(Ais POV – Tower of Babel, First Floor)
The marble floor of Babel echoes softly beneath our steps.
I walk slightly behind and to the right of Loki, my gaze fixed forward while she tries, poorly, to look inconspicuous.
Her eyes keep drifting toward the wide entrance that leads down to the Dungeon every few seconds.
Her fingers are between her teeth again.
"Don't you two find it suspicious?" Loki mutters, chewing on her nail before pulling it away with a frustrated click of her tongue. "Freya volunteering to deal with this mess? Since when does that woman do anything outta kindness?"
She keeps pacing in small circles, glaring at it as though angered it refuses to unveil its secrets.
"There's somethin' going on." She grumbles. "And I hate not knowin' what it is."
Her tone carries certainty.
But I don't understand why it matters.
I'm only here because Loki asked for someone to accompany her. Everyone else in the familia had something important they were busy with, or would rather be doing.
Everyone except—
"Shouldn't we just be happy it means less work for us?" Tiona asks cheerfully.
She walks on Loki's other side with her hands clasped behind her head, her steps light and relaxed, unbothered by the entire situation.
"If Freya's familia wants to handle it, I say let them!" She continues brightly.
Loki stops pacing and stares at us, her eye twitching slightly.
"You two really don't care?" She asks flatly.
Tiona tilts her head.
I answer honestly.
"I can't kill them."
If monsters or training aren't involved, it has nothing to do with me.
"Exactly!" Tiona exclaims, staring at me with a bright grin. "If there's no fighting, what's the point?"
"But if there is fighting…" Her eyes sparkle. "…then we should definitely go!"
Loki drags a hand down her face.
"What else did I expect from you two…" She mutters under her breath.
She resumes glaring at the basement entrance.
Time passes slowly.
Adventurers move through the plaza in hurried groups, despite the dungeon's chaos. Tension still lingers in the air, and there are way fewer adventurers overall, but it's still significant.
Then—…
"What was she doing down there…?" Loki mutters as Freya emerges from the dungeon entrance.
Ottar walks silently behind her.
Even from this distance, his presence is unmistakable.
For a brief moment, his gaze meets mine… then he looks away and follows Freya towards Babel's upper floors.
"Maybe they were just checking on things?" Tiona suggests. "Ensuring everything's running smoothly."
Loki snorts. "Yeah, and maybe I'll quit drinking." She crosses her arms, clearly dissatisfied.
"That's impossible." Tiona answers immediately, shivering slightly. "Don't say stuff like that. It's ominous."
"I swear that woman's up to something…" She mutters, ignoring Tiona's words.
After another moment, she sighs loudly.
"I don't think we're gonna learn anything standing around here." She says bitterly. "But going down there ourselves would start more trouble than it's worth."
She turns to leave.
Tiona shrugs and follows.
I start to move as well.
Then—
My steps stop instantly, as I sense something.
"…Hm?"
I turn back toward the dungeon entrance as a familiar presence approaches.
Ahead of me, Loki and Tiona stop.
"What's wrong, Ais?" Tiona asks.
I don't answer, my focus entirely on the entrance.
And after a few seconds pass, Tiona stiffens slightly.
"Oh!" She squeals excitedly as she senses it too.
Loki frowns at both of us. "What's with you two—"
Her voice cuts off as someone walks out of basement entrance.
Riven.
"Huh?!" Loki blurts.
But I barely register her surprise.
I watch him closely.
'Something's different.'
His clothes are gone—what remains of them hangs in torn strips, leaving only a pair of heavily damaged pants.
Tiona whistles.
"Wow. He really looks strong." She says approvingly. "Maybe we should go say hi."
Her grin widens. "He still owes me a spar."
"Wait." Loki says immediately, her tone sharp. "Something ain't right."
I nod.
Riven doesn't slow down.
He walks past the entrance plaza like nothing around him exists, even as adventurers gawk at him… but he doesn't acknowledge a single one of them.
The air around him feels…
Colder.
But the thing that catches my attention the most are his eyes.
'Red.' I think.
It's a glaring contrast to the usual blue, and a color I've only briefly seen once during our spar.
For only a moment.
I stare at him as he walks away, trying to understand the reason for the change.
"What the hell…" Loki mutters quietly.
Her brow furrows deeper as she watches him leave.
"Was he with Freya?" She questions under her breath. "Why would she even be down there with that kid…?"
She looks genuinely unsettled now.
"Knowing Ottar, Riven wouldn't have gone unnoticed." She continues. "And that twerp wouldn't let him anywhere near Freya of all people."
Loki goes quiet, deep in thought as she analyses a puzzle only she can see.
A few seconds pass as Tiona and I wait silently so as not to disturb her.
Then she snaps her fingers.
"Alright!" She says decisively. "Let's follow him."
Tiona blinks. "Follow him?"
"Yeah. Maybe we'll figure out what's going on." Loki shrugs. "And even if we don't, it beats standing here like idiots."
"Mhm." I nod.
That seems reasonable.
But—
"Wait!" Tiona suddenly raises a hand.
Loki groans immediately. "What now?"
Tiona looks genuinely conflicted, scratching the back of her head.
"Isn't that… kinda rude?" She asks cautiously. "Following someone around like that?"
Loki stares at her for a moment, then immediately waves it off with a scoff.
"Please. Riven and I are best buds!" She declares confidently. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind."
I nod, believing her.
But Tiona still looks hesitant.
"And we're only gonna follow him in public places! Anywhere we go, anyone could see what he's doing. We're doing nothing wrong." Loki adds with a confident grin.
Tiona narrows her eyes.
She folds her arms and studies Loki carefully, and I can almost hear the gears in her head turning.
Eventually, she speaks again.
"…Are you planning to blackmail him for alcohol?"
Loki freezes.
Her eye widens.
"How did you know?!" She blurts out in shock.
Tiona grins proudly and rubs the underside of her nose. "Hehe. I'm smarter than you give me credit for."
Loki squints at her suspiciously. "…I don't like that you're right."
Then she suddenly claps her hands together.
"Anyway! It doesn't change the plan!" And before either of us can respond, she takes off running. "After him!"
As her guard, I follow without hesitation.
"Hey! Wait!" Tiona hesitates only a moment before sprinting after us. "You can't just start without me!"
Riven is already moving, under no obligation to wait while we decided what to do.
He dashes forward quickly in a sprint.
'I think he knows.' I think calmly.
I'm sure he can see us. It would be stranger if he didn't notice.
And yet…
'He didn't react?' I wonder, but my movements don't slow.
He simply exits Babel and continues running down the street.
"Why's he so fast?!" Loki shouts in frustration as he pulls away rapidly. "We need to move faster."
I nod, and pick her up.
One arm under her, lifting her easily as I accelerate.
She dangles under my arm like a small child.
"Hehe~" Loki giggles mischievously, her original purpose forgotten as I feel her hands move… toward my chest.
"I'll drop you." I say calmly.
And at our speed, the fall will hurt.
"Tch." Her hands immediately retreat as she clicks her tongue in defeat.
Behind us, Tiona bursts into laughter. "You never learn, Loki!"
"I have to try!" Loki protests. "Opportunities like this don't come around every day!"
We run through the streets for several minutes before Riven finally slows down as he arrives at his destination.
He enters the church.
I stop and gently set Loki down.
"Hmmm…" Loki rubs her chin thoughtfully. "He just went home."
She sighs dramatically. "Well that was a waste of time." Then she mutters under her breath. "And I didn't even get to grope Ais…"
I ignore that.
Tiona pats Loki's back sympathetically.
"Cheer up, Goddess." She says brightly. "At least the chase was fu—"
The church door suddenly opens.
Riven walks back out.
And immediately starts running north.
"Looks like it's not over yet." Loki straightens instantly, already chasing after him. "Don't just stand there!" She shouts, and we follow.
Through several streets, past curious pedestrians and startled adventurers, until Riven finally slows again.
This time, he stops in front of their shop, The Hearth of Threads.
Her eye narrows.
"They're open, so it's technically public, right?" She asks looking between Tiona and I.
"I guess?" Tiona says uncertainly, scratching her head.
I just tilt my head as I return her gaze.
"Good enough!" Loki declares, pushing the shop's doors open.
(Hestia POV – Hearth of Threads)
"Hestia… I'm sure Riven is fine." Hephaestus's voice is gentle as she pats my back.
I only manage a quiet hum in response, my face buried in my arms as I lie slumped across the counter.
The wood beneath my cheek is smooth, but it does nothing to calm the knot twisting in my chest.
I hear Hephaestus sigh softly behind me, but she doesn't say anything else.
She just stays there, rubbing slow circles along my back to offer comfort.
And honestly…
'She's probably right.'
Yet my heart aches.
Each passing minute feels heavier than the last as my thoughts spiral deeper and deeper into the abyss.
'He'll be fine…' I repeat it over and over in my head like a prayer.
But another thought always slips through each time.
'Then why isn't he back yet?'
My fingers curl against the counter.
Is he hurt?
Is he trapped somewhere deep in the Dungeon?
What if… he's not actually okay?
I know Riven is strong.
Stronger than most adventurers his level.
But even high-level adventurers rushed to the Dungeon today. Even they were taking the situation seriously.
Which means—
"Dummy…" I whisper weakly.
A quiet tapping sound echoes against the counter.
At first I don't understand what it is.
Then I realize.
My tears.
They're dripping onto the wood.
"You have to come back…" My voice trembles. "You promised…"
I forced myself to open the store today, because it's what Riven would've wanted.
Because he worked so hard to make this place for us.
But I haven't done anything useful since we opened.
I almost scared away two customers earlier because I kept staring at the door like a ghost.
If Hephaestus hadn't stepped in and handled everything…
"I'm so useless…" I whisper. The words slip out before I can stop them. "I can't even help my own familia…"
Before the tears can fall again, strong arms wrap around me as Hephaestus pulls me into a firm hug from behind, resting her chin lightly on the top of my head.
"It'll be okay." She murmurs, her voice steady and warm. "Riven will be fine. Knowing him, he's probably the one chasing the monsters around right now."
A shaky laugh escapes me despite myself.
"Y-yeah…" I sniffle. "That… does sound like him…"
Hephaestus chuckles softly.
"Right? And if he knew you were this worried, he'd probably sprint straight back here, kick the door open dramatically…" She pauses. "…and die from guilt on the spot."
I lift my head, wiping at my eyes.
"Y-yeah!" I suddenly shout, slamming my hands on the counter as I try to sound confident. "He should feel bad! When I see him I'm gonna give him a piece of my mi—"
BANG.
The door bursts open.
Both of us turn to it… and my brain stops working.
"Huh…?" I squeak. "Riven…?"
He stands in the doorway.
Covered in blood.
Ash clings to his skin and hair like soot from a battlefield. His clothes are almost completely gone, leaving only torn remnants hanging from his waist.
And his eyes—
They're glowing red.
"[Notice: Objective—Hestia—identified.]"
His voice sounds… distorted. Nothing like him. It's almost mechanical.
"[Task complete. Auto-Battle Mode deactivated.]"
For a moment we just stare at each other.
Then—
His eyes flicker.
The red fades, and blue returns.
Then… his body collapses face-first as he lands with a resonant…
THUD.
For the next second, everything freezes from the shock.
Then—
"RIVEN!" I scream.
My legs move before my mind catches up, and I drop to my knees beside him, grabbing his shoulders, my hands shaking violently as I turn him over.
Hephaestus's joke echoes in my mind, and I pray it didn't come true.
My fingers press desperately against his chest, my dread and despair rising, until…
THUD.
I feel his heartbeat…
'He's alive…' Relief crashes through me so suddenly my vision blurs and I almost collapse.
"Riven…?" I say softly, happy to finally see him again. And before I can say anything else—
The door bursts open again as Loki stumbles inside, panting heavily.
"You thought… you could run… from us…" She wheezes between breaths.
Behind her, Ais and Tiona step inside as well, and my relief vanishes instantly.
All I see is them.
Riven collapsed and bloodied.
My chest tightens as my hands curl into fists.
"You…" My voice shakes.
Loki blinks.
"Huh?"
"You did this to Riven?!" I point at her, my finger trembling with rage.
Loki looks genuinely confused.
"Wait—what?"
But I don't hear her.
All I see is Riven lying motionless in my arms. And the culprit arriving at moment later, saying they chased him down.
No more evidence is needed.
No lies can hide the truth.
"Loki… I won't forgive you!" I scream, and before anyone can react, I launch myself forward and tackle Loki straight to the floor.
*********
You thought it would be Riven getting beat up... But it was I, Loki!
*Cough cough
Jokes aside...👀
A/N: Hello Everyone! How are you all? If you've enjoyed the chapter and book thus far, please consider leaving me some comments, reviews, or power stones. It really helps the book out.
The poll actually brought this to life🤣. Don't think it'd have turned out so wonderful with just Ais alone. Anyway, this was my attempt at humour. IRL, people often tell me I'm not funny, so hopefully that's not the case here as well.
As for Loki... Well, people ought to mind their own business🤣🤣🤣, lest they end up like her. Stay safe🙂↕️.
There's actually not much to unpack in this chapter, so I'll leave you all with a question... What was GS's actual task?
Do with that what you will.
You can also read 10 chapters ahead and support me at Patreon.com/AMV_WEAKLY
But anyway, that's all from me. Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter, and have a wonderful rest of your day/night 😁