When Lumine stepped once more in front of the tent temporarily set up and used by Freya familia members… this time, gently lifting the flap, she finally didn't encounter any of those utterly unreasonable sudden attacks.
Inside, the golden-haired Hedin stood not far away, arms crossed, wearing an expression of indifference. His emotions were unreadable on his face, though his eyes betrayed slight impatience.
His right index finger tapped repeatedly against his left arm, a subtle display of inner tension.
Of course, this attitude wasn't directed at Lumine.
It was…
The center of the tent… uh, a figure whose very posture screamed show-off.
From Lumine's perspective, the figure in the black robe trembled slightly, as if building up something only he knew. At times, after a deep breath, he would nod to himself, silently preparing for whatever he had planned.
Suddenly…
"Whoaa~"
In a dramatic spin reminiscent of a commanding general on stage, the silver-haired dark elf spread his robe and turned to the golden-haired, golden-eyed girl who had just entered…
"Not bad. You are currently the most talented among non-leader members."
"Although I held back a bit just now to test your skill, you reacted quickly to take my first strike… hmm, promising."
"From now on, grip your blade tightly, and become the sword that clears all obstacles for the goddess."
Sigh~
Lumine couldn't help letting out a long breath. Seeing him stare at her with obvious anxiety, though poorly concealed, she could only adopt a tone of gentle exasperation:
"Hogni, greetings. Although today is my first proper meeting with both you and Hedin, I've long heard of your reputation."
"After all…"
"I've heard stories about you from the goddess herself."
The silver-haired dark elf's eyes widened.
"Oh-oh-oh~ What does Freya-sama think of me… cough cough."
"Huh? I'm eager to hear the goddess's opinion."
He had clearly lost his composure, failing to hide his excitement.
Even Hedin, who had been silent, subtly shifted his gaze toward Lumine, his pointed ears twitching slightly, clearly intrigued.
Seeing this…
"Freya-sama says Hogni is the most reliable in the familia, rarely causing trouble, so there's no need to worry much."
"Hmm."
The silver-haired elf seemed pleased. For a moment, without consciously pretending, he looked like a child receiving a gold star in kindergarten.
Yet…
"Hehehe~"
Lumine smirked inwardly before continuing, the classic "but" arrived:
"But Freya-sama also said your speech style is unusual. Sometimes, even basic communication can be exhausting. Simply put: extremely troublesome."
…Extremely troublesome?
…Troublesome?
…Annoying?
Perhaps imagining Freya lifting a glass in disgust, speaking that very word…
"Pfft~"
The Lv.6, first-tier adventurer almost blacked out, nearly collapsing. Critical hit!
Thankfully, he didn't fully enter a "soul-puke" state. But…
Under Hedin's twitching gaze, a small, unknown object appeared in the corner of the tent. The owner poked the dust with their left index finger, as if slowly merging with it.
Just then…
"Hedin-san."
The golden-haired elf snapped to attention, eyes fixed on Lumine's "tea-master-level" smile, feeling a heightened alertness, ready for any sudden attack.
Seriously… that step back, was it necessary?
Fortunately…
"Thank you for intervening just now, preventing unnecessary friction between me and Hogni."
The girl in the white dress bowed politely, but this was only surface courtesy.
After all…
"No unnecessary friction?"
Hedin glanced at the corner, noting the small heap… indeed, no friction, but poor Hogni seemed ready to give up entirely.
The aura of "born human, I apologize" was overwhelming…
Where did that come from?
At this moment, Hedin knew:
This girl, Lumine, must not be underestimated.
Right, in every sense…
Hedin straightened, adjusting his mindset, and spoke to the white-dress girl calmly:
"No need to thank me. Honestly, even without my intervention, you could have deflected Hogni's follow-up attack yourself."
"Although his current condition… uh, his body isn't great (mental state worse), yet a first-tier adventurer like you could trade blows with him. That's impressive."
"Very good."
His words were formal, but fair. Since Lumine hadn't attacked him indiscriminately, she didn't need to launch a "high-powered familia retaliation."
Accepting the praise politely, she immediately shifted to business:
"Thank you for your recognition. I'm honored. But regarding Hogni's condition… if I'm correct, a highly dangerous incident recently occurred here at the border defense."
"Otherwise…"
Her tone turned serious.
"…No first-tier Lv.6 adventurer would have lost an arm."
Indeed, Hogni was gravely injured.
Even the Dea Saint couldn't fully heal him. His right arm was severed at the elbow, with seemingly no chance of recovery.
Otherwise, with current adventurer medical tech, reattachment would have been possible. No need to delay.
This injury mirrored what Naaza Erisuis, the Miyal Hound, had suffered in the dungeon, exactly.
Regarding this…
"Hogni-san."
Lumine, aware of her capability to exploit her "Goddess's Sister" identity, decided to strategically tame these familia "problem children."
First, she approached Hogni, half-squatted, and smiled lightly under his "questioning life" expression:
"I'll first heal your arm. Then, please explain in full to Hedin and me the recent events here. After that, I will report everything to Freya-sama."
"That is the primary reason she sent me here."
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