On Adventurers' Street.
Orario's first-class adventurers, Double Cut and Angry Snake, were walking together, their equipment in hand.
"Big Sis, why'd you suddenly ask me to go to the Dungeon with you today?" Tiona asked the person beside her, sounding a little unhappy.
"You haven't had much to do lately. You can come with me and earn some money in the Dungeon." Tione gave her sister a noncommittal answer.
"Ugh, why? I only just got a break. You can't be that short on money, can you? Is there something really expensive you want to buy?" Tiona asked curiously.
"No, it's just that I went to see the captain a few days ago and asked him out, but he turned me down because he had to finish the financial report."
Tione sounded disappointed.
"Isn't that obvious? The captain's never agreed to go on a date with you."
Tiona flatly retorted to her sister.
"That's not true! I'll definitely make the captain fall for me."
Tione fiercely refuted her sister's words.
"I happened to see the captain planning the next expedition deeper into the Dungeon. He seemed worried about the Familia's supplies. You don't have anything to do lately, so coming with me to earn some money in the Dungeon kills two birds with one stone."
Tione confidently straightened up, looking rather pleased with herself as she spoke to her sister.
Tiona watched as her sister suddenly straightened up while they walked, making her chest sway like a wave.
It was as if she were deliberately showing off in front of her. Tiona's expression gradually twisted, and she said irritably,
"What do you mean, 'kills two birds with one stone'?! You just dragged me along so you could earn more money and get the captain to praise you! Damn it, how can two sisters be so different?"
"What are you talking about? You'd just go back to your room and sleep anyway. Going out together is a great way for sisters to get closer."
Tione spoke earnestly in response to her sister.
"What sisters would think of going to the Dungeon for a stroll?"
Tiona helplessly retorted as she watched her stubborn sister.
The Amazon Sisters chatted energetically as they headed down Adventurers' Street toward the Adventurers Guild headquarters.
As they neared the headquarters, Tiona asked her sister, "Since we're going to the Dungeon at this time, what floor are we aiming for?"
"We'll head straight to the twelfth floor. The monsters there are all melee types, and the Magic Stones they drop are decent in both size and quantity."
Tione answered her sister's question.
After Dungeon monsters were killed, special drops were generally a matter of chance. So, for adventurers who went in to earn money, the Magic Stones that monsters always dropped were the standard currency.
The Guild processed Magic Stones of different qualities in various ways, turning them into goods for sale.
For that reason, when adventurers exchanged Magic Stones for Valis at the Guild, the quality of the stones affected how much money they received.
Generally speaking, the stronger the monster, the more valuable the Magic Stone it dropped.
The twelfth floor was the one closest to the middle levels.
The Dungeon's explored area currently extended down to the fifty-eighth floor. It was broadly divided by difficulty into the upper, middle, lower, and deep levels.
Floors one through twelve were classified as the upper levels.
Floors thirteen through twenty-four were classified as the middle levels.
Floors twenty-five through thirty-six were classified as the lower levels.
The thirty-seventh floor onward was classified as the deep levels.
The Dungeon's difficulty was divided into tiers, and each step up brought a major increase in difficulty.
Monsters capable of using magic appeared starting on the thirteenth floor.
Of course, the deeper the floor, the stronger the monsters, and the more valuable the Magic Stones they dropped.
"It's almost evening. If we head straight to the twelfth floor now, we should get back just in time for dinner."
Tione suggested it to her sister.
"Sure~" Tiona replied listlessly.
"Come on, cheer up," Tione said, trying to encourage her.
The two walked on until they reached the Guild, then went straight into the lobby.
Once inside the Guild, they saw a crowd gathered around the notice board set up especially for adventurers. The place was noisy, with people talking over one another.
Seeing the crowd around the Guild's notice board in the lobby, Tiona asked curiously,
"Is the Guild holding some kind of event? There are so many people gathered around."
"If you're interested, go take a look. That'll save you from pestering everyone with questions once we're in the Dungeon."
Unlike her sister, Tione wasn't interested in the notices. She could only sigh at her sister's boundless curiosity.
"Then I'll go take a loo~k," Tiona said, unable to resist her curiosity as she headed toward the crowd.
"Honestly, take a look and come straight back," her sister called after her helplessly.
"Okay!" Tiona didn't turn around. She just raised an arm and waved behind her.
"Sorry to bother you, Lady Tione."
Just then, Tione heard someone beside her greet her. She turned toward the voice.
A female Guild employee stood beside her, looking worried.
"The Guild would like to ask for your advice on something."
"Huh?" Tione froze at the words.
"Who was that?!"
"Damn it, stop moving around!"
"My foot—you stepped on it!"
Using the brute strength that came with being a Level 5, Tiona forced her way into the crowd, provoking a storm of curses and arguments.
When she reached the notice board, she stuck out her tongue in apology, then looked up at the notice posted there.
"An abnormal situation has occurred in the upper levels! Beginners are advised not to enter the Dungeon for the next few days. High-level adventurers are urgently being summoned. Those interested should contact a staff member as soon as possible. Oh~"
Tiona muttered as she read the notice, "That's pretty unusual. I should tell Big Sis."
She turned and squeezed into a random spot in the crowd. After causing another commotion, she finally made it out of the group around the notice board.
"Big Sis."
Just as she got clear of the crowd and called out to Tione to tell her about the notice,
she saw Tione waiting where she'd left her, with a female Guild employee beside her.
The employee was speaking to Tione with a worried expression. Tione gave a slight nod, and the woman's anxious expression eased. She bowed in thanks, then hurried away.
After finishing her conversation with the employee, Tione heard her name being called and turned to look at Tiona. Her gaze seemed rather serious.
Once her sister had come over, Tione asked, "Did the notice say there was an abnormal situation?"
"Yeah. They're gathering people to deal with it, too." Tiona answered her sister, then glanced at the Guild employee walking away and suddenly caught on. "Is the Guild planning to send us to deal with it?"
"The Guild has already hurriedly organized a group of lower-level adventurers to go into the Dungeon and investigate."
Tione told her sister, "We need to head down there too."
"Huh~? If people have already gone down to check things out, do we really need to rush down there?"
Tiona didn't understand her sister's words. Other than when it came to Familia matters or their captain, her sister usually paid little attention to anything. Why was she in such a hurry now?
Tione looked at her sister seriously. "According to the people who escaped from the Dungeon, the adventurers in the upper levels are in serious trouble. Several abnormal monsters have appeared, and they're directing a large number of Killer Ants toward the surface. The people the Guild hastily sent in are mostly Level 1 adventurers. They probably won't be able to handle it."
"But why are we in such a hurry? We've still got time to report back to the captain first." Tiona subtly reminded her sister that this was a good excuse to see Finn.
"There's no time. The Guild staff told me that the people who escaped apparently saw Thousand Elf caught up in the abnormal situation with someone else. I'm guessing that person must be the newcomer who just joined the Familia."
Tione said with a deep frown.
"Lefiya and the new guy? Why do you say that?" Tiona asked in confusion.
"Lefiya's been assigned to temporarily team up with the newcomer," her sister explained.
"Huh—how do you know that?" Tiona was even more baffled about where Tione had gotten that information.
"The captain told me when I went to see him yesterday."
Tione had been frowning, her expression grave, but at her sister's question, her whole demeanor suddenly changed.
She looked rather smug.
Watching her sister lose her mind the moment the captain came up, Tiona was at a loss. She immediately grabbed her sister and ran toward the Dungeon.
"You really are hopeless! Stop getting into weird moods at a time like this! You already knew, so why didn't you hurry? Lefiya and the new guy are in serious danger!!!"
"Ah! Right."
Tione, who was being dragged along by her sister, came to her senses at the reminder.
She quickened her pace and headed for the Dungeon entrance alongside her sister.
Before you continue