Just as Leon expected, more parties kept trickling in to the stairway entrance as time passed.
He did a quick headcount: the smallest groups had two or three members, the largest five or six. By rough estimate, over thirty Adventurers had gathered here, and the number was still climbing. He was privately weighing the risks - the headcount was borderline acceptable, but if the main fighting force was mostly Level 1 and Level 2 Adventurers, a Goliath raid could go sideways fast - when another party emerged from the white mist of the passage.
Every pair of eyes in the crowd, Leon's group included, locked onto them instantly.
The Astraea Familia? Are they the ones leading this Floor Boss raid?
The moment he spotted those four signature figures - red hair, black hair, pink hair, blonde - whatever worry had been building in his chest evaporated on the spot.
With the Astraea Familia in the fight, what was there to worry about? He could sit back and soak up Excelia... no wait, scratch that. Sit back, follow orders, contribute where needed, and learn from watching a real command structure in action. That was the plan.
Wasn't that a thousand times smarter than the suicidal solo-hero brand of "adventuring"?
"The Astraea Familia? I never expected them to be running this..."
Behind him, Laurier and the others had spotted the four-woman squad too. Jeanne looked mildly surprised, clearly not anticipating this turn of events.
Rose stood at Leon's side, her gaze settling on the energetic red-haired swordswoman nearby. "If I remember right, you mentioned that Alise Lovell the Scarlet Harnel, Kaguya Gojouno the Yamato Rindou, Lyra the Sly Mouse, and Ryuu the Gale are all Level 3. If we join this raid with them as the core, our odds just got a lot better."
Leon nodded, the corner of his mouth curving beneath his hood. "Looks like we lucked out. Tagging along with the main force through the Middle Floors will give us valuable experience for future solo runs, and we might even pick up some high-tier monster Excelia on the side. This kind of opportunity doesn't come around often."
While Leon's group talked quietly among themselves, the newly arrived Astraea Familia squad had already taken command of the mixed force. Their reputation in the city, their track record, their strength - it was only natural.
"Good morning, everyone! I'm the lovely Alise, Alise Lovell of the Astraea Familia!" Alise flashed a smile bright enough to rival the sun itself and waved enthusiastically at the assembled Adventurers.
"Morning, Lady Alise!"
"Long time no see, Lady Scarlet Harnel!"
"Lady Kaguya, you're so beautiful I can't stand it! I'm your biggest fan!!"
"Lady Kaguya, look at me, please!"
"Lady Lyra, marry me!"
"Back off! Lady Lyra is mine! I'll fight you for her!"
"Whoa, it's Ryuu! The noble elven beauty!"
"A blonde elf, I can't... the Gale is gorgeous!"
The arrival of the Astraea Familia's heroines set off an eruption of cheers and general chaos. Their popularity was so absurd that some truly bizarre behavior inevitably crept in.
One Pallum dropped to his knees in front of Lyra on the spot.
Another lunged for Kaguya's legs and found a katana at his throat before he got close.
Leon's party watched the spectacle with blank expressions. Laurier and Aura in particular couldn't stop their mouths from twitching as they watched an Amazon woman shout "blonde elves are the best!" only to get punted across the corridor by an embarrassed and furious Ryuu - and somehow the woman was still grinning like a creep as she flew.
"Isn't this... a bit much? It's like a celebrity meet-and-greet down here," Jeanne muttered.
Leon shot her an amused look, one eyebrow raised. "Our very own savior-of-France had her share of frenzied worship back in the day, didn't she? How'd it feel having all those people looking up to you?"
"Don't bring that up!"
Jeanne glared at him, cheeks flushing.
"Oh my, I think I just heard something very interesting." Rose's eyes narrowed with a playful gleam, and she pressed close to Jeanne, leaning in to blow gently on her ear.
"Rose!"
Jeanne went rigid, her face turning scarlet as she squirmed to pull away.
The reaction only made Rose's smile wider. "Getting this flustered? You're too cute, Jeanne."
"Stop! Stop talking!"
Jeanne stamped her feet, looking ready to bury her face underground.
While their little sideshow played out, the Astraea Familia had moved on to business.
After Alise finished greeting the crowd, Kaguya stepped forward. The Yamato Rindou carried herself with a cool, composed authority, and the pressure of a Level 3 fighter radiated from her without effort. The chatter died down before she even opened her mouth.
"I'm sure you all know who we are, so I'll skip the pleasantries." Her voice was clear and commanding, her gaze sweeping across every face. "For this Floor Boss raid, I need everyone to follow the battle plan precisely. No freelancing, no improvising." She paused, and a confident half-smile crossed her lips. "Do that, and trust in the Astraea Familia. Victory will be ours."
"Of course we'll follow orders! We wouldn't even be here if the Astraea Familia wasn't leading this!" an Adventurer called out immediately.
Others chimed in one after another, their voices blending together.
"No kidding. A Floor Boss raid isn't a joke. One wrong move and you're dead."
"You're the only ones we'd trust with this. Everyone here knows what the Dungeon is like."
"Ha, with you guys at the helm, we've got nothing to worry about!"
Leon and his group watched quietly. The trust was absolute and effortless - the Astraea Familia had earned it with every expedition, every rescue, every monster slain. Even Leon and his teammates felt it pull at them.
That was the power of a reputation built on real deeds.
He carried a certain bias from his memories, a built-in fondness for these women, and he knew it. But standing here watching the reality line up with those memories, the "Wings of Justice" had finally stopped being hazy impressions and become vivid, breathing people right in front of him.
"Alright, no time to waste! Let's move!" Alise called out, waving the whole force forward. "Our target is the Wall of Grief! We'll assign specific roles once we reach the chamber before it!" She led her squad into the stairway passage without hesitation.
Leon exchanged a wordless glance with the girls beside him, and together they fell into step with the advancing column.
...
...
[Read 50+ chapters ahead on Patreon: patreon.com/NiaXD]