The night passed as I dined with the Loki Familia. Loki got drunk after about an hour of constant alcohol consumption. She could handle her drink somewhat well, but I couldn't help wondering how much one of their visits here cost them.
Sure, they had a fortune to cover it, but they would probably have much more if it weren't for Loki's personality. It wasn't my problem—they were cool people—but I didn't want to associate with them too much.
I hated dealing with people because they always had something to complain about. Even when I was around others, I always tried to limit my time with them. Almost everyone had a social battery that eventually ran out after constant socializing.
The twins were goofing around and talking with Riveria, discussing something about their dungeon dive tactics. Ais, however, just stared at the table, glancing over at me from time to time.
Gareth was too busy drinking, while Finn enjoyed his meal. All in all, it was a pretty peaceful atmosphere. However, there was one disturbance: Bete stared at me with malicious intent.
But for some reason, he hadn't said a word. Knowing his character, that was pretty odd, but I let it go. Maybe something else was bothering him, something more important than mocking lower-level adventurers.
"Where do you live, by the way?" Finn asked. His question seemed innocent, without any hidden motives. However, I wasn't sure if I wanted to reveal that just yet. Still, keeping it a secret might seem suspicious.
"I live inside Hermes Familia Manor, but I usually just spend the night there and go straight back to the dungeon."
Everyone looked surprised by my answer, especially Loki, who seemed to sober up a little after hearing Hermes' name.
"But I'm not an official member of his familia yet. I'm trying to find my place in this city before deciding whether to ask Hermes to put his falna on me. Thankfully, I had a falna before coming to Orario, so I was able to dive into the dungeon right away."
It was a good lie, one that wouldn't be easily exposed. I knew Hermes would back up my story, and I planned to tell Ouranos to create records about me in the guild to avoid any unwanted attention.
"Hmph, why is this weakling from Hermes Familia hanging around with us? Go back to the shithole you came from!"
Bete's cheeks were a bit red—he was getting drunk. Everyone else side-eyed him for his insults, and Riveria slapped him on the neck.
"OUCH! Stop that, you gran—"
Bete was immediately silenced by Riveria's glare, a glare that could kill even the mightiest beast in the world, like the One-Eyed Black Dragon.
"Sorry about him, Niall. He's always so feisty, but he's got a good heart. Plus, I think the drink is getting the better of him," Finn apologized on behalf of their untrained dog. Not that I cared, though—I knew Bete's story, but I never liked his character much. Something about his attitude always rubbed me the wrong way.
"It doesn't bother me. Orario is full of people who are a waste of oxygen and resources. Most adventurers backstab each other instead of helping out. I've seen it plenty of times."
My comment seemed to unsettle the twins and Ais a little, but Finn nodded in agreement.
"I wouldn't call them a waste of oxygen, but I do agree to some extent. Many adventurers fall early because their egos are bigger than their intelligence. You strike me as a really smart person, Niall, but perhaps you still lack experience."
I just sipped my drink at his comment. He wasn't wrong about my lack of experience. With a simple hand gesture, I signaled for the waitress. This time, instead of Syr, Ryuu approached our table.
"How can I help you?" Ryuu remained formal with me, even after our previous encounter. My personality wasn't as pleasant as Bell's.
Everyone was different in their way, but some people could naturally go with the flow. Some made friends easily, while others found it more difficult.
With a slight bow, she closed her eyes briefly before opening them again, revealing a pair of striking blue eyes that any man would find majestic.
"If you wouldn't mind, could you tell me the total for everything I've eaten and drunk today so I can pay? I'm done for the night and could use a good rest."
Ryuu nodded and left for a brief moment to bring me the bill. Meanwhile, Gareth rested both hands on the table and leaned his head on them. His thick beard hung from his chin like a proper dwarf.
"Do you practice with any weapon, or are you purely a magic user like Riveria? Every man should know how to handle a weapon if he wants to protect what's his. Especially you, lad—you've got a wife to keep safe in a city like this."
Gareth's fatherly presence put many of the Loki Familia members at ease. He offered the kind of paternal figure some of them may have never experienced. His words sounded genuine, like he truly meant them, as though he was speaking to his son.
"I'm a pure magic user, although I do carry a small dagger with me. I rarely use it, but it might come in handy, just as you said. And don't worry—I'm sure my wife would be better at protecting me than I am at protecting her."
He looked at me silently for a moment, then sighed. The others were listening to our conversation, except for Loki, who was passed out drunk.
"It might be rude of me to ask this way, but what kind of magic do you have, Niall? You don't have to tell us if you'd rather not, but I'm too curious," Riveria said, pressing her fingers to her chin. It seemed her curiosity had gotten the better of her, and she couldn't resist asking. Since that kind of question was typically considered rude, I figured our little time together had made her feel comfortable enough to ask.
"Sorry, but I don't want to reveal my powers to anyone just yet. Nothing personal against you—it's just that letting my guard down in this city could quickly get me killed. And I wouldn't want to miss out on any more hot chocolate."
Gareth and Finn chuckled at my answer, while Riveria nodded in understanding. Not long after that, Tiona jumped on me from behind, grabbing me by the shoulders.
"Hahaha! All you think about is hot chocolate, Niall! Why don't you come with us to the dungeon sometime so we can improve together? Or better yet, you could join our familia and become one of us!"
She smiled happily, her arms still wrapped around me. The others seemed to ponder the idea of me joining their familia, though something else was clearly on their minds as well.
"Tiona, get your hands off him! He's a married man!" Tione scolded, coming up behind her to pull her away. Tiona protested.
"It's just a joke, Tione! Don't be so serious! But I meant what I said about joining our familia. We could use some new blood in the team, right, Riveria?"
Tiona spoke as Tione dragged her away from me. Eventually, she let go, but Riveria seemed to seriously consider the idea. The mood around the table grew a bit more serious after Tiona mentioned me joining their familia, though it didn't matter to me.
"I see you're all thinking about it, but I'll have to decline. I'm happy where I am now. As for dungeon diving, I'm mostly a solo adventurer. I don't enjoy the company of others when I'm down there."
Tiona seemed disappointed, but she accepted my answer. There wasn't much else to talk about, and the rest of the night passed cheerfully.
"See you sometime, Niall! If you ever want to fight some monsters, just come to Twilight Manor!" Tiona cheered as the Loki Familia departed from the inn, leaving me behind.
The waitresses began cleaning the tables while I remained in my chair, relaxing and thinking about potential upgrades I could get once I leveled up.
The Hostess of Fertility was much quieter now, a stark contrast to the liveliness of the night I'd just experienced. My moment of peace was interrupted when Mia approached my table. Her heavy footsteps sounded like a tank shaking the ground.
"You should head home now, kid. We're closing up, and I don't want to make my girls stay overtime. I don't think they'd like that. Haha! But tell me, did you enjoy yourself tonight?"
She sat down at the table, relaxing as she crossed her arms and looked at me with curiosity. Mia was a hard person to get close to, but she was good-hearted. Her eyes showed genuine interest in my experience.
"I'll come back for more hot chocolate. Your waitresses work hard too, so take that as another plus from me."
She smirked, pleased with my response, and blinked. "That's good to hear, then. Now shoo, and come back to spend more money!"
I paid Mia and said goodbye to her and the other waitresses. Syr gave me a strange look before returning to work, but I didn't care. I wasn't in the mood to play whatever games she had in mind, so I left as soon as I paid.
The night was cold, and the streets were half-empty. My breath was visible in the chilly air. The night had that familiar wintery smell, making Orario feel all the more immersive.
I wasn't planning to return to the dungeon just yet. Instead, I aimed to find a nice spot to spend the night and wait for the sunrise. I hoped to stumble upon something interesting, and soon enough, I did.
As I walked through the streets of Orario, I noticed an adventurer I had seen earlier. He was sitting against a cold wall, and if it weren't for his armor, you could easily mistake him for a beggar, all alone on a freezing night.
"And what happened to you? Did your familia ditch you or something?"
He recognized me right away, staring at me with sadness in his eyes. Something bad had happened.
"It's you... The same comrades I waited for earlier today are now dead. Gone. Swallowed by monsters on the 12th floor of the dungeon. My god believes I brought them misfortune and kicked me out of his familia, stripping me of his falna..."
He stopped talking and let out a heavy sigh, the weight of his hopelessness filling the air.
There wasn't much I could do to help him, other than offer some valis. Caring for every man in this city was a fool's errand. With a deadpan expression, I looked at him and decided to do at least one thing that might somehow avenge his pain.
"That sucks to hear, man. What familia were you a part of, anyway?"
"Agni Familia..."
He spoke the name with both grief and hatred in his voice, resentment aimed at the god who had blamed him for the deaths of his comrades.
Hearing the name of a god I could target easily, I knew what my next move would be. The hunt for another god was about to begin.