Chapter 59: The Quarreling Duo!

Ais surveyed the adventurers surrounding her.

"Did you all accept the commission as well?" She inquired.

Asfi, holding Lulune who had fallen to the ground with one hand and lightly tapping her head with the other, sighed in response.

"Yes, all thanks to this stupid dog who is greedy for quick money."

Ais's gaze shifted to Lulune, who awkwardly explained herself.

"Ais-san, since you took this commission, that means you must have met that man, right? He came to me again a few days ago, and I told him I'd had enough! But who knew..."

Lulune's eyes welled up as she continued, her voice rising in indignation.

"Who knew that jerk would threaten to report me to the Guild for falsifying my level!"

"Yeah, and this stupid dog dragged our entire Familia into this mess," Asfi added with a frown.

Following Hermes's orders, most members of Hermes Familia concealed their true levels.

If one of them were exposed, the Guild would conduct a thorough investigation, putting the entire Familia at risk.

This meant not only would they be defying their god's intention of keeping their strength hidden, but they would also face hefty fines from the Guild.

Lulune, caught in this mess, had no choice but to plead to her fellow Familia members to participate in this mission as well.

Ais listened to their explanation, her expression a mixture of surprise and amusement.

"Ugh, I didn't intend for this to happen! But I saw something I really wanted that day, and Asfi, you all refused to go to the Dungeon that day, so I had to take the commission myself!"

Lulune tried to defend herself.

"You have the nerve to say that! You could have just played dumb! If that mysterious guy reports us to the Guild, wouldn't he expose himself too?! You stupid dog!"

Asfi scolded Lulune, who hung her head in shame.

Instead of stopping Asfi, the others joined in, glaring at Lulune with disapproval.

"About the... commission," Ais interjected, trying to steer the conversation back on track.

"Sorry to let you see this," Asfi apologized, taking off her glasses and wiping them with her glove.

"Let me confirm the details of the commission. Our destination is the 24th floor, and we need to investigate the cause of the monster rampage and eliminate it if possible, right?"

"Yes."

"Since we're partners in this mission, to avoid unnecessary trouble, I'll disclose our full strength. But you have to promise not to report our true levels to the Guild."

Asfi shot another glare at Lulune, whose ears and tail drooped even lower.

"I promise." Ais nodded.

"Good. Including myself, there are fifteen of us from Hermes Familia. Most of us are Level 3, and the remaining Level 2s can barely hold their own against Level 3 with the help of props and items."

Asfi showed the qualities that a captain of a Familia should have, quickly confirming their combined strength and informing Ais of the items they brought and their team's composition.

"Now that this matter is over, let's focus on completing this commission. Especially you, Lulune. You'll be working your tail off this time," Asfi declared.

"Alright, I got it..." Lulune mumbled in response.

Asfi then extended her hand to Ais.

"Though we were forced to participate in this mission, having the 'Sword Princess' with us is a huge boost to our morale. Pleased to be working with you."

"Likewise," Ais replied, shaking Asfi's hand.

Thus, she temporarily joined Asfi's team and headed for their destination.

…

"The... the weather is lovely today, haha..." Lefiya forced a laugh, trying to ease the tension within the group.

"Lefiya, using a weather deck in the darkness of the Dungeon isn't a wise choice. You'll fall into a bottomless pit. My advice is to stick with the hero deck – heroes and support go hand in hand. Just be wary of a certain vicious loli," Shiro commented, his words a playful jab at Lefiya's competitive nature.

"Oi, if you two want to do a comedy routine, go do it somewhere else," Bete grumbled, clearly not appreciating their attempts to lighten the mood.

Filvis remained silent, as usual.

They had chased after Ais for a few hours and were now on the 18th floor, taking a quick break from their fast-paced journey.

Bete, who had been leading the way, noticed Lefiya struggling to keep up and clicked his tongue in annoyance before suggesting they slow down and rest.

Throughout their journey, Bete had shown no signs of friendliness, and Filvis remained silent and unable to communicate.

Almost all the conversation had been between Shiro and Lefiya.

Lefiya, feeling the awkwardness, fidgeted uncomfortably.

"You don't have to force two incompatible people to get along," Shiro advised, noticing her anxiety.

"They're probably more comfortable being silent than putting on fake smiles and exchanging pleasantries."

After all, two tsunderes rarely saw eye-to-eye.

Though the group seemed tense, both Filvis and Bete instinctively shielded Lefiya whenever they encountered monsters.

Taking Shiro's advice to heart, Lefiya stole a glance at the black-haired elf.

With her long black hair, sharp features, and crimson eyes that held a hint of aloofness, Filvis exuded an air of mystery.

Lefiya knew that Filvis had been quietly looking after her throughout the journey, which made her even more determined to get along with her fellow elf.

"Thank you for helping me deal with that monster... I'm not very good against Minotaurs..."

Lefiya once again attempted to initiate a conversation.

"..." Filvis remained silent nonetheless.

"What's your occupation, Filvis-san? I see you have both daggers and a staff."

"..."

"Could you be a magic swordsman? To be honest, I've been trying to become one myself! But my swordsmanship is improving very slowly. I can only handle weaker monsters for now..."

"..."

Despite Lefiya's persistent attempts, Filvis continued walking in silence.

Just as Lefiya was about to give up, she remembered the warm welcome she received from her seniors when she first joined Loki Familia.

So, with renewed determination, she continued trying to engage Filvis in conversation.

"Filvis-san..."

"Aren't you done yet?! You're so annoying!" Bete suddenly snapped, interrupting Lefiya.

He then scoffed, "Just ignore her. There's no need to be all lovey-dovey with someone who can't appreciate kindness."

Lefiya felt tears pricking at her eyes after hearing this.

It was precisely this kind of attitude of both Bete and Filvis that made the atmosphere so unbearable.

Finally, Filvis broke her silence, glaring at Bete with anger in her eyes.

"I have no intention of pretending to be friendly with you, you lowly werewolf."

"Oh? I thought you were mute, you sneaky elf. I thought you could only chant your magic at monsters." Bete retorted.

They continued bickering, with Lefiya caught in the middle.

Suddenly, a hand landed on her shoulder.

Shiro observed the arguing duo, his other hand resting on his chin.

"Lefiya, you seem to be the group's favorite."

"Eh?"

Shiro shook his head, as if to say 'Can't you see it?'

"Bete only told you to leave Filvis alone because she wasn't responding to you. And Filvis immediately came to your defense when you were scolded. If that's not being the group's favorite, I don't know what is."

"Eh? R-Really?"

"Shut up!" Both Bete and Filvis yelled in unison after hearing this.

---

Read More With Pictures (10+ Chapters In Advance):

p@treon.com/U22

Replace '@' with 'a' on your web browser.

---

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel:

YouTube.com/@AnimexFirst

(PS: Vote for this fanfiction for more chapters. Also, don't forget to leave a review and comment below. If the results are not good, then I'll just drop it and start working on another project.)