章節 125: Chapter 125

After leaving the 18th floor, I quickly made my way to the surface.

Ordinarily, this journey would have taken a considerable amount of time, but I had no intention of wasting any of it by looting monsters above the 15th floor.

My dungeon bag was already filled to the brim, and I couldn't afford to pick up any more items.

In my mind, it was better to avoid fighting any monsters from the 14th floor and up, and instead, I would run away whenever I encountered one that couldn't be avoided.

It didn't hurt me mentally in any way to leave loot behind if I hadn't even killed any monsters to obtain it in the first place. That was my reasoning.

Finally reaching the surface, I headed straight for the guild to sell my loot. As I entered the guild, I couldn't spot Rose in her usual booth.

Though it wasn't like I came here to see her, I thought to myself as I joined the line at another booth to sell my loot.

The line moved agonizingly slowly, fraying my nerves, and the chattering voices around me seemed to grow increasingly irritating.

My enhanced senses didn't help either, as it allowed me to pick up on the annoying conversations about me happening nearby. But I endured it all and soon enough, it was my turn.

After successfully selling my loot, I made my way back to my familia manor, which was currently undergoing renovations by the Gofannon familia.

I had even purchased some additional land from the surrounding buildings in order to accommodate the changes I needed to make.

My plan was to recruit more members into the familia once the current members had leveled up.

The way things were going currently, it felt like our familia didn't function like a normal one would, it also lacked the strength and cohesion that was necessary for success.

The further I delved into the dungeon, the more I became aware of the importance of having high-level members.

I didn't regret joining the Bahamut familia, but it was becoming clear that we were lacking in certain areas.

I didn't want to slow my own personal progress down in order to properly speed-level my current familia members.

In order to have any chance of standing against a powerful opponent like the juggernaut, I needed to reach at least level 4, or if luck was on my side, level 5.

At least with that level, I could buy time for the Astraea familia to make their escape.

Of course, I couldn't simply tell the Astraea familia members that I knew the future and that they needed to be cautious because the Evilus were planning to attack them next year.

It was a delicate situation. Messing further with the timeline meant there were variables at play that I wasn't aware of.

Any action I took now could alter the course of events in ways I couldn't predict. I wasn't some genius or god who could foresee or control the laws of cause and effect.

So, for now, I had to let the events unfold and save them before anyone got hurt. That way, I could at least somewhat predict what would happen next.

Although the world I found myself in differed from the original Danmachi series, events still seemed to follow a similar pattern, albeit with a few twists here and there. For the time being, I believed I could handle it.

Lost in my inner monologue, I hadn't even realized when I arrived back at my familia manor.

Offering a wave to the Gofannon workers, I made my way inside and headed straight to the bathroom to freshen up.

After a relaxing bath and a change of clothes, the weariness of the day finally caught up with me, and I allowed myself to succumb to sleep.

Yawning, I reluctantly woke up from a deep sleep, basking in the comfort of my soft bed, not wanting to leave its embrace just yet.

As I glanced towards the side of my bed, the distinct smell of sweat emanating from my dungeon bag caught my attention.

I let out a sigh, realizing that I needed to secure the Valis in the vault. Solo camping in the dungeon was far from enjoyable, but it had to become a regular occurrence until I reached a certain level of strength, allowing me to some free time to fulfill my role as a true captain of a familia.

With still about five years before the canon events, I pondered playfully about how far I could progress in power. Perhaps I could reach level 8 or surpass it by then.

As I lazily got out of bed, I picked up the dungeon bag and descended towards the vault to deposit the Valis.

'The others should already be in the dungeon,' I thought to myself, efficiently organizing stacks of Valis in one corner of the vault.

Looking to my left, my gaze fell upon the chests that were discovered beneath the familia manor.

I contemplated selling some of the contents for additional Valis, particularly to acquire a special type of armor that could seamlessly adapt to body transformations.

While my current chain mail served its purpose well, it felt stifling when my body underwent drastic changes.

Fortunately, it hadn't broken yet, but an improved armor would undoubtedly alleviate these issues.

I reasoned that Hephaestus could possibly make such an armour but a lot of money and rare resources would be needed.

'Come to think of it, I haven't fully transformed my body in the dungeon for a while now,' I mused. Even with direct encounters with powerful monsters, there was little need to utilize that ability.

Shaking off my wandering thoughts, I refocused on the task at hand. After neatly organizing the Valis, I was about to exit the vault when I remembered that I needed to deliver the monster parts to Tsubaki from our dungeon expedition.

Suddenly, my stomach growled, reminding me of the need to replenish my energy. Grabbing the bag containing the monster parts for Tsubaki, I made my way to the kitchen to grab a quick meal.

Cooking was the last thing on my mind, so I opted for an assortment of sandwiches to satisfy my hunger.

I also prepared a small basket for Tsubaki, knowing she would likely be engrossed in her forge as usual.

Contemplating for a moment, I decided to make two additional baskets, filled with sandwiches and freshly squeezed fruit juice, for Bahamut and Hephaestus.

Once I finished my meal, I took a refreshing bath before heading to my room to change into fresh clothes.

With a new attire, I deemed it necessary to inform Bahamut about the food before leaving the manor.

However, upon reaching her room, I realized that it was empty, indicating she was either at Hephaestus' office or with Astraea. A tinge of annoyance filled me at the thought of having to make additional stops.

Leaving the manor with the monster parts for Tsubaki and the three baskets in tow, I made my way to Tsubaki's workshop, strolling along the streets for a while.

Upon reaching the workshop, the rhythmic sound of her hammering reached my ears, indicating she was deeply engrossed in her work.

Not wanting to disrupt her flow, I left the basket and bag in a conspicuous spot, ensuring she couldn't miss it.

Thankfully, I had foreseen the possibility of her being occupied, so I had written a note back at home, tucked neatly into the basket.