With only three days left before the "expedition," Finn and Riveria finally stepped into the "Rest Space." Taking in the great treehouse before them and the vast interior, both fell silent.
"Riveria, isn't this exactly what we envisaged?" Finn asked.
"Mm. You proposed this the moment Loki brought him into the familia and we learned what he could do. I just didn't expect he could so easily create a space that practically decides the expedition's success," Riveria replied.
"I thought he'd need time to master that power before he could dig out its uses. I didn't think he'd progress this fast."
Neither Finn nor Riveria had expected Sawada Tsunayoshi to explore his ability so quickly. Once the surprise faded, only delight remained on their faces.
"With Sawada's support this time, we should be able to set an even better record."
"Riveria, did you forget the 'anomaly' I noticed with Tsunayoshi-kun?" Finn's smile cooled.
Too soon to celebrate. Riveria's smile stalled; she had indeed forgotten something crucial. This expedition was fated not to reach deeper floors—no matter that they now had this special Rest Space Sawada had created.
"Truly unlucky—there's a Dungeon 'anomaly,' and it just has to collide with this expedition. If we hadn't used the same reason last time, we could've postponed a month," Riveria said.
It was hard to catch Dungeon anomalies, but last time, when Finn took Sawada into the Dungeon, they ran into one—and it even rippled up to the upper floors. That made it clear the Dungeon had been acting strange lately. Chances were high they'd face another "abnormal situation" during this expedition.
"Don't complain. Since we can confirm an anomaly and prepare accordingly, at least we won't be caught flat-footed. If we don't go down this time, the Guild will think we're shirking and seize the chance to increase our tax," Finn said.
"True. That's exactly what Royman would do."
Finn had no intention of letting expedition logistics drive their familia's tax higher again. Balancing the books for every expedition was hard enough. Even with this Rest Space raising future returns, that benefit wouldn't come until the next run. Until then, the tax problem remained.
As the clearinghouse that mediated issues among familias and adventurers in the Labyrinth City, the Guild also arranged different tax schemes based on each familia's role. Commercial familias paid the highest rates, while exploration familias received certain reductions—provided they fulfilled their labor obligations: the Dungeon's "forced expeditions."
That allocation kept familias of all tiers working in their lanes and the city running smoothly.
If an exploration familia refused a forced expedition, the taxes due next time were doubled as punishment. For ordinary familias, that might be manageable. For a top-tier familia, it could be unbearable.
Last year, Loki Familia had used "Dungeon anomaly" as a reason to skip one forced expedition. This year, they couldn't use the same excuse again—even if Loki Familia was the most enthusiastic participant in expeditions in all of Orario.
At the mention of the Guild, Riveria's face tightened in annoyance. Not at the Guild itself, but at a certain administrator—"the Guild's pig." An elf by blood, yet reeking of the stench of coin, lacking even an elf's basic pride—and sneering at other elves on top of that.
Riveria rarely detested a fellow elf. That pig was one of the few.
"So, this time we'll pin down the 'Dungeon anomaly' and present it to the Guild?"
"That's the plan. We'll increase supply shipments so the Guild sees our commitment. Once we reach the 18th floor, we rest and move all supplies into this space. We need to show them something tangible, or they won't buy our story," Finn said.
"Playing dirty, hm? I support it in this case. Also, we should demand the Guild compensate us for the supplies we 'lose,'" Riveria suggested.
Finn's meaning clicked for Riveria the moment he outlined it. Remembering that fat pig at the Guild, she didn't object—in fact, she added her own push.
"Good idea. Our operating costs have dropped a lot recently; this is a fine chance to earn some of that back."
"…But are we really going to hit an 'abnormal situation' this time?"
"Highly likely. That day, Tsunayoshi-kun and I found abnormal mass monster births on the very upper floors. It's hard to imagine something like that happening up top. If that's not a harbinger, I don't know what is."
Riveria could only agree.
Any unusual reaction from the Dungeon signaled it was brewing a calamity. Experience said these were seldom false alarms. In the past, such signs weren't easy to spot.
"Could it be the Dark Faction?" Riveria asked.
"The Dark Faction…"
It had been three years since the Great Strife ended; Finn seldom heard that name anymore.
"They could do something like this. Those lunatics wouldn't flinch at mutual destruction. But most of their main force died three years ago. If it's them, then why? They can't still be plotting to strike Orario three years after losing their core, can they?" Finn said.
His objection was grounded in the Dark Faction's decimation three years prior. Even if they meant to try again, they'd need far more preparation. Three years was simply too short to raise talent and rally forces.
"They aren't fools. They wouldn't burn themselves down before they're ready."
(End of Chapter)
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