It seemed this was the anomaly Tsubaki had discovered. Someone was storing these Fire Stones in this tree hollow and had used some unknown method to bring the hives here as guards.
"Hmm—" Roland furrowed his brows, scouring his mind for recent events.
After pondering for a moment, an answer gradually formed in his heart. The only group that frequently used explosives, acted with such terror, and operated in the shadows was that notorious organization.
Theoretically, there was no doubt these Fire Stones belonged to the Dark Faction (Evilus). After all, only they had the ability to transport hives here.
It was unlikely that adventurers who merely used monsters for training or profit would have the strength to pull this off; most of them were just despicable cowards hiding in the back.
However, even if these didn't belong to the Dark Faction, anyone stockpiling such a massive quantity of Fire Stones definitely harbored ill intentions. They were certainly not good people.
"Heh heh heh, fate has brought these items to me. As an ally of justice, I shall keep them safe for you, saving you the trouble of using them to harm innocent people."
Stuffing the dozen or so bags of Fire Stones into his [Backpack], Roland checked his pocket watch. The blue glowing hands pointed to 1:00 PM. He still had some time to farm for magic stones and materials.
Raging fire, like a ferocious beast, ruthlessly devoured the heavy tarp, burning it to ash in the blink of an eye.
At the same time, a powerful whirlwind generated abruptly, whistling as it swept through, completely erasing any traces related to Roland.
Having done all this, Roland turned around calmly, floating into the air and slowly flying out of the dark, damp tree hollow.
His gaze swept over the broken remains of Deadly Hornets strewn across the ground. These once-fearsome creatures were now lifeless. Some magic stones remained quietly embedded in the shattered bodies, having escaped being crushed by Roland's sword.
Thinking of his wallet, which had grown significantly thinner after buying [Oath of Justice], he decided that no matter how small the mosquito, it was still meat.
Thus, Roland slightly closed his eyes, focused his mind, and began to use his powerful mana to sense the magic stones remaining in each monster's body.
Just then, "Pyrokinesis" suddenly ignited on the corpses of the dead monsters. The fire spread rapidly, instantly forming a sea of flames.
The tongues of fire danced joyfully, licking at the remains of the monsters. Under Roland's control, they left only the magic stones unharmed. Immediately after, a whirlwind scooped up the stones and flew them into the bag in Roland's hand, cleaning up the scene in the process.
Seeing that the area had returned to the usual appearance of the Great Tree Labyrinth, Roland crossed his arms, nodded in satisfaction, and left the place.
...
5:00 PM. Roland returned to the surface.
The Guild front desk was right in front of him, but he didn't plan to submit Hephaestus's commission yet. He only exchanged the magic stones he obtained today for Valis.
Although the Guild was theoretically a neutral organization that leaned toward order-aligned Familias, the same couldn't be said for all its employees. There might be members of the Dark Faction mixed in.
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Danmachi : Mage's Infinite Journey (168 Chapters – Ongoing)
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Therefore, Roland had no intention of revealing that he had accepted and completed this commission. Even if he had to tell a small lie, simply not mentioning the Fire Stones would still count as completing the commission to receive the Guild's reward later.
"Adventurer Roland, your magic stones have been exchanged for Valis," said Rose, the werewolf girl, speaking meticulously as she placed a bag of money before him.
Is this the 'Morning Star' who leveled up the fastest? He looks so young. Is he really as formidable as the reports say? A flicker of curiosity passed through Rose's eyes.
"Mn, thank you. Sorry for the trouble, Miss Receptionist." Roland nodded, thanked her as he took the bag, and turned to walk toward the Guild entrance.
"Hmm... he is a polite child. But he really is just as his title suggests—he looks quite ordinary," Rose thought to herself.
"What happened? You were staring at his back for a long time... Did you fall for him?" A female colleague next to her patted Rose's shoulder, leaning in to watch Roland's retreating figure.
Her fluffy ears twitched. Rose gently pushed her colleague's face away with her hand and said flatly, "I just thought that 'Morning Star' was a polite kid, that's all. Don't talk nonsense."
"Eh? But you were staring at his cute face for so long. Don't be shy, tell me about it," the receptionist girl mumbled excitedly.
"Sigh." Rose looked like she had a headache. Why is it always trouble whenever it involves 'Morning Star'?
...
As dusk fell in the afternoon.
The sky was a tapestry of orange and yellow, and sunlight carrying a hint of warmth spilled over the city.
When Roland returned to the Twilight Manor, he saw Astraea in the main hall, drying her damp, walnut-brown hair.
"Lady Goddess, why did you bathe so early today?" Roland took off his arm guards and walked to the counter to wash his hands under the tap.
Astraea put down the towel, smiling. "I had nothing to do, so I went for a wash. Why? Did... Roland want to wash with me?"
After speaking, she held a fist to her mouth, narrowed her eyes, and laughed softly.
"Eh, is that really okay? If so, Lady Astraea must come over to my side tomorrow," he replied, responding to the goddess's teasing.
Roland took the Magic Sword out of his [Backpack] and placed it on the table. He sat beside the goddess, running his hand through her hair. "Lady Astraea, shall I help you dry your hair?"
Astraea beamed with joy, brushing her long hair to the left side to make it easier for Roland. "Okay."
It wasn't clear which of Roland's questions she was agreeing to.
Roland gently lifted a lock of hair before his eyes, a faint, elegant fragrance drifting into his nose. At the same time, he used his right hand to cast magic, simulating a warm breeze that gently brushed through Astraea's long hair.
"Is this... a Magic Sword?" Astraea asked, enjoying Roland's thoughtfulness as she tilted her head slightly, her tone filled with curiosity.
At this moment, resting on the table in the main hall was an exquisitely crafted fire-red short sword.
It was wrapped in heavy tanned leather made from special monster materials, over a foot long. The blade was smooth without needing polish, its surface rippling like water with a flame-like sheen.
A Magic Sword. Any adventurer could distinguish the magical attribute hidden within simply by the color of the blade.
Of course, Astraea was no exception. What puzzled her wasn't the Magic Sword itself, but Roland, who had brought it back.
"Mhm, that was the reward for the commission given to me by Tsubaki, the captain of the Hephaestus Familia. Although, I feel like she basically gave it to me for free, assuming nothing actually happened during that request," Roland replied casually, lifting the other side of his long hair to blow-dry it with magic, his eyes focused on the strands.
"It seems Roland encountered something troublesome during this commission again, didn't you? Can you tell me about it?" Astraea asked curiously.
Roland's fingers slid through his silky long hair. Feeling that it was dry, he drank all the black tea on the coffee table and proceeded to recount everything he had seen and heard to the Goddess in detail.
Mn, he drank the Goddess's cup as well.
Not minding Roland's lack of manners, Astraea lifted the teapot and poured a few more cups of black tea. Her expression turned slightly grave. "Hmm... I will discuss this matter with the other deities. If they really intend to use Fire Stones for attacks, we must make corresponding preparations."
"Understood. I'll go tell Finn and Tsubaki about this tomorrow as well."
Having said that, Roland stood up, intending to wash off the grime from his body. "I'll go back to my room to wash up first."
"Roland," Astraea called out softly.
"Hmm?" Roland turned to look at the Goddess, letting out a questioning hum.
Astraea stepped forward and gently caressed Roland's face. Then, her red lips lightly touched his. They parted, and she smiled. "That is a reward for what you just did... I won't be a god who only takes."
But I won't be able to stop myself from becoming a person who only takes more, Roland thought, looking at the doting affection in the Goddess's eyes.
...
Roland, now wearing loose and comfortable clothes, used a towel to dry the excess water from his hair before using mana to simulate a warm breeze to finish the job.
"Who does Roland plan to give this Magic Sword to?" Astraea asked, picking up the short sword and gently sliding her finger along the flame-like blade.
"Hmm... Do you need a Magic Sword for self-defense, Goddess? If you need it, feel free to use it." Although he knew his main deity's martial arts were impressive, her physical capabilities were that of a mortal due to her sealed Arcanum. It would be a lie to say he wasn't worried.
"I don't need it~. Roland should decide who to give this Magic Sword to. After all, if there is danger, you will definitely protect me, right?" Astraea said with a smile. She evidently enjoyed the protection of her children.
"Of course. No matter what we face, I will stand in front of you."