An Elf’s Troubles

About two hours later, Riveria was pacing around nervously at the meeting spot. Due to there only being a few tens of people here, the assaults from monsters weren't as overwhelming as during their descent and the vast majority could kick back and relax while a handful of main force members handled all of the occasionally approaching enemies.

'The girls still aren't back! Are they okay!?'

Although she tried to not let it show on her face, Riveria was very nervous. Usually, when given such an easy task, Ais, Tiona and Tione would return very quickly. Now that the agreed upon time was almost upon them, there was still no sign of them. Could they have run into some unforeseen difficulties?

Out of the corner of his eyes, Gareth glanced at his worried comrade, then decided to stay quiet. He had a lot more faith in the girls, as he didn't think anything on this floor could truly endanger them. They were probably just taking their sweet time or had discovered something interesting. Seeing no need to fret over it, he returned his attention to Finn and continued their casual conversation.

At that moment, while Riveria was glancing over at a few hallways connecting to the room they were in, she noticed someone's head poking out from one of them stealthily. It was Tiona! Just what was that girl doing? If she was here, she should just come on over.

Right before she could call out to her, the two locked eyes and Tiona hastily raised a finger to her lips, begging the stern Elf to stay quiet. Then, she signalled for her to come on over. Seeing the somewhat guilty and panicked expression on the young Amazoness' face, Riveria's expression softened and a sigh escaped her lips. Telling the others that she would take a short walk, she excused herself and walked towards the hallway Tiona was located in.

Considering how Riveria was capable of comparatively effortless Concurrent Chanting and even her physical stats were quite impressive, the weak Level 5 monsters on this floor couldn't even dream of harming her. Because of this, nobody bat an eye at her request, as it wasn't that unusual for the Top Executives to wander off on their own occasionally. Only Finn had noticed Tiona's appearance, but he didn't make a fuss about it. If the girls didn't want to be noticed, he wouldn't expose them. He was only glad that at least one of them was now confirmed to be safe and sound. In any case, Riveria would be enough to handle any situation the girls could be involved in.

When Riveria turned a corner and got close enough to have a close look at Tiona and the accompanying Ais and Tione, she was saddened to see that they looked a little roughed up. Many bruises covered them and even a few burn marks could be seen. Parts of their armours had been damaged. Well, the Amazonesses didn't really wear any armour, just relatively casual clothing, so only Ais' armour had lost a bit of its splendor. Even more than the sadness, what filled the Elf's heart was a powerful sense of relief. The girls were alive! Anything else didn't really matter in the face of this.

Before she could give them their well-deserved scolding for making her this worried, Riveria was surprised to see Ais raise one of her hands to get her attention, showing a rare serious look on her face.

"Riveria. Please keep what you're about to see a secret. It's related to Isaac's abilities and if they became common knowledge, it would be a bit annoying."

Without any hesitation, Riveria nodded in compliance. Inwardly, however, she couldn't help but become a little exasperated. What kind of trouble did he cause now? And how did it lead to her little girls getting harmed like that?

"First, have a look at this. It's a storage ability that Isaac shared with me."

Giving the motherly Elf no more opportunity to ponder, a bottle filled with Cadmus Spring Water instantly appeared in Ais' hand, out of nowhere. This shocked Riveria to the core. Of course she had heard of storage magic before, but wasn't this a chant-less and instant one? Considering her current magical knowledge, this should be an impossibility.

"I used this ability to store all of the water in the Cadmus Spring."

To show that she wasn't just spouting empty words, Ais had multiple additional bottles of the spring water appear in her hands.

A satisfied smile spread on Riveria's lips. They should have gotten about 500 liters if her estimates were correct. Usually, the expedition party didn't have an opportunity to get all of it, so this was a great haul. Considering the girls' roughed up states, they had probably sneaked up on the spring with this ability in mind and got hurt by Cadmus while they were escaping. Yeah, that would certainly explain everything. They hadn't technically disobeyed any orders, as they had only been asked to not directly engage Cadmus in battle.

Right when Riveria had deduced as such, Ais' next revelations completely blew her mind. The usually calm and collected Elf couldn't help but weakly lean against the wall, blankly staring at the ground in front of her.

What poured out of the thin air were hundreds of Cadmus Hides! There was even a special one that seemed to have come from a variant. At first, Riveria had still tried to convince herself that the three girls had simply slain a single Cadmus and used some sort of broken duplication ability - probably courtesy of Isaac - to create this many of the drop items. But what about the variant Cadmus Hide? It couldn't be explained if she stuck with that train of thought. The only option was that the three girls had faced hundreds of Cadmus dragons, with even a variant one in the mix. While dealing with such a situation might be possible for her and the other Top Executives, she hadn't thought the three girls were already capable of such a feat.

"I wanted to fight Cadmus on my own at first, because I thought I could beat it without a problem. And I was right."

Somewhat guiltily, Ais couldn't help but look at the ground in embarrassment when she arrived at this point. After all, everything that had happened was due to her selfish desire. But before Riveria could even start reprimanding her for such a dangerous - albeit successful - decision, the explanation continued.

"Then when I cleared out the spring, it seems like I accidentally took about a billion liters."

As the Amazoness twins hadn't been aware of this at all, they both joined Riveria in almost keeling over when hearing these news. What kind of monstrous haul was this?! Would anyone even be able to buy all of this off of them? They would crash the market if they even shared a tiny fraction of it with the public!

"And then, the dungeon started to shake and hundreds of Cadmus dragons appeared from the walls, led by a variant."

Having her own suspicions confirmed like that was surprisingly a lot to take in, so Riveria sat down powerlessly to try to hasten the process.

"After a few hours of killing, we noticed that we were running late and picked up all the drop items and magic stones we could find before teleporting here. Oh, teleporting is also an ability Isaac shared with me."

At this point, Riveria was already numb to these shocking revelations. With somewhat lifeless eyes, she stared at the three girls while trying to accept that Isaac could grant Ais a teleportation ability. It was… surprisingly easy to do. Mostly because just now she had given up on trying to understand the young man. It became painfully obvious to her that she had severely underestimated him. But that wasn't really her fault. After all, not even the gods had such powers down here in the Lower World. Expecting a mysterious young man to surpass even them was anything but rational.

But if an instant, chant-less storage magic and teleportation were just the abilities that Isaac had given Ais access to, how much more mind-boggling would the ones he was keeping for himself be? Well, there was no use thinking about it. Riveria was now fully aware of why it would be a bad idea for others to become aware of what Isaac could do, especially in his current state. It would even bring a lot of trouble to their familia's doorstep, not just his. On second thought, scratch that. Isaac's doorstep was the familia's doorstep.

After contemplating for a bit, Riveria realized that she couldn't cover up what just happened in its entirety and decided on a somewhat ideal course of action. She had Ais take out a bit more of the Cadmus Spring Water, let her put away all but the variant's hide and magic stone and then let the girls carry their spoils of war towards the others. In any case, even if they only publicized this much, it was enough to explain the appearance of several more Level 6's amongst them in the near future.

Thinking about how her little girls would soon catch up to her, while she admittedly was feeling a bit of melancholy, Riveria was also truly happy for them. After all, if they got stronger, they would be able to keep themselves safe from more dangers.

When the rest of the waiting main force members heard about the late arrivals' exploits, they erupted into disbelieving cheers. Only Finn seemed to be unconvinced by the story Riveria told them, but as he was well aware that she wouldn't obscure details without a reason, he decided to wait for a private explanation from her. There was no need to interrupt her plans.

"Congratulations on your safe return and taking down a variant Cadmus!"

A bright smile spread across the Pallum's handsome face, evoking a certain Amazoness' excited gasps.

Such a huge commotion obviously couldn't escape Bete's notice. While observing everything from the very back of the group, he stared at the three girls with disbelief painted all over his face. He was well aware of how strong a regular Cadmus was. While he might have a chance of beating it, he knew he wasn't a match for a variant at all. The only choice he would have was to run for his life and pray to their goddess, hoping for a miracle. And yet, his three comrades managed to slay such a foe and stay relatively unharmed?!

Once he tried to think of an explanation for this, for some reason, Isaac's visage couldn't help but come to mind. He didn't know why, but he was sure that the new guy had some kind of connection to what was happening, causing him to feel even more worried about his agreed upon duel with him in the future. Although he had increased his strength quite significantly in the past weeks, he felt like he was still too slow. But while this worsened his mood, it also made his fighting spirit burn brighter. With a rebellious snarl, he turned around and decided to help out the ones currently on defense duty, not listening to the excited uproar behind him any longer.

-----

After everyone had returned to the 50th floor and had eaten dinner, at about 9 p.m., Finn, Gareth, Riveria, Ais, Tiona, Tione, Lefiya and Isaac assembled in the command tent. Seeing that Lefiya accompanied the group as well, Riveria nodded to herself. It seemed like her young protégé was in the know as well. This didn't really come as a surprise to her.

Thanks to Ais telling him all about what transpired today, Isaac had a pretty good idea of what was about to happen, so he wasn't nervous in the least. Well, even if he was in an entirely foreign and unexpected situation, with Ais at his side, he wouldn't lose his calm.

Riveria shot Isaac a somewhat wry smile, then turned to face Finn and Gareth, who nodded at her supportively, before looking back at the young man.

"Sorry for putting you on the spot like this. I'm sure you're already aware, but Ais has shown me some of your capabilities earlier and - with her consent - I told Finn and Gareth about them. Know that we'll take these secrets with us to our graves and that you don't have to show or tell us anything. I just wanted you to know that you can trust us to keep your secrets."

Now it was Isaac's turn to show a wry smile, as the severity of Riveria's words was truly a bit exaggerated. Well, it wasn't really, but as the amount of danger he would need to be in to start to get worried was nigh unachievable, his own perceptions of such things couldn't be fully relied upon.

While both Finn and Gareth had a similar serious look on their face as their Elf companion, the girls just kicked back and enjoyed the show. All of this was nothing new to them and they were just bystanders right now anyway.

"I appreciate it, but you really don't need to be that concerned about it. Even if by some accident people find out about some of my abilities, they won't be more than a slight annoyance in the short term. And after that, they might as well be dust. Anyway, let me just showcase and explain to you what you already know about."

In quick succession, Isaac took out random items from his inventory and piled them up on the ground, then touched them to let them disappear again.

"Although it might appear to be a Magic, it's not. I call it the inventory and I can store anything I want in there. No matter the amount."

Giving the three Top Executives no time to interject, Isaac suddenly appeared at the other end of the command tent. There was no time lag and no indication that he had prepared anything.

"Teleportation is instant and any place that either Ais or I have visited ever since we met can be chosen as a target. As long as people are within a five meter distance from me, I can decide to bring them along as well. Oh, and it's also not a Magic. You can ask Loki if you want to make doubly sure."

While Riveria had already seen Ais use the inventory before, Finn and Gareth hadn't. So they were anything but calm when Isaac showcased these two abilities back to back. Comparatively, Riveria was a lot better off, so she momentarily showed a somewhat smug smile when observing the others' astonishment. Then, she told Isaac that there was no need to ask Loki about it - now that he had chosen to tell them about it, they would trust him fully.

"I'm wondering… could this inventory of yours be used to support expeditions?"

After thinking about it for a while, Finn couldn't help but show some interest in the logistical help it could provide. Of course, Isaac had already prepared an answer to this question weeks ago.

"Theoretically, yes. I could take over the duties of all supporters easily, making expeditions go very smoothly. But I would highly advise against it. After all, I won't be here forever and if everyone starts to rely on me too much, they'll be incapable of advancing on their own the moment I'm not around. Also, our supporters would lose their jobs and lose opportunities to observe how the main force members deal with specific monsters. While they would be able to focus solely on the growth of their strength, these exhibitions of theoretical knowledge are important for their survival. Also, some people are just not cut out to be adventurers and would rather prefer being a supporter."

Seeing Isaac shake his head and hearing his explanation, Finn couldn't help but agree. Additionally, he felt a little reluctant about what Isaac had hinted at - his departure. Even if it took a few tens of years, hearing him say that this familia wasn't his final destination was still saddening news. Even more so for the girls, who had grown quite close to him.

As he had already expected such a reaction as well, Isaac showed a consoling smile and prepared to cheer them up a little again. He couldn't just give them the stick - there also needed to be a carrot.

"Fret not. I was only talking about official expeditions. If you want to delve deep into the dungeon less publicly, you can ask me or Ais to teleport you there or join you on your venture anytime we're available. We won't get held back by lots of manpower and can go to deeper floors than anyone else had ever been to. Just make sure to keep it a secret."

Rather than just a carrot, this was a cake! Finn, Riveria and Gareth had long since stopped advancing, as they hadn't been able to fully max out their Level 6 stats and face strong enough opponents to qualify to break past the wall to Level 7. The main reason for this was that they always had to bring along a huge group of people, which inevitably slowed them down. Of course, once those grew stronger as well, their investment would pay off and they could rise again. But now that they could potentially achieve this more quickly, with no downsides, why hesitate?

Although Finn was a little aggrieved over Isaac's refusal related to the official expeditions, once he heard his proposal, he finally let go of the short-term benefits. Isaac was right - if everyone relied upon him too much for their regular operations, they wouldn't be able to do their job properly when he left. As for relying on him for some extra benefits? That was fair game.

"In any case, now you know about some of my capabilities. Maybe you'll find out about more of them in the future. No matter what, I can assure you that the familia won't come to any harm."

Seeing her three mentors tell Isaac that they didn't doubt his words made Ais show an especially warm smile from the sidelines. It seemed to be strangely contagious, as the rest also started to sport happy expressions. But then, while smiling contentedly, Riveria remembered that she hadn't scolded the girls yet. Instantly, her eyebrows scrunched up and a frown appeared on her face.

"Ais. Tiona. Tione. I know everything worked out well. But you can't go against the Captain's orders on a whim! It's a matter of principle. If everyone did whatever they wanted, how could we possibly keep everything orderly?"

The girls were kneeling in front of the stern Elf with guilty expressions on their faces, trying their best not to show their relative boredom at having to listen to her rational complaints for… however long it would take. Seeing his beloved getting scolded like a child made Isaac smirk amusedly, before Finn's words distracted him and demanded his attention.

"I have a proposal for you…"

In the next few minutes, the two discussed a training plan for all the expedition party members, as well as the Executives and Top Executives. Isaac had long expected this and because he would have been doing something similar anyway, he agreed to giving the regular main force members and supporters pointers every two days. On the other days, it would be the Executives' turn in the evening, while the rest of the time, he was free to rest and recover.

Originally, Isaac had planned to request for a leave of absence to teleport to different floors for his own improvement. But no matter how safe he really was, he doubted he would be allowed to do so without being accompanied by some of the stronger familia members. Especially now that he had become such a huge factor in their future progress. Because of this, he stayed quiet on his nightly explorations - they would just worry needlessly if they knew about them, after all. And if worse came to worst, he might even have to endure one of Riveria's scoldings...

-----

Later that night, when Ais and Isaac were about to sleep, the nightgown-clad Lefiya made her way over to their partition. Her usual dirty thoughts seemed to be entirely absent this time, replaced by an unprecedented air of seriousness.

"Can I come in? I want to ask you something."

Keeping himself from saying something along the lines of "We can hear you just fine even if you don't.", Isaac glanced at Ais and upon seeing her approving nod allowed the young Elf to enter.

After nervously having sat down in the now somewhat cramped partition, Lefiya stared right into Isaac's eyes, took a deep breath and asked what had been on her mind ever since he had mentioned it earlier today.

"Will you two leave this world?"

A spark of understanding flashed in Isaac's eyes as he realized where this conversation was heading. But as he didn't see a need to deny that flow, he nodded his head.

"Someday? Yes, definitely."

Having her suspicions confirmed, Lefiya became a little sad and looked at Ais. This angel-like girl was her friend and also the one she looked up to the most. What would she do if Ais suddenly disappeared from this world forever? If it had been via death, she might have been able to accept it easier. But knowing she would still be alive after they would be permanently separated tore her up inside.

With that in mind, she looked back at the enigmatic young man in front of her. She had long since observed the people he surrounded himself with and knew that his subordinates would most likely have the highest chances of getting brought along for the journey. Although she had an inkling that there would be no way back, she had already decided. She would pledge her loyalty to this man.

It felt a little bit harder to speak the words she wanted to say when looking directly at him, so Lefiya closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then, before she could take that final step, she felt a strong hand gently patting her head and stroking her hair, while Isaac's familiar, calming voice entered her ears.

"I know what you want to do, but you don't need to. If you want to, you can come along. Ais would certainly be happy. Also, you see me as your friend and I wouldn't mind the company of such an adorable Elf."

The main reason Isaac stopped her was that he hadn't wanted one of Ais' close friends to become one of his subordinates. This would tilt his relationship with Lefiya in a way too subservient direction. They were already teacher and student, anything beyond this would make the interactions between the three of them too awkward. If that hadn't been the case, he would have accepted this lovely Elf into his ranks in a heartbeat.

Another reason was that, if everything went according to his current plans, Lefiya would still be able to meet with Ais even after the two had left this world. It wouldn't matter whether she came along. Because of this, he would feel a bit guilty if he lured her into making such a pivotal decision due to a simple misunderstanding. Still, there was no need to tell anyone of his long-term plans this early. They should just wait and see.

Somewhat distractedly, Isaac continued to stroke Lefiya's head, emulating how he usually treated Mina. Thinking about how he categorized one of his subordinates as more of a pet than a disposable tool, he couldn't help but smile wryly. Who was he even kidding? No matter how neatly organized he tried to keep all of his relations with other people, they were already starting to become a mess.

All of a sudden, Lefiya dodged his hand and buried herself into Ais' confused embrace, shivering and hiding her face. Her ears were fluttering about madly, having turned completely red. A certain thought crossed Isaac's mind, causing his smile to unnaturally stiffen.

Only after she had recovered in her friend's arms for a while did Lefiya turn back around to focus on him again, her eyes somewhat watery and a heavy blush all over her cheeks. After a few deep breaths, she shot him an accusative look.

"Y-You touched my ears… you have to take responsibility!"

'So it's really a cliché development like this…'

An annoyed sigh escaped Isaac's lips, then, with an unprecedentedly serious look on his face, he stared straight into the nervous Elven maiden's eyes.

"I refuse."