Leaving the Dungeon.
By the time Ron returned to Orario, it was already close to evening. That was only because he had moved at full speed and ignored the monsters along the way.
Scouting ahead in advance had definitely paid off.
At the very least, he now had a clear grasp of the strength level of those "Giant Dogs", so that when the Familia expedition began, they wouldn't be caught off guard by those troublesome monsters.
Deeper inside, there was a high probability it would be that Minotaur he had encountered today.
"The expedition issue…"
"It shouldn't be too big a problem. If necessary, we can always adjust the strategy."
Ron didn't rush back to the Familia residence. The high-intensity physical exertion from going in and out of the Dungeon inevitably brought with it a deep hunger.
So he came to a restaurant once again.
The Hostess of Fertility.
It was peak hours. The familiar staff were all busy, and he had no intention of disturbing them, simply finding an empty seat at the bar.
Meanwhile, Mia—the sturdy dwarf wearing a women's suit and busy preparing drinks—noticed this promising rookie adventurer she had once taken a liking to.
After finishing what she was doing,
she picked up a glass again, poured Ron a sparkling orange juice, and set it in front of him.
"Mm."
"Just you today?"
Under the light, bubbles rolled endlessly in the orange-colored drink, carrying the distinct citrus aroma that drifted into the nose.
Facing Mia's question, Ron looked up, smiled casually, and nodded.
"Yeah, had something to take care of this afternoon, so I went into the Dungeon alone. Might as well handle dinner while I'm at it."
"I see…"
As a restaurant bar, one of the most information-rich places in Orario—and through the gossip channels of Syr—Mia naturally knew some inside news.
The guy in front of her—looked like a rookie, but in reality, he had already advanced to a Level 3 adventurer.
During the War Game that had ended not long ago, just breaking Ais's record and becoming the fastest adventurer in the world to level up had already been shocking enough.
But Mia hadn't expected… that Ron would undergo another level-up in such a short time. Even in the Freya Familia, such talent had never been seen before.
"So, what are you having tonight?"
Mia wiped a ceramic plate. "Grilled meat set, noodles—whatever you like. You're an adventurer, after all. Eat more, you'll have more energy to explore the Dungeon!"
"Then I'll go with your recommendation, Aunt Mia."
As for the Familia expedition, Ron had no intention of dragging Ryuu—who had already left the adventurer life—into it. Besides, it hadn't reached the point of being an unsolvable problem yet.
This was just about solving dinner.
And with his growing strength as an adventurer, his appetite had increased sharply as well. Sitting at the bar, waiting for the food to be prepared—the restaurant's gate door was pulled open.
The somewhat noisy atmosphere inside seemed to freeze for a brief moment due to the arrival of this group of customers.
Then, he heard that familiar voice calling out.
"Mia!"
"Same as usual—victory banquet after our Familia expedition. We'll leave it to you!" Loki greeted with a squint, hands in her pockets.
And following behind her, were several very familiar adventurer faces—the core members of the Loki Familia: Finn, Riveria, Lefiya, and others.
"What do you all want to eat?"
"Order whatever you like! Drinks too—it's all on Finn!" Loki turned around, not noticing Ron sitting at the bar.
Having already spent all her allowance, she only wanted to take advantage of the banquet to satisfy her craving for alcohol.
But Loki didn't hear Finn's usual rebuttal.
Not even the excuse she had prepared in advance came into play—she only saw the complicated look in the blond boy's eyes.
"What's wrong?"
"…"
No answer came.
She could only follow Finn's gaze—and when she saw the adventurer's face she would never forget, her narrowed eyes suddenly widened.
Ron.
The joy Loki had for the banquet instantly collapsed the moment she saw him.
Good news:
Hestia wasn't here!
She didn't actually harbor much malice toward Ron—in fact, "appreciation" would be a more accurate word. But whenever she saw him—it was hard not to remember that thirty-million Valis bet.
Loki knew Finn and Riveria well. Meeting Ron here, they would definitely want to make contact. As for the other members… she found it hard to evaluate.
Even Bete—who was usually arrogant and disdainful toward ordinary adventurers—was showing rare curiosity toward Ron.
Was this guy some kind of succubus?
Of course, Loki wouldn't say something like that out loud. She frowned and urged, "What are you all standing there for? Find your seats and wait for the banquet."
"…"
With her golden-blonde hair tied into a high ponytail, Lefiya really wanted to greet him—but with all her Familia seniors present, she could only suppress the urge.
However, the seat she chose happened to be positioned so she could look directly at Ron.
Meanwhile, Finn and Riveria exchanged glances.
They both understood clearly that contacting Ron at this stage would not yield the answers they wanted.
And a crowded restaurant like this was definitely not the place for such discussions.
In the end, the youthful-looking blond boy spoke cheerfully to Mia, "Owner, put Ron's meal on today's banquet tab as well."
"Mm…"
"Take it as thanks for helping resolve the trouble today!"
"…"
Running into the Loki Familia at the Hostess of Fertility—Ron wasn't surprised. It was practically their fixed venue for celebrating after expeditions.
Meeting the blond boy's gaze head-on, he could feel the goodwill that Finn—the one known as the "Brave"—was deliberately expressing.
There was no way he'd reject goodwill so bluntly.
Raising the glass of juice in front of him, he smiled and gestured with it.
"Thanks."
"No need to be polite."
Regardless of whether Ron could improve the Loki Familia's future development, from the standpoint of an adventurer alone, the fact that he had resolutely faced that ancient dragon Lansseax was enough for Finn to take him seriously.
He hadn't expected—to win him over with just one meal.
But at the very least, goodwill had to be shown first, so there could be room for negotiation and cooperation later.
Besides, if they wanted to explore deeper together, they still needed to give Ron time to grow!
However, Ron's presence also meant that the atmosphere of the banquet wasn't as lively as usual.
Finn could see the strong curiosity in everyone's eyes.
After all… they had all personally witnessed that miracle of Ron's "revival from near death."
Just as he was thinking about how to shift the topic quickly, Ais—who had been walking at the very back of the group—finally arrived at the Hostess of Fertility.
The moment the girl noticed Ron—that expressionless, distant, beautiful face of hers lit up with a radiance never seen before when she recognized him.
"…"
"Ron."
"Does this count as… meeting again?"
Loki: ???
Since when did you two know each other too?!
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