Taking Centre Stage

"Look, look! He's finally coming into view."

Grinning brightly, Anya pointed towards the north-west, straight at the figure of the man who this entire protest had been organized for. Although he was still far more than a kilometer away, due to the excellent eyesight of Level 4 adventurers, nearly everyone on this roof could make him out clearly - with the exception of Syr. Previously, they had only been able to gaze at him via Hermes' mirrors, but now, the actual person was finally approaching.

"Guess it's time to stop slacking off!"

With renewed vigor, Chloe waved her protest sign in the air, the scandalous words emblazoned upon it not really sticking out from the crowd as much as they should have due to the huge number of the exact same signs that the god of wanderers had produced.

'I honestly can't tell if she's serious or not… but I really hope that she isn't.'

Speechless, Ryuu glanced at the energetic cat girl and shook her head. She was more than 90 percent certain that Chloe was just messing around - as usual - but her acting was so convincing that even she had started to doubt her own judgement.

'In retrospect, maybe I should have stayed back at the Hostess, just like Lunoire and May. Well, those two actually wanted to come along, but Mama Mia said that two of us had to be present at the very least…'

Honestly, Ryuu was just glad that nobody would pay any attention to the sign that she was reluctantly holding up. Yes, she had actually been talked into hoisting the 'deity slayer' one that professed one's love. She only did it because she wanted the others to finally stop teasing her. Due to so many others holding similar ones, it felt less humiliating. Staying incognito amidst the mob and blending in, that was the goal.

'Looks like he's had it rough…'

A hint of worry and pity flashed past her pupils as she got a full, direct view of Isaac's weakened self. While she didn't necessarily agree with his way of handling evildoers, that didn't mean that she wanted him to suffer. She wasn't that heartless.

Suddenly, she noticed his head turning in the direction of the rooftop that the four of them had rented for today. Inevitably, she couldn't help but have a bad feeling about this…

'He doesn't see me. He doesn't see me. He doesn't see me!'

Despite telling herself this over and over as well as hastily lowering her protest sign, the slightly wooden expression that had stolen itself upon Isaac's face, as well as the almost imperceptibly raised corners of his mouth, told her otherwise - so she froze in place. A blush that was multiple shades deeper than any that had come before it spread on her cheeks and all the way up to her ears, whilst the rhythm of her heartbeat grew irregular.

'... he definitely saw me.'

Right as she was feeling like her life was practically over due to this humiliation, Isaac's gaze wandered over to Chloe. His slow but steady advance to the stage halted and his eyes lost their luster as well as their life for a few seconds. Before anyone complained about his behaviour, though, he sported a bright, gentle smile and waved, causing raucous cheers to erupt.

"You see that? He definitely waved at me!!"

"Shut your trap, he locked eyes with me!"

"Are all of you blind? I've walked past him on the street before, so he most definitely recognized me and wanted to acknowledge me!"

Quite a bit of confusion spread amongst the crowd, but only the Hostess of Fertility's waitresses knew that they were the ones who that greeting had been extended to. With smug grins, both Chloe and Syr turned to their entirely crimson-faced Elven friend.

"Aren't you happy, Ryuu? Your feelings finally got through! And if I'm lucky, then I might even get a baby of my own~"

The cat girl's suggestive words managed to snap the mortified Elf out of her daze. Taking a few deep breaths, she quelled the embarrassment and rage that were bubbling deep within her heart, then she turned her head slowly, looking straight into Chloe's eyes. A smirk crept on Ryuu's lips.

"Oh really now? I'll make sure to inform Isaac that you're actually serious about it, then. Who knows? You really might have found 'the one'."

Taken aback by her co-worker's witty response, Chloe panicked a little, before her smugness saw a resurgence. Still, she couldn't hide the unease in her voice - clearly, she had gotten far more than what she had bargained for out of what was supposed to be a not-so-innocent joke.

"G-Great! Yeah. Y-You do that!"

-----

Whilst Ais was helping him up the stairs, she whispered into Isaac's ear with a mocking grin plastered on her face.

"Well well, so many young maidens are thirsting for you. Aren't you a popular one?"

Although she was well aware that nobody in this world could compete with her for the affection of her beloved, witnessing thousands upon thousands of women profess their love to Isaac via protest signs - and sometimes via their words and scandalous actions - had caused her to become slightly disgruntled. It didn't even matter whether they were serious about it or not. When she saw that even an old acquaintance of hers, Ryuu, had taken part in this, she really couldn't help but make fun of Isaac for it, to let off some steam.

Shooting her a helpless smile, he sighed.

"Hermes really overdid it this time. I told him to make signs and to contact Ganesha to prepare a stage, but… I expected some unreasonable affection from the crowd, but this is a bit too much."

Planting a quick kiss on his cheek which caused parts of the onlookers to whistle and cheer, Ais smirked.

"No need to give me such a serious answer, I was just kidding."

Winking playfully in response, the corners of Isaac's mouth rose.

"I know."

After the two's little banter, they finally arrived at the top of the stage. The rest of their group had been asked to wait down below, so as to avoid crowding it too much. The member of the Ganesha Familia that had kept the people entertained so far - a tanned man sporting a mostly bare upper body who wore brown goggles that covered his eyes - walked closer and pressed a second microphone-shaped Magic Item into Isaac's hands. There was a switch on the side which had already been flipped and he could make out the mana operating within, so he assumed that it was currently turned on.

The first to speak was the man of the Ganesha Familia, who led Ais and Isaac to the seats that had been made ready for them. Due to the frail physical condition of today's main star, it would have been unreasonable to expect the man in question to stand on stage for a prolonged period of time, so a sofa had been prepared for him to relax on. There was also a table in front of it, on which various drinks and snacks had been arranged, as well as a comfortable chair on the opposite side. Thanks to Hermes' help, there was no need to worry about the crowd not seeing them properly, so they could all sit down in peace.

"Please take a seat over there, Mr. Blackshaw and Sword Princess. This Ibri Achaa is delighted to make your acquaintance."

After they had all taken their respective seats, Ais grasped Isaac's hand and held it tightly, evidently afraid of him disappearing again if she let go. With a warm smile on his face, Isaac brought the Magic Item closer to his mouth and addressed the well-disposed announcer.

"It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Achaa."

With a nod and a grin, Ibri acknowledged his response and got on with the show.

"Do you have anything that you'd like to say to the crowd?"

Taking a deep breath, Isaac turned to face the countless people that had assembled, his smile turning even brighter. Those that saw his sickly but nonetheless attractive features on Hermes' mirrors couldn't help but become slightly charmed by it, as the pure relief and appreciation sparkling in his eyes appeared overwhelming. The ones who had turned into rabid fangirls already proceeded to screech excitedly, earning them confused and dumbfounded looks from their fellow, more reasonable protesters.

"Really, thank you all! Without your help, I would have had to rot in absolute darkness for many, many more days. Truthfully, I cannot thank you all enough. I know that not all of you have come here specifically to fight for my freedom, but instead to demand just treatment from the deities - still, I thank you nonetheless, because your support and voices have allowed me to see the light of day again, as well as enabled me to reunite with my loved ones a lot earlier."

At first, the crowd kept quiet for a few moments, but then, thunderous applause rang throughout the city. Once it had calmed down a bit again, Ibri cleared his throat and spoke up.

"Ahem. Well said! I know that it's a lot to ask you to make your way here and speak to us, especially after you've just escaped such a torturous punishment. You have both my thanks as well as my respect."

"I'd feel ungrateful if I didn't come here, especially after all that everyone's done for me."

As usual, Isaac's words were accompanied by cheering, which forced Ibri to wait for another chance to continue.

"I don't want to beat around the bush, so let me be upfront and ask you directly: Do you have anything else that you want to get off your chest while all of us are gathered here today?"

Seeming to be in deep thought for a while, Isaac stayed silent. Eventually, he nodded and turned to face the citizens of Orario.

"I have, but it's going to be a bit of a lengthy speech. I don't mean to dampen your enthusiasm, everyone, but I'd like to request for you to listen to me until the end. Would that be alright?"

Amidst the usual ovations, many people assured him loudly that it was fine, and that he should just go ahead. With a relieved smile blossoming on his lips, Isaac finally kicked off his impromptu address.

"I've noticed that many of you refer to me as a 'hero', but I don't think that is a fitting term. What is a hero? It's a person who actively fights against injustice, and stands up against any wrongdoings for everyone, not only the people that they know and care about. I, however, am different. Although the actions of a hero would indeed mirror my own in this particular instance, that won't always be the case. I only took care of Petbe and her familia because they tried to harm my students. To be honest, I'm not sure whether I would have intervened at all if that had never happened. That is why I don't think that someone like me should be called a hero."

His surprisingly self-deprecating words diminished the euphoria of the crowd a little, with some people muttering unhappily or shaking their heads. Still, they kept silent, so as to let him finish his piece first.

"I'm not completely selfless - in other words, I'm no different from all of you. Don't get me wrong, though, I'm not criticizing you. We're all just… normal. My actions may have very well resulted in me preemptively saving some people from pitiful fates that would have befallen them otherwise, and they have saved my students. I cannot deny that, nor do I want to try to do so. But I think that there is an important lesson that can be learned from all of this, one that each of us should take heed of: We all have the potential to be someone's saviour!"

Sweeping his gaze over the masses, Isaac took note of the collective mood being on an upward trend again. Apparently reassured, the smile on his lips turned a little brighter.

"Of course, it'd be unrealistic of me to expect others to become heroes. But isn't it reasonable to hope for everyone to step up if the ones that they care for are in trouble? Just look out for your loved ones and friends - if everyone does this, then almost everyone will be cared for and protected. If you see others fighting against injustice, then join them! Today's experience should have taught us all that once many of us come together, we can even change the deities' minds."

Pausing once more to let it all sink in, Isaac took a deep breath. When he continued to speak yet again, his expression had become a solemn one, completely unlike the one that he had shown earlier.

"Despite the outward splendour of Orario, we've all seen many dreadful crimes taking place in this city, some of them far worse than others. Think of the danger that robbers, murderers, slavers, drug dealers and even more wicked folk pose to those that you care about. Maybe they aren't an immediate threat right now, but will that always be the case? What if it's your house that will be broken into soon? What if your niece will be abducted by slavers the next time she goes out to procure groceries? What if your best friend turns into a drug addict? What if your son is going to be the victim of one of the serial killers that have been running rampant in the shadows for a long time?"

Right as the crowd's mood had markedly improved, these chilling reminders caused it to plummet again. Many clenched their fists or cried because of the losses that they had experienced in the past. Although Isaac had claimed that he didn't want to dampen everyone's enthusiasm, he had clearly done just that.

"When we're alone, we'll feel powerless in the face of those travesties, and we're too afraid to step up to try to prevent them. After all, by our lonesome, we're too weak. That's especially the case if our Levels are low. However, this can be counteracted to a degree. If many of us step up when we see these kinds of things happening, then we can prevent them. As they say, there is safety in numbers. Still, I'm not asking any of you to be a hero, as that would be hypocritical of me. If you bear witness to a situation that you and those around you cannot comfortably deal with on your own, then report what you have seen to someone who can. Whether that be the Guild, powerful familias, or someone else - it doesn't matter. Just… don't stay silent. Do the best that you can for those that you care about, and for yourself. Do what is within your power. Don't try to carry the weight of the world's horrors on your shoulders alone, because you'll inevitably collapse. That evildoer that you cannot do anything about might just be squished to death like a bug by a First or Second Class adventurer. In the same vein, if an issue won't take much effort to resolve on your part, should you have the time, please help out."

Taking a deep breath once more, Isaac finally arrived at the last part of his long address.

"Remember, this is Orario, the Labyrinth City. Beneath us lies the dungeon, which boasts both plenty of danger as well as opportunities for growth. You don't necessarily need to rely on others to help you, because you can become strong enough to deal with all potential troubles on your own. All you need is to do your best, and to exceed your limits!"

For a few moments, the crowd wasn't sure whether or not he was truly finished. At the same time, many were also feeling conflicted about the things that he had said. Still, after a while, cheers erupted once more, drowning huge parts of the city underneath their overwhelming volume. Only after more than two minutes did the people return to a calmer state, giving Ibri another opportunity to talk.

"You weren't kidding when you said that it'd be a lengthy speech. Still, what you said contained quite a bit of truth. I can only represent the Ganesha Familia myself, but I can guarantee that should someone contact us with information relating to a crime, we will do our best to solve it. Our deity, Ganesha, is the god of the people, after all!"

-----

More than a hour later, Phelia found herself having followed Isaac's entourage into the grounds of the Twilight Manor. Because she and her guards were being treated as guests by the Loki Familia due to Ais having allowed them in, they didn't get obstructed by the magical formation. On a side note, the confused Yolanda had also been brought along. But had she not been supposed to return to the Guild after escorting Isaac back to his familia's home? Then why had she been asked to stay around? She had yet to find out the answers for these questions.

Eventually, they were led to a meeting room, which the entire group settled down in. It got a bit cramped, but there was still ample space for everybody. Phelia didn't know it at the time, but this was Loki's study, and the goddess had permitted them to make use of it for now.

"You said that you want to be my friend, right? Then there is no need to keep up appearances."

In response to Isaac's puzzling words, Phelia turned to face him, only to become stunned. All of a sudden, his tired and physically frail appearance started to change in real time. As if many hours, if not days, passed in a matter of seconds, his body recovered and returned to his usual, perfectly healthy peak state. He was practically glowing with vigour, and his handsomeness had risen by at least two levels. There was an amused smirk on his lips - surely, his current appearance would have been even more lethal to his various admirers amongst the protest's crowd.

"Oh, surprised? I hope you enjoyed the show."

When he waved his hand and bowed in a joking manner, Phelia finally noticed it. As if a veil had been lifted, the enigmatic man's entire bearing had changed - his stats included. Well, it would be more accurate to say that what she perceived his stats to be was now different.

'What is this!? How could he possibly be so strong?!!'

The queen's eyes widened in unconcealed shock, and for a moment, a hint of panic settled in her usually fearless heart. If Ais had seemed like an unfathomable monster to her before, then she couldn't even put into words how frightening and overwhelming Isaac's presence appeared now that he was no longer obscuring it. To be fair, purely stats-wise, he was a bit superior to Ais, but if both he and the Sword Princess were to activate all of their Skills, then they would be more or less on equal footing. Still, at the moment, he came across as the far bigger threat. Thankfully, he exuded not even the slightest hint of hostility, so Phelia quickly managed to calm her erratically beating heart again.

"Don't tell me… are you a Level 8 already?!"

In response to her inquiry, Isaac shook his head, his eyes scrutinizing each and every one of her reactions closely.

"Nope, just a Level 7."

Before anyone else who hadn't been in the know could come to terms with this bombshell, a scream escaped Yolanda's lips - huh, she really reacted like that quite often, did she?

"WHAT!? How did ya suddenly become a Level 7?"

Calmly reclining on the green sofa, Isaac shot a smile at the agitated Guild employee.

"That's easy. I was never imprisoned in the first place. It's all for show. I struck a deal with Ouranos, and that's also why you're here today, my dear Yolanda."

Growing even more nervous, cold sweat began to pour down the Amazoness' back. Stuttering slightly, she did her best to remain as composed and rational as possible.

"Pl-Please explain."

Pausing for a moment, Isaac seemed to organize his thoughts, then he nodded.

"Very well. I won't go into detail, as we'd be here for days if I did. All that you need to know is that there is a force that seems to be antagonistic to Orario which wants to get rid of me and my students. Petbe is a part of it, and I used her mortal vessel's elimination to conveniently disappear from the spotlight for a bit, increasing my strength whilst keeping my enemies in the dark and underprepared. Ouranos also seems to be wary of the force that Petbe belongs to, but he also had some other motivations to strike a deal with me. There are many reasons as to why we cooperated to kindle the flames that set today's protest into motion, but those would also take far too long to expound upon, and it's not really too important for you. You're here because you've been promoted - or rather, you've been given a special assignment because you're already familiar with me. Catch!"

With a casual motion, Isaac retrieved an Occulus from thin air and threw it to Yolanda, who managed to catch it despite her jumpiness. This was a different one from the one that he had first been given by Fels. It had been handed to him by the friendly skeleton some time before he had been officially released from his cell.

"That's an Occulus. You can think of it as a communication device. To activate it, simply pour your Mind into it. Anyway, you can get accustomed to it later. The one on the other end, Fels, will teach you all that you need to know about it. Just so you're aware, Fels is Ouranos' direct assistant. You must be wondering about what your new job actually is, right? Well, it is to be a bridge between me and Fels, or rather, between me and Ouranos. You're basically my employee and handle the communication between both sides. It's probably going to be a lot less work than what you've had to deal with at the Guild, so don't worry. As for your remuneration, it will only be a lot higher. It would be vastly preferable for you to live here at the Twilight Manor while you are working for me, but it's not a strict necessity. What do you say?"

Utterly overwhelmed by this flood of words, it took Yolanda nearly twenty seconds to react to Isaac's question. There simply had been too much information to take in, and it felt like her life had completely changed from one moment to the next. It was… difficult to wrap her head around it.

"I… umm… That's fine. Yeah. I'm somewhat of ya secretary when it comes to Guild-related stuff now, right?"

Nodding happily at her having understood so well, Isaac gave her a thumbs up.

"Exactly!"

Whilst they had been conversing, Phelia's expression had become a lot more guarded than before. Although she had extended an offer of friendship towards this young man earlier, his complete and unexpected change, as well as the various clearly sensitive matters that were being revealed in her presence were making her anxious. Was there perhaps some specific reason as to why she had been brought along? Was she in danger? And more importantly: How many layers of veils were still obscuring the real Isaac Blackshaw from her eyes even now?

Swallowing down her worries, the Pirate Queen gathered the courage to give voice to some of her thoughts.

"Why am I here?"