Hearing Leon's complaint, Rose and the others exchanged glances.
"You know, if you hadn't brought it up, I don't think any of us would've noticed... but now that I think about it, it really has been ages since we've seen a Drop Treasure Chest. Don't tell me... it's because you cleaned out that Evilus transit warehouse and hit the jackpot, and now the rest of us are paying for it with our luck?"
"Mm-hm! Mm-hm!"
He felt like a giant pot of blame had just been dropped on his head, and... he genuinely couldn't argue with Rose's theory.
What could he say? He really had scored big.
And it was precisely because of that windfall that he'd been able to pour all his energy into grinding Excelia instead of splitting his attention worrying about funds.
Unable to muster a comeback, Leon just shrugged, spread his hands, and sighed.
"Well, you can't have your cake and eat it too, right?"
Seeing his helpless expression, everyone laughed.
Just then, Finn and Riveria walked over.
"What are you all chatting about? It looks like... Mr. Leon is in low spirits?"
Compared to everyone else, who all bore at least some signs of combat, and even Riveria, whose surging magic power hadn't fully settled yet, Finn looked completely at ease.
That detail alone said everything about how comfortable Loki Familia was handling waves of monster swarms at this scale. Not just comfortable, actually. They'd clearly been holding back a significant portion of their strength.
At the very least, aside from Riveria and her core squad of elven mages, none of the other executives had even needed to step in.
"Nothing much. Just talking about how our luck's been pretty lousy lately. On that front... we're in the same boat as you guys in Loki Familia."
Finn chuckled at Leon's joke.
"Luck, huh. That's always a gamble. But staying in a slump forever isn't how it works. The world balances out. I think... our luck's about to turn around."
"Then... here's hoping your Expedition goes well. Best of luck out there!"
Finn nodded and reached out to shake Leon's hand.
"Same to you. Let's say our goodbyes here. Good luck breaking new ground down there!"
With that, he produced a small booklet and handed it to Jeanne, who stood beside Leon.
"This is a detailed compilation of information and maps we've put together on Water City. It covers the environment, monsters, materials, Drop Items, and some particularly dangerous hazards to watch out for. Consider it part of our payment for the deal."
The moment everyone laid eyes on it, their faces lit up.
This little booklet was not to be underestimated.
Any seasoned Adventurer knew that the intelligence recorded in something like this was as valuable to a Familia as having an additional high-level Adventurer among their ranks. Maybe even more so.
This was the sum of years of exploration, trial, and error accumulated by Loki Familia. You couldn't just throw money at someone and get your hands on something like this.
Behind that unassuming little notebook lay untold hours, sweat, blood, and lives.
Leon's eyes widened slightly, surprise plain on his face as he looked between Finn and Riveria.
"You're sure... you want to hand this over as payment? This should be one of a Familia's most closely guarded secrets."
Finn and Riveria exchanged a glance and smiled.
"If this were ten-plus years ago, this intel really would have been critical. But now..."
Leon understood immediately.
With Loki Familia's current strength, this information no longer needed to be kept under lock and key. On top of that, they were far from the only Familia capable of exploring Water City these days. The value of this kind of intel had dropped, and making it semi-public wasn't going to hurt anyone.
Especially since...
"Both Riveria and I see a lot of potential in your group. That's one of the reasons we're willing to share this with you."
Jeanne, Rose, Kureha, and Persephone glanced at each other, the same look of realization dawning in their eyes.
They see potential in us... so this is an early investment?
Finn continued.
"If you didn't have the strength to back it up, giving you something like this would only get you killed. I think you understand what I mean."
Everyone nodded in agreement, understanding exactly what Finn was getting at.
Just as the Guild never publicly disclosed certain individuals' leveling processes and always kept a lid on key information, some intel only brought danger if it spread too widely.
For example, if someone had achieved their Great Feat by soloing a monster a full level above them, and that got out, it would inevitably inspire Adventurers who lacked the ability to recklessly try the same thing. The result would be nothing short of suicide.
Ordinary Adventurers were meant to build toward their Great Feat through steady teamwork. Slower, sure, but safe.
Those extreme edge cases weren't meant for the general population. That was precisely why the Guild and the major Familias actively controlled information flow: to keep people from throwing their lives away for nothing.
And now, the fact that Finn was handing this booklet to Leon's group was itself a statement. Loki Familia acknowledged their strength.
"Getting this kind of recognition from Loki Familia... I'm not sure how to feel about that, honestly."
Riveria studied Leon for a long moment. His tone carried a hint of wryness, but his eyes were perfectly calm.
She spoke evenly. "Too much humility just becomes arrogance, Mr. Leon."
"..."
Finn gave Leon one last nod.
"Then this is goodbye."
"Yeah!"
After watching the main body of Loki Familia's forces slowly disappear into the Floor 25 corridor, Leon turned to face his companions.
"Let's rest here and get our stamina and focus back to peak condition. Might as well use the time to go through the booklet Finn gave us."
"Agreed."
Everyone nodded. Leon's suggestion passed unanimously.
...
"Blood Coral. A rare Dungeon material. Can't be used for crafting equipment, but as a luxury item, it's highly sought after by nobles and wealthy merchants from other countries. Depending on the quality harvested, market price runs anywhere from three million to ten million valis."
After reading through the various materials found in Water City, Leon let out a low whistle.
"Holy shit, a luxury item with zero practical use, and it costs as much as second-class adventurer equipment? What kind of Orario pricing is that?"
Kureha, born and raised as a noblewoman of high standing, found Leon's reaction rather amusing.
"Leon, the way you think is fundamentally different from how nobles and big-time merchants operate. For people of their status, buying things was never about price. They only care about what's beautiful, what they can show off, and what makes them look good. Practicality, cost-effectiveness... those aren't even in their vocabulary."
Leon: "..."
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