Who Xien meant, the two of them understood perfectly.
If the captain was one thing… then the moment his "opponent" suddenly leveled up, a certain kimono-wearing lady had been quietly adding extra training sessions these past few days.
"…You're not wrong," Alysse admitted, arms crossed. "But if we leave on an expedition, the patrol workload gets dumped entirely on Ganesha Familia." Ganesha
That was the shackle Astrea Familia couldn't escape.
Unlike dungeon-focused familias who could dedicate everything to delving, Astrea Familia's daily patrols consumed a huge portion of their time. The reason they hadn't continued exploring as a full group last time was exactly this—they were responsible for keeping Orario safe.
And after the whole incident involving Xien, the familia had only become busier, more vigilant, more strained.
An expedition?
Easier said than done.
But Xien looked like he'd anticipated this from the start. He laid out his plan without hesitation.
"If losing Astrea Familia for a few days makes the city collapse, then it means Orario is already on the brink of ruin."
"And besides—our expedition is also an attack."
Alysse's eyes sharpened immediately.
"You mean…"
"Fishing," she said, tone turning dangerous.
Xien nodded.
"That's part of it. Without us, those people won't be able to sit still."
His plan was blunt and simple:
There's no such thing as guarding against thieves forever.
If the enemy hides in the dark while you stand in the light—and you can't find a flaw—
Then you manufacture one.
Use the expedition as bait. Force them to move. Catch their hand when it reaches out.
Alysse found herself nodding along… and then her expression tightened as another issue surfaced.
"But Ganesha Familia's combat power…" Shakti Varma Aditi Varma
Exactly.
Numbers weren't the problem. Ganesha Familia had plenty of people.
The problem was high-end strength.
Evilus had at least one Level 5. Meanwhile, Ganesha Familia didn't even have a single Level 4. Their strongest were Captain Shakti Varma and Vice-Captain Aditi Varma—both Level 3, and the only Level 3s they had.
With that lineup, "waiting for the rabbit" wasn't a trap.
It was serving themselves on a plate.
But Xien already had the answer.
"So we bring in an external ace as our hidden card."
Alysse stared. "Who?"
Xien calmly dropped a bomb.
"What about my teacher?"
Alysse's brain visibly stalled.
"…Huh? Who? That 'Silence'?"
"She'll agree to that?"
The disbelief came out in a flood.
Wasn't your relationship just transactional?
Since when was that woman easy to negotiate with?
Xien scratched his cheek and laughed awkwardly.
"That's the part that surprised me too."
"On the way back, I just mentioned it… and she said yes."
Alysse stared at him like she was seeing him for the first time.
"Xien, I'm starting to feel like you're terrifyingly strong in a very different way."
When you thought about it:
Gluttony and Silence—two of Orario's strongest—both had meaningful ties to him.
Gluttony didn't even need to be explained; with that attitude, it felt like all Xien had to do was call and she'd show up without asking anything.
And Silence… agreeing because of a casual suggestion?
Add on top of that the countless people he'd helped—disabled adventurers who'd regained their lives and bodies, the gratitude and quiet loyalty he'd accumulated—
That invisible influence was frightening.
Xien grinned.
"Well… where I'm from, we'd call this—"
He struck an absurdly confident pose.
"Boss, the times have changed."
Alysse froze for a second… then burst out laughing.
"I still don't understand your taste in theatrics."
"…Fine."
"Tonight we call everyone in and discuss it. If there are no objections, we do it."
"Astrea Familia's—expedition."
Alfia entered her goddess's room. Alfia Hera
A golden-haired noblewoman stood by the window, gazing at the stars. Without turning, she spoke, voice quiet.
"I've been in the Lower World so long… I can barely remember what I used to be like."
Alfia didn't respond to the sentiment. She spoke only the newest fact.
"The child—Metriya—has been saved." Meteria
"As agreed… it's time to move."
Time.
For the present state of things. For the familia's future. For everything to finally reach an ending.
For a long time, the major powers—led by Freya and Loki Familias—had been eroding them piece by piece. Freya Loki
Hera Familia had once ruled with overwhelming force, and that history had left them with few friends.
Now, under the pressure and containment of several factions, they were hollowed out.
They hadn't recruited a single new member.
Worse—many existing members had transferred out.
Their core was gone.
Their mid-tier was gone.
Their apex?
Only Alfia remained.
In other words, the entire familia was being held together by one person.
The goddess had climbed out of grief… but after that old man vanished, she no longer had the will to fight.
She and Zeus had struggled against each other for countless years. They had both failed. Zeus disappeared.
As his counterpart—his wife—she no longer felt she had any reason to remain. Zeus
Hera Familia, as an institution, was already a husk.
Of course, if they announced Hera's recovery to the world, everything could change. Hera Familia might rise again.
But that revival would also bring back the same suffocating outcome:
Orario under absolute pressure.
A city like that doesn't produce true heroes.
Their failure proved their old model was wrong. Even gathered at their strongest, they couldn't defeat the Black Dragon. One-Eyed Black Dragon
If Orario was suppressed again, with so little time left… humanity would only sit and wait for the Dragon to break loose.
So they would gamble.
They would gamble on a near future.
Gamble on what humanity could become when facing darkness.
They would dissolve the familia.
Hera would go to Metriya.
And Alfia would answer the challenges from the two rising powers—not to crush them, but to impose pressure and fear, forcing growth.
To the outside world, it would be declared:
"Hera Familia was driven from Orario after losing to the two major familias."
And while that happened, Alfia would also fulfill the little one's request—seamlessly replacing the enemy's core influence.
Then, she would retreat behind the curtain.
Years later, with her old companions, she would engineer a "trial" for Orario—
a crucible designed to summon the brightest era.
That was the final "responsibility" of the one named Silence.
What followed would likely be chaos.
The question was whether the two rising star familias could truly take the mantle and finish what their predecessors failed to do.
Hera turned, eyes on the girl carrying her last will.
"So… you'll be Orario's final member of Hera Familia."
"What will you do?"
"Will you rule the city like we used to?"
"I'm looking forward to it."
Alfia's reply was immediate.
"I won't."
"I'll repay this city."
"And then… everything I am will belong to that little one."
"You could simply stay by his side," Hera sighed. "As the strongest, you could choose an easier life."
Alfia's eyes were cold and sharp.
"This is his city."
"That means he will have people he cares about."
Noise will come. Hands will reach in. Fools will try to stain what he values.
"So I will erase them."
Then her expression sharpened into something fierce, almost arrogant.
"And there's another reason."
"The man I, Alfia, chose… cannot be anything less than the strongest."
"If he wants to have me, he must defeat my complete self."
"That is my trial."
"Only then will he be worthy of holding me in his arms."
Hera laughed softly, amused.
"Good."
"A queen whose heart has been stolen… has her own charm."
Alfia's eyes narrowed.
"…Old woman, you—"
That evening, Astrea Familia held a full meeting about Xien's proposed expedition. Astrea Familia
After the situation was explained, the vote was unanimous.
Not just because Xien had solved their biggest rear-guard concern—
but because everyone had been trained so brutally that they were practically boiling inside.
Evilus had been quiet lately. Their frustration had nowhere to go.
Now they were being handed a reason.
Of course they wouldn't refuse.
Once the decision passed, the real work began.
An expedition wasn't a casual outing.
It required complicated preparation:
status updates
equipment repairs and upgrades
guild coordination
official permissions
external support requests
And Xien received a task from the captain.
So the next day—
With a staff member guiding them, Xien and Ryuu were brought to the captain's office.
Inside sat a woman with a bold presence and the aura of a master smith—Captain Tsubaki. Hephaestus Tsubaki Collbrande Ryuu Lion
"Long time no see, Big Sis Tsubaki."
"Mm. Little Xien—and Gale. Rare guests. Welcome, welcome."
"Sit wherever."
"Here to refurbish gear again? Perfect timing—I just finished an experiment…"
She was in her usual environment: the forge was brutally hot, and she normally wore minimal heat-resistant clothing inside.
Fresh out of the workshop, her shirt clung to her body—provocative in a way that would've drawn attention under different circumstances.
But the moment you saw her bright, straightforward grin, the room's energy shifted back to business.
Xien scratched his head.
"That's part of it… but there's a more important purpose."
"Oh?" Tsubaki raised an eyebrow. "Let's hear it."
Ryuu glanced at Xien, then spoke clearly.
"We're here to invite you to participate in Astrea Familia's expedition."
"…Hah." Tsubaki processed it, then laughed once—more surprise than mockery.
"Now that's a sentence I never expected to hear from your mouths."
"An expedition," Xien said, calm and confident. "It's a rare chance. We can't let it pass."
"Fine." Tsubaki leaned back. "Then I'll ask directly—how deep are you planning to go?"
"If possible," Xien said, eyes steady, "I want to see the Deep Floors."
Tsubaki whistled softly.
"Big ambition."
"But you only have two Level 4 combatants."
"You think you can push that far?"
The Deep Floors weren't a joke.
To adventurers, they had another name:
Hell.
A single mistake could mean death on the spot.
Xien pointed at himself with easy confidence.
"Isn't that what I'm here for?"
Tsubaki's gaze sharpened, interest sparking.
"…You."
"So your healing has more effects than we thought?"
"And that earlier city-wide phenomenon… it really did mean you evolved."
Xien nodded.
"It can remove all negative status effects."
"It can perform rapid group healing."
"Even severe injuries—I can handle them."
Tsubaki slowly nodded, thinking it through.
"That's… extraordinary."
"In the dungeon, that kind of support changes everything."
Then Xien pushed harder, turning the invitation into a temptation.
"Big Sis Tsubaki—don't you want to see the Deep Floors' scenery and materials with your own eyes?"
"That would be a major boost to your forging path."
He could feel it.
She was wavering.
Tsubaki lifted a drink from the table, took a slow sip, and stared at him for a moment.
Then—
"Alright," she said at last, setting the cup down with a thud.
"You convinced me."
"Now—do I discuss the details with your captain… or…"
....
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