Chapter 84: Silver Saintess

While the Loki familia prepared for the expedition, Lars ordered Monstro to start hiding the city.

"Move, move, do you see anything?" Lars pointed at the buildings that were covered by cloth that was painted like camo.

"No sir!" Ray saluted and Lars nodded in satisfaction.

"Never did expect camo to really be that effective once you blend the colors well." Lars rubbed his chin pensively.

"Lars, I have a request." Alfia walked up to him. "Hmm? What's this about? If you want to kill Bete for kicking off Bell from the Loki familia, then the best I can do is for you to beat him half-dead." Lars shrugged.

"No... I want to beat that mutt black and blue, but that's not what I'm requesting." Alfia squinted her eyes in rage.

"I want to go to live at Hestia's church for a while." Alfia was a bit torn.

She wanted to spend time with him, but Bell is a newb that might get frisky in the dungeon.

"Ahhh, you want to train Bell, full time huh?" Lars nodded in understanding.

"Yes, he needs it now. More than ever even." Alfia has been spying on him. And the little rabbit is already descending too fast for her own taste.

It was not bad per se. Alfia is from a generation that explorers go on real, blood-pumping adventures.

They dive the dungeon for glory and strength. Majority of them died for it too. Unlike the adventurers now that stay in higher floors to earn money.

She was being a doting aunt. "Sure, go look after Bell. You're a very clingy aunt." Lars snickered at her.

He had to block a strike to his face and a shockwave exploded when her fist smashed onto his palm.

"Whew, your punches are no joke my maiden of silence." Lars kissed her hand and she harrumphed with a blush.

"No fair, you're catching up to me." Alfia snorted and he smirked.

"Can't let my neurotic princess protect me forever." Lars laughed and he gave her a kiss.

__Orario, ruins__

Alfia walked through the crowd of Orario without fear, showing her face.

'As long as nobody links me to Lars, he'll be fine.' Alfia thought of Dionysus' little captain. And that she is definitely stronger than the redhead they encountered at the 59th floor.

'She must have a trick up her sleeve, hmph. No matter, I'll crush them like an ant under a boot if they try something.' She was getting antsy again.

Her hair-trigger fuse was acting up once again.

"Huh, so this is where they live huh?" Alfia looked at the abandoned church fondly.

Meteria used to go there. She loved the church, saying that the atmosphere of it was soothing.

And it was also the place she used to hide in years ago, at the height of the great feud.

'Definitely not proud of that decision. But there was no more choices back then.' She remembered her disease wracking her body.

The only thing keeping her going were her insane stats and evilus' smuggled holy branches from elven forests.

"Now, I should introduce myself to Bell's goddess and that Artemis that Lars painstakingly saved." She was going to hit two birds with one stone.

And when she entered the church, she saw Artemis with a deadpan expression. Looking at Bell and Hestia dancing while brushing their teeth.

"Wha?" Alfia was flabbergasted by the sight. 'H-he looks like an almiraj that's begging for its life. So cute...' Alfia was mesmerized.

Not noticing that her idea of cute was incredibly horrid.

"Ahhh! Auntie? I mean! Big sis Alfia!" Bell corrected himself immediately.

And he was lucky, she was distracted. 'Alfia!? I... Where did I hear that name before?' Artemis has been in gekai for some time.

But she wasn't in Orario. Though she did recognize the name, Alfia.

'It's that woman... I won't forget about her... She's Bell's aunt!?' Hestia was confused as hell.

Her mind making mental gymnastics. How was she connected with Lars, why is she so strong, is Bell really her aunt?

"Bell, it seems you've found a goddess. A good choice as well." Alfia looked at Hestia.

"H-hello." Hestia got nervous, it's like she's a care taker that met a client's incredibly rich aunt.

"Umu, well met. She might be poor and the goddess of all deep-fried and starchy, but she is a good goddess, Bell." Alfia nodded at his decision.

"Agh! W-who're you calling poor! I'm just being thrifty!" Hestia almost bursted to tears.

Alfia being as subtle as a brick to the face was a huge hit to her pride as the goddess of a home.

"That's not nice..." Artemis squinted her eyes, ready to protect her friend.

"And this freeloader here can teach you quite a bit about hunting monsters." Alfia pointed at Artemis and she was sent reeling.

'I-it's true... I am freeloading, huh?' Artemis realized.

"You're still weak, so you can learn a lot from her." Alfia nodded sagely and Bell did an orz.

Everyone was burning left and right due to Alfia's unconscious sass. And they can't deny it, all of it was true.

"B-big sis, why are you here?" Bell was confused as hell to why she was there anyway.

"I'm here to make sure that you won't trip on your weapon, stab yourself, and die a dumb way." Alfia looked at him seriously.

Her mismatched eyes seemed to be glowing in the low light of the abandoned church and Bell could feel it, the pressure of an adventurer that made 8 steps to divinity.

Gulping, he thought that Alfia would put him through the wringer like never before. She used to make him run around and do basic moves with a dagger in the past.

But now, it's much different. "I'll do my best!" Bell understood the assignment.

"Good, go get your dagger now. I'll show you how to stab and slit your enemies' throats." A knife suddenly appeared on her hand.

"H-hey! Bell is my child, w-why will I l-leave him in your hands?" Hestia's courage was admirable, but she was trembling like a leaf.

Especially when Alfia told Bell that he'll be learning how to effectively assassinate someone.

Alfia raised a brow at her with a frown. Taking a step towards her. "Hieee! I'm sorry! You can train Bell!" Hestia hid behind Artemis immediately.

"Please don't scare my goddess too much." Bell smiled wryly. He knew she was scary, but not that much.

"Hmph, don't get in my way Hestia. This is for Bell's survival." Alfia narrowed her eyes and the loli booba goddess nodded desperately.

"This is going to be a headache and a half, where's Lars when you need him?" Artemis sighed as she shook her head wistfully.

__twilight manor__

There were currently three familias gathered at the Loki familia's home.

Lars was carrying their banner, a white flag with a picture of Demeter on it, surrounded by golden wheat.

"Did you really have to use a realistic depiction of our goddess for our banner? She was embarrassed as hell about it." Airmid looked at him incredulously.

"Hmm, it's for the glory of my fuwa fuwa goddess, everybody should know her fluffiness." Lars nodded sagely.

"Goddess Demeter is quite pitiful." Elnea seemed to pray for her well being.

"Her dignity is in shambles." Belnas can't imagine a picture of her being waved around through Orario.

"You're vicious, I love it." Tione grinned at him, Kaguya smirked and Tiona was amused as hell.

"Belnas, Elnea!? Are you conspiring with them!? How about Kali-sama's mission for us!?" Argana glared at them.

As far as Bache and Argana knows, they were in a long term mission to infiltrate Orario, get stronger. Then try to kidnap Lars in order to have the best breeding stock ever.

Turning him into a communal husband that will give birth to the newest generation of amazoness that would have unparalleled strength.

"Heh, what are you gonna do about it?" Lars put his arms around Belnas and Elnea and they stood their stoically.

Tione gave him the stink eye while Bache thought of talking to Loki to do a little switcheroo.

'How envious... They look like they're enjoying their new life.' Bache stared at them, especially Tiona who was her charge back in Telskyura.

She did not agree with Kali's ways after all. "Do not fear, for I am here!" Alise was carrying the Astraea familia's banner and Ryuu blushed at her antics.

"Alise... You're embarrassing us!" She whispered to her.

"Hmph, can't you see, Lion? They're dumbstruck by yours truly's beauty and strength!" Alise laughed like an ojou-sama.

"You know, I love her to bits. But she's a pain in the ass." Lyra sighed.

"That's what makes her interesting." Kaguya chuckled.

"Those two groups are quite eccentric... Are we going to be fine?" Riveria sighed.

"They might be... A little weird. But the majority of them are 1st class adventurers, Riveria." Finn smiled wryly.

Not to mention that the silver saintess was with them. She is the ultimate healer and warrior combined in one.

"Besides, their good spirit is quite infectious, no?" Gareth laughed, he was more carefree. Being an old man now.

"Tsk, like hell it is." Bete grumbled as he kicked a rock. Looking like an edgy teenager.

"Lars, it seems we'll be having an adventure." Ais' monotonous expression can't hide her excitement.

She looks like she wants to bounce around in joy, twitchy as hell.

"How about it Finn, let's get this party started yeah?" Lars smiled at them.

"Yeah, listen! We'll be going for the 59th floor and beyond! Surpassing the Zeus and Hera familias!" Finn hyped them up and the adventurers were excited.

The Loki familia's 2nd string. The 2nd class adventurers, cheered.

"Uhhh, where's your stuff though?" Lefiya asked Lars as she didn't see them bring any, not even weapons. Airmid was the only one who was armored too.

"Ohh, that?" Lars grinned at her and he snapped his fingers as the weapons of their team appeared from thin air.

He wasn't afraid to show it to everybody now. "I believe that your executives didn't tell you, we don't need supporters. I am the ultimate supporter." Lars chuckled.

"That's crazy convenient..." Lefiya was shocked and Finn clicked his tongue in envy.

"Now, lug around your baggage, boys and girls. We're going for an adventure." Lars had a smug look on his face.

"Please don't tease them too much, Lars-sama." Haruhime sighed at him.

They marched towards the dungeon and the whole city was watching them.

"Smile and wave, girls, smile and wave." Lars instructed as he made some girls swoon with his gorgeous smile.

"Tch, stop attracting hussies left and right." Tione clicked her tongue.

Arriving at the entrance of the dungeon, Lars' group went to the front.

"We'll bulldoze through the dungeon, Finn. That's okay with you, right?" Lars smiled and Finn nodded.

"Knock yourself out." Finn shrugged and Lars looked at the team. He then gave them throwing knives.

"Come on, no time to waste." Lars lead the expedition and they started killing anything that appeared.

Throwing knives at the monsters that were emerging from the wall. They couldn't even get out first before something stabbed them through the skull.

With amazing precision and accuracy, the hordes of monsters that increased due to the size of the group were culled down like grass.

"They sure are amazing with those." Ais looked at them with sparkling eyes.

The Loki familia watched in awe at the sight. They created a path so smoothly. Lars' group was moving like clockwork.

A well oiled machine with a sole purpose of killing monsters left and right.

And within thirty minutes, they arrived at the wall of sorrow where the goliath spawns.

"Take care of it, Airmid. You need as much excelia as you need." Lars looked at her and she nodded.

Belnas and Elnea winced when they heard her chanting. They still remembered her offensive magic that lit up Telskyura's skies like it was the zenith of noon.

"Daybreak!" Spears of light rained upon the goliath as it roared. Explosions drowning out the monster rex's cries.

"W-wha?" Riveria can't believe that a level 4 can match her firepower, a level 6 elf who specializes in magic.

"Area's clear, Lars." Airmid said like she just stole candy from a baby, effortless.

"Umu, good work. You will be fighting Amphisbaena solo as well, you will be leveling up in this expedition." Lars nodded in satisfaction.

"They're crazy." Finn can't believe that he was going to let a level 4 fight a level 6 monster rex.

"They're cool..." Ais looked at their group with sparkling eyes.

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Thanks for reading everyone, ciao.