The Ultimate Lich King of the Multiverse

The scene unfolded amid thunderous cheers.

Dust flew as a monster, finally freed from its chains, let out a furious roar and charged straight ahead. The woman facing it alone stood firm, her short hair fluttering in the wind as she dodged the massive two-meter-tall wild boar monster—a Rampaging Boar—by a hair's breadth.

Loud thuds and crashes rang through the air in rapid succession. A whirlwind of heat and excitement enveloped the arena, which could hold as many as fifty thousand spectators.

This was the Colosseum, located in the eastern part of the city.

Before the eyes of the countless gathered spectators, the day's main event—the Monster Festival—was now underway.

In the central arena, the monsters specially captured for this day were released in a frenzy. Four-legged beasts stormed toward their designated targets with deadly speed. Their charge could easily crush solid stone, living up to their name. Yet the beast tamers of the Ganesha Familia danced around them with agile grace, drawing wild cheers from the crowd.

To the trained eye, the event resembled bullfighting. Clad in flamboyant outfits, the tamer wielded a whip and cape as she clashed again and again with the raging beast.

In this Monster Festival, the objective wasn't to defeat the monsters—but to tame them. The deadly dance between life and death was a performance meant to instill awe, reverence, and thrill in the citizens. The unpredictability of the fights kept the audience on edge, palms sweaty from the tension.

The roars of the monsters, the amplified voice of the announcer projected by magic equipment, and the cries of the crowd—it all built an ever-rising fever pitch.

"...It's started," Eina murmured.

Stationed outside the arena, she could feel the tremors and noise reverberating from within as she turned to glance back at the building behind her.

Today, Eina and the rest of the Guild staff had been assigned across various parts of the Colosseum to manage crowd control and provide support to the Ganesha Familia.

The Monster Festival wasn't some whimsical idea from the gods. While the Ganesha Familia had agreed to host it, the initial proposal had actually come from the Guild.

(Even if I shouldn't be thinking this… who thought holding something like this was a good idea?)

The upper brass of the Guild had pushed the decision. As a low-ranking staff member, Eina didn't have a say—but she still found it hard to accept.

Even if it didn't pose the same risk as dungeon-level threats, bringing monsters to the surface didn't feel like something to be encouraged. At least, that's how Eina saw it. She believed that in order to maintain peace in a city like Orario, all potential dangers—no matter how small—should be removed.

Monsters were terrifying creatures.

Surely the Guild wasn't trying to use this festival to promote "friendly ties" with them. Prioritizing entertainment over safety seemed completely backwards. At least, from the Guild's standpoint—that's how she saw it.

"...Bread and circuses, huh? How crude."

"Hm? Did you say something, Eina?"

Startled by her colleague overhearing her mutter, Eina smiled awkwardly and shook her head.

Due to the nature of the city, Orario was home to countless Familias and adventurers. While it sounded noble, in reality, most adventurers were nothing more than muscleheads and outlaws. Their rough behavior often caused friction with regular citizens, leading to public dissatisfaction with the city's security.

From the Guild's perspective, if they wanted to profit from the magic stones harvested in the dungeon, they had no choice but to support adventurers. So perhaps, viewed objectively, the Monster Festival served as a pressure valve for the public—to help them overlook the more unsavory aspects of the city.

Just two days ago, rumors about the event had stirred up slander even within Babel Tower. Eina had heard them herself.

(Anyway… I just hope nothing goes wrong…)

Every time the Monster Festival came around, she became incredibly anxious. She would remain tense until it was over. Or maybe—was she just being too uptight?

As her colleague beside her muttered longingly, "I really wanna go in and see it," Eina pressed her fingers against her forehead, lost in thought.

"...Not here either."

"Maybe they already went inside the arena?"

(...Huh?)

A familiar face entered Eina's field of vision—Yoru.

He was wandering around the outer perimeter of the Colosseum, clearly looking for someone. Walking beside him was likely his Familia's deity. Eina quickly glanced at the staff stationed behind her. Judging that stepping away briefly wouldn't cause any issues, she approached the young adventurer in her care.

"Yoru?"

"Huh? Miss Eina?"

"What are you doing here, half-elf?"

A displeased look spread across Hestia's face. Clearly annoyed at someone intruding on her alone time with Yoru, she narrowed her eyes at Eina, who could only offer an awkward smile.

Despite the tension, Eina politely bowed toward Hestia.

"Lady Hestia, I'm the advisor assigned to guide Yoru's adventuring development—you haven't forgotten, have you?"

"Oh, right, I remember. But it's not lesson time right now, is it?"

Waving dismissively with an exasperated look, Hestia made no effort to hide her irritation. Eina bowed her head again in apology. Yoru, meanwhile, looked at Eina with an odd expression.

Clearly, he was worried that she might reveal something in front of Hestia.

To this day, Hestia still believed Yoru had only reached the fifth floor of the dungeon. In reality, he had already been to the tenth floor—multiple times. Not that Eina knew that either. As far as she was concerned, the deepest he'd gone was the ninth.

"What brings you here, Miss Eina?"

"The Guild is helping manage the festival, so I was assigned to support the staff and direct the crowd. You came to watch too, Yoru?"

"Not really. I'm looking for someone… but it doesn't look like they're here."

There was a small entrance fee to get into the Colosseum. If Syr didn't have money with her, she likely couldn't have gone inside.

"Looking for someone? Want help?"

"It's okay. There's a lot of people here, and besides, you're working, right Miss Eina?"

At his polite refusal, Eina raised an eyebrow.

(This brat's being awfully courteous today... must be because his goddess is watching.)

Remembering the way he usually acted when she lectured him at the Guild, Eina couldn't help but frown slightly.

"Well then, best of luck. I'll get back to work."

She gave a quick nod and turned to leave—but Hestia didn't budge. Instead, she fixed her gaze on Eina.

Just as Eina was wondering what was going on, the goddess spoke up slowly.

"Oh right, Miss Advisor."

"Yes? What is it?"

"You're not using your position… to flirt with Yoru, are you?"

At first, Eina couldn't even process what was being said. She froze, jaw slightly agape.

Once she realized that Hestia was seriously asking the question, the corner of Eina's mouth twitched.

"I—I make sure to keep things strictly professional..."

"Mmm. I'll believe you."

With a stern nod, Hestia gave Eina's arm two light pats before turning on her heel and walking off—leaving a dumbfounded Yoru to hurry after her.

Watching their retreating backs, Eina broke into a cold sweat.

(Was that… a warning?)

Rubbing her temple from a phantom headache, Eina returned to her fellow staff.

"What the heck were those two even doing..."

"Complain later. We've got a situation—send someone over there."

A stir passed through the staff as tension suddenly rose in the air.

Eina looked surprised by the change.

"Excuse me—what happened?"

"Ah, some of the staff posted at the western gate… apparently fainted."

"...What?"

"I mean—they're still conscious. Just can't get up, like their legs gave out or something. Probably partied too hard last night. Ugh, they're useless now, so we've gotta rotate some people."

The beastman staff member scratched the back of his head, clearly annoyed.

But as Eina listened, a strange sense of unease crept up her spine. A chill of anxiety she couldn't explain.

(Am I just being paranoid again…?)

As the crowd roared with cheers and shrieks behind her, Eina lifted her gaze toward the towering Colosseum ahead.

It felt like monstrous howls were clawing at her eardrums from deep within the earth.

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FF92E

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