It was the same dwarf from before.
As if hearing the funniest joke, he clutched his stomach and burst into raucous laughter.
"What's so funny?!"
The red-haired man, who seemed the most straightforward, couldn't help but slam the table and stand up with a shout.
The commotion quickly drew the attention of all the adventurers in the tavern. Cheers and whistles erupted, adding fuel to this unexpected entertainment.
"Of course it's funny! Who wouldn't laugh at this?"
The dwarf male gave a mocking look, his laughter deliberately provocative.
"Talking about catching up to Eiji the Aurora? Even the most delusional people should have their limits!"
He deliberately raised his voice so the entire tavern could hear him.
"Hey hey, am I hearing this right?"
"Hahaha! I'm laughing too!"
"How is that even possible? Eiji the Aurora isn't human! Who reaches Level 5 in three months? Who defeats a Level 2 adventurer as a normal person?"
The tavern was immediately engulfed in waves of derisive laughter.
At the center of the ridicule, the white-haired boy bit his lip.
Though he knew matching such achievements was impossible, being publicly mocked and dismissed like this made him instinctively shrink back.
He had only said he wanted to catch up to their heels...
"Ha! Of course you losers who can't even level up in a year wouldn't understand!"
The red-haired man planted his hands on his hips, completely unfazed by the jeers. Instead, he proudly laughed, his taunts encompassing even himself.
"But that doesn't mean Bell can't do it!"
"Bell? Bell Cranel?"
"Isn't that the Hestia Familia member from the papers recently?"
"They say he reached Level 2 in just over a month? Second only to the Aurora?"
The adventurers who were about to curse suddenly fell silent.
Most were ordinary Level 1s who wouldn't dare talk back to a higher-level adventurer, especially one with real accomplishments. Speaking up now would be like offering their faces to be slapped.
"Thank you, Welf!"
Bell shot the red-haired youth a grateful look.
"Tch!"
The dwarf's expression darkened.
"Ha! Nothing to say now, huh?"
Welf laughed triumphantly.
"Ow! Why'd you hit me!"
The dwarf's face twitched before he suddenly collapsed backward, crying out in exaggerated pain as he looked at Welf.
"Huh? Who hit—"
Welf looked utterly bewildered.
Ah, youth. So inexperienced in the ways of the world.
Eiji mused to himself as he leisurely continued his dinner.
THUD!
The moment the dwarf fell, his companions moved like the wind. Before Welf could react, a fist buried itself in his stomach.
"Guh!"
"Welf!"
As Welf dropped to his knees, face pale, Bell's expression shifted to anger.
"Wait, Bell-sama! Their emblem... they're Apollo Familia!"
Just as he moved to stand, the chestnut-haired dwarf girl beside him urgently grabbed his arm.
She glanced at the emblems on the chests of the four individuals—a golden sun and bow etched upon them, unmistakably the symbol of the Apollo Familia.
Bell's body stiffened instantly.
The Apollo Familia!
One of Orario's undisputed upper-tier familias, boasting several high-ranking adventurers, with their captain being a Level 3 second-tier adventurer—far beyond what the Hestia Familia could afford to provoke!
"Hmph, still just a coward after all?"
The one who spoke in a cold tone was the young man who had knocked Welf to the ground.
He had strikingly handsome features, but the look he gave Bell was far from friendly, his eyes narrowed sharply, his expression distorting his otherwise pleasant appearance.
"Isn't that guy the Sun's favored child?"
"The captain of the Apollo Familia, Level 3 Hyakinthos!"
"Whoa, that's a big shot!"
Chaotic murmurs erupted from the surrounding crowd.
Gasps of surprise rang out incessantly.
Were there really this many famous figures gathered here tonight?
"Ha! The Apollo Familia… so what?"
Welf trembled as he pushed himself upright, baring his teeth in a fierce grin at the handsome young man.
"I come from the Hephaestus Familia—have I ever bragged about it?"
The Hephaestus Familia?
Both the handsome youth and the dwarf man frowned simultaneously.
That was an undisputed top-tier familia, ranking at least within the top five in Orario, with their captain being a Level 5 first-tier adventurer.
"Wait, isn't that Welf Crozzo?"
"The magic swordsmith who refuses to forge magic swords?"
"I heard he's been heavily ostracized by his own familia!"
Welf cursed inwardly.
Too many people here knew the truth—his bluff was exposed in an instant.
He was indeed a member of the Hephaestus Familia, but within the familia, he was far from valued, and his relationships with his peers were strained. Even if he were bullied, it was unlikely anyone would stand up for him.
"So just a washed-up low-tier blacksmith!"
Hyakinthos secretly sighed in relief, sneering coldly.
Crozzo?
Eiji suddenly perked up his ears.
That famous magic sword-forging family, the Crozzos?
"Hahaha! Just a bunch of cowards after all!"
The dwarf man relaxed his tense expression, tilting his head back in amusement.
"Looking at you lot, your patron god must be some third-rate deity, right? Yeah, utterly lacking in authority or dignity—definitely a total loser!"
"You—!"
For a moment, it was as if a rabbit had its fur bristling.
The boy named Bell's expression darkened, his fists clenching tightly.
Swish!
Just then, a sharp sound cut through the air.
The dwarf man felt a blur before his eyes as a streak of silver flashed past.
Hyakinthos tensed his entire body, following the trajectory of the light, only to see a fork embedded in the wall, its tail still vibrating faintly.
The entire tavern fell silent.
"W-Who was that?!"
The dwarf man jumped in fright, hiding behind Hyakinthos.
"…Was it you?"
Hyakinthos, however, locked his gaze onto the black-cloaked figure at the nearby table, his eyes filled with extreme wariness.
"You? You dare attack us, the Apollo Familia?"
The dwarf man blustered, his face paling at the thought of nearly being hit by the fork.
"Who are you? Which familia do you belong to? Looking for death?"
Every eye in the tavern was now fixed on the black-cloaked figure.
Some were snickering at the fool who dared provoke Apollo Familia, while others pondered just how strong this person must be to have even caught Hyakinthos off guard—their varied expressions laid bare for all to see.
"Weren't you all just discussing me moments ago?"
The black-robed figure remained seated, not even bothering to stand.
"Discussing you?"
Hyakinthos frowned as he muttered to himself.
"Ha? Don't flatter yourself. We're a top-tier Familia—why would we ever—"
The prum's words were cut short.
Across from them, the black-robed figure removed his hood.