Chapter 119: Chapter 119
Word that Ishtar had been sent back to Heaven for wielding her divine power without permission tore through Orario in a matter of hours, and everyone had an opinion about it.
Before people could really dig into it, though, a second rumor swept the first one clean off the table.
The Hestia Familia was mounting an expedition.
"Hold on—doesn’t the Hestia Familia have exactly one member? How’s one guy supposed to run an expedition?"
"One guy’s plenty when he’s that guy. Sure, he’s only Level 3, but he wiped out the entire Ishtar Familia on his own! For someone like that, an expedition’s nothing."
"And it’s only down to the 25th Floor. That’s well within reach."
"He’s still alone, though. He won’t even get a proper night’s sleep."
One of the female adventurers said it with real heat in her voice.
"I don’t care how strong he is! Go long enough with no one watching your back and you break down. It’s just a matter of time."
That struck a chord.
Heads bobbed all around the room—female adventurers, women from the city, plenty of them nodding along.
Ever since the chaos that had rocked Orario, Kiriya’s popularity in the Labyrinth City had shot straight up, and it hadn’t taken long for him to gather a devoted following.
Some were won over by his strength; a good many more were simply there for the face.
Either way, they tracked his every move—so the second they caught wind of the Guild handing him such a deal, the complaints started flying.
Those Guild people had no heart!
They worked adventurers like pack mules and called it policy!
Not them, of course. They just felt for the poor, gorgeous boy.
Which, naturally, was exactly the kind of talk that set the veteran’s teeth on edge.
"And what’s that supposed to mean? We can run expeditions but he can’t? So his neck’s worth protecting and ours are worth spit?"
"Please. You don’t sweat and bleed and get pushed to your limit, you never get strong. That’s how it works."
"Right. So he’s alone—so what? Real fighters don’t stand around whining about the conditions."
"If he’s scared of a little pain, why pick up a sword in the first place? Go home and cry to his mother."
And just like that, the two sides began arguing fiercely.
From the market stalls to the tavern benches, you could hear the same argument breaking out everywhere.
Public grumbling was one thing, though.
The Guild’s decision didn’t so much as wobble.
The rule was simple: past a certain point, a Familia strong enough to go didn’t get to opt out.
The stronger you were, the more the city leaned on you.
The Loki and Freya Familias—Orario’s two heavyweights—had spent years down in the Deep Floors, running operations as far as the 59th.
So why should Kiriya get a pass?
* * *
In a quiet corner of the Guild hall, Eina was helping Kiriya prepare for his expedition.
"The 25th Floor is already deep into the Dungeon’s lower reaches. Compared to the Middle Floors you’ve handled—thirteen down through twenty-four—the difficulty climbs fast."
"The terrain down there is a maze, and it’s terribly easy to lose your way. You’ll want a detailed map, and honestly, an experienced guide to go with you—"
She pushed a stack of notes across the table.
"These are the records on every monster between the 21st and 25th Floors. I organized them as clearly as I could—it’s all here. You’ve still got a day, so memorize as much as you can."
"And don’t underestimate your gear and supplies. You need weapons and armor you can actually rely on, with the durability to last—ideally forged by one of the veteran smiths in the Hephaestus Familia. Strong healing potions, magic-stone lamps that won’t burn out on you halfway down—"
On and on it went, Eina laying out everything he’d need to know before setting foot on the 25th Floor.
And the longer she talked, the more wound up she got, until finally she slapped both hands on the table and shot to her feet, her voice climbing high.
"Ahh, there’s just too much to get ready! Kiriya-san, are you sure you won’t recruit even a couple of party members?"
Across from her, Kiriya calmly sipped his tea.
Watching the half-elf work herself into such a state, he couldn’t help but smile.
"Relax, Eina. I’m the one going to the 25th Floor, not you. I’m not even nervous, and here you are panicking on my behalf."
"Kiriya-san!"
Her voice jumped again.
"An expedition to the lower floors isn’t a game. With that many monsters and the fighting never letting up, even you will get worn down. Party members matter."
"All right, all right, I was wrong."
He threw both hands up in surrender—then added, with perfect innocence, the line that put color in her cheeks.
"Forgive me for not appreciating how much Eina-chan worries about me."
Eina was a good few years older than the boy across the table, and yet being called "Eina-chan" by him still left her oddly flustered.
For all that, she didn’t actually mind it.
If anything, some small part of her was pleased.
Catching where her thoughts had drifted, she cleared her throat twice to cover it.
"If you want the help, I can introduce you to some suitable adventurers."
"I’d love reliable teammates, believe me. But the weak ones would only slow me down, and the strong ones already belong to a Familia."
He spread his hands.
"So there’s no point wearing yourself out over it. Going alone isn’t so bad, really. If things go south, it’s a lot easier to run when it’s just me."
"Mm..."
She turned it over and, reluctantly, had to concede he had a point.
All she could do was nod—though she couldn’t stop herself from adding one more thing.
"Even so, please be careful. Adventurer or not, you never gamble with your life."
"Of course, of course."
He nodded along, quick and easy.
Whether a word of it had actually stuck—well, only he knew that.
He was already getting up to leave when Eina held out a notebook and a pen.
"Hm? Another form to sign?"
"No... um..."
Her face went redder, her gaze skittering off to the side.
"It’s... Misha. She’s a friend of mine, and she really wants your autograph."
"Oh. So it’s not Eina-chan who wants it, then?"
Kiriya looked crushed.
The expression made her heart trip, and she blurted out, "No—I want one too."
"Well, if Eina-chan asking, how could I say no?"
He took the notebook and pen and signed his name in Koine.
For Eina’s, of course, he added a little something extra. Handing it back, he leaned in close to her ear and read it aloud, soft.
"To the cutest Eina-chan. May she always be happy."
Her heart slammed against her ribs—thud, thud, thud.
Her head went light, and she didn’t even register the moment Kiriya slipped out the door.
....
Having thoroughly flustered his advisor, Kiriya set off to find Hestia.
Ever since that last wall between them had come down, things had warmed up at a frankly alarming pace.
These days Hestia would happily have glued herself to his side twenty-four hours a day.
So when he’d mentioned he was heading to the Guild to ask about a few things, she’d tagged along without a second thought.
"Somebody’s got to protect you from those awful women," she’d declared.
A lovely sentiment.
Reality, as usual, had other plans.
The instant she set foot in the Guild, a whole flock of goddesses closed in, swept her off into a side room, and announced they were finally having that long-overdue "girls’ talk" and Kiriya was not to interfere.
Since he had studying to do anyway, that suited him fine.
But now the homework was done, and it was time to collect his goddess and head home.
He’d just reached the door and raised a hand to knock when his sharp ears caught a phrase from the other side.
"That’s enough out of you, you shameless harpies!"
Kiriya froze mid-knock.
What in the world was going on in there?
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