Whether it was Asfi's philosophy behind crafting magical items, or Alice's methods for creating dolls—both found plenty to learn from each other.
Alice, who usually found human interactions rather troublesome, was surprisingly enjoying their conversation.
"Using enchantments by leveraging the unique properties of Divine Text to imbue equipment with various abilities—that's a brilliant idea, Asfi."
Hearing Alice's praise, Asfi adjusted her glasses, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
"Your craftsmanship is what's truly impressive, Alice. I merely rely on my research into Divine Text and my own skills to develop these tools."
"But you—you managed to create something like magical circuits entirely on your own. That's far more remarkable than anything I've done."
Asfi, too, had gained a great deal from Alice's doll-making techniques.
The structure of magical circuits was an entirely new field of knowledge to her—something precious and unheard of across all of Orario. Revealing it would surely cause quite a stir.
But seeing how casually Alice treated it, Asfi couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Although it was incredibly valuable knowledge, she had exchanged it fairly with her own expertise in enchantment and the unique applications of Divine Text. All in all, it felt like a balanced trade.
"By the way," Asfi said curiously, "after all this time chatting, I still don't know which Familia you belong to. Lord Hermes mentioned he saw you near the Loki Familia's home. Have you joined them?"
At the question, Alice pursed her lips slightly and smiled.
"I'm afraid I'll have to keep that to myself. Sorry, Asfi."
"No, it was rude of me to ask. While many adventurers don't hide their Familia, plenty others do—after all, every Familia has its share of… unevenly matched members."
Asfi shook her head, showing that she understood.
Others might not get it, but Asfi was different. She was already a Level 4 adventurer, yet Hermes publicly claimed she was only Level 2.
What's more, the true strength of her Familia members was kept under wraps. Many of them even hid their affiliation altogether, in line with Hermes' philosophy.
Their Familia survived on information, after all. Protecting themselves came first.
Asfi wasn't the type to press for answers. If Alice chose to keep it quiet, she wouldn't pry.
The two continued to exchange ideas as they walked.
Soon, they reached a fork in the passage.
Without hesitation, Alice turned left—in her memory, that was the way back toward the upper floors.
But Asfi's eyes flickered thoughtfully. Seeing Alice head left, she spoke up.
"Alice, my companions are waiting for me elsewhere on this eighth floor. I should go meet up with them, so I suppose this is where we part ways."
Hearing that, Alice turned back in surprise, feeling a tinge of reluctance.
It was rare to meet someone she could talk to so easily, and their time together had been so short.
But if the other had business to attend to, Alice wasn't about to stand in her way.
"I see. Well then, if fate allows, let's meet again sometime." Alice smiled softly, gave a slight wave, and turned to leave without another word.
Watching Alice walk away so decisively, Asfi was actually a little taken aback.
During their time together, she had clearly sensed how happy Alice was to have found someone she could talk to—she'd even seemed a bit clingy.
But now, when told that Asfi had to go, she didn't try to hold her back or make a scene.
'What a resolute girl,' Asfi thought, a smile touching her lips. 'Quite charming, really.'
'But why would someone like her get tricked by Lord Hermes? There's no way she could've made a doll like that...'
She still couldn't wrap her head around how Alice, strapped for cash at the time, had been swayed by Hermes' promises of money and a bright future— reluctantly creating that embarrassing 'Freya' doll.
Shaking her head slightly, Asfi turned and headed deeper into the dungeon, taking the opposite path from Alice at the fork.
--+--
After parting ways with Asfi,
Alice felt unusually lighthearted. Not only had she met a kindred spirit, but she was also looking forward to finally leaving the dungeon and seeing the sun again.
Three whole days—even though Alice was used to solitude, the oppressive atmosphere and stale air of the dungeon were starting to get to her.
Right now, all she wanted was a nice, hot bath.
Although she had her house set up within the Gap, where she could eat and rest, bathing was still a bit of a hassle.
Her Seven Colored Magic could generate water, but it was purely magical in nature. While it could clean, it lacked the minerals found in natural water.
Bathing in it just didn't feel the same.
So, once she got back, she planned to restock on real water and enjoy a long, proper soak.
"This isn't really sustainable long-term," she mused. "I'll definitely be spending more days in the dungeon in the future. Asfi said the lower floors have water sources on almost every level, but aboveground water still feels better."
"I wonder if I can create a natural spring inside the house."
"If I advance my Seven Colored Magic further and combine it with the power of Boundaries and the miracle energy of the Moriya Shrine priestess, it might be possible… but that sounds pretty troublesome. And I still don't have a clue about how the priestess's power works."
"Alternatively, I could use the technology of the kappa—those river-dwelling youkai—to set up a water circulation system, then purify it with my magic. That might be a more practical solution."
After all, Alice only needed water for washing and bathing.
For cooking and drinking, she used water generated by her own magic. Recycling and purification would mainly apply to her bathwater and what she used to wash her face.
As for the rest?
Well, pretty girls don't use the bathroom.
"For now, though, the best option is to use the power of Boundaries to store more water in the Gap."
Lost in thought about how to make her life more convenient, Alice kept walking—completely unaware that a group of goblins had begun to surround her.
Not that she would've worried even if she had noticed.
But even if she didn't need help, there were always strong, kind-hearted adventurers around willing to lend a hand.
--+--
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