Impending Expedition and Negotiation

Falan quickly understood why his guard, Golan, had suddenly wanted to test his "magic."

It was simply because the Freya Familia, while centered around the goddess Freya—

—had gained corresponding responsibilities along with its immense reputation and numerous privileges.

Taking Orario's current twin powerhouses as an example, the Freya Familia, like the Loki Familia, had to bear the responsibility of exploring the deeper floors.

After all, ever since the destruction of the Zeus Familia and Hera Familia, the past few years had been filled with conflict and unrest caused by the Evils.

The Adventurer Guild, and even Orario itself, needed an achievement great enough to stabilize the people.

The best way to do that was to wipe out the remnants of the Evils. The next best was to repeat the accomplishments of their predecessors.

[Name]: Falan

[Level]: Lv. 1

[Ability Values]

Strength: H101 → G286

Endurance: I93 → F301

Dexterity: I88 → G298

Agility: I90 → F324

Magic: G250 → D563

[Development Abilities]:

[Magic]: Life Magic

After yet another update, someone lying on the bed heard his god speak.

"That is quite surprising."

"What is it?"

"Nothing. It is just that you have only been an adventurer for a little over ten days, yet you already meet the requirements for leveling up."

Silently using his divine power to copy the status onto a sheet of paper—

Soma lightly tossed the sheet in front of him, then took a step back.

He sat down in a chair by the window. "Take a look yourself. Your magic has already reached D."

"It really has..."

"As I said last time, that is because you have been using your magic so frequently."

"Mm-hm." Since someone was protecting him, Falan naturally had no reason to be stingy.

Over the past few days, he had often fought until his magic was completely exhausted before being hauled back by a Level 2 from either the Loki Familia or the Freya Familia.

"Then, Lord Soma, do you recommend that I level up now?"

"I do not. Besides, you do not yet meet the requirements for advancement."

"I should have told you this. Even if I did not, you should have heard it from the Guild."

"For an adventurer to 'level up,' they must accomplish a 'great deed.'"

Soma spoke coldly, walked over to Falan, and picked up the status sheet again.

"Besides, adventurers who rush to advance are usually fools."

"Those who advance while their basic abilities are generally below D may appear to reach Level 2 quickly."

"But that also drains their potential in another way. For example, an adventurer who levels up with all their abilities at D—"

"By the time they reach Level 4, their total ability values may not even compare to a Level 3!"

"My advice is to wait until you have entered the Dungeon with the Freya Familia for a month or two."

"After all, fighting in the deep floors, and even the deepest floors, is the best way to accumulate ability values."

"Preferably, raise every ability to SS before advancing."

"..." Lord Soma, you are setting me up. How can a tiny Level 1 like me follow a large Familia into the deepest floors?

During this time, Falan had also learned how adventurers from the major Familias were distributed during exploration.

Level 1 adventurers generally operated in the upper floors, Floors 1 through 12, because the monsters there were mostly Level 1 and did not spawn very frequently.

Level 2 adventurers generally operated in the middle floors, Floors 13 through 18. These floors were mainly populated by pack monsters such as rabbits and wolves, along with Minotaurs whose racial levels ranged from Level 2 to Level 4. Only upper-tier adventurer parties could handle them, and the safe zone on the 18th Floor served as their base.

The deep floors were generally where second-tier and first-tier adventurers hunted monsters. As for the deepest floors, those were already where the major Familias conducted expeditions. The monsters there generally started at Level 3 at the very least.

Wasn't it extremely dangerous for a lower-tier Level 1 adventurer with special magic to follow them without leveling up?

Soma saw through Falan's little thoughts and shook his head helplessly.

After all, if Falan had not accidentally exposed himself at the Adventurer Guild—

—why would he send an adventurer he had finally taken a liking to off to his death?

Of course, what he had told Falan was also true. The deepest floors really were the best place to accumulate ability values.

Otherwise, would the major Familias not simply remain in the deep floors forever?

The reason they kept exploring lower was because hunting monsters in the deep floors no longer met their requirements for leveling up.

And while letting a Level 1 follow a large Familia on an expedition was indeed dangerous on the surface—

—the rewards corresponding to the risks were also enormous. After all, Falan was not some ordinary support member.

His magic was comparable to, or even far surpassed, an entire support squad from the past.

That was precisely why Soma was not worried in the slightest about Falan joining the Freya Familia's expedition.

Just think about it: if one person represented the gains from an entire expedition, would anyone be willing to let that person take any risks?

That was why Soma and Falan saw things differently, and why Soma could so calmly let Falan join the expedition.

"..." As for Falan, he could only accept it helplessly.

After all, through his interactions with Golan, he had become very aware that he was merely a Level 1 adventurer.

Aside from Life Magic, perhaps the cheat granted to him as a transmigrator, he had nothing that the Freya Familia would consider worthy of notice.

Yet because of that, he had to risk dying at any moment as he was brought to the dangerous deepest floors for an "expedition."

After updating his status, Falan quietly left.

Since he, a "special" Level 1 adventurer, was going to follow a large Familia on an expedition to the deepest floors—

—danger would naturally be everywhere. He had to make good use of these few days of preparation to strengthen himself.

And so, he came to the Hephaestus Familia, the Familia of the Greek goddess of fire and smithing.

"Hmm? You want to buy a Magic Sword from me? And you want credit?"

Hephaestus, who had been interested in meeting an adventurer with special magic—

—could not help but be stunned upon hearing Falan's request.

"Yes. After all, Lady Hephaestus, I assume you already know..."

"You are about to join the Freya Familia's expedition?"

"Yes. That is why I need a Magic Sword to protect myself."

"I can sell you a Magic Sword, but credit? Absolutely not. What do you take my Hephaestus Familia for?"

"Lord Soma has already spoken to me about that..." Falan silently summoned a cabinet full of failed batches of Divine Wine from his Backpack.

"This is the collateral the Soma Familia offers for this credit arrangement."

"..." As a goddess of fire, Hephaestus naturally shared the fondness for alcohol.

At the sight of an entire cabinet of Divine Wine—albeit failed batches—she could not help swallowing.

After all, even if it was a failed batch, Divine Wine made by Soma, the god of wine, was only inferior compared to genuine Divine Wine.

To the adventurers and gods living in Orario, it was undoubtedly a rare and peerless nectar.

I want a sip so badly... Hephaestus could not help thinking. To her, this Divine Wine was sufficient as collateral.

After all, even if she did not drink it herself, she could probably recover her costs by reselling it at auction.

She might even turn a small profit thanks to the praise and frenzied bidding of certain wine lovers.

But thinking that this Divine Wine was not yet hers, Hephaestus suppressed the desire in her heart.

They were negotiating right now. She could not let her own craving allow the other side to bargain her down.

"As expected of Soma. He truly understands us well. How many bottles of Divine Wine are in there?"

"There are one hundred and thirty bottles of failed Divine Wine."

"Then I will give you one Magic Sword for two bottles of Divine Wine as collateral."

"..." Falan frowned. This was rather different from what he had expected.

But that was negotiation. The other side threw out a high price first, leaving room for bargaining.

"One bottle for two swords. This is not a direct barter, after all. I will make up the difference when I return."

"Hehe, indeed. Then how about one bottle for one sword? Consider it half purchase, half gift. After all, my Hephaestus Familia has only a little over a hundred Magic Swords at most. We cannot provide any more than that."

"..." I see. Your bottom line is roughly one bottle for one sword, just like mine.

As expected of a goddess. They may seem casual and straightforward, but that is only because they have lived long enough for their thoughts not to show.

Two bottles for one sword was her opening price. When she saw me offer one bottle for two swords, she immediately felt out my approximate bottom line.

What half purchase, half gift? What cannot provide any more? These were simply basic negotiation tactics accumulated through a god's long life experience.

Translated, it meant: I will exchange one Magic Sword for one bottle of this failed Divine Wine.

I call it half purchase, half gift. Even if you know the difference between the market price and private auction prices, you can only accept it.

Cannot provide any more? That means I am not familiar with Soma. It is already generous enough that I am willing to barter with you. Give you a few more swords? Forget it.

In Falan's eyes, she was simply someone unwilling to suffer any loss.