Chapter 201 - Loki Familia
Mahiro was left alone.
Hestia wanted to go out with him, but Hephaestus shut that idea down real quick.
"Stay here," Hephaestus had said.
"You need some lessons on basic common sense about running a familia."
So, while Mahiro headed out, Hestia was stuck behind, sulking like a kid who just got grounded.
All she could do was watch him leave.
Mahiro wandered through Orario.
He didn't know anything about the dungeon yet.
Sure, the monsters—even on the lower floors—weren't exactly dangerous to him, but the layout?
Yeah, he had no clue.
The dungeon was notorious for its ever-changing terrain, and every floor had its quirks.
If you didn't know the routes, you were basically fucked.
For a rookie adventurer, the first floor was the place to start.
But Mahiro? Staying there felt like a damn waste of time.
He needed to hit the lower floors, where his strength wouldn't feel like overkill.
The problem?
He needed a map.
A good one.
Otherwise, he'd spend half his life wandering around like an idiot.
"Only up to the twelfth floor, huh?" Mahiro muttered, stepping out of a shop.
In his hand was a map he'd just blown 20,000 valis on.
Dungeon maps didn't come cheap.
Most adventurers only bothered mapping the upper and middle floors since that's where they spent most of their time.
Maps of the lower floors? Forget about it.
***
Meanwhile, at the Twilight Manor, Everything was anything but calm.
The place was a fortress.
Towering walls surrounded the entire area, and armed guards patrolled the entrances 24/7.
"It's Loki! Open the damn gate!"
The guards perked up as two figures approached—Loki and Ais.
Loki stomped forward, looking pissed as hell, while Ais followed behind, her expression blank, like she didn't have a care in the world.
"Something's off," one guard muttered.
"Yeah. Isn't Loki usually grinning like a fool after spending time with Ais?" the other replied, confused.
***
Loki and Ais went straight to the main office on the top floor.
BANG!
Loki didn't bother knocking—she kicked the door open like it owed her money.
"Loki, you're back. Did you report our expedition to the guild?"
Finn Deimne, the captain of the Loki Familia, looked up from his desk.
He might've looked like a child, but everyone in Orario knew he was no joke—a Level 6 adventurer nicknamed the Brave.
"Nope, didn't bother," Loki said, flopping onto a couch like she owned the place.
"You didn't forget because you were busy goofing off with Ais, did you?" Riveria Ljos Alf, the vice-captain, asked.
Riveria was a royal elf and a Level 6 adventurer known as the Nine Hell.
"Seriously, Loki? You can't even handle something that simple?" growled Bete Loga, the ever-cranky werewolf.
"Pipe down, mutt," Loki snapped back.
"Enough," Finn cut in with a sigh.
"Riveria and I will go handle it tomorrow. Loki, try not to screw up next time."
"Captain, you're way too soft on her," Tiona Hiryute said, crossing her arms.
Her Amazonian roots showed in her confident stance and minimal clothing.
"Tiona's got a point," her twin sister, Tione, added.
"Loki, you've been acting weird since you got back. Spill it—what's going on?"
Loki scowled, then threw her hands up in frustration.
"You ungrateful assholes! Not one of you asked how I'm doing!"
The room went silent.
Ais, meanwhile, looked like she didn't knew what's happening.
"I'm going to my room," she said softly and walked out without a second glance.
"Ais! Don't leave me here with these jerks!" Loki yelled after her, but Ais was already gone.
"Loki, enough with the theatrics," Finn said, his tone serious.
"What's going on? You and Ais are acting weird."
"It's that annoying brat!" Loki growled, slamming her fist on the table.
She stood up dramatically.
"Listen up, you idiots! Tonight, we're protecting our precious Ais! No excuses!"
The room went dead silent.
"What the fuck is she talking about?"
Bete muttered under his breath, breaking the awkward pause.
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