With Finn's speech, the atmosphere of the feast visibly brightened.
Watching Bete and Tiona bicker at the edge of the camp, Shirou laughed and teased Ais, who was sitting beside him:
"I heard Finn scolded you today, Ais."
Lefiya, seated on Shirou's other side, couldn't hold back her laughter at the question.
"You're so mean, Shirou!"
As expected, Shirou's words irritated Ais. Though her expression didn't change much, her tiny pout was undeniably charming.
"Hahaha, you can't blame me! You were the one who disobeyed orders, Ais. I worked so hard to protect you back then."
Feigning indifference as he voiced his concerns, Shirou's words made Ais lower her head slightly.
"Sorry for worrying you."
After being scolded by both Finn and Shirou, Ais felt regret.
"So be careful from now on, and don't make others worry, silly girl," Shirou said gently, reaching out to stroke Ais's golden hair.
"Mhm!"
Ais nodded softly, half-closing her eyes as she savored his touch.
Their gazes lingered on each other, and a rosy atmosphere bloomed around them.
Watching from the side, Lefiya couldn't help but feel jealous. She envied not only that Shirou could comfort Ais, but also that Ais could be comforted by Shirou.
Looking at the growing closeness between them, Lefiya felt a powerful urge to scream, "Me too!" and throw herself at him.
But, unfortunately, even though Shirou's training had given her confidence, such a thing could only remain in her imagination.
Putting it into practice was still impossible!
After the lively dinner, everyone sat cross-legged around the campfire, following Finn's instructions.
"Our goal remains the same, but before that, we still have one mission to complete."
"A commission? I think it was from the Dian Cecht Familia, right?" Tiona asked, confused, suddenly recalling Finn's earlier words.
"Yes. The commission requests the extraction of a certain amount of water from the Cadmus Spring on the 51st floor."
The water from the Cadmus Spring is one of the ingredients used in the production of the highest-quality elixirs. As a renowned medical Familia in Orario, such a commission was only natural for the Dian Cecht Familia.
"The Cadmus Spring? What a troublesome mission! Why would you accept something like that?"
Tiona had terrible memories of the Cadmus Spring.
"Because the reward is extremely high, and our Familias have been partners for many years, so I couldn't just refuse," Riveria replied.
"They're always giving us troublesome missions!" Bete grumbled after Riveria's answer.
"Alright. Regardless of your complaints, the mission has already been accepted. Now, let's decide who will advance to the 51st floor."
Due to the difficulty from the 51st floor onward, the Loki Familia would also select elite teams to carry out the task.
"We'll try to avoid unnecessary combat while collecting the water. Since the spring's supply is limited, we'll need to split into two groups and collect from two different locations."
After hearing Finn's explanation, Tiona and the others immediately broke into a lively discussion.
At last, after Finn's confirmation and assignments, the two teams for the mission were finalized.
The first team: Ais, Tiona, Tione, Shirou, and Lefiya.
The second team: Finn, Bete, Gareth, and Raul.
In addition, Riveria would remain behind to restore her magic power, preparing for the exploration of the 59th floor after this mission.
Lefiya and Raul would provide support for both teams.
Lefiya was a particularly special case. She was joining this mission at Riveria's request.
After all, in Riveria's eyes, Lefiya was the future successor to her legacy.
"But are you sure this first team is really reliable?"
"Hm?"
Hearing Bete's unfiltered concern, even Finn fell silent for a moment.
To be honest, in terms of firepower, even though Team One didn't have a Level 6, they still outclassed Team Two.
Ais was only Level 5, but she possessed a skill that greatly boosted her attack power against monsters—and drastically so against dragon-type monsters.
The sisters Tiona and Tione were also high-tier Level 5 warriors.
On top of that, there were Shirou and Lefiya, whose magic power could match Level 5 standards.
Thus, Finn wasn't worried about their strength.
Their personalities, however, were another issue. After all, Ais, Tiona, and Tione were all known as the Loki Familia's problem children.
Though Finn had hoped to entrust leadership to Shirou, he wasn't sure Shirou could handle commanding Tiona and Tione in their berserker states.
This was also Shirou's first time on the 51st floor. With no prior experience, Finn didn't expect much from his leadership.
Finally, after a brief silence, Finn looked up and said with a smile:
"Tione, I'll leave them to you. Don't disappoint me."
"Don't worry, Captain!"
Blushing from her romantic feelings for Finn, Tione agreed confidently.
Watching this, Shirou and the others grumbled internally: "You're using a beauty trap, Finn! You're incredible!"
After arranging the itinerary for the following day, everyone dispersed and returned to their tents to rest.
Even inside the Dungeon, the Loki Familia still maintained their usual rest schedule.
Lying on his mat, Shirou pondered the night's events.
This development didn't catch him by surprise.
But what about the monster attack?
Weren't the monsters supposed to attack during the day?
Would it really not happen this time?
Unlikely. Finn wouldn't let Ais make the same mistake twice.
Or… would he?
Thinking this, Emiya's expression suddenly darkened with worry. His knowledge of the Danmachi world came entirely from anime and fanfics—he had never read the original light novel.
Therefore, his only knowledge of the Loki Familia came from the anime and the spin-off Sword Oratoria!
"So… the anime and the novel's plotlines are different?"
Shirou could easily imagine such a thing. After all, as a veteran anime fan, he had encountered this countless times.
He often saw debates between anime fans and original novel fans.
So, this sort of thing wasn't unusual in the anime world.
"That makes my understanding of the storyline so much weaker! But… even if the process changes, the ending should remain the same."
"In any case, tomorrow we'll be threatened by a new monster species. It's going to be a tough battle…"
With that thought, Shirou couldn't help but prepare himself mentally.
He had some idea of the dangers of the new species, so he would definitely ensure Lefiya's safety tomorrow.
As for Ais?
Honestly, Ais's survival skills far surpassed his own.
---
(End of Chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."