At a luxurious inn somewhere in Campbell, Zeus and the others settled in after finishing their dinner gathering. The cabin had been destroyed too thoroughly to be livable again anytime soon, so they had no choice but to stay here for the moment. Besides, with Zald and Alfia recovering, Zeus had completely abandoned any thought of rebuilding it.
"Let me be direct. I'm planning to send Duncan to Orario, so he can see the wider world."
Only three people were in the room, and Zeus laid out his thoughts without the slightest attempt at concealment.
Neither of the other two looked surprised in the least. No matter how much they might badmouth Orario, it was still the undisputed center of the world. If someone wanted to become a top-tier adventurer—wanted to become a hero—then sooner or later they had to go there. The real matter worth discussing was only why Zeus had chosen now.
"When did you start thinking about sending the brat to Orario, old man?"
Leaning against the door, Zald asked the question.
"From the moment I discovered his skill, I never intended to let him stay in this little place forever. I just didn't expect him to grow so fast. At this point, keeping him here would only hold him back. He needs a broader stage."
"You and Alfia can teach him combat techniques, sure. But you can't pass on real experience with the Dungeon. I'm worried that if you keep making him stronger like this, he'll start underestimating it."
"Duncan isn't that kind of child. He's… radiant. Still immature, yes, but he won't repeat the same mistakes we did. The arrogant ones were always us."
Alfia shook her head and rejected Zeus's concern.
"So, old man, are you planning to return to Orario? Changed your mind from before?"
"No. I told you from the beginning, I have no intention of going back to Orario yet. For the sake of the decisive battle to come, now is not the time."
"Then what about Duncan? With how quickly he gains excelia, he'll level up again in less than a year. Orario isn't exactly close to here, so going back and forth would be a pain—"
Then Zald suddenly thought of something. His gaze sharpened as he glared at Zeus.
"Old man… you're planning to have Duncan convert to another familia?!"
"That's right. Both I and the Zeus Familia are far too conspicuous in Orario. I want him to change familias for now. When the time comes and I return to Orario myself, he can always change back. The same goes for the two of you. If you set foot in Orario right now, people would watch you, target you, and shut you out."
"Heh. Since when has the Zeus Familia ever been afraid of being watched? Besides, you're making this sound too easy. What god would actually agree to this? Taking in some stranger who's obviously just going to leave their familia sooner or later?"
"I'm thinking of having a talk with Hermes. He may be slippery, but at least he gets things done. Once he knows the two of you are fully recovered, he won't dare refuse me."
"Hermes is slick-tongued and unreliable. Duncan would pick up bad habits around him."
Alfia answered instantly.
"Is that really the part you're focusing on?"
Zald looked at her, exasperated, and couldn't help but complain at the way she sounded so completely like an overbearing parent.
"I'm not going to force Duncan to come back to my familia afterward. Hera and I have spent a thousand years living in the lower world. We've seen every kind of glory there is. What the world needs now are heroes. Bell is still young, but as long as the two of them can grow strong enough, then honestly, I don't care which familia they belong to. To me, they're both my grandsons."
For once, Zeus showed a genuinely gentle expression. But only for a moment—then he put his usual godly mask back on.
"Though for the two of them, that title may still be too heavy a burden. But that is the price of joining the Zeus Familia. Even if they leave it someday, saving the world will still be their duty."
"I don't care about the familia transfer. But I'm going to Orario too—with Bell."
Since she was not actually a member of the Zeus Familia, Alfia answered indifferently. Truth be told, if her own familia weren't such a complete mess, she would have wholeheartedly approved and immediately pulled both Duncan and Bell into hers.
"You're just making trouble. Bell is still small. He can stay here with you and Zald and keep learning. But once he reaches a certain stage, he has to be sent to Orario too. And neither you nor Zald is going with him. Parental overindulgence needs limits."
Zeus rolled his eyes.
"I'd say I'm nowhere near as smothering as Alfia. But old man—is there some other reason you're still trying to keep us from going back to Orario?"
Unlike Alfia's fierce resistance, Zald seemed much calmer and asked the question instead.
"...Things at Dragon Valley have been tense the whole time. They need your support."
"..."
Zeus's answer silenced both of them instantly. Even the anger radiating off Alfia vanished as she reined herself in.
"Is it that bad?"
"They say they're holding the line, but the casualties keep piling up. And that's just from the smaller ones that've slipped through. If larger breeds show up again, it'll be hard to manage. The two of you are weaker now than you used to be, but you know Dragon Valley better than anyone. Whether it's to reinforce them or take the chance to rebuild your own strength, there's no better place than Dragon Valley aside from the Dungeon."
"Oh… those monsters."
For one of the few times in her life, naked hatred surfaced in Alfia's eyes. Her silver teeth ground together, and anger swirled through her mismatched pupils.
"...Understood. We'll do as you say, old man. What about you, Alfia? Bell can come with us too. If we run into some of the smaller ones, he can use them for practice."
Zald nodded and accepted Zeus's proposal. As one of Dragon Valley's former gatekeepers, he understood perfectly well how grim the situation there was.
Back when he'd thought he and Alfia were running out of time, they had chosen, after sealing things away, to spend what remained of their lives together in a place where they could die in peace.
But now that they had recovered and returned, there was no way they could ignore Dragon Valley.
That was their duty.
The duty of the mightiest familia—to save the world.
"And Ottar from Freya Familia has already reached Level 7."
Zeus added that last part almost casually.
"That boar brat?"
Zald froze. The kid who used to trail behind him, chasing the footprints he left behind and listening only to Freya's commands, had actually reached the same level he once had.
Forgetting completely that his own level had fallen, he stared blankly.
"Mm. Latest news from Hermes. And those three brats from Loki Familia are all Level 6 now too. You two are the ones doing the chasing these days."
Zeus reminded him.
"Well… that just makes it even harder to go back to Orario."
Only then did Zald remember that his own level had dropped. He scratched his head and gave a bitter laugh.
"I understand. We'll go with your decision. We're heading to Dragon Valley."
Alfia stopped thinking and gave her answer immediately. For the two of them, the people who had once trailed behind them becoming their seniors was something they could never accept. Just hearing about it was nauseating enough—actually seeing it would be worse.
That alone was enough to make even Alfia answer without hesitation.
"You've got us in the palm of your hand again, old man."
Zald laughed wryly.
"Hmph. You two are just too prideful. Don't go using me as your excuse."
Even so, beneath Zeus's thick beard and mustache, his smug satisfaction at having pulled it off could still be seen.
"But since that's settled, before Duncan leaves, I intend to teach the brat one technique."
Zald suddenly added this once the matter was decided.
"Right now, his strength isn't weak for a Level 3, but his personality is too straightforward. He's the kind who's liable to get hurt because of his companions. Especially in close-quarters combat, where one small mistake can become a crippling injury. He also lacks a move that can turn the tide of battle."
"You mean…"
Alfia's eyes narrowed.
"Light Slash?"
....
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