After returning, Loki was in high spirits.
She'd gotten her hands on a hefty sum of money. Although the agreement with Soma didn't specify an exact amount, if Soma ever paid too little, Loki would march right over and raise hell.
In short, Loki never came out on the losing end.
So, the moment she got back, Loki tried to drag Riveria, Finn, and the others out for a good drink.
But they all turned her down, citing the expedition scheduled for the next day.
This left Loki, who had been practically floating with joy over her upcoming windfall, sulking and annoyed.
Back at Alice's place, Lili made her way to Hestia's home—that shabby little church.
Now that she had joined the Hestia Familia, Lili was officially one of Hestia's followers.
Even though she could still stay with Alice, it felt a bit like she'd moved back to her parents' home.
Lili was like the daughter who'd been married off.
Once that thought crossed Alice's mind, she couldn't help but feel a little strange.
As for the expedition, Alice didn't have much to prepare.
She just had Shanghai and Hourai make a large batch of food, which she stored away inside the Gap.
Hm? Wasn't the Gap already being used for the reactor? Wouldn't storing food inside a space constantly exploding get the food blown to bits?
Just kidding.
The interior of the Gap wasn't exactly small.
Carving out a small section to use as storage was no trouble at all. As for the explosions? Just keep the food far away from them. Add an extra barrier, and there'd be zero risk of accidents.
With her minimal preparations done, Alice settled in to rest and recharge, waiting for the next day to arrive.
--+--
Early the next morning, Alice headed straight for the Loki Familia.
By the time she arrived, the members of the expedition were already gathered at the entrance. Finn stood atop a platform made of stacked crates, delivering a motivational speech to the crowd.
Riveria and the other upper echelons of the Loki Familia stood at the front, listening along with everyone else—also part of the group being rallied by Finn.
Loki, meanwhile, leaned against the Familia's main gate, arms crossed, watching her members with a pleased smile.
Suddenly, Loki spotted Alice approaching. Noticing how curiously Alice was watching her children, Loki crept quietly toward her.
After arriving, Alice was relieved to see the Loki Familia hadn't departed yet. They hadn't set a specific gathering time, so she'd been worried she might be late and miss them.
Seeing they were still here put her mind at ease.
"Looks like I made it just in time," Alice smiled to herself. But then she frowned. "But how do I actually join them?"
"Heya~ Alice-chan!"
"Eek!"
Having sneaked up behind Alice, Loki called out loudly and threw her arms around the girl in a hug.
Startled, Alice jumped—she'd been lost in thought. If not for her distracted state and the lack of threatening intent from Loki, she might have reflexively fought back.
"Loki! Don't scare me like that!" Feeling Loki's embrace, Alice blushed. Unlike the soft Hestia, Loki's body was firm, giving Alice an awkward, flustered feeling.
"Haha, sorry, sorry! I saw you looking so serious and just couldn't help myself," Loki laughed it off.
"Honestly..." Alice rolled her eyes at her.
Because of Loki's outburst, the entire Loki Familia—mid-rally—turned their attention toward the commotion.
One by one, curious eyes fell on Alice.
Under their collective gaze, Alice's blush deepened.
Noticing Alice, Finn smiled and raised his voice to address the crowd. "I think all of you rascals should be pretty familiar with her by now."
"The Dangerous Doll Princess—since she's on good terms with our Familia, she'll be joining this expedition."
"As for her strength, rest assured. She's the one who sent the god Apollo back to Heaven. Though she hasn't joined a Familia, she's at least Level 4, and she's a mage, just like Lefiya."
"So, if we encounter large hordes of monsters, just make sure our Doll Princess is protected, and she'll handle the rest."
While Finn was introducing her, Loki tugged Alice along toward him.
As Finn spoke, especially when he mentioned the title "Doll Princess," the blush on Alice's face grew even hotter.
She already found the nickname deeply embarrassing.
Now, to have Finn say it so seriously in front of everyone—how could she not feel utterly mortified?
But once Finn finished, the whole group burst into cheers.
"Woo! Lady Alice!! I love you!"
"Lady Alice! Please marry me!"
"Lady Alice is so cute!!"
The members of the Loki Familia already knew of Alice, since she often visited. But she'd never been formally introduced like this.
Seeing her adorable, flustered reaction to Finn's speech got everyone excited, and they began cheering and teasing loudly.
"Hey! You bastards! Alice-chan is mine! Anyone who tries to make a move on her will answer to Ais and her sword right in the rear!"
Loki jumped up, fuming at her members' rowdiness.
"Lady Loki! Hoarding Alice-chan is a disgrace!"
"Yeah, exactly!"
"We love the cute Alice-chan too!"
"Watch out, or we won't let you bathe with us anymore!"
This time, the female members were the ones teasing, making Loki grit her teeth in frustration.
Hearing the Loki Familia's remarks, Alice's blush remained, but the corners of her lips lifted. She couldn't hold back a soft laugh.
"Pfft..."
Everyone present was a skilled adventurer. Even though her laugh was quiet, they all heard it clearly, and one by one, their eyes returned to her.
This time, under their collective gaze, Alice didn't feel shy.
Her face still tinged pink, her eyes curving into smiles, she carried herself with grace. Lifting the hem of her skirt slightly, she took a step back and gave a courteous bow.
"I'm Alice. Alice Margatroid. Please, just call me Alice."
"For this expedition, I look forward to working with you all."
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
20+ advanced chaps on my patreon.
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If you guys wanna check it out.