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

The launched light arrows emitted a brilliant glow.

After Ais dodged, the speeding magic bullet struck the dungeon wall, blasting the surface apart.

Countless fragments flew, thick smoke rose, and the maze wall, blasted with a large hole, indicated that the power of the "magic" had increased compared to the training she had done with Phil Weiss two days ago.

"Oh—" Ais looked at the wall, then at Lefia, and was just sighing.

Seeing that the "parallel chanting" had improved, the panting elf girl smiled slightly.

"Wow, Rafia, you've really mastered 'parallel chanting'!"

"Hey, hehe... I have to thank everyone for teaching me, it's not my doing..."

If one of them is missing, "parallel chanting" will definitely not be learned.

This result was achieved thanks to the simulated battles with Ais and Philvis, and the guidance of Riveria. I was simply guided by them and desperately trying to catch up.

Lefia blushed and modestly replied, while Ais smiled back at her, indicating that nothing like that had happened.

Hearing her heartfelt praise, Lefia became even more embarrassed.

"Miss Ais... I'll do my best. I'll also do my best to support you all during the 'Expedition'."

Lefia faced Ais, clutching her wand tightly, and gazed into Ais's eyes.

She wouldn't waste the training she and Ais had done, she wouldn't hold them back, and she was determined to become their strength.

After hearing Lefia express her will and vows, Ais nodded.

Her resolute expression was reflected in the golden eyes before her.

"...Miss Ais, um! What happened next?"

Finally, Rafia's lips uttered the question.

Ais's gaze softened considerably in response to her question.

"That child is also working very hard."

The day before the "expedition" was also the last day of Lefia's training with the boy (Bell).

After exercising with the boy in the morning, Ais seemed rather cheerful. Her usually emotionless face showed a hint of joy.

"Is that so..."

Lefia accepted Ais's expression and words with a serious expression.

Her gaze shifted downwards, fixing on the blue and white magic gems mounted on her wands.

As a result, the boy's image still did not disappear from Lefia's heart.

Until the very end, even at this very moment, she kept a close eye on the boy's movements.

"We're going on an expedition tomorrow... Let's head back early today."

Ais suggested that they should leave the dungeon cave, which they were using as a training ground for a while, and return to headquarters.

Rafia looked up and rejected her offer.

"Um, please let me stay a little longer and make some adjustments. I can manage on my own."

"...Okay, I understand. Don't push yourself too hard."

Ais didn't say anything and accepted Lefia's request.

She seemed to sense something from the girl's eyes and left the cave first.

Lefia remained alone in the space filled with phosphorescent light from the walls and ceiling, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

Soon, she took her wand and began to sing an elven song.

Sometimes it confirms the action, sometimes it flashes a light at the attacking monster.

She studied diligently and practiced repeatedly until time ran out.

"...It's time to go back."

Later, Rafia continued "parallel chanting" for several more hours, and finally took out a pocket watch from her clothes, murmuring that the time had come.

The pocket watch, made by a fellow elven (a creature of the same race) and adorned with silver carvings of leaves and trees, shows that it is already evening.

Lefia snapped the watch shut, took a step forward, and as she approached the entrance, she glanced back at the training chamber she had been using for the past few days.

She gave a faint smile to the place where she had learned so much, and this time she left the cave without looking back.

"It seems like we've been here a little too long..."

Lefia jogged down from the western side of the fifth floor to the ground.

Ais had clearly warned her, but she had overdone it. Reflecting on this, Lefia returned to the regular route filled with adventurers. Whenever she had a spare moment, she dealt with the monsters she encountered, brushed past many fellow adventurers, or chased after them from behind, as she progressed through the "upper levels."

Then she walked through the first level, the great passage called the "Path of Departure," and climbed the spiral staircase leading to the ground, arriving at the first floor of the skyscraper facility (Tower of Babel).

Just as Lefia was about to step out the door and head towards the vast spectacle, she bumped into an adventurer.

"ah."

"ah."

The two spoke in unison, gazing into each other's eyes.

I will never forget those deep red eyes and those pure white hair, like the first snow.

With a huge backpack slung over her shoulder, she was accompanied by a little werewolf girl with long gray-brown hair... no, a young girl—she should be an adventurer companion.

Returning from the maze, the white-haired boy, covered in wounds, froze alongside Lefia.

As their companions walked past them, the werewolf girl looked at her and the boy with a puzzled expression.

Rafia was the first to take action.

She glared at the stiff-bodied boy and pointed at him forcefully.

Her slender fingers pointed straight at the boy.

"I won't lose!!"

She abandoned the wide-eyed, panicked boy and ran away.

Under the astonished gazes of the werewolf girl and the adventurers, she passed through the doorway and arrived at the central square.

The determination to embark on tomorrow's "expedition," and the fighting spirit of the youth.

With mixed feelings, Lefia dodged the crowd and rushed across the maroon-colored square.

Lefia ran relentlessly toward the fiery red sunset.

◆

"Loki, please!"

"Whoa whoa whoa—! How many people are left—!?"

night.

At the Twilight Mansion, the headquarters of the Loki Familia, the roar of the gods reaches the moonlit night sky.

The sound originated from the highest level of the central tower, surrounded by several spires, Loki's chamber (bedroom). Climbing the long spiral staircase, one arrives at a door where her beloved retinue is lined up in a long queue.

"Too many people have updated their [ability stats]—!? This is the night before the 'Expedition,' huh—!?"

These people queuing up were actually members of the guild who wanted to be strengthened by the main god. With the "expedition" just around the corner tomorrow, members of all genders flocked here, hoping that the [experience points] would be reflected in their abilities.

Loki was worried it would turn out this way, so he had already told the crew members, "If you're doing a final update before the expedition, remember to come early." However... they, so eager to train, still tortured and trained themselves until the very last moment, using up all their time to accumulate [experience points] before coming. Loki could understand their feelings, but when it came to his own turn, he really wanted to scream.

"Damn this intense training heat! Damn Ais!?" Loki grumbled at the blonde, naturally beautiful creature, frantically upgrading her familiars' [ability stats]. Faced with the harsh "expedition," she couldn't complain about the hardship as long as it slightly increased her chances of survival.

"Damn it—I don't even have the energy to take advantage of anyone anymore—!?"

"Thanks~"

Loki watched with tears of blood streaming down his face as the orcs, their shirts off, revealing their soft breasts and smooth backs, departed.

The constant updates left her no time to catch her breath. No matter what she did, the number of members waiting in line didn't decrease. The unique troubles of a large [Family] – mainly the hard work of the main god – were evident here.

Since the initial update, the clock's short hand has completed approximately two revolutions, and the date has almost changed.

"Is it... over!?"

After the last male member left with a "thank you~", Loki stared at the doorway, feeling no one's presence.

Seeing that the door wouldn't open again, Loki, whose shoulders were heaving, wore an expression that was a mixture of joy and relief.

However, in the next second, as if timed perfectly, the door was pushed open forcefully.

"Hey Loki, the [stats] have been updated."

"Goohoo... Bert..."

Seeing the werewolf youth enter the room, Loki collapsed onto the bed.

"How can you be so inconsiderate—" The chief god was exhausted, his tears soaking the sheets. "Who cares about all that?" said one of his attendants.

He pulled up a chair himself and sat down in front of Loki.

"Sigh... If it were someone like Ais who finished things off, I'd be so excited I'd get a nosebleed. All that hard work has paid off—sigh... Bert..."

"Watch out or I'll beat you up!"

Bert took off his battle jacket in front of the God who was chanting like an old man.

"It's just one person, how much time will it take you? Hurry up."

"Okay, okay, hey!"

Bert, shirtless, with his back to her, let the goddess's fingers slide across him.

Loki unlocked the lock, and in an instant, crimson hieroglyphs appeared, beginning to update his stats.

"Why did you wait until everyone left before coming over? Is training alone a secret?"

"Damn, how did you know?"

"Gurgle! I won't tell you."

The deity was behind him, so he couldn't see the deity's expression, but Bert no longer bothered to hide his annoyance.

Loki grinned wickedly, his fingers, dripping with ichor, gliding across Loki's back.

"If they knew Bert was secretly training, those kids who are afraid of you would be charmed by your unexpected side and become closer to you, right? They'd probably be more at ease than they are now—"

"Ha! What's the point of being all lovey-dovey with a nobody?"

Aside from the cadres, many people were afraid of Bert. Loki smoothly continued his update work, offering kind advice to the lone wolf, but the man only found it boring and let out a sneer.

He stared intently at the entire wall in front of the room, his amber eyes fixed on it as if he were glaring.

"The duty of the strong is to stand on high and look down on those nobody."

"..."

"If we don't laugh at them or spit on them, who will? It will only encourage more and more overconfident idiots."

Bert's words betrayed his frustration as he continued:

"Those guys have to look up at us until their necks are about to break, otherwise they'll always just be disgusting nobodys."

His words seemed to be a veiled reference to the members who, spurred by Ais's upgrade, were desperately struggling.

Loki listened silently to Bert, gazing at the muscular upper body, now stripped of all its excess fat and honed through countless trials, and at the faint scars on the back before him, before closing his eyes and smiling softly.

[Ability Values] Update complete. Loki translated it into Koine.

"Bert—, your ability stat has increased significantly!"

"How many?"

"About 3."

"There's been no increase at all!!"

Bert roared and snatched the translated update paper from his hand.

"No, no, you're already Lv.5, and you've improved this much just by training. That's amazing!" Loki told him with a smile. "That's not even a consolation prize," the werewolf said, looking down at the record sheet and snorting.

Loki's room was full of bottles and other clutter. Bert lit the candlestick on the table and burned the update paper.

"...That's true, Bert is very strong."