Central Plaza, before Babel.
In this open expanse at the city's heart, where all eight of Orario's main streets converged, a great throng of adventurers had already formed early in the morning, setting off a surge of heat through the crowd.
Fully armed adventurers arrived one after another, people of every race among them, but today, unusually, they didn't head straight into the space beneath Babel and down into the Dungeon. Instead they stood along the edges, lingering, their eyes fixed on one group.
That group was none other than Loki Familia, come down from their home base at the city's northernmost end.
They'd come to Central Plaza by way of North Main Street, stopping at a spot some distance from Babel's north gate, several large cargo crates loaded with equipment and supplies pushed along with them, and atop the crates flew the emblem famed throughout the lower world, the banner of Loki Familia, a flag painted with the image of a clown.
That banner had drawn the eyes of nearly everyone as it came.
The passersby on the streets went without saying, but heads also popped out of the alleys in every corner to watch them from afar, and figures stirred behind the windows of building after building too, some townsfolk and residents, some adventurers, some adults, some children. In short, everyone in the city had their attention on these few dozen people.
Some were chatting with one another, some gazing up in excitement, and others cast looks of envy and jealousy, the full range of human feeling on display.
"Loki Familia's expedition is starting again..."
"It's finally starting."
"You think they'll make it to an unexplored floor this time?"
"Who knows. Last expedition the floor they reached was already level with Freya Familia's anyway."
"The 58th floor, huh. In all of Orario, the only Familias that can reach that kind of Deep Floor territory are Loki Familia and Freya Familia."
"If Loki Familia can reach the 59th floor on this expedition and break into unexplored territory, then they'll be one step ahead of Freya Familia."
The people discussed it like this, and there were even gods among the discussants, looking for all the world like they were chatting away with the crowd in high spirits. You'd have thought they were on the best of terms if you didn't know better.
Of course, more of the gods were searching for the Human who'd lately set all of Orario abuzz.
"Where? Where's that kid called Leo?"
"He's the boy standing with the Sword Princess, isn't he?"
"So that's Leo Eligos?"
"Tsk, tsk, the kid who climbed two levels in just a month and a half to reach Lv.3, and pulled off a solo kill on Goliath while still Lv.2..."
"Why isn't a kid like that in our Familia?"
"Right? That bastard Loki, her luck's just too damn good, isn't it?"
The gods all climbed to the tops of trees, or up to the upper floors and even the rooftops of the surrounding buildings, gazing from afar at Leo standing beside the golden-haired, golden-eyed swordsman, their eyes holding both heat and longing.
Besides the gods, plenty of the townsfolk and adventurers had their attention on Leo too, pointing and murmuring about him.
"I didn't expect it, the Leo Eligos from the rumors is actually this young."
"Didn't the Guild publish his information ages ago? He's only sixteen this year!"
"...Soloing a Floor Boss at sixteen, isn't that just cheating?"
"What's the big deal? Look at Loki Familia's executives, aren't the Sword Princess, Amazon, and Jörmungand all sixteen too? And they're all Lv.5!"
"No... there's no comparison there, is there?"
"Right. Those three received Falna from childhood. I hear that pair of Amazoness sisters were already Lv.2 at five, and the Doll Princess became Lv.2 at eight. They've been training all the way until now, almost ten years gone before they got to this point. Nothing like Leo Eligos, climbing two levels in a month and a half, growth speed absurdly fast."
"He hasn't even got an alias yet, has he?"
"No. I hear that before he received his Falna, that is, a month and a half ago, the latest Denatus had just finished."
"So he's got another month and a half to wait before he gets an alias?"
"Wonder what kind of alias it'll be?"
"Lv.3 already and still no alias, that's just absurd."
The people sighed like this, casting looks at Leo full of curiosity, envy, doubt, scrutiny, and even ill will.
Leo naturally noticed those stares, and his brow knit ever so slightly.
"Are you all right?"
Seeing it, Ais asked quietly.
"I'm fine." Leo shook his head. "I'm just not used to being stared at, that's all."
"I get it." Ais nodded with full understanding. "I've never gotten used to it either."
In a sense Ais was even more conspicuous than Leo, drawing even more attention, so it was no wonder she said that.
But there was no helping it. The aura on her was in no way inferior even compared to Leo's, more dazzling, if anything.
The strongest female swordsman in the city, a first-class adventurer, and a beauty to rival a goddess, every one of those was a byword for popularity, never mind several of them stacked together.
So even though it wasn't the first time she'd been stared at, Ais still felt uncomfortable.
"We'd better not stay together, or we'll stand out too much." Leo said with a wry smile. "Tiona and the others should be coming to find you soon anyway, so go on back to your own squad first."
The Dungeon had one characteristic: the deeper you went, the larger each floor's area became.
The 5th floor was about as broad as Central Plaza, but once you reached the 40th floor, its area was enough to equal the whole of Orario.
Some floors along the way might not fit this characteristic, but in principle the Dungeon could still be thought of as a conical structure, broadening the deeper you went, and conversely, the closer a floor was to the surface, the smaller it was.
In view of this, when a large Familia conducted an expedition, they often needed to split the flow, breaking the team into several squads and entering the Dungeon in batches, so as not to cause congestion on the more cramped Upper Floors. That would not only be unwieldy but would also make dealing with monsters a great deal of trouble.
On top of that, forming a long line in an enclosed space like the Dungeon was itself a breach of etiquette, so every time Loki Familia ran an expedition they followed the custom of splitting the force into two groups that entered the Dungeon one after the other, then rendezvousing on a broader floor decided beforehand to reorganize into one unit.
For this expedition, Leo and Ais had been assigned to different units.
Ais was assigned to the First Unit, the vanguard, the unit that would handle any abnormal situations that might arise along the route and scout the path as much as possible for the members behind them.
Leo was assigned to the Second Unit, the follow-up unit, which had more personnel than the First Unit vanguard and was responsible for hauling supplies and spare equipment.
The First Unit was usually the main fighting force, because they needed to ensure that the follow-up unit and the supplies required for the expedition could advance safely, so it was led by Finn the captain and Riveria the vice-captain, with first-class adventurers like Ais, Bete, Tiona, and Tione all in it, an extremely formidable lineup, and besides them there were many core members of the Second Army like Raul.
The Second Unit was led by the one remaining first-class adventurer, Gareth, with rearguards and Supporters made up of Mages and Healers like Lefiya and Line folded into it, Leo among them as well.
As said earlier, for this expedition Leo had been folded into the team in the capacity of a dedicated rearguard Mage.
So he, Lefiya, and Line were all in the Second Unit, setting out only half an hour after the First Unit Ais belonged to had entered the Dungeon.
"...Then I'll head over first."
Ais looked at Leo and said softly.
"I'll wait for you on the 18th floor."
The rendezvous point for the two units was on the 18th floor, which served as a safe floor.
It was also the place where Leo and Ais had first met.
"Right."
Leo looked back at Ais, his gaze gentle.
The look made Ais a little shy, and she actually ran off somewhat flustered, which gave Leo an inward chuckle.
"Hmph!"
The next second, a cold snort sounded beside Leo, and the chuckle he'd been holding inside surfaced right onto his face.
"Flirting with Miss Ais over there again, how detestable."
A certain Elf girl holding a long magic staff had appeared at some point, muttering under her breath in a way that gave the impression of some pretty nasty cursing.
"Mr. Leo."
Line had come over too, showing Leo a bashful smile, her manner far better than a certain Elf girl's.
"I'll be in your care going forward, you two."
Leo greeted the girls with a smile.
He was a Mage in the rearguard unit this time, Lefiya was also a Mage in the rearguard unit, and Line, even more so, was a Healer and Supporter who needed protecting at the back, so even after rendezvousing on the 18th floor, the three of them would operate from the same position.
Lefiya especially, her team position was right beside Leo, the two of them entirely side by side.
Clearly, Finn and the other Familia leaders had arranged it this way on purpose.
After all, both were Mages whose firepower reached Lv.5, their importance as rearguards almost second only to Riveria, who was Lv.6.
Once a battle broke out, their positions would be the closest to Riveria too, so much so that you could call them Riveria's left and right hands, the team's second source of firepower.
"I, I'll be cheering Mr. Leo on from a position even further back!"
Line clenched her little fists and said this.
"...In your care."
Lefiya, on the other hand, responded somewhat sulkily.
The moment she thought about how the other party was now Lv.3 just like her, and had even caught up to the firepower she was proudest of, Lefiya got the feeling that a whole world had passed.
A month and a half ago this man hadn't even received his Falna!
In a month and a half he'd just caught right up to her, plain as that?
This man really was the nemesis of her life!
Lefiya was both depressed and indignant, to the point that her cheeks unconsciously puffed up.
Watching this, Leo found it tremendously funny, and couldn't resist reaching out a finger to poke the girl's puffed cheek flat.
"Eep!" Lefiya let out a small little shriek at once, then said angrily, "Don't go touching a girl's face whenever you please! You rude oaf!"
"What? Don't tell me you've got the same hang-up as other Elves about not letting people you're not close to touch your body?" Leo was amused. "Aren't you a sociable Elf?"
"Who's a sociable Elf!" Lefiya got even angrier, glaring fiercely at Leo and hollering, "I don't want to socialize with you at all!"
...Why does that line sound a little suggestive?
Leo wanted to tease Lefiya a bit more, but Finn's voice suddenly rang out.
"Attention, all personnel!"
Finn stood at the very front of the force, his unexpectedly resounding voice making everyone turn to look at him.
The noise in the plaza dropped all at once too. Not only did Loki Familia's people fall silent, but the other adventurers instinctively lowered their voices as well, listening to the Pallum captain's address.
"This expedition is about to formally begin. Next, the vanguard led by myself and Riveria will set out first, and the follow-up unit will stay close behind Gareth, bring all the supplies, and enter the Dungeon half an hour later!"
"As planned from the start, we'll rendezvous on the 18th floor, then push straight through to the 50th floor in one go. Apart from necessary rest and making camp along the way, we won't stop!"
"We have only one goal, and that's the floor no one has reached to this day, the 59th floor!"
The Pallum captain, unlike his usual calm and gentle impression, made an impassioned declaration.
The declaration was like lighting a fire. Not only did everyone in Loki Familia quietly clench their fists, even the onlookers were struck dumb.
Watching the flames kindle in everyone's eyes, Finn gave a slight smile despite himself, then returned to his composed demeanor.
In the Familia he was not only the captain but the commander, the strategist, a brilliant tactical mind who could rank in the top three even in Orario, holding second and contending for first.
Ordinarily he could be gentle, could be kindly, but on an expedition he had to be calm, rational, and when necessary turn cold and ruthless too, or a single misjudgment might lead to heavy casualties.
Now he had put on the mask called "Familia leader," put on the crown called "captain," showing the side of him that was a leader at the top.
"You are all the elite of Loki Familia, the very best who could rank among the foremost even across the whole lower world!"
"Even if the road ahead is riddled with hardship, that absolutely cannot stop our advance!"
"Follow me, and let's go conquer the Dungeon together!"
Finn raised the spear in his hand and shouted aloud.
The next second, every adventurer in all of Loki Familia roared at the top of their lungs.
That was the signal of battle.
That was the horn of certain victory.
"Move out!"
His rallying of morale done, Finn parted the crowd together with the vanguard's main fighting force and, treading with strong, powerful steps, walked into Babel.
Ais was right there in the ranks. She spared a glance for Leo, who saw her off with a smile, then put on the mask called "Sword Princess" too and stepped coldly into Babel.
"It's finally about to begin..."
"Mm..."
Lefiya and Line murmured beside Leo, their faces tightening at the same time.
"Everyone get ready! We set out in half an hour!"
"Yes!"
Behind them, Gareth was likewise giving orders in a loud voice, making the rest of the members respond in unison, their voices ringing out.
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