Liber looked at Loki helplessly.
He nodded and silently thought, Levitation.
His feet lifted off the ground, and he slowly floated upward, coming to a stop in midair.
"Oh! He's flying!" Tiona cried out in amazement.
Everyone else looked just as delighted.
"This is... chantless magic?" Riveria asked, surprised as she watched Liber hovering in the air. "I've never seen anything like it."
"That's an exceptionally fine spell," Finn praised him warmly.
Riveria, like the others, was quite friendly toward Liber.
The only exception was Bete, the young werewolf, who still stood there looking disdainful and had even grown a little impatient. He seemed to have taken an instant dislike to Liber.
"He's just some small fry with a bit of magic. You're praising him way too much."
His words made the atmosphere shift slightly. "Bete."
Finn frowned and warned him. Bete snorted and said no more. "Don't mind him."
"He's just foul-mouthed."
Liber showed no disappointment. He shook his head, his expression unchanged.
"Thanks for your concern. I'm fine." Liber paused, then said, "I have another spell, too."
Tiona looked as if she might cry. "You just got your blessing and already have two spells? I still don't have a single one!"
Finn looked pleased. "Now that's something rare."
In front of everyone, Liber's hand gradually faded from view and disappeared, then reappeared.
"Another chantless spell." Riveria raised an eyebrow.
"Invisibility?" Ais asked quietly, curious.
Liber glanced at her in surprise. "It's not invisibility. It's a storage space."
"I can use magic to create a space that only I can access, and expand it permanently by consuming magic power. Right now, it's about..."
Liber found it hard to explain how small the space was—about the size of a backpack. He silently spent all the magic power he had recovered and felt the space gradually expand. Once he had used it all up, he gauged the space's size and said,
"Right now... it's about half the size of Loki's room."
Finn's eyes widened slightly. He suddenly asked, "Are there any restrictions on what you can store in that space?"
Liber hesitated. "I haven't noticed any restrictions so far."
"That's wonderful," Finn said, delighted. "This ability could be a huge help. With you joining our expeditions, we'll be able to go deeper."
"Thank you for your praise."
Liber looked at the little person before him, who seemed like a human child. Finn was not only a Level 6 first-class adventurer, but also a legendary figure regarded as a hero for having sworn to restore the Pallum race.
As captain of the Loki Familia, he had led them for decades, from their humble beginnings as a tiny Familia, insignificant as dust, to the mighty force that now dominated Orario. He had personally experienced countless adventures and had a great many epic tales of his own to tell.
That was why everyone present, from the royal elf to the many Familia members with their distinct personalities, trusted this seemingly mild-mannered Pallum from the bottom of their hearts.
Even Loki, the goddess, merely stood nearby with a smile, leaving the spotlight entirely to Finn. That alone spoke volumes about his ability and authority.
Besides, although he looked small and young, he was actually forty years old. Liber was younger than him even if he added together his ages in both this life and his previous one.
Whatever the case, Liber took Finn's words and actions seriously.
"You'll have to grow as quickly as you can. Your ability will be useful right away, but the Dungeon is still too dangerous. Once you reach Level 2, you can join our expeditions."
Finn offered Liber some reassurance.
"All right, all right! Now that we've all met, Liber should hurry and finish reading the documents. I forgot to tell you earlier: to become an adventurer, you need to register with the Guild!"
Loki let out a strange sound, raised both hands, and bounced around. "Let's have a party, let's have a party! We can deal with everything else later. We'll throw a big welcome party for our new member!"
"You just want to drink, don't you?" Finn said, looking amused. Loki grinned shamelessly.
Then Finn clapped his hands. "But it's true. We should welcome new members and show them how we feel."
Finn looked at Liber warmly. "We have plenty of time ahead of us. I hope everyone in the Familia will get along well. Some people just aren't very pleasant when they speak, but we're all members of the same Familia. Deep down, we care about and look out for one another, so please don't take it to heart."
Bete leaned against the wall with his arms crossed and clicked his tongue. He turned his head away without saying anything.
"Wow, Bete, you didn't even argue back?" Tiona teased.
"You're so annoying," Bete snapped, then started playfully bickering with Tiona.
The others watched them with smiles.
Finn stood up to stop the two of them from fooling around. "That's enough of that!"
He looked around at everyone, smiling. "Let's throw a lively banquet to welcome our new member!"
""Yeah!"" Everyone responded enthusiastically, then filed out of the Divine Chamber to prepare for the festivities.
At the banquet, Liber met many other members, such as Raul Nord, a Level 4 adventurer with the adventurer title Superhuman; Cruz Basel, also a Level 4 adventurer; and Line Arshe, a Level 2 adventurer with a special ability.
These people were the Familia's backbone. Quite a few were second-class adventurers, and even the third-class adventurers among them each had their own unique strengths.
These formidable adventurers had taken part in the Familia's expeditions many times. Their abilities were solid, and they had plenty of experience.
After talking with them, Liber watched as they danced enthusiastically and laughed at the banquet.
He couldn't help but remark, "This place is lively enough to be a little overwhelming."
"Really? You get used to it. Everyone here is pretty enthusiastic."
Finn sat down beside Liber with a glass of wine in hand and struck up a conversation. "Have you ever fought or trained before? Should I arrange for someone to teach you and help you get used to fighting and the Dungeon?"
Liber held a glass of juice and politely declined. "No need. I've trained in swordsmanship before, and I've never let up on my daily exercise. I've even hunted animals with other people from time to time. I'd like to experience the Dungeon for myself first."
Finn smiled and took a sip of wine. "That's impressive. You've prepared so thoroughly."
"Well, I've always thought people should rely on themselves. That's especially true for adventurers. When your life is on the line, you have to prepare carefully."
Liber replied without committing himself.
"Being independent is a good thing, but after joining a Familia, you still need to rely on the other members sometimes. Be sure to play it safe when you first enter the Dungeon."
Finn gave him a concerned reminder.
"Of course, Captain. I value my life."
Liber felt a little helpless at Finn's concern.
"It's rare to see someone your age join a Familia with such a mature and steady attitude."
"Oh, right. Here, take this." Finn unfastened the pouch at his waist and tossed it to Liber. It clinked as it landed in his hand.
"What's this?" Liber asked, puzzled.
"There are a hundred thousand Valis in there. It's financial support from the Familia for new members. Everyone who joins gets some. Usually, it's enough to buy a good set of equipment," Finn answered warmly.
"I see. Thanks." Liber quietly used his spatial magic, and the pouch slowly vanished from the bottom up as he placed it in his personal storage space.
"That ability of yours is so convenient, it makes me jealous," Finn exclaimed. "Well, I'll leave you to your food. If you run into any difficulties or problems, come talk to me. Everyone in the Familia will help you work it out."
Finn then headed toward the lively crowd at the banquet, still holding his glass.
"The captain, huh... He seems like a pretty good person." Watching Finn's small figure disappear into the lively crowd, Liber murmured to himself.
Then he turned to the bustling crowd and continued eating on his own.
After the banquet ended, everyone returned to their rooms.
Liber sprawled out on the bed, arms and legs spread, and stared at the unfamiliar ceiling.
"The Familia members seem pretty nice," he remarked.
"I've finished reading the documents, too. Tomorrow, I'll officially head into the Dungeon for my first adventure."
"What's the Dungeon really like?"
"Maybe I should get some equipment first."
With all sorts of thoughts running through his mind, Liber fell asleep.
Before you continue