The [Projection Device] activated, casting an image into the center of the living room. Hestia and Hephaestus could now see what was happening on the 18th floor from Bell’s side.
The two goddesses fixed their gazes on Bell in the projection. Soon, they saw him pointing toward a spot not far off, where a crowd of adventurers stood gathered in front of a sign labeled "Villy Inn."
"Bell-kun, what’s going on over there?"
Hestia was curious about what had caused so many adventurers to cluster together.
[Goddess-sama, an adventurer was killed by a woman.]
[The woman who killed him clearly had a specific goal. After killing the adventurer, she began searching his body for something.]
[However, the adventurer had already moved the item in advance, so she didn’t find anything.]
[Also, the woman didn’t leave after the murder. She’s been hiding in the crowd this whole time.]
Bell gave a concise summary of the situation. As he extended his hand in that direction and pointed, the projection highlighted one figure in red.
The image zoomed in rapidly, allowing Hestia and Hephaestus to get a clearer look at the adventurer’s condition.
[That woman tore the skin from his face. The armor she’s wearing also belonged to that adventurer.]
That line nearly made Hestia spit out the noodles she was eating.
"Bell-kun, could you not say that right now? Hephaestus and I are still eating."
[Uh... sorry, I didn’t know you were having a meal, Goddess-sama.]
Hestia didn’t blame him on purpose. She simply set down her plate and grabbed the wine next to her to rinse her mouth thoroughly.
Hephaestus, on the other hand, didn’t seem the least bit fazed and continued calmly eating her cold noodles.
She stared at the armor on the woman for a moment. Thanks to the zoomed-in projection, she could now see the faceplate’s finer details.
"Bell, that armor isn’t standard. It’s at least second-grade equipment."
"Bell, you were right next door—did you get caught up in it?"
[...No. To be exact, there was no real fight. It was a completely one-sided kill.]
Hephaestus’s expression grew more serious. If things were just as Bell described, then the woman who killed the adventurer had to be at least Level 5.
"Bell, be extra cautious with this one. If I’m not wrong, she’s at least Lv. 5."
But that only made Hephaestus even more puzzled.
"Could it be the Evilus again?"
[No, she’s not from Evilus. But... there’s something about her that doesn’t feel human.]
"Something not human?"
Hephaestus paused to think. She trusted Bell’s instincts, which was why she began considering what kind of power or faction could produce someone like that.
"Bell, did the target show any monster traits?"
[No, she looked just like an ordinary woman.]
[When I realized someone had died next door, I immediately investigated. I saw her at that time—she wasn’t wearing anything, and I can confirm she didn’t have any monster features.]
It wasn’t the idea of her being one of the Xenos that puzzled Hephaestus.
She knew the Xenos wouldn’t just randomly emerge from the deeper levels, let alone choose to kill a Level 4 adventurer in a safe zone like the 18th floor. But from how Bell described the "inhuman" presence, it seemed like a case that pointed toward the Xenos.
"Bell, we still don’t have enough information. I can’t determine what she is just yet."
The [Projection Device] shifted view to the back of the crowd of adventurers, focusing on a row of familiar figures.
[Looks like Captain Finn and his team stepped in. Maybe they can help me scout the area.]
[Also, that woman still hasn’t left. Whatever she’s looking for must be something really important.]
[Now that Captain Finn and the others are inside, they’ll likely uncover some clues soon. All I need to do is quietly observe from behind.]
Hestia and Hephaestus also noticed the children of Loki Familia on-screen.
From what Bell had just said, they both felt he was right—this wasn’t the time for him to charge in. Better to let Loki Familia’s members be the ones to dive into the situation first.
Seeing how things stood, Hestia quickly offered a warning.
"Bell-kun, if that’s the case, let Loki’s children take point. Don’t rush out on your own."
She had no hesitation about letting Loki’s group scout ahead.
After all, her Bell-kun was only Lv. 2—he wouldn’t stand a chance against someone who could one-sidedly kill a Lv. 4.
Under normal circumstances, wasn’t it far safer to send two Lv. 6 adventurers and three Lv. 5s ahead? From a purely practical standpoint, letting Loki’s team handle it was the safest option.
[Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.]
After ending the call with Goddess-sama, Bell continued silently watching from the shadows.
There was no way he’d step back into that inn.
Now, he just had to wait and see if Finn and the others would find any leads.
The six members of Finn’s party pushed through the crowd of adventurers and stepped inside the inn.
The long corridor felt especially gloomy under the dim lighting. A strong, coppery scent quickly invaded everyone’s noses.
Riveria’s expression turned grave.
"The stench of blood is intense."
Finn scanned the hallways but saw no visible cracks or signs of structural damage.
"There aren’t any significant cracks around. Doesn’t look like there was much of a fight inside."
"A simple killing shouldn’t leave behind this much blood."
Choosing to kill someone in a place inn—and using such an overtly brutal method—was practically announcing to the world that someone had died here.
Normally, someone would try to delay the discovery of the body to buy time to escape.
So what did this mean?
Either the killer was extremely confident, or they simply didn’t care whether they were discovered.
p@treon com / PinkSnake