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"Damn, my neck hurts!"
"That Goddess, she's never given anyone a massage before, and she decides to use me as a practice dummy."
"Her hands were so stiff, it felt like she was throwing punches. My poor neck was creaking and cracking the whole time."
Bathed in the twilight glow, Mika rubbed his neck, venting his frustration.
"I'm sorry, Mika. Yahweh-sama forbade me from healing you," Airmid said, averting her gaze. She couldn't bear to meet Mika's eyes.
"Don't worry about it, Airmid. He deserves it. Who told him to go flirting with another goddess? A jealous goddess is a force to be reckoned with," Mellie said with a teasing smile, patting Airmid's shoulder. She winked at Mika, as if hinting at something.
"What do you mean, flirting?! Astraea forced herself on me! I couldn't exactly push a goddess away, could I?" Mika protested loudly.
"Is that so?"
"Then why did someone seem to be enjoying it so much?" Mellie's eyes locked with Mika's, a knowing glint in them.
Unable to meet Mellie's gaze, Mika turned away, flustered. He couldn't form a coherent response.
After all, on the night Yahweh had "punished" him, Mellie had invaded his dreams in Astraea's form, teasing and tormenting him relentlessly.
So, Mellie could easily discern the truth behind Mika's words.
"Forget it. There's no point arguing with you two," Mika grumbled.
"That's because you're wrong," Mellie retorted playfully.
Thus, bickering amongst themselves, the three returned to their Familia home.
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"Welcome back."
Hearing the door open, Yahweh greeted the returning trio with a warm smile from the courtyard.
"Dinner's ready. Come and eat!"
With that, Yahweh returned to the kitchen to bring out the dishes.
"I'll help you, Yahweh-sama," Airmid offered.
"I'll get the chairs," Mellie chimed in.
"I'll put our equipment away," Mika added.
The three quickly divided the tasks and set about helping Yahweh.
Soon, the table in the courtyard was laden with a feast.
"Why is dinner so extravagant tonight?" Mika asked curiously.
"It's to celebrate your upcoming departure, of course! Tonight's the night you leave for the expedition," Yahweh replied.
Mika, Mellie, and Airmid's expressions turned serious.
Yes, tonight was the night.
Three days had passed in a blink of an eye.
The time for the expedition had arrived.
"Let's eat," Yahweh said.
"Yes!"
The three took their seats and began to devour the delicious meal.
Soon, the earlier tension dissipated, replaced by lively conversation.
"Just you wait. When I return, I'll be a Level 4 adventurer!" Mellie declared confidently.
"Sure, sure. You're amazing," Mika replied teasingly.
"Is your neck still hurting? It's been three days. Have Airmid heal you later."
"Yes, Yahweh-sama."
"Don't worry, I'll be protecting you from the rear."
"We're counting on you, Airmid!"
Amidst the cheerful banter, dinner quickly came to an end.
Afterwards, the three returned to their rooms to make their final preparations.
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"Is everyone ready?"
Yahweh looked at Mika, Mellie, and Airmid, fully equipped and standing before her.
"Yes, everything's ready!" Mika replied.
"Then I won't say much more. After all, I'll be with you every step of the way," Yahweh said with a gentle smile, stroking Gabriel's hair.
In Danmachi world, Yahweh and Gabriel shared the same vision.
Yahweh could now accompany Mika and his companions without needing to slumber.
"Since we're ready, let's depart!"
With that, Gabriel transformed into a wisp of air and merged with Mika.
"Let's go!"
Donning their cloaks and masks, transforming into shadowy figures, the three scaled the wall and left their Familia home.
As for why they chose to scale the wall, it was, of course, to conceal their identities.
If they encountered anyone while leaving through the front gate, their secret would be exposed.
They moved stealthily through the darkness.
Airmid and Mellie activated their abilities, concealing even their auras, completely merging with the shadows.
Mika, on the other hand, employed the more potent ability to mask his presence.
Thus, unnoticed, the three entered the dungeon.
"This feels strange," Airmid remarked.
"Indeed. Sneaking around like this is far more exciting than entering the dungeon openly," Mellie agreed.
"I feel it too!"
"Hehe!"
After a brief exchange, the three shifted into combat mode, swiftly navigating the dungeon's corridors.
The upper floors of the dungeon were narrow and crowded.
Even though it was late at night, they encountered numerous adventurers along the way.
However, thanks to their impeccable concealment skills, they remained undetected.
Soon, they reached the 17th floor.
"It's deserted. It seems the Goliath hasn't respawned yet," Airmid observed, looking at the empty chamber leading to the 18th floor.
"That's because Ottar of the Freya Familia personally took care of it yesterday. I heard he eliminated it on his way back from the deep floors," Mellie explained.
"It wasn't just a casual act. Ottar did it intentionally. Finn ordered the Freya Familia to monitor the Goliath's respawn and ensure it didn't interfere with tonight's operation," Mika added, recalling Finn's strategic planning.
"I see."
"Alright, let's move on!"
Following Mika's command, the three swiftly traversed the 17th floor and reached the safe zone on the 18th floor.
However, they didn't linger, continuing their descent through the 18th floor and into the 19th.
But even this wasn't their final destination.
They continued their journey until they finally reached the 24th floor.
Quickly passing through the 24th floor, they arrived at the passage leading to the 25th.
As planned, Mika entered a side passage on the right, leading to a dead-end chamber.
It was a chamber rarely visited by adventurers.
Within this chamber, eight figures clad in black robes were either sitting on the ground or leaning against pillars, seemingly waiting for something.
Mika and his companions' arrival caught their attention.
"You're here, Mika!"
"Now we just need the Astraea and Ganesha Familias!"
Finn rose from the ground, removing his hood, a grin spreading across his face.
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"Hey, you're pretty fast, Mika!"
Seeing Finn remove his hood, the other seven followed suit.
Tsubaki, while taking off her hood, approached Mika and his companions, greeting them warmly.
"We're not fast at all, Tsubaki. You're the fast one!" Mellie teased.
"Not really. I came with the Loki Familia, so I had a bit of an advantage," Tsubaki replied modestly.
"I see." Mika nodded slightly.
Large Familias like the Loki Familia had a high demand for weapons.
Therefore, crafting Familias like the Hephaestus Familia maintained close relationships with large Familias such as the Loki and Freya Familias.
In the future, to counter new monsters capable of destroying weapons, the Loki Familia would bring along elite members of the Hephaestus Familia on their expeditions. This demonstrated the strong bond between the two Familias.
"So, all that's left is the Astraea and Ganesha Familias, right?"
"That's correct. But given their speed, they should arrive soon," Riveria confirmed.
"Good evening!" Mellie greeted Riveria cheerfully, hugging her arm.
"Good evening, Mellie," Riveria replied, a gentle smile gracing her lips.
She was incredibly proud of her talented apprentice.
After all, Mellie rarely caused her any trouble.
At this point in time, Riveria was tasked with mentoring Ais.
However, the current Ais was vastly different from her future self.
She was a rambunctious child, and her impulsive nature often gave Riveria headaches.
In contrast, Mellie, as her apprentice, was calm and composed, requiring minimal supervision.
This stark difference made Riveria appreciate Mellie even more.
"I noticed your intention to conceal your strength before. Considering it was likely a decision made by your Familia, I never properly assessed your abilities."
"This time, allow me to witness your true strength."
"Please, rest assured, Riveria-san!" Mellie responded earnestly.
However, her serious demeanor quickly shifted to curiosity. "Riveria-san, why didn't you bring Ais along? She must be quite upset."
"Well..." Riveria's expression turned grim at the mention of Ais.
Indeed, as Mellie had guessed, Ais had thrown a tantrum upon learning that Riveria and the others were embarking on an expedition without her.
Although they eventually managed to subdue her, the process had been incredibly frustrating.
"She just reached Level 3 and hasn't obtained a single D-rank stat. This expedition wouldn't benefit her in any way and would only put her in danger. That's why I didn't bring her along."
"Indeed. If there's no need for her to level up, it's best for her to stay behind."
"Given her personality, she might disobey orders and rush into danger," Mellie added, wincing at the thought of Ais's current impulsive behavior.
She was incredibly disobedient.
"That's precisely what we're worried about," Riveria agreed, having experienced Ais's disregard for orders firsthand.
Listening to their conversation, Mika couldn't help but smile.
Even in the future, Ais would occasionally disobey orders and act on her own whims, often earning Finn's reprimands.
If she was like that in the future, her current behavior was even more unpredictable.
"Footsteps?"
"It's Alise and the others. Shakti is with them too. I didn't expect them to come together."
The approaching footsteps interrupted their conversation.
However, as Orario's elite adventurers, they could easily identify their companions by their gait.
Soon, Alise and her group appeared.
"Only Shakti came from the Ganesha Familia..." Mellie whispered to Mika using Gabriel's telepathic ability, observing Shakti accompanying the Astraea Familia.
Since this was a joint operation involving six Familias, it was often difficult to have private conversations.
As mentioned before, everyone present was among Orario's strongest adventurers.
Even the quietest whispers could be overheard.
Therefore, before arriving, Mika had summoned Gabriel and linked everyone through telepathy.
"As expected of Shakti. She prioritizes Orario's safety over personal gain," Mika remarked with admiration.
"What are you four doing together?" Tsubaki greeted Alise, Shakti, and the others enthusiastically.
This surprised Mika.
Tsubaki seemed more energetic than usual.
If Tsubaki had known Mika's thoughts, she would have likely retorted sharply.
Who knew the hardships she had endured?
Although Tsubaki had been aware of the strained relationship between the Loki and Freya Familias, she hadn't anticipated the extent of their animosity.
Before Mika and his companions arrived, she had been caught in the crossfire between the two Familias.
The palpable tension radiating from both sides had sent shivers down her spine.
That was why she was so relieved to see Mika, Alise, Shakti, and the others.
"We met along the way and decided to come together," Alise replied with a cheerful smile.
"Good evening, everyone! I'm the only representative from the Ganesha Familia participating in this expedition. I hope you don't mind," Shakti announced formally, removing her hood.
"Not at all, Shakti. We understand you're prioritizing the greater good. No one would fault you for that," Finn reassured her, then addressed the group. "Many of us are old friends, but there are some new faces as well. Why don't we introduce ourselves?"
"I am Finn Deimne, the commander of this expedition."
Following Finn, Riveria and Gareth also introduced themselves.
Seeing that the Loki Familia had finished their introductions, the Freya Familia followed suit.
After all, this operation concerned the future of Orario.
Under the looming threat of Alfia and Zald, they could temporarily set aside their rivalry with the Loki Familia.
The introductions proceeded smoothly.
Mika and his companions were familiar with all the members of the Loki, Hephaestus, Astraea, and Ganesha Familias participating in the expedition.
The only unfamiliar faces were those from the Freya Familia.
Besides Ottar, the other three members were Allen Fromel, the "Goddess's Chariot" and vice-captain of the Freya Familia, Hogni Ragnar, the "Black Wyvern Sword," and Hedin Selland, the "White Wyvern Staff."
Mika knew a bit about them.
In the future Orario, they would all become Level 6 adventurers, heroes who stood at the pinnacle of strength.
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