Loki Gets Her Wish, a Gaze Before Twilight Manor

Inside the conference room, the Familia's executives, freshly washed of the dust from their journey, had gathered together.

Finn sat behind an office desk that seemed slightly too spacious for him, while the others lounged casually around the room.

"That was the general situation with the expedition. After being intercepted by the Cannon Dragon, I made the immediate decision to return to the surface."

After hearing Finn's report, Loki, wine never leaving her hand, sank lazily into the sofa and let out a satisfied belch.

"Urgh! Got it. Good work, everyone!"

Finn shook his head with a wry smile. "Please take this seriously, Loki."

"Also, because of the losses caused by the failed expedition, the Familia will likely have to take on more adventuring jobs from now on to make ends meet."

"What!?"

At that, Loki instantly sobered up. She clutched her wine bottle tightly and cried out.

"Don't tell me... you're even cutting off my booze?"

"No, no! Anything but that!"

Finn folded his hands beneath his chin, his tone calm.

"That depends on the circumstances."

"But please consider how hard the Familia members work and buy less expensive wine."

Loki looked as though she had been struck by lightning. She nodded heavily, then suddenly let out an eerie snicker.

"Hehehe~ If fine wine is out of reach, then I'll just have to seek comfort in a big sister's ample bosom!"

Bete, who had no interest in indulging a god's antics, frowned and shouted sharply.

"Quit being disgusting!"

"Instead of fooling around, why don't you hurry up and explain the situation? Why does that small fry get special treatment?"

As he spoke, Bete's tone abruptly shifted into mockery.

"Don't tell me you've finally become interested in men?"

Loki's eyes flew wide as she slammed the table and leapt to her feet. "Who'd ever like stinky men!?"

Finn coughed twice and, clearly used to this, raised a hand to calm them down.

"Calm down, Loki. And Bete, watch your language."

Bete folded his arms, snorted, and leaned against the wall without another word.

Loki casually tossed aside her wine bottle, then pulled two sheets of parchment from her pocket and waved them around.

Her lightly flushed face brimmed with smug delight, like a gambler revealing a winning hand.

"Wondering why I'm giving that brat special treatment? Take a look at these, and you'll understand."

The Familia executives exchanged glances as tension silently built.

So it really was because of his status?

Was it powerful magic? Or a rare skill?

They had never expected him to be willing to make his status public.

After all, a status was an adventurer's greatest secret.

Normally, anyone besides their patron deity and Familia captain could be kept in the dark.

But Kashu had told Loki that he did not mind if it was disclosed only among the Familia's executives.

If anything, he hoped those who saw his status would not fall into self-doubt because of it.

Loki handed the two parchments to Finn first. They recorded the information from Kashu's first two level-ups.

The usually composed Pallum's pupils abruptly contracted the instant he saw the status.

He checked it again and again, disbelief written all over his face. In the end, he pressed a hand to his forehead and laughed quietly.

"So this is the possibility the gods can't stop talking about? He truly is one of a kind."

With that, he tossed the parchments onto the desk, signaling for everyone to come inspect them.

The executives: (°Д°)!?

"SSS? What is this?"

"Magic at two thousand? Even his lowest stat, Endurance, has already surpassed mine! This..."

"You people should look further down! The silver-haired guy's magic and skills are all super amplification!"

"Tch. Is that really the level a small fry should have? Something must be wrong!"

"Loki, what exactly is this..."

Ais stared fixedly at the two parchments as if drawn by a magnet, her knuckles turning faintly white from how tightly she clenched her fists.

This strength that surpassed limits and defied comprehension was exactly what she had always dreamed of.

Yet now, she could only catch a glimpse of it in someone else.

Meanwhile, Loki, having finally gotten her wish and proudly showing off to her heart's content, grinned wickedly and gleefully added fuel to the fire.

"You're already shocked? Then do you remember when he joined our Familia?"

Everyone froze, unable to understand why Loki had said that.

According to the members who had stayed behind, Kashu had joined the Familia just over a week ago. But what did that have to do with anything?

Some had not thought deeply about it, while others did not dare to.

Because that possibility was simply too far beyond common sense.

Finn took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

He looked at the evil god, whose delighted expression made it seem as if she might start dancing at any moment, and asked in a low voice.

"Before receiving your Divine Blessing, had Kashu... joined any other Familia?"

"Hey! Finn, that joke's going too far!"

"Is that true? Then that means..."

"One week! Ten days at most!"

Everyone stared intensely at Loki, their hearts a tangled mess of emotions.

They hoped she would deny Finn's guess, yet also hoped that their Familia had truly been blessed with an unprecedented genius.

Loki's eyes curved into crescents as she slowly nodded, confirming the speculation. A storm surged within everyone's hearts.

Night had fallen. Kashu walked through the bustling streets carrying the heavy money pouch he had exchanged at the Guild.

The crisp clinking of Valis drew frequent glances from nearby adventurers.

He carried no weapon, wore no armor, and did not even have the backpack used by supporters.

Just how had this guy earned so much Valis?

Two adventurers from the Soma Familia poked their heads out, licked their dry lips, exchanged a look, and prepared to quietly tail him.

Unexpectedly, three senior members of their Familia hurriedly grabbed them by the shoulders and warned them in low voices.

"Don't go looking for death! That guy's from the Loki Familia. He only needs one punch to take down a Level 2!"

"Uh..."

The two shrank their necks, stared at each other, and hastily abandoned their ill intentions.

"Thanks for the warning, seniors. I didn't expect you to be so well-informed. Impressive!"

"...Just a little experience from those who came before. Nothing worth mentioning."

Farther down the street—

Kashu took a freshly fried potato ball, grabbed a handful of Valis from his pouch, placed it on the stall, waved casually, and turned to leave.

"Keep the change."

"Eh~ Really? Thank you for your patronage! Please come again!"

Kashu carefully fed Fou as he listened to the young female vendor cheering behind him, unable to keep from laughing.

The world was vast, and all manner of strange things existed.

He truly had not expected that even gods could end up in such dire straits.

"Divine Blessings don't have ranks. Wouldn't trying harder to recruit Familia members be better than hawking goods from a roadside stall?"

"Or is this a hobby unique to a god?"

Lost in thought, Kashu never stopped walking and successfully returned to Twilight Manor before dinner.

Just as he was about to return to his room and put down the money pouch, he spotted a slender figure standing quietly at the front gate.

At the same time, a gaze filled with intense obsession locked firmly onto him!