Three months was enough time for most things to fade—and in this case, it really had.
The Labyrinth City was never a place that stayed quiet for long.
The gods and goddesses who lived there rarely kept their attention on one topic for too long—especially once it lost its heat. Even if there'd been some juicy gossip behind it, interest eventually cooled.
And with no one stoking the flames, the chatter naturally died out.
The silence from both the Loki Familia and the Astraea Familia had snuffed out what had once been the hottest topic in Orario.
Even the gods who had been the most curious about those two Familias gradually lost interest as time went on.
Only Ishtar still showed a lingering curiosity toward Loki's people. But even she had grown lazy about it—taking longer and longer between her little "information exchanges" with Raul.
With no one prying into their affairs, the Loki Familia finally had peace.
Inside the Familia, every member focused on their own growth. Whenever someone had free time and hadn't yet reached their Status limit, they would enter the Training Space Tsuna had created and work themselves to the bone.
The atmosphere within the Familia had never been better.
Everyone had a clear goal.
For low-level Adventurers, it meant raising their Status and pushing their limits. Once they reached their peak, they'd take on stronger monsters—maybe even Floor Bosses—together with their allies.
After that, their sights naturally shifted toward higher levels.
Before, many hadn't dared to dream that far. Effort often didn't match results, and disappointment was common.
But now, the results were real. The growth was tangible. So they started to dream bigger—of breaking through their limits, of seeing how far they could truly go.
"How's it going? Hit your Status cap yet?"
It was lunchtime, and most of the Loki Familia had gotten used to eating at home together.
Meals at the manor were comfortable, relaxed—perfect for casual talk, even the kind that wouldn't fit in public.
"Not yet," one Adventurer replied, picking at his food. "But when I went to update my Status with Lady Loki, all four stats were above seven hundred. Lately, my growth's slowed down a lot. I think this might be my limit."
"Everything except Magic's maxed out already? That's impressive."
"What about you?"
"I hit my limit a bit earlier," his friend said. "Agility and Dexterity are around seven-fifty. Strength and Endurance are lagging—about six hundred."
"Then you'd better focus on what you're good at," the first said with a grin. "If Agility and Dexterity are your strong points, keep pushing those. You might still squeeze out a little more progress."
"That's easier said than done." The smaller Adventurer shook his head with a rueful smile.
He'd always been on the lean side—light and quick, but weaker in raw power. Agility and Dexterity were his strengths, sure, but even so, he'd already pushed himself to the edge.
"Even with Tsuna's Training Space helping us grow faster than before, hitting a new breakthrough isn't easy," he admitted. "Seven-fifty's already the result of a lot of hard work. For us normal folks, once we reach a certain height, that's it. The wall we hit… that's talent."
He smiled faintly, but there wasn't any bitterness in it. He'd come to terms with it.
"The Captain and the others have the talent to go even further. With the setup they've got now, they'll definitely reach new heights."
"Maybe we can't compare to them," his friend said, "but we've come a long way ourselves."
"No doubt about that."
It wasn't an exaggeration—every member of the Familia had gotten stronger, no question.
"Speaking of Tsuna, though… we haven't seen him much lately."
His companion nodded and gestured across the room—toward Tiona and Tione, who were quietly eating together.
"Tiona and Tione? What about them?"
The smaller man glanced over. The amazoness sisters didn't look any different from usual.
"They're in a bad mood today," his friend said simply.
"You can tell?"
"Tiona's harder to read," the other replied with a smirk. "But Tione's expression gives it away. Look—she's clearly thinking about something."
Following his gaze, the smaller Adventurer noticed it too. Tione's eyes were distant, her usual spark dulled.
"Tsuna and Lady Loki are working on something together," the first one said quietly. "That's probably why we've seen less of him lately. I think the Captain knows about it. So do Tiona and Tione."
He leaned in a little, lowering his voice. "Honestly, you can usually tell whether Tsuna's shown up that day just by watching the sisters. From the look on Tione's face, I'd say he hasn't."
"Ah, I see."
The smaller man blinked, impressed by the observation—then suddenly frowned.
"Wait a sec… Why are you watching Tione to figure that out? Shouldn't it be Tiona?"
Everyone in the Familia knew that Tsuna was close with the amazoness sisters, especially Tiona.
He'd always assumed she was the one with a special interest in him—after all, hadn't Tione's romantic interest always been the Captain?
His friend chuckled. "You don't get it."
"Sure, Tiona and Tsuna seem close—but the real tell is Tione."
"She's been spending way more time around him lately. Their age gap isn't that big either, so it makes sense they'd get along."
The smaller man's eyes widened. "But—I thought Tione was still hung up on the Captain?"
"Think about it," his companion said with a knowing look. "Amazons might be wild when it comes to picking partners, but do you really think the Captain would go for that?"
The smaller Adventurer blinked, still processing.
"...Is that really how it is?"
His friend nodded. "The Captain's got bigger goals—leading the Pallum to greatness, right? He doesn't have time for romance. And honestly? I doubt he'd fall for anyone outside his own race. Not with those ambitions."
The smaller man finally understood.
It wasn't about the individuals themselves. It was about race.
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