In the team, Tiona and Bete were quarreling again.
Seeing them like this, everyone smiled slightly, since these kinds of daily squabbles were nothing new.
-----------------------------------
Everyone gathered together, chatting and laughing as they left the main camp and walked along the garden path to the main street of the northern district.
As the [Loki Familia], renowned not only in all of Orario but even throughout the world, they quickly attracted the attention of many passersby, most of whom were adventurers.
"Look, it's the Loki Familia."
"I heard they just came back from an 'expedition'. Are they going to handle the spoils now?"
"Probably, but there's even bigger news. I heard the Guild's bulletin board already registered [Flame Demon] as Level 4."
"You're kidding, right? Lv.4 already?"
"Who knows, but that [Flame Demon] is a real monster. Rumor has it… he's unbeatable at his level."
"Unbeatable?"
"Yeah, that's what people from Rivira Town are saying…"
"Those guys from the dungeon city…"
"Yeah, and the rumor is 90% accurate. There was even a bounty list for him on the black market, though who knows which idiot posted it. It hasn't been seen recently anyway. And really, no one would dare take it unless they have a death wish, tsk tsk."
"Just remember, never provoke that guy."
"You think I need you to tell me? Forget being unbeatable at the same level, he's with the [Loki Familia]. Who would dare mess with them?"
"You'd be surprised. There actually are people stupid enough to try. I heard the Apollo Familia secretly made a lot of moves before, but… let me tell you quietly."
"What?"
"Shh, keep your voice down, this is sensitive information."
"Stop stalling, just spit it out already!"
The sneaky little pallum adventurer glanced around to make sure everyone was focused on the Loki Familia in the middle of the street, then whispered:
"I heard at the last Denatus, Lord Apollo tried to reach for [Flame Demon], but before he could even leave the 30th floor temple of Babel, a furious Loki kicked his 'third leg' off."
"Hissssssss…!"
This shocking bit of gossip made even Level 4 adventurers shiver and feel a chill down their spines.
"Let's go, let's go. From top to bottom, no one in the Loki Familia is easy to deal with. No wonder poor Bors got bullied so badly."
"..."
"..."
Leaving aside the gossip, most adventurers on the street stared wide-eyed at the Loki Familia's spoils.
"L-look at that… that hide…"
One well-equipped beastman youth, apparently a Level 2 adventurer, gasped in disbelief, pointing at the large trophy.
"Ah, that must be it."
"So strong… and their luck is insane too."
"That? What is that?" Another passerby asked curiously.
"Judging from your gear, you're Level 2, right? Then it's normal you don't know. Remember this, it's called 'Cadmus's Hide', a drop item from the 51st floor's 'Cadmus'. It's a super rare item. The Cadmus is roughly upper Level 6 in strength, and even if you successfully subjugate it, there's a high chance it won't drop this thing. That's why it's so valuable, got it, rookie?"
"..."
The Level 2 adventurer was left speechless by the Level 4's retort, but he didn't care about that now… because his head was filled with thoughts about the 'Cadmus Hide'.
Although the onlookers pointed and whispered, everyone except for Fron seemed long accustomed to this kind of attention.
"Let's split up here. Oh, and Raul… our Familia's finances are really tight right now, with quite a bit of debt too. So after we convert the funds, make sure not to do anything shady, got it?"
When Raul, who had been walking with Fron, Anakitty, and Ais, heard his name mentioned by the captain, his face turned bright red.
"W-what, Captain! That one time I… I lost my head, okay? I swear it won't happen again!"
Fron mischievously hooked an arm around his neck, smiling wickedly.
"Raul-senpai? The red-light district's atmosphere and flavor still haven't changed, huh?"
"Uh… yeah, last… hey, Fron!!!! You jerk!"
"What? It's normal for guys, everyone understands. Look, even the captain wants to restore our Familia's glory with a harem. Totally understandable!"
, ? Ow, what's with those skin-piercing stares!?
Then he met Lefiya, Ais, and Anakitty's cold gazes.
"Sorry, that was just a joke… really a misunderstanding."
"Mr. Fron is a pervert!"
"As expected, men are all the same."
"..." Lefiya and Anakitty's disgusted looks made him feel terrible.
And with Ais's silent but obvious attitude, he was completely crushed…
"Alright everyone, let's split up here!"
"Be careful not to let anyone snatch the loot on the road."
"Don't joke like that, Captain. With so many high-level adventurers here, only a suicidal thief would try."
Tione clenched her fist with a cold smile, making her stance perfectly clear.
But Anakitty seemed to have heard some rumor.
"I heard there's been a thief in the city recently who lures immoral adventurers into 'offerings'. Quite a few people have been killed, and when their bodies were found, all valuables were gone."
"A thief? Interesting."
Everyone smiled slightly at that, such a small matter wouldn't concern them. But at the back of the group, Fron's eyes wavered, as if deep in thought.
...
...
[Dian Cecht Familia].
"Welcome, Loki Familia."
The delicate doll-like girl still stood at the door with her usual polite demeanor, welcoming everyone.
"Long time no see, Amid~"
"To be exact, it hasn't even been a month, Miss Tione."
"Don't sweat the details!"
"Since you're here, I assume you've returned from an expedition to sell drop items?"
"As expected of Amid, sharp as always. Here, this is a rare treasure you might not see even once a year!"
"I see. Then, Miss Tione, may I appraise it personally?"
"Of course."
As soon as they met, Tione and Amid began what could only be called a women's war, or more precisely… haggling.
"51st floor Lv.6 'Cadmus's Hide,' look at this quality, it's the purest I've ever seen. Selling it for 15 million valis isn't too much, right?"
Fron twitched at the corner of his mouth upon hearing this, quickly turning around to stop himself from laughing out loud.
Damn, if it weren't for his quick reflexes and picking this thing up before leaving, there's no way they'd be bargaining here.
"Sorry, it's too costly, at most 10 million Valis."
"I know this thing is the main material of the top-tier panacea, and we almost died fighting the Cadmus. If it weren't for Fron being there. Considering how hard it was, how about 14.5 million valis?"
"Even if it's a rare drop item, we still need to use it. The production cost is too high, and our familia would take a loss, so sorry Miss Tione, 9 million valis."
"If Amid doesn't want it, I'll sell it to other pharmaceutics familias, you know, Cadmus drop items are extremely rare and highly sought after. For example, the versatile Asfi would definitely be interested, or maybe I'll sell it to the [Miach Familia]?"
[Miach Familia]! Not much damage, but an extremely insulting move. To the [Dian Cecht Familia], it was a fatal blow.
After saying this, Tione pretended to stay calm as she packed up the item and turned to leave.
Ultimate bargaining tactic: pretend to leave, compare prices among sellers.
Amid's cool face remained expressionless, but the small hand wearing a white lace glove on the counter clenched into a tight fist.
"This… this price is beyond what I can decide on, I need to consult with the god."
"Then Amid, please hurry."
"Please wait a moment."
While the two were facing off, Fron, Lefiya, Ais, and Tiona kept browsing through the shop's merchandise area.
"This is a 'Healing Potion'? It's bottled instead of in a full vial."
Lefiya saw a box of new products on a promotion shelf, it seemed to be part of some event.
Fron leaned in for a look and was slightly surprised too.
"100 valis per bottle? That's not even enough to cover material costs, they're selling at a loss. And healing potions normally go for over 1000 valis, right? With the Dian Cecht brand, it should be more expensive, this is a new product, new release?"
"I heard some pharmaceutical familia invented a 'dual stamina and mana recovery potion.' After it hit the market, Amid's business dropped a lot."
"Maybe Miss Amid is also holding back frustration? This must be a by-product of research on a new elixir, which explains the cheap price."
Tiona and Lefiya were discussing in detail, while Fron blinked.
Dual attribute recovery potion? Oh, Miach Familia's captain, Naaza, recently developed a new invention. Looks like things are heating up.
In the end, he thought about it and still picked up a few bottles to take back for study, since he had learned both 'Smithing' and 'Mystery,' might as well add 'Alchemy,' right?
Pharmacology was a huge branch, and with Fron's current strength, it was unrealistic to continue rapidly acquiring knowledge just to increase stats, skills, and experience. Developing a new specialization was the best choice.
While Amid went to consult the god, the others browsed the display cases and shelves. Once the bargaining was finished, they regrouped.
In the end, the 'Cadmus Hide' sold for 12 million valis, a huge sum.
For the already debt-ridden Loki Familia, it was like timely rain, letting them finally breathe a little easier.
"And next, your adventurer commission for the 'Cadmus Spring.'"
Because they had already signed a contract beforehand, the payment and other details were predetermined, so settlement was smooth.
Soon, the adventurer commission items were delivered, and their task there was temporarily completed.
Before leaving, Fron and Ais stood side by side and apologized to the human girl.
"Sorry, Amid."
The meaning was obvious, the Hide's price was a bit inflated.
"It's okay, even though we paid a high price for the 'Cadmus Hide,' you also completed such a troublesome adventurer commission, so it evens out. Plus, relations between familias are always complicated, and we've been dealing with each other for a long time anyway."
The girl kept a soothing smile on her face, completely unconcerned about the bargaining with Tione.
Fron had nothing more to say to that.
"Alright, since you put it that way."
"Then, we'll be leaving now."
"Okay, see you next time."
Fron, Ais, and Amid waved goodbye at the clinic entrance, then the group walked through the bustling, crowded 'Adventurer Street,' discussing their next stop.
"Ugh, another huge debt to bear. My [Orga], I'm so frustrated!"
Thinking about their next destination, Tiona grew more and more upset, whining pitifully.
"I've told you so many times, why didn't you follow the captain's instructions?"
And then… her sister gave her a stern scolding.
"I just wanted to help at the time, and besides… Fron misled me into thinking it'd be easy to kill.
And hey, didn't you also lose your [Curved Knives]? Don't blame me!"
'You sisters can fight all you want, but why drag me into it?' Seeing Tiona's blame shift toward him, Fron put on an innocent face.
"Tiona, short chant magic is still magic, and it's my magic I'm using, you know what I mean?"
"Hmph, another magic idiot!"
"She's calling you that, Lefiya."
--? Skill activated: Divert Trouble Eastward.
The elf girl, whose blue eyes only had room for Ais and no one else, was playing out a drama in her mind when she suddenly got called out and panicked.
"W-what, it was clearly about Fron!"
"Lefiya, why's your face blushing again? It's kinda cute."
"Aaaaaaahhhhhh, Fron, you're so annoying!!!"
Teasing the elf girl like this had practically become routine.
"Don't be mad, don't be mad, I'll let Ais pat your head."
"Pat-pat-pat my head!? Miss Ais??? Wait, why are you the one telling Miss Ais to do that!?"
"Isn't that what you like?"
"You… I'm ignoring you now!"
All the way, everyone was laughing and joking. The girls' beautiful figures and lovely faces attracted countless eyes, and at the same time… men within the same group were silently weeping inside.
"Damn life's winners, so jealous."