The sight of Shakti fully armed had formed a deeply ingrained stereotype in the minds of the citizens and adventurers living in the Labyrinth City.
To adapt to complex, ever-changing surroundings, the human brain protected itself by developing an efficient mechanism.
-Thinking in labels.
Stereotypes simplified information, quickly sorting complex individuals into fixed categories, reducing the brain's workload and speeding up judgments and decisions.
Thus.
A complete formula could be derived.
Shakti + fully armed = danger nearby.
However.
Shakti + fully armed ≠ she was the danger.
Then who was the danger?
Her target, naturally.
That being the case.
The answer was obvious.
Me = the target of a fully armed Shakti = danger.
A wolf in sheep's clothing was still a wolf.
"..."
Faced with Haimo's accusation just now.
Shakti fell silent as well.
Her striking, resolute brows drew together slightly, forming a faint furrow between them.
A clear look of conflict appeared on her face, usually known for its seriousness and propriety.
After all.
When she thought about it that way.
She was fully armed, wearing regulation armor that represented public authority and specially made metal gauntlets, following five paces behind another familia's god as he carried a spear.
That behavior.
Was indeed indirectly labeling Haimo as extremely dangerous.
It might really have a serious impact on this god's reputation in the mortal world, just as he had said.
However.
Even if Shakti accepted that logic.
That did not mean her original position would change because of it.
After all.
As captain of the Ganesha Familia-the "Labyrinth City Constables" entrusted by the Guild with maintaining public order in Orario.
Shakti had witnessed far too many incidents in which gods caused devastating casualties to satisfy their selfish desires!
-During the Great Feud.
In just a single day.
Several gods had been forcibly returned to Heaven!
More than thirty thousand adventurers and civilians had ended up dead or injured!
It had shocked all of Orario.
Those blood-soaked casualty figures sealed away in the Orario Guild's archives!
Constantly reminded her.
Every last one of these gods who descended to the mortal world.
No matter how harmless they usually appeared, the capriciousness unique to gods still ran deep in their bones.
And so, the one standing before her now.
-War Calamity.
When even her own patron god, Lord Ganesha, spoke with unprecedented gravity while giving instructions concerning this god.
Faced with a god like him.
Shakti had no choice but to remain vigilant.
Besides.
Her original plan had actually been to observe him in secret.
Just as she would monitor a suspicious target.
However.
After Lord Ganesha learned of it, he specifically stressed.
"An alert god can easily detect someone following him. Besides, spying on another familia's god without permission is strictly forbidden. Once discovered, it will inevitably spark an even greater dispute."
The rules between gods were subtle.
Only a god could deal with another god.
And precisely for that reason.
To avoid causing unnecessary disputes and bringing trouble upon the Ganesha Familia.
Shakti had chosen the safest method Ganesha had instructed her to use.
-Openly serving as his personal escort.
As long as she was there, this god would have to exercise some restraint if he wanted to pull anything.
But now it seemed...
The side effects of that approach were greater than expected.
Shakti shifted her gaze slightly.
Her eyes swept over the passersby pointing and whispering about them.
Those who had been whispering without restraint noticed Shakti's sharp gaze sweeping toward them.
Like ducks whose necks had been seized by an invisible hand.
With a single "quack."
Their voices abruptly cut off.
A few of the more timid ones even stumbled backward several steps in fright, nearly stepping on the feet of those behind them.
That reaction.
Only further confirmed what Haimo had just said.
And so.
After weighing the matter again in her mind.
Shakti turned her blue eyes back toward Haimo.
"My apologies, Lord Haimo. As you said, continuing this standoff has indeed had a significant impact on your reputation."
"I understand your distress."
"The trouble I have caused you was indeed the result of my own lack of consideration."
"On that point, I have no defense."
At that.
Shakti bowed slightly, frankly acknowledging her mistake.
"However."
"I truly cannot compromise on this matter. It remains necessary."
"No matter how you protest, I must ensure that your movements remain within manageable limits."
"Still..."
"To make up for my mistake and provide you with appropriate compensation."
Shakti paused, then changed tack.
"I am willing to swear to you, in my capacity as captain of the Ganesha Familia, that every expense you incur in Orario today will be covered by our Ganesha Familia."
"Furthermore."
"Tomorrow, I will discuss a better means of compensation with Lord Ganesha."
"But please allow me to set aside my role as a constable today."
"And accompany you at your side merely as an ordinary adventurer and a guide."
"That way."
"I can also pay for all your expenses on this outing."
"What do you think?"
"Your familia will cover every expense?"
"Yes."
"..."
Haimo raised an eyebrow, thinking of that shabby little two-story building.
Chapter 34: A Familia Home Secured, the Empress and the Others Advance to the Dungeon's Tenth Floor
Half an hour later.
At the junction of North Street and West Street.
In an upscale residential neighborhood that offered peace amid the bustle.
Inside a detached, three-story stone house with its own courtyard.
"Click."
Haimo bounced the key in his hand and looked up at the central courtyard.
Although the gray-white exterior walls showed some signs of age, they had clearly been carefully restored. Rather than looking dilapidated, they exuded a solid, dignified character.
Through the black wrought-iron railings.
Haimo could even see an old laurel tree planted in the courtyard, its lush branches and leaves casting a patch of shade.
The location was excellent.
It did not sit right beside a noisy main road, yet the bustling commercial district was only a few steps away.
In a place like Orario, where every inch of land was worth a fortune, a house like this was a rarity even among scarce properties.
After all.
Any remotely decent plots had long since been divided up among the major familias.
The best locations were all the exclusive preserves of major familias like the Loki Familia and the Freya Familia. Outsiders could forget about them.
Even the slightly less desirable areas had long been taken by firmly established mid-sized familias that had descended to the mortal world years earlier.
That was the class hierarchy.
In Orario, property was not merely a place to live, but a symbol of a familia's strength.
For a new god like Haimo, who had only recently descended to the mortal world.
Under normal circumstances.
Finding somewhere like his previous little two-story building already counted as extraordinary luck.