Doubts of the Expedition

Dungeon, 10th Floor.

Liber and Lefiya stopped their conversation as they watched the monsters flying toward them.

The dark, bat-like monsters flapped their thin wings, their bodies covered in a layer of downy fur. Their eyes glowed with a faint green light in the dim depths of the Dungeon, and sharp fangs protruded from their lips.

As the distance between the monsters and the pair closed, the creatures opened their mouths wide. Though no sound could be heard, the two adventurers, who were on high alert, suddenly wore expressions of agony.

Lefiya clutched her head with both hands, shaking it in an attempt to alleviate the pain in her mind.

Liber, his face twisted in a grimace, was faring slightly better than she was. Staring at the three monsters as they approached with their mouths agape, he slashed through the air, swiftly cutting them down.

Only then did the pained expressions on their faces begin to subside, and Liber used magic to retrieve the Magic Stone dropped by the monsters.

Lefiya rubbed her brow and said, "Evil Bat, what a troublesome monster for a mage."

"On the 10th floor, they should count as easy monsters to deal with."

Liber waited until the pain had faded before his brow relaxed, and he replied to Lefiya.

The Evil Bat, a monster that causes headaches, closely resembles a bat in appearance but is significantly larger in size.

Aside from its lethal fangs, it possesses no other organs worth guarding against for an adventurer.

Its peculiar ability lies in emitting strange sound waves that cause pain, disrupting the focus of others.

Those who frequently adventure in the Dungeon have a high tolerance for pain, so the threat level of this monster on the 10th floor is negligible compared to others.

"Sigh~ I wish I were stronger."

Lefiya sighed with a bitter expression.

"You will be, you will be. You have to believe in yourself."

Liber offered words of encouragement in response to her lament.

As a party member, he naturally hoped Lefiya would gain confidence; compared to the nervousness she showed when they first teamed up, she had already changed a great deal during their recent explorations.

""Kee-ee!""

The familiar screech of an Imp echoed from the front of the passage.

The pair, who had just relaxed, tensed up once more. The sound was different from the group of Imps they had encountered earlier.

Unlike the frequent, continuous pattering of that group of Imps, the movement coming from ahead was accompanied by a rumbling that shook the cavern floor.

A monster nearly three meters tall was approaching them, surrounded by a group of Imps.

It had thick fur on its limbs, a pig-like head, and scarlet eyes. Its dark brown skin stretched over a body packed with muscles that looked somewhat bloated, and it approached them empty-handed.

The Imps swarmed around it, looking like minions led by a boss.

Different monsters had gathered together to attack.

"An Orc and Imps? The 10th floor is certainly much busier than the previous levels."

Seeing the monsters appear before him so soon, Liber sighed.

"But since they've gathered together, I'll leave this to you, Lefiya."

"Mm!"

An incantation rang out, and light appeared once more.

The monsters were enveloped in the glow, and their figures vanished as the light dissipated.

After the two finished off the monsters encountered on the 10th floor and explored for a while longer, they decided to turn back.

They were currently walking through the transition zone between the 10th and 9th floors.

The environment here was completely different from the 10th floor; there was no mist permeating the air.

The terrain was flat with few obstructions. The field of vision was wide, allowing one to see the situation ahead at a glance, making it very obvious even if a monster were to "spawn."

This significantly reduced the chance of being ambushed by monsters, and many adventurers could be seen resting here.

The two walked past several resting adventurers, ignoring their wary expressions.

As they headed back toward the upper floors, the two chatted while they walked.

"I heard the Familia is about to start an expedition. I wonder how Riveria is recovering."

Lefiya said to Liber with concern.

"Rest easy. The Captain and the others are old comrades; they wouldn't disregard Riveria's physical condition."

Seeing the worried look on Lefiya's face, Liber comforted her.

"Besides, the supplies for the Freya Familia haven't all arrived yet, so I estimate it will still take some time."

Thinking of the massive amount of various supplies piling up within the Familia over the past few days, Liber felt quite excited about the upcoming expedition.

Seeing Liber's somewhat eager demeanor regarding the expedition, Lefiya hesitated for a moment before tentatively asking, "Liber, you seem to be looking forward to the expedition quite a bit?"

"Of course, isn't it exciting to explore the Dungeon with the Familia, to experience adventures and explore the unknown?"

Liber replied to Lefiya's inquiry with a smile.

"But, Liber, you're still Level 1, right?"

Lefiya said cautiously.

"That is correct."

He responded, looking at Lefiya with confusion.

"Um... you know that at least a Level 2 adventurer is required to participate in an expedition, right?"

She stared at Liber, observing the changes in his expression.

"I know that, but didn't the incident we encountered last time already prove my strength? The Captain also expressed his approval."

He rubbed his chin, pondering as he replied.

"I... I see? Because Lyne Arushe had healing abilities, she still had to wait until she reached Level 2 before the Captain allowed her to join the expedition team. Maybe I was just overthinking it."

Hearing Liber's answer, Lefiya let out a breath, her cautious expression finally relaxing.

"Lyne, huh."

Hearing her words, Liber's confidence in joining the expedition team dropped slightly.

Lyne Arushe, about the same age as him, was a healer and supporter in the Familia.

He had greeted her at a Familia banquet before, and she had joined the Loki Familia very early on.

"Well, it shouldn't be a big problem. I'll go find the Captain later to confirm."

Thinking this, Liber remained full of confidence regarding his participation in the expedition.

He and Lefiya headed toward the surface, ending their adventure for the day.

"You are not among the personnel for this expedition."

Finn held the file and replied gently to Liber's inquiry about the expedition roster.

"Why?"

Liber asked Finn, puzzled.

"I explained it to you roughly before; the expedition team requires at least Level 2 strength."

Finn put down the file and said patiently upon seeing his confused expression.

"Although your abilities can play a significant role during the expedition, and your growth was witnessed by everyone in the previous incident..."

Finn's expression gradually became serious.

"However, the Dungeon beyond the middle floors is extremely dangerous. Even Level 2 adventurers cannot always keep up with our pace. You have only recently joined the Familia; I cannot put a rookie with excellent potential in a desperate situation just for temporary convenience."

Finn saw that he was no longer confused, though there was still some unwillingness on his face.

"There is no need to be so regretful. The expedition is for exploring unknown floors, but the main purpose this time is to raise the Familia's reputation. After all..."

Finn sighed, thinking about how he had yet to surpass the achievements of his predecessors.

"Forget it. In short, this is just to show our strength to the outside world. Even though I planned it early on, this series of events means this expedition cannot be called perfect. If you want to join an expedition, reach Level 2 as soon as possible."

Liber looked at Finn, who was explaining patiently, and helplessly expressed his agreement.

After walking out of the room, he closed the door and stood outside, lost in thought.

A moment later, he muttered to himself.

"Level 2, is it?"

He turned and walked toward Loki's private chamber.

Meanwhile, at the top of Babel.

The figure hidden deep under the robe quietly closed the door to the maid's room once again.

After closing the door, the figure straightened up, lifted their head slightly, and turned around confidently.

Just as they took a step, they immediately saw a tall figure not far away in the corridor.

The person under the robe was startled and took a step back.

"Ottar."

A sweet voice came from under the cloak.

The tall figure stepped forward, revealing himself before her.

Ottar said in a dull voice: "May I ask what you intend to do while wearing the Eagle Feather Cloak to suppress your presence?"

He asked the cloaked figure with a respectful tone.

"Hmm, I suddenly felt like going out for a stroll."

He listened to the playful voice emanating from beneath the cloak.

"No."

Ottar replied solemnly to the person before him.

"Ottar, when did you learn to speak to me like that?"

The person extended a slender, fair hand from beneath the cloak and slowly pulled back the hood.

It revealed silver-gray hair and an unparalleled countenance; the mere display of her features embodied the essence of feminine grace.

At this moment, she looked at Ottar with an expression of dissatisfaction.

Ottar stood motionless before her, his tone steady as he spoke.

"Our Goddess Freya, you wish to go out in search of 'destiny' again, do you not?"

Having sworn loyalty to Freya and offering her all his respect, adoration, and love, Ottar was naturally unwilling to let her go out alone.

Should even the slightest scratch appear on her exquisite skin, the entire Freya Familia, Ottar included, would sooner mutilate themselves in apology; the Familia was overprotective of Freya and cherished her safety above all else.

"Under normal circumstances, I would never commit such an error. However, given the commotion you caused a few days ago, Goddess Freya, and for the sake of your safety, we are compelled to offer our counsel and restrain your actions."

Usually, Ottar acted as the model of a servant, working without complaint, but now he was uncharacteristically grumbling.

Ottar attempted to persuade the Goddess with phrasing that was perhaps excessively respectful, leaving Freya speechless.

Even with the vast wealth of the Freya Familia, the fines issued by the Guild were enough to cause a sting.

Not to mention that the private compensation given to the Loki Familia was enough to be considered bone-breaking; even so, the Freya Familia had to ensure their Goddess's enjoyment.

To this end, the executives led by Vice-Captain Allen were working day and night in the Dungeon to earn wealth, ensuring the Goddess's needs were perfectly met while compensating the Loki Familia.

Because Freya understood that she would likely cause a similar stir again, she merely let her dissatisfaction show on her face.

"You stay by my side, yet you refuse to understand my heart."

"...I implore you to set your heart at ease. Aside from this, we are willing to give our all for you..."

Ottar bowed slightly and said in a deep voice.

"You all just want to lock me in a birdcage, just like those other gods."

She stiffened her expression, turned her face away, and waved her hand to the side.

"You may withdraw."

Freya said casually.

Ottar straightened his posture, looked at the Goddess, stared at her helplessly, and said sincerely.

"We shall obey any command of yours, but the Familia cannot currently withstand another similar commotion."

"I beg you to at least take this child with you to put everyone's hearts at ease. We ask for nothing else; we only implore you to agree to this."

As he spoke, he pushed the petite figure behind him in front of the Goddess.

It was a young girl with hair similar in color to Freya's.

With hair reaching her waist and bangs covering her right eye, she stood tall with a cute face.

She was gazing at the Goddess's face with fervor.

"This child is... Heith?"

"Yes, the member you recruited a few days ago. I hope she may attend to your side."

Ottar said respectfully.

Seeing his solemn request and looking at the cute girl, Freya smiled and agreed.

From then on, Goddess Freya was often accompanied by others when she went out.

That night, Goddess Freya wanted to stroll through the city, but she was discovered by high-level adventurers on patrol and escorted back to the Freya Familia.

In the days that followed, she went out alone repeatedly, only to be quickly discovered by members of her own Familia and secretly guarded.

Later, she learned that the Guild, to prevent Orario from being thrown into chaos by similar incidents again, had privately notified the major Familias to report her whereabouts to the Guild immediately upon sighting her, so that her Familia could be notified.

This kept her quiet for a long time.

But that is a story for the future.