The problem remained unsolved. It wasn't just because the lost magic stone hadn't been recovered, but because of the implications lurking behind the conversations they'd had with the Pallum girl, Liliruca.
Since they had already committed to establishing a more organized framework—a legal and social ecosystem in Orario designed to protect more people—they naturally needed to understand the current state of the city and its adventurers.
The perspective Liliruca offered as a supporter was distinctly different from the views they had gathered from other adventurers previously.
This wasn't merely because she was one of the oppressed; it was because of the environment she inhabited.
"He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled."This was both a hard-learned lesson and an inevitable reality.
Unlike the adventurers Furina had encountered before, Liliruca, living in the shadows, knew the dregs of the adventuring world all too well—or rather, her entire social circle was comprised of those bottom-feeders, and she had access to no one else.
Thinking of the members of the Loki Familia, Furina couldn't help but sigh.
Wherever people gather, disparities emerge. This was especially true in Orario, a city where status was rigidly dictated by power.
Equality was not just a constraint on the law of the jungle; it was a challenge to the city's long-standing unwritten rules. They were trying to build order on the foundation of equality, and there would undoubtedly be plenty of obstacles ahead.
The irony, however, was that the very thing she wanted to constrain—"survival of the fittest"—was exactly what would allow them to overcome those obstacles.
If the Focalors Familia were powerful enough, those obstacles would cease to be obstacles—at least on the surface.
So, overthinking was useless. For now, the priority remained farming monsters and leveling up.
Once Liliruca had composed herself and finished her preparations, the three of them headed into the Dungeon.
Compared to their cautious, unfamiliar approach last time, their goals were much clearer now, and they moved with far greater speed.
As they drew eyes on their way down, Liliruca finally understood why these two "Level 1" adventurers could emerge unscathed from a swarm of killer ants.
With her stats fully boosted, Furina didn't even need help from Sushang.
After summoning Mademoiselle Crabaletta, she wiped out a killer ant in a single exchange, then proceeded to clear through a group of needle rabbits as easily as chopping vegetables.
Liliruca had followed many adventurers. She had not only developed a set of thieving techniques tailored to different kinds of adventurers but could also gauge an adventurer's potential to some extent.
Yet, she had truly never seen anything like this. By their own admission, this was only their second time in the Dungeon... but could one really sweep through the seventh floor with such ease on only the second trip?
What exactly were they doing before they became adventurers?
The young Pallum girl, who had become numb to the process of gathering magic stones, had never experienced such a rate of income.
Since her own attributes had already hit the cap, Sushang stopped "stealing" Furina's experience.
Although this increased the pressure on Furina, she gradually grew accustomed to fighting solo after a brief adjustment period.
Sushang could only comment that she was remarkably gifted. She had originally assumed the "little cake" wasn't the type to excel at combat—or at least, that her talent didn't lie there, given how deeply ingrained her timid personality was. But looking at her performance, she was undeniably impressive.
Reflecting on it, Furina had spent five hundred years diligently performing as a god, constantly living in fear because of her secret.
It would be impossible for her intelligence and mental fortitude not to be high. The core issue had always been that she was constantly strung tight; there were so few moments where she could truly let her guard down.
Coming here, she had finally shed those burdens. Whether in her words or her state of mind, she was more relaxed and free, which was likely why she was showing a different side of herself.
Simply put, it wasn't that she had a low mana pool; it was that she had been burning through it so constantly that she was always on the verge of running dry. Now that she didn't have to "spend mana" on her act, her gauge was finally full.
The seventh floor no longer posed much of a challenge. After a brief discussion, the two decided to head to the twelfth floor.
The first through twelfth floors of the Dungeon were known as the Upper Floors, the region for novice adventurers.
Level 1 adventurers were expected to clear these, and the Guild even helpfully provided recommended stats based on the floor's difficulty:
1-4: I to H
5-7: G to F
8-10: E to C
11-12: B to S
As for anything beyond the thirteenth floor, it was recommended to be at least Level 2. Of course, you could go if you weren't, but your life was your own to risk.
Furina, naturally, didn't feel like she was invincible enough to challenge the thirteenth floor. She was a long-lived being of five hundred years, after all; she knew well that one had to take life one step at a time.
The monsters on the eighth and ninth floors were no different from the seventh, but once they reached the tenth, the entire atmosphere of the Dungeon shifted.
"From the tenth floor," Liliruca warned, "you'll encounter larger monsters, and there will be frost fog that obstructs your vision."
Furina and Sushang were already aware of this. Lydi had told them quite a few details about the Dungeon yesterday, though unfortunately, Lydi was only a Level 1 adventurer.
While he had followed his familia's captain to the middle floors (13th to 24th), it hadn't been very often. Rather than spewing half-baked information that might mislead them, he kept it to what he truly knew.
"Lady Furina and Lady Sushang, you truly have everything under control," Liliruca murmured, lowering her head.
She wasn't from the same world as these two—people who were powerful, full of potential, and possessed such a strong sense of justice.
Standing beside them, Liliruca felt a pervasive discomfort, and even the joy of their harvest dimmed.
Especially since they knew how "filthy" she was; she couldn't even manage to pretend to fit in with them for a moment.
Neither Sushang nor Furina could find the words to console her regarding this state of mind.
In fact, if she had been all smiles and giggles, they would have simply written her off, much like they had that man from before, and stopped associating with her entirely.
Liliruca's self-loathing stemmed from her own behavior, and her behavior was a product of her environment. In a place like Orario, where the order was still so flawed, Sushang wouldn't preach.
It was like judging people for resorting to cannibalism during a historic famine; while one could pass judgment from the comfort of having never suffered such hardships, it was a bit rich to do so.
If laws could differ from nation to nation, who was she to impose her own set of values to judge someone across the border of her own life experience?
Precisely because of Liliruca's self-loathing, Sushang was willing to give her a chance, because she just happened to cross paths with her.
However, letting her mope like this wouldn't do.
Sushang thought for a moment and said honestly, "We can be this relaxed because we have such an excellent supporter. Even with so much gear on your back, you're still moving so nimbly."
She likely had some sort of special ability, right? Out of courtesy, Sushang didn't press for details.
"It's because Lady Sushang and Lady Furina are too incredible! We've gathered so many magic stones in such a short time—how could I possibly feel tired carrying them?"
Liliruca just smiled it off. Abilities were, to some extent, an adventurer's secret; no one would go around broadcasting them.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL