The trip back to the surface was… uneventful.
Barely any monsters showed up and the ones that do couldn't even get past the weakest member of the group.
They moved in clean formation like always, alert and professional, while Kaelis walked along with them like he'd just joined a group hike.
And talked.
A lot.
It started out small. Asking questions about elven culture, magic, how long elves usually stayed in one place.
Just to get her to lower her guard.
Riveria answered a few out of courtesy, giving short and to the point answers, clearly hoping that would be the end of it.
It wasn't.
Seeing her being cooperative, Kaelis kept the questions flowing, drifting from curiosity into territory that was… questionable.
Personal questions. With occasionally embarrassing ones.
He'd toss in comments with a straight face, then casually tease the elves whenever they reacted too strongly, which only made things worse.
Lefiya looked like she was seconds away from collapsing every time he opened his mouth, while the other elves shot him increasingly hostile looks.
Riveria's patience wore thinner with each question she got asked, her responses growing sharper as the questions continued.
Until one remark crossed the line.
"Do elves have periods? When's yours?"
If not for Tiona and Tione grabbing her before anything could happen, Kaelis might've been erased from off the face of the earth in that moment.
Though they did a poor job. She did fire off a few short chant spells before they covered her mouth.
At the same time, Riveria's elven followers surrounded Kaelis and unloaded on him.
Respect. Decorum. Basic manners.
Kaelis listened, blinked once, and looked genuinely puzzled.
He couldn't figure out why this was worse than knocking Bete into a wall.
Though the angry look on Rivera's face was pretty cute.
By the time they started moving again, Riveria was calm but very done and Kaelis, for now, had gone quiet.
In no time, they reach the surface…
The group slowed to a stop, the tension that had followed them upward lingering just a little too long.
And now it was time to part ways.
"Well," Kaelis said, stretching his arms behind his head as he gazed at the pretty lights of Orario, "that was fun."
The whole bunch of elves glared at him like they were debating throwing him back down a few floors.
Tiona, on the other hand, waved enthusiastically. "Yeah! But, uh—take care, Kaelis! Try not to make anyone explode next time!"
She leaned in a bit too close. "Also, that was kinda funny. Not the spell part. The faces."
"Tiona," Tione hissed.
A few of the elves pointed at Kaelis as they passed him.
Their familia home, that Riveria called the Twilight manor, was located on the north side of Orario, while the old abandoned church he and Hestia resides was on the western area.(I'm using this map)
"Learn some manners."
"Have some shame."
"Stay away from Lady Riveria."
Kaelis nodded along seriously, like he was taking mental notes.
It seems he had become the enemy of the whole elf battalion inside the Loki familia.
He had no idea he was made an enemy of the whole race as a whole. But that's for a whole other story.
Aiz paused in front of him for half a second.
"…Mm," she hummed.
"Mm?"
Then she walked past.
Lefiya trailed behind her, muttering just loud enough to be heard.
"I really, really don't want to see him again…"
Kaelis watched them go but not before he responded to her words with nothing but a mocking face, dragging his eyelid down and sticking out his tongue.
Then he turned to Riveria.
Her face was still dark from earlier. Clearly tired in that very specific, very dangerous way.
"So," he said, cheerful as ever, "since we got to know each other… wanna go on a date? My treat."
The reaction was immediate.
"WHAT—!?"
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"
"THE AUDACITY—!"
"Gosh. You guys wanna come too? Girls only though."
Before they could respond, Riveria raised a hand before the elves could fully riot.
"That will not be happening," she said politely, leaving no room for argument.
Kaelis laughed, genuinely amused. "Worth a shot."
He took a step back, hands lifting in surrender. "Guess I'll see you around then."
Riveria's eyes narrowed. "I sincerely hope not."
Kaelis turned and started walking away, whistling softly.
"What a lovely bunch," he muttered to himself.
And with that, he disappeared into the city, leaving behind one exhausted elf, several offended ones, and a Loki Familia that would absolutely be talking about this for weeks.
Kaelis disappeared into the crowd soon enough, his figure blending into Orario as Riveria stood there.
Just for a bit.
Her eyes followed him down the street, no longer irritated—just thoughtful.
He didn't look smug, didn't glance back, didn't act like it mattered.
He simply walked away, like the whole thing was nothing more than a brief, forgettable stop.(that's how you attract the ladies… being nonchalant)
"…Annoying man," she muttered under her breath.
Her gaze shifted to the caravan.
Bete was still out cold, sprawled among the equipment, breathing steadily. He'd live.
Unfortunately, that means he'd also wake up loud.
Riveria sighed quietly.
No Falna.
That part still didn't sit right.
Someone without a blessing wandering the seventeenth floor and strong enough to put Bete down in a single move without even treating it like a fight.
Too many things didn't line up.
She was still staring in Kaelis' direction when one of the elves shifted beside her, her thoughts calculating.
"…Lady Riveria?" the elf asked carefully. "You're… not reconsidering his offer, are you?"
Riveria glanced at them.
She had been caught staring too long at the departing Kaelis and was suspected of having second thoughts.
The elf stiffened immediately.
"…No," she said flatly.
Then she turned away from the street and faced forward, expression back under control.
"We're moving," Riveria ordered. "Let's go."
The familia fell in line at once.
As they started walking, Riveria resolved to asked her patron goddess about the issue and inform her colleagues about Kaelis.
The group moved on, the city lights closing around them.
And somewhere else in Orario, Kaelis continued on his way—completely unaware that he'd just earned a quiet note in a goddess' mental ledger.
…
The abandoned church—
"I'm home…!"
Pushing the front door open, Kaelis stepped inside to find the only two people who should've been there.
Hestia was sprawled across the same bean bag as before, though she'd swapped books and changed into her evening dress, legs tucked comfortably beneath her. Bell sat nearby, carefully polishing his armor—armor that now had more than a few visible cracks.
Both of them looked up at the same time.
"Oh—Master?!" Bell shot to his feet.
"You're back!!" Hestia nearly toppled off the bean bag. "Where have you been!?"
Kaelis shut the door behind him and walked in like he'd only stepped out for a stroll—which technically, he did.
"In the Dungeon."
He plopped himself right down beside Hestia and, without restraint, tossed an arm around her shoulders.
"Hey—!" she yelped. "I just bathed! You're dirty!"
She tried to shove him off, but didn't actually put much effort into it.
If anything, she just leaned away a little, very pointedly ignoring how close he was.
Kaelis didn't budge. "I don't sweat."
"…What does that even mean?" Hestia grumbled.
Bell blinked. "Y–You were in the Dungeon? Since when!?"
Kaelis thought about it for a second. "Uh… I woke up sometime this morning. I think."
"…You think?" Bell echoed.
Hestia sat up straighter. "Wait—this morning? Bell, that means—"
"You woke up after we left!" Bell realized.
"Sounds about right," Kaelis said lazily.
Hestia turned fully toward him now, eyes narrowing as concern kicked in.
"Hold on—are you okay? Did you get hurt? Did you eat anything? You were out cold for five days, you know!"
Kaelis waved it off. "I'm fine. Though…" He paused, then hummed. "My taste buds might need some rejuvenation."
Hestia frowned. "…That's not an answer."
He grinned. "Which is why I propose we go to the Hostess of Fertility."
Bell stiffened. "T–The Hostess!?"
Hestia's eyes lit up immediately. "Food?"
"Good food," Kaelis corrected.
She shot to her feet. "Why didn't you say that sooner!?" Then she pointed at him. "But you're paying."
Kaelis closed his eyes, smiling.
He'll just cash in his loot tomorrow.
Chapter 79 end.