บท 63: Anticipation
The return journey at the end of the expedition wasn't something worth praising.
At least, for the usual Loki Familia, it was truly like that.
As a large familia capable of battling in the deep floors below the 50th Floor, the obstacles encountered on the way back could be considered trivial.
In the past, once Loki Familia's expedition party set out on the return journey, there was only one result—smooth sailing.
But this time, due to the corrosive acid of the worm monsters destroying their supplies and even dissolving their equipment, the expedition party faced quite a bit of trouble on the way back.
Not to mention, just filling their stomachs alone became a problem.
With only a handful of emergency rations left, they had to forage in the dungeon for food. Every day, they had to find a safe spot to camp and go out to pick wild fruits and vegetables to stave off hunger. This activity itself took up a considerable amount of time on the return journey.
Encountering monsters was no different.
With many members unable to fight due to the loss of weapons and armor, some had to go into battle unarmed, resulting in increased risks and time delays.
If it weren't for the formidable strength of Loki Familia's members and powerful swordsmen like Riezel and Ais, who could single-handedly take on thousands, the time delays could have been much worse.
Thanks to this, the expedition which usually took around five or six days to return to the surface smoothly, took nearly eight days to succeed this time.
On this particular day, it happened to be dusk.
When Loki Familia's expedition party emerged from Babel, the attention of surrounding adventurers was immediately drawn to them. Wherever they went, they were always the center of attention, a fate that came with being one of the city's strongest familias.
However, everyone was too tired to care about the gazes and discussions around them.
"Yatta! Finally back!" Tiona shouted loudly, raising both her hands to the sky.
"Can't you stop being so noisy every time? It's embarrassing!" Tione complained on the side but visibly relaxed.
The rest of the expedition party showed more or less the same expressions, even Riezel wasn't an exception.
'Back, huh...'
Looking at the sunset on the horizon, Riezel himself felt like it had been a long time since he returned.
Although the dungeon had various wonders, they were still underground after all. Unable to see the sky and constantly on guard, fighting monsters every moment, it was fine for a short time, but if it lasted too long, anyone would feel particularly stressed.
Not that Riezel felt that way.
Once, he survived in the wilderness for several months, so why would he feel stressed after less than a month in the dungeon?
However, at that split second of seeing the sky, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.
'Guess I just didn't notice those stressed feelings deep down...' Riezel thought quietly. 'Shows I'm still just a normal human, huh?'
As he thought like that, a smile formed on his face.
'Alright, time to go home.'
Meanwhile, the mask of captain that Finn had been wearing on his face all along slipped away, revealing the usual amiable appearance that everyone knew.
Everyone immediately started chatting and laughing, simultaneously relaxing the tension that had been gripping their hearts. They walked out of the square in front of Babel in groups, heading toward the street where Twilight Manor was located.
Along the way, whether they were adventurers or ordinary citizens, they all paid attention to Loki Familia's expedition party, offering nods of respect. Surely, before long, news of their return from the expedition would spread one by one to the ears of every familia in Orario.
Before long, the gate of Twilight Manor gradually appeared ahead.
The familia members guarding the gate were originally standing there expressionless, with a solemn demeanor. However, their expressions changed when they saw the returning expedition party led by Finn.
"It's Captain!"
"Captain is back!"
"The expedition party has returned!"
Before long, surprised announcements filled Twilight Manor.
""Captain!""
The two gatekeepers quickly saluted Finn and the rest.
"We're back." Finn smiled at them. "Open the gate."
""Yes!""
The two gatekeepers immediately opened the gate.
"Yahoo~! We're back!" Tiona was the first to rush in.
"I've already said it's embarrassing! Can't you get it?!" Tione groaned, covering her face at her sister's antics.
"It's always freaking noisy when we get back. What a moron." Bete grumbled, irritation evident in his tone as he gazed at Tiona's figure.
"Miss Ais, we're home."
"Um..."
Lefiya simply expressed joy, earning a gentle response from Ais.
The expedition party walked into the front yard and arrived at the front of the manor.
The remaining members of the familia were already waiting at this place, offering warm welcomes and inquiries to the expedition party's members. Of course, in this situation, a certain goddess, who had been eagerly waiting, was naturally not absent.
"Finally, you guys are back!"
Inside the manor, a figure swiftly dashed toward the expedition party—to be more accurate, toward the female members of the party.
"A—I—SSS—!!!"
Just like the first time Riezel saw the expedition party return to the familia, Loki recreated the scene and charged straight at Ais.
In response, Ais, along with Tiona, Tione, and the rest of the female members, promptly turned around, avoiding Loki's incoming tackle.
However, Lefiya stood in place dumbfounded and unable to react. As expected, Loki managed to tackle her head-on.
"Kyaaa—!"
Lefiya let out a scream resembling that of a violated maiden, shortly before being pinned to the ground.
"Mwehehehe, Lefiya, long time no see! Let Mama Loki see if you've grown~"
"N-No, don't!"
Accompanied by a sly chuckle, the pitiful Elf, who fell victim to the Goddess's playful antics, let out a desperate cry.
"Save me! Mr. Riezel!" Lefiya extended a hand in Riezel's direction, pleading with a bright red face.
"Alright, quit playing around, Loki."
Originally, Riezel had no intention of paying attention to Loki's nasty interests but seeing Lefiya's eyes brimming with tears made him unable to bear watching his companion being toyed with by this shady goddess.
As a result, he extended his hand, grabbing Loki's back collar and lifting her up like a cat.
"Ayyo! What are you doing, Riezel?! Don't disturb my rare leisure time!" Loki struggled and protested.
"Do you have the nerve to mess with a fifteen-year-old girl?" Riezel shot a look at her face. "If you want entertainment, go play with Uncle Gareth."
"Who wants to touch a short and stout stinky old man!" Loki said without reservation.
"Sorry for being a short and stout stinky old man..." Gareth's mouth twitched.
"Everything okay, Lefiya?" Riezel ignored Loki, tossed her aside, then extended a hand to pull Lefiya up.
"Hiks... Almost got touched..." Lefiya, both relieved and pitiful, sobbed softly.
"I'm sorry, Lefiya..." Ais, seeming guilty about avoiding Loki's direct hit that led to Lefiya falling victim to the goddess's evil scheme, apologized.
"I-It's okay!" Lefiya naturally refused Ais's apology, shaking her head hastily.
"Loki, seriously, don't bully Lefiya, okay!" Tiona scolded with hands on her hips.
"My goodness, can't you find a different way to welcome us back?" Tione looked annoyed.
"Okay, okay, calm down." Loki, like flipping a switch, said beaming with joy. "It can't be helped, okay?! My kids finally returned safely, I'm just too happy!"
"You..." Riveria sighed. "Since we've rarely returned unharmed, can't you let us save some energy?"
Everyone around nodded in agreement.
"Enough with this bullshit! We've been in that demon-filled dungeon for so long, and our bodies stink. Get out of the way; I need a bath!" Bete stepped forward, kicking Loki several times, clearly in a bad mood.
"Okay, okay! Geez, kids these days just love rejecting their parents. Is this what they called a rebellious phase?"
Loki pretended to sigh, making Bete couldn't help but give her another hard kick, finally making her yelp in pain and give way.
Seeing this spectacle, Finn, who had been laughing silently, finally spoke up.
"Everyone, go line up for a bath! According to tradition, today's a day off, and all the work is pushed to tomorrow. Loki, we'll talk about the report later. The losses this time are serious, and there are some important matters we need to discuss."
"No worries, no worries~ Everyone, go take a bath and rest, okay!" Loki exclaimed with a smile. "Anyone who wants to find me to update their status can come to the divine room, but not too many, or I won't do it."
At their goddess's words, two people had a reaction—Riezel and Ais.
"Sure, it's always you two itching to update your status..." Loki rolled her eyes. "Alright, you two go first tonight, and the rest can chime in next time."
No one objected to her decision—or rather, some were even looking forward to it.
"Hey, hey, Riezel, think you can hit Level 5 this time?" Tiona asked curiously, piquing everyone's interest.
"Not sure..."
Riezel was confident but not one to brag, so he kept it vague. Even so, many were anticipating his status update, including Ais, who was the most curious.
After all, he was already powerful. If he leveled up to Level 5, how much more powerful would he become?
For some reason, everyone was eager to know this.
===
Night fell amid bursts of noise.
After the returning expedition party had bathed and eaten, most of them went back to their rooms, making Twilight Manor exceptionally quiet.
Riezel, having also bathed and eaten, returned to his room before heading to the top floor of the central tower—Loki's divine room.
*Knock!* *Knock!*
"Loki, are you there?" Riezel knocked on the door.
"Yeah, yeah, just come in."
Upon hearing Loki's response, he pushed open the door and walked in.
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