The next morning.
Liber opened his bleary eyes and lifted his head, looking around at the unfamiliar surroundings in confusion.
He stared blankly for a moment before realizing, "I almost forgot. I've joined the Loki Familia now."
Liber got out of bed and glanced at the rising sun before washing up.
I wonder what magic I awakened. I should go find Loki and see, Liber thought as he washed.
After washing up and straightening himself out, Liber opened the door.
He stepped into the corridor and strolled along it, eventually leaving the tower.
He walked across a suspended bridge connecting the towers.
As the Loki Familia's headquarters, the many towers of the Twilight Manor were linked together by a series of floating corridors.
The lower sections of the towers were connected into one vast complex, while their upper sections stretched upward into a succession of sharp spires.
The middle section consisted of a complex network of intersecting corridors that connected the towers.
Liber walked along the corridors, casually observing the interior of the building.
"Morning."
A few Familia members who were up early and busy with their work passed Liber and greeted him.
"Morning."
Liber politely returned their greetings, then followed yesterday's route to find Loki's room.
He knocked on the door.
"Loki, are you there?"
"Who is it? Bothering me this early when I'm trying to rest? You'd better have something important, or you'll have to apologize by prostrating yourself."
Loki opened the door, looking annoyed. When she saw Liber, she seemed a little surprised.
"I said I'd show you around and introduce you to someone, but I didn't say it had to be this early."
"No, I was hoping you could update my status."
"Didn't you just receive your Falna yesterday? In such a short time, there usually wouldn't be much..."
Liber interrupted Loki.
"After I got back to my room yesterday, I used the grimoire. I wanted you to check what magic I'd awakened."
At that, Loki froze for a moment, then grew excited.
"Quick, come in! Take your shirt off. I thought your confidence came from your potential, but I never imagined you had a grimoire. This is even more exciting than I expected."
As she spoke, Loki pulled Liber into the room. After seating him in a chair, she cheerfully searched for the silver needle she had used the day before.
Once she finally found it, Loki pricked her finger and let her divine blood flow. Liber took off his shirt and began updating his status.
"Hmm... Mm? Oh! This is an incredibly useful magic."
Liber took the updated status sheet.
Lv.1
{--Magic--}
[Float]
· Enchantment Magic
· Grants objects the property of floating and allows them to be controlled.
[Magic Space]
· Space Magic
· Opens up a personal space that can be permanently expanded by expending magic.
"A personal space... That's incredibly useful." Liber looked over his status sheet, delighted.
"Right? It's incredibly useful! You'd better grow stronger as quickly as you can.
I don't know how big this Magic Space can get, but once you've grown stronger, it'll be a huge help on expeditions."
Loki leaned close to Liber as he studied the status sheet, speaking happily.
"Expeditions..." Liber murmured.
"Don't worry. With your abilities, you'll surely grow strong enough to join an expedition soon."
Loki patted Liber on the back, then took the status sheet and casually burned it.
"Loki, can I head straight to the Dungeon and start adventuring?"
"No. At the very least, you need to learn the basics about the Dungeon first.
Things like which floors are suitable for beginners, the features and stairways of each floor, and the traits of the various monsters."
"Actually, I'll take you to the library to find some reference materials. Make sure you memorize them."
Liber nodded in agreement. Then he took the materials Loki had helped him find in the library and returned to his room.
"That's quite a lot." Liber set down the books and sighed.
"But I should test my magic first."
Liber calmed himself, took out a reference book, and placed his hand on it. He focused and silently thought, Float.
As a small amount of magic drained from his body, the book slowly lifted into the air and hovered above the table.
Liber lowered his hand and estimated how much magic he had used. At this rate, he could probably cast it more than twenty times.
He tried controlling the floating book. With a thought, it danced up and down in the air. The pages opened and closed at will, following his intent, while his magic continued to drain.
Next, Liber used his magic on the bed, table, and other objects in the room.
He found that although the objects varied in weight and size, using the magic took about the same amount of magic each time.
His magic only continued to drain while he actively controlled a floating object, and the drain was slight enough that he could control one for quite a long time.
Then Liber had an idea. He cast Float on himself, and his feet gradually lifted off the ground until he was hovering in the room.
He discovered that no matter how much he moved his body, he couldn't change his position. But he could move freely through the air just by willing it.
Liber kept flying around the room until most of his magic was gone. Then he landed on the floor, exhilarated.
"Now I'll be invincible in the Dungeon. As long as I save enough magic to float and fly during an adventure, I can fight or leave whenever I want."
Liber stood happily in the room, then felt the weakness brought on by the magic he had expended and clenched his hand.
"I've still got some magic left. I should try the other one."
He silently thought, Magic Space, and felt his magic drain. A space about the size of a backpack appeared beside him.
"That's all the space I get?" Liber felt a little disappointed. He tried to use up the rest of his magic and sensed the space grow just a tiny bit.
Afterward, he felt the weakness and discomfort that came with running out of magic.
"Looks like spending magic can keep expanding the space, but it has no offensive power. I should finish reading these materials and get out adventuring as soon as possible."
Liber stretched, sat down in his chair, and began carefully reading the books. Before long, he was absorbed in them.
The sunlight shifted. The soft morning light grew increasingly harsh, and the refreshing temperature turned somewhat hot.
The sun set, and the noise gradually grew louder. Then a series of excited voices rang out.
"The captain and the others are back!"
"Miss Ais is back too!"
The commotion disturbed Liber, who had been absorbed in his reading.
He paused, set down the book, and opened the door.
He watched as more and more Familia members appeared and headed toward the entrance.
One by one, the figures mentioned in the original work came back to him.
He left his room and followed the crowd downstairs, toward the entrance of the Twilight Manor.
When he stepped outside and stood on the stairs, Liber saw the Familia members gathering at the entrance. It was livelier than anything he had seen in the past two days.
The members who had stayed at the Familia's headquarters were showing a joy and excitement he hadn't seen before, cheering and jumping about.
They welcomed the group returning through the entrance, creating a festive atmosphere.
The group surrounded by the crowd immediately caught Liber's eye.
"Good grief, you're all so loud." A gray-haired beastman with gray-white animal ears on his head and a tail swaying at his waist looked irritated. Tattoos marked his face, and he looked like a delinquent thug.
"Everyone's bursting with energy!" cried a black-haired girl with wheat-colored skin, much of it exposed, and coverings only over her chest and hips. She was flat-chested and dressed like a dancer, her voice full of vigor.
"That's already noisy enough. Settle down a little, Tiona." The one who spoke was a black-haired woman who looked almost identical to her in face and complexion, but whose figure was practically her opposite.
Behind the three lively conversationalists stood a golden-haired girl with a petite, delicate build and exquisite features. She watched their exchange silently, like a doll.
As the lively group moved forward, another group behind them drew even more attention with their commanding presence.
It was an unusual combination of a Pallum, an Elf, and a Dwarf.
The golden-haired male Pallum was shorter than everyone present, with a youthful appearance and neat features. He looked like a human child and carried a spear.
The adult female Elf had emerald-green hair and wore a deep green outfit beneath a loose robe that was mostly white with a few decorations.
She held a silver staff set with precious gems. With her long, pointed ears and breathtaking beauty, she was a sight to behold.
The male Dwarf had a thick beard, a broad, sturdy build, and heavy armor. He was nearly as tall as the Pallum and had a powerful physique compared to the female Elf.
The three newcomers exuded maturity. They didn't make exaggerated movements as they greeted the people surrounding them. Their composed manner and warm smiles gave them an almost kindly air.
In the midst of this lively, warm atmosphere, a boisterous figure suddenly burst out of the manor and charged into the crowd.
"I've missed you all so much these past few days!"
Loki shouted as she lunged toward the group.
"Āāāīīīss!"
Loki let out a lecherous groan and flung herself at the doll-like girl in the group.
Everyone's eyes followed Loki. The golden-haired girl suddenly dodged, and Loki crashed into the female Elf instead.
The Elf stumbled, but once she regained her balance, she punched Loki on the head without hesitation.
"Ugh!" Loki let out a muffled cry and collapsed face-first onto the ground.
"What are you doing, Loki?" the Elf asked helplessly.
"I just wanted to cuddle with Ais. But why did Ais have to dodge?" Loki struggled to raise her head.
"Loki, I don't like you," the golden-haired girl said coolly.
"Ugh..." Loki looked as if she had turned to stone.
"You deserved that, Loki. Heehee."
The brown-haired girl dressed like a dancer crouched beside Loki, grinning with delight.
"Stop provoking Loki, Tiona."
The mature black-haired girl, who looked identical to the energetic one, sighed.
"Loki, we've only just gotten back, and you're already making such a racket. Let us rest a bit first."
"You're so noisy. It's irritating." The beastman crossed his arms, looking thoroughly impatient. He showed no respect for the deity sprawled on the ground.
Despite the exchange, the overall atmosphere was unexpectedly harmonious, with a natural warmth between them.
It was obvious at a glance that they were close enough to joke around with one another.
Seeing the scene, Liber thought, So this is a Familia.
Before you continue