"Raul, Loki plans to have a proper talk with you about keeping Tsuna's situation under wraps. One heavy reminder: Loki isn't joking this time. If you mess it up, she really might play you to death."
Seeing Raul's pained expression, Finn offered a kind warning, then turned to the entire expedition party:
"Also, even if Loki doesn't finish you herself, if you leak anything about Tsuna at random, I imagine plenty of other people will want to finish you."
I… I think so too. Raul swept his eyes over the comrades sitting on the grass—every pair of eyes was gleaming green, like starving wolves on the steppe. If he showed even the tiniest opening, he was sure they'd tear him to pieces.
"That's enough on Raul. After this, Loki will have him 'leak' certain bits of intel. In short, if it comes out of Raul's mouth, that's the version we want out there."
"Captain, having Raul leak intel—so we hide the real details about the rookie and put out fakes?"
No one here was stupid. The moment Finn said Raul would leak information, they knew it was to mask the newcomer. But could Raul actually pull it off? Doubt flickered across several faces.
"But Raul freezes the moment he sees a pretty face. He's only ever gone to the Pleasure Street to drink and get flirted with the whole day after paying. With him in charge of leaks, won't he just blow it?"
…Thanks a lot, everybody! Raul's face went scarlet. So the whole familia knew his business—and now they'd gone and announced he was still a virgin. Anger surged up, but then he doubted himself too. The big sisters on Pleasure Street were way too alluring; could he keep his head?
"Pfft—Raul will definitely manage."
Tiona couldn't help laughing—just like when she'd first heard Loki say it. She eyed Raul with undisguised schadenfreude.
"If Raul can't manage it, Loki said she'll cut off half of his… male parts."
Silence fell for a heartbeat. Then every eye snapped to Raul—already a dead man walking—before the laughter exploded.
"Pff—hahahahaha!"
"That's brutal! Lady Loki is going all in! Coming down that hard on a still-pure Raul!"
"Pft! No wonder the captain sounded so sure—so that's the card. Looks like Raul will succeed for the sake of his 'happy future,' or else he won't have any happiness at all, hahaha!"
Men and women alike burst into loud laughter. Under that wave of laughter, Raul's face only turned grayer and grayer.
I… I'm doomed, aren't I? Raul grasped how dangerous his position was. Not a matter of life and death—just the happiness of the rest of his life. And after this expedition, Lady Loki would send him to leak Sawada Tsunayoshi's info. He felt numb all over.
"That's enough about Raul. Once this expedition ends, Loki will have a nice long chat with him. For now, let's talk about the 'abnormality' you've all noticed."
Finn's words snapped everyone to attention.
"As you've seen from the trail of corpses, the Dungeon is in an 'abnormal state.' It began around a week ago. At first, Floors 1 and 2 saw mass spawns—a kind of 'Monster Feria.'"
"It doesn't happen daily, but intermittently. Because the intervals are so wide, the Guild has treated it as normal fluctuation. There have been similar cases in the past; the Dungeon is inherently wave-like and uncontrollable. So the Guild hasn't paid it much mind."
"If it weren't for last year's 'postponement,' we could have used the same excuse again this year. But we already used it last year. That's why Riveria, Gareth, and I concluded we can't dodge this 'forced expedition.' By the same token, if we nail the root cause of this 'abnormality,' the Guild's negligence will be plain as day."
"Beyond holding the Guild to account—and demanding compensation for our 'substantial' losses—there's another reason: my personal one. I realized the path for the Pallum to rise won't come from my old, 'results-first' approach."
"Instead, we have to build hope for the Pallum. Broadcast that prayer, like the Astraea Familia once did. Draw the Pallum to walk this road with me—like the 'Fiana' of a thousand years ago."
Finn stated his ambition plainly.
In the past, he'd wanted to prove himself by conquering the Dungeon and thus become the Pallum's representative. But that path was wrong—he knew that now. Not by crowning himself the representative, but by creating confidence and letting the Pallum gather around him—like Fiana did long ago.
"So: this 'expedition' is temporarily halted. Our objective now is to find the root cause of the Dungeon's 'abnormality.' What do you all think?"
Finn finished and looked around. He wasn't a dictator—just Loki Familia's captain.
"No objections from me," Alicia cast the first vote.
"Even if part of this is for the captain's own reasons, pausing the 'expedition' is the most responsible choice. Pushing on in an 'abnormal' state would be irresponsible to ourselves. We've already seen abnormality in the upper and middle floors; if we keep going, more trouble will likely follow."
"I think—whether to expose the Guild's weakness and get compensated, for the captain's aim, or for our own safety—we should pause first. Find the root of the 'abnormality.' Only after we solve it can we make the Guild pay without any room to argue."
Compensation was the keyword Alicia emphasized—and everyone agreed.
Whether for compensation, safety, or the captain's ambition, this 'expedition' should be paused.
"Agreed!"
(End of Chapter)
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