"This is one of those abnormal monsters from the fifty-ninth floor, dropped by a tree-shaped monster."
"Abnormal monsters, abnormal adventurers, abnormal magic stones…", Riveria held her forehead, "It really gives me a headache."
"Moreover, before that, we have to face another problem."
Finn changed the topic, speaking in a heavy tone, "A financial problem."
Upon hearing this topic, Riveria, who was responsible for financial management in the Familia, immediately darkened her expression.
This expedition of the Loki Familia, in some ways, was both a success and a failure.
From the exploration record, their progress jumped from the fifty-first floor all the way to the fifty-ninth floor in one go, undoubtedly a major breakthrough.
However, from an economic perspective, this expedition was a disaster.
"We lost four first-grade weapons, and nearly ten second-grade weapons were destroyed."
Finn sighed, "Almost all our magic sword reserves were used up, and at least half of our potion reserves were destroyed during the barrage of [Meteor Shower]."
"The magic stones and drop items we recovered were also seriously damaged."
He paused, then sighed again, "Although we picked up some valuable drop items on the way back from the [Dragon's Vase], they're nowhere near enough to make up for the overall loss."
After hearing all this, Riveria only felt a tightness in her chest.
"From a profit standpoint, this expedition's outcome might be unprecedentedly tragic."
Finn smiled bitterly and said, "Even saying it was a complete loss can't quite cover it. If not for the compensation we got earlier from the Rakia covering part of our expenses, we might already be facing a bankruptcy crisis."
"In this kind of situation, we can only ask everyone to work harder and earn more money in the Dungeon."
Riveria sighed helplessly, "But… why is it so quiet right now?"
Finn: "Maybe because their performance in battle this time didn't meet their expectations, they're feeling a bit depressed. Everything went too smoothly in the beginning of this expedition, but we ran into such a tough situation in the end."
He scratched his cheek, "We thought the fifty-ninth floor would be just like the intel said, with relatively weak monsters. Who knew we'd encounter something like the Fallen Spirit… In the end, the fifty-ninth floor we faced was completely different from the one the [Zeus Familia] faced."
"But those kids don't need to worry too much," Riveria said, "Aside from Raul and Lefiya, who might need a bit of guidance from us, I believe Ais and the others will recover quickly."
Finn nodded with a smile, "That's true."
Seeing this, Riveria said no more. She turned and prepared to leave, "Alright, I'll go check on Shirou."
Finn watched her hurrying away, shook his head, and gave a wry smile.
Not long after, a commotion came from the camp.
"ALL OF YOU, GET OUT!"
He heard Riveria's voice from inside a tent.
Then, Alicia, Ais, Tiona, Lefiya, and the others were chased out one by one by Riveria.
"But Riveria—"
Ais looked aggrieved and wanted to say something, but Riveria cut her off, "No buts. Don't disturb Shirou's rest!"
Riveria's tone was firm. Without mercy, she waved them away, then quickly stepped inside and tied the curtain shut at the tent's entrance.
The adventurers of the Loki Familia, each with different thoughts in mind, dragged their tired bodies back to the base.
Soon, however, their attention was drawn to another major event.
"Riveria! She leveled up, Lv.7!"
Loki's extremely excited voice echoed from the center of the base, resounding throughout the Twilight Manor.
———
Riveria leveled up. The Labyrinth City Orario welcomed its second Lv.7 powerhouse.
Undoubtedly, this became the biggest topic across the city.
From the time of the Great Drakness Era to now, people had waited too long.
And this was also the first time since the departure of the [Hera] and [Zeus] Familias that someone had caught up in level to Ottar, hailed as the [King].
The entire city, especially the elves, began to celebrate wildly.
And amid these cheers, in a quiet corner of the [Viches] Café, Riveria had temporarily fled the clamor, seeking a moment of peace.
Though she was grateful for her kin's enthusiastic praise, such overwhelming passion made her feel a bit overwhelmed. Especially Alicia and Lefiya, who were even designing some kind of "ceremonial outfit" for her.
Thinking about this, Riveria sighed helplessly, feeling a headache coming on.
"I've acquired a new Development Ability: [Magic Burst]," Riveria stirred her coffee with a small spoon and said softly, "But no new skill."
Across from her sat Emiya and Ryuu. The elven girl politely responded, "Riveria-dono, sharing this with us, isn't it a bit…"
"No need to worry," Riveria gave a faint smile and said gently, "You two are people I can absolutely trust."
The two elves' gazes met in the air. Riveria wore a slight smile, while Ryuu maintained her usual calm expression, yet a flicker of wariness seemed to flash in her blue-green eyes.
Though everything seemed calm on the surface, Emiya could faintly sense some sort of invisible gunpowder tension quietly spreading between the two elves.
Stuck between them, Emiya felt the wisest choice now was to keep a low profile. He quietly lowered his head and sipped his latte.
Just as Emiya tried to shift attention with the coffee, suddenly, he felt a soft touch on his back. Ryuu had quietly wrapped her left hand around behind him.
The girl's movement was very subtle… but her suddenly blushing cheeks and the way she instinctively averted her eyes left Riveria speechless.
The elven princess maintained her elegant smile, but in her heart rose a competitive spirit.
Beneath the table, she quietly slipped off a sandal, lifted her right leg, and gently placed her toes on Emiya's knee.
Though outwardly calm, Riveria's heart was filled with unfamiliar emotion.
If they were alone, she might have felt shy at such an action.
But in front of Ryuu, seeing her slightly smug expression beneath the shame, instead emboldened Riveria even more.
After thinking for a moment, Emiya finally said,."Riveria, about that 'Fallen Spirit,' does Goddess Loki know anything?"
He steered the conversation to serious matters. Though the boy was also hoping to defuse the strange tension between Riveria and Ryuu.
Upon hearing "Spirit," Riveria's expression turned a bit more serious, but her leg remained on Emiya's knee, showing no intention of withdrawing.
Fallen Spirit, or tainted spirit, or even spirit monster, that was what adventurers called that creature.
Riveria spoke, "Unfortunately, Goddess Loki doesn't know much about Spirits."
She paused, then continued, "However, Ais seems to know something."
"Ais?", Emiya was a bit surprised, "What did she say?"
Riveria nodded, "Ais said she felt that Spirit wasn't the real body, but a 'clone' parasitizing another monster."
"A clone…?"
"Yes."
Riveria answered, "Ais said the blood of that Spirit inside the monster was unusually mottled, not like a complete individual."
Emiya pondered slightly, "Then… about Ais herself, she seems to know a lot about Spirits?"
Riveria nodded and didn't hide it, explaining directly "Ais is a 'child of a Spirit.'"
Hearing this, Ryuu looked extremely shocked. She asked in disbelief, "Spirits can have children?"
Riveria showed a wry smile, "That might be one of the unknowns of the Lower World."
She continued, "Loki is currently trying to exchange intel with the god Ouranus. Although the Guild's stance is rather suspicious, the only deity who truly understands Spirits might be Ouranus."
"After all, before the era of 'Falna' began, God Ouranus had already sent Spirits to the Lower World multiple times. If anyone can uncover these mysteries, it's probably him."
Due to the unpleasantness of the last enhanced species incident, the Loki Familia and the Hephaestus Familia now had a strained relationship with the Guild.
But regardless, they would report the information: whether it was the special mutant monsters, the semi-forest state of the fifty-ninth floor, or the Fallen Spirit, this intelligence was extremely important for future expeditions.
Riveria chuckled lightly, "Goddess Loki said the Freya Familia will probably come to us with dark expressions to trade deep-floor intel. But for now, we're waiting for them to make a move."
Ryuu understood, "Ah… no wonder. Given the current situation, the Freya Familia must be getting anxious."
Because Riveria had leveled up to Lv.7, the statement "Loki Familia has surpassed Freya Familia" was already spreading like wildfire across the city.
"Shirou," Riveria's voice softened a bit. She gently twirled a lock of green hair and looked down at him, "Goddess Loki plans to hold a celebration at the tavern, to commemorate our victory and my level-up…"
Emiya nodded with a smile, "Yeah, I'll attend."
Hearing this, Ryuu, sitting nearby, grew visibly anxious and quickly said, "I… I'll attend too."
Riveria looked at Ryuu's nervous and serious expression and couldn't help but laugh gently, her eyes full of warmth, "Of course you're welcome, Ryuu."
The elven princess maintained her poised composure. Emiya kept an indifferent facade until they were preparing to leave the café.
His right hand lowered and, without a sound, gently grabbed Riveria's foot, with his thumb pressing into her arch.
Riveria's previously calm expression instantly froze, "Eh? W-Wait a minute…"
Emiya's fingers suddenly applied pressure.
[Effect of "Innocent Monster" activated]
[Attack power against elven females dramatically increased]
[(Also includes an unidentifiable hidden effect)]
An indescribable sensation pierced through Riveria's pale skin, striking directly into her foot's arch, and spread like electricity throughout her body.
"Ah—", The Lv.7 elven princess lost control, letting out a cry and collapsing onto the table, her cheeks dyed a deep red.
Ryuu beside her was completely stunned.
Her lovely face flushed completely, lips trembling, and she muttered in an almost inaudible voice, "T-This is… the Elf Slayer…"
———
At the residence of the Dionysus Familia, a gloomy atmosphere hung over the entire hall.
The god Dionysus, his handsome face twisted by uncontrollable fury, spoke with gritted teeth, "Loki Familia… well done…"
The base on the fifty-ninth floor was breached by the Loki Familia, and that rare Fallen Spirit had been slain.
Worse, critical intel had likely leaked out.
Not only that, the city had also gained another powerhouse, Riveria of the Loki Familia had successfully ascended to Lv.7 as a magic-user.
He cursed bitterly in his heart, 'Those foolish adventurers, those reckless fools, dared to ruin my plan.'
"Even Goddess Ishtar has become more indifferent… That willful goddess, her whims always change without warning."
"With things like this, securing funds for the operation is also a problem… Looks like I'll have to seek support elsewhere."
His gaze shifted to the world map spread across the nearby table, with several forces marked in different colors.
Dionysus's gaze swept across the map.
The Rakia Kingdom, with increasing tensions against the elves due to Riveria and others; the magic empire coveting the [Thousand Elf]; the sword city with ambitions toward the [Saber]...
And the mad war-nation of Telskyura.
"Loki Familia, let's see how long you can last," Dionysus crushed a glass wine cup with his fingers, then put the shards in his mouth and began chewing.
Crimson liquid dripped from the corner of his lips, appearing especially gruesome and eerie in the dim light.
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