"A Pallum? Is that your friend, Miss Argonaut?"
Tiona walked up to the two with her hands clasped behind her head.
"T-Tiona Hiryute... the Crusher... Level 5..."
Lili stammered, a bead of sweat trickling down her cheek.
Even though Tiona wasn't trying to be intimidating, the presence of a first-class adventurer alone was enough to make a Level 1 like Lili nervous.
Her gaze shifted toward the group behind Tiona... a small army of high-level adventurers moving in formation.
"I can't believe it... The Loki Familia... Mister Judas' Familia... they're really here..."
Lili muttered before bowing her head deeply.
"Thank you for saving Miss Belle from those minotaurs."
Her sudden expression of gratitude caught the Amazoness off guard.
"Hmm?"
Tiona tilted her head cutely, a confused look on her face.
'No matter how skilled Miss Belle is... as a Level 1, there's no way she could've defeated three minotaurs on her own.'
In other words...
'It must've been the Loki Familia who took them down.'
That was the only logical conclusion Lili could think of.
But before she could raise her head, Tiona's next words left her frozen.
"What are you talking about? We didn't save Miss Argonaut. She's the one who managed to defeat those nasty minotaurs by herself."
Tiona said it so casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Huh?"
Lili blinked, unable to process what she just heard, then turned to Belle for confirmation.
"Hehe... that's right, Miss Lili. She's telling the truth."
Belle wasn't the type to boast, but she couldn't help feeling a little proud... after all, defeating three monsters that even Level 2 adventurers struggled with was no small feat.
"Whaaaaaaaaat?!"
Lili's face twisted in disbelief.
...
A few minutes later, she found herself walking alongside Belle and the Loki Familia as they made their way back to the surface.
"Oh! I can finally see the light! We're almost there!"
One of the adventurers shouted excitedly as the group ascended the spiral staircase leading out of the dungeon.
As the group finally stepped out of Babel's massive entrance, a wave of warm sunlight washed over them.
"We're finally back!"
"Yeeaaahhh!"
Loud cheers echoed around them.
"Nnnnn~ Finally! After two whole weeks in that dark, creepy dungeon... the taste of fresh air feels amazing!"
Tione stretched her arms with a contented sigh.
The air of Orario felt different after weeks in the dungeon... livelier, freer, full of voices and laughter that reminded them of why adventurers fought in the first place.
"It's great that we all made it out alive."
Raul said, his voice filled with relief, a small tear welling at the corner of his eye.
Even as a Level 4, he knew... the dungeon spared no one.
No matter how strong or experienced you were, death always lurked beneath its depths.
"I guess this is where we part ways..."
Belle smiled softly.
After experiencing a life-and-death struggle on the sixth floor, stepping back onto the surface brought with it an indescribable sense of relief.
Tiona grinned and slapped Belle's back with a friendly thud.
"Aww, don't be so formal, Miss Argonaut! You did great down there! I still can't believe you beat those minotaurs all by yourself. You're seriously amazing!"
Belle rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, her face reddening.
"You should've seen the look on Bete's stupid face when he saw you pulled off the impossible. He nearly dropped his weapon like an idiot!"
"H-Hey! Don't make things up, you stupid amazon!"
Bete snapped from the back of the group, scowling.
"You totally did, though."
Tione chuckled.
"Shut it."
The siblings burst into laughter, and even Ais couldn't help but smile at the scene.
Lili, still trying to process everything, glanced up at Belle with renewed awe.
'To think she could actually take down three minotaurs alone... Miss Belle is incredible.'
The Pallum clutched the strap of her backpack tightly, feeling a sense of pride.
"By the way, who is this Judas person you guys keep muttering about?"
Quickly ignoring the werewolf who wouldn't stop barking, Tiona turned toward them with a curious gaze.
"Eh? You don't know who he is?"
Belle exclaimed, eyes widening in surprise.
"Miss Belle... Mister Judas joined while the Loki Familia was out on their expedition, remember?"
Lili said, slapping her forehead at Belle's forgetfulness.
"Ooh~ you're right."
Belle replied with a sheepish smile.
"Loki recruited someone while we were away?"
At that, Tione's ears twitched, and her brows rose in mild surprise.
"Yeah! And let me tell you... Mister Judas is incredible! Not only is he super strong, but he also broke the record for the fastest level-up in history!"
Belle said excitedly, her eyes practically sparkling like a fangirl's as she went on and on about how amazing Judas was.
"Ah... here we go again. She's always like this whenever Mister Judas' name comes up."
Lili muttered with a small grin.
"What? Someone like that joined the Familia without our knowing?"
Tiona's eyes widened in disbelief.
She wasn't the only one... other members of the Loki Familia exchanged surprised looks at Belle's words.
Even Finn, Riveria, and Gareth... who had been a few meters away, giving Raul and the others instructions to safely transport the spoils they gathered from the dungeon... turned their heads at the mention.
"He broke my record?"
Ais murmured under her breath, a faint trace of astonishment flickering in her golden eyes.
As the previous record holder, she had never flaunted the title... but back when she was Level 1, her obsession with growing stronger had driven her to the brink.
She had shed blood, sweat, and tears, risking her life countless times just to reach Level 2 in the shortest time possible.
If it weren't for Riveria and the others making sure she didn't go overboard, she had no doubt she would've perished by now.
For someone to surpass her feat... that person must have risked even more than she once did.
"What kind of person is he?"
There was an inexplicable curiosity in her tone.
"What a surprise our goddess managed to pull off. Looks like Loki finally did something useful for once, instead of just goofing around all the time."
Finn, Riveria, and Gareth exchanged glances. Though none of them reacted outwardly, they too were growing curious about this rising prodigy their goddess had managed to recruit.
"First this girl named Belle, and now this boy named Judas... since when did rookies become this impressive?"
Finn said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"We'll see for ourselves soon enough if this boy, Judas, is really as impressive as that Belle lass made him out to be,"
Gareth said, crossing his arms with a grunt.
After waiting for the rest of the Familia to exit the dungeon, they set out for home with eager anticipation.
Along the way, Belle and Lili eventually parted ways, each heading in their own direction.
"Finally... we're back home!"
Tiona shouted with excitement as the towering spires of the Twilight Manor came into view in the distance.
Inside the manor, Loki lounged lazily on the couch in the living room, one leg draped over the other, a half-empty bottle of wine balanced carelessly in her hand.
She let out a long, drawn-out yawn... the kind that spoke of divine boredom... before suddenly stopping mid-motion.
Her eyes snapped open, a faint glimmer flickering in their depths.
"They're back."
She said with a sly grin, her foxlike eyes glinting with amusement.
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