I kept smiling faintly as I looked at Hermes.
"So tell me, Hermes," I said calmly, "what exactly can you give me?"
I slowly rested my hand on the hilt of my sword again.
"Make it worthwhile, because if I find it unsatisfactory…I really don't mind feeding the Dungeon a god."
I glanced briefly toward the darkness beyond the safe zone.
"After all, it's been centuries since it had one."
"…You know, most people would hesitate before threatening a god."
"Most people aren't me."
"That," Hermes muttered, "is becoming painfully obvious."
Hermes fell silent after that.
For a moment, the only sound between us was the distant echo of the Dungeon.
Then he let out a long sigh, shoulders slumping slightly.
"Unfortunately," he admitted, "I can't really think of anything worthwhile enough to offer you right now." His eyes narrowed at me carefully. "Which means you probably already have something in mind."
I smiled faintly.
"I do."
Hermes looked immediately wary.
"And what exactly would that be?"
"A favor."
The word left my mouth casually, but Hermes' expression tightened almost instantly.
"You don't need to be worried," I said. "What I want is a favor from the god Hermes himself."
Hermes' eyes narrowed slightly, though he remained silent.
"It won't be unreasonable," I continued. "But understand this carefully…"
I rested my hand lightly against the hilt of my sword again.
"I can call on that favor anytime I want."
A brief silence followed.
Then Hermes gave a dry laugh, though the tension in his eyes never disappeared.
"You really don't do things halfway, do you?...Fine." Hermes said at last with a tired sigh.
He raised one hand slightly, his usual playful expression gone for once.
"I promise. In the name of my Familia… and in my own name." His gaze locked onto mine. "I owe you a favor."
The moment the words left his mouth, the atmosphere seemed to settle slightly.
Gods did not make promises lightly.
Especially not ones spoken in their own name.
I clapped my hands once.
"Wonderful."
Then I slowly cracked my knuckles, one finger at a time, while smiling maliciously at him.
Hermes immediately took a step back.
"W-What is that look for?" he asked warily. "Why are you smiling like that? I thought we were good now."
"Oh, we are," I assured him casually. "We're perfectly good now."
I rolled my shoulders lightly.
"I just need to relieve some stress."
Hermes' face twitched.
"…Leon."
"I won't kill you," I said with a grin. "As promised."
I took a step forward.
"But that doesn't mean I can't beat the shit out of you a little.
—o—
"...Are you sure about this? About Hermes, I mean. Gods can be very petty." Mira asked.
Mira visibly gulped after saying it, clearly uncertain whether speaking that openly was a good idea.
I just smiled.
"Don't worry about Hermes," I said lazily. "He won't repeat that stunt again."
Hermes had already left a while ago.
Bruised, covered in dust, and barely maintaining what little dignity he had left.
Honestly, I was in a pretty good mood now.
"Anyways," I continued casually, waving a hand dismissively, "don't worry about that guy anymore."
I grinned slightly.
"He's harmless now."
"Well... if you say so," Mira muttered unconvincingly.
She still looked deeply concerned, which honestly made sense considering the person we were talking about.
Then Brokk, who was seated beside her, leaned forward slightly.
"So," he said, resting his arms on the table, "what's the plan next?"
"Well… if you say so," Mira muttered unconvincingly.
Then Brokk, who was seated beside her, cleared his throat.
"So," he said, "what's the plan now?"
We had finally arrived at the thirty-eighth floor.
Technically, we had already reached our original goal.
Truthfully, Brokk and the others looked completely worn out by this point. Everyone was bruised, exhausted, and covered in dirt and monster blood after everything we'd gone through.
"We rest for a day," I said simply. "Then we descend further."
The moment those words left my mouth, Brokk visibly stiffened.
He gulped.
"Boss…" he said carefully. "Are you absolutely sure about that?"
I raised an eyebrow.
"May I remind you," Brokk continued weakly, "that I'm only Level 2?"
I snorted.
"Don'tcha worry, I gotcha you."
"Really?" Grokk asked, still sounding doubtful. "I know you've saved me many times, but those were close calls… I can't help but think, what if one day it's too late?"
"You're worrying about nothing," I replied.
Then something occurred to me.
"Actually… how about this?"
I raised my hand and activated a defensive barrier spell.
[Greater Protection]
A translucent shield enveloped Grokk completely, shimmering faintly as it stabilized around him.
"What is this?" Grokk asked, staring at the barrier around his body.
I ignored him and turned to Mira and Ais.
"Attack him with all your might."
They both blinked, clearly unsure if I was serious.
"…Huh?" Mira tilted her head.
Ais frowned slightly. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah," I said flatly. "If you don't, I'll be the one attacking all of you instead."
That did it.
The hesitation vanished almost instantly.
Mira let out a short laugh. "Sorry, Grokk."
Ais gave a small nod. "Sorry."
Grokk's eyes widened. "Wait, hold on—"
Mira cracked her knuckles.
"Yeah, Grokk… it's you or us."
A burst of force, wind, and impact followed immediately after.
Dust erupted across the corridor, swallowing Grokk's figure whole.
For a moment, nothing could be seen.
Then the dust slowly settled.
Grokk was still standing and as I expected he was completely unharmed. Not even a scratch.
Mira and Ais froze.
"…Huh?" Mira blinked, staring at him in disbelief.
Even Grokk himself looked stunned, glancing down at his body like he expected to find injuries that simply weren't there.
"…I'm… fine?" he muttered, as if he couldn't quite process it.
Then he turned toward me.
"Boss… this is—"
"That's a barrier spell," I said calmly. "It nullifies attacks below Level 6."
Silence.
The weight of that statement settled in immediately.
Mira slowly lowered her hands. "Below… Level Six?"
Ais' eyes sharpened slightly, now looking at the barrier with renewed attention.
Grokk just stood there, still processing it.
"…So I was never in danger?" he asked.
I shrugged.
"Not really."
"Wow…" they all muttered almost in unison.
Mira let out a small breath of disbelief. "We really joined the right Familia, huh."
No one argued with her.
The silence that followed wasn't heavy anymore, just tired and relieved.
"Anyways," I said after a moment, "now that that's settled, I'll give you all the rest of the day to yourselves. Feel free to explore, rest, or do whatever you want."
I glanced around at them.
"I thought you'd appreciate the break."
"...Oh thank god," Mira let out, almost collapsing with relief as the tension finally left her shoulders.
Grokk exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of his neck. "I thought we were about to go back into the Dungeon right after that…"
Ais didn't say much, but the faint easing in her expression said enough.
—o—
"Uwahh…" Mira let out a long, relieved sigh as she sank deeper into the spring they had found nearby.
The warm water washed away the grime, sweat, and exhaustion clinging to her body after more than a day of nonstop fighting in the Dungeon.
Ais stepped in more quietly beside her.
Even she couldn't hide the faint relaxation in her shoulders as she lowered herself into the hot spring.
"My body aches," Mira said, leaning her head back against the stone edge. "I can't even remember the last time I was this exhausted." She let out a tired laugh. "Seriously, what kind of monster is Leon?"
Ais glanced at her, then slowly nodded.
"…Same."
They fell into silence after that.
Then Mira spoke again.
"…Ais," she asked carefully, "so tell me, why did you leave Loki Familia and join Hestia's?"
Ais didn't answer right away. She stared at the surface of the hot spring, watching the faint ripples shift under the heat. The silence stretched a little longer than Mira expected.
Mira blinked, then quickly waved a hand.
"Ah—sorry," she said. "If you don't want to talk about it, forget I asked. That was intrusive."
Ais turned her head slightly toward her.
"It's not that I don't want to talk," she said quietly. "I just didn't leave because I disliked Loki Familia."
"I left because I wanted to be stronger."
"…I see," Mira said softly, no longer pressing further. She could see the desperation in Ais' eyes. It was familiar. Something she had once carried herself.
"…I get it, you know," Mira continued after a moment.
She leaned back against the stone edge of the spring, letting the warmth of the water ease the weight in her body.
"I was also once part of a Familia," she said. "But one careless expedition… and they all died. Except for a few. Including me."
Her voice remained steady, but there was a subtle heaviness behind it.
Ais listened in silence.
It was the first time she had ever heard Mira speak about her past.
"After that," Mira continued, "I chose to remain independent. Not because there weren't any offers or anything like that, but because I was scared."
She exhaled slowly, watching the ripples in the hot spring drift outward.
"I was scared I would lose my family again," Mira said quietly. "I didn't want to feel that kind of loss a second time. That's how it was… until I saw Leon in the Dungeon."
She paused briefly.
"He was strong. Very strong."
Ais didn't respond, but there was a faint, almost imperceptible acknowledgment in her gaze. She understood that part.
"I think that's why I joined," Mira continued. "Maybe… if I stay in a Familia like that, I won't have to feel that kind of loss again."
They fell into silence again after that.
After a while, Mira spoke once more.
"Still… I'm looking forward to our future endeavors, Sword Princess."
Ais turned her head slightly toward her, then gave a small nod.
"…Me too."
Mira let out a soft breath and smiled, easing back into the water again as the tension finally drained from her shoulders.
Before Ais could do the same.
"Found you, Aria."
A voice echoed through the entire area.
It wasn't human.
It sounded distorted, layered, almost monstrous, as if something was speaking through broken throats all at once.
The peaceful atmosphere shattered instantly.
Ais' gaze snapped upward.
Around them, monsters.Dozens of them, all of them surrounding the hot spring from every direction.
Their eyes glowed faintly in the mist.
Mira's smile faded immediately.
"…Seriously?" she muttered, frozen for half a second as she realized the situation.
Both she and Ais were still in the water, unarmored, unarmed, and completely exposed.
Ais stepped forward slightly anyway, instinctively shifting into a protective stance despite the lack of equipment.
The spring water no longer felt warm.
It felt suffocating.
=====
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