51 First Expedition

Hephaestus felt incredibly conflicted.

Hestia was her close friend. They had always shared a good relationship in Heaven, and even after descending to the human world, Hephaestus had taken care of Hestia. So, when Hestia finally found her Familia, Hephaestus was genuinely happy for her.

Altair's performance at the time had been outstanding as well. His relationship with Hestia wasn't just that of a Familia member and their goddess... it was also that of a deeply loving couple. The pure love between a mortal and a god made even Hephaestus a little envious.

But today, she noticed that something had changed.

Just last night, Hestia had introduced her to her newly recruited Familia member, and today, Hephaestus saw Altair, who had always been so affectionate with Hestia, acting intimately with this new Familia member.

What should she do about this?

As Hestia's friend, Hephaestus wasn't sure if she should tell Hestia. If she didn't say anything, her friend would continue to be deceived by Altair, becoming the betrayed one. But if she did tell Hestia, it would certainly break her heart, and once Altair found out, he would surely leave Hestia's Familia. And when that happened, the new member, Saeko Busujima, would definitely leave as well.

After all, stealing the affection of her goddess would make it impossible for her to stay in the Familia.

At that point, Hestia would return to her previous state... no Familia, completely alone. If word of this spread, she would become the laughingstock of all of Orario, and her chances of recruiting any new Familia members would vanish.

So, feeling that she had uncovered something truly problematic, Hephaestus was left in a terrible dilemma, unsure of whether to speak up or stay silent.

"Why did I have to see that? Why couldn't I have just missed it?!"

Crouched inside her shop, Hephaestus clutched her head, utterly conflicted.

While Hephaestus was wrestling with the situation caused by Altair and Saeko's affair, the two in question had already ventured into the dungeon.

"The monsters ahead shouldn't be too difficult. I think you can handle them easily."

In the dungeon, Altair stood behind Saeko, assuming the role of the man supporting her from the shadows.

"Don't worry about anything else, just kill every monster you see."

"Kill every monster I see?"

Hearing Altair's words, Saeko's expression visibly twisted into something ferocious. Having awakened her Sword Demon skill, her thirst for battle was growing by the moment.

"Yes, kill them all."

Altair whispered softly into Saeko's ear, his voice like the murmurs of a devil.

Upon hearing this, Saeko's face lit up with an eager, bloodthirsty grin. She slowly unsheathed the katana at her waist and began making her way deeper into the dungeon.

Sensing the presence of intruders, the dungeon responded by spawning a horde of monsters. As soon as these creatures appeared, they immediately locked onto the slowly advancing Saeko and charged at her with deafening roars.

With a flick of her wrist, Saeko dashed forward, becoming a blur as she activated her Sword Demon skill. In an instant, she cut down all the approaching monsters.

In her wake, only the bodies of slain monsters remained, quickly dissipating into nothingness, leaving behind magic stones.

After finishing off the monsters, Saeko stood in place, panting heavily. Her excitement mirrored the thrill she had felt when slaying zombies in the Highschool of the Dead world.

"Go on. There's an endless number of monsters here. Kill them all!"

Once again, Altair appeared behind her, whispering devilishly into her ear. With this encouragement, Saeko took a deep breath, tightened her grip on her katana, and resolutely moved deeper into the dungeon.

Altair watched her determined figure with a satisfied smile. Then, he crouched down to pick up the magic stones scattered on the ground. Having a capable and fierce wife like Saeko who was also gentle was truly something special.

On this trip to the dungeon, it seemed that his role had shifted to that of a supporter for a rookie adventurer.

After collecting the magic stones, Altair quickly followed Saeko, ready to gather more.

Altair and Saeko spent five hours inside the dungeon. During this time, Saeko had been like a demon, slaying every monster she encountered with a single strike. She advanced rapidly, instantly assessing each monster's weaknesses and dispatching them with precision, without a single wasted movement.

Altair had watched the entire massacre unfold from behind. At first, he thought Saeko's fighting style was cool, but by the time she had slain a Minotaur with one blow, he found it almost terrifying.

Back in the Highschool of the Dead world, Altair had been able to suppress Saeko thanks to his Level 2 strength and Tom's Body. But now, facing her again, he wasn't so sure he could still beat her.

With her unbreakable katana and the awakening of her Sword Demon skill, Altair wasn't confident his lightsaber would stand a chance. However, with the agility of Tom's Body, he figured he could at least avoid being hit and ensure he wouldn't lose.

Still, after letting Saeko vent in the dungeon, he didn't have to worry about her wanting to spar with him later. After all, he was her beloved husband.

After five hours of watching Saeko cut down every monster in her path, they finally reached the 13th floor, where she collapsed from exhaustion. Altair, who had been trailing her the whole time, rushed forward to catch her before she fell, sheathed her katana, and carried her on his back.

And thus, the first expedition of Hestia Familia came to an end. Altair, Saeko, and a haul of magic stones quickly made their way back to the surface.

No doubt, Saeko had gained plenty from this first dungeon adventure.

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