’Checkmate.’
They say the barefoot have nothing to fear from those wearing shoes, and that saying perfectly captured the current situation.
Loki Familia had too much to lose. The entire group couldn’t afford to be dragged into this ss—no one in Loki Familia thought they could handle sothing this reckless.
Everyone beca an Adventurer with their own goals, but if things truly spiraled out of control, reputations would be ruined, and their careers would be over.
In contrast, Hestia Familia had no such fear.
After all, Hestia Familia only had one mber—and that person was the creator of Orario’s most popular product, the Rune Stone. It was entirely reasonable for soone in his position to develop such magic. Being the sole mber, who would bla him for experinting with a little magic?
Even if the Guild staff took notice, they likely wouldn’t punish a single-mber Familia too harshly. As long as he signed a few responsibility waivers, the matter would probably blow over.
Could a lone Adventurer really threaten all of Orario?
Even if Ouranos made such a claim, not many would believe it.
On the other hand, if a top-tier Familia like Loki’s were suspected of attempting to expand their influence using forbidden ans, people would believe it imdiately.
The difference in status and scale made all the difference in how Orario’s Adventurers would perceive and react to them.
’No choice, really.’
Riveria felt a splitting headache coming on. This boy was at least a hundred tis more troubleso than Ais.
The mont the conversation began, he had turned the topic into a direct threat to both her and Finn.
And the fact that he dared say such things ant he was capable of following through.
Not to ntion, they were in his territory. She hadn’t forgotten how targeted they’d been just monts ago. If traps had already been laid, would they even have the chance to fight back?
That thought made Riveria regard Bell with significantly more wariness in her eyes.
Thud!
The sound of Loki’s foot tapping lightly on the ground broke the tense silence. With a smile returning to her face, she stepped forward.
"Just a joke, alright? No need to take it that seriously."
Bell, of course, knew it had been a test.
"Of course. I understand that was Loki-sama’s way of probing for my stance. But I hope Loki-sama also understands—if I had been in the weaker position, both Goddess-sama and I would have been done for."
"That’s why I had no choice but to respond as strongly as I could. I hope you’ll forgive ."
With the deadlock broken, Loki no longer acted aggressively. As for her earlier discourtesy, she didn’t seem to care much.
After all, gas like these required recognizing when your opponent held the upper hand. You couldn’t be the only one profiting from the board.
And truthfully, Loki respected what the kid had done.
If Bell had been overwheld back there, she wouldn’t have gone easy on him. Maybe not to the point of destroying him, but she definitely would have forced him into signing so extrely one-sided agreents.
But Bell’s clear stance—one of mutual destruction—made her abandon that thought altogether.
Because Loki knew—if she pushed him too far, he absolutely had the guts to take her entire Familia down with him.
"Yes, yes, I already know you’re more than capable."
Loki waved her hand with a frustrated sigh, then turned to her captain.
"Finn, looks like this kid’s sharper than you."
But Bell shook his head before Finn could even respond.
"Loki-sama, it’s not that I’m sharper than Captain Finn. If we’re just talking cleverness, I’m nothing more than a cautious small-tir. When it cos to being shrewd, I’m far beneath him."
"It’s just that Captain Finn had nowhere to retreat. That’s why he hesitated—just a little—during our exchange."
"That tiny hesitation ant he couldn’t act as freely as I did."
Though the phrasing gave Finn so cover, he didn’t mind. In fact, he found it rather comforting. And yet, after that comfort, he openly acknowledged his defeat.
"You’re right. I couldn’t bring myself to bet everything on that question earlier. The revival of the Pallum has always rested on my shoulders. No one ever forced that burden on —but it’s still my life’s goal."
"Being unable to go all in when faced with a challenge like this... that’s my failure. There’s no excuse."
After owning up to it, Finn looked at Bell with newfound respect.
"You’ve only been an Adventurer for a short ti, yet you don’t act like a rookie at all."
"Maybe Loki didn’t make the wrong call after all. That deal might’ve been a real windfall for our Familia."
Right now, Finn felt more certain than ever that Loki had made the right choice in forging this alliance.
The more formidable this boy turned out to be, the more valuable that deal beca.
Maybe it wasn’t just about the Rune Stones—it was this boy himself who was worth it.
"Then let ask my final question."
"Are you really a Level 1 Adventurer?"
That question was definitely a loaded one.
Hestia and Hephaestus stayed silent, simply watching to see how Bell would answer.
Bell gave just one response.
"About my level—I’ve only been an Adventurer for less than a month."
"I’m not soone who trusts other Adventurers easily, so I don’t form parties with anyone."
"And I’m a coward. I don’t take risks unless I’m sure I can handle them. So I only take actions that match what I believe I can manage."
"I always prioritize my own safety before adventuring."
"Just a few days ago, I was still grinding on the fifth floor. Now, I’ve already made it to the tenth."
Going solo to the tenth floor to accumulate ’Status’?
A rookie who had been an Adventurer for less than a month was already diving into the tenth floor alone—and he didn’t even consider that to be a real risk?
This ti, it wasn’t just Finn. Everyone present—except for Haruhi, who was still a bit puzzled—fully understood what Bell was really saying.
He never directly stated his level, but the implications in his words left little room for doubt.
Reviews
All reviews (0)