"Invading the Kingdom of Rakia, you mean?"
"Just a pack of runts. They're Level 2s at best. They aren't even worth discussing."
Bete and Bell talked as they walked through the commercial district after finishing their training on the city walls. As a first-class adventurer of the Loki Familia, Bete had fought to repel the Rakia Kingdom's advance before returning to his usual routine: training, clashing with the Ishtar Familia, and the raid on Knossos.
Although Bell had reached Level 2, the fledgling Hestia Familia didn't have much to do with such international conflicts.
"Are you heading into the Dungeon after this?"
"Yeah. I'm hoping we can reach the eighteenth floor today—"
"Ah! It's Bete Loga!!"
"Huh?"
A bright, cheerful voice echoed from behind them. Bete turned at the call, only to find an Amazon girl standing before him.
She had brownish-black hair and pale hazel eyes. Her body was slender and athletic despite her youth, and her features carried an air of childish innocence. She wore revealing Amazonian attire, looking much like the inhabitants of the Pleasure Quarter.
The girl ran toward Bete with a friendly shout, then grabbed his arm and clung to him.
"What! Who are you, you idiot?!"
"Oh my! I've been longing to see you this whole time. Did you forget me, Bete Loga? That's so cruel!"
Bete looked bewildered by the girl fawning over him like a pet dog. He couldn't recall ever meeting such a woman, and he felt he deserved an award just for not immediately kicking her away.
"How should I know who you are! Get away from me, and don't touch me so casually, you filthy Amazon!!"
"So cold! But I even love that side of you!"
Bete tried to pry her off, but she refused to let go and pressed closer. He frowned at her noise, which had crossed the line from playful to annoying. Despite not remembering her, he felt a strange sense of familiarity when he looked closer at her face.
"Oh... isn't she from the... Ishtar Familia?"
"Hmm? Oh, it's the Little Rookie!! Hello!!"
She seemed to notice Bell only after he spoke, letting go of Bete to greet him.
She knows Bell? No, more importantly, she's from the Ishtar Familia. That was when the memory of a recent incident flashed in Bete's mind.
"You... are you the one we fought in Meren? From the Ishtar Familia?"
"Yes, exactly!! Let me introduce myself again. My name is Lena Tally. Remember it well!!"
"And don't forget me this time, Bete Loga," she added, her voice brimming with energy.
Bete sighed in frustration as he watched her bounce with excitement, her hair swaying. Lena clung to him like a puppy, while he kept shoving her away.
Bete, who could hardly be called friendly given his sharp tongue and abrasive personality, was used to being hated. He was not, however, used to receiving affection—except perhaps from his disciple, Bell.
But Lena was different. She declared her love for him without shame, sticking to him like a tail-wagging pup.
"Tell me, Bete Loga, where are you going? Are you headed to the Dungeon?"
The distance between them was non-existent. Bete couldn't understand what possessed a woman to meet a man for essentially the first time and stick to him like this. She was close—close enough to make any ordinary man fall for her—but to Bete, she was nothing but an unbearable nuisance.
"Hey, I told you to back off!!"
"Oh, you're so shy, Bete Loga!"
To Bete, she was a stranger whose name he had just learned; her audacity only sparked disgust. Bell, meanwhile, stood with eyes wide in shock at this sudden development.
Bete felt increasingly uneasy, not just from her lingering gaze, but from the entire situation.
"But even this rejection looks wonderful on you!"
"What is wrong with you, for God's sake?"
It was illogical and incomprehensible. Alarm bells rang in Bete's head. This couldn't continue. His instincts told him this Amazon girl was dangerous. He stepped back, seeing the obsessive spark in her eyes.
He imagined the Amazon in his own familia who pursued their captain with a zeal bordering on stalking (Tione).
A "Love-Obsessed Warrior." Bete's sense of foreboding intensified. He recalled the image of Finn smiling bitterly through a stomachache caused by Tione's antics, and Al fleeing with all his might from an opponent far weaker than himself.
—This girl is dangerous.
The warning bells grew louder. Lena, completely oblivious to Bete's internal crisis, continued her advances.
"When you kicked me in Meren, Bete Loga, I felt a heat surge through my body. That's when I knew it was love!"
In Meren, Al Cranel—who had just ranked up at the time—had crushed eighty percent of the Amazons from both the Ishtar and Kali familias, while Bete and the others handled the rest. Lena had been Bete's opponent. When he knocked her down with a kick, it ignited a sweeping admiration that became her driving force.
"Bete Loga, I love you!! Let's have babies!!"
"Don't joke with me, you idiot!!"
Without thinking, Bete drove an iron fist into Lena's stomach as she tried to hug him. The force of the blow sent her flying through the air.
"!?"
"M-Mr. Bete?!"
"Ah, damn it..."
Though he hadn't used his full strength, it was still a strike from a first-class adventurer. It was enough power to obliterate high-tier monsters, and Lena, a Level 2, couldn't fully withstand it. Her body slammed into a wall before she collapsed to the ground.
"Hey... are you still alive?"
Bete realized he had overreacted, but it was too late. Bell rushed toward her in a panic, while Bete approached cautiously to check if she was breathing. He broke into a cold sweat when she didn't move. He feared he might have actually killed her.
He had struck her out of pure irritation, but he knew he had gone too far. Bell fumbled with his bag, searching for a healing potion.
Contrary to their expectations, Lena suddenly sat up.
"Hehe... Hehehe... Bete Loga hit me... Hehehe..."
Her cheeks were flushed, drool escaped her mouth, and her eyes rolled back. She was clearly in an abnormal state.
"A-Are you okay?!"
Bell shouted in alarm, but his voice didn't reach her. She breathed heavily, wrapping her arms around herself and squirming. The sight was utterly depraved.
"He hit me a second time... that means... I'm definitely carrying his child..."
"Eeeek?!"
Bell shrieked at the dangerous declaration, and Bete's face twisted in horror. The Amazon girl rambled while shivering with ecstasy. Her mind had clearly snapped. Even the most obsessed residents of the Pleasure Quarter hadn't reached this level of mental degradation.
(This girl...)
(This human being...)
The two reached the same conclusion as Finn and Al, the twin pillars of the Loki Familia.
That conclusion was:
" (Terrifying) "
—When Amazons fall in love, they are truly frightening.
●○●○●
The Labyrinth City, Orario. The great metropolis flourished around the Dungeon at the center of the world. Merchants and craftsmen gathered there in search of resources and monster materials, driving the city's economy with the wealth they produced.
Then, there was the Guild, the organization that managed Orario. Founded a millennium ago by the god Ouranos, it managed the city, its adventurers, and the Labyrinth itself.
The reception desk always buzzed with activity. Heavily armed groups flowed in long lines, looking as though they had just returned from the maze. It was a scene where humans, elves, dwarves, and beastmen mingled. In the lobby, people crowded to report quest completions or exchange magic stones and loot for currency.
"Here is your reward."
The receptionists behind the desks were all beautiful and efficient, earning them the title of "brilliant girls." Like the adventurers, they belonged to various races, and their uniform beauty drew admiring glances from male adventurers. Since the reception desk directly impacted the adventurers' satisfaction with the Guild, staff selection depended on appearance as much as skill and etiquette.
They worked vigorously today as well. Adventurers—from rising rookies like Bell Cranell to the leaders of major familias like Loki and Freya—had become more energized after the recent rank-ups.
"Misha, Mr. Cranell is asking for you."
"Mm, alright."
As the crowd thinned slightly, Eina—a half-elf with intelligent green eyes behind glasses and pointed ears—called her colleague, Misha. Misha, who had pink hair and a gentle face, responded with a sense of urgency.
"No need to panic. Besides, calling him 'Mr. Cranell' sounds too formal. You can just call him by his name, Eina~"
"He's a very friendly person, and he's the older brother of your student, Bell," Misha said in a relaxed tone while organizing exchange procedures with swift, practiced movements. This was Misha Flann, the personal advisor to the strongest adventurer in the city, the "Sword Saint" Al Cranell.
"I heard the news... it seems you were quite popular with the Amazons?"
"Well, that was..."
The disturbance had ended when Finn and his comrades from the Loki and Ganesha familias intervened before things escalated. Naturally, news reached the Guild about hundreds of female adventurers acting like an uncontrollable mob, and they knew the target of their pursuit.
Fortunately, thanks to the efforts of Finn and the others, no citizens were injured and no property was destroyed. The Guild settled for issuing a light warning to everyone involved.
"Honestly, outrunning them was easier than outrunning Airmid. She reads my thoughts and beats me to every destination."
"Stop bothering poor Airmid~... Anyway, is this for a loot appraisal?"
"Yeah."
In that room, Al lined up the loot he had brought in today. Everything was in unnaturally perfect condition. He had obtained these items during a short expedition to train Lefiya, and he had come to exchange them for cash on behalf of the exhausted girl. The quantity, however, was massive.
Usually, excluding magic stones, selling loot individually to familias who need specific materials yields a higher profit. However, doing so personally takes too much time, so Al preferred to sell in bulk to the Guild whenever he dove into the Dungeon alone or with a small group.
Misha began the appraisal. "Oh my, there's so much," she said, sorting through them with quick expertise.
"Let's see... [Obsidian Warrior Stones], [Skull Sheep Pelts], [Beroda Venom Glands], [Green Dragon Scales], [Lava Turtle Shells] — [Cadmus Membrane]?!"
Even though she was used to seeing loot from the lower and deep floors, the [Cadmus Membrane] made Misha's eyes widen in shock.
"Wait, didn't you go with the 'Thousand Elf' (Lefiya)? What floor did you reach?"
"The fifty-first floor. Diving with a small number is faster."
Misha's pretty face contorted in shock. No matter how agile a first-class adventurer was, the floors one could return from in a single day were usually the middle levels, around the twentieth floor. Even with two days, the thirtieth floor was the limit. Diving more than ten floors past the "Real Death Line" the Guild established in the deep levels defied common sense.
But Al could fill every role in the Dungeon: physical attacker, fast mage, heavy mage, healer, thief, and cartographer. He performed better and more efficiently alone than any professional team. Al was the fastest man in the city, which meant he was the fastest man in the world. His speed allowed him to pierce through the upper and middle levels without facing a single monster.
Additionally, Lefiya, acting as the back-line, could launch wide-range attacks that Al couldn't, making the two of them a complete team. Moving with fewer people was likely more flexible and allowed them to reach deeper than a full familia expedition.
Misha could only smile bitterly.
"..... You weren't being too hard on her, were you?"
Misha didn't know much about Lefiya, but her impression was that the girl was sensible and normal compared to the insane leaders of the Loki Familia. Despite having Al on the front lines, going to floors that usually required a full first-class team—at extreme speed—must have been a hellish experience for a Level 3 mage.
"..... Actually, I intended to stop at the thirty-seventh floor, but she was more excited than I expected. It's fine, she's okay."
"I see, that's good. But don't push her too far."
Al had intended to train Lefiya in the battlefield of the thirty-seventh floor, but her excess enthusiasm made him dive deeper. He didn't want to dampen her resolve; if she wanted it, he wanted to train her on the deepest possible floor.
"But isn't this too much loot?"
"Well, I'm always lucky."
Al added, "I discarded the low-quality or bulky items." Everything he brought was from rare, deep-level drops. Production-type familias craved these materials, which usually only appeared in large quantities after expeditions by major powers like the Loki, Freya, or Ganesha familias.
In Al's case, he simply dove into the deep levels and brought back massive amounts as if they were lying on the road. In truth, the monster spawn rate in the deep levels was so high that it wasn't statistically impossible.
"There's so much here, I'll call for some help~"
Misha had become the advisor for this eccentric white-haired youth four years ago, during her second year on the job. She had been nervous about advising a rookie from the city's largest familia, but her anxiety soon turned into other feelings.
Initially, Misha treated him like a younger brother because he was younger than her and handsome. However... three weeks after receiving his Blessing, he ranked up. A month later, he was Level 3. A few months after that, he hit Level 4.
Three rank-ups in less than half a year. The fifteen-year-old Misha at the time felt unqualified to be the advisor for such a peerless talent, but her boss had assigned her the task as if dumping a heavy burden on her. Over those years, how many times had Al stunned her? And how many more times would he do so in the future?
(What is up with that Lefiya girl?)
(There are things I can't do alone, so help is good, but her enthusiasm scares me.)
(Actually, staying and fighting near the fiftieth floor is more efficient for making money and training, but overdoing it will crash the market value of the materials. It's also dangerous for Lefiya.)
(Well, I should collect as much as I can for the "Inheritance." I'll give Lefiya half the amount and save the rest.)
●○●○●
"Ah, I have to go to the Dungeon now....."
Influenced by his brother—a genius at causing trouble—and his grandfather—a legend-level problem—Bell was much faster than Bete at making decisions in these situations. He coldly abandoned his teacher and fled.
"What?! Hey you, wait a second!!"
Bell, who had reached Level 3 and possessed agility-focused skills, displayed an escape ability reminiscent of his brother's brilliance, vanishing from Bete's sight in an instant. Bete tried to catch him with his superior speed, but Lena, clinging to his legs like an octopus, prevented it.
He had been intercepted. In that moment, Bete realized with a bitter sting that his disciple had been faster than him at reading the situation. He decided that dealing with her normally was useless, so he pried Lena's arms off and turned to leave.
If Bell had seen him, he would have said: "Mr. Bete, just run and get out of there," but Bete didn't have the experience of growing up with Al. He had a pride that forbade him from running away from someone weaker than him.
Of course, the fact that Al, a professional, fled with all his strength from Amazons weaker than him proved that Bete's hesitation was absolute folly. However, Bete lacked Bell's decisiveness in fleeing; his feet refused to run.
"Ah, wait for me! Bete Loga~~!"
"Don't come near me!!"
Bete shouted as he saw the Amazon girl following him with a permanent smile. The sight of her chasing him, her black hair flying, was more terrifying than any monster hunt.
"Tell me, where are you going?"
"To the inn!! Get away from me, stop following me!!"
"An inn? Not your familia headquarters? Why?"
"..... Tch."
Bete clicked his tongue because he had let it slip. Lena didn't miss it and approached with a sly smile.
In truth, Bete had crudely dismissed Line, who loved him, a few days ago. This had sparked the resentment of the familia's women against him; Bete no longer had a comfortable place at the headquarters.
"M-a-y-b-e you fought with your comrades? That's why you have nowhere to go right now, isn't it?"
"Shut up, you filthy Amazon!!"
Bete shouted because she had hit the mark, but Lena didn't flinch. Instead, she stepped in front of him happily.
"Then come to me! I have a bed ready t-o-o."
"And who would go to you?!"
"If Bete Loga doesn't come with me, I'll go to the Loki Familia headquarters and say you were violent toward me!"
"You....."
Bete's face changed, looking as though he had swallowed a bitter insect; this was truly bad. Normally, he would mock such a threat, but the current timing was critical. After he had driven Line away, if word got out that he assaulted a young girl from another familia, his dignity within the familia would be crushed.
A Level 6 adventurer, one of the strongest pillars of Orario, being treated as a sex offender was no laughing matter. Raul and the others would surely look at him like a disgusting bug. Though Bete didn't care about public opinion, this specific matter would be agonizing. Even shouting in a public place like this was dangerous.
If he happened to run into someone from the familia now─────
"..... Mr. Bete?"
Bete's face froze and his heart leaped at the soft voice that called him. He turned slowly to find, as expected, his familia comrades looking at him with glares. Among them was the gentle girl with glasses and black braids, Line.
Tione and Aki, who accompanied Line, were looking at him with icy stares, as if saying: "You kicked Line out so cruelly and then went to play with other women."
Finally, Bete realized—far too late—that Al and Finn were right to flee from the very first moment.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────
Note: The difference between Al and Finn versus Bete was their experience with Amazons and knowing how truly terrifying they can be.
As for Bell, he fled first because he had seen Al do it and realized running was the optimal choice, and also because he trusted his teacher's ability to handle himself.
Lefiya is growing more enthusiastic because of the Filvis situation, and Al is starting to feel some concern regarding her intensity.
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