"How about fifteen thousand valis?"
A girl with fine, silvery-white hair spoke calmly.
She wore a white-based uniform bearing her Familia's insignia. Her pale purple eyes and long, dreamlike eyelashes made her look like an exquisite doll.
Liber and Lefiya exchanged glances, unsure whether they should agree.
"That's already a fairly high price. If you're not satisfied, please try another shop," Amid said coolly to the man and woman before her, standing behind the counter.
"No, we'll take your offer."
In the end, Liber agreed to the price.
"I'll go get the money from the back. Please wait a moment."
She turned and went inside.
Amid wore blue-and-white clothing in a style resembling a nurse's uniform.
As a Level 2, third-tier adventurer, she had earned herself the title Saint of the Battlefield.
Though she wasn't the strongest adventurer in her Familia, her unique magic had made her one of its most renowned members.
The magic she wielded had powerful support capabilities.
It could heal wounds, restore stamina, purge poison, and dispel curses. She could also use its three effects—"restoration," "detoxification," and "curse removal"—separately, and apply them to multiple people with lasting results. It was an exceptionally versatile, high-level healing spell.
She was a healer who could hold an entire battle line on her own.
As a combat and exploration-oriented Familia, the Loki Familia had repeatedly invited her to join them. Finn and Loki had both made the offer publicly, but she had turned them down.
Even though the Loki Familia wasn't short on healers, and Riveria, the strongest mage in Orario, could also use healing magic, everyone agreed that Amid's unique spell, Dia Frater, was the strongest healing ability.
"Here, I've put it down. You can count it."
Amid placed the money pouch on the counter and nudged it toward Liber.
After Liber and Lefiya finished counting the money, they packed up the materials that had been resting on a silk cloth on the counter.
"Honestly," Amid sighed as she looked at them. "When the shop assistant told me the Thousand Elf was here to see me, I thought the Loki Familia had something to discuss."
"But you're only here to sell Blue Magic Butterfly materials. You could've just told one of the regular shop assistants about that."
Lefiya scratched her cheek, a little embarrassed.
"Well, we just wanted to say hello. If we get any rare drops in the future, we'll come back to your shop."
Liber smiled, smoothing things over.
"I've heard that one plenty of times. We'll see about the future when it comes."
Amid replied coolly.
"Anything else you'd like to sell, or would you like to look at potions and other items?"
"No, that's everything. See you next time."
Seeing her cool expression, Liber sensed Lefiya growing tense beside him. He said goodbye to Amid, then led Lefiya out.
Watching the two of them leave, Amid rubbed her brow and said, "Honestly, she's a Level 3 adventurer, but she has no confidence at all. It's worrying."
After arranging for another member of her Familia to take over her post, Amid left the counter.
Once outside the shop, the two exchanged smiles.
"All right, let's split up here for today."
Liber said to Lefiya, "I still need to buy some supplies, so I'll be going."
"Sure. I'll head back to the Familia."
Hearing that Liber still had things to do, Lefiya said goodbye and headed toward the Loki Familia's main base.
Liber watched Lefiya's retreating figure.
Standing there, he took a flyer out of his storage space.
"By the way, where was that shop again?"
He checked the address on the flyer, then left the entrance and set off to find it.
Orario, Babel.
This chalk-white tower stood like a seal over the entrance to the Dungeon. Broad at its base and narrowing as it rose, it stretched upward until its top disappeared from sight.
The tower contained enormous amounts of space, and many businesses had set up shop inside. The Hephaestus Familia, famous for its smithing, sold its creations there.
The gods of the Lower World also bought or rented space in the upper levels of Babel to flaunt their status.
On the top floor of Babel, a massive figure stood before an elaborately decorated door.
He was a burly beastman with short reddish-brown hair, over two meters tall, and a pair of pig's ears on his head.
He knocked on the door.
"Lady Freya?" he called into the room, but no one answered, even after a long wait.
He knocked again, but still received no reply.
After a moment's hesitation, he pushed the door open. Inside was a lavish room with a large bed.
Across from the bed stood an enormous, seamless glass window that offered an unobstructed view of all Orario.
The floor was covered in a plush carpet that sank beneath one's feet, and paintings of the moon and sun hung on the walls.
Once the burly man entered, he saw that there was no one in the room. He looked around, but couldn't find the person he sought, so he called out again.
"Lady Freya?"
His voice echoed softly through the spacious room.
The burly man's keen senses detected no other presence inside.
His troubled expression tightened into a frown, and he strode quickly toward the door.
He pushed open the doors to the nearby maids' rooms and saw maids lying unconscious inside. His expression turned grave, but he didn't stop to attend to the women on the floor. Instead, he turned and hurried away.
Night fell.
The Labyrinth City transformed into a city that never slept, bright with lights and bustling with activity.
At the Freya Familia's headquarters in the city's Fifth District, the Battlefield Plains, only executives of the Familia were allowed into the meeting room. A large round table and matching chairs stood inside.
"Ottar, why did you call us here?"
A young catman with short black hair and azure eyes asked the burly man seated at the head of the table.
"It's been a long time since we had an emergency summons."
"Must've been at least four years."
"What else could it be but a battle?"
"Looks like there's a major fight coming."
Four voices, almost identical, spoke in turn.
Looking over, they could see that they came from four identical Prum brothers seated beside the catman.
"The call to war has sounded... heh heh..."
A dark-skinned Elf with silver hair curled his lips into a stiff smile.
"He means, who are we going to war with?"
The pale-skinned Elf with golden hair standing beside him explained his words.
"Quiet!"
The burly Ottar swept his gaze over everyone, his expression stern, and slowly began to speak.
"There's only one reason I called you all here... The whereabouts of the goddess Freya are currently unknown."
"What?!"
The others stared at Ottar in shock, rising from their seats. Their fierce gazes pierced him like needles.
"Everyone is to prepare for battle and search the entire city."
Ottar slowly rose to his feet, meeting their stares as he spoke each word deliberately.
As soon as he finished, the figures around him scattered from their seats and ran outside.
Ottar headed for the door. With each step, his presence seemed to grow more imposing, the muscles in his exposed arms rippling.
His cold face twisted into a grimace, and the darkness beyond the door gradually swallowed him whole.
A short while later.
"Captain! Vice-Captain!"
Ottar and the others from the meeting stood fully armed on the silent street. At the subordinate's shout, they turned to look at him.
The man ran over in a panic, and everyone present fixed their eyes on him.
He said shakily, "We've sent people to search everywhere, but we still haven't found the goddess."
Ottar frowned at him. "Everywhere?"
The man hesitated before answering, "We couldn't search the other Familias' residences or shops, but we've searched everywhere else."
"Then keep searching!" Ottar said sternly. "Don't let the other Familias stop you. The goddess's safety comes first!"
"Yes!" the man replied tensely. "Um... should we search the Loki Familia's residence too?"
Ottar narrowed his eyes, then opened them wide. "Search! You go look through the other Familias' residences. Leave the Loki Familia to me. I'll go myself."
"Understood!" The man immediately led the members away in different directions.
Ottar watched them go, then slowly swept his gaze across the executives around him.
"Allen, come with me to the Loki Familia. The rest of you, support the members in their search. Until we confirm the goddess is safe, don't use full force."
"Troublesome," the four brothers said in unison, their voices alike.
Ottar glanced over, and the four fell silent at once.
"Let's go."
After leaving those words behind, they disappeared into the night.
Liber walked out of the weapon shop and onto the shopping street.
He looked back at the store behind him.
"They said there was a discount, but it wasn't much cheaper."
He pursed his lips. The prices on the flyer didn't match the actual prices in the shop at all.
Liber glanced at the moon, which had just risen, and decided it was still early.
"I'll check out some other shops. I'll need to stock up on a few weapons before Goibniu finishes forging mine."
Just as he was about to step forward, he suddenly felt someone collide with him. He swayed but kept his footing, while the other person fell to the side.
"Ah!"
A sweet, delicate cry of pain rang out.
Liber hadn't even turned around yet, but the voice made him freeze for a moment.
Only then did he look at the person he'd knocked down.
They wore a loose robe that concealed their entire body, and the hood covered their head, obscuring their face.
Based on the long strands of hair that had fallen forward as they lowered their head, and the gentle voice he had just heard, Liber tentatively judged the person to be a woman.
Seeing her sitting on the ground after falling, one hand covering her backside, he held out a hand.
"Are you all right?"
Before you continue