A Minotaur with the strength of a Level 2 adventurer was effortlessly dealt with by the group in front of her.
Seeing this, Ais halted her own advance, blinking as she wondered what to do now.
Should she turn back and regroup with the others, or wait here for them to come to her?
Just as Ais was pondering this, Lili and Bell noticed Ais standing there.
"Lady Ais? Is that you, Lady Ais?!" Upon seeing her, Lili immediately called out.
Hearing Lili call her name, Ais thought for a moment before walking over to their group.
Minotaurs were Level 2 monsters, tough and thick-skinned—normally no match for a Level 1 adventurer. But Bell and Lili's party was different. With Daphne and Cassandra, both Level 2 adventurers, by their side, the Minotaur hadn't stood a chance.
So, while it was surprising to see a Minotaur on this floor, for Daphne and Cassandra, dealing with it had been simple.
Lili's exclamation also caught Daphne and Cassandra by surprise.
"Ais? That Ais? The Sword Princess of Loki Familia?" Daphne asked Cassandra in astonishment as she watched Ais approach Lili.
"Must be. The advance team from Loki Familia's expedition has already returned. If they didn't push further down, the main force should be back around this time," Cassandra explained.
"I see," Daphne nodded, then a thought struck her. "If the main force is back, then Lady Alice should have returned too, right? But why is the Sword Princess alone?"
Daphne looked curiously at Ais.
"Who knows..." Cassandra wasn't sure either.
The same question had crossed Lili's mind the moment she saw Ais. So when Ais started walking toward them, Lili quickly ran to meet her.
Reaching Ais, Lili immediately asked, "Lady Ais, has Lady Alice returned as well? Where is she now? Did anything happen to Lady Alice during the expedition?" Lili's voice was full of concern.
Loki Familia's goal was the unexplored depths.
Alice was strong, but Lili didn't know the extent of her strength. Seeing Ais alone now, she couldn't help but worry.
"Alice is fine. She's with the others just behind me. They'll be here soon." Ais's voice was soft, almost as if she were comforting Lili.
And in truth, she was.
Hearing this, Lili let out a relieved sigh. "Lady Ais, did you rush ahead because of that Minotaur just now?"
Remembering the out-of-place bull-man, she posed the question.
"Yes. An irregularity on the 16th floor—a large number of Minotaurs appeared. That one was a straggler. I'm agile, so I pursued it," Ais explained simply.
"I see." Lili nodded. Irregular phenomena in the Dungeon were common, so it wasn't that strange.
"Now that the Minotaur is dealt with, do you plan to wait here for your companions, or head back to find them?" Lili asked.
Ais furrowed her brow. She'd been pondering that very question, and Lili bringing it up again made her hesitate.
But the next moment, her expression cleared.
Because Tiona's voice rang out.
"Ais!!! Where are you!!! We're coming up~ Don't get lost now!" As if treating Ais like a lost child, Tiona's voice echoed through the labyrinth.
"Miss Tiona, is there really a need to shout like that? It's kind of embarrassing," Raul's voice followed.
It seemed they were very close now.
"Alice, are you sure Ais's magical energy is coming from this direction?" Riveria's voice inquired.
"Yes, it's this way. But this feeling..." Besides Ais's signature, Alice also sensed other familiar magical presences.
Hearing Alice's voice, Lili's eyes lit up.
"Lady Alice!!" Overjoyed, Lili sprinted toward the direction of the voice.
Then, as Lili rounded a corner, Alice's surprised voice rang out.
"Lili! What are you doing here?"
After making a swift escape from the [Monster Party] on the 16th floor, Alice had led the group upward, following the trail of Ais's residual magical energy from her spell.
Just as Alice felt they were getting closer to Ais, a familiar figure suddenly appeared from around a bend and rushed toward her.
Along with Alice, everyone else instinctively tensed, ready to counter an ambush.
But upon hearing Lili cry out "Lady Alice!", they all relaxed.
In the next moment, Lili threw herself right into Alice's arms.
As a Pallum, Lili was already an adult, and even among her race, she had a good figure. But compared to Alice, she seemed almost childlike.
"Lili! What are you doing here?" Alice caught Lili in a hug, her voice curious.
Lili was now clinging to Alice like a little koala.
"Lili came adventuring with everyone from her familia today. We just ran into Lady Ais," Lili explained, still holding on.
"I see. So you're doing well with Lady Hestia, then," Alice said gently, stroking Lili's head.
In this world, Lili could truly be considered the first person Alice had grown close to.
Before Lili, Lefiya and Tiona were friendly, but there had always been a certain distance back then.
Now, Lili was definitely someone Alice cared about deeply.
Hearing Alice's concerned words, Lili replied, "Yes, Lady Hestia is very good to me. Lili is actually in charge of the Hestia Familia's finances now."
"Is that so? I'm glad to hear it." Alice smiled warmly. "For now, though, could you let go? Everyone's watching, you know."
Alice laughed softly.
Only then did Lili notice the members of Loki Familia surrounding them, all wearing knowing smiles.
She immediately blushed with embarrassment.
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