Inside Loki's room, she pricked her fingertip with a needle and began inscribing on Bete's back.
"Mm-hmm. Looks like you've earned your chance to Level Up. Counting you, that makes four Level 5s in our Familia."
Loki smiled happily as she looked over Bete's updated Status.
"Next should be Raul, right?"
She mused aloud, guessing who might be the next to reach Level 5.
At the moment, the Adventurer closest to that milestone was Raul Nord, the vice-captain of the second squad.
"That guy? Not likely anytime soon."
Bete didn't think Raul would be the next to advance.
"Then who do you think it'll be?"
"The next ones… are probably Alicia and Aki."
"Eh~?"
Loki tilted her head, clearly surprised. She hadn't expected Bete to favor Alicia and Aki over Raul.
Curiosity and gossip lighting her face, she asked, "And why do you think it's them? Is there a story behind this?"
Bete's mouth twitched. Against this gossip-loving goddess, he really had no defense.
"I think those two are the next to reach Level 5 simply because they've been putting in the effort."
"Raul's mind's been somewhere else lately—on some woman outside the Familia. He hardly ever goes to the Training Space or Challenge Space anymore."
"With that attitude, unless he sorts himself out, he'll never even think about advancing."
Having spent nearly all his time this past month in the Training and Challenge Spaces, Bete often saw Alicia and Aki there.
Those two had been pushing themselves hard—relentlessly so. Clearly, it was all for the sake of preparing to Level Up.
They were working so hard that even Bete had considered talking to Tsuna, to at least give them a real chance to move forward.
As for Raul… forget it.
In the past month, Bete had practically lived in those spaces, yet he'd only seen Raul come in three times.
And not even to the Challenge Space—just the Training Space, and only three visits at that.
The Training Space was effective for honing one's Status, sure, but three sessions of less than half a day each? Even the best facility couldn't work miracles with that kind of dedication.
"Ah, that really is…"
Loki scratched her head, a little troubled.
"At first, I just wanted Raul to help spread word about Tsuna. Who'd have thought he'd get so carried away?"
"I bet that elf wife of his is thrilled—she's got herself a real family man now."
Bete let out a few cold laughs.
"That idiot's obsession isn't doing her any favors. He's just wasting his own chance."
"Our Familia has such an opportunity right now, and instead of grabbing it, that fool's drowning himself in women. Even Tsuna—who's surrounded by two Amazon women—hasn't lost himself. He's still training hard. And Raul dares to act like this?"
To Bete, it was just a matter of which head was doing the thinking.
Tsuna had gotten involved with two Amazons too, both of them Level 5 members of their Familia.
And yet—
Had Tsuna lost himself in pleasure?
Not at all.
He kept training day after day, even helping Bete with his own.
But Raul? He was wallowing in women like a complete fool.
Loki sighed. She'd always known Raul wasn't exactly steadfast.
"Whether he keeps wallowing or not, that's his choice. But since I was the one who first told him to make contact, I can't deny I share some responsibility."
"You don't need to cover for him. Even if you hadn't asked, Raul would still be running off to the Pleasure Quarter every day—hell, he even embezzled funds to pay for his women. His downfall was obvious from the start. It's got nothing to do with you."
Bete knew full well that Loki had asked Raul to act as a messenger.
But that was only because Raul already had experience doing that sort of thing—he was the most suitable choice.
Sure, Loki bore some responsibility, but she hadn't told Raul to spend every day rolling in bedsheets. Being a messenger didn't require constant trips.
If he kept running off like that, it was only because he'd let himself get addicted to it.
"If that guy wants to ruin himself, let him. When Alicia and Aki seize their chances and climb higher, maybe he'll finally feel a bit of panic."
Loki thought it over and decided not to interfere in Raul's mess for now.
Just as Bete said, there were some lessons a man had to learn on his own. Otherwise, no amount of outside help would make a difference.
"Then tonight, we'll celebrate your achievement—your Level 5."
Bete didn't refuse.
He knew the news of his promotion would spread regardless. It would help divert attention toward Tsuna, which was exactly what they needed.
He was fine with that.
"By the way, where's Tsuna?"
"He's in his room, I think. Why? You need something from him?"
"Yeah. I want to talk to him about Alicia and Aki. They've been working hard lately—really hard. I think they deserve a shot more than Raul does."
Loki's lips curved into a sly smile.
"Is that really all? You're sure this isn't about giving Raul a little kick in the ass?"
"Shut up! It's just about those two women! I've got nothing but contempt for anyone who throws themselves away like Raul."
Bete snapped back sharply, snatched up his clothes, and stormed out of Loki's room—punctuating his words with a loud slam of the door.
"That guy… never honest, is he?"
Loki chuckled and shook her head. That wolf's personality could really rub people the wrong way sometimes.