At the Loki Familia's residence.
Reception hall.
After successfully bringing Ron here, Tiona didn't forget to introduce him: "Ron, this is our captain, Finn—you should know him already."
"We met in the Dungeon before."
"..."
The meeting setting was even more formal than Ron had expected.
Not only was Finn, the captain of the Loki Familia, present—Riveria was here as well. Facing the two of them at once, both standing at the very peak of Orario's strength.
Ron, however, didn't feel much of anything.
His tone was relaxed.
"Nice to see you again, Captain Finn, and Senior Riveria."
"..."
A perfectly normal courtesy.
Yet Finn couldn't feel happy at all. Looking at the composed young man who sat down on the single sofa without the slightest restraint, his expression was complicated.
At this point, they had already handed all the initiative over to the guy in front of them.
"This time, we called you here—"
"It's mainly about your… Familia expedition." Even though it was the other party who needed help, even offering that help had to be done on their own initiative.
The blond boy felt stifled.
He also knew—if other Familias found out, their attitude would likely be even more eager, wishing that everything could go exactly as Ron wanted.
"Regarding the abnormal situation in the Dungeon…"
"If I'm not mistaken, including the dragon we encountered today on the 12th Floor, and the Floor Boss that appeared on the 1st Floor some time ago—the root cause…"
"It should be related to the secret you carry, right?"
A very direct question.
Since both sides already understood the situation, Ron didn't hide it. He gave a light nod, without offering any detailed explanation.
"That's right."
"You can rest assured—we absolutely won't leak something like this."
After receiving a clear answer, Riveria, her emerald-green hair naturally cascading over her shoulders, possessing royal elven blood and a beauty far colder than that of ordinary elves, lifted a strand of hair from her cheek and tucked it behind her ear: "It's not that we want to actively probe into your secret. It's just that… anyone who has encountered you would probably come to the same conclusion."
"This time, calling you here… is mainly because of this matter."
"The secret you possess is beneficial to the vast majority of adventurers in Orario—higher-intensity Dungeon exploration."
"Whether it's the speed of ability growth, or the great feats required for level ascension…"
"In other words—"
"From the Loki Familia's standpoint, we hope most of all that your strength can develop rapidly. Ideally, we'd like to secure an opportunity for cooperative development."
"..."
This was already an open negotiation.
As for the opinions of the gods of their respective Familias, they were no longer that important. Ron didn't feel any resistance to the idea.
After all, given the current scale of his Familia, even with the enhancement of the Soulslike Dungeon, their overall strength development simply couldn't keep up with the worsening environment—especially once they reached the lower and deep floors, where smooth exploration would be impossible.
Relying solely on the Hestia Familia was definitely not enough.
There were only so many outstanding adventurers, only so many candidates who could be recruited or cultivated—and one also had to consider talent.
"As for cooperation—"
"At the current stage, it's not something I can consider."
"From becoming an adventurer to reaching Level 3, I've only just managed to touch the middle floors of the Dungeon. The actual difficulty is hard to describe."
"To be honest—"
"Even the expedition target designated by the Guild—reaching the 24th Floor—I think completing this expedition smoothly will already be extremely difficult."
After all, it wouldn't be like before, where he could explore and return to Orario the same day to have Hestia update his status. He would have to rely solely on his Level 3 strength to push through the middle floors.
All the prior conjectures had already been confirmed.
Riveria didn't think Ron would overlook any key factors in a matter like this—but when she actually heard it, her heart was still shaken.
Just relying on the upper floors,
Ron had already grown to this extent. If he were placed in the more difficult middle floors, by the end of this expedition, he would at the very least reach Level 4.
"We called you here—because of this expedition."
She didn't hide her thoughts. On her usually calm, iceberg-like face, a rare smile appeared: "The Loki Familia has just finished an expedition."
"We currently have no plans for further exploration."
"If the overall difficulty is truly that high, then perhaps we can use this expedition to explore the possibility of future cooperation."
Riveria emphasized: "Familia expeditions… can recruit supporters!"
These supporters were not like Lili, who assisted with logistics during exploration—but rather actual combat personnel from other Familias joining the expedition team.
At this point, her emerald eyes looked at Ron, her tone firm: "And…"
"As long as they've seen you, most members of the Loki Familia are very interested in the Dungeon you're exploring. If you need assistance—they'd definitely be willing."
This was exactly the answer Ron wanted.
If he had taken the initiative to ask the Loki Familia for help, the favor he'd owe would likely place him in a passive position in future cooperation.
Since things had reached this point, he smiled brightly, without the slightest politeness: "Then I'll choose for myself?"
"..."
"Fine."
The moment she heard that, Riveria already had a bad premonition.
But Ron's next words were completely beyond her expectations: "The most suitable candidate would probably be Miss Lefiya from your Familia."
"We're already acquaintances."
"As for the rest…"
"Do you have any suitable supporters? The expedition will last at least ten days—without supporters, carrying enough supplies will be difficult."
"?"
Riveria had thought Ron would make an outrageous demand—directly picking Tiona and her sister, or even Ais.
But out of so many members, he only chose her disciple.
And… supporters who wouldn't affect the battle at all.
Her eyes showed surprise. She tried to read something from the young man's face, and couldn't help but ask: "You're sure… that's all you want?"
"Of course."
"If we brought Senior Riveria along, then this Familia expedition would have no meaning at all for the growth of the Hestia Familia members."
What a joke.
The goal of a Familia expedition wasn't just to earn the Guild's reward—it was to allow Mikoto, Daphne, and the others to grow stronger.
Including himself.
Facing the surprised gazes of Finn and Riveria, Ron didn't avoid their eyes. His tone was casual: "A Familia expedition is about setting a goal that's hard to reach, then putting in the effort."
"And in the end—getting the reward that effort deserves, right?"
"I've always believed that only becoming strong yourself is the true way to overcome all difficulties—not constantly relying on stronger people for help."
"Only then can you be considered a qualified adventurer, don't you think?"
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