"The Guard"
After seeing Tsubaki off, Drake immediately found Hephaestus and told her he wanted to participate in the Loki Familia's expedition.
Hephaestus didn't object; she had confidence in Drake's abilities.
Next came the preparations. For Drake, there wasn't much to prepare.
Even when venturing into the Dungeon alone, he didn't carry much, let alone this time, accompanying the Loki Familia as a blacksmith.
The Loki Familia would provide consumables, so besides a portable blacksmithing kit, Drake planned to bring only one item:
A cloak made from the hide of a Strong Dragon, a deep-level monster; its defensive capabilities were excellent. Naturally, it was of his own making.
He needed something to explain his presence with the Loki Familia.
A week passed quickly, and the Loki Familia's second expedition arrived.
Drake met with his Familia members early in the morning and headed to the Babel Tower to rendezvous with the Loki Familia.
While Tsubaki was unreliable, she had done one good thing: introducing Drake to most of his Familia members.
The Hephaestus Familia consisted mostly of blacksmiths engrossed in their craft, and their single-mindedness made them easy to get along with.
After Tsubaki revealed Drake's ability to craft top-tier equipment, he quickly bonded with them.
He became particularly close to a dwarf named Zard.
Zard, Level 3, titled 〈Flame Beard〉, a title derived from his red, fluffy beard, was also a skilled blacksmith capable of crafting top-tier equipment and magic swords.
They chatted as they walked, soon arriving at the base of the Babel Tower and meeting the waiting Loki Familia.
As expected, the Loki Familia was again split into three squads, planning to converge on the 37th floor.
By the time Drake and the others arrived, the first two squads had already departed, leaving only Finn's squad.
Perhaps to protect the Hephaestus Familia's blacksmiths, this squad's composition was quite luxurious.
Besides Finn, Drake saw Ais Wallenstein, 〈Sword Princess〉, and her attendant, Lefiya Viridis, 〈Thousand Elf〉.
The Amazonian sisters were also present; this composition could easily venture into the deep levels.
The ostensibly strongest member from the Hephaestus Familia was Zard, so Finn approached him. "Zard, we'll be relying on you again!"
Zard shook Finn's hand. "Not at all. For that 10% of the spoils, we'll maintain your equipment as good as new!"
"Then I'm relieved!" Finn said, his gaze shifting to Drake. "I didn't expect you to join this expedition, Drake. It seems I'll have the chance to see your prized magic sword!"
If it had been mere speculation before, Drake was now certain Finn had intentionally included him in the expedition.
Dealing with such a person required absolute precision!
Though inwardly criticizing Finn, Drake remained outwardly polite. "Of course, Finn, you can look forward to it!"
Drake immediately felt that gaze on him again. Just as he was about to mention it to Finn, Finn spoke with a smile.
"By the way, for everyone's protection, I've assigned Ais to guard you."
Zard, before Drake could respond, exclaimed, "The Sword Princess will protect us? What an honor!"
Drake looked at Zard impassively; with that statement, any attempt at refusal was futile.
Finn nodded in satisfaction and announced the expedition's commencement.
The two Familias, having cooperated before, quickly formed their formation and entered the Dungeon.
Adventuring in the Dungeon isn't like a battlefield; various formations aren't feasible.
Due to the Dungeon's complex terrain and the unpredictable appearance of monsters, formations are generally simple: vanguard, midguard, and rearguard.
The rearguard typically consists of support personnel, ranged mages, or adventurers using bows and crossbows. There are also some warrior guards.
Finn occupied the midguard position, responsible for overseeing and coordinating the squad, ready to support the vanguard and rearguard if needed.
The vanguard, naturally, bears the brunt of the monster attacks and launches counterattacks.
The Loki Familia's strength ensured the formation's integrity, even as a smaller expedition force. Finn's command ability impressed Drake.
In the upper and middle levels of the Dungeon, Finn constantly shifted personnel, sometimes even swapping vanguard and midguard members.
Drake realized Finn was training his junior members. Those frequently engaging monsters were young adventurers around Level 3.
They were likely new recruits without prior expedition experience; Finn was training them for teamwork.
Drake looked at Finn with respect; no wonder everyone envied large Familias; having such a reliable captain was a significant advantage.
However… Drake frowned and turned to Ais. "Excuse me, Miss Sword Princess, is there something you need?"
In Drake's memory, Ais, once battle commenced, was unstoppable, even by Finn. He wondered why she was constantly following him, especially since he was in the rearguard.
"Ais."
Hearing Ais say his name, Drake looked at her questioningly.
"Call me Ais." Ais looked at Drake and said.
Drake paused, then said, "Then I won't be formal, Miss Ais. You don't need to protect me; you can go to another position."
Drake practically said, "Stay away from me," but Ais merely tilted her head and said, "Finn told me to protect you; I can't leave!"
Drake looked at Zard for help, only to see Zard give him a knowing smirk and a thumbs-up, his teeth gleaming in a way that made Drake want to knock them out.
Zard was no help; Drake could only say to Ais, "Look, we've just entered the middle levels; everyone here is a reliable adventurer; you don't need to be so serious."
Ais replied, "No, if I don't complete Finn's task, he'll lecture me!"
Drake raised an eyebrow. Ais was afraid of lectures? She hadn't been lectured for her recklessness after returning from the Dungeon!
But since she said that, Drake couldn't continue to dismiss her.
Sighing, Drake said, "Just tell me, what exactly did Finn instruct you to do?"
Ais's expression changed; Drake knew what she was thinking—something along the lines of "How did you know Finn had other instructions?"
After a moment, Ais said, "Finn wants to know how strong you are, and I want to know too!"
Drake frowned. Finn hadn't even tried to hide his intentions in assigning Ais to him. This meant he wouldn't resort to underhanded tactics; the extent of the revelation depended on Drake's own choices.
Indeed, these renowned adventurers weren't simple.
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