The letter had barely been sent before Loki returned the very next day.
"Is everything in the report true?"
"Every word of it."
"I see..." Hearing that, Loki seemed to think of something and fell silent.
"How did things go at Lake Lolog?"
"Hm? Oh, we found the Kali Familia's ship, but Kali and her executives weren't there." Loki snapped out of her thoughts and reported what they'd discovered.
At the port town beside Lake Lolog, a large ship bearing the Kali Familia's flag was openly docked, guarded by dozens of Amazons. Loki had led Ais and the others in storming the ship and handed everyone over to the Guild. However, neither Kali nor her two top executives were among those captured.
As expected, after investigating the lakebed, they found that the seal there remained completely intact. There was no way monsters could have been transported through it, meaning it definitely wasn't a second entrance to the Dungeon.
"So the metal gate in Daedalus Street really is the true second entrance." Finn nodded in understanding. "Gareth, Riveria, you two head out immediately and purchase the supplies we discussed..."
Now that their target had been confirmed, Finn began organizing the preparations for the coming battle. None of that required Ryoji's attention. Since he wasn't involved in managing Familia affairs, he went to see Loki that evening to update his Status.
'Ryoji , Level 5'
'Strength:' G (234) → G (243)
'Endurance:' G (257) → G (262)
'Dexterity:' F (324) → F (339)
'Agility:' D (541) → D (560)
'Magic:' H (105) → H (109)
"Hardly any improvement..." Ryoji sighed as he looked over the new sheet of parchment.
For the past three days, he'd been grinding on the Dungeon's middle floors. The monsters weren't particularly strong, but he'd killed plenty of them. Even with the boost from his 'Ten Years of Sharpening a Sword' Skill, he'd only gained a little over fifty points of proficiency. At this rate, reaching the next Level would probably take another six months.
'Looks like I'll have to go find her after all...' Ryoji sank into thought.
"Ryoji!" Just after leaving Loki's room, a passing catgirl called out to him.
The two of them found a quiet corner where no one was around. Then she pulled something out.
"Here!" With a proud smile, she handed his student handbook back to him.
Ryoji's eyes lit up, though he kept a straight face as he opened it.
'Mhm. Mhm, mhm. Oh... so this is the kind of swimsuit Ais wears. Huh? Why is Tiona only photographed from behind...? Oh... never mind, there's the front.'
"Not bad. Not bad at all!" Seeing the eager look on her face, Ryoji didn't hold back his praise. "By the way... why aren't there any pictures of Riveria?"
"Riveria absolutely refused to wear hers. She and Loki argued for ages while she was holding the swimsuit, and in the end she never changed." The catgirl's face flushed slightly.
Apparently it had been a bikini. For an Elven princess with an almost obsessive sense of modesty, that was simply asking too much.
"What a shame... What a terrible shame!"
"I'm about to return this to Raul."
"You know what I mean, right?"
"I do!" The catgirl immediately understood and nodded indignantly. "It's all Raul's fault! He looks so simple and honest on the outside, but he's full of bad ideas!"
"You're learning." Ryoji nodded in satisfaction.
Then he quietly tucked the handbook away. This thing had officially become his most precious possession. If anyone dared lay a finger on it... he'd fight them over it.
After parting ways with the catgirl, Ryoji continued admiring the photos. There were dozens of them. At first they'd all been candid shots, but later everyone had simply posed openly for the camera, with pictures taken from every conceivable angle.
Then something suddenly caught his eye. "...Wait. Why are there so many pictures of 'her'? And they're all so... suggestive."
Realization dawned on him. 'No wonder the catgirl looked so embarrassed when she left. She's got a real talent for this.'
"Hey! Stop making such a scene!" Just as Ryoji was happily flipping through the pictures, an angry shout from one of the gate guards reached his ears. The guard shouted angrily, "You think you can just meet one of our Familia's executives whenever you feel like it? Do you have any idea how many people have been trying to see him these past few days?"
"What's going on?" Ryoji walked over to the entrance of Twilight Manor and asked the guard.
"Perfect timing, Ryoji. This kid's been insisting on seeing you." The guard rolled his eyes toward the gate.
Ryoji looked over. Well, if it wasn't the rabbit.
"Bell Cranel? What brings you here?" Standing outside the gate was the familiar white-haired, red-eyed boy.
"Ryoji-san... I don't know what to do anymore." Bell's face was full of anxiety. "The Apollo Familia has challenged the Hestia Familia to a War Game..."
Ah. So that's what this was about.
A War Game was a formal contest between Familias conducted under agreed-upon rules, a fair duel in which the Familias themselves served as the pieces on the board. In short, it was a proxy war between gods. If the Hestia Familia lost, they would be forced to accept any demand the Apollo Familia made. Even if Apollo demanded everything they had, they couldn't refuse.
For the gods, it was the ultimate entertainment. That was why War Games were almost always approved whenever they were proposed.
For the participants, however, it was practically a disaster. That was especially true for the tiny Hestia Familia. At the moment, Bell was its only member. Although he was already a Level 2 adventurer, there was simply no comparing the Hestia Familia to the Apollo Familia.
"So..." Ryoji looked at him. "You want me to help you."
"Yes!" Bell looked deeply embarrassed. It was obvious he'd only come here after agonizing over the decision.
"Are you kidding me?!" Before Ryoji could answer, the guard exploded. "How can you ask an executive from another Familia to fight your battles? Setting aside the trouble that could cause between Familias, the Loki Familia is preparing for a major operation of its own. How can we waste one of our executives on you?"
The upcoming operation in Daedalus Street was considered extremely dangerous by the Loki Familia's leadership. They needed the strength of the entire Familia. Losing even one executive wasn't an option.
Bell's face turned pale. He knew his request was unreasonable. But among everyone he knew, only Ryoji had the influence to make Apollo back down, or the strength to defeat him outright. That was why he'd come, hoping against hope. He hadn't expected the Loki Familia to be preparing for a major campaign. The last bit of hope in his heart sank.
"Come with me." Ryoji rubbed the back of his head. With a helpless sigh, he grabbed Bell by the back of his shirt and led him away from the Familia's front gate into a nearby alley.
"Let's get one thing straight. I won't help you persuade Apollo to withdraw. And I definitely won't fight in your War Game." If he did, it would seriously damage the Loki Familia's reputation.
"...You're still willing to help me?" Bell froze for a moment before his face lit up with surprise.
"I can only help from behind the scenes." Ryoji paused, meeting Bell's puzzled gaze. "But... I have one condition."
'(End of Chapter)'
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