The next day.
After Reiger had completed his preparations, he did not leave the Twilight Mansion directly for the underground city but waited in the courtyard for someone.
In his hand, he held a piece of parchment, on which a line of words was clumsily written in the common script.
"I've found you a teammate. Although her level is higher than yours, including Finn and other leaders from the Headquarters Camp think she still needs to improve her combat skills. It's perfect. You two team up and train together."
This was clearly a message written by Loki.
In the morning, just as Reiger had stepped out of his room, this message had already been placed on the floor at the door, waiting for him to pick it up.
"So, Loki really found me a teammate to improve my team combat capabilities, huh?"
Reiger was somewhat helpless but had no opposing thoughts as he silently arrived here, waiting for his teammate to arrive.
Although going to the underground city with others would not allow him to act as freely as before, the ability to fight in a team was indeed something that needed to be honed.
Especially later, when the levels increase and one needs to venture deeper into the underground city or even go on expeditions, he would likely have to go down with the family team. Considering this, it was a bit early to start honing team combat skills, but Reiger could accept it.
Of course, Loki making such arrangements was probably with the calculation that when he needed to prepare for great achievements and level up, he would team up with the family seniors for a safe and steady experience gain.
Regarding this, Reiger had no choice but to temporarily comply with the Main God's arrangement and see how it went.
"Just don't know who my teammate will be."
Would it be the first-level adventurers from the family executives?
"No, definitely not."
If they were to go to the underground city with him, that wouldn't be called honing team combat skills, but showing off in front of the newbie and bullying the weak for the rookie to see.
Given the information mentioned in Loki's message, the person arranged to come here should be a junior member of the family, with not too great a level difference from Reiger, and apparently, there seemed to be some problems with her.
"Who could it be?"
Reiger searched through the original work's memories in his mind.
However, before Reiger could find an answer, a flurry of panicked footsteps emerged from within the mansion of Twilight House.
"So, sorry! I'm late!"
Accompanied by the panicked footsteps, a nervous, timid female voice full of unease spoke up.
An elven girl, dressed conservatively yet adorned with a natural elegance, holding a Magic Wand, with auburn hair tied back like a little animal's tail swinging back and forth, appeared before Reiger.
From the slightly juvenile features of the girl, one could tell she was at most 15 years old, indeed a junior member of Loki's family as Reiger had thought.
However, Reiger had never expected that the person arranged to team up with him would be such a future star, highly anticipated by the higher echelons of the family.
"Are you Rephilia Vireidis?"
Reiger voiced his surprise.
Yes.
The person who arrived was none other than the elf girl from Loki's family, who was one of only two capable of using more than three types of Magic, and who practiced the special Summoning Magic known as "Elf Ring"—Rephilia Vireidis.
"Eh?" Rephilia blinked slightly and said, "Do, do you know me?"
"Of course," Reiger regained his composure and smiled lightly, "You are the vice-captain's esteemed disciple and successor, future leader of the family. Even someone like me who has just joined the family, I have heard of your great reputation."
Not to mention, she was also an important supporting character in the original spin-off, a bona fide leading lady.
It would be odd if Reiger didn't know her.
Yet, Reiger's way of speaking seemed to make the elven girl appear even more uneasy and nervous.
"Su, successor and all... it's still too early for that...!"
Rephilia wore an expression full of pressure.
Clearly, the high expectations of her by the family's upper echelons weighed heavily on Rephilia.
Seeing this, Reiger naturally would not continue to add pressure to this girl younger than himself and slightly softened his tone.
"Since you are here, then it indeed confirms that you are my teammate, right?"
Reiger confirmed once again.
"Yes," Rephilia said nervously, "Al, although I may not be very reliable, I will do my best to keep up with you. Please guide me a lot!"
As she spoke, Rephilia took a deep bow toward Reiger.
Reiger stepped back, avoiding the bow.
"Don't do that," Reiger said with a subtle expression, "Logically speaking, that's something I should be saying. Aren't you getting the roles mixed up?"
After all, Rephilia was a level 3 second-level adventurer, two whole levels higher than the level 1 Reiger.
Moreover, Reiger was a newcomer who had just joined the family. Even though Rephilia was also a junior in the family, she had much more seniority than him.
In such a scenario, logically, the words Rephilia had said should have been spoken by Reiger, and it was Reiger who should have been feeling uneasy and nervous. So how had their roles completely reversed, making it seem like Rephilia was the newbie, and he the senior?
This isn't scientific at all.
But once again, Reiger's expression did not relax Rephia; rather it only increased her nervousness.
"I'm still very immature, I can't take care of juniors like Lady Revilia does..."
Rephia looked as if she was about to cry.
This elven girl clearly wasn't the type with a stable mindset.
In her view, she was hardly mature herself, yet she had to lead newcomers relying on her rank and experience, and those newcomers were even older than her by two years, looking very composed like Reiger?
It was definitely impossible!
"Alright," seeing the girl flustered, Reiger could only say, "Since we're going to be forming a squad and fighting together, let's be natural with each other. You don't have to be too polite, and there's no need to use honorifics with me."
"Is, is that okay?" Rephia relaxed a little upon hearing this, but still seemed somewhat uneasy.
"Let it be," Reiger didn't like people who beat around the bush. Seeing that Rephia had finally calmed down, he straightforwardly said, "I'm actually taking advantage here, being on equal terms with you, who's a clan senior with a higher rank than me. If you don't like it, then I have no choice but to be more polite and use honorifics with you."
"Then... okay?" Rephia observed Reiger's expression cautiously, and seeing that his gaze was steady and clear, she hesitantly nodded.
Only then did Reiger smile, his mind beginning to speculate about the thoughts of the clan's upper echelons.
Undoubtedly, it must have been a deliberate arrangement by the upper echelons to make Rephia, a future pillar of the clan, his teammate.
Even though Rephia really did have some immaturities, assigning this successor to the deputy leader to his side and having her team up with a newcomer who had just joined the clan to hone their group combat skills surely carried important significance.
After careful consideration, who else should be the one to team up with someone who was very likely to succeed Revilia as the deputy leader, and to fight together in a group?
Clearly, it had to be someone who could also potentially become a main pillar of the entire clan in the future.
Seeing it this way, the deeper meaning behind the clan's upper echelons assigning Rephia to form a squad with him was indeed worth contemplating.
"Has the top already prepared to treat me as another important person to cultivate and focus on, just like Rephia?"
Realizing this, Reiger didn't know what kind of feelings he should express.
Should he be joyful for being given such attention?
Or should he feel pressured by a clear future?
"This Loki, really put me in a position where I don't know whether to be happy or not," Reiger mused with a wry smile in his heart.
However, despite these thoughts, Reiger maintained a natural and calm demeanor on the surface.
"Are you ready?"
Reiger asked Rephia.
"Yes, I'm ready," Rephia nodded vigorously and said, "Twenty doses of ordinary Spiritual Medicine, ten doses of superior Spiritual Medicine, ten doses of detoxification medicine, twenty doses of Magic Spiritual Medicine, and even two doses of Panacea, totally foolproof!"
These words almost left Reiger speechless, his gaze at Rephia turning incredibly odd.
"What, what's the matter?" Rephia immediately became anxious and asked, "Isn't my preparation enough?"
"No..." Reiger sighed and said, "Your preparation is more than enough, so much that it's almost embarrassing for me."
Spiritual Medicine could only be produced by Pharmacists who had mastered the 'Blending' skill, a type of recovery item whose effect far surpassed ordinary medicines.
Its effects could virtually be described as immediate, with a speed of effectiveness that normal medicines could not match, allowing the user to recover within just seconds.
On the night Reiger first returned from the underground city, a senior from the clan, seeing his pitiful state, was so shocked that they gave him superior Spiritual Medicine, allowing him to quickly heal his injuries.
Now, Rephia had prepared a large quantity of these expensive recovery items.
Ordinary Spiritual Medicine that could quickly restore physical strength.
Superior Spiritual Medicine that could fill in cuts, stop bleeding, and even repair broken bones, quickly healing most injuries.
Magic Spiritual Medicine that could quickly restore spiritual power.
Each of these medicines was quite valuable, especially the superior Spiritual Medicine and Magic Spiritual Medicine, each costing tens of thousands, which not just any well-off high-level adventurer could afford, or would be willing to use.
And that's not even mentioning the most expensive item, the Panacea.
This was the highest grade recovery medicine available on the market; even effective for life-threatening injuries.
On the market, a single dose of Panacea cost five hundred thousand, comparable to some third-grade armaments.
And yet?
Rephia had actually prepared two doses.
In other words, she had spent over a million to prepare for this squad formation.
...Is this little miss that rich?
Reiger, who usually just carried weapons and armor into the underground city, maybe some dry food and water, was rendered speechless facing the anxious Rephia.