Joining the Loki Familia on their expedition was a bit of a whim for Alice, but it was also something she'd seriously considered.
If Alice went alone, reaching the deeper floors of the Dungeon would take a very long time.
The materials for crafting dolls were obviously better the deeper one went—the higher the quality of the materials, the more powerful the dolls Alice could create.
The Goliath was the floor boss of the 17th floor.
Floor bosses were considerably stronger than ordinary monsters, and their drop items reflected that. Alice had used the Goliath's drop to create the Goliath Doll, so she knew full well that materials from monsters on that level were simply not enough.
To recreate her Rose Series dolls, Alice needed exceptionally rare materials—far beyond what something like the Goliath could provide.
So, Alice needed to go much deeper to obtain what she needed.
"Lili, is there any food? I'm hungry."
With Ais and Lefiya both gone, only Alice, Lili, and the dolls remained in the house. Even though Alice didn't eat much, going seven days without a proper meal was starting to wear on even her.
"Lady Alice, dinner is just ready. Please come and eat."
Lili's voice came from the dining area. Hearing her, Alice made her way over.
"Something smells wonderful. Dinner looks quite lavish today." Alice eyed the table full of dishes with slight surprise, her brow furrowing slightly.
There were six dishes in all, four of them meat—chicken, duck, fish, and other meats were all represented.
The other two were a vegetable platter and a vegetable soup, which were more to Alice's liking.
Alice wasn't a strict vegetarian, but she preferred vegetables over meat. The taste of meat was always too strong for her, and she wasn't particularly fond of the greasy sensation either.
Hearing Alice's words, Lili paused for a moment before catching on.
"My apologies, I didn't realize you'd be finished today, Lady Alice. These are for Lady Hestia and Bell, who will be joining us shortly. Your portion is being prepared by Lady Shanghai and Lady Hourai."
Alice's preferences were well known to Shanghai and Hourai, and after all this time together, Lili had also come to learn them.
Over the past seven days, Hestia had continued to visit daily with shameless regularity, even having the nerve to make special requests.
For the first couple of days, Lili hadn't thought much of it. But from the third day onward, after Hestia started placing her orders, Lili began to lose patience with the brazen goddess.
To make matters worse, Hestia kept using her prior arrangement with Alice as a free pass. With Alice constantly holed up in her workshop, there wasn't much Lili could do.
Now that Alice had asked, Lili seized the chance to complain outright about Hestia's shameless behavior. She painted Hestia as utterly thick-skinned and without a shred of shame.
Alice listened, feeling rather helpless.
"Alright, alright, I understand," Alice said, trying to soothe Lili.
"Lady Alice! We must make Lady Hestia realize her mistake!" Lili fumed. After all, the household's funds now consisted partly of what Alice had taken from the Apollo Familia and partly from the money Lili herself had provided.
If Alice spent that money on herself, Lili would be more than happy.
But if Hestia frittered it away, Lili would be furious. The cost of ingredients had already multiplied over the past few days.
"Don't worry. Let Hestia have her free meals for now. Soon enough, I'll be making a request of my own. Let's just hope she can deliver." A meaningful smile played on Alice's lips.
Truth be told, Hestia was something of a friend by now. Alice had originally been hesitant about asking Hestia to seek favors from other gods—like getting them to teach her certain things—worried it might put Hestia in an awkward position.
But now that Hestia was acting so presumptuous, Alice saw no need to hold back.
Still.
"In the future, it's fine whatever Hestia wants to eat. Rest assured, I won't be the one losing out in the end," Alice told Lili.
Hearing this, Lili frowned slightly and pouted. Though still dissatisfied, she acquiesced.
"Understood. But if Lady Hestia makes any truly unreasonable demands—like asking for divine sake—I won't allow it."
"Don't worry. Hestia might push her luck, but she knows her limits," Alice said with a light laugh.
"Really? Lili isn't so sure about that," Lili muttered, pursing her lips.
Just then, a knock came at the door, and Hestia's voice rang out from the other side.
"Lili-chaaan~~~ I'm heeere~~"
Hearing Hestia's voice, Alice's lips curved into a smile as she glanced at Lili.
Lili rolled her eyes. "I'll get the door…"
Grumbling inwardly, Lili walked to the entrance and opened the door. Outside stood Hestia, along with three members of her Familia—four people in total, including Hestia herself.
The moment she saw them, Lili promptly shut the door again.
"Hey! Lili! Why'd you close the door?! We're here for dinner!"
Bang, bang, bang! Hestia began pounding on the door from outside.
"Tch, time to eat…" Lili completely ignored the noise and turned to head back toward the dining room.
But as she turned, she bumped right into Alice. A sweet, delicate fragrance wafted into Lili's nose, making her cheeks flush.
"What's wrong? Why didn't you let them in?" Alice asked, looking puzzled.
"Lady Alice, Lady Hestia brought two more women with her! Clearly, she's here for another free meal! We mustn't let her in. If she gets in this time, she'll make a habit of it!"
Lili hurried to explain, but it seemed she was a little too late. "Lady Alice!!"
By then, Alice had already opened the door.
"Long time no see, Hestia, Bell," Alice greeted Hestia with a smile, then turned her gaze to the two women Lili had mentioned.
"Daphne and Cassandra, isn't it? I hadn't realized you two actually joined the Hestia Familia."
That's right.
The two standing beside Hestia were former members of the Apollo Familia. Judging by their appearance now, they had clearly become part of Hestia's group.
"Oohhh~ Alice-chan, you're finally out! It really has been a while!"
Seeing Alice, Hestia's eyes lit up.
"Perfect timing, Alice-chan! There's something very important I need to discuss with you!"
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
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