After hearing Shirou's story, both of them remained silent for a while.
Then, Riveria lifted her head, looking at Shirou with calm seriousness before asking, "When do you plan to leave Orario?"
Riveria had no intention of trying to convince him to stay. She understood all too well that his departure was inevitable — and that any attempt to dissuade him would only trouble him further.
She would never do anything that could unsettle her comrades.
Besides, from Shirou's story, she had already grasped the weight of his resolve — the importance of saving his sister.
For her sake, he had even gone so far as to abandon the ideals he had inherited from his father.
Riveria knew that Shirou's will was already as unyielding as steel.
Seeing that Riveria didn't intend to stop him, Shirou smiled softly and replied, "As expected. I knew you'd understand."
"My departure from Orario will be right after this expedition. After all, this is a historic moment for the Loki Familia — a chance to transcend our limits and explore the unknown!" Shirou declared firmly.
"I believe this expedition will be remembered throughout the history of the Familia. How could I possibly miss something like that?" he added.
Looking at the determined young man before her, Riveria couldn't help but smile faintly.
Indeed, he shared the same conviction as all of them.
"So," she asked, "who else have you told about this?"
"I haven't told anyone except you. Not even Lefiya or Ais. This is a crucial time for everyone to prepare for the expedition, and I don't want to affect anyone's morale. So, Riveria… can I count on you to keep this a secret?"
Feeling the pleading — yet confident — look in Shirou's eyes, Riveria sighed, rubbing her temple in mild exasperation. "That would make me an accomplice, you know. Loki and the others will be furious when they find out."
After a long sigh, she smiled faintly and said gently, "All right. I understand. I'll keep your secret."
"Thank you, Riveria," Shirou said softly, looking at her with quiet gratitude.
In the days that followed, Shirou's life returned to its usual rhythm.
In the mornings, he trained Bell and Lefiya atop the walls of Orario. Upon returning, he would head to the Dungeon with Ais for combat practice.
Of course, Lefiya occasionally tagged along — though whenever they stopped to rest, she always had to endure their affectionate displays.
Eventually, irritated by this, Lefiya tried to claim Ais's lap for herself.
Naturally, Shirou couldn't allow that — that spot belonged to him alone.
In the end, with Ais's face flushed bright red, both Shirou and Lefiya ended up resting in her lap together.
After all, good things are meant to be shared.
The two of them laughed quietly in mutual amusement.
Of course, from that day onward, Lefiya began following them everywhere.
Gradually, their "world of two" had turned into a "world of three."
Still, it was a balance they could live with.
---xXx---
Clang!
Ais's sword sheath spun through the air at a dangerous angle, aiming straight for Bell's vital points.
But at that very instant, Bell sensed the danger — swiftly raising his short sword to block the attack.
The clash of metal rang out sharply, and Bell immediately twisted his body, counterattacking from the opposite side.
However, with Ais's extraordinary reflexes, the blow was destined to miss.
Even so, it didn't mean Bell hadn't improved — quite the opposite. His growth during this time had been astonishing.
It was just that Ais was Level 6, and her reaction speed was simply overwhelming, making it effortless for her to evade his strike.
But that was only because Ais possessed Level 6 reflexes.
If Bell had faced any other Level 1 or even Level 2 adventurer, that strike might have landed perfectly.
"That was an impressive attack, Bell! From today onward, consider yourself graduated."
He had already mastered the fundamentals. From now on, it would be up to him to polish those skills through constant practice.
Only by doing so could he continue to grow stronger.
In other words — the rest of the journey depended entirely on his own effort.
"Yes, I understand! Thank you for your guidance, Master Shirou, Master Ais!"
Hearing Shirou's words, Bell bowed deeply before the two.
During this entire time, both Shirou and Ais had gone above and beyond to pass on their experience and knowledge to him.
Bell knew very well that without their training, he might have remained stuck in the Dungeon forever — never to return to Orario.
But now, thanks to them, Bell carried firm confidence in his heart — the belief that he could one day become a true hero.
Shirou stepped forward and gently patted his shoulder.
"Go on, Bell. I believe you'll become the hero you dream of being."
"Yes, sir!"
"Go for it," Ais added with a small, proud smile as Bell nodded repeatedly.
"Yes!"
"You're the disciple of Orario's Archer and the Sword Princess! Don't you dare tarnish their reputation, got it?!"
Lefiya put her hands on her hips and scolded him with mock authority.
"I'll never tarnish your reputation, I promise!"
At the most recent divine gathering, Shirou's title had officially been changed to 'The Archer of Orario'.
As an adventurer whose very name had become a symbol of the city itself, Shirou's fame — along with his heroic title — had spread far beyond Orario's walls, echoing across the continent.
Beside him stood the already-famous Sword Princess, Ais Wallenstein. Seeing both of her teachers standing proudly with heroic titles, Lefiya couldn't help but feel proud herself.
Bell was determined to become a hero worthy of being their disciple.
"Then give it your all, Bell. Go and write your own future. Tomorrow, we too will set out to forge our own legend!"
"An expedition…" Bell murmured, his eyes full of longing.
He wanted so badly to join an expedition himself someday.
"That's enough for today. We need to head back and finish preparing for the expedition."
"Understood! Then I'll take my leave."
"Thank you again for your guidance, Master Shirou, Master Ais… and Lefiya!"
"Thank you all!"
Waving his hand energetically, Bell's figure gradually disappeared behind Orario's outer walls.
Watching him go, Shirou smiled faintly and said, "Maybe someday, we'll all be proud of what he accomplishes."
"Yes," Ais and Lefiya replied in unison, nodding firmly.
Indeed, Bell's virtues had become clear to everyone over time — especially his pure and admirable character.
"But before that," Shirou added with a smirk, "we'll have to make sure he knows his masters aren't so easily surpassed."
"If he manages to outdo us too easily, wouldn't that ruin our reputations?"
Seeing the determined expressions on both Ais and Lefiya's faces, Shirou chuckled softly. "Then let's make sure we leave a powerful mark in Orario's records before that happens."
Although Shirou knew that the deepest floors once conquered by the Zeus and Hera Familias weren't truly limited to the 58th, if that's what the Guild officially declared — so be it.
"Tomorrow, we'll set out for territories that neither the Zeus Familia nor the Hera Familia ever reached — and our names will be forever etched into Orario's history! Are you ready for this expedition?"
Ais and Lefiya exchanged a look, then nodded firmly.
"Of course!"
(End of Chapter)