This entire incident was, in the end… just one big misunderstanding.
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"Alright!" The glow of healing magic faded, and Fron stood up.
"Hehe, I feel like your healing magic's gotten even stronger than during the expedition, Fron!"
Tiona, her injuries now healed, showed her innocent smile once again. She sprang up nimbly and kept looking up at the young man who was a head taller than her.
"Well, magic is like rowing against the current, if you don't advance, you fall back. Besides, practice makes perfect."
"You're saying weird things again. Is that something Riveria said?"
"Sort of." Fron couldn't think of much to say, so he just rubbed his nose and changed the subject.
"Alright, this vacation was a bust. When we get back, we'll have to drink properly to make it up to everyone!"
The moment the incident was resolved, Loki's true nature showed itself again.
A drunkard.
"Oh right, Fron, you're probably eager to get your status updated by me, huh?"
"Uh, well, nothing urgent's going on lately, so I'm not in a rush."
He wasn't in a hurry, but Loki certainly was.
The goddess threw an arm around Fron's neck; because of the height difference, she almost ended up hanging off him.
"That won't do! Once you level up, you'll be Level 6, you know! Then our familia will have eight Level 6s! And don't you go saying you're a 'Level 6 with special effects,' okay!?"
Within the familia, Fron's extraordinary abilities and his capacity to fight above his rank were no secret. So, whether it was Loki, Ais, or Finn, they were all eager to see it happen.
Once Fron reached Level 6, with his magic and skills, he might even be able to stand toe-to-toe with the full-powered Braver.
...
Because Loki was impatient to update Fron's status, the group returned to the home base right after gathering briefly in the port town.
Even Loki's close friend, the god of fishing Njord, merely offered a short greeting before rushing off.
"That guy's still the same as ever." Watching Loki's familia leave, Njord gave a wry smile.
"Lord Njord, do you really have time to sigh over useless things right now? Shouldn't you be thinking about how to deal with the Guild headquarters' punishment?"
It's worth mentioning that, in order to keep the harbor town's fishing going, Njord had secretly offered a forbidden gift.
He had distributed the mysterious magic stone powder gifted to him by a stranger among the fishermen and their boats.
As long as they carried it when they set out, they would be safe.
In the lake were carnivorous flowers that instinctively craved the magic stone powder. Because they were so strong that they could kill other sea monsters, the three formed a delicate ecosystem and balance.
Magic stone powder → carnivorous flowers → monsters.
By using the powder to drive the flowers to protect them, the fishermen could safely go to sea, this was Njord's true intent.
The idea was good, but the method had problems. As for how the Guild would handle the matter, that was no concern of the Loki Familia.
In any case, while the seaside vacation had been cut short, they had at least caught their enemies' trail, and even dragged out two big fish, the Ishtar Familia and the Kali Familia.
"So basically, we just ran straight into their mess?" Loki asked Fron with an exasperated look.
And it wasn't just her, Finn, Riveria, and the others all wore awkward expressions.
Fron spread his hands and shrugged.
"Well, it's just one big misunderstanding. The Ishtar Familia teamed up with the Kali Familia to go after the goddess Freya. We just happened to stumble upon the newly arrived Kali Familia in Orario and spoiled their plans. And with Tione and Tiona's connection to them, it's not like the Kalif twins could just ignore it, right?"
"..." Everyone looked at each other speechlessly.
"Damn it! We actually took a bullet for that lovestruck fool! We better get something out of this!" Loki fumed, feeling like she'd been taken advantage of.
"Well, I think even if the Ishtar Familia has some trump card, they're probably still no match for that beauty goddess."
"Heh, that's not necessarily true. Whether god or mortal, carelessness always leads to disaster."
As if recalling something, Loki narrowed her eyes and smirked meaningfully.
Seeing her expression, everyone else wore a puzzled look.
...
Walking along the road leading back to Orario, they looked to the horizon where the first pale light of dawn slowly emerged.
The dark night faded as the morning glow spread, driving away the shadows.
Stars and the crescent moon gradually vanished, replaced by a clear sky.
The late summer morning breeze brushed against their cheeks, washing away the fatigue of a sleepless night of battle.
Before long, the grand southern gate beneath the city walls appeared in view.
"Feels like we've been away forever..."
Ais brushed aside a loose strand of golden hair and spoke softly beside Fron.
"We've just been through a lot. Once we're home, a good night's sleep will fix everything."
"Your... adventure in the Great Tree Labyrinth, how was it?"
"An adventure, huh?"
Recalling everything that happened half a month ago, Fron smiled silently, then, under the teasing looks of everyone, he took Ais' small hand in his.
"It went well. In fact... I've been thinking of writing an adventure novel about what I saw and experienced outside the city. What do you think?"
Ais blushed and tried to pull away, but Fron's grip was firm. In the end, she lowered her head, cheeks red, and mumbled softly.
"How about... 'Fron Argon's Chronicles of the Continent'?"
"Perfect! That'll be the title!"
The two agreed instantly and smiled at each other.
"Jeez, I was hoping to treat myself to some barbecue when we got back, but now I'm stuffed full of dog food already." Tione grumbled sourly, though her eyes were fixed on Finn's back.
"Hehe, big sis, you could always go for Finn yourself! We Amazoness are supposed to be proactive!"
"Hm? As expected of my sister, that's a great idea!"
Meanwhile, Lefiya, who had been feeling down for holding everyone back, was now thoroughly irritated by Fron and Ais' display of affection.
In her mind's eye, a whole imaginary scene played out where she was beating up her "rival."
"N-No way! I can't let that jerk keep monopolizing Miss Ais! I need to get stronger! Then I'll rescue her from his evil clutches!"
"Yes, that's it!"
"Lefiya, stop standing at the gate, you're blocking the others!" Riveria halted and scolded the daydreaming elf.
"Eh?" Looking around, she realized she really was standing right in the middle of the gate.
"S-Sorry!!!!!!"
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T/N: Bonus chapter for crossing 150 power stones~