"Ugh, my head..." Mira muttered as she followed behind me.
"You really had a blast last night," Grokk said lightly.
"What about you?" she shot back. "How come you're completely fine?"
Grokk gave a low chuckle. "I'm a dwarf. Takes more than a few drinks to put me down."
Mira clicked her tongue, unimpressed. "Next time, remind me not to keep up with you."
"I did," Grokk replied. "Several times."
"You did not."
"I did. You just ignored me."
Mira chose to ignore him again and glanced at Ais, who was walking quietly behind us.
"I apologize," Ais said, a rare hint of bashfulness in her voice. I caught the faint tint of red creeping up to her ears.
Mira snorted, then turned back to Ais, her expression shifting as she launched into it. "You don't remember any of it, do you?"
Ais shook her head. "...No."
"Yeah, figures." Mira crossed her arms. "You went from quiet to completely unhinged in, what, ten seconds? One moment you were sitting there, the next you were swinging like you were in the middle of the Dungeon."
"I'm sorry," she said again, her voice quieter this time.
"Thankfully, Boss managed to stop you," Mira added.
"Rather easily," Grokk noted. "It was impressive."
"Right, right." Mira suddenly perked up, then turned to me, eyes gleaming with curiosity. "So tell me, Boss… how did you get that strong?"
I glanced back at her, raising a brow. "You make it sound like there's some secret to it."
"There is," she insisted. "There has to be some sort of secret."
Grokk crossed his arms, nodding in agreement.
Ais remained quiet, but her gaze settled on me. She was listening just as closely.
"Well, it was nothing special," I said. "I just kept fighting, kept pushing, kept training."
Mira frowned. "Yeah, I don't buy that."
"Yeah, Boss. It's okay if you don't want to tell us," Grokk added.
I just smiled and said nothing more, my gaze drifting ahead toward the Dungeon as the sun began to rise, its light spilling across the horizon.
Like I decided yesterday, we were going to the Dungeon.
Mira let out a small groan beside me but didn't complain further, still rubbing her temple as she walked.
"Here," I said, tossing her a small bottle. "This should help with your hangover."
"Ohh… gods, I need this," she muttered, already uncorking it before taking a long drink.
She let out a relieved sigh almost immediately, her shoulders relaxing as the tension in her expression eased.
"Okay… yeah, that's better," Mira murmured, sounding half-alive again.
I shook my head slightly, then glanced at the others. "You two want one?"
Grokk waved a hand dismissively. "I'm good," he said. "Told you, takes more than that to slow me down."
Ais hesitated for a brief moment, then gave a small shake of her head. "No. I'm fine."
Mira scoffed, cradling the bottle like it was something precious. "Monsters. Both of you."
Grokk let out a low chuckle. "You're just weak."
"Say that again and I'll pour this on your head."
"I'd like to see you try."
I let their bickering fade into the background as we kept walking, the Dungeon drawing closer with each step.
Then we reached the entrance.
And stopped.
"…Oh," Mira muttered under her breath.
A group was already there.
Not just any group.
The Loki Familia.
Ais went still behind us. I didn't need to turn to know she saw them.
And they saw her too.
I could already see a few gazes shifting in our direction.
Yeah.
This was awkward. Awkward didn't even begin to cover it.
She had left them. Chosen to walk away from one of the strongest familias in Orario and join us… just to grow stronger.
To be honest I was really surprised that Loki had even allowed Ais to leave.
Though perhaps she assumed it would be useless, and that Ais would come back sooner or later.
Or maybe she simply didn't see us as a threat. Or perhaps Loki thought I would turn her away the moment Ais showed up at my doorstep, that I would take one look at her and decide she wasn't worth the trouble.
That would have been the logical choice.
We came to a stop a short distance from the entrance, neither side making the first move. Then Riveria stepped forward and walked toward us, the others following behind her.
Then Riveria stepped forward and walked toward us, the others following behind her. Her eyes swept over us briefly before settling on Ais.
"Ais." Her voice was steady, but there was something beneath it, something restrained.
Behind me, Ais didn't move.
"…Riveria," she replied quietly.
"How are you?" Riveria asked, a faint smile on her lips.
"It's only been a day, you know," Ais answered, her tone calm, almost matter-of-fact.
Riveria let out a soft laugh, the tension easing just a fraction.
"True," she said. "Old habits, I suppose."
Her gaze lingered on Ais for a moment longer, something thoughtful passing through her eyes before she spoke again. "Still… you seem well."
"I am," Ais replied simply.
Riveria nodded, then finally shifted her attention to me.
"Leon-san," she said.
I nodded.
For a moment, Riveria said nothing more. She simply studied me, calm and composed as ever, though I could feel the weight behind that gaze.
Then her expression softened, if only slightly.
"Please take care of Ais," she said.
The request was simple, direct, and far more sincere than I expected.
I glanced at Ais for a brief second before looking back at Riveria.
"I will," I answered without hesitation. "She's a member of my familia."
Riveria held my gaze for a moment, then gave a small nod, as if that answer was enough.
Ais, on the other hand, said nothing. But from the corner of my eye, I could see her watching Riveria quietly.
For just a brief moment, the atmosphere changed.
Then Riveria stepped back.
"Come," she said to the others behind her. "We've delayed long enough."
The rest of Loki Familia began to move again, though not without a few lingering glances in our direction. Some curious, some wary, and some openly focused on Ais.
We stayed silent for a moment before Mira broke it.
"That was intense," she said, a grin tugging at her lips despite herself.
Grokk let out a low laugh. "You're telling me."
Mira rolled her shoulders, like she was loosening up. "Would've been fun," she muttered. "Been a while since I fought someone strong."
"You're still hungover," Grokk pointed out.
"Details," she waved him off.
Behind us, Ais remained quiet, her gaze lingering for a brief moment on the group ahead before she turned back toward the Dungeon.
I stepped forward. "Let's go."
We stepped past the entrance, the familiar pull of the Dungeon settling in as the light shifted and the air grew heavier.
"Speaking of which," Mira said, glancing at me, "what floor are we heading to today?"
I smiled.
Not just a small one. A wide one.
Grokk and Mira both felt it immediately.
"…I don't like that look," Mira muttered.
"Neither do I," Grokk added, his tone cautious now.
"Thirty-eighth floor," I said.
Silence.
Then—
Mira stared at me for a second longer, then let out a short laugh like she thought I was joking. When I didn't react, her expression slowly shifted.
"…What?" Mira blinked. "Wait… you're actually serious?"
Grokk frowned. "You're serious?"
I nodded.3
"Boss, I'm only Level 2," Grokk said. "Going that deep isn't something you just decide on a whim. That requires preparation. A full party. Supplies. Planning."
Mira nodded, for once completely agreeing. "Yeah, even I'm not crazy enough to just stroll into the deep floors like that."
Ais, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke. "Back when I was in Loki Familia, going that deep took days of preparation."
I smiled.
"I've been there before," I said casually. "I turned back, though. It was getting late, and Hestia was waiting."
Silence.
Then Mira stared at me. "…You're joking."
Grokk didn't laugh. "You went that deep. Alone."
I shrugged. "More or less."
Mira dragged a hand down her face. "Monster," she muttered. "Don't lump us in with you, Boss."
Grokk let out a breath, shaking his head. "Yeah. That's not normal."
Ais didn't say anything this time, but I could feel her gaze on me again.
I just kept walking.
"Relax," I said. "You won't die. Anyways, let's not waste any more time, I want to see you guys work first. I'll follow behind you."
Mira blinked. "Wait… you're not leading?"
Grokk frowned slightly. "You're putting us in front?"
I nodded.
Mira's lips slowly curled into a grin, the earlier unease fading into something far more familiar. Excitement.
"Oh, I like this already." She rolled her shoulders, cracking her neck lightly. "Finally, some action."
Grokk let out a breath, though a faint smile tugged at his lips as well. "Guess we're doing this then."
Ais didn't protest. She simply stepped forward, naturally taking point without a word.
Good.
I slowed my pace, letting them move ahead while I stayed a few steps behind, watching.
Observing.
"Don't hold back," I added casually. "Fight like you normally would."
Mira let out a small laugh. "You're gonna regret saying that."
"I doubt it."
With our current strength, it didn't take long to reach the middle floors. Still, it was slower than I expected.
Not because they were weak. Far from it.
But because they were cautious.
Mira surged ahead whenever a monster appeared, her movements sharp and aggressive, cutting them down with clear enjoyment. She didn't hesitate, didn't hold back, every strike carrying that same battle-hungry edge.
Grokk balanced her out, steady and reliable. He held the line with his axe, intercepted anything that slipped past her, and made sure none of us were caught off guard.
And Ais…
She wasn't called the Sword Princess for nothing. Every strike was clean, precise, and effortless, her blade moving with a kind of sharpness that came from years of discipline. Monsters barely had time to react before they were cut down.
I walked behind them, hands in my pockets, watching in silence as another group of monsters fell.
Yeah.
At this pace, it was going to take a while.
Unlike when it was just me, I would have already been halfway through the Dungeon by now.
I sighed. This was going to take a long time. At this rate, we would not be getting anywhere fast.
Looks like it would take the whole day.
And we would be spending the night in the Dungeon.
Nothing much happened after that as we descended deeper.
At first, everything went smoothly. The monsters grew stronger, more aggressive, but the three of them handled it well enough.
Then the signs started to show.
Grokk was starting to struggle.
Not surprising.
He was only Level 2.
The deeper we went, the less forgiving the Dungeon became. Stronger monsters, tighter spaces, less room for mistakes. Even someone as steady as Grokk would eventually feel the strain.
Mira was still pushing forward, fighting the way she always did, but even she had begun to pace herself, whether she realized it or not.
Grokk, on the other hand, was starting to hit his limit. There were a few moments where things came a little too close for comfort.
But every time—
Ais was there.
Stepping in without hesitation, covering the gap, cutting down anything that got too close before it could turn into a real problem.
So I didn't have to step in.
I kept watching from behind, letting them handle it.
Then we reached the 27th floor and that was when something interesting happened.
I felt it before I saw it.
A presence.
Something was watching us.
A monster, without a doubt. I could tell that much immediately. But the way it moved… the way it held itself…
It wasn't mindless.
There was intent behind it. Awareness. Intelligence.
Which meant only one thing.
Xenos.
It watched us for a while, but it didn't make a move.
There was no hostility. No killing intent.
It was just…observing us.
So I let it be.
After all, it wasn't doing anything. Harmless.
Or at least, that's what I thought.
By the time we left the floor, its presence was gone. No footsteps, no trace. It had stopped following us.
Or so I thought.
Then—
A scream echoed through the Dungeon.
And it was coming from where the Xenos had been.
Now, I could have ignored it. Left it alone.
But… I guess I got curious.
The trio heard it too.
Mira's head snapped toward the sound, her earlier fatigue gone in an instant. "You heard that?"
Grokk's expression hardened, already on guard. "Yeah. What was that?"
Ais didn't say anything, but her gaze shifted in the same direction.
I said. "Let's check it out."
We hurried toward the source.
The deeper we went, the clearer it became. The sound of something heavy moving. The scrape of scales against stone.
Then we saw it.
A very familiar monster.
Amphisbaena.
The massive, twin-headed serpent coiled through the cavern, its presence alone filling the space with pressure. Its scales shifted as it moved, both heads scanning, alert and agitated.
But that wasn't what caught my attention.
On its tail—
A small blue figure clung desperately.
A mermaid.
"Helpp…" it rasped, the word broken and strained.
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