Danmachi: Strongest Familia

"An entirely new type of monster… If memory serves, isn't there a corrupted spirit among them?" Sol mused, not particularly worried about Riveria and the others' safety, yet another thought crossed his mind.

The always serious Riveria might even go after the corrupted spirit's clone. If that's the case, Loki Familia's pack of LV5 upgrades might miss out. Well, it wasn't really his problem if the Loki Familia members advanced or not. Better to focus on his own Familia—after all, it was more intriguing to guess how many of them might level up after this expedition.

With his thoughts clear, Sol returned to his usual untroubled demeanor. "Alfia, let's go for a stroll!" With a wave, he conjured a portal, abruptly pulling Alfia back to his side from the portal.

Alfia's expression shifted to mild annoyance, her eyes reflecting a hint of reproach for Sol's sudden summons. "A stroll? And what brought on this urge so suddenly?"

"Hmph. Hard to share info with you if you act like that!" Sol kept his expression mischievously mysterious. But Alfia's curiosity was piqued.

He wouldn't have called her for nothing—it must be news related to her.

"Your precious nephew may be in Orario."

"Nephew… You mean Bell? He's finally arrived in Orario?" Alfia's normally reserved demeanor sparked with interest. Her usually half-lidded gaze opened a bit, revealing her striking heterochromatic eyes. But her excitement wasn't as intense as one might expect; it was subdued, restrained.

Perhaps, Sol thought, this was simply Alfia's temperament—never one for grand displays of emotion.

"So, where is he now?" she asked.

"When I heard, he'd already joined the Hestia Familia," Sol replied with a shrug.

"The Hestia Familia? I've never heard of them," Alfia remarked, puzzled.

"It's a newly-formed Familia—Hestia's the patron, one of the three virgin goddesses. Your nephew is her only member."

"Is that… good news?"

Her nephew had just become an adventurer, joining a fledgling Familia. Hardly ideal for a beginner to adventure solo.

"Hestia will look after him; don't worry too much. Have a little faith in your nephew~" Sol grinned, though Alfia wasn't quite in the mood for his teasing.

Bell was the only living blood tie to her late sister.

"Why not go out and see if fate arranges a meeting with your nephew on the streets?" Sol exaggerated his tone playfully, making Alfia roll her eyes and shiver slightly.

"Who would want a 'fateful encounter' with their nephew?"

"Eh, don't overthink it. Let's go," Sol said with a wave.

"Now? It's getting dark," Alfia noted, glancing at the dimming sky.

"Yes, for dinner! I've barely eaten all day—I'm craving a meal at the Hostess of Fertility."

"Should have just said you wanted a bite to eat." Alfia sighed, feeling her thoughts couldn't keep up with Sol's ever-shifting impulses.

As the two walked toward the tavern, a loud, joyful din reached their ears.

"Sounds like someone's holding a party there. Shall we leave?"

"They have their celebration; we have our meal. No reason to interfere," Sol said as he pushed open the tavern door and strode in, causing the lively noise to momentarily drop.

Eyes followed them as they entered, scanning the room. At the center were two long tables crowded with members of the Loki Familia, whose voices had been loud enough to hear from outside. Sol immediately spotted Loki herself, a foot propped on a chair, drinking with her usual abandon.

"Sol! Come over, have a drink with us!" Loki called out, her speech slightly slurred, stumbling over to hook her arm around Sol's shoulder.

He cringed slightly, pinching his nose. Alfia, previously standing behind him, discreetly stepped back.

"Finn, hurry and take her off me; she reeks…" Sol muttered, grimacing as he gently tossed Loki's arm away. Finn stepped up quickly, taking Loki by the shoulders to support her as she staggered.

"Apologies, Sol-sama, for any trouble," Finn said politely, his tone as steady as ever.

"No problem. Are you all celebrating the end of the expedition?"

"Yes, thanks to Riveria and the others' support, we made it back safely," Finn replied with a respectful nod.

"Enjoy yourselves. I'll get to my meal." Sol waved off the formalities.

The server, Syr, came over just then to guide Sol and Alfia to a vacant corner table. Loki Familia soon returned to their revelry, and the tavern was alive again with shouts and laughter.

"Hei, Ais—time to spill the story!" A white-haired werewolf, clearly tipsy, jumped onto a chair and began speaking loudly.

The other patrons turned toward him, drawn by his tone. Nothing sparked curiosity like a bit of gossip, and even the most distracted adventurers paused to listen.

"Wait, what story?" someone called out.

"The story of our return—the Minotaur on the fifth floor that got away! You know, the one that ended up chasing the tomato kid," he said with a laugh. "That weak brat got cornered by the Minotaur and then absolutely drenched in blood when it was finally killed…"

Bete had no qualms mocking the white-haired boy, his words ringing through the tavern. On the far side of the room, Bell shivered, his face flushing as he clenched his fists on his thighs, struggling with the deep shame that filled him.

"Bete, shut it—you've had more than enough to drink!" Gareth interjected.

"Tch, what's wrong with calling weaklings what they are?" Bete slammed the table, his face a mask of indignation. His voice reflected the amount he'd drunk; it was rare to see him defy even Gareth so openly.

Without hesitation, Gareth grabbed Bete by the scruff, forcing him back onto the chair. The rough handling brought Bete back to his senses, pain sharpening his awareness.