Over a dozen years ago, the strongest adventurer legion formed by the Zeus and Hera Familia successfully subjugated this powerful monster.
After subjugating the Overlord of the Seas, the Hera Familia brought back its drop item and made it into part of a seal.
This seal was officially named by the Guild as the Leviathan Seal.
The Loki Familia adventurers left the dungeon city Orario with the excuse of "inspecting the Leviathan Seal," and arrived at the port city of Melen.
At this moment, on the bustling main street leading to the vast bay and port, Emiya and Riveria were walking side by side.
The two strolled down a street lined with stone buildings, crowded and lively due to the presence of numerous foreign merchants, fishermen, and travelers.
Various shops and stalls lined the street, and the dazzling array of goods made the whole avenue feel vibrant and full of life.
Vendors on the roadside sold all kinds of rare crafts on carpeted stalls. Colorful tapestries and finely carved trinkets attracted passersby.
Fishermen displayed freshly caught fish and shellfish under tents, and the rich ocean scent blew directly toward them.
Seeing the flourishing scene before him, Emiya even felt like he had stepped into some foreign marketplace, but the sun-darkened fishermen and the salty sea breeze constantly reminded them that they were indeed in a port city by the sea.
After walking for a while, Riveria opened her mouth and asked, "Shirou, is this your first time at a port city?"
Emiya turned his head and nodded, "Yeah. Riveria, what about you? Have you been to this town before?"
Riveria gently nodded, her gaze drifting into the distance, as if recalling something, "Before entering Orario, I came here once. I've also been here a few times since, but not often."
She paused, then smiled slightly, "Most elves live deep in forests, and many aren't used to the sea breeze... but I really like it. The first time I saw this vast blue scene, I was deeply moved. It was something I never saw in that stifling forest village."
As she spoke, her gaze slowly shifted forward. The blue Lolog Lake stretched endlessly into the distance, its surface eventually merging with the ocean at the horizon.
The distant water shimmered, reflected in Riveria's eyes. The elf princess's emerald pupils gleamed faintly with a light blue hue.
"What a beautiful ocean," Emiya gazed at the blue water ahead and softly said, "Seas around the world each have their own unique scenery."
Some coasts are covered in fine sand, sparkling gold under the sun; some seas are as clear as sapphires, with coral and fish visible beneath; and some icy oceans have auroras dancing across the night sky.
He paused and noticed the longing in Riveria's eyes, and said, "If we have the chance, let's go see them together."
Riveria lightly nodded and softly responded, "Mm."
Just then, an excited shout rang out, "Sis, look! This giant black fish is so big! They sell black fish in the city too, but I've never seen one this huge before!"
They looked in the direction of the voice and saw Tiona excitedly pointing at a large fish on a stall.
This giant black fish was over a meter long, lying at the front of the stall. Tiona's eyes sparkled with excitement, as if she had found an incredible treasure.
On the other hand, Tione's gaze was not on her sister.
She was staring intently at Emiya and Riveria walking side by side not far away, her eyes full of dissatisfaction. She clenched her silver teeth, muttering something under her breath.
Ais noticed Lefiya showing a reminiscent expression and asked, "Lefiya, you also came to Orario by crossing the sea, right?"
Lefiya nodded, a faint nostalgic smile appearing on her face, "Yes, when I was a student, I occasionally came to this port city with friends to relax."
"Then you must know where the good food is! Take us there later!", Tiona eagerly leaned over and hugged Lefiya tightly.
Lefiya was startled by Tiona's sudden embrace, but still had a joyful smile on her face, "Ah... o-okay!"
The other party members were also looking around curiously as they walked, their eyes full of wonder at the unfamiliar environment.
The harbor area by the lake was bustling. On the docks, the workers loading and unloading goods shouted loudly, and long cargo lists passed between officials.
The merchant ships' crew adjusted sails and ropes, while the merchants shuttled between warehouses and stores, the sounds of trade and negotiation rising and falling.
Just then, a shout broke the harmonious atmosphere, "AHHHH! Elf Slayer, why are you here?"
Everyone turned their heads to see the goddess Loki standing there with a frustrated expression.
"I even deliberately sent Finn and the others away just so I could enjoy a nice trip with the girls... why is this annoying guy here too?", Loki frantically scratched her hair.
Riveria glanced at Loki and calmly replied, "I invited Shirou. I think his identity and abilities will be helpful for our investigation."
Though in the city, the Loki Familia's status was above the Hephaestus Familia, things were different in the port city of Melen.
Unless they broke the city's laws and resorted to violence, the Loki Familia held no absolute deterrent in the port. The Hephaestus Familia, on the other hand, was different.
Wealth and goods, the top production faction in the city, held two trump cards allowing them free movement in the port.
Especially the city's strongest blacksmith, Saber.
His ability to "persuade" the people of the port, mainly merchants and shipowners, to cooperate was much greater than that of the Loki Familia.
"But how could you just leave Orario so casually?", Loki asked as if unable to accept reality.
Usually, high-level adventurers couldn't leave Orario freely.
Orario, or more precisely, the Guild that governed it, feared the outflow of first-class adventurers, the core strength of the city.
Except for special cases, no one could come and go freely. Familias had to go through tedious procedures to get permission to leave, which could sometimes take days.
This time, the Loki Familia had contacted the god Ouranos directly, telling him, "We're going to inspect the Leviathan Seal, don't get in our way," in order to leave the city.
Emiya explained, "Uh... I have a pass provided by the Demeter Familia."
"Demeter, huh? So that's how it is... NOOO! MY HAREM! MY BEACH SWIMSUIT FAN SERVICE!" [T/N: Remind me to post swimsuit pics of characters here.]
[We have to go to Melen, but we can't leave the city completely undefended, you never know what might happen. And I already promised the Guild I'd leave about half our Familia as insurance.] —With this reason, Loki had left all the male members of the Familia behind in the city.
Yet now, the most dangerous person had joined them.
Amid the goddess's wailing, the short trip to Melen officially began.
———
"Glug! Glug! Glug~"
Little Ais's third swimming lesson of the day ended in failure again. She struggled and flailed as she slowly sank underwater.
Sword Princess Ais Wallenstein. Fourteen years old. A landlubber.
Tiona dove into the water and rescued the slowly sinking girl.
The blonde girl collapsed into her best friend's chest, trembling like a child.
"So cute," Seeing Ais like this, Tiona giggled softly.
"So cute."
"Really cute."
"Adorable contrast."
The party members all chimed in, calling her cute, except for Lefiya, who groaned as she stared at Ais hugging Tiona.
This was a naturally formed saltwater lake by the coast, surrounded by lush trees and large rocks.
The lake was very wide, with steep cliffs on either side acting like natural barriers.
Other than the Loki Familia members, no one else was here, this had practically become a "private beach."
Due to the goddess's orders, Aki also wore a swimsuit with very little fabric.
Her face was red, arms tightly covering her chest and exposed belly button, and she looked extremely nervous.
Compared to most one-piece swimsuits, this outfit was more like a few strips of cloth than real clothing. It barely covered anything, igniting the girls' sense of shame.
The top part only wrapped a strip of cloth around the chest, exposing deep cleavage. The short skirt-style bottom clung softly to her petite hips, making her feel especially uncomfortable.
"Shirou-kun and Princess Riveria aren't here...", The catgirl Aki glanced around, seemingly subconsciously searching for someone.
She murmured softly, her expression showing a complicated emotion. Uncertain whether to feel relieved that the boy wasn't present, or regretful.
But when she realized Riveria also wasn't around, her emotions turned to suspicion.
"Looking carefully, even Alicia isn't here. Only Tione is still here..."
Tione and Tiona, the sister pair, showed no trace of embarrassment.
Both wore matching black swimsuits, not much different from their usual outfits.
The skirted swimsuits were so sheer they resembled feather-light garments. At a glance, it seemed one could see the skin underneath.
Especially Tione, who shamelessly flaunted her ample bust and firm brown thighs, completely ignoring the envious or shy gazes around her.
Tiona was helping Ais practice swimming, while Tione crouched on the beach, seemingly lost in thought.
Behind a large rock by the lakeshore, Riveria was standing quietly, holding an unbelievably small swimsuit in her hand.
Her expression was frozen, like a statue frozen in time.
"Lady Riveria, so you were here."
A familiar voice suddenly sounded in her ear.
Riveria looked up sharply, her gaze shaking slightly when she saw the speaker. She stuttered, "A-Alicia?"
Alicia stepped out from behind the rock, already wearing a swimsuit similar in style to the one in Riveria's hand.
The only difference was the color. Alicia's swimsuit was a bright yellow, making her look especially radiant.
"S-So amazing—", Riveria's gaze was drawn in, unable to look away from Alicia's elegant figure in that swimsuit. Her slender waist and full chest.
Then the princess unconsciously looked down at herself.
Even though Riveria's figure was outstanding among elves, she still couldn't compare to Alicia.
'Did she... get even curvier than before?', Riveria thought with suspicion.
"I-I'm going to find Shirou now, Lady Riveria," Alicia's cheeks were flushed. After saying this, she immediately turned and ran toward the far side of the lake.
Riveria opened her mouth slightly in surprise, then looked down at the swimsuit in her hand and bit her lip hard.
———
"What happened to Lady Loki?", Seeing the goddess fainted on the beach, Riveria asked.
"She tried to grope the drowning Ais and got sent flying."
Aki replied, then noticed the red marks on the princess's neck and chest, "Lady Riveria, what's with those red spots on your body?"
"Hmm... there were mosquitoes nearby. I got bitten," Riveria brushed her hair aside and answered casually.
———
After resting, the adventurers finally began the original purpose of their trip, inspecting the Leviathan Seal.
Tiona spoke first, "Since we're investigating an underwater cave, we have to dive. That means it's our turn, right, sis?"
Tione nodded, "Makes sense. Only we have the Development Ability Diving."
She then turned her gaze to the goddess Loki and asked, "Lady Loki, do you know the cave's exact location?"
"Of course I do! I investigated it ahead of time, it's a bit further south from here, near the lake strait."
As she spoke, she waved at the Amazon sisters, "Tiona, Tione, I'm counting on you."
Seeing the sisters stride toward the lake, Ais suddenly noticed the deep indigo swimsuits they wore. She hesitated, then asked, "Tiona, Tione, are those swimsuits made from Undine Cloth?"
Busy nearly drowning earlier, Ais hadn't noticed their swimsuits until now. She just realized their equipment was different from everyone else's.
The swimsuits, with their tiny amount of fabric and smooth sheen, clearly contained some kind of special magic.
Undine Cloth, a rare material, possessed strong resistances, excellent defense against water-based attacks, and even had cooling effects against heat waves.
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