"Orsted, what were you doing with that girl from Loki's Familia just now?" In the hall, Hestia asked Orsted, arms crossed, her face displeased.

After the banquet, everyone cleaned the courtyard and returned to their homes.

The Hestia Familia members entered Hearth Manor.

It was late, so Lili and the others went to wash up. Afterward, Hestia and Orsted settled in the hall.

"Have you heard of the skeleton in the Guild?" Orsted asked with a smile, sidestepping her question.

"That skeleton said to appear at night in the Guild?"

"You went out because of it?" Hestia realized.

"Yep. That skeleton is Fels, Ouranos' personal assistant," Orsted explained.

"He issued a commission to me and Ais on Ouranos' behalf. I accepted."

He recounted his reasons for agreeing.

"Really? That's not bad," Hestia said, touching her chin thoughtfully before nodding.

A connection with the Guild could allow minor infractions to be overlooked discreetly, even if the Hestia Familia couldn't break surface rules.

Fels' commission, issued for Ouranos, implied a secretive task.

Completing it would earn the Hestia Familia a favor from Ouranos.

As long as they didn't overstep or act openly, the Guild might turn a blind eye to small matters.

This was undoubtedly beneficial.

Hestia saw no issue with Orsted taking the commission.

Orsted had planned to adventure with Lili and the others tomorrow, but this commission broke that promise.

Fortunately, Lili and the others were understanding.

Learning it was a Guild task, they didn't blame Orsted, instead urging him to stay safe.

The next morning, Orsted, Lili, and the others left Hearth Manor for Babel.

They soon reached the plaza outside Babel.

Naaza, Daphne, Cassandra, and Ais were already there.

"Let's go," Orsted greeted Naaza and Ais with a smile.

Lili and the others were headed to the 15th through 17th floors.

Up to the 18th floor, Orsted and Ais shared their route, so they didn't part immediately, heading to the middle floors together.

At the 15th floor, Orsted bid farewell to Lili and the others, who stayed to adventure, and continued with Ais to the next floor.

"Lord Orsted, we'll get stronger fast and fight by your side soon," Lili called, standing on tiptoe and waving as Orsted and Ais left.

Though in the same Familia, they couldn't keep up with Orsted's pace, forcing him to venture to lower floors alone—a lingering concern for them.

To catch up, Lili and the others dove into the dungeon relentlessly, striving to grow stronger.

Orsted didn't reply, just waved back.

"Hey, Orsted, is it safe for your Familia to adventure on the 15th floor?" Ais asked as they walked the passage to the 16th floor.

"Minotaur, a Level 2 monster, is common there—too much for Level 1s. A small number is manageable, but a monster party could spell trouble."

She was worried, despite the Hestia Familia's war game prowess.

The dungeon wasn't the surface; unpredictable dangers like monster feasts, which her own Familia had barely escaped on their last expedition, loomed.

"It's fine. I gave Lili and the others life-saving measures. They'll be okay," Orsted said with a smile.

Then he turned the conversation. "Ais, do High Class adventurers in your Familia take commissions?"

"Hm? I do, depending on the task," Ais replied, caught off-guard.

"I want them to train Lili and the others in combat," Orsted explained.

"But aren't you stronger?" Ais asked, puzzled.

"I can't be in multiple places at once. I need those adventurers to guide them," Orsted said, smiling.

Lili and the others had gained the ability to leap with their development ability of leap upon ranking up.

Orsted wouldn't let that go to waste.

The best way was to have High Class adventurers spar with them.

Orsted could do it, but alone, he'd limit their gains by splitting his attention.

He'd considered Ais before, but Apollo's interference delayed the plan.

Now, with five Hestia Familia members capable of leaping, Ais alone wasn't enough. Orsted was testing her response.

"In ten days, the Loki Familia heads on another expedition," Ais said.

"Tiona and Tione should be free and willing to take it. I'm not sure about Bete, but I can ask."

She didn't consider Finn or Gareth.

"Great, thanks," Orsted said.

---

Read advance chapters at:

patreon.com/verse7

Powerstones:

200 Stones = 1 chapter

400 Stones = 2 chapter