Soma's Expedition Arrangements

"Falan, Falan."

Hearing Soma's voice, Falan snapped back to his senses.

"Uh... Lord Soma, what is it?"

"What have you decided?"

At that, Falan could not help but smile bitterly.

"Can I refuse the last part?"

Updating his Blessing values? He could understand that.

After all, he had been in the Dungeon for a month.

Based on the information he had gathered, there were precedents for Level 2 adventurers raising their stats to S within a month.

After all, compared to Level 1, Level 2 came with Development Abilities and various other improvements.

Generally speaking, adventurers in Orario needed several months, or even a year, to advance from Level 1 to Level 2.

But for Level 2 to advance to Level 3, let alone three months, some managed it in under a month.

(As long as one stat reached D, one could level up. But generally, unless someone truly lacked talent, no one would do that.)

Taking the surviving adventurers of the Soma Familia along? That was naturally possible, since Falan was now the acting captain of the Soma Familia.

But having him cozy up to adventurers from the Loki Familia during the expedition? He was not doing that.

As a modern man, Falan considered himself a person of principle.

He could more or less guess what Soma intended: borrowing a hen to hatch eggs.

Having him join the expedition force and raise his stats past SS in every category last time had been an example of that.

"You refuse? Fine. After all, you managed to endure Divine Wine, so it's only normal for you to have thoughts of your own."

...What did enduring Lord Soma's Divine Wine have to do with any of this?

"All right, turn around. My Divine Wine is only halfway through brewing."

"Oh... right, right, right..." Seeing how his god appeared indifferent on the surface but became somewhat rougher in his movements afterward—

Falan could only laugh bitterly. His god appeared gloomy and composed on the surface,

but only after truly interacting with him would one realize that he was a god with quite the temper and an obsessive streak.

Otherwise, when members of the Soma Familia had become addicted to Divine Wine, Soma could have handled things properly if he had wanted to.

Instead, he had simply given up, allowing the once-glorious Soma Familia to decline into its current state.

After turning around, Falan felt the scorching divine power at his back. Soon, a sheet of paper was roughly pressed against him.

Soma quickly showed him his updated values.

[Name]: Falan

[Level]: Lv. 2

[Ability Values]

Strength: I0 → S971

Endurance: I0 → SS1155

Dexterity: I0 → SS1002

Agility: I0 → SS1040

Magic: I0 → SSS1264

[Development Ability]: Mage I → G

[Magic]: Life Magic

[Skills]: Child of the Dark Elf

Witness of History [See Chapter 25 for details]

One-Man Caravan NEW

● Gain bonuses when carrying more than a certain amount of items

○ Backpack gains one thousand additional slots

● Stat bonuses are proportional to the number of carried items (slots)

● Bonus to Endurance growth

...

"I didn't expect you to be able to level up again so soon."

"Mhm, mhm." Falan nodded vigorously with his lips pressed together. The growth in these stats was simply too outrageous.

He had originally thought that all five of his stats would only reach S.

Yet aside from Strength, the rest had reached SS, while his Magic had once again climbed to SSS.

Although his stats were not as extravagant as last time, they had indeed reached the limit for advancing from Level 2.

"So, will you level up first this time? Just like last time, I suggest waiting until after the expedition."

Soma's words left Falan unsure how to respond.

He really could level up. There were precedents for advancing from Level 2 to Level 3 within a month.

But those people usually advanced with stats below S. Reaching S or above in every stat within a month and then leveling up again might be too eye-catching. Yet if he did not level up, the stats he could gain next might be quite limited.

"I'll join the expedition force first. Leveling up after only one month would attract too much attention."

"It's good that you understand. Here."

"???" Falan looked at the item Soma handed him, utterly puzzled.

He naturally recognized it. It was Divine Wine, the Divine Wine Soma had brewed in the lower world that rivaled the original.

As though he had heard Falan's question, Soma said, "It's not for you to drink."

"It's for Loki. He's a drunkard. Use it to win him over."

"Uh..."

"Are you thinking that I'll stop at nothing?" Soma laughed softly. "Perhaps. But if you have an advantage to use or connections to draw upon and refuse to use them, wouldn't that be foolish? Every member of the Soma Familia besides you is only Level 1."

"I mean for you to bring them along to broaden their horizons. Tell Loki that this Divine Wine is the deposit."

...Lord Soma, aren't you being a little too stingy? Last time, when I bought Magic Swords, I used over a hundred bottles of Divine Wine!

Although those had all been unfinished products, using just one genuine bottle of Divine Wine as a deposit this time seemed a little too little, did it not?

"Don't look at me like that. When it comes to alcohol, I'm the professional. The ones I had you sell to Hephaestus last time were merely inferior Divine Wine, so of course they were not worth much. This finished Divine Wine is worth far more than you imagine in the eyes of people and gods who understand alcohol."

"All right, I understand. Then if this is the deposit, what is your upper limit, Lord Soma?"

"Give him thirty bottles in total, including this one. At that price, Loki should be willing to take them along."

"Lord Soma, how many people do you want me to bring?"

"Four. The Al you saw at the entrance, plus Liliruca, Yunika, and Lser."

...Fine. Other than Al at the entrance, I hadn't even met the other three.

"What specialties do they have as adventurers?"

"Al is a swordsman who excels with a two-handed greatsword. Liliruca is a supporter skilled in bow and crossbow support. Yunika is a Half-Elf skilled in magic. Lser is also a supporter, and his weapon is a dagger. Those four are the only ones in the Soma Familia who can still be raised up. As for the others, forget it..."

Falan could hear the helplessness in Soma's words, but there was nothing to be done about it.

After all, these children had grown up surrounded by nothing but drunkards in the Familia and had been influenced by them since childhood.

Or perhaps the fact that Soma had managed to pick out four children who could still be saved from among them showed just how capable he was?

"Understood. But it's the deep floors, Lord Soma. You know that Liliruca and Yunika are both ranged fighters, so bringing them along is fine. But Al and Lser will probably have a hard time taking part in combat."

"That's why I said I want you to bring them to see the world and broaden their horizons, so they won't remain immersed in Divine Wine."

...So the four I'm bringing this time are all drunkards too, just not as deeply addicted?

"All right, I understand..."

As the captain of the Soma Familia, Falan had never truly possessed the right to refuse.

"What about the Magic Swords? I brought back fifty-seven last time. Should I distribute some to them for protection?"

"Mhm." Soma nodded, then used divine power to push Falan out the door.

After all, his Divine Wine was only halfway through brewing. If he left it alone any longer, it would affect the wine's quality.

As for Falan, after leaving Soma's room, he let out a helpless sigh.

Last time, he had gone alone, and the Freya Familia had been there as well, so he had not needed to worry about safety.

But now that he was the captain of a Familia, he had no choice but to think more about the children under his care.