Isis's first adventure ended on the sixth floor, and he knew perfectly well that he had already reached his limit.
The return trip was much easier than the initial descent. They only had to follow the guide routes marked out in the adventurer's handbook—safe routes, all of them.
It was the same handbook Eina had given him earlier. Unlike an ordinary safety manual, this one even marked out the areas where specific types of monsters appeared most frequently.
All he could say was that calling her "Big Sister Eina" had definitely not been a waste. If he truly mastered this handbook, he would probably know the upper floors like the back of his hand.
Along the way, Isis and Alicia ran into quite a few adventurers returning to the upper floors just like they were.
Most of them had bulging packs on their backs and smiles on their faces. Judging from that, today's haul had likely been a good one.
But clearly, those were the minority.
There were far more adventurers trudging along with sighs of frustration, their faces dark with disappointment. Some even wore expressions heavy with grief.
Either they had failed to make any money—
or one of their companions had been left behind forever in the Dungeon.
Things like that happened almost every day. After all, in the Dungeon, gain and risk were always proportional.
Isis did not pay them too much attention. He understood that in a place like the Dungeon, unless it was your Familia or a truly close companion, minding your own business was the best choice.
Once they returned to the entrance floor hall, Alicia led Isis to the Guild's magic stone exchange window to convert his haul into valis.
Although Isis had only explored down to the sixth floor today, he had run into plenty of monsters along the way, which meant plenty of magic stones had dropped as well.
Just like that, two bags glittering with sacred gold coins fell into his hands.
Isis treasured this first pot of money immensely.
And it would be very useful to him too.
At the same time, those two bags of gleaming coins also drew a number of looks—many of them distinctly ill-intentioned.
There was envy, yes.
But also jealousy and greed.
That was the "human nature" of the Dungeon. Even once people made it back to the surface, it was still the same.
"Damn… that little elf brat sure got lucky. That much valis… should we maybe—"
Just as one adventurer whispered to his companion and began scheming, the companion smacked him on the head hard enough to knock sense back into him.
"If you want to die, don't drag me with you. Look carefully at who's standing next to that kid. You think that's someone we can afford to provoke?"
"The Pure Garden of the Loki Familia? Shit—let's go!"
The adventurer who had made the "suggestion" turned pale the instant he noticed Alicia beside Isis and fled at once, terrified of drawing trouble.
Though these adventurers were hardly decent people—more like outright scum, really—their evil only went so far. They were the type who bullied the weak and feared the strong.
But they knew perfectly well who could be provoked and who absolutely could not.
To set your sights on someone from the Loki Familia was basically asking to die.
And beside Isis stood Alicia, the Pure Garden, an elf who had survived the dark days of the Great Feud. Her name alone was enough to make petty scum like that retreat.
Naturally, Isis and Alicia had both noticed the pair, but neither of them paid it any mind. No one stupid enough to attack a member of the Loki Familia would survive long.
"Senior Alicia, this half is yours."
Isis held out one of the bags of valis to Alicia.
That gesture made her frown slightly. She shook her head.
"Isis, these are your spoils."
"But without your guidance, Senior Alicia, I couldn't have done any of this today. So please, you have to take it."
Isis shook his head in turn, insisting.
Alicia was a Level 4 high-class adventurer, and yet just before the Familia's upcoming expedition, she had still taken the time to bring him into the Dungeon.
Yes, Lady Riveria and Lady Loki had instructed her to do so—but that did not mean Isis could act like a child who did not know better.
More importantly, without Alicia there, he would never have been able to fight so freely today.
You could call it… well…
"protection money."
"This is the very first valis you earned yourself. Keep it."
Alicia shook her head again and gently pushed his hand back.
Emotionally and logically alike, there was no way she could accept money from him.
Besides, she did not need such a small amount.
This child needed it far more than she did.
Alicia pushed his hand back and said no more.
Isis looked down at the returned bag of valis and fell silent for a moment.
He knew she was not being polite.
She truly did not want it.
That made things even more difficult for him.
He wanted to thank her, but she had blocked off every proper way of doing so.
He lowered his gaze to the two money bags in his hands, then looked at the street ahead.
Suddenly, something came to mind.
"Then…"
He looked up, his tone carrying the tentative feeling of someone who had just come up with an idea he personally thought was pretty good, but was not entirely sure the other person would agree to.
"Senior Alicia, you haven't eaten yet, right? Let me treat you to a meal. Just one meal. You can't possibly refuse to let me buy you food too, can you?"
No matter what, he still wanted to thank Alicia properly.
Otherwise, it simply would not sit right with him.
Alicia's eyes tightened slightly. Her first instinct was to refuse.
She helped newcomers without expecting repayment.
Not to mention that this was a new member of her own Familia—Lady Riveria's nephew, and even someone with the added status of elven royalty.
But at that moment, their eyes met, and the words of refusal caught in her throat.
In Isis's clear, bright eyes, she saw only sincerity.
There was no ulterior motive, no calculation—just a simple wish to express his gratitude.
And somehow, she felt that if she refused here, this child would end up overthinking it.
"Alright."
Alicia gave a light nod.
"Then let's go eat something good!"
"The Hostess of Fertility, maybe? I heard from Lady Loki that the food there is delicious."
Once Alicia agreed, Isis broke into a smile and immediately asked about their destination.
He had happened to hear Loki mention the place while chatting with her before. He had not expected it to come in handy today.
"Anywhere is fine with me."
"Great. Then let's go there."
Isis took the lead, already happily wondering which signature dishes he ought to try.
Alicia watched the boy's back as he walked ahead, and a stray thought quietly rose in her heart.
This seemed to be the first time she had ever gone out alone with a member of the opposite sex for a meal.
Did that count as… a date?
No—Alicia!
How could you think something like that? That's Lady Riveria's nephew, and he's only twelve…
At that moment, a faintly unusual expression appeared on Alicia's cool, composed face, though no one could know the turmoil stirring inside her.
But if the goddess Freya had happened to be there, she probably would have smiled in amusement.
After all, she had already seen the soul of this so-called "disciplinary committee member" long ago.
Despite bearing the title Pure Garden, her soul was unexpectedly… not so pure after all.
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