Loki Familia.
Having just finished breakfast, it became lively early in the morning.
"Hey, hey, the expedition is about to begin. Before that, want to go shopping together?"
The Amazon girl Tiona shouted excitedly, attempting to attract the attention of her companions, her face full of eager excitement.
The Familia captain, the Pallum powerhouse Finn, smiled and said, "Going out? I'll pass. The various matters for the expedition haven't been handled yet. If you want to go relax, remember to control your spending."
Deep-floor expeditions were something only large-scale Peerages could undertake; often, the expenses of a single expedition were enough to easily bankrupt most Peerages.
To prepare for this, the Loki Familia was also quite stretched.
"Eh~"
If you can't go on a shopping spree when you go out, what's the difference between that and a salted fish?
Besides, she was planning to buy a gift for Riveria; previously, she had...
Hearing that she couldn't spend too much money, Tiona was a bit disappointed. Just as she was about to retort, her sister covered her mouth and pulled her away.
By the way, the younger sister, Tione, was a loyal fan of Finn.
Subduing her sister from behind, Tione watched Finn leave, then breathed a sigh of relief and threw Tiona aside.
"Hey! You, that's going too far!"
The Peerage became noisy again because of Tiona, and the fake sisters started squabbling.
Riveria and Ais, who were passing by, exchanged glances. Ais tilted her head in a daze, looking confused. Lefiya, who was following behind, bumped into Riveria because she was distracted.
"Ah... So, sorry."
The scene became increasingly chaotic.
About two minutes later, the noisy environment was suppressed by Riveria with one hand. She sat on a chair, her gaze sweeping across.
Tiona and Tione guiltily averted their gazes.
"Relaxation before an expedition is still necessary; an overly tense atmosphere could also cause problems..."
"Oh yeah, long live Mother Riveria!"
Tiona jumped up directly, cheering with her arms raised.
The next moment, because of a somewhat taboo word, a cold gaze fell quietly. Orario's strongest mage locked onto Tiona.
The girl couldn't help but shiver.
"What did you just say?"
"No, nothing. Riveria is truly understanding... It's just that our funds might be a bit insufficient..."
"The expedition is about to begin; it's better not to waste extra money, right?"
Lefiya said weakly.
Tiona scratched her cheek. Actually, the reason she wanted to pull others along wasn't just because they were on good terms; it was more because after purchasing items for the expedition...
She had no money left.
If no one was with her, how could she sponge off others' things?
"Actually, we can also go to some cheaper shops; it doesn't have to be anything too high-end."
"Eh, I actually have a suggestion."
The Amazon sisters started discussing together again, as if their previous squabbling didn't exist. Lefiya, who was a bit of a wallflower, also joined in.
Sitting to the side, Riveria, like a mother, silently watched over this group of young people from the Peerage.
"Um, I want to go to the Dungeon."
With Ais's words, the surrounding atmosphere changed instantly.
Everyone looked at the famous'Sword Princess,' and as expected, saw a pair of extremely dazed and cute eyes.
For this atmosphere-breaker, Tiona decisively rushed over and hugged her.
"Ais! Come shopping with me. What's so fun about the Dungeon, anyway?!"
Looking at Tiona, who was clinging to her like an octopus, Ais's expression remained unchanged as she lightly left her seat and began to shake her body.
She seemed to be attempting to shake Tiona off.
"Tiona."
Ais's voice sounded somewhat troubled, though it couldn't be seen on her face.
Taking this opportunity, Tiona forcefully tackled Ais, and the two rolled around on the floor together, creating a somewhat risqué scene for a moment.
"Um, Miss Tiona, Ais…"
Lefiya hurried forward, then for some unknown reason, stood there with flushed cheeks, as if she had been hit by a paralysis spell.
Subconsciously covering her nose, the elf girl Lefiya felt some moisture on her fingers.
"Alright, let's all go relax together. Ais, you too; you need to rest in moderation."
Riveria said, while reaching out to tap Lefiya on the forehead. "It doesn't matter if you can't spend too much money; I actually know of a good place."
"Riveria."
Ais climbed up from the floor and stared blankly at the elven royalty who was like a mother to her, silently protesting.
She still wanted to seize the time to get stronger.
"They have red bean cream flavored fried potato balls there."
"…Okay."
---
---
After spending some time getting ready, the group of beauties walked out of the Loki Familia's gates.
Crossing the busy area on one side of the road and strolling through the shopping and commercial districts for a while, they headed toward a quieter street.
Orario has eight main streets that radiate from the center of the city, extending outwards in eight directions: North, Northeast, East, Southeast, South, Southwest, West, and Northwest.
And because the city is circular in shape, it looks like a giant cake cut into eight slices when viewed from above.
Passing by numerous weapon shops, item shops, taverns, and other stores essential for Adventurers, the group stopped in front of a certain shop, looking curiously at a storefront that was at most forty square meters. Tiona was the first to look up at the shop sign—
"Emiya's Sweet Shop?"
"And it's so small. Could the taste be a bit lacking?"
Tiona said tactfully. Although she doubted the personal preferences of Riveria, that old hag, she didn't dare to speak too bluntly.
Riveria's death stare was quite frightening, giving one the feeling of being frozen at a soul level.
Ever since her deity communicated with two peers, Riveria had an idea, which was also the ultimate goal of this trip. As elders of the Familia who would one day pass it on to the juniors, they had to consider many things in advance.
For example, excellent fresh blood for the Familia…
Ignoring Tiona, Riveria pushed open the door and entered.
"Welcome… Oh, Riveria, you're here. You're alright now, right?"
Before seeing the person, one heard the voice. A sweet tone rang out, and a slender figure walked out from the kitchen, holding a plate of small cakes, smiling as she greeted Riveria.
While not exquisitely beautiful, she had an extraordinary aura, and her murky golden eyes seemed to have experienced many vicissitudes.
Hits the fetish hard (crossed out)
Feeling favorable (confirmed)
The group of beautiful girls from the Loki Familia were all stunned for a moment.
Among them, Lefiya's reaction was the most intense. The moment she heard the voice, she suddenly widened her eyes, and Riveria, who was beside her, also looked at her with mutual understanding.
'It's her…'
"Yes, I'll have the usual. As for them, they can order for themselves."
The five beautiful girls (?) sat at the only large table, looking at the menu hanging in the shop, which was filled with various pastries, snacks, and desserts.
Sugar explosion.
Soon, while Tiona, Tione, and Lefiya were still discussing what to eat, Ritsuka, in casual daily wear, had already placed Riveria's order on the table.
Strawberry cake, fragrant sweet tea, and sesame thin crisps.
Immediately, under the astonished gaze of everyone, Riveria picked up her spoon as if no one else was there, scooped up a piece of cake, and put it into her mouth.
Her face overflowed with happiness, and the bad memories regarding mapo tofu in her mind faded away completely.
"I want the red bean cream flavored fried potato balls."
The girl named Ais Wallenstein ordered a dish from Ritsuka that had recently been added to the menu, something she had learned from others.
Ritsuka smiled and nodded. "Okay, please wait a moment. fried potato balls are most delicious when they're freshly fried."
After she turned around, the clear gaze of the Sword Princess fell upon her—or rather, it swept across her entire body, as if appraising her.
"Her footsteps are so steady."