By the time Isis returned from the Dungeon to the surface, it was already evening.
A fairly long line had formed at Babel Tower's exchange counter. Standing among adventurers caked in dirt and carrying the stench of blood, Isis looked unusually clean by comparison.
That was, of course, if one ignored the three claw marks on his right shoulder that had yet to fully scab over.
Two bags of valis were added to his purse.
He did not count the exact amount, but judging from the way the Guild clerk gave him an extra glance, the total was probably a little abnormal for a Level 1 adventurer.
As for the monster materials, he planned to keep them for later sale. They held their value well enough, and there was always market demand for them.
"Twin blades… a cloak… golden hair…"
Under his breath, Isis murmured the features he had committed to memory.
Orario was a large city, but there were only so many high-level elven adventurers active in the Dungeon. If he asked the right people, he was bound to find her eventually.
After all, he would not feel at ease until he had repaid that favor worth one hundred thousand valis.
Still, this day had been full of gains for Isis. He had never expected that he really would be able to deal with a monster feast on his own.
"Well, if she's still in Orario, then fate will bring us together sooner or later."
Stretching lazily, Isis muttered to himself.
After greeting the gate guards, he returned to Twilight Manor.
What he had not expected, however, was to find Loki sitting on the steps of the courtyard, one leg crossed over the other, a bottle of liquor in hand, looking every bit like someone drinking away her troubles.
"Well, well? Little Isis is back."
The moment she saw him, Loki's eyes lit up. Her crimson gaze narrowed as she sized him up.
His backpack was bulging. He had a few minor injuries. His breathing was shallower than normal—a textbook case of overused magic power.
"Looks like you had a pretty good haul today. Though judging by how worn out you look, did you run into trouble or something?"
Her tone was casual, but there was a trace of seriousness in her eyes.
After all, this was the child she cared about most right now. She absolutely would not allow anything to happen to him. If something had gone wrong, Loki truly would have regretted it.
"It wouldn't really count as trouble. I ran into a monster feast, and I wanted to try handling it, so it took a bit of effort."
At her question, Isis honestly recounted what he had experienced today.
Children of the lower world could not lie in front of the gods. Loki had no need to worry about that.
What surprised her, though, was that this was only Isis's second time entering the Dungeon, and he had already managed to be this "lucky." That was genuinely unexpected.
Still, looking at him now, it was obvious he had solved it.
This child… his strength was honestly a little frightening.
For a Level 1 to deal with a monster feast in the upper floors—it was hard to imagine just how terrifying he would become once he had fully grown.
No wonder Riveria wants to raise this child as her successor.
Looking at it now, she's clearly right.
Loki muttered inwardly to herself.
Then Isis spoke again. He was wondering whether he might be able to get some information from Loki about that blonde elf senior.
"After the monster feast ended, an elven senior showed up."
Hearing that, Loki froze.
"Huh?"
"She was a woman, with twin blades at her waist. Her face was hidden by a cloak, but if I'm not mistaken, she had golden hair."
"She warned me that abnormal situations could happen after a monster feast, and told me to leave the Dungeon immediately."
"She also gave me a high-grade magic recovery potion. Didn't even say her name."
Isis recalled the scene of meeting that senior.
And the moment Loki heard his description, her movement with the bottle stopped dead.
Her crimson eyes opened just a little wider. That lazy, easygoing air around her shifted in a way so slight it would have been easy to miss.
"An elf. Twin blades. Wears a cloak… and blonde hair."
Loki fell silent.
This silence lasted longer than any of her earlier pauses—long enough that Isis began to wonder whether he had said something wrong.
Then Loki smiled.
Not her usual teasing, mischievous grin, but a smile tinged with a sigh—a smile full of faint emotion.
"You really are something… of all people, you ran into her."
"Though I guess that makes sense. She's been making some pretty big moves lately."
Loki let out a soft, amused laugh and stretched.
"Lady Loki, do you know that senior?"
Isis blinked. From the way Loki spoke, it was obvious she knew exactly who he meant.
"Know her? Not really. Let's just say I've heard of her."
"But that girl… in your situation, no matter who it was, she would have helped. She's someone walking her own path."
Toward the end of that sentence, Loki's tone faltered ever so slightly, carrying some difficult-to-name emotion.
"Lady Loki, how can I find her?"
After a brief pause, Isis asked the question he had actually wanted to ask.
"Hm? What do you want with her?"
Loki looked startled. Clearly, she had not expected that question.
"To repay the favor."
Isis lifted the now-empty bottle of high-grade magic potion in his hand as he answered.
Looking at the seriousness in his face, Loki smiled again and decided against stopping him.
"Well, you don't need to go out of your way looking for her. When the time comes, you'll meet again."
"And when you do, there's no need to be on guard. Just treat her like an elven senior."
Loki's tone returned to its usual casualness, but what she said next carried a trace of sincerity.
"She's a very good person, Isis."
"It's just… some things from the past are enough to make anyone sigh."
"The past?"
"That's something you'll have to learn for yourself."
Clearly, Loki had no intention of telling him the truth outright. Instead, she left him with a riddle.
The little prank of a trickster god, perhaps?
Isis could only smile helplessly. It did not really bother him, though inwardly he could not help thinking: Riddle-speakers ought to be banned from Orario.
Still, learning it himself was fine too.
He really was curious about that fellow elf senior.
That coolness about her, and the strange, unreadable emotion in her eyes—what kind of past could she possibly have, for even Lady Loki to sigh like that?
Just as Isis was caught up in thought, Loki changed the topic.
"Anyway, with how much you've gained from these two trips into the Dungeon, let's go ahead and do your first status update."
"After fighting battles on the scale of great achievements, I'm honestly curious how much your stats have grown."
"Eh? Today?"
"Of course today. And after a status update, your attributes will improve too."
"Then I'll leave it to Lady Loki."
The moment he heard he could become stronger, Isis's face turned instantly solemn and serious, the very picture of someone who listened when told what mattered.
Seeing that, Loki burst out laughing, then gestured for him to walk ahead while she followed behind with her bottle of liquor, heading toward the divine chamber.
Watching his back, a faint smile tugged at her lips.
To be honest, Loki was even more pleased by the fact that Isis knew when to stop in the Dungeon than by the fact that he had defeated a monster feast at all.
She had seen too many gifted adventurers in her time.
But talented young people who could also control their own desires and impulses were rare in any age.
Most beginners blessed with overwhelming talent, after tasting the sweetness of power for the first time, quickly became impatient and reckless. They started believing they could do anything—until one day, news of their deaths came back from the depths of the Dungeon.
The Guild's registry was full of names like that.
But Isis was different.
This child had been clear-headed from the very first day, with a calmness and self-restraint completely mismatched to his age.
At first, Loki had thought that after defeating three War Shadows on his own, something in his mindset might change.
Now it seemed she had worried for nothing.
Silently, Loki gave thanks in her heart for how well Riveria's sister had raised this child.
As expected of sisters—both of them were absurdly good at raising children.
Though, honestly, it would be even better if Riveria had taught Ais to be a little more lively and adorable, too.
Preferably the kind who actually listened to Loki.
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