"Your resistance to Level G abnormalities nullifies most negative effects. That means he was killed by brute force?" Riveria said gravely, her eyes fixed on the sacred text on Hashana's back.
"To be able to kill Hashana silently, with nothing but raw strength, means the killer must have been at least Level 5."
Everyone's expressions tightened at the thought.
Only Shirou knew the truth—the woman's strength was not Level 5, but Level 6.
The reason Riveria and Finn didn't even consider that possibility was simple: there were only a handful of Level 6 adventurers in Orario, most concentrated within the Loki and Freya Familias.
The only women among them were Riveria, of Loki Familia, and Mia, a retired member of Freya Familia who now ran the Hostess of Fertility tavern.
Neither of them could possibly be the assassin.
By this point, the room was no longer filled only with Loki Familia members and Bors, but also with several other adventurers.
After listening to Finn, Riveria, and the others analyze the situation, one of the adventurers suddenly shouted, "You all sound pretty convincing. Couldn't it be one of you? Maybe you staged this whole thing before coming outside!"
That remark stirred unease among Bors and the others.
Even the adventurers present began to shift their suspicion toward the Loki Familia.
After all, the only ones capable of killing a Level 2 adventurer were Ais and her companions.
"Huh?"
Tiona's face was full of surprise.
Displeasure flashed sharply in Tione's eyes.
Riveria narrowed one eye.
Lefiya flustered, unable to react.
Finn scratched his cheek with an ironic smile.
Ais tilted her head slightly, as if puzzled.
And Shirou… simply stood back, quietly observing the scene unfold.
"If one of them really did it…"
"Then Finn and the redhead couldn't have been the killers."
The adventurers surrounding them took turns scrutinizing Ais and the others.
According to eyewitness accounts, the assassin had been a woman, her voluptuous figure visible even through her clothes.
Diverting their eyes from Ais and Lefiya, they focused instead on Riveria and Tiona.
Their gazes lingered on Tiona's revealing bust, then her flat chest, before finally nodding in unison.
"It wasn't her."
"Yeah, not her."
"Huh? What did you just say?"
"Didn't I say my chastity belongs to the captain? You worthless worms mean nothing to me."
"If you dare spout nonsense again, I'll cut off that filthy thing between your legs!"
Tione, utterly enraged, clenched her fists and stomped the ground with one foot.
"Haha, Bors, as you can see, they don't exactly look capable of seducing men."
"Oh, oh—sorry for doubting you."
"Yeah, sorry!" Bors and the others hurriedly covered their groins with both hands, nodding frantically.
Shirou couldn't hold back his laughter at the ridiculous scene.
He had always found moments like this hilarious in anime, but he hadn't expected it to be even funnier in real life.
Unable to stop laughing, he quietly slipped out of the room, chuckling to himself outside.
After a while, Shirou decided not to involve himself any further. This sort of thing wasn't his strength anyway. He chose to wait outside for Finn's next decision.
Not long after, Finn and the others emerged.
"How are things looking?" Shirou asked.
"She was here for something Hashana was carrying, but it looks like she didn't find it. We plan to lock down the city and gather everyone."
"Really?"
Glancing up at the darkening sky, Shirou knew the battle was approaching.
"They gathered so quickly."
"Threaten anyone who refuses to cooperate with being blacklisted. After that, none of them will resist."
Crossing his arms, Shirou silently watched the commotion below.
From what he remembered, the woman had been disguised in full armor, posing as a man.
Shirou quickly identified several potential targets among the crowd, but he couldn't pinpoint the exact one.
After all, wearing full armor in the Dungeon was hardly unusual.
At that moment, Shirou debated whether or not to tell Finn about the possibility of her disguising herself as a man.
In the end, however, he decided against it. Doing so would place Ais in serious danger.
According to Shirou's memories, after this expedition, Ais would secretly accept a Guild mission to investigate the 24th floor, where she would encounter the woman again.
Without that battle, Ais would never resolve to level up.
And if that happened, she wouldn't stand a chance the next time they met.
After all, she wouldn't have Finn and Riveria by her side to protect her then.
So, for Ais' sake, Shirou chose not to interfere too much.
As he pondered this, a commotion broke out on the other side.
Since all the women had to be examined, Ais and her group were put in charge.
But those women only had their eyes on Finn.
As one of Orario's most famous heroes, Finn was also one of its most popular adventurers.
So, amid the cheers and jeers of the female adventurers, Finn was swept away.
"These Orario adventurers really are terrifying!"
Shirou couldn't help but marvel as Tione, fuming with rage, charged into the crowd to rescue Finn.
But his attention quickly shifted again.
He noticed Ais and Lefiya chasing after a suspicious figure.
"Riveria, I'll check on Ais!"
Reporting quickly to Riveria, Shirou ran after them.
"They're so fast!"
As the three disappeared without a trace, Shirou leapt several times, reaching a high vantage point and using his clairvoyance to track them.
"Found you!"
Soon, Shirou spotted Ais, Lefiya, and another figure cornered in an isolated spot. Opposite them stood a fully armored individual.
"So you really are that fast? Taking advantage of my lower level, huh?"
Mocking their speed, Shirou projected his bow.
He conjured a magical arrow, drew back the string, and aimed at his target.
Shirou readied himself to strike first.
---
(End of Chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."