The Ultimate Lich King of the Multiverse

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"Lord Ganesha! Lord Ganesha! Something terrible has happened!"

A commotion stirred in one corner of the scorching-hot arena.

The Monster Festival was still ongoing. The tamers rode atop long-necked drakes like in a horse race, and the audience's excitement was nearing its peak.

"I'll have you know—I am Ganesha!"

"Yes, yes, I know that already! This really isn't the time for your usual self-intros!"

Up in the top row of the arena, seated in the best vantage point that overlooked the entire grounds, Ganesha struck a dramatic pose, showing off his elephant mask as he noticed the approaching familia member.

The member, nearly in tears from his god's eccentricity, hurriedly delivered the urgent report.

"The monsters we captured… they've escaped! The cages are empty!"

"...Huh? Isn't that really bad?"

"That's what I've been trying to say!!"

The panicked member shouted at the suddenly serious Ganesha, trying to convey the severity of the situation.

The guards in the basement had been rendered helpless. Some Guild members had also been attacked. All signs pointed to the disturbance being caused by an external saboteur.

Listening intently, Ganesha asked in a low voice:

"How many monsters escaped—or rather, how many were released?"

"N-Nine of them… and some of them are strong enough that even elite adventurers would have trouble handling them!"

Ganesha didn't flinch. With a simple "Hmm," he nodded and adjusted the elephant mask on his face.

A sharp cry rang out from the central arena. One of the tamers, face-to-face with a small drake, raised his hand as if to say "stop." The creature let out a low growl, then obediently lowered its head and licked the tamer's hand.

The crowd erupted into thunderous cheers. The beautiful tamer raised her hand high toward the audience and was met with unrestrained applause.

"Right! Emergency monster pursuit—now!

Work together with other Familias! Call on any gods attending for assistance!"

"W-Wait a minute! No matter what the circumstances, letting monsters escape is a failure on our part. If we rely on other factions, it'll damage our pride, and our enemies might use it against us..."

"I am Ganesha, Lord of the Masses!

I will not allow the citizens I should protect to come to harm!

Our greatest happiness lies in the children's smiles—forget status and reputation!"

"Y-Yes sir! Understood!"

"The festival continues as planned!

Don't let the audience inside the arena leave, and don't let them find out about the monster escape!

Absolutely do not cause a panic—understood!?"

"U-Understood! Also, one more thing—regarding the person who released the monsters…"

"Forget it. That person didn't release all the monsters, which suggests they weren't trying to maximize the damage.

I suspect they have another goal. A diversion, or perhaps chaos for its own sake... It's frustrating, but fine.

Our top priority is the safety of the citizens!"

"Go!"

At Ganesha's command, the member immediately sprinted off.

Only five minutes had passed since the monster escape was confirmed. But under Ganesha's leadership, the Ganesha Familia had already mobilized swiftly.

"Monsters escaped!?"

At the same time Ganesha realized something was wrong—

Eina and the others, stationed near the arena's front gate, also received the report.

"Y-Yeah. They say a team on the west side saw monsters escaping the arena. Ganesha Familia is already responding...

W-What should we do, Eina?!"

Eina was momentarily stunned, but quickly regained her composure. Her eyebrows drew into a firm line of resolve.

She turned to her worried colleague, who looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"It doesn't matter who—we need to contact any nearby Familias we can!

And alert all adventurers!"

"A-Are we even allowed to act on our own like this? What if we get reprimanded later...?"

Everyone present, including Eina, were low-level staff. When the west gate incident happened, their superiors—including their division chief—had rushed over to assist.

Understandably, many of her colleagues looked uneasy at the thought of taking independent action.

"Better that than having people get hurt! Even Lord Ganesha prioritizes human lives. I don't think he'll blame us for asking other Familias for help!

If we wait until it's too late, it'll be a disaster!"

"Y-You're right… If something irreversible happens, we'd regret it forever…"

Eina cited Ganesha's reputation for being devoted to the citizens' happiness as she continued persuading them.

Perhaps it was her sincerity that swayed them. After exchanging glances, the other Guild members nodded and quickly began dividing responsibilities.

"...Excuse me. May I ask—what's going on here?"

Suddenly—

A voice cut through the conversation.

As they turned to the source, everyone froze.

"A-Ais? Ais Wallenstein…?"

Even Eina stared at the girl with wide eyes.

A mini-skirt just long enough to cover her soft thighs. A cropped top, with no armor in sight—yet the rapier hanging from her sword belt gleamed in its sheath. Her golden hair flowed like silk, shimmering in the sunlight.

The strongest adventurer in Orario.

To Eina and her companions, her appearance felt like a miracle.

One of the nearby staffers quickly rushed to explain the situation to Ais.

She listened attentively. Once the report was finished, she turned around at once.

"Loki."

"Mm. Heard the whole thing.

Guess this means no date today, huh?

All right, let's do Ganesha a favor."

Hearing Loki agree with a grin, the Guild staff burst into relieved cheers.

Just like their brightened expressions, Eina finally felt some relief. But she quickly tensed up again.

"So… Do we know where the monsters are?"

"Y-Yes! According to reports, most of them are heading toward East Main Street!"

East Main Street.

That was where Yoru had just gone after failing to find his friend.

He may have unknowingly walked right into the heart of the incident.

"Misha—what kinds of monsters escaped?"

"Huh? Umm... I think... Swordhorn Deer, Ogres, and Silverbacks…"

The list made Eina furrow her brows deeply.

The Silverback appeared on the 11th floor of the dungeon. The Swordhorn Deer and Ogre were monsters from even deeper—below the 20th floor.

Every one of them was far beyond what a newbie like Yoru could handle.

So it really happened—just as you hoped. The monsters appeared.

But please, don't act tough—take your goddess and run.

Eina gazed up at the sky above East Main Street.

Right now, all she could do…

was pray for the safety of that frustrating young man who always managed to get on her nerves.

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