Le Fay, Asia, and Megumi had once been the ones who saved these children.
So naturally, they were incredibly popular with them.
By nightfall, the Hestia Familia had grown lively.
Laughter echoed everywhere as the children who had gone out to explore the Dungeon returned one after another.
Soon, the entire residence was filled with joy.
They played, talked, and celebrated as if there were no worries in the world.
At that moment, Izumi was sitting together with Megumi and the others.
Seeing Megumin staring around with sparkling eyes, he asked curiously,
"Megumin, how has your magic training been going?"
He hadn't had time to talk to her earlier that afternoon.
Besides, she had followed Le Fay silently the entire time.
He still had no idea how her lessons were progressing.
Before Megumin could answer, Le Fay immediately began complaining.
"She's actually doing well in astrology," Le Fay said with a sigh.
"But she still only cares about using her ultimate spell. And as usual, after one cast, she collapses."
"She even summoned a meteor before coming here and wiped out an entire grassland."
Her expression darkened.
No matter how much she tried to teach Megumin to conserve her mana and use other spells, the girl simply refused to listen.
Instead, she would proudly declare that power is justice.
Every time she used all her magic at once, she ended up lying on the ground, completely drained, waiting for someone to carry her back.
Hearing this, Izumi could only fall silent.
As expected of the one-shot archmage.
Even after learning other forms of magic, she was still a one-shot specialist.
There was no saving her.
The others burst into laughter.
For a while, the entire Familia was filled with cheerful voices.
Yet, even during such a happy moment, there were always fools who sought death.
Several drunken men suddenly staggered into the Familia's headquarters.
"What's this? So many brats!"
"Heh, we could sell them in Orario for a fortune!"
"Hahaha!"
There had been no patrols that night.
For some unknown reason, these drunkards had managed to break in.
The moment they saw the young girls, greed filled their eyes.
It was obvious—they were scum.
The hall fell silent.
Thousands of eyes turned toward them at once.
The girls' gazes turned crimson.
Every one of them stared with hostility at the seven drunken men.
Izumi raised an eyebrow.
Outsiders?
And they dared to cause trouble here?
Didn't they know who ruled Orario now?
At that moment, Hiruko Kohina stood up and pulled out her blade.
"Onii-chan, may I cut them down?"
Izumi shook his head.
He snapped his fingers.
In the next instant, spatial rifts swallowed the intruders.
Inside those cracks, their bodies were torn apart.
They didn't even have time to scream before disappearing completely.
Their remains were discarded outside Orario.
"All right. The nuisance is gone," Izumi said calmly.
"Let's continue eating."
As if nothing had happened, he resumed the meal.
At the same time, he grew curious.
Who was foolish enough to provoke him now?
After all the people he had killed before, there shouldn't have been anyone this reckless.
Yet here they were.
Still, he didn't dwell on it.
If someone wanted trouble, they could prepare to die.
Izumi was not a kind person.
Anyone who dared to touch the girls under his protection would be erased completely.
While Izumi and the others continued their feast, several cloaked figures stood not far from the Familia's entrance.
They frowned.
"Why is it taking so long?"
"There's no commotion at all…"
The drunkards had been sent by them.
The plan was simple.
Cause trouble.
Force Izumi to act.
Then use it as leverage.
But now, nothing had happened.
The silence made them uneasy.
After exchanging glances, they hurried away.
"This must be reported to Lord Apollo."
Yes, they were spies sent by Apollo to test Izumi.
But those men had entered and never come out.
Something had clearly gone wrong.
They didn't dare remain any longer.
Of course, Izumi knew nothing of this.
Or rather, he simply didn't care.
In this world, there was nothing he feared.
If anyone dared provoke him, he wouldn't hesitate to show the gods what it meant to kill a god.
The girls played late into the night.
Since Izumi had declared that no one needed to enter the Dungeon the next day, they were free to enjoy themselves.
Their recent gains were more than enough.
Izumi himself planned to conduct another offering ritual soon.
After arranging rooms for Le Fay and the others and spending some time with them, he finally opened the system.
He tossed in everything he had acquired recently.
Just like before, the items compressed into several clusters before being swallowed.
Then the system returned several new rewards.
Izumi opened his inventory.
[Mechanical Mastery]
With this, you can create all kinds of machines—even a Gundam is within reach.
[Tsubame Gaeshi]
A supreme sword technique. A single slash in reality overlaps with two additional slashes that ignore time and space, striking from three directions simultaneously.
[Essentials of Modern Magic]
A comprehensive magical manual from a modern world. Includes four systems and eight major categories: flight magic, acceleration magic, jumping magic, photonic vibration spells, Inferno of Ice and Flame, Magic Bullet Shooter, and more.
[CAD Manufacturing Method]
The method to create devices that record and simplify magic activation, replacing traditional chants and talismans—essential tools for modern magicians.
Izumi stared in astonishment.
Modern magic?
Magic from the world of The Irregular at Magic High School?
This was exactly what he needed.
These techniques were perfect for Asagi Aiba.
He had been wondering how to reach that world.
Yet the system had handed him everything in advance.
If the system hadn't been silent all this time, he would have thought it was truly intelligent.
Izumi smiled.
While these rewards didn't directly boost his own power, they were extremely useful.
And sometimes, usefulness was far more valuable than strength.