. We never agreed to be your propaganda tools."
"That's repulsive!" all four brothers spoke simultaneously, their voices overlapping in perfect, practiced unison. Then, with the synchronized precision of a military unit—or maybe just brothers who'd fought together for decades—they turned and walked away.
"So?" I approached Finn, noting how he kept his hand pressed against his swollen cheek. "Want to explain what that was really about?"
Finn's eyes tracked the direction the Gulliver brothers had disappeared, his expression unreadable. "It really wasn't anything major, Arin. Just a... difference of opinion regarding how I've been promoting our race's interests."
"By 'promoting,' you mean you've been using their reputation," Shakti said flatly. "Publicly associating their names with your political goals without their consent."
"I mean, they're not wrong to be angry," Ardee added, her usual playfulness absent. "That's kind of a jerk move, Mr. Braver."
Finn actually chuckled at that, wincing as the movement aggravated his injury. "Yes, you're right. From their perspective, I understand their frustration. But Certain things needed to be said, certain movements needed momentum—and their names carry weight."
"You don't seem particularly remorseful," I observed, noting the lack of guilt in his tone.
"Should I be?" Finn met my eyes directly. "Everything I've done has been for the betterment of our race. The Gulliver brothers are powerful, respected, famous—their names mean something. Using that influence to help other Prums gain recognition, opportunities, better treatment... yes, I'd do it again."
"Even if it means fighting them in the streets?" Shakti's disapproval was evident.
"Even then," Finn said firmly. "Though I'll admit, I'd prefer to avoid such confrontations if possible. They pack quite a punch when they work together."
"That bruise looks painful," I commented. "Need a potion?"
"No need. It'll fade soon enough, and a visible injury might actually help my case—shows I'm willing to take the consequences of my actions." He smiled that politician's smile again, the one that calculated every angle. "Besides, it's not the first time I've been hit for doing what I thought was right."
Shakti sighed deeply, "Finn, I would greatly appreciate it if your political maneuvering didn't result in street brawls between members of two of Orario's most powerful familias. We're still recovering from the Evilus situation. The last thing this city needs is internal conflict between major familias."
"You're absolutely right, Ankusha, and I apologize for creating a disturbance," Finn said with what appeared to be genuine contrition. "I'll make efforts to handle such matters more discreetly in the future. My selfish ambitions shouldn't cause problems for others trying to maintain order."
"See that they don't," Shakti said firmly.
"Anyways, Arin, Ardee, I have to leave to report this to Ganesha, so let's end our shift here," she said, and disappeared within the crowd.
"Now, if you'll excuse me too, I should report this incident to Loki before rumors reach her from other sources." Finn also departed.
"Well," Ardee said, stretching dramatically, "that was way more exciting than our usual patrols! Street fights between famous adventurers, secret clearances, political drama—this day had everything!"
"It did get interesting," I agreed. "You heading home now?"
"Nah, I'm going to track down Lion and the others, surprise them with stories about today's excitement!" She grinned mischievously. See you around, Arin, and don't forget your promise!" With a cheerful wave, Ardee bounded off down the street.
Just when I was thinking about leaving for home, I felt the communication device vibrate in my pocket. I retrieved it to see the sequence indicating Asfi was trying to communicate, and I accepted the call immediately.
"Asfi? What happened?" I asked.
"Arin, I am done researching that round sphere you got from the Evilus hideout," she answered, the image of that mysterious sphere neither Asfi nor I had been able to identify, so we'd been taking turns studying it whenever we had time.
"Hold on, I am coming there myself," I said.
"Yes, that would be better," Asfi replied, and we ended our conversation there as I changed my route, making my way towards the Travelers Inn.