"Hold on a moment." Just as Ryoji rose from his seat, a voice called out, stopping him in his tracks.
"Ryoji, while your skills are impressive, it's unwise to dive too deep, especially past the Twelfth Floor, on your first few expeditions. Before heading into the Dungeon, I recommend you stop by the Guild headquarters and pick up essentials like potions."
The one who spoke was Finn.
In front of him lay a massive black fish, nearly as tall as he was. Pretending not to notice Tione's gleaming eyes fixed on the creature, Finn offered his advice with a calm smile.
"I understand." Ryoji gave a small nod, one brow slightly raised in acknowledgment.
Then, under the watchful gaze of the entire room, he turned and exited the cafeteria.
"You seem to think highly of him, Finn." Riveria turned slightly, her serene gaze settling on the Pallum leader. Her long emerald hair swayed gently with her movement.
"He's a newcomer, but he has potential. Just like you, I'm curious to see how far he'll go." Finn smiled, still ignoring the fish on his plate as he responded.
"But is that story really true? Taking down multiple Level 2 Adventurers without even having any Falna? I nearly dropped my bowl when I heard it." Gareth scratched his beard, speaking with open disbelief.
"It's true! I saw it with my own eyes!" Tiona thumped her chest with conviction, loudly vouching for Ryoji.
"…I've heard his swordsmanship is remarkable." A golden-haired, golden-eyed girl murmured while biting into her sandwich. Her gaze flicked back and forth, lingering slightly on Tiona. As soon as she saw her friend vouching for him, her eyes lit up.
"It's more than just strong! Honestly, he can win purely through sword technique alone!"
Tiona puffed out her chest proudly, her voice brimming with enthusiasm.
"Is that so..." Ais nodded slightly, her eyes lowering in quiet thought.
"Now that you've heard how skilled he is with the sword, is that frustration I sense in you, or simply the spirit of competition, Ais?" Riveria raised an eyebrow, her voice gentler than usual as she addressed Ais. "You're probably wondering if you, without a Falna, could take down a Level 2 Adventurer the same way, aren't you?"
"...Yes." Ais's lashes lowered further. Her voice was quiet and neutral, revealing neither joy nor irritation, but a hint of inner frustration did slip through.
"And I don't think I could."
The gap between an unblessed mortal and a Level 2 Adventurer is enormous.
Even though Ais was now Level 5 and had trained her swordsmanship to the point of earning the title The Sword Princess, the thought of defeating a Level 2 while unblessed still felt far-fetched.
When the disparity in power is too great, technique alone means little.
Yet this newcomer had defeated multiple Level 2s, and the account wasn't exaggerated.
It troubled her deeply.
She had wanted to approach him all morning, but their lack of familiarity made her hesitate. She feared that bombarding him with questions would come off as bothersome, so in the end, she kept her silence.
"My, my, our little princess finally has a proper concern, doesn't she?" Riveria's lips curved into a rare, warm smile, one that caught the attention of many nearby men.
"There's nothing wrong with being curious, Ais. Since you're both part of the same Familia now, just build a connection with him. If it's you, I doubt he'd push you away. Even if he's secretive about his technique, I don't think he'd avoid you."
After all, Ais was cute, adorably so. No man would easily turn her away.
Riveria couldn't help but feel a touch of pride.
Having watched Ais grow up within Loki Familia, she'd practically raised her.
"Tch."
A soft scoff echoed from the corner, drawing attention.
"So what?"
Leaning back in his seat was Bete, his shaggy white hair slightly tousled as he narrowed his eyes, a clear look of irritation on his face.
"Ever think he might be a spy?"
"Bete! Are you trying to start something?!"
Before anyone else could respond, Tiona exploded, glaring at him fiercely, her fists clenched in outrage.
"Shut it, you love-struck Amazon. Finn, you must've at least considered the possibility, right?" Bete's voice dripped with disdain as he shot Tiona an annoyed glance, then turned his sharp gaze to Finn.
"I did consider the possibility."
"Finn?!"
"But there's no need for concern."
Finn chuckled softly and waved his hand, signaling Tiona to calm down. His expression remained as composed and reassuring as ever.
"Yesterday, I had Loki personally grant him a Falna in the reception room."
"As expected from you, Finn. Not a single gap left uncovered." Riveria's voice was steady and unshaken, her calm demeanor giving away neither pride nor irritation.
"Then… you must've checked his Falna, right? What did it show? Was it a 'conversion'?"
While many gods resided in Orario, not all of them did. Some deities chose to live outside the city, and they too could bestow Falna upon mortals, forming their own Familias beyond Orario's walls.
And any deity who can grant a Falna also possesses the authority to seal it.
When a Falna is sealed, all visible Status values disappear from the body. The data only reappears once another god releases the seal.
This process, leaving one Familia and joining another, is referred to as a "conversion."
That's why infiltration via conversion, using someone as a spy, is a very real tactic among rival Familias.
"He's completely new. He's never received a Falna before," Finn said, resting his chin atop his interlaced fingers. "His status is all zero, no stats, no development abilities. In other words, there's no way he could've converted from another Familia. So the spy theory doesn't hold."
Tiona immediately placed her hands on her hips with a triumphant grin, clearly satisfied as she threw a proud look at Bete. Around the room, others listening in breathed a collective sigh of relief.
If Finn said it, then it was as good as confirmed.
"His swordsmanship may stem from some hidden past or secret training, but so what? Doesn't everyone have their own secrets?" Finn's voice remained composed. "With the pride and strength of Loki Familia behind us, do we really need to dig into every mystery?"
"As long as it doesn't pose a threat to the Familia, there's no reason to pry. That's how I see it."
In truth, many members of Loki Familia had once belonged to other Familias before converting, and Bete was one of them.
By comparison, Ryoji was even cleaner than Bete had been.
With that, Finn's words put a decisive end to the debate.
Tiona kept nodding enthusiastically, clearly pleased by the outcome.
"Bete, don't go picking fights with him." Finn turned to the Werewolf, his tone shifting into one of subtle authority.
Bete's temper was infamous throughout the entire Familia.
"Don't lump me in with thugs who bully the weak!" Bete scoffed coldly, the look on his face one of pure disdain.
(End of this chapter)
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