Loki Familia

"Let's drink to you almost defeating the Minotaur." Thor raised his beer and clinked glasses with Bell.

"Thank you, Lord."

Bell took a sip of juice, and at last a hint of a smile appeared on his face.

It seemed he was gradually recovering from the shadow cast by Bete's earlier, harsh insults.

Syr, who had been sitting quietly beside Thor and listening to their conversation, also looked surprised.

She let out a soft "huh," her bright eyes widening slightly as she looked at Bell with curiosity. "Mr. Cranel, you almost defeated a Minotaur?"

Her question made Bell feel a little embarrassed. His cheeks reddened, and he habitually reached up to scratch his soft white hair. "Well... it was really all thanks to Lord Thor's guidance and help."

He paused, his voice filled with sincere humility.

"Besides, I only managed to knock one of its legs out from under it under Lord Thor's instruction, so it couldn't stand. I'm still a long way from actually defeating it. In the end, we only finished it off thanks to some adventurers who happened to pass by."

Syr looked at the white-haired, red-eyed boy before her, whose face still carried a youthful innocence. Her eyes were full of disbelief.

She remembered clearly. "But, Mr. Cranel, weren't you... only made an adventurer five days ago?"

Five days ago, he had been a complete novice. Now he could face and grievously wound a powerful monster like a Minotaur on the fifth floor—a creature that should have appeared on the seventeenth. By any adventurer's standards, that was an astonishing rate of progress, unheard of in her experience!

Without a doubt, it could already be called an impressive "Great Feat."

Syr's frank assessment made Bell even more embarrassed. He lowered his head and repeated, "I really did only become an adventurer five days ago, but that's all thanks to Lord Thor's teaching. I couldn't have done it without him."

Only then did Thor set down his beer. He had just taken a sip.

"You have every reason to be proud of what you've achieved, my child. Even with my guidance and support, not everyone would have the courage to seize that fleeting opportunity and act on it."

"Defeating a powerful enemy is certainly a Great Feat. But in the face of desperation, finding even the faintest path to victory through your own will—and putting it into practice—is just as worthy of pride."

His deep gaze settled on Bell. "Your potential is far greater than you realize."

Hearing Thor's direct praise, Bell felt a powerful warmth spread through him. His earlier dejection and insecurity seemed to wash away in an instant.

His eyes lit up, and he straightened his back with a sudden jolt. "Yes, Lord Thor! I understand!"

Watching Bell change so quickly under Thor's words, as if filled with courage—going from shy and dejected to spirited and confident—Syr's heart filled with conflicting emotions.

The corners of her mouth lifted slightly, and she murmured almost unconsciously, "That's nice..."

"Hm?" Bell, newly invigorated, happened to catch her soft sigh.

He blinked, innocently assuming that Syr had grown interested in adventuring, a profession full of challenge and glory.

He asked eagerly, "Miss Syr, are you interested in becoming an adventurer too?"

Faced with his innocent, direct question, Syr merely tilted her head slightly. Her lips curved into a more pronounced, more meaningful, yet still elegant smile.

She neither answered "yes" nor said "no." In those eyes that seemed able to see into people's hearts, profound ripples stirred—ones Bell was still too young to understand.

She only smiled softly, but her gaze once again drifted, almost imperceptibly, toward Thor, who sat beside her quietly drinking his beer.

Rather than adventuring itself, she was more interested in something else...

Just then.

Anya, who was greeting customers at the entrance, suddenly called out in a bright, clear voice that cut through the restaurant's din. "Our reservation has arrived, meow~"

Her greeting seemed almost magical. The bustling restaurant fell abruptly silent, as if someone had cut off the sound.

Whoosh—

Almost every customer in the restaurant turned to look toward the open entrance.

A group walked in.

At their head was a woman whose figure showed no curves whatsoever.

Her eyes were habitually narrowed into slits, and a half-smile played on her face. At first glance, her androgynous appearance and dress made it difficult to tell her gender.

Yet when Thor's gaze pierced through appearances and fell upon her soul, he saw a perfectly round sphere, with no ripples from past experiences and no currents of future change.

All of this clearly revealed her true nature.

She was a deity who had descended to the Lower World, just like the other gods.

Following closely behind the deity were adventurers radiating powerful auras.

Their steady strides made it clear that they were elite adventurers.

Amid the crowd, a conspicuous flash of white caught Bell's eye.

He recognized the white-haired, wolf-eared young man at once: Bete, whose face still bore an unmistakably impatient expression.

Yet even more eye-catching was the figure who slowly entered at the rear of the group.

Her striking golden hair shimmered beneath the restaurant's warm lights like flowing gold. It swayed gently with her light steps, reflecting a soft luster.

Her cool, delicate features, like those of a doll, captured the attention of nearly everyone in the restaurant in an instant.

Someone immediately exclaimed in a hushed voice, "Hey, hey, look! That's one incredible beauty!"

His companion was clearly more sensible. He quickly nudged him with an elbow and warned him nervously.

"Idiot! Keep your voice down! Look at their emblems! That's the Loki Familia's insignia!"

The first man's expression changed at once, and his voice took on a note of awe. "The Familia of the Giant Killer? Then that blonde... could she be the legendary Sword Princess?"

The customers' awed, curious whispers carried clearly to Thor and Bell.

Bell gazed at the familiar figure, gratitude welling up inside him. "Miss Ais is here too."

Unlike his complicated feelings toward Bete, he felt nothing but genuine gratitude toward the girl who had helped him in a moment of danger and generously given him her valuable spoils.

It was thanks to her kindness that they could sit here and enjoy dinner.

Thor hadn't paid her much attention at first, but after hearing the people around him praise Ais's beauty, he gave her a little more notice.

The girl revered as the Sword Princess wore a simple yet exceptionally form-fitting white one-piece minidress.

The back of the dress featured a daring, extensively cut-out design. Its sleek lines perfectly outlined her well-proportioned figure, which radiated strength while retaining a feminine softness.

Judging by the outfit Ais was wearing, Thor thought that the Loki goddess had a fair amount of "admirable" ingenuity in that department.

However, just as Thor was about to trace the details of that cool, graceful figure more carefully—

"Mr. Thor~"

Syr suddenly stood up, positioning herself just right to completely block his view of Ais.

Her face wore an impeccable professional smile, almost too sweet, and in her hand was a small wooden fork that she had picked up at some point.

With elegant poise, she speared a small piece of fish drizzled with sauce and held it out to Thor's lips.

"This is our special pan-fried white fish for today. Please give it a try and tell me what you think~"

Thor looked up in silence, his gaze settling on Syr's brilliantly smiling face, where a complicated emotion was faintly visible.

It was like a touch of displeasure mixed with forced composure.

He didn't eat the fish as Syr expected. Instead, he calmly reached out, took the fork, and put the fish in his own mouth.

He mumbled his thanks around the bite.

By the time Syr sat down again, Loki and her elite Familia members had all taken their seats at the large table reserved for them.

From the corner where Thor and Bell sat, Ais was completely obscured by the tall companions seated around her. Not a glimpse of her remained.

Bell hadn't noticed the little incident at their table at all.

His attention was entirely drawn to the powerful adventurers at the newly occupied table.

He turned his head slightly and asked in a hushed, curious voice, "Lord Thor, is that the Loki Familia...?"

Having come to the Labyrinth City of Orario to pursue his dream of becoming an adventurer, he had long heard of the city's two most prominent forces: the Loki Familia and the Freya Familia.

They were widely recognized as the strongest Familias in Orario, the pinnacle to which countless rookie adventurers aspired.

His gaze swept over the group almost involuntarily, finally settling on Bete, the white-haired, wolf-eared young man.

Beneath the Loki Familia's prestige, that fierce expression and irritable temper seemed to make a certain amount of sense.

So that werewolf was a member of the Loki Familia. No wonder he was so strong—he'd taken down the Minotaur with a single kick, even though I'd given everything I had just to knock it over.

Syr saw that her little maneuver had successfully prevented an unpleasant situation. Relief quietly washed over her, and the tension in her shoulders eased.

She smoothly picked up Bell's thread, her tone returning to its usual warmth and enthusiasm. "That's right, Mr. Cranel. And Lady Loki and some of her core Familia members are regulars at the Hostess of Fertility."

Hearing Syr confirm that the Loki Familia often visited, Bell's eyes flickered, and a hesitant expression crossed his face.

He spoke quietly to Thor. "Lord Thor... well..."

He was wondering whether he should take the opportunity to go over and thank them.

Thor had already seen through Bell's simple intentions.

He took a small sip of beer and spoke calmly, stopping Bell from getting up. "I understand that you want to thank them, but now isn't the right time. Look."

He gestured toward the Loki Familia's lively table with his eyes.

"They seem to be celebrating their successful return from an expedition, and the mood is at its peak. If you rush over and interrupt them now, your thanks would come across as inappropriate, or even inconsiderate."

His reasoning was calm and practical.

"I understand, Lord Thor."

Bell immediately realized his mistake and abandoned the idea of going over just then, answering with a slightly sheepish look.

But his curiosity was soon piqued by a new word in Thor's explanation. "A victory feast... an expedition? Lord Thor, what exactly did you mean by 'expedition'?"

The word sounded so grand and adventurous that he was eager to learn what it meant.

Thor set down his beer and patiently explained.

"An 'expedition' is when a Familia organizes its main force, brings a large supply of essential provisions, and makes a planned journey into the deeper parts of the Dungeon—areas far beyond their usual range, where danger is extreme—for a prolonged, large-scale exploration and campaign."

"Because the Dungeon is so vast and the monsters in the deeper levels so powerful and savage, a full expedition often takes weeks, or even months. It's not something one person or a small group can easily accomplish. It requires careful coordination across the entire Familia. Personnel, logistical supplies, strategic planning—nothing can be left out."

He outlined the expedition's purpose and scale in concise terms.

"It really takes that long to prepare and explore?"

Bell listened with shining eyes. For the first time, he had a clearer understanding of the Dungeon's vastness and the scale of adventuring in its deeper levels. His sense of the Loki Familia's strength grew even stronger.

Seeing Bell's amazement, Thor smoothly steered the conversation toward their own situation.

"That's right. As for me, going deeper into the Dungeon is practically the only way to recover my strength more quickly and gather enough Stardust. The monsters there are stronger, and the energy they contain is more abundant. However..."

His voice turned regretful. "With just the strength we two have right now, we're nowhere near capable of assembling a team that can venture into the deeper levels and sustain an expedition. That's why recruiting reliable companions into our Familia is also an important and urgent task for us."

He made their immediate priority clear: recruitment.

At the words "recruiting new companions," Bell's face instantly lit up with pure anticipation and excitement.

New companions!

What would they be like?

Would they be new adventurers like him, or experienced seniors?

He was filled with longing and curiosity about the people who might one day fight alongside him.

Speaking of recruitment, Thor shook his head helplessly.

"Still, we can't recruit new companions just by rushing into it."

His tone was calm, as if stating the simplest of facts.

"Seeds need time to sprout. Once our strength has grown a little, our reputation will naturally spread around Orario. Then perhaps someone will see the light of the Starry Heavens and be willing to join us."

Syr, who had been quietly listening, her gaze barely leaving Thor, parted her rosy lips as if she wanted to say something.

"Actually..."

She had barely spoken two syllables. Her voice was soft, and there seemed to be some thought or suggestion behind it.

But in that brief instant, a loud, jarring laugh suddenly exploded from the table where the Loki Familia was gathered, drowning out the din of the tavern!

"Ha ha ha ha ha!!!"

The laughter was openly derisive and painfully grating, carrying a sense of condescending contempt.

The one laughing was Bete.

As if he'd heard something utterly ridiculous, he slapped the table and roared with laughter.

His sharp laughter pierced the faint air of hope about the future that had just begun to take shape at the corner table.

Syr's next words were cut off in her throat by that malicious, mocking laughter.