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Ding... ding... boom...

The sound of metal clashing and other noises echoed in the silent dungeon. Among the dark and dangerous corridors, the noise caught the attention of Finn and the members of Loki Familia accompanying him.

"Captain, it seems like there's a fight up ahead. Should we check it out?" Tiona asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she tightly gripped Urga, the large sword that was her weapon of choice.

Finn nodded, his sharp gaze scanning the source of the noise ahead.

"From the sounds, it seems like a weapon clash. This could be a fight between adventurers. Let's see what's happening."

He led Loki Familia toward the source of the noise, followed by Tiona, Tione, Raul, and other second-line members.

Upon reaching the location, they saw five male adventurers surrounding three female adventurers. Anyone watching would know that the group of male adventurers had malicious intent, while the women were the targets and victims. This situation triggered Finn's protective instincts, and his team members felt the same. Known as Brave, Finn was the hope for the glory of the Pallum race. As an adventurer dreaming of becoming a hero, he would certainly not allow such evil to unfold before him.

As Loki Familia arrived, Asuna and her companions also spotted them, but before she could think further, the leader of the group attacked. Dodging the slash, Asuna retreated.

"Damn it. Why is Loki Familia here? Captain, what should we do?" asked a stout adventurer who had fought against Yui earlier.

"What else? Of course, we retreat," replied the captain angrily.

"Tiona, stop them," Finn ordered as he saw the assailants trying to flee.

With incredible speed, Tiona shot forward like an arrow, Urga poised to intercept the attackers. The men, who had been trying to surround them, now looked frightened as they realized the presence of Loki Familia.

"Damn, we can't escape. Fight!" shouted the leader, but Tiona gave them no chance. In an instant, she was in front of them, and with one swift movement, she knocked the attackers down with a single powerful blow. The men were unable to react and fell to the ground in pain.

"Thank you for your help. My name is Asuna, and these are Yui and Yuuki," Asuna said, leading her two companions to express their gratitude to Tiona and Finn.

"You're welcome. I'm Finn, captain of Loki Familia," Finn replied, carefully observing the three adventurers.

"What exactly happened?"

Asuna briefly explained,

"We don't know for sure. After defeating a Minotaur, we intended to rest in a safe area, but they suddenly blocked our path."

Finn nodded, still analyzing the situation.

"I see... By the way, which Familia are you from? I haven't heard your names before," Finn asked, his curiosity piqued. As the captain of a Familia, he was accustomed to managing both internal and external affairs. He recognized most level 2 adventurers in Orario, except those who concealed their levels.

Asuna smiled. "We're from Vermilion Familia. Of course, you haven't heard of us because our Familia was just established a few days ago."

"What??!" Finn exclaimed, as did the other members of Loki Familia. They were surprised to find themselves facing novice adventurers.

Raul, standing next to Finn, furrowed his brow. "But... who can reach floor 16 and defeat a Minotaur if they're still level 1?"

"That's what surprised us," Tione added, looking at Asuna with curiosity. "How did you make it this far?"

"Tiona, don't ask about other people's secrets," Tione snapped at her younger sister, who had a straightforward personality.

"I apologize for my member's rude question; she meant no harm, but your achievements are quite astonishing," Finn said, genuinely apologizing.

"It's alright; we understand. If there's nothing else, we'll be on our way. We owe you a debt of gratitude," Asuna replied, not caring about Tiona's question.

Watching Asuna and the others disappear down the corridor, Finn pulled his gaze away. "It seems that soon there will be another strong Familia rising in Orario," Finn remarked.

"Yeah. Speaking of which, Captain, what should we do with these guys?" Tione asked Finn while kicking the five captured men.

"Hmmm... we'll hand them over to Ganesha Familia. Bete, you go back to Orario and inform Ganesha Familia about this incident," Finn instructed Bete.

Ganesha Familia was the largest of all the Familias in Orario, with the most members and also the highest number of top-class adventurers, including a total of eleven Level 5s. They had over a hundred high-level adventurers, with at least thirty of them at Level 3 or higher. They acted as the military police of Orario, responsible for the city's security.

Although Bete was annoyed at having to do this seemingly pointless task, since it was Finn's order, he had no choice but to carry it out. In a few leaps, Bete quickly vanished from their sight.

.....

Meanwhile, in the bustling streets of Orario, Noah and Hestia stood at a small stall selling fried potato balls. The savory and crispy aroma of freshly fried potato balls filled the air, attracting the attention of many passersby. A brightly colored banner reading *Fried Potato Balls* fluttered above their heads, giving off a warm and inviting vibe.

"Over here, over here! Fresh fried potato balls!" Hestia shouted enthusiastically, offering the potato balls to the visitors passing by. Her cheerful smile drew many people in to try them.

Noah, standing beside her, also smiled. "Once again, Hestia, don't overdo it. We need to maintain quality!" he said while checking the pot full of potato balls.

Hestia nodded, "Of course! But look, we've sold a lot today. If we keep this up, we can restock!"

"Yes, but we don't want to sacrifice taste just to get more customers," Noah explained, keeping an eye on the frying potato balls.

The two of them worked well together. Hestia managed the sales and greeted customers, while Noah was responsible for cooking and maintaining food quality.

After a while, a group of adventurers passed by their stall.

"You have to try these potato balls! They're the best in Orario!" Hestia exclaimed, grabbing their attention.

One of the adventurers, a burly man, approached and tried a potato ball. "Hmm, this is delicious! I'll buy some!" he said with a smile.

Hestia felt proud to see so many satisfied customers. "Thank you! We will keep striving to provide the best," she said with a smile.

However, as the cheerful atmosphere continued, suddenly a bad feeling enveloped Noah. He sensed an unusual tremor, as if something was wrong.

"Hestia," he said, his voice serious and firm.

"Hm? What's wrong, Noah?" Hestia asked, noticing the change in his expression.

"Noah, you look worried. What's happening?" she pressed again, more urgently.

"It seems there's a problem with Asuna and the others," Noah replied, his eyes sharp as he stared toward the dungeon.

"Hestia, I have to go," Noah said, unable to shake the growing sense of foreboding. He knew he had to act quickly before it was too late.

"Stop! Wait!" Hestia shouted, trying to catch up with him. "I'm coming too!"

Without waiting for Hestia, Noah quickly rushed off. Seeing this, Hestia immediately left her stall and followed Noah. Together, they ran toward the Dungeon, rapidly making their way through the bustling streets of Orario.

Finally, they arrived at the entrance of Babel Tower, where adventurers typically gathered. Just as Noah was about to enter the dungeon, suddenly, Asuna's face appeared in the crowd. She looked tired but safe, followed by Yui and Yuuki. They had just exited the dungeon, and the relieved expressions on their faces made Noah feel a bit more at ease.

"Asuna! Yui! Yuuki!" Noah shouted, running toward them. Hestia followed closely behind, her face filled with concern.

"Are you all okay?" Noah asked, looking at them anxiously.

Asuna smiled, despite her fatigue. "We're fine, Noah. We just got out after facing some issues, but we managed."

Noah breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing them safe.

"Yui and Yuuki are okay too," Asuna added, turning her gaze to her two friends.

"Yeah, we're fine, Papa," Yui replied cheerfully, although fatigue was evident on her face.

"I feel very lucky to have gotten out safely," Yuuki added, a wide smile lighting up her face.

After confirming that Asuna and the others were safe, Noah let out a long breath. "I'm so grateful you all are okay. Let's go home and rest," he said, feeling the burden on his shoulders begin to lift.

Asuna nodded. "We do need to rest after everything that happened in the dungeon."

On the way back, they shared stories about their experiences in the dungeon. Asuna recounted how they managed to fend off a group of attackers and faced some very strong monsters. Noah listened attentively, feeling pride in all their accomplishments.

"And we also met Loki Familia at that time," Asuna continued. "They helped us handle the dangerous situation."

Noah nodded, understanding that Asuna meant they owed them gratitude.

After arriving home, they sat together in the living room, enjoying a simple meal. The warm and familiar atmosphere made them feel comfortable.

After eating, Noah decided to discuss future plans. "For safety, from now on you should take Teigu with you."

Teigu, although a product from a lower world in terms of mystery and magic, should not be underestimated; each Teigu has value and power that can rival magical swords in the Danmachi world, and some special Teigu possess even greater strength than magical swords, such as Demon God Manifestation: Demon's Extract belonging to Esdwth, which could even freeze time and space.

Additionally, unlike magical swords that would shatter after use, Teigu could be utilized as long as the user had sufficient physical strength or other energy.

Asuna nodded in agreement.

"Yes, we know. But we'll only use Teigu in urgent situations."