It's common knowledge that specialized talents often perform unbelievable feats within their field of expertise.
And Tammuz… without a doubt, when it came to tracking and concealment, he was one of the best within Orario.
When he took action, even adventurers who had already stepped into the so-called heroic realm would struggle to notice they were being tailed.
Truth be told, Lumine hadn't realized at first that there were two shadows trailing her from a distance.
But there's a kind of luck born from a hamster-player's obsessive compulsion.
Earlier, once or twice, Lumine had been killing monsters so quickly that Paimon, responsible for sweeping up loot while cloaked and invisible to all but Lumine, couldn't keep up.
As a result, after a while, she realized she had probably, maybe, most likely missed one monster's drop. After agonizing over it, she decided that was a huge loss.
So, while Lumine was busy clearing a group of monsters and not moving for a while, Paimon flew back along the same route.
And then…
Hehe!
The tiny figure floated in midair, hands on her hips, chin tilted proudly. Cloaked so that only Lumine could perceive her, she was absolutely brimming with smugness.
"Yeah, yeah, Paimon's the best. The most reliable partner a Traveler could have."
Lumine obligingly replied through their mental link in a flat, rehearsed tone.
Then…
"One of those two who've been tailing us from a distance, I can confirm their identity."
Lumine's tone shifted to serious.
"Aisha Belka of the Ishtar Familia. She's probably Level 3 right now."
"As for the other one…"
Honestly, Lumine, or rather, Aether, had no memory of that man cloaked in a thin hooded cape, wearing far too little underneath.
Which wasn't surprising.
Tammuz, in the original timeline, was really only known as Ishtar's ever-present male attendant. His brightest moment was stealthily capturing the newly-leveled-up red-eyed rabbit boy. Beyond that? He was nothing but a background extra. No wonder Aether hadn't remembered him.
In any case, at present…
"Aisha Belka… if I'm not mistaken, she's the big sister who looked after that fox girl in the Ishtar Familia."
"This woman isn't bad by nature. Though the Amazonian lifestyle doesn't really match my more traditional values, I don't dislike her style of doing things… Mm. If possible, I'd rather avoid an irreconcilable conflict with her."
That was Lumine's conclusion.
To be fair, this wasn't only because Aether himself didn't dislike her character in the story. The real reason was that Aether valued the skill Argonaut's Hammer.
And besides, the fox girl, Haruhime Sanjouno, was able to survive in the Pleasure Quarter without falling completely into despair, all because Aisha and her Amazon sisters secretly protected her.
If Aisha came to harm, it would indirectly drag down innocents.
Aether didn't like causing that kind of collateral damage.
So, on a personal level, he, or Lumine, chose to be more lenient with Aisha.
Of course, that was only if circumstances allowed. If not, they wouldn't be stubborn or overly accommodating.
Hopefully things won't get that messy… Lumine thought to herself, while remotely reporting the situation to Aether.
================
Meanwhile, elsewhere…
"The Ishtar Familia, huh."
"When I was forced into joining the Freya Familia, I already expected this day might come. I just didn't think it would come so soon."
On the surface, inside Welf's personal forge.
The red-haired youth, whose dream was to become a first-class blacksmith, was still helping Ningguang at the forge. By now, the molds for the Universal Shovel were finished, and the two were casting parts from materials of varying grades.
According to Ningguang's prediction, in two or three hours, they'd have at least three prototypes ready.
In other words, if not for Welf needing rest after a day of hard work, Aether could have taken him to the dungeon tonight to grind some experience and test the shovels' data.
Of course, Welf might only be Level 1 right now, but he was still an adventurer. A night's good sleep at his Familia dorms, and he'd be lively again by tomorrow.
Then, they could continue the dungeon plan.
But before that…
Perfect. Tonight's the time to clear out the hidden dangers.
Aether had already made up his mind.
Watching Ningguang work in the forge, he sent a message through the mental link:
"Lumine, stick to the plan. First, locate the Bloody Hive."
"This time, forget about running into any Xenos. Since other troubles have come knocking, it's not the right time to meet such special groups."
"Trying to juggle too many things at once will just get us tangled."
His thoughts were clear.
"Once you finish the first objective, wait for nightfall. I'll come join you."
"Until then, Paimon, confirm the exact number of trackers."
"And if time permits, infiltrate the Pleasure Quarter, the Ishtar Familia's base."
"To prevent future trouble, it's about time we delivered a warning."
With that…
"Got it."
"Understood."
Both Lumine and Paimon gave firm replies.
Aether then temporarily cut the mental link.
Looking back to Ningguang and Welf,
"Next is part C-13. Steady hands. We don't have much material left."
"Yes, leave it to me, Boss Lady."
Well. Looks like he'd subconsciously started calling her Boss Lady. Not surprising, given Ningguang's presence.
When will I finally get to summon my Jade Balance wife too?
Aether muttered inwardly.
Suddenly,
Swish!
A rock crystal whizzed past his cheek.
Cold sweat broke out as he turned to see Ningguang watching him with a dangerously serene expression.
"Traveler, if you have the time to daydream, then clearly you don't need rest."
"The assembly phase is your responsibility."
"As the initiator of this plan, don't get too complacent."
Well, that ended Aether's plan to slack off as a supervisor.
Still,
Why do I feel like there was a double meaning in her words…?
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