Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

How dare you say that...

Tiona and the others knew how they obtained "Cadmus's Membrane," and cast thoughtful glances at Tiona.

"...I cannot make a decision on my own. Please wait a moment. I will go and consult Dean Kate."

"Oh well, then let's not exchange money here. We're short on time. It's a shame, but let's take it to another [Family] and have them buy it."

Amed froze instantly, and Thione smiled at her.

Ais and the others were completely left aside. The doll-like girl seemed to have given up and sighed softly.

"Twelve hundred... I'll buy it for that price."

"Thank you, Amid. It's always good to have friends when you're out in the world."

Hearing Tione's increasingly audacious words, Amed sighed again.

She called the other group members over from behind the counter, and they quickly prepared the full amount in cash.

Rafia nervously accepted a large sack, inside which a large amount of fari gold coins jingled.

"I'm sorry, Amid..."

"No, after all, we were the ones who made the adventurer's request because we thought you wouldn't be able to refuse."

It's not appropriate to apologize during negotiations, but Ais couldn't help saying it anyway. Amid smiled wryly and told her not to take it to heart. "Let's just consider it a draw since we both lost out," she said.

She was incredibly intelligent and kind-hearted. As a healer, she had treated many adventurers like Ais, and they had no suspicion of Amid, who trusted them completely. This had nothing to do with the interests of the Familia.

Ais awkwardly smiled back and bought some high potions she'd used during the expedition for herself, just as a token gesture. Tiona and Lefia did the same.

As she exited the facility, the petite girl bowed deeply, just as she had when she came out to greet them, and watched Ais and the others leave.

"Ah—, I'll feel embarrassed when I see Amide in the future... Tione went too far."

"It wouldn't be worth it if we didn't get this amount. Amid knows that very well."

"Who knows, another difficult adventurer request might arrive without Amid's knowledge..."

"Wow, that's very possible! The gods there might really vent their anger in this way!"

With their payment and plenty of money, Ais and the others walked down Northwest Street.

It was still early before noon, but the adventurers had probably already gone to the dungeons, and the streets were much less crowded. Only those who were perhaps resting today and weren't wearing any armor remained. They looked around at weapons and armor, seemingly just enjoying the pleasure of shopping.

The wide avenue was lined with numerous shops. The figures of Tiona and her friends, chatting animatedly, and Ais, listening attentively, were reflected in the gleaming shop windows as they passed by.

"Then hurry up and take the reward (this) to headquarters. It's a little scary to carry it around everywhere."

"...Tione, excuse me, may I go and repair the weapons?"

"Ah, you're going to the [Gubney Familia]? I'm going too—! The Great Twinblade is broken!"

When Ais politely asked, Tiona immediately said she wanted to come along.

Aside from the spare weapons prepared by the [Family] for expeditions, each member of the group naturally manages their own personal weapons. Weapons entrusted with one's life are like personal extensions; no adventurer would entrust them to someone else.

"There's just no way around it," Tiony said.

"Then Lefia and I will take the things to headquarters. I don't want to cause any unnecessary trouble. Let's go, Lefia."

"Ah, okay. Miss Ais, Miss Tiona, see you later."

The two parted ways with Tione, who carefully took the panacea, and Lefia, who was carrying a bag of gold coins.

Tiona smiled at Ais and said, "Shall we go then?" Ais nodded.

The activities of the [Family] are very diverse.

Orario truly lives up to its name as the city of labyrinths, with the majority of its members being exploration-oriented Familias who make a living by exploring dungeons. However, there are also quite a few commercial factions like the Deankat Familia. Just by stepping outside of Orario, you can also discover nation-state Familias, such as kingdoms and empires, that have established themselves as powerful nations.

Because the mutual animosity between the main gods often leads to power struggles that cause turmoil, it should be said that in order to avoid disputes, factions will strengthen their own combat power, which is a common point for almost every faction.

It can be said that the [Family]'s operational philosophy takes into account both the interests of the main god and practical benefits.

"This place is still just as gloomy. It always feels eerie."

"Uh, um..."

"Ahaha, sorry, sorry. Come on, let's go in."

Ais and Tiona visit a stone bungalow.

The location is situated in a district sandwiched between North Street and Northwest Street. Due to its deep back alley location, the houses are arranged haphazardly, and the passageways are narrow and cramped, making the atmosphere far from glamorous. Saying "only insiders know" sounds nice—but frankly, just as Tiona described, it's dark and damp.

[The Gubernine Family].

The forging faction that handles the repair and manufacture of weapons, armor, and other equipment.

Despite their significantly lower profile and smaller scale compared to the larger corporations of the Hephaestus Familia, the quality of their weaponry is comparable, making them a truly pragmatic and resolute "familia." They typically only craft weapons upon receiving a commission, and their large core group of adventurers (fans) is another defining characteristic.

The badge adorning the door features three hammers.

"Is anyone there?"

"Are you there……"

Upon entering, the two went inside the building, which perfectly matched the word "workshop".

The interior was as dark as the exterior. Blacksmiths occupied the positions by the furnace, while others used tools to carve metal. Several craftsmen were engrossed in their own work.

"Welcome... Wow, oh my god! It's the [Big Cut (Amazon)]!"

"It's Tiona Schilluth!"

"Hey, could you please stop using that nickname for that scream...?"

Seeing the other person's reaction as if they had encountered a monster, Tiona glared at them and acted sullenly.

The members of the [Gubney Family] suddenly panicked.

"Master—! The crasher has appeared—!"

"Damn it, what do you want now?!"

"I've come to you to have another weapon made."

"Uh, what's wrong with Urga! That's a custom weapon (custom-made) that we forged using an incredible amount of super-hard metal (hard steel) day and night!"

"It's dissolved."

"Noooooooo——!"

"Master—, Master—!" The crowd screamed in agony, but Ais walked past them and went into the room.

Inside the room was a male god who looked like an old man.

His face, etched with wrinkles, was handsome, with a high nose. He had a head of white hair and a white beard that just covered his mouth. His burly figure was without an ounce of fat, his muscles were firm, giving him a vaguely dwarf-like appearance.

Gubernius, the god who was carefully sharpening his short sword, glanced at Ais. "What's wrong?" the god asked her in a deep voice.

"I've come to ask you to repair my weapons."

The orders that Ais makes are usually first reviewed by the chief god Gubnew.

Whether he particularly admired Ais or not, he strictly ordered the group members to inform him before making any requests from Ais.

"...You're using it so carelessly again."

After carefully examining the "Sword of Despair" handed to him, Gubernius muttered something.

Although a sword with the Unbreakable attribute will never be destroyed, its sharpness and power will still decrease.

This situation is not likely to occur under normal circumstances, but unfortunately Ais is not an ordinary person.

"The blade is severely degraded. What did you cut with it?"

"A liquid that can melt anything, and a monster that spews that liquid—I've slashed at it several times..."

The taciturn forging god narrowed his eyes, continuing to observe the "Sword of Despair." Ais wasn't one for words either, so the silence continued.

Gubernau seemed to have correctly discerned the signs of wear through the dull luster of the sword.

"It will take some time to restore its original sharpness. I'll give you a substitute; you can use it for now."

Upon hearing Gubern's suggestion, Ais was taken aback and was about to say that she would prepare the weapons herself.

However, Gubernius's gaze stopped her from speaking.

"Anyway, you'll break any weapon that's not up to par in no time, so don't argue with me."

"..."

Unable to find a rebuttal, Ais was thus forced to accept the substitute sword.

Gubernius stood up and went to another room to retrieve a long, slender scabbard. Compared to other scabbards, its blade was exceptionally long, with minimal overall decoration, although the guard was designed like a gauntlet.

Ais drew the slender sword from its scabbard.

She gazed at the blade, which had been thoroughly polished and emitted a faint glow, and knew it was a superior sword.

In terms of power alone, it must be stronger than the "Sword of Despair".

"I'll have the guys fix it as soon as possible. Come back in five days."

"Okay... thank you."

Gubernius, whose "divine power" was sealed away, possessed only the skills of a blacksmith, without any special abilities. Ultimately, it was the guild members who were responsible for the work. Ais bowed to him, and he snorted before returning to his original position to continue his task.

Seeing his usual reaction, Ais also looked up and politely left the room. Carrying her slender longsword, she met up with Tiona, who was still arguing with someone, and they walked out of the building.

The sword worn at his waist seemed a bit heavier than his beloved sword.

■

Holding a grand banquet after an expedition is a tradition of the Loki Familia.

Under the guise of rewarding the family, Loki, who is addicted to alcohol, throws a grand banquet, and this is the only day the group members can enjoy themselves to the fullest.

By the time the post-expedition cleanup was completed, darkness had fallen, and the eastern sky was beginning to take on the azure hues of night. Headquarters was left to the members who hadn't participated in the expedition, and Ais and the others headed towards West Street, watching with envy.

Unlike the Northwest Main Street, the West District of Oralie is home to many ordinary citizens.

Orario, whose main industry is the global trade of magic stone products, employs many laborers to produce these items. These laborers, created under guild regulations, are said to outnumber the adventurers who explore dungeons. Of course, these laborers also reside within the city.

Most of the unmarried laborers who did not join the "family" settled in the western district and lived with their families, thus forming a large-scale residential area.

Needless to say, the busiest street is lined with shops like taverns and inns, and many adventurers come here to pursue the simple and natural girls of the town.

"I don't come here very often, but this area is quite lively, which is really nice."

"Hmm, I prefer this place to the Northwest Street, which is only frequented by adventurers."

However, the atmosphere created by the crowd removing their dangerous gear was much more relaxed.

Laborers, having finished their day's work, drank heartily, while the unassuming shop girls solicited customers. When a shrewd adventurer made advances towards the girls, they seemed to half-heartedly resist. However, the local youths wouldn't allow such a thing to happen and intervened. After a long glare between the two sides... they started a drinking contest to determine the winner. The shop girls, covering their mouths and clutching their bellies, joined in the fun with the surrounding customers, reveling to their hearts' content.

Seeing the grand scene on the avenue illuminated by the magic stone lights, Tiona and Lefia, who were in the middle of their conversation, couldn't help but laugh.

"Miya's mom—, we're here—!"

As the last rays of the setting sun faded and night fell completely, the group arrived at the tavern Loki had booked in advance. As soon as she called the tavern owner's name, a waitress-like employee immediately came out to greet Ais and the others.

The largest tavern on West Street, "The Abundant Mistress," was a particular favorite of Loki's. It was undoubtedly the all-female staff and their waitress uniforms that captivated her, a fact Ais and the others had already deduced.

"Please excuse the seating arrangements, which include both indoor seating and outdoor seating here."

"Okay, I understand. Thank you."

The pub has set up an outdoor café.

This arrangement was probably made because the tavern couldn't accommodate all of Ais and the others. Finn acknowledged the polite elf clerk's understanding and asked half of the group to sit in the outdoor seating area before entering the tavern.

The rest of Ais and the others were led to the store entrance.

"Welcome!"

The tavern was packed. People of many races were drinking and making merry; in contrast, the empty seats that Ais and her companions had reserved looked rather awkward. Many customers, like Loki, had come specifically for the staff, their eyes filled with lustful thoughts as they looked at the group of beautiful young waitresses.

However, they seemed different from the shop beauties outside. When teased, they sometimes deftly deflected the teasing, and sometimes they would even fight back, leaving the teasing party thoroughly humiliated. Loki was immediately met with a counterattack from the orc (cat-man) shop assistants.

The interior is constructed entirely of wood, and its decor is much more subdued than that of other pubs.

The brightness of the magic stone lamps on the ceiling has also been reduced, creating a slightly fashionable atmosphere.

"The food here is so delicious! I always end up eating too much without realizing it!"

"You woman, when have you ever not eaten non-stop..."