Soon, Orsted and Ais arrived at a tavern in the newly rebuilt town of Rivira.

When Ais casually uttered the embarrassingly childish code "Kururing," Orsted couldn't help but want to cover his face.

But such embarrassment was unique to Orsted.

For someone like Ais, blurting out the code carried no shame; it even seemed cute.

At least Orsted found her endearing as she said it.

After the code, the tavern owner let Orsted and Ais into a back room.

The owner seemed practiced, as if handling such clandestine meetings was routine.

The room was dark, illuminating only when Orsted and Ais entered.

"Hmph, sorry to keep you waiting, collaborators," came a familiar yet exaggeratedly dramatic voice, dripping with Chuunibyou flair.

Orsted and Ais turned toward it.

"Hey! Sword Princess! And Orsted!" Lulune, throwing off her black robe, gasped upon seeing Ais.

"It's really you? Took this commission for the fat reward, huh?" Orsted sighed, eyeing Lulune.

Last time in Rivira, she'd nearly been robbed for taking Fels' commission.

Yet here she was again, undeterred by greed.

"I didn't expect you two as mission partners," a familiar voice said from Lulune's side.

Asfi, captain of the Hermes Familia, emerged from the shadows with her group.

"Lord Orsted!" a male elf adventurer from the Hermes Familia bowed slightly in greeting.

Orsted nodded back. After recent events, his reputation had spread among Orario's elves.

Many unaffiliated elves longed to join the Hestia Familia, but with recruitment closed, they felt regret.

When encountering Orsted, they didn't pester but offered respectful greetings before leaving politely.

Close proximity to Orsted, sensing his aura, often sparked deep respect.

This elf, meeting Orsted for the first time, had heard of him and now understood why others revered him.

"I figured," Orsted said, unsurprised that Asfi and her group were his partners.

"You're sharp," Asfi replied, studying him intently.

She was curious about Orsted, driven by her god Hermes' fixation.

Hermes was obsessed, constantly tasking her with gathering real-time information on Orsted, a task still ongoing.

Orsted's war game performance and the Hestia Familia's abundance of magic items—intriguing for Asfi.

"Let's talk on the move," Asfi said, glancing at Ais before addressing them both.

The group left the tavern, continuing their discussion en route.

"This commission is to investigate a monster army on the 24th floor," Asfi explained.

"Adventurers reported it a week ago, but the Guild's only acting now."

The delay was unusual.

Typically, dungeon anomalies prompted swift Guild action, entrusting strong Familias to handle them.

Time was critical in the dungeon's volatile environment.

But a week had passed.

Recalling Lulune's past misadventure, Asfi suspected the Guild hid secrets.

This mission felt off.

She didn't intend to probe, though. A task with such a high reward—100 million valis—wasn't simple.

With Orsted and Ais involved, she shared what she knew before they faced the mission's challenges.

Orsted and Ais showed no reaction.

Orsted already knew the mission's details, and Ais was unfazed.

Seeing their calm, Asfi sighed inwardly, rubbing her forehead.

Both were formidable. Orsted was an enigma, and Ais had reached Level 6 just a week ago.

In contrast, Asfi was a Level 4 adventurer, with the rest of her team at Level 3.

If the mission turned abnormal, the Hermes Familia might become a liability.

She had a bad feeling.

The group reached the incident site on the 24th floor as Asfi's unease grew.

---

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