Chapter 78: Should Everyone Be Saved?

"Hey, look at this alias!" "Oh, amazing..." "Yes, it's really beyond reach..." The atmosphere within the Guild headquarters gradually reached a boiling point, the fervor radiating out from a cluster of excited male staff members. Perhaps it was because they all shared similar tastes, or maybe it was something innate in the air, but their interests seemed oddly aligned. Even Rose and her superior, who typically maintained a sense of professionalism, had quietly joined in, marveling silently at the spectacle. The excitement spread like wildfire, and before long, female employees from other departments began to scream in excitement as well. Rose was no exception to the fever that had gripped the Guild, though her interest stemmed more from curiosity. She simply wanted to see what kind of alias the gods had bestowed upon that ridiculous adventurer—the one who had reached a level-up in just three months. "Rose, I got it! Come and take a look!" The staff member who had spent the night digging through Akira's records called out, waving the parchment with uncontainable enthusiasm. She walked over briskly, snatched the parchment from his hands, and stared down at it with narrowed eyes. The words inked onto it made her mutter to herself with a mixture of disbelief and confusion, "Morning Star? The morning star? That's... surprisingly plain." Astraea Familia Residence – Stardust Garde. The interior buzzed with chatter as every member huddled in small groups of three or four, each of them clutching a copy of Akira's freshly updated registration form. Conversations overlapped and voices clashed as everyone discussed one thing: the alias. "Wow! Not only is it a perfectly normal alias, but it's clearly infused with Astraea-sama's divine blessing! If this isn't a win-win situation, I don't know what is!" Akira exclaimed dramatically. His body bent backward with the exaggerated joy of a child receiving praise, eyes glued to the parchment as if it were a sacred relic. Whack! Kaguya's palm struck the back of his head without warning, sending Akira sprawling forward onto the nearby sofa. She spoke coolly, her expression unmoved, "Don't get ahead of yourself. It's just an alias. What's the big deal?" Astraea, sitting upright with an elegance that seemed to radiate divine authority, lifted her teacup with a graceful hand. A subtle smile danced on her lips as she looked down at Akira, now sprawled across her lap. She said, "Haha, I'm glad you like it, Akira. I did my best to come up with something fitting. You trusted me with this, after all." "I love you so much, Astraea-sama." Akira said sweetly, turning onto his back and resting his head against her thighs. It was a position countless others had dreamed of. After all, Astraea held the title of "undisputed number one on the list of people's laps to rest heads on while being patted." As he sank deeper into the heavenly softness beneath his head, Akira's gaze drifted up to the two dark shadows looming just above his vision. He curiously asked, "By the way, Astraea-sama... were there any... unusual aliases at the conference? The kind that makes people's eyes go dark?" "Oh yes." Astraea replied with a sly smirk, lowering her voice so only he could hear. "There were some truly absurd ones. The Blasphemer, the Blasphemous Dragon Slayer, the Justice Spirit, the Fist of Justice—born from a duel with a Silverback—and..." She leaned in just slightly, whispering the next part, "And the alias you jokingly suggested—the male protagonist of a harem story—was actually proposed. Impressive imagination, Akira." Akira laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "Y-Yeah... I was only kidding... Ahahaha..." Alise, watching the overly intimate pair, tilted her head with visible curiosity. "Astraea-sama, why didn't you go with Blasphemous Dragon Slayer? That one sounds super cool and heroic!" Upon hearing her, Kaguya, Ryuu, and Lyra all nodded in agreement. They too thought the name sounded dignified. Akira, however, groaned and buried his face in the parchment shamefully. "You wouldn't understand... That kind of name makes me want to claw my way out of a three-bedroom, one-living-room apartment using only my toenails." His voice was solemn as he added, "If I actually received an alias like that, I don't think I could ever show my face in public again." His declaration was met with blank stares. "...Huh?" All four girls looked at him in confusion, clearly unable to grasp his overwhelming embarrassment. Astraea chuckled gently as she set her teacup aside, her fingers affectionately brushing through Akira's hair. She said, "You see, Alise, you might think the alias sounds heroic, but to the gods and to Akira—it just screams parody. It's like a name crafted purely to mock its owner." "Really?" Alise blinked, scratching her cheek with a sheepish smile. "Ahahaha, even someone as clever as me can't understand that sort of thing." "Then don't try to." Akira declared as he suddenly sat up and placed a hand solemnly on her shoulder. "You're still too young for this kind of knowledge!" "I-I get it... You don't have to get so close..." Alise stammered, her cheeks flaring pink as she tried to retreat from the sudden proximity. Lyra scoffed at the scene. Ryuu's face reddened slightly, while Kaguya narrowed her eyes in faint disgust—though who exactly she was disgusted with remained unclear. — — — "Hey, I see him... That's the guy." The gossiping adventurers whispered among themselves as they spotted a familiar face in the distance. Even at this range, it was impossible to mistake the now-iconic "celebrity." It seemed the Guild had proudly displayed Akira's updated information sheet on the public bulletin board, resulting in his appearance becoming widely recognized throughout the city. "I thought this guy was some sort of monster, but turns out he's just a poser. 'Morning Star'? That's just the star in the morning sky—I see it every day! Honestly, he's got less presence than a hound!" In the back alleys of Northeast Street, several adventurers huddled together. It was still early morning, yet most were already reeking of alcohol, voices slurred with drink and mockery. "Hey, cut it out." Someone with a shred of common sense interrupted, trying to rein in the conversation. "What does it matter?" One of them barked, loudly mimicking the chants often heard from members of the Astraea Familia. "Don't they always go on about 'justice' and 'heroes'?" The man's voice dropped as his expression darkened slightly, "It's only been half a month. Have you already forgotten how those Evilus got wiped off the map?" "Even if he hears this, what can he do? Aren't they supposed to be all about righteousness anyway?" Another adventurer—clearly one who struggled through the Dungeon like the rest—showed no fear of Akira himself. A sinister grin, thinly veiled in jealousy, twisted across his lips. "I'm a model citizen, okay? I haven't done a single thing that breaks the city's laws!" He raised his voice dramatically. "After all, if you're gonna be a hero, shouldn't you protect everyone?" His declaration hung in the air—until his gaze landed on a small figure standing at the intersection of the alleys. A little girl, around eleven or twelve years old, dressed in a pristine gray and white outfit, stood quietly with her hands behind her back. The man tilted his head, stared at her blearily, and grinned. He raised the bottle in his hand and took a swig without a care. "Don't you agree, little girl?" The girl tilted her head, as if deep in thought, then smiled faintly and answered him—not with words, but with a single phrase of clarity. "Well, yes... protecting everyone is indeed more important." "Hahaha, hear that?" The drunkard cackled, slapping the bottle in celebration and accidentally spilling half its contents. "But." Te girl continued with an unsettling sweetness, "My mother always said that people who treat the city's laws as their bottom line are, without a doubt... scum, right?" Her soft voice and blinking blue-gray eyes gave off an air of innocence—as if she were proud of managing to say the word "scum" properly. She pointed at her own cheek and asked naturally, "My mother never told me... does scum deserve to be saved?" The drunken man blinked, suddenly aware of his surroundings. His buddies looked at him with uncertain expressions. He replied hastily, "O-Of course! I mean... yeah, we've gotta save them! I'm an adventurer! I've risked my life to bring back who knows how many magic stones for this city!" "...Is that so?" The clever girl smiled again, tucking her hands behind her back as she stared at the group—not even bothering to mask her scrutiny. Then she asked, "But if we were to rank who gets saved first based on their contribution... wouldn't you be near the bottom of the list? Is that acceptable?"