Those Consumed by Envy and Jealousy

The next day, early morning.

As dawn broke, Leo woke up as usual.

"----It was another ordinary morning."

After staring at the ceiling for a while, Leo quickly got up, grabbed his toiletries, left the room, and headed to the washroom.

On the way, the members of the clan greeted Leo one after another, just like yesterday, and Leo responded to each one.

As expected, when Leo started washing up, he ran into Raul again.

"How was it? Did yesterday go smoothly?"

Raul looked Leo over, as if trying to figure out if there was anything wrong with him, his words full of concern and worry.

"It's alright." Leo spat out his mouthwash, smiled at Raul, and said, "I was just wandering around the first few floors. What could possibly happen under normal circumstances?"

As for what happens when unusual circumstances occur, there's no need to discuss that.

Whether with Ais or Raul, Leo had no intention of mentioning how he had been tricked by the Dungeon and faced a desperate situation the day before.

So he spoke so casually that Raul, an honest man, immediately believed him.

"It's good that you're alright. I was worried about you all day yesterday."

Raul said this with a wry smile, which earned him a hearty laugh from Leo.

"Although I'm a newbie who has only recently received your Falna, I've been in the clan for a year now and even learned swordsmanship from Ais. Plus, with the equipment and elixirs you've generously provided, handling the first few levels of the Dungeon shouldn't be a problem."

At this point, Leo also expressed his gratitude to Raul.

The small shield that Raul gave him proved to be a great help. Without it shielding him from the monsters' attacks, Leo would have had to expend a lot of effort to deal with them, not to mention the elixirs.

Especially that high-grade elixir. Without it, after dealing with that desperate situation yesterday, Leo would have had to drag his battered body out of the Dungeon, and it would have been impossible for him to continue exploring, let alone enter the 5th Floor.

The small straight sword was a great help to Leo. If Leo had used the standard weapon provided by the guild yesterday, he would have had to stab the monsters in a vital spot to kill them in one hit, otherwise he would have had to slash them two or three times to take them down. In that case, it would have been uncertain whether he could have successfully dealt with so many Kobold yesterday.

Who knows, his weapon might break down while the fighting is going on.

Therefore, Leo was very grateful to his seniors who had given him such good equipment and supplies.

"I'm glad it was helpful." Raul scratched his head a little embarrassedly, then said, with a mix of envy and admiration, "Speaking of which, you and Miss Ais are really close. You even got her to teach you swordsmanship."

"It's alright," Leo said calmly, even adding, "Ais isn't an unapproachable person. If you ask her for help, I think she'd definitely be willing to teach you."

Although Raul's rank was lower Ais's, he was several years Ais and had joined the Familia much earlier, reportedly at the age of thirteen. He had been a member for seven or eight years and had spent far more time with Ais, who had also been in the Familia for nearly ten years, than with Leo, who had only been there for a year. Therefore, Leo believed that Raul definitely understood that the girl known as the doll was actually a warm-hearted person despite her cold exterior.

That's why Leo said that.

Raul seemed quite alarmed.

"I... I think I'd better not bother that person for no reason. I'm afraid my fellow members of the clan will hold me up and burn me alive."

Raul seemed to have thought of something, and his whole body trembled.

Ais is also a very special person among Loki Familia.

The distance between the other officers and ordinary members wasn't actually that great, especially with a certain pair of Amazon twin sisters. They could easily mingle and mingle with the members of their clan, and while the clan members respected them, they weren't intimidated, unless the Amazon twins lost their temper—

Ais, however, is different. Her taciturn personality and lack of emotional expression skills meant that the members of her clan would keep their distance from her. Not to mention, her goddess-like beautiful face was always expressionless. Anyone without courage would need to muster a considerable amount of bravery to even speak to her.

To the ordinary members of the Loki Familia, Ais was both a genius who became an officer at a young age and an idol as beautiful as a goddess. Most of them regarded Ais as Princess living deep in the palace, daring only to admire her from afar but not daring to approach her rashly.

Unlike Leo, who was just a newly promoted trainee who had received Falna yesterday, he was able to approach the Doll Princess with a calm mind and even learn swordsmanship from her. This made many people admire and envy him, but at the same time, it made many people grit their teeth and feel jealous, wishing they could put him in a sack in the middle of the night and throw him into the moat.

Raul didn't want to be envied, especially by his fellow clan members.

Little did they know—

"Your attitude will make Ais feel lonely too----"

Leo muttered to himself.

What did you say?

Raul didn't hear Leo's words clearly and asked in confusion.

"It's nothing." Leo shook his head and said, "Are you all staying home today?"

"Yes, the recent expedition just ended, and there's not only a lot of cleanup work to do, but also a rare opportunity to rest and recuperate. So, many of us, including myself, will be staying home these days." Raul replied, then asked, "Are you still planning to go to the Dungeon today?"

"Of course." Leo washed his face and laughed, "We finally received Blessing of the Gods, now is the time to work hard, isn't it?"

"Keep it up, newbie." Raul patted Leo on the shoulder, encouraging him, "You were brought back by Miss Ais and personally recommended to join the group. This is unprecedented. Many people are watching you, and you're looking forward to fighting alongside them."

Upon hearing this, Leo smiled faintly and replied.

Yes, it will.

Leo quickly changed his clothes in his room, packed his weapons, armor, and pouch, and left the tower, entering the courtyard.

"Whoosh!"

In the courtyard, the blonde, golden-eyed female swordsman appeared as expected, wielding her sword under the shade of a tree, cutting through the wind.

Leo stood there for a while, and just as he was about to go over and say hello, he noticed a figure huddled in the corner.

She was a girl who was about fourteen or fifteen years old, younger than Leo and Ais were now.

The girl had long, elegant flaxen hair, which was tied into a ponytail and hung down her back. Pointed ears, like leaves, protruded from the strands of hair on both sides of her face, telling others that the girl was an elf known for her moon-like beauty.

Despite her young age and petite, slender figure, she still possessed a natural beauty unique to her race, which allowed her slightly childlike beauty to quietly radiate charm in the morning, attracting attention.

However, this beautiful young elven girl was hiding in a corner, looking like a thief, secretly watching the courtyard.

The object her slightly gleaming eyes were fixed on was clearly the blonde female swordsman practicing her sword under the shade of a tree.

Seeing this, Leo raised an eyebrow, his expression instantly turning into a half-smile.

He quietly approached from behind the girl and immediately heard her voice.

"Miss Ais —still so beautiful, so powerful."

Some excited, worshipful, and even fanatical voices were heard, much like those of obsessive fans who secretly watch their idols.

"She's already so strong, yet she still practices swordsmanship so diligently every day. No wonder she's Orario's strongest female swordsman. If only—"

The girl seemed to be lost in her own thoughts, her mouth practically watering, which even Leo found hard to bear.

What are you doing hiding here?

Then, Leo spoke up.

"Ah!"

The girl was startled by the sudden sound, her back straightened instantly, and she let out a soft scream.

"It's... it's you?!"

The girl turned around in a panic and saw Leo. Her beautiful eyes widened instantly, revealing astonishment, surprise, and a hint of barely concealed hostility.

"You... how did you get here?"

The girl glared at Leo, her puffed-up face looking incredibly cute.

"Shouldn't I be the one saying that?" Leo narrowed his eyes and said bluntly, "Were you spying on Ais again, Lefiya Viridis?"

Lefiya Viridis, that's the girl's name.

The girl is fifteen years old this year, which is indeed a year younger than Leo, but within the Loki Familia, her presence is by no means insignificant.

This year, the elven girl is only fifteen years old. Although her level is only Lv.3, she is a genius Mage known as the [Thousand Elf]. Not only is she said to have firepower comparable to Lv.5, but she also has very special magic. Therefore, she has long been regarded as the successor to the vice-captain of the familia Riveria, and is highly regarded by the seniors in the familia.

The girl also has a great personality. Originally, she was very beautiful. As a naturally magical race, elves have extremely high self-esteem and would only allow those they respect to touch their proud race. However, the girl is friendly, cheerful, kind, and approachable. She does not have the arrogance and fastidiousness of other elves. She can get along well with most of the people in her familia and is a very rare social elf.

However, this girl, who is excellent in appearance, talent, and personality, just doesn't get along with Leo.

No, it should be said that it was the girl who was unilaterally hostile to Leo.

"Who, who peeked?!" Lefiya Viridis retorted fiercely, "I was just here to normally appreciate Miss Ais's hard work!"

This elven girl is secretly a fan of Ais.

At the same time, she was also the leader of those who gritted their teeth and felt envious and jealous of Leo for frequently contacting Ais, wishing they could put him in a sack in the middle of the night and sink him directly into the moat.