The meeting with Ouranos went better than expected. I was now officially working with him behind the scenes, which granted me certain benefits. Most importantly, I had access to a safe passage inside the dungeon and a communication item.
The rest of the day passed calmly. After returning the owl and spending the day outside the dungeon, night fell, and I decided to visit the Hostess of Fertility for a nice snack and drink.
At the tavern entrance, I was met with a surprised look from Anya, a brown catgirl I found irresistibly cute in my past life. Not in a romantic way, but just a fun character to get along with.
"Nya!! You've decided to come back, nya?!" Anya inspected me closely, and I just nodded with a forced, gentle smile.
She directed me inside and stayed at the doorway. As I entered, I was met with the warm atmosphere of adventurers in their usual chatter. They drank, played card games, and gossiped about women as always.
The waitresses worked hard to keep up with the orders, their higher levels allowing them to manage without any problems. I spotted an empty table in the middle of the tavern, with just one chair next to it.
Seeing the perfect spot, I approached and relaxed into the chair. A few seconds later, Syr approached me.
"Oh! I didn't expect you to come back, Niall. Seems like you couldn't resist my cooking after all!" Syr smiled warmly as she grabbed my arm. I glanced at her arm holding mine for a moment.
"I also came to apologize for my previous behavior. Even if you guys were partially at fault, I should've acted more maturely. So, to make it up, I'd like a premium steak and the best hot chocolate you've got."
Syr stood dumbfounded for a few moments, her expression showing her surprise as she blushed at my kind words. Her eyes sparkled, and she nodded with an even wider smile, revealing her white teeth.
I noticed people around us giving me odd looks, probably assuming something was going on between me and Syr. Mia, on the other hand, gave me a thumbs-up from behind her table before returning to work.
"Everyone, make space for our special guests tonight!" Anya screeched as a group of some of the strongest adventurers followed her inside.
It seemed like the Loki Familia were regulars here. 'I just hope they'll wave and move on. I don't want to deal with them right now,' I thought as they entered, including two Amazonian girls, Ais, Loki, the top three executives, and that rude wolf, Bete.
Loki was her usual playful self, but my peace was shattered when the group approached my table. Loki looked at me with curiosity, and the others, who knew me, followed her lead.
"Oh, nya! Niall, you're sitting at a reserved table!" Anya popped out of nowhere, scolding me.
Looking around, I replied with a confused expression, "But there's only one chair at this table. It didn't look like it was reserved."
Anya gasped, realizing the table was missing chairs. Soon enough, Mia arrived, carrying a bunch of chairs effortlessly. She was a seriously strong woman, a level 6 ex-captain of the Freya Familia.
"Here, here! Now you can all sit. It seems my workers forgot to set the chairs beforehand!" Mia said, casting a stern look at Anya, who froze in fear.
"I'll excuse myself then..." I began to stand, but Mia's powerful arm stopped me. I glanced at her, and she smiled.
"Don't worry, I'm sure the Loki Familia won't mind your presence. Besides, there's no other free table, so you'll have to eat here!" Mia patted my shoulder and went off to prepare the Familia's usual order.
"It's no problem. We always appreciate good company, especially someone capable like Niall!" Gareth, whom I knew from a past dungeon encounter, smiled at me without worry.
As the rest of the Loki Familia sat down, Loki fired off the first barrage of questions.
"Hmmmmmm, you've got a very soft face, kiddo... I wouldn't mind recruiting someone like you, but what's up with the eyes?!" Loki, who had been caressing my face moments ago, suddenly recoiled, startled by my eyes.
"Ah, don't mind it, Loki. It's just a genetic mutation. One of his parents was a beast person!" Tiona jumped in to defend me, throwing her arm around me. The rest of the Familia looked on with mixed emotions.
"Ohh, interesting eyes you've got there, but stay away from my Ais! She's mine to caress, kiss, hug, and..." Loki was abruptly silenced by Ais, whose fist met her head, ending the trickster goddess's rambling.
When the food arrived, Syr seemed to enjoy serving me. "Say, Niall, do you happen to have a girlfriend?" she asked, blushing as she hid behind a plate. The others at the table looked at me in shock.
"I have a wife, to be precise." My answer shocked them even more, with Syr being the most stunned of all.
"But you probably don't want to meet her. You might even know her by chance, but she doesn't like appearing in public much."
Syr, looking embarrassed, nodded and hurried away. I watched her swift movements, then turned my attention back to the food.
"You have a wife?!" Tione and Tiona asked at the same time, their faces showing disbelief. I nodded, and they both exchanged strange looks.
"How old are you, Niall?" Riveria, the green-haired elven beauty, asked softly while sipping her drink. It seemed she was concerned about the age difference, probably worried I'd become a victim of an older woman.
"I'm 16 years old, and my wife is, uh... about 26." Riveria nearly spit out her tea upon hearing the ten-year gap. But there weren't strict rules about that in this world, where young people often died early in the dungeon.
"Forgive their surprise. It's just that we don't often hear about someone so young marrying someone a decade older," Finn apologized on behalf of his comrades.
"Hahaha! Becoming a man at such a young age! Don't listen to them, Niall. Having a wife at your age is commendable. Older women like pretty boys like you!" Gareth cheered, his positive energy lifting the mood at the table.
The twins were still surprised, but they were too busy eating. Well, except Tione, who was preoccupied with Finn.
"Have you been making any progress in the dungeon lately?" A soft voice spoke, leaving everyone surprised. It was Ais Wallenstein, the blonde beauty known for rejecting men's advances, earning her the title of Ice Queen.
"It's been going well. I've grown stronger since the last time we met. What about you? To my knowledge, you're level 5 now, right?"
Her eyes showed disappointment, revealing that she'd struggled to level up. It wasn't easy for ordinary adventurers without an experience boost, and I knew it would take her three more years to reach level 6.
"I see. Sorry for bringing it up. It seems like a sensitive topic," I apologized, noticing the remorseful look in Ais's eyes.
"Don't worry about her. She's just disappointed with her progress, but that's the reality for most adventurers. Most spend their whole lives at level 1, and only a few manage to level up," Finn reassured me, patting my shoulder as he sipped his drink.
I relaxed in my chair, holding a cup of hot chocolate in my right hand.