"Well, it seems my name has spread far indeed." Hearing Fron say that, the young man instantly grew excited.
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"Isn't that obvious? Loki Familia's feat of conquering the 59th floor of the dungeon has already spread everywhere. Even here in Melen, we've heard plenty about it!"
Despite the other party's attitude, Fron thought of a certain group, gave an awkward laugh, then glanced around before lowering his voice to ask.
"Since you know my identity and my affiliated Familia, that makes things easier. You must also be a sailor from a Familia, right? If I'm not mistaken, you should be a member of the [Njord Familia]?"
The [Njord Familia], though also a large commercial Familia based in Orario, spends most of its time operating in the town of Melen.
From the name of the main god alone, it's clear: the [Njord Familia] manages the fishing port of the harbor city Melen, belonging to the commercial fisheries branch of Familias.
Unlike exploration Familias, they don't enter the dungeon. Instead, they head out to sea, focusing on fisheries and trade.
The reason why Orario can enjoy fresh seafood, even having a dedicated area in the marketplace for it, is entirely thanks to the [Njord Familia] supplying the city.
The fish they catch circulate through Orario's markets, bringing citizens fresh delicacies from the sea. Alongside the [Demeter Familia], they are one of the two major factions directly tied to Orario's food supply.
You could say over 80% of the food supply in Orario is thanks to these two Familias.
This shows just how important the [Njord Familia] is within Orario.
The Guild's evaluation of them, just like the [Demeter Familia], is C-rank, while their captain is only of moderate standing.
But their presence in Melen isn't just for fishing, they also carry another duty… That is, to take over from the departed [Poseidon Familia] in guarding the Leviathan Seal.
According to the archives, in the era before gods came down, monsters poured out from the dungeon and scattered across the world.
The surface monsters were one thing, bursting out from the great caverns. But the monsters of the sea, where did they come from?
Naturally, the dungeon also has a second exit that connects to the ocean. This exit lies upstream of the lake near Melen, and is known as the [ Leviathan Seal].
This sea passage directly connects to the dungeon's "Lower Floors," specifically the Water Capital, through which aquatic monsters can invade the ocean.
However, that passage was sealed years ago.
Even though the [ Leviathan ] is long dead, reduced to a skeleton, its overwhelming aura still terrifies monsters and keeps them at bay.
Because of this, its remains were used as the lid of the passage, suppressing the seal.
"Ah, I am indeed a member of the [Njord Familia]. Uh, perhaps you didn't know, but here in this port town, all local sailors are Njord-sama's Familia members."
"…" Fron's mouth twitched awkwardly, feeling uncomfortable under the man's strange gaze.
"Haha, it's normal if you didn't know, since you rarely come to Melen. Anyway, what do you wish to ask? Surely you didn't stop me just to inquire about my Familia?"
Although just a sailor, the young man wasn't lacking in social intelligence, he noticed Fron's embarrassment and quickly shifted the topic.
"That's right. I want to ask if you've seen any members of our Familia these past few days? For example, [Sword Princess], [Crusher], [Jormungand], and the others?"
"Ah, so that's it! You've asked the right person. I was there when Lord Njord and Lady Loki met. Indeed, members of the Loki Familia have been in this town. Speaking of which… these past few days, they seem to be searching for something. Oh, and just earlier, I saw a group of them running past."
Hearing this, Fron's eyes lit up. "Running past? In which direction?"
"North, upstream."
"Thanks! Here, take this!" Throwing the sailor some valis, Fron dashed off without looking back.
"Eh? My lord?" He raised his hand, wanting to stop Fron, but with a sailor's reflexes that was impossible.
"…Forget it. Since it's a gift from my lord, I'll gladly accept."
…
With a lead on Ais and the others, Fron quickly weaved his way through the bustling crowd of Melen.
His extraordinary stats once again showed their unmatched power. As long as there was a gap, he could instantly predict the route and act on it.
On the streets, a black blur flashed past, leaving people unsure if they'd just seen something pass them by.
While moving, Fron opened up his senses enhanced by his abilities, scanning like a radar for familiar presences.
Luckily, since Melen was just a harbor town, he didn't need even an hour before he detected one.
"A presence as light as the wind, it's Ais, no mistake. But… her presence is unstable, fluctuating. What's going on?"
For Ais to have such instability, it could only mean she was in battle, an intense one at that. Otherwise, with her usual mindset, this wouldn't happen.
"Could it be… the [Ishtar Familia]?"
Thinking of that terrifying toad, a cold light flashed in Fron's eyes, and the next second,
Crack!
With one stomp, the ground split, and Fron shot forward at full speed toward Ais' location.
Meanwhile, to the south of Melen, in the opposite direction from Fron, there lay a hidden natural sea cave.
From afar, the smell of thick rot wafted out. Without a guide, finding such a secret place would cost massive manpower and resources.
With the information and manpower the Loki Familia had, the odds of finding this place were practically zero.
"What's wrong, Tiona? Have you made no progress since leaving Telskyura? This pathetic state makes me hesitate to even strike. Hah… such a boring fight. The result is already decided."
Standing before Tiona was another Amazoness.
From her voice, she sounded even older than Tione.
This warrior, her mouth covered by a sheer veil, opened her eyes wordlessly. Her pupils overflowed with burning fighting spirit, and her wild grin seemed like madness in Tiona's eyes.
Bache, Bache Kalif.
A warrior from the Amazoness nation, the nation of [Telskyura].
Her level: Lv. 6!
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T/N: First bonus chap for crossing 700 power stones; 1 more bonus chapter remaining~