Chapter 401: Canary, what on earth did you raise?

Behind the Arcadia headquarters annex, inside a courtyard.

The number of former Arcadia Cadres released by Black Rabbit from the Gift Card's containment card was not large.

It looked like there were only about four people.

One was a tall, burly man with thick hair and a beard, his hairy upper body bared, looking just like a lion.

Another was somewhat petite for a man, yet still over 1.7 meters tall; she was a golden-haired, fox-eared girl with slender legs, wearing loose shrine maiden robes that accentuated her figure.

There was also a tall, handsome man in tattered clothes with an icy demeanor, wearing an awkward smile on his face.

The last one was a pot-bellied, green-haired middle-aged man wearing linen robes.

The moment they appeared, Black Rabbit recognized them.

"Lord Day Heaven Lion, Senior Hejian, Uncle Yu, and Lord Xiaoming!!"

Black Rabbit, who had released them, couldn't help but call out happily.

On the side, Leticia couldn't help but reveal a faint smile after having settled her younger sister, Lamia.

Hearing that her former companions had been sent back, Leticia had also rushed over quite happily.

"Were only four sent back?"

Suddenly, a man's voice rang in Black Rabbit's ear; Su Nian curiously sized up these predecessors of Arcadia and asked.

"That shouldn't be right, should it? Arcadia should have had quite a few people back then, right? Could they only leave behind this many children?"

Hejian, the golden-haired, fox-eared woman wearing loose shrine maiden robes—who was also the mother of that little fox fairy Lily of Arcadia—said quite helplessly.

"This is all Kuroa's fault; when that guy realized the Demon King was attacking, he sent the children to the shelter at the first opportunity."

"But there was no time to send away their parents, so they could only be banished to the outside world."

After all, they were banished by Kuroa, and it was clear that those guys in the Hydra were not responsible for finding them back.

They were only responsible for finding back the captives they had sold off after capturing them.

As she spoke, Hejian curiously sized up Su Nian, who was standing in front of Black Rabbit and Leticia.

"But who are you?"

Suddenly, Hejian seemed to have remembered something, clapped her hands, and said with great surprise.

"Could you be the big shot the Hydra mentioned who took us to use as a favor?"

She looked at Su Nian, scanned the surroundings, and asked quite curiously.

"But why are we at our headquarters?"

"Could it be that the Hydra captured our headquarters as well? Did even Leticia and little Black Rabbit not escape being your captives?"

She had absolutely no self-awareness of being a gift or a captive.

"No, Hejian, this is our Second Generation, and also the trump card secretly cultivated by Canary and Kuroa."

Leticia said expressionlessly; although she knew this was a lie, it was already the best outcome for her former companions.

As soon as she finished speaking, several curious gazes sized up Su Nian, their hearts filled with surprise.

A trump card cultivated by Canary and Kuroa? That shouldn't be right, should it? How could Canary hide even this from them?

It wasn't like he was the child of that pervert Canary and Kuroa.

But looking at Leticia's familiar, emotionless expression, Day Heaven Lion and Yu Russell, the father of Jin Russell, felt that Leticia, as a Little Garden Knight, shouldn't be capable of lying.

Moreover, looking at the current state of Arcadia, it gave them the impression that it was at its peak.

They accepted it, bowed to Su Nian, and said.

"Greetings, Leader."

"Developing quite well, Second Generation."

Kasukabe Takaaki on the side looked at the current Arcadia and revealed a gratified smile.

At this moment, the fox-eared girl Hejian couldn't help but mutter.

"The guy who went to investigate Ouroboros, didn't even know the news that Ouroboros had been destroyed, and ended up getting captured—he should just stop talking."

Hearing this, Kasukabe Takaaki's expression stiffened for a moment, and he lowered his head and said in a low voice.

"I didn't expect that they would ambush three Three-digit beings who had undergone Descent to Human at an abandoned stronghold; even if I wanted to run at that time, I couldn't."

At this time, Su Nian coughed awkwardly twice, his expression carrying a bit of embarrassment.

This was probably his fault; after all, Su Nian hadn't firmly secured his position as Vice Alliance Leader of the Hydra at that time, and because he had disbanded Ouroboros.

It caused quite a few people to hold a grudge against Su Nian, but Su Nian's backing was too strong, and they couldn't afford to offend him.

They could only capture the remnants of Arcadia to try and threaten Su Nian, but who knew Su Nian would develop so fast that he became even more impossible to offend.

They could only continue to keep it hidden.

Kasukabe Takaaki was the one who suffered this loss and was ambushed.

However, fortunately, Kasukabe Takaaki didn't care about this small matter, and he didn't dwell on why Canary and Kuroa had hidden it from him back then.

After all, Leticia had already spoken; this rigid Little Garden Knight couldn't have learned how to lie, right?

Not knowing if she had sensed Kasukabe Takaaki's thoughts, Leticia turned her head away with a slight blush, and after glancing at Su Nian.

She returned to her usual expression and served behind Su Nian.

Looking at Kasukabe Takaaki, Black Rabbit couldn't help but widen her eyes and say in disbelief.

"Eh eh eh, Lord Takaaki, what happened to your Spirit Status? Why are you so weak?"

"He has distributed his own Gift and Spirit Status; in a sense, he can now be called a 【noformer】."

Su Nian explained calmly; if he wasn't mistaken, he must have given most of his Spirit Status along with the Life Catalog to his daughter, Kasukabe Yoh.

This was the reason why Kasukabe Yoh grew so rapidly after arriving in Little Garden.

That wasn't growth, but the inheritance of her father's Spirit Status and his past development of the Life Catalog.

Otherwise, why would Kasukabe Yoh be able to simulate the strongest species, the Golden-Winged Great Peng and the Primordial Dragon, using the Life Catalog later on? Had she ever even come into contact with the strongest species?

It was also precisely because he had become a 【noformer】, someone who could not be anyone, with an infinitely thin existence, that he was able to infiltrate Ouroboros to investigate information.

"It seems you have also had a very difficult time over these years, Xiaoming."

Leticia sighed and said with deep emotion.

Then Leticia glanced at Su Nian and smiled.

It seemed that her initial worries would not come to pass—the worry that the former Cadres of Arcadia would have a conflict with Su Nian.

Although Su Nian was benevolent to his own people, even to the point of being lenient, he never held back when dealing with unfriendly enemies.

If the former members of Arcadia had a conflict with Su Nian, that would be a true disaster, a disaster even more terrifying than the last time they were attacked by Ouroboros.

But it was fine now; they did not even suspect Su Nian's identity.

Indulging in lies is always better than facing a cruel reality.

Afterwards, Leticia pulled Su Nian along to introduce the members of Arcadia to him.

"Let me introduce you: this is the Subordinate God of Ukanomitama no Kami, the Hina God Hejian, who is also Lily's mother."

"As for this one, he is the previous holder of the Leo Sun Authority, Day Heaven Lion, and this one here is Ren's father, who was previously responsible for guarding the Community's treasury."

"As for this last one, he is Kasukabe Takaaki."

Hejian? Su Nian was not interested in the other members, but curiously sized up Lily's mother.

Hiss~ This element feels a bit repetitive.

If he remembered correctly, back in the Dxd World, Yasaka and Kuzunoha had this same relationship.

It's just that Lily and her mother are fox spirits, while Yasaka and the others are nine-tailed foxes.

I'll have to find time to bring them over to meet.

"By the way, are you and Lily the result of parthenogenesis?"

Su Nian blinked and asked curiously.

"Hey, even if you are the Second Generation, you shouldn't ask such a rude question."

The fox-eared girl Hejian hummed with dissatisfaction.

"Don't mind what this guy says; fox spirits are indeed capable of parthenogenesis."

Kasukabe Takaaki couldn't help but retort.

"And this isn't a rude question either."

"Xiaoming!!"

Hejian couldn't help but stomp her feet in annoyance, throwing a fit of impotent rage.

"How is this not rude? I'm still an unmarried maiden!"

"Is that so? An unmarried maiden with a child?"

Su Nian retorted subconsciously.

"Ugh!"

The ears on Hejian's head stood up, and she puffed out her cheeks, glaring fiercely at Su Nian.

"Alright, Master, don't tease little Hejian anymore."

Seeing this scene, Leticia helplessly pulled Su Nian back; Su Nian was good in every way, but this bad taste of his was a bit severe.

Yet, even as Leticia pulled him away, Su Nian didn't forget to make a face at Hejian to tease her.

"Leticia, look at the Second Generation!!"

Hejian cried out with tears in the corners of her eyes, making a scene.

Leticia didn't pay attention to Hejian's fussing, but instead narrowed her eyes and looked at Kasukabe Takaaki.

"Xiaoming, what is going on with you now? How could your power have declined to this extent?"

"Did you really separate your own Spirit Status and Gift abilities?"

"Just what kind of person could make you voluntarily give up your abilities and Spirit Status?"

Kasukabe Takaaki smiled, playing dumb, and said nothing.

"Who else could it be? His daughter, obviously~~"

Su Nian added calmly.

Kasukabe Takaaki's expression froze; he looked at Su Nian helplessly and gave a bitter smile.

"As expected, I couldn't hide it."

Looking at Su Nian, he opened his mouth, and finally sighed.

"Truly worthy of being the guy who even the Snake had to temporarily avoid, and who sent us back as a favor."

"It's not 'temporarily avoid,' it's that I am currently the deputy leader of the Hydra."

Su Nian added silently.

"Yeah, after I wrecked Ouroboros, I participated in the reorganization of Ouroboros."

Kasukabe Takaaki's face froze instantly; he stared stiffly at the calm-faced Su Nian.

"Truly worthy of being the trump card cultivated by Canary."

But he was feeling a bit panicked inside now—is this really a trump card cultivated by Canary?

Canary, what kind of monster have you raised?

(End of chapter)