At this moment, as the leader of the Loki familia, Finn had a lot to consider and didn't immediately give a clear answer.
He also felt he couldn't make decisions on behalf of Riveria.
So, the little human hero turned to his longtime partner for guidance.
As for her…
"Finn, if possible, I'd like to meet this young man alone."
Riveria didn't overcomplicate things with worldly considerations.
Her thought was simple:
"If this young man called 'Higashikata Renjiro' has a good heart, then as someone who is also exploring the field of magical knowledge, I should take the opportunity to discuss the truth with him, rather than fear his existence and avoid him."
"That would be foolish and short-sighted behavior."
Indeed.
Working in isolation is never as effective as learning from others, an insight the wise of ancient China had long recognized.
Only by seeking common ground while preserving differences, taking the essence and discarding the dross, could one go further.
Of course, Riveria was clearly not the type of "mad scientist" whose pursuit of knowledge justified abandoning moral boundaries.
Hence, she added a conditional requirement: "if the young man's character is not bad."
Seeing her attitude, Finn shrugged with a wry smile:
"If you put it that way, what objection could I have?"
Then he turned to Renjiro (Aether).
"But… may I ask one thing? Is your friend also a member of the Freya familia?"
"No," Renjiro shook his head. "He's always been an adventurer affiliated with the 'Frigg familia,' a small familia that recently came to Orario. He's the only member so far."
"He just reached Lv. 2 a while ago. At that time, the 'Gods' Assembly' had just ended, and he hadn't even gotten his [Title] yet."
Hearing this, everyone whispered among themselves:
"The Frigg familia? I've never heard of them."
"Renjiro said they just came to Orario recently."
"And the familia has only one member?"
Riveria sighed slightly:
"A one-person familia… Typically, fledgling familias like this are easy targets for people with ulterior motives."
"And your friend's magical talent… calling it 'extraordinary' would not be an exaggeration. In such a case, it's even more dangerous."
Her tone became very serious.
"Renjiro, Lumine, there's something you've done that's quite inappropriate. I hadn't mentioned it before, but now it's necessary to tell you immediately."
"I hope you won't think I'm meddling."
Without waiting for a response, Riveria continued:
"You two trust others too easily…"
Renjiro couldn't help but think: Me? The one who plans everything meticulously and manipulates conversations… too trusting?
"I don't deny that your nature is a rare virtue. But often, basic caution is still necessary."
Turning to Lumine:
"On this journey, you and Renjiro have shown us a lot of your abilities. I'm glad you trust us despite belonging to different familias. We're willing to reciprocate that trust with our actions."
"However…" She squinted, "those abilities were your own, so whether to disclose them lies with you. But just now, when you casually revealed your friend Renjiro's magical talent and his familia background, you exposed someone else's vulnerabilities… even if Finn asked, it was still risky and overstepped boundaries."
She looked around and addressed everyone:
"Tiona, Ais… the same applies to you. Information about that young man should stay with you. Don't go spreading it. We cannot cause trouble for others, understood?"
"Oh!" The group, led by the little angel, responded. Even Finn smiled wryly.
As for Renjiro…
Though a part of him felt amused and helpless, he realized Riveria's advice, though firm, was genuinely out of concern:
"Once again, I understand why Riveria commands such respect. Her words may not sound gentle, but they're a form of caring."
Renjiro wisely chose not to argue and humbly accepted the lesson.
Soon after…
"Alright, let's leave the rest for later," Finn intervened, smoothing the mood. "We need to push deeper tomorrow. For now, let's eat and rest early. We'll also take turns keeping watch tonight."
"Ah, right! Time to eat!" Tiona's eyes lit up. "Lumine, let's…"
"Okay, okay," Lumine smiled, slightly exasperated as Tiona tugged her hand. "Renjiro brought plenty of ingredients. Tonight, we'll have grilled ribs."
"Yay~"
Dinner passed in laughter and cheer.
Afterward came the night watch rotation.
Previously mentioned, Renjiro, in his "Sky Fire" split form, didn't need sleep, a convenience of being an energy-based lifeform.
Yet, sometimes, you can't appear too different.
"Tonight's watch will be in pairs," Finn instructed.
"Riveria and I, Tiona and Tione, Renjiro and Bete, Lumine and Ais. Each pair will watch for two hours; after eight hours, we depart again."
Sitting on a rock pedestal in the hall of the three-room, one-hall dark-golden hut, Finn smiled:
"Thanks to Lumine's magic, we technically aren't 'camping.' The walls are far sturdier than tents, and the rock behind us reduces pressure on the watch crew."
"That's it. Eat, rest in your groups, and get ready. Tomorrow's battle will be even tougher."
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