"We are approaching the surface." Finn's grip tightened on his spear. "This might get hectic."
Damien walked beside him, calm, almost relaxed. "Indeed."
"Aren't you a bit... relaxed?" Finn asked, his eyes scanning the tunnel ahead.
Riveria moved to Damien's other side, her jade eyes steady. "We are with you, Damien. No matter what happens."
Damien smiled. "I think you guys should relax a bit. Nothing is going to happen."
Gareth hefted his axe, his massive frame blocking the light behind them. "You never know, kid. Those bastards at the top hate being challenged. It would not surprise me if every Guild guard is out there waiting to ambush us."
Damien looked at each of them....Finn, Riveria, Gareth, Tiona, Tione, Ais, Ryuu. All of them tense, ready, waiting for a fight that might never come.
"Well, whatever awaits," he said, "we will face it together, eh?"
They nodded. Firm. United.
The expedition moved toward the entrance.
....
The light grew brighter with every step.
Two months. Two months in the depths, fighting monsters, losing friends, facing a Great Quest that should have killed them all. And now, finally, the surface.
Finn led the expedition forward. Damien walked at his side. Gareth and Riveria flanked them. Behind them, the surviving adventurers followed in formation, weapons ready, eyes sharp.
They expected an ambush. A trap. A line of Guild guards ready to arrest Damien for killing Hedin.
They expected anything.
They did not expect this.
The sunlight hit their faces, warm and golden. The sounds of Orario filled their ears....not the clashing of swords or the shouting of orders, but cheering. Hundreds of voices. Thousands.
The expedition stepped out of the dungeon.
And the city erupted.
"WOOOHOOO! WELCOME BACK, HEROES!"
People lined the streets, holding signs, waving banners, throwing flowers. Children sat on their parents' shoulders, pointing at the returning adventurers. Families rushed forward, searching for loved ones. Friends embraced friends. Lovers kissed.
Finn stopped. His spear lowered.
"Well," he said, blinking. "That is unexpected."
Damien grinned. "Told you. You worry too much."
The Guild had announced everything.
While the expedition climbed the final floors, Fels had spread the word. The Corrupted Spirit.....now officially designated as the Fourth Great Quest...had been defeated. The joint alliance of Loki Familia, Hestia Familia, Freya Familia, Dian Cecht Familia, the School District, and independent adventurers had succeeded.
A feat not seen since the days of Zeus and Hera.
Orario was celebrating.
Damien scanned the crowd, searching for familiar faces. Then a small, twin tailed, white-clothed comet struck him in the chest.
Hestia.
Her arms wrapped around him, her face buried in his chest, her small body trembling with tears. She had been waiting since the day he left, counting the hours, praying to every god who would listen.
Damien held her gently. Warmly.
"I missed you, my Goddess."
Hestia rubbed her crying face against his chest. "I missed you too, Damien!"
He looked down at her, at the small goddess who had believed in him when no one else did, and his smile softened.
Around them, the expedition dissolved into reunions. Tiona and Tione found their friends. Riveria was embraced by members of her Familia. Ais stood quietly, watching, until a hand touched her shoulder....Loki, grinning, tears in her eyes.
Even Gareth, the old dwarf, found himself pulled into a bear hug by a woman who looked exactly like him.
Sixty-four adventurers had returned.
Twelve had not.
The families of the lost mourned in silence, their grief a quiet counterpoint to the celebration. But even they knew....before this expedition, half an expedition might not have made it back. Twelve casualties was a miracle.
The Guild had organized a festival. Orario was happy.
For one day, at least, the darkness was forgotten.
Damien stood at the edge of the celebration, watching his friends laugh, cry, embrace. Hestia clung to his arm, refusing to let go. The girls from the Hostess of Fertility surrounded him, teasing, flirting, laughing.
....
As the night approached and the sunset settled upon them, Finn was asked to deliver a speech. He stood at the podium, hundreds of people looking at him, excited to hear his words. He took a deep breath. Then he spoke.
"This expedition... it was important to me. A few years ago, we failed a big one. We let down many people, and we watched many of us die. We wanted to avenge them. To show the world that we will go beyond....to the places none had been, to uncover the secrets of the dungeon."
He paused, his blue eyes sweeping across the crowd.
"So we set out on this expedition. A joint effort by us of the Loki Familia and the members of the Hestia Familia. And I stand here proudly, declaring this expedition a success."
The crowd cheered. Finn raised his hand, and silence returned.
"I can stand here and thank everyone. The supporters who, even under-leveled, tried their best to keep up, being the beam of support for everyone else. The vanguards who faced monsters daily. The guards who, when we relaxed, guarded our camps with vigilance. The mages and healers who were beside us at all times, providing support and healing. Us, the elite team, who fought against the strongest enemies to ensure this expedition continued. The support elite team sent by the Guild when we faced an unexpected Great enemy....one we had no preparation for."
He paused again. His voice dropped, became quieter, more personal.
"But everyone I mentioned... all of them... are alive. Thanks to one man. One man who did all he could to ensure we returned safely. Faced challenges no one his age should face. Did things that dwarfed us all, just to ensure we kept going."
Finn pointed toward the center of the crowd.
"He was our everything down there. The one who defeated the Fourth Great Quest almost single-handedly. The true hero of this expedition."
The crowd turned. Eyes found Damien.
"Damien Ardent."
Damien lowered his head in appreciation.
Finn's voice carried across the square, clear and firm.
"Thank you, my friend. We could not have done it without you, Damien."
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