The God Slayer

*Lili's POV*

The dawn had come to pass, and the sun was soaring up above, pouring in its golden glimmer onto city streets, declaring a new adventure.

Or so it was supposed to.

The streets, usually jam-crowded with stalls selling all one could want, were left turned over. While the owners salvaged whatever they could of their livelihood.

Those beautiful houses adorning the main streets, all had their doors and windows smashed open.

The rubble of last night's mayhem littered the clean pavements, reminding anyone who walked by of the fragility of what they've built over centuries.

The laughing bustles, which echoed here and there, were now hushed whispers and tired eyes.

After all, last night marked the most heinous act of terrorism, the great history of Orario has ever witnessed.

None saw that coming. Some did, actually; knew it was only a matter of time before Soma Familia's rampant greed spills their doom. But none ever imagined there will come a day when a mortal kills a God.

In rare cafes and restaurants still open for business, folks gathered with today's newspaper on the table as they spoke his name in hushed voices - The God Slayer.

And on a table not far away from such a group, I sat with a fork and knife in hands, eggs and bacon on my plate, eyes on the newspaper's front page, and heart in my throat.

"God Slayer- The man who soaked the city in blood as he fought the strongest!" the title read, followed by-

"Last night witnessed a myth in the world of crime and of the Adventurers alike- a mortal, a man just like any other did the unthinkable! For he slew a God!

But his feats defying impossibilities do not end there- he defeated The King, Ottar in battle as the Level-7 rushed to the crime scene on his Mistress's orders. "He or She is a master of stealth. I do not even know if it was a group of just one individual." The King states while Lady Freya refuses to comment…"

The first two paragraphs alone shattered whatever understanding I had of the whole incident. And like mushrooms after rain, questions popped one after another as I sat there clutching the utensils in my palms.

But only one question really mattered- what's at play here?

And my mind almost instantly churned out two possibilities.

One- Master Argus is not the one who killed Soma. But that appeared as bleak as it could be.

The second was- Freya is covering up for Master Argus. And why? Heh, it couldn't be more obvious.

But whichever case it may be, it made things all the easier for me to get my name off their list.

[Fancy name though] I thought cutting another piece as though it's just another morning.

Having laid out a plan back at the inn, I went back up to freshen up, take a bath, change of clothes, and figure out the finer details before heading out.

My plan was simple, yet it couldn't be more complicated- or delicate should I say.

I am to act as though I never knew Master Argus- do what I would've done if that was the case and gather some basic Intel the old fashion way; sit in a tavern and listen while you eat.

So, here I am, eras focused on the table of four chatter-boxes beside me, and eyes on today's newspaper.

And by the time I finished my breakfast, I had learned all I needed to frame my words for what comes next.

It turned out, on the official orders of the Guild, the OPD has locked all the 4 city gates down, suspending all the import-export, entries and exists until further notice.

And the OPD too, have issued their own notice- all the remaining Soma Familia personnel who were away from home last night must report to PHQ at once.

That's not all, The God Slayer has an official bounty of 10 Billion on his head now, and anyone with valid information on him receives 10 million from the Guild.

Even the restaurant I was in had posters depicting a black shadow with a question mark in. They wrote below- "God Slayer: 10 Billion, either dead or alive".

And the best thing was, no one knew what he looks like- they're not even sure if it was just one man or a team of highly trained assassins.

The fear of the unknown is indeed the greatest. Unlike what happened the last time someone hurt a God- not a single Familia has dared to step out and help OPD in their endeavour in arresting the God Slayer, all in courtesy to Ottar's statement.

Not to mention, Ottar's words made it clear- the assassin or that team of assassins are masters of stealth. So the OPD's eyes will be searching for the pros, not rookies like Master Argus- and him being a Non-Leveler does not differ from a lifesaving boon.

And no Familia is stupid enough to antagonize a possible team of assassins as brazen as these.

All in all, the cloud of mystery and danger surrounding the God slayer has made it relatively easy for me to slip past their interrogation. Still, it will be a hard-won battle of wits and words nonetheless.

After all, I'll be up against minds even sharper than mine.