"?????" Dragged back inexplicably by Anakitty, Fron's head was filled with question marks.
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In the Familia, Anakitty had always been calm and composed, serving almost like Finn's assistant.
No matter what kind of crisis arose, she could always respond with ease, and with her extraordinary beauty and grace, this had always been the impression she left on Fron.
Otherwise, she would not have been praised by the gods with the proud title of "Alchat," meaning 'Noble Cat'.
But the Anakitty who appeared before Fron today had a face full of anxiety, and in her eyes was an unmistakable look of urgency.
Her usual flawless composure had become flustered.
Just like that, she pulled along, climbing the tower to Finn's office.
"Anakitty, looking like this, did Ais and the others run into trouble?"
Although he didn't know exactly what had happened, surely it was something the female members alone could not handle. That must be why Loki had ordered Anakitty to return and seek help.
Otherwise, with Loki's personality, she would never allow male members to disturb her wonderful vacation with beautiful girls.
Knock, knock, knock…
She knocked on the door, and without waiting for a reply inside, she pushed it open and stepped in.
"Captain, quickly gather everyone, Tione and Tiona are in big trouble!"
"Anakitty? Why are you-"
"Never mind me, please summon the members first. I'll explain everything in detail afterward."
Seeing her unusually serious attitude, Finn bit his thumb.
"…Alright."
When Fron once again stood at the gate of the courtyard, ten minutes had already passed.
"Since time is pressing, I won't wait for everyone."
After leaving those words, Fron straightened his back and rushed out.
"Bete, you and Fron are the fastest. You go ahead and help too. I'm worried there may be third-party interference, that would be bad."
"Tch, what a pain. They call this a vacation, and yet trouble comes to me!" Though he complained, Bete's body was honest enough as he dashed off.
The harbor town of Melen lay southwest of Orario. The distance from the grand dungeon city was less than 3 kilometers.
As Orario's only port, with such proximity, wasn't it essentially like an extension of the city itself?
With the speed of first-class adventurers like Fron and Bete, it wouldn't take long at all to arrive. It truly was just a stone's throw away.
Melen, this lakeside town beside the great freshwater lake, Lake Lolog, was not only a port and transit hub, but also bore another crucial responsibility: it was Orario's customs.
As the center of the world, the largest, most prosperous, and most advanced dungeon city, Orario's only sea outlet was here. Every day, countless ships from various lands and nations sailed into the lake connected to the vast ocean.
The bustling docks operated around the clock, twenty-four hours a day. At every moment, ships were docking here, loading and unloading massive amounts of goods and cargo.
Of those goods, more than 80% were bound for Orario.
Thanks to the blessings of the Dungeon, Orario produced vast quantities of magic stones every day, which were processed into various magic-stone products.
Magic stone lamps, magic stone lighters, magic stone kettles, practically anything for daily life could be found in Orario.
Before being exported worldwide, these magic-stone products all gathered in this harbor town, where they awaited sorting and shipment to the rest of the world.
Conversely, specialty goods and merchandise from around the world also gathered here before entering Orario's markets.
As a port, this was Melen's natural duty.
From the sea channel linking the lake to the ocean, one could see an endless chain of ships, each loaded with Orario's famed magic-stone products and goods from abroad, constantly traversing the seas.
Only here could one truly sense the grandeur of Orario as the center of the world. Fron felt this deeply as well.
"How magnificent… In two lifetimes, I've never seen this many ships."
Standing on the road leading from Melen to Orario, Fron narrowed his eyes to admire the beautiful, prosperous harbor town on the shore of the great freshwater lake.
Compared with Orario's stone and wooden architectural style, most of Melen's buildings were wooden, giving it a unique harbor-town charm. From his modern perspective, this truly was a perfect vacation spot.
"I don't believe for a second Loki brought the girls here and there isn't a beach…" Fron clicked his tongue, then stepped into the town.
Splash…
Stepping into a puddle, the young man found himself on the bustling dock road, looking around curiously.
With his outstanding looks, noble bearing, and the expensive weapon at his side, he drew curious stares from everyone.
"He's definitely a high-ranking adventurer from Orario. When his cloak lifted just now, I saw it, that's a belt made of Black Rhino hide. Tsk tsk, how much must that cost?"
"Tch, look at the spear on his back. The price of that one magic crystal alone could buy several of our flagships."
"You must be not from Orario. If you were from Orario, there's no way you wouldn't recognize him."
"Brother, that man… who is he…?"
A sailor, carrying a sack on his shoulder, proudly introduced to two well-dressed merchants:
"That's the 'Night Weaver,' Fron Argon of the Loki Familia, the strongest first-class adventurer in Orario! Level 5! Hah, I bet in your places, you've never even heard of someone at Level 5."
[Ottar: Am I just a showpiece?]
Finishing, he left proudly, chest puffed out, as if Fron's achievements were his own.
Perhaps this was Orario's unique pride. Fron naturally heard the conversation. Smiling slightly, he caught up with the young sailor.
Watching him closely, he saw that the sailor carried an obviously heavy load with steady steps and even breathing.
His body was well-toned, lacking the gaunt look of someone worn by labor. Even from a distance, Fron could hear his strong heart beating rhythmically.
All of this showed he was no ordinary sailor, but rather,
"Yo, brother. Long time no see." Eyes flashing, Fron smiled and quickened his pace to catch up.
"You are… the 'Night Weaver,' Fron Argon!!!"
"Well, it seems my name has spread far indeed." Hearing Fron say that, the young man instantly grew excited.
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T/N: Second bonus chap for crossing 650 power stones; 2 more bonus chapters remaining~