Bell's promotion had stirred an enormous commotion, yet because that disturbance occurred "outside the world," it had almost no effect on Orario.
Since the event went entirely undetected by the outside, life in Orario continued as usual under the familiar order.
The expedition teams continued their missions, and the gods continued speculating—trying to guess which god among them from ages past might be the Familia God of that mysterious young boy.
Everything appeared unchanged, an ordinary day like any other.
Still, some things inevitably shifted with time. And on this day, those changes began to surface—starting with the return of the Loki Familia expedition.
Loki Familia's expedition, though long, still had a definite duration.
Four months and seventeen days—this was the longest expedition Loki Familia had ever conducted inside the Dungeon.
Today was just like any other day. The streets echoed with merchants shouting and adventurers haggling.
Until suddenly, a voice rang out—no one knew from whom:
"Hey! The Loki Familia is back!"
That single shout shattered the usual calm like a heavy stone cast into a still lake, sending ripples of excitement through all of Orario.
Everyone loved a spectacle—merchants and adventurers alike.
And this wasn't just any group returning; this was the Loki Familia, nearly at the apex of all Orario.
"The last time we heard anything about them was months ago. Wasn't it when the 'Sword Princess' advanced to Lv.8? Right after that, Loki Familia left for their expedition."
Every adventurer knew this story well.
Not long ago, Orario's strongest adventurer had been Ottar at Lv.7. Now, the record had been smashed—Lv.8. Who wouldn't pay attention?
More shocking still was how sudden the Sword Princess's leap had been.
Half a year ago she had just reached Lv.6. In only six months, she had climbed two entire levels. That kind of growth was absurd.
Because the leap was so massive, it drew even more attention.
Of course, it wasn't only adventurers whose attention was piqued—so were the gods'.
Naturally, as soon as word of Loki Familia's return spread, the gods' informants brought the news straight to divine ears.
"Looks like Loki's finally letting her children come back."
A faint, cold smile accompanied the murmurs of the gods.
They were not fools—they'd sensed something off long ago. As time passed, the issue grew unmistakably clear, centered around Loki.
The Sword Princess's sudden ascension to Lv.8.
If Loki were simply trying to protect her child, she could've claimed Ais had reached Lv.7. There was no need to risk announcing a jump to Lv.8.
The fact that Loki not only announced it but immediately sent Ais on an expedition—initially, everyone assumed it was just protection.
But as months passed, that theory felt increasingly wrong.
Then the gods realized the truth. The Sword Princess wasn't the key—she was the decoy. Loki was using her to divert their attention.
So what exactly was Loki desperately trying to hide?
The answer was obvious.
That mysterious child.
Loki had always known the boy's identity. To hide it, she willingly exposed the Sword Princess's secret advancement to Lv.8.
The gods hadn't figured this out just now—they had pieced it together two months earlier.
They had searched nine months for the Mystery child and found not even a trace. That alone was a glaring sign.
Someone was deliberately hiding him.
And when one put the clues together, the most suspicious party was Loki.
Especially since she hadn't appeared in her own Familia for months—what else could that be but avoiding them?
Add the Sword Princess's Lv.8 reveal and Loki Familia's sudden mobilization for an expedition… The clues couldn't have been more obvious.
"Let's see if Loki keeps playing the turtle this time."
Ever since realizing the truth, the gods had been waiting for Loki Familia's return.
Since they couldn't find Loki—and since her Familia's core members were away—there hadn't even been anyone available to question.
But now that the expedition was back, Loki had to show up for celebrations and greetings. If she didn't, that would be even more suspicious.
Upon hearing the news, the gods all began to move.
Unintentionally, every one of them made the same decision—ambush her.
Corner Loki, and force an explanation out of her.
Meanwhile, after more than four months in the Dungeon, Loki Familia emerged from the entrance.
Leading the procession were its three pillars. Walking beside them was the blonde girl—now the strongest adventurer in all of Orario, the Level 8 "Sword Princess."
"Whoa! The 'Sword Princess' really does feel different."
Anyone who had ever seen Ais before could immediately tell how drastically she had changed—the difference was as clear as day.
The old Ais radiated a faint, instinctive pride, like a drawn blade.
But the Ais of now? That pride was gone—her porcelain-doll aura had faded as well.
Her calmness felt unnatural, eerily reminiscent of an enlightened monk.
"Yeah… the difference is huge. She feels like a completely different person."
If people didn't know this was the Sword Princess, they wouldn't believe it.
The watching adventurers pulled their gazes away from Ais and looked toward the rest of the expedition.
Besides the Sword Princess, the other returning members also felt fundamentally changed.
The entire expedition radiated a heavy, suffocating aura they had never shown before. A grim, unified tension emanated from them. Every member's eyes reflected a sharpness, a faint killing intent that tied the group into a single, oppressive whole.
"Huff~..."
After looking away, the pressure faded noticeably. The adventurers didn't dare keep staring, though inwardly they clicked their tongues.
"What happened to the Loki Familia today?"
"One expedition shouldn't change them this much…"