A massive spatial rift opened.
"Members of the Purge Squad, please head inside."
"I've set the coordinates to the edge of the space. Before moving in, be careful not to attract too much attention."
"I've already taken care of the traps inside, but I can't guarantee I cleared every last one. Stay at least minimally cautious during the operation."
Bell carefully reminded each member of Loki Familia preparing to advance.
He had dismantled nearly all the traps within the space; those he couldn't remove had their functions forcibly disabled.
Even so, there were still places where carelessness could prove dangerous.
"We'll be careful."
Finn nodded and led the team through the rift.
Once everyone had gone inside, Bell closed it. The matter with Loki Familia was handled.
Next was the Ganesha Familia.
Just as Bell turned to head over, the corner of his cloak was tugged.
He didn't need to look to know who had grabbed it.
"Loki-sama, I'm heading to the Ganesha Familia now."
"I know. That's why we're going together."
"Huh?"
The sudden twist caught Bell off guard.
"Weren't you interested in the purge battle? Don't you want to stay and watch Captain Finn and the others fight?"
"Tch, what's there to watch?"
For a god who loved mischief to suddenly lose interest in battle, it could only mean something else had caught her eye.
"You already took care of the biggest problem. What suspense could there be in Finn's fight?
"You warned about traps, but do you really expect me to believe someone like you would leave any traps intact?"
Loki's words left Bell stunned for a moment. He could only lower his gaze with a helpless sigh.
"So Loki-sama just wants to tag along for the fun of it?"
"Of course."
Loki grinned broadly, showing her teeth. She was obviously here for amusement.
Her children's battle didn't need her watching over it—Bell had already paved the way. Even if trouble arose, it would be trivial at best.
Knowing that, why would she waste time staring at her own children? Of course she'd rather follow the more interesting one.
Though Bell wanted to refuse, he realized he didn't have any real reason to. So he agreed to Loki-sama's request.
Still, he gave a warning.
"Loki-sama, just so we're clear—I really don't have anything else planned."
"No problem. Even if it's boring on your end, it beats watching my kids. And it's not like you're incapable of keeping me safe."
"Well, thank you for the confidence."
Bell gave a resigned nod of thanks for Loki-sama's trust, then opened a portal to the Ganesha Familia.
On the other side, Ganesha Familia was assembled in formation, waiting.
Suddenly, the space tore open, startling the troops into drawing their weapons.
"Sheathe your weapons!"
Captain Shakti immediately called out. Only then did the others come to their senses and put away their blades.
Shakti stepped forward and gave a slight bow to Loki-sama as she emerged from the rift.
"Loki-sama."
"Ah, don't mind me today. I'm just here to watch the fun."
Shakti skipped the formalities, her eyes shifting straight to the youth standing beside Loki-sama.
Since she often helped Ganesha handle troublesome matters, she naturally knew who he was. Facing Bell, she simply gave a slight nod, signaling that they were ready.
This smooth handover saved Bell a great deal of effort.
With a casual motion, he opened a spatial passage large enough to fit an entire task force, then gave a reminder.
"The place ahead is where the Xenos are imprisoned. Many have already been abused. There are also plenty of guards nearby—so proceed carefully."
"Understood."
With the stern, commanding presence of a soldier, Shakti nodded and turned to face her assembled troops.
"Prepare yourselves. Begin the rescue operation."
"Yes, ma'am!"
The unified response was so crisp and powerful that the assembled force looked less like a Familia and more like a disciplined army.
Bell couldn't help glancing at them twice.
"Feels a lot like a military unit, doesn't it?"
Loki-sama's sudden comment made Bell nod instinctively.
"Yes. This atmosphere really does feel like an army."
"This is unique to the Ganesha Familia. Remember, they're responsible for the security of all Orario. In terms of size and the number of Lv.5 Adventurers they command, the Ganesha Familia is the largest in the city."
"Security work must make a lot of enemies, right?"
"Well, sometimes, yes. And other times, they have to openly give certain people leeway. It makes them look like order-keepers standing with the villains. Naturally, no one's going to like them for that."
Hearing this, Bell nodded in agreement.
Anyone who heard "keepers of order" would likely think poorly of them. After all, people who dealt strictly with the law rarely showed compassion—and the law itself often turned merciless.
"But the Ganesha Familia is an exception. That bunch is loud and often acts willfully, yet that elephant is, at heart, a good god. If Ganesha himself didn't lean toward order, he'd never have accepted such a troublesome job."
Loki disliked Ganesha's rowdiness, since he could be unbearably noisy at times.
But she didn't dislike him as a person. He was firmly on the side of order, someone she never had to worry about betraying them.
'I feel the same.'
If a god wasn't truly devoted to order, they'd stay far away from the job of maintaining Orario's stability. The work was not only endless but also dangerous, and being resented as an enforcer was nothing unusual.
From Bell's perspective, Ganesha was one of the rare gods who actually did serious work.
"Actually, in the past, Ganesha wasn't the only god maintaining order in Orario. But you know how adventurers here tend to be..."
"Short-lived."
"Exactly. So once the other god keeping order fell, Ganesha was left as the only one holding everything up."
With that, the Ganesha Familia marched into the space.
Bell's gaze, however, lingered on Loki-sama.