Belonging to the Evilus, both the Ikeros Familia and the Thanatos Familia began to move amid this turmoil, stirring up Orario with undercurrents of their own.
The main forces of the major familias, forbidden from providing aid, were locked down within their bases.
After analyzing intelligence, the Loki Familia secretly monitored the Hestia Familia while searching for the entrance to the man-made dungeon Knossos.
Because Bell Cranel was dragged into the storm of this incident, the Freya Familia, armed with connections between the Evilus and information gathered from the war against the Ishtar Familia, moved at their goddess's will to take action.
Behind the scenes, the Guild Headquarters manipulated the flow of events while controlling information in real time.
Among them lurked others who tried to fish in troubled waters, blending into the chaos.
Adding in the other familias watching from the sidelines, all of Orario at this moment resembled a powder keg ready to explode at any time. All it needed was a single fuse to ignite an event that could shake the entire city.
Yet, hidden in the darkness, there was one person, quietly, patiently waiting for the right moment to arrive; like a snake lurking beneath the surface of the water, ready to deliver a fatal strike to its prey at any moment.
Leaving his base, the fully armed Fron pulled up his hood and slipped through the alleys and dark harbors, concealing his presence.
With his Lv.6 status and exceptional concealment skills, it took him less than ten minutes at full speed to cross into the western main street.
Concealed in a shadowed alley, his eyes beneath the hood scanned the tavern across the street, quickly locking onto several distinctive presences.
First came familiarity, then sheer intensity.
This wasn't some intuition. To become a first-class adventurer, everyone had similar means, whether honed through battle experience or granted by sensory skills.
"These presences… should be Anya Fromel, Chloe Rollo, and Lunoire Faust. And this especially powerful one, no need to guess, that must be Mama Mia. Then…" His gaze lifted slightly, fixing on the tavern's gathering of presences.
"Three in total, huh? Hermes and his lot really are quick to act." With a faint laugh, he shook his head. By the time one looked again… Fron's figure was gone.
"Creak…"
"Welcome, … oh? That scent, sniff sniff!"
Today's waitress was Anya. Seeing the cloaked guest, she didn't find it strange. In Orario, plenty of people hid their identities; adventurers, especially, usually dressed this way.
Without a decent cloak, who had the nerve to enter the Dungeon?
"Tch, it's you." With a sniff, Anya immediately identified Fron, and her cheerful expression vanished.
"Hey hey hey, Anya, I am a customer, you know. Do you really need to be this blunt?" Fron twitched at the corner of his mouth, grumbling in mock complaint.
"Hmph, every time you show up, nothing good follows. You're basically bad luck, nya!"
"…." Feeling a bit guilty, Fron rubbed his nose. He couldn't exactly say he was dragged into all of this against his will, that would sound too whiny.
"Ahem. Ryu's upstairs, right? Don't lie to me. You know, I'm one of Orario's big names now."
Anya rolled her eyes cutely. She wanted to argue back, but she couldn't deny it, right now, Fron was strong. So… better to back down.
"She's upstairs. Go yourself if you want."
"Knew it. Talking to you is pointless."
With a wave of his hand, he walked away without looking back.
"Nya nya, so arrogant!"
"Hehehe, Anya got shut down by Fron again. Rare sight!"
"You guys have room to laugh at me!?" Just as the staff began to bicker and slack off, Mama Mia's oppressive gaze swept over them.
"…."
"…."
The three of them instantly behaved.
Only Syr, holding a tray by the counter, smiled softly, though her eyes seemed thoughtful.
"Ahem, Mia, sorry to bother you."
Passing Syr without meeting her eyes, Fron went straight to Mia. He dared not look directly at Syr, afraid she'd see through him, afraid she'd notice he already knew her true identity.
"Well, if it isn't our little 'Night Weaver.' Now one of Orario's pillars, huh? It doesn't feel like much time has passed, almost like you grew to this height in the blink of an eye."
Even though Fron was suppressing his aura, who was Mama Mia?
Even if he looked harmless, standing there smiling, her Lv.6 upper-tier senses told her clearly: inside that unremarkable body was a terrifying force. Not physical strength, but an endless well of magic, power capable of deciding a battle in an instant, a strategic force of the highest order.
Even their goddess wouldn't dare underestimate this newly risen Lv.6.
"Go on up. But boy, let me warn you, if Ryu doesn't want to get involved, then…" Seeing Mia's frightening gaze, Fron instinctively leaned back.
"Relax. I'm not here to drag her in by force."
But both of them knew the truth: Ryu would never ignore this incident. And if Fron's presence made her less focused on Bell Cranel, then… all the more reason she'd join.
After all, the ultimate culprit behind the Dungeon's monster rampage was none other than the Evilus.
Seven years ago, during the Great Struggle, Ryu's close friend Adi died before her eyes.
Five years ago, during the Great Struggle, the Astraea Familia collapsed entirely.
Both tragedies were tied to the Evilus. And now, beyond the Ikeros Familia and the Thanatos Familia, remnants still lurked in the shadows.
"…Thank you, Mia."
"Fine. Now scram."
"…." Turning, he headed upstairs.
Passing Syr, Fron greeted her with a smile.
As she watched him ascend the stairs, Syr's eyes narrowed.
"How curious… Even this close, I still can't see through him. Strange."
"Isn't that just willful blindness? Hehe."
In the lower world, there shouldn't exist anyone she couldn't see through.
And yet, this seemingly ordinary child had, right under her nose, already grown to this point.
To say there was nothing special about him… would be a lie.