Chasing after the Minotaur, the members of the Loki Familia rushed upward through the floors.
However, because of a fork in the path, they quickly became separated.
Ais, Bete, and Shirou continued climbing, cutting down every Minotaur they encountered.
By the time they reached the fifth floor in pursuit of the last one, the three of them had already split apart, each searching on their own.
Suddenly, a pitiful scream echoed in the distance.
Shirou ran toward the sound, but he was too late. All he saw was a boy with white hair, drenched in blood, running forward with a smile on his face.
"Hahaha!"
"Ais really scared that kid stiff!"
Off to the side, Bete was holding his stomach, trembling as he burst into laughter, nearly out of breath.
Next to him, Ais, cheeks flushed red, glared at him angrily.
Watching this scene, Shirou couldn't help but laugh as well.
Seeing that, Ais pouted, snapping at him: "You're an idiot."
Shirou, rarely seeing such a lively expression on Ais, grew curious and reached out to pinch her cheek.
Annoyed, Ais quickly slapped his hand away.
But Shirou retaliated with another playful pinch.
And so, the two of them, one pinching, the other slapping, ended up having quite a bit of fun together.
Bete, who had been laughing nearby, stopped smiling altogether. Watching the two play around, a bitter feeling welled up in his chest.
"Tsk!" Clicking his tongue, Bete stormed off with a scowl.
Standing there, he felt like a third wheel.
---
"Finally, we're back!" Tiona shouted in excitement.
Shirou, emerging from the Dungeon under the watchful eyes of countless adventurers, had successfully returned with the Familia.
"We're back! Open the gate!"
"Yes, sir!"
At Finn's command, the guards slowly opened the gates of Twilight Manor.
Just as everyone was about to step inside, a figure suddenly leapt forward, lunging straight at Ais.
"Welcome back!"
Loki stretched her hands out like claws, lips curling into a mischievous "Hehehe!" But Ais, Tiona, and Tione all skillfully dodged her ambush.
Only the innocent Lefiya was caught head-on by Loki.
"Ah! Nooo!"
Lefiya cried out in despair while the others slipped past the two and went straight inside.
Watching Lefiya being held and toyed with by Loki, Shirou desperately wanted to rescue her—but in the end, he held back.
After all, he had, without realizing it, stolen Loki's harem for himself.
Even though he hadn't done it intentionally, nor did he have any such desire, if Loki ever found out, she would undoubtedly pester him to no end.
So for now, it was better to avoid Loki's presence altogether.
With that in mind, Shirou quietly slipped back into the manor, hiding among the group.
As for Lefiya… all he could do was pray to the gods for her safety.
What's that? The one tormenting her was a goddess, so maybe there was nothing to worry about? Well then—best of luck to her!
After enjoying a refreshing bath, Shirou returned to his room and lay down on the soft bed.
He couldn't help but sigh in relief: "My own room feels so comfortable!"
Then, half-closing his eyes, he allowed himself to relax.
After more than two weeks of nonstop battles, Shirou had built up a deep fatigue.
Lying there, he quickly drifted into sleep.
He only woke when Raul's voice called from outside the door.
"Shirou, it's dinner time!"
"Give me a minute, I'll be right there!"
After quickly tidying himself, Shirou left his room and headed to the dining hall with Raul.
Because of Loki's policy of "eating together," everyone except the guards dined as one.
As a result, the dining hall was always packed at this hour.
Instead of joining Ais and the others, Shirou sat with Raul. The two ate while chatting.
"So, what are your plans for tomorrow, Shirou?"
"I'll probably do equipment maintenance or something. After all, I'm a high-level blacksmith—there's no way Finn won't have work for me."
"True! Especially since so much equipment was lost on this expedition. If you reforged it, we'd save a fortune!"
"Of course. We're family, so I won't charge too much. What about you?"
"Me? I think I'll sell the magic stones and materials I gathered."
"Careful with that. I heard you lost money last time."
"That was just bad luck. It won't happen again!"
Hearing Raul's firm reassurance, Shirou couldn't help but laugh.
Every time they returned from an expedition, there were endless chores to deal with.
Exchanging the magic stones from the Dungeon for money, maintaining or replacing weapons and armor, restocking supplies…
The sheer workload after an expedition was overwhelming, and because of that, almost everyone had to pitch in.
That's why the first day back was always so busy.
Of course, the Loki Familia's traditional celebration feast also took place on that day.
As the two chatted, more Familia members gathered around them—most of them elites from the second team.
They talked animatedly about all sorts of topics.
Among them came shocking revelations, like Raul confessing he had blown all his savings on a prostitute.
The moment he said it, the entire group burst into laughter.
Only Raul himself stammered in embarrassment, trying in vain to explain.
His awkwardness only fueled the teasing, until Loki suddenly stepped in to interrupt.
"Almost forgot—if there are any kids who want to update their status tonight, come to my room!"
"It's a pain if you all crowd in tomorrow anyway, so let's get it done. Ten people tonight, first come first served!"
Her words immediately set the hall abuzz.
"Are you guys planning to update your stats?"
"Not me!"
"Same here, I just want to sleep!"
Listening to the chatter, Raul turned to Shirou, who was sipping water: "What about you, Shirou?"
"Not for now. I can update everything on my own, after all."
Those casually spoken words made Loki's blood boil. Still in the dining hall, she roared instantly.
"Shirou, you will come tonight!"
Shooting him a furious glare, Loki stormed off in anger.
At her demand, Shirou sighed helplessly: "What a pain…"
---
(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."