After their laughter faded, the heaviness clouding Finn's heart eased considerably.
Glancing sideways at Loki, he had to admit—the goddess truly carried herself like one today. Maybe it was precisely this kind of personality that allowed Loki Familia to gather so many core members.
"Talented individuals… but Bell's situation must be far more serious than what we've seen, right?"
The smile on Loki's face dimmed slightly.
"People with different talents face different trials. What he's going through now is merely the opening act—the moment he steps onto the stage."
"I figured as much."
The envy in Finn's heart faded. Once that mix of admiration and jealousy passed, rationality reclaimed its place.
"He thinks the same way, doesn't he? That's why he's been growing steadily and cautiously. He's doing it just to avoid unnecessary interference that might complicate his growth, isn't he?"
Sharp as ever.
Loki couldn't help but click her tongue inwardly. Her captain's mind was as quick as always—he had seen through everything in one go.
Finn didn't care that Loki hadn't answered. He didn't need one anyway. He already knew. He just wanted to say it aloud—to vent.
"Looking back at Bell's past actions makes it obvious. The reason he's been helping our Familia is simply because he wants to hide behind the glory of the Loki Familia. As long as we keep advancing, we'll draw most of the attention away from him."
"The rune stones he created were meant from the start to be sold in bulk to our Familia. The reason's simple—your relationship with Hestia. By using that connection, he can do business with us without worrying we'll catch on."
Loki gave a small cough before adding,
"It's also about making money."
Finn's expression twitched. Was their money really that easy to earn? But once he thought about the usefulness of those rune stones, he couldn't help but admit—they were worth it.
No helping it. The effectiveness of those rune stones was undeniable. Any Familia that knew their power would never let such items slip away.
This isn't my fault. Definitely not my fault. Finn could only comfort himself with that thought.
"Before, Bell was constantly working to strengthen our Familia, trying to give us the power to stand against Freya Familia. But since we've formed an alliance, there's no longer a need for that conflict. Naturally, his investments in us have decreased a lot."
"But lately, he's been getting closer to Ais. Is it because he's seen something useful in her?"
What could Ais possibly have that Bell would value that much? Finn couldn't think of a reason.
Loki, who knew exactly what Bell was after, decided to give him the answer straight.
"Ais's parents."
"!?"
"He wants to use Ais's parents to break through his level?"
Finn instantly understood Bell's intent—though it was a bit too ambitious. What surprised him even more was how far Bell was looking ahead.
"He's planning to jump to Lv.8?"
Loki shook her head slightly, correcting him.
"Finn, you're underestimating him. He believes Ais's parents each possess Lv.8 strength, and together as a pair, their combined power might even surpass that."
"Then that would be Lv.9?"
Finn could hardly believe that a Lv.6 adventurer was already aiming for the threshold of Lv.9.
"He wants to reach Lv.9 this early?"
"He's only Lv.6, isn't he?"
The flood of questions revealed Finn's shock and confusion, while Loki simply smiled and finished calmly.
"Because he has absolute confidence that he can accomplish what ordinary people cannot."
For adventurers of this age, achieving 'Excelia' is an enormous hurdle. To obtain it, one must slay monsters stronger than themselves, proving they have the strength to move forward. In the past, the Three Great Quests roamed freely, giving adventurers chances to achieve 'Excelia' together. But now, all such opportunities lie within the Dungeon—there's no easy shortcut anymore.
'Excelia' stands as the greatest obstacle before every adventurer.
Those with real power can move that obstacle by themselves, even shatter it completely.
Those who lack the strength can only rely on teamwork to shift it.
And right now, that obstacle still stands a kilometer away. Before anyone can even attempt to move it, they must first form a party just to reach it.
These days, people can't even get close to that barrier stone, let alone move it.
"Others might find 'Excelia' a real headache, but Bell has complete confidence in himself. Otherwise, he wouldn't have given the ticket to reach Lv.7 to Ais."
Loki's words struck Finn like another heavy blow.
Right—he remembered the barrier incident in Ais's room half a month ago. That day, after returning, she'd said she had gone to slay a god-devouring monster and gained 'Excelia' from it. Thinking about it now, it wasn't so strange. After all, Bell's goal was Lv.9.
And now, Finn finally understood why Ais, who had been quiet for months, suddenly started moving again.
"So, Ais's recent dungeon runs—they're Bell's doing?"
"Well, that's part of it," Loki admitted.
But she didn't hide the other reason either.
"These past two weeks, Ais hasn't been running around the Dungeon out of excitement. She's been deliberately attracting certain people's attention on the floors above the 50th."
Finn frowned deeply, concern etched on his face.
"You had Ais do something like that?"
"Because she's the only one suited for it."
After thinking for a moment, Finn realized she was right.
In the entire Loki Familia, Ais was the perfect person for that task. The rumor that the "Sword Princess" often trained in the Dungeon wasn't new—it had been spreading for over ten years. Everyone in Orario knew it.
"Having Ais stir up the Dungeon will make those rats a bit more cautious. At the very least, it'll buy us some time—enough to delay a full-scale war."