To ensure his health, Finn specially asked Anakitty to go to the Dian Cecht Familia, spending a large sum to invite Miss Amid, the "Saint of the Battlefield," to personally examine Fron.
The final examination results were both unexpected and perfectly reasonable.
Those who truly knew the blond youth's real abilities had even more faith in his physical resilience than he did himself, an assessment built upon their own long experience.
As adventurers, their bodies were already extremely durable, simply put, they could take a beating, and a lot of it.
But Fron's exceptional stats, accumulated with each level-up and levelled up again and again, had long since reached an unimaginable level.
It might not show during battle, but once the fighting ended and the recovery period began, the difference became obvious to the healers.
With the instincts of a high-level adventurer, his experience also allowed him to subconsciously protect himself during combat. That's why, even after sustaining heavy injuries, Fron regained combat readiness in just two short days.
As for minor wounds and bruises, he handled those himself, using magic he'd managed to "borrow" from Amid for free.
As for the mental and physical fatigue, there was no real remedy; only time could heal that.
This time, fighting long and hard under harsh weather had once again proven just how formidable Fron's combat power was.
Able to handle things alone, lead others, and stand tall even under immense pressure....
....
Twilight Manor – Conference Hall.
The three executives, senior officers, and second-line members were all gathered. This was a full high-level meeting called by Finn after the battle.
Multiple factions had been involved in this incident, an unprecedented "abnormal event" had occurred, and the mastermind behind it all still hadn't been identified. From every perspective, this was something the Loki Familia couldn't afford to take lightly.
Having mostly recovered his strength and stamina, Fron made an appearance at the meeting, leaning leisurely in a corner, sipping tea from the latest insulated cup made by the Magic Stone Workshop.
Normally, even though he'd been promoted to an officer, he rarely got involved in internal affairs or meetings. Whatever Finn arranged, he simply followed.
Compared to administrative duties, he much preferred reading or tinkering with magical tools and trinkets, that was far more his style.
That was how most people saw Fron: if you couldn't find him anywhere else, you'd find him in the magic workshop, without fail.
"All right, since most people are here, let's get straight to the point."
As soon as Finn spoke, everyone straightened up and focused, at least, the second-line members like Raul, Cruz, Anakitty, Alicia did.
As for the senior officers, their postures were somewhat more relaxed, though still proper enough.
And the two problem children, Fron and Bete?
One sat in a corner dozing off, while the other was baring his teeth in irritation, as if someone owed him a drink.
Finn didn't bother commenting. Those two never listened anyway. Besides, what he was about to discuss, Bete wouldn't care, and Fron already knew.
"What I want to discuss is about the 'Xenos.' I believe during the closing stages of the operation, Riveria, Alicia,, and the rest of your elf magic team had direct contact with them. So, I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts. This is important, because we'll soon begin the final assault on the Knossos, and we must remain wary of the mastermind lurking in the shadows."
"After this battle, I think everyone has seen firsthand just how overwhelming their strength can be."
With that, Finn fell silent.
It was a sharp and delicate topic, given the very nature of the Loki Familia, especially its officers.
From Fron's perspective, every adventurer who came to Orario and managed to stand out from the rest carried some kind of obsession, regret, or lifelong wish.
Ninety-nine percent of them bore deep hatred toward monsters, whether their homes were destroyed, or loved ones slain by monster claws.
Even "blood-deep vengeance" was too light a phrase to describe the weight of that emotion.
The room fell silent. No one spoke.
Finally, Anakitty stepped forward. She looked at Finn and asked in a voice completely devoid of emotion:
"Among us, there are those whose comrades were killed by monsters. Some have lost family, or lovers. Captain, knowing all that, are you still saying you want to cooperate with them? Or should I understand it as, you trust them?"
Finn nodded slightly.
"Trust? Not quite. As for cooperation…"
He smiled faintly. As captain of the Loki Familia, every move he made was for the familia's benefit. If he even mentioned "cooperation," that alone proved the other party had value to him.
At that point, Fron spoke up to answer in Finn's place.
"Anakitty, you underestimate Finn too much. Do you really think the great Loki Familia would stoop to working with monsters, even if they're rational? No, what Finn means is that they have value to be used. On the surface, it's cooperation, but in truth, it's exploitation.
"For example, when exploring the Knossos, wouldn't we need some cannon fodder? We can't have other familias take the lead for us, our reputation won't allow it. Once our name is tainted, it's almost impossible to wash it clean again."
Fron said all this smoothly and openly, revealing Finn's cold strategic intentions without a hint of hesitation, leaving everyone momentarily stunned.
"Come on, could you at least leave me some face, Fron?" Finn said with a wry smile.
Fron just grinned, blew on his tea, and leaned back again, completely unbothered.
"Tch, what's the point? It's just an man-made dungeon and a bunch of leftover trash, we can handle it ourselves," Bete scoffed, crossing one leg over the other.
Most people seemed to agree with him. After all, the officers were all Level 6, and with Fron, who could even defeat stronger opponents, they were confident enough on their own.
Finn, Riveria, and Gareth exchanged glances, silently sharing their thoughts before Finn gave the final word.
"Since everyone's in agreement, we'll scrap Plan B. My original intent was to use their help to reduce our own losses, but since everyone's confident, it seems that was unnecessary."
"And even if we did use them, we'd still end up bearing the stain of it afterward, something Orario would never forgive."
"That's right," Gareth rumbled. "This matter could be small or huge, but if someone used it against us, it'd be a disaster. If word ever got out that the Loki Familia cooperated with monsters, we'd be nailed to the pillar of shame."
...
T/N: I'm not sure if the Xenos would co-operate after your familia hunted them down~