Charles walked through the streets of Rivira, the small town located on the 18th floor of the Dungeon.
Being situated this deep underground, only LV2 or higher adventurers could reach this place. Naturally, there were no elaborate buildings in the town—most of the structures were simple wooden huts or tents.
For adventurers, the biggest obstacle in venturing into the deeper layers was logistics.
This world didn't have the convenience of spatial equipment; all supplies had to be physically carried.
Food and water could be replenished on certain Dungeon floors, but weapons, armor, and potions were frequently consumed and difficult to restock.
On top of that, adventurers needed to save space for loot. Adding more weight could severely impact their combat effectiveness.
That's why this safe floor had developed into a small town where adventurers could resupply.
Not only could they restock goods here—there were blacksmiths for repairs, clinics for treatment, and inns for lodging.
There were even stalls lining both sides of the street where adventurers traded materials and supplies.
But whether it was shops or street vendors, the prices were outrageous. Compared to the surface, a three- to fivefold markup was considered generous. Some were ten times higher or more.
Still, it wasn't exactly price gouging. The cost of transporting goods down to the 18th floor justified the higher prices.
As Charles strolled through the town, he even spotted shops in more secluded alleys selling "Unlocking Potions" and "Update Potions."
These potions were made with divine blood and were banned substances in Orario. The former allowed someone to read the Falna status on an adventurer's back, and the latter, as its name implied, let one forcibly update their stats.
Since an adventurer's status was their most closely guarded secret, peeking at another Familia's members could easily cause conflict.
Thus, the Guild heavily restricted the distribution of these potions. Even so, they had legitimate uses.
Unlocking Potions were used to gather intelligence from captured members of dark factions or to aid unconscious adventurers. Update Potions could potentially improve survival rates during expeditions.
On the surface, only the Guild and a few capable Familia could supply them.
But here in Rivira, beyond the Guild's reach, anyone with enough coin could buy them. The price? Predictably sky-high.
Charles had also heard that magical grimoires that could directly teach magic were occasionally sold here. Those were already rarities on the surface, often considered priceless. Here, their selling price supposedly started in the billions.
Charles, whose wallet couldn't even afford a proper lunch, didn't dare dream of buying one.
After his lap around town, he was about to leave when a large group came walking toward him from the direction of the gate.
They were marching under a flag bearing the emblem of a jester—a symbol known to all of Orario.
The group immediately drew attention, with adventurers around the square whispering excitedly.
"That's the Loki Familia!"
"Leading them is the Nine Hell, Riveria! The pride of the Familia—such powerful presence!"
"The War Wolf's here too!"
"And the Thousand Elf—she's the rising star everyone's watching!"
"But the most dazzling of them all is her!"
"Yeah… that's—"
"The Sword Princess!"
"All of Loki Familia's elites are out. Is this an expedition?"
"Wonder how deep they're going this time? Could they break the record?"
...
Charles recognized them too—members of the Loki Familia, one of the twin kings of Orario.
Leading the group was Riveria, the "Nine Hell." As a royal elf, she was the most powerful mage in Orario.
In the world of DanMachi, there were several demi-human races: dwarves, prums, beastkin, Amazons, and elves.
Each had their own natural advantages. Dwarves were strong and resilient, prums were agile and dexterous, and elves were born to use magic—with mana reserves and magic slots far surpassing those of humans.
Riveria, being of elven royalty, was an unparalleled prodigy.
Most adventurers with magic aptitude had one to three empty magic slots after receiving their Falna, and each slot could be filled by training or using a grimoire.
Riveria had filled all three, yet through a technique of splitting incantations, she could cast spells with the effects of nine different kinds of magic.
Hence, her title: "Nine Hell."
Behind her was the werewolf Bete, titled the "War Wolf," a well-known LV5 adventurer of the Loki Familia.
Standing beside him was the heroine of this world, the "Sword Princess" Ais Wallenstein.
Daughter of the mercenary king Wallenstein and the great spirit of wind, Ais held the record for the fastest rise to LV2 and was Loki Familia's brightest star.
But what drew Charles' attention was the elven girl walking closely behind Ais.
Lefiya Viridis—the "Thousand Elf." Though currently only LV3, she was an absolute genius.
Her awakened magic, "Elf Ring," allowed her to cast any elven magic so long as she knew the incantation and effect. That's why she earned the title "Thousand Elf."
But that wasn't all. Lefiya had a skill called "Elf Chant," which doubled the power of any attack spell she cast.
Later, once she reached LV4, she would gain another skill: "Double Chant."
This skill allowed her to store one spell in a magic ring and chant a second spell while releasing the first—effectively casting two spells at once.
With "Elf Ring," this granted her almost unlimited tactical options.
Even at just LV3, her firepower rivaled that of an entire rear guard unit.
With so many elite adventurers, it was no wonder Loki Familia reigned supreme in Orario.
And Riveria's squad was only one part of the expedition force.
Large Familia like Loki's typically divided their expedition into multiple teams, entering the Dungeon separately and regrouping at designated floors.
This method helped distribute risk and better trained the newer members.
So this was a Loki Familia expedition? Charles searched his memory for any related plot points.
In the original story, the second expedition was the one that reached the 51st floor, where they encountered a new insect-type monster whose acidic blood could corrode equipment.
That disaster forced them to end the expedition early. On the way back, a Minotaur stampede broke into the upper levels.
That was when Ais saved Bell, and the main plot officially began.
So this must've been the first expedition—one not described in the original story.
From what Charles recalled, this expedition took place just before Bell arrived in Orario.
Charles stepped aside and watched as the Loki Familia procession passed before him. As expected of their elite force, their presence was overwhelming compared to the other adventurers.
Suddenly, Charles noticed Ais, who had been staring straight ahead, turn to look at him.
Their eyes met for a brief moment, and he could clearly see the beautiful yet lifeless expression in her eyes.
Then she turned her gaze away and continued walking.
Their eye contact had lasted less than a second. But Lefiya, who had been watching Ais closely, immediately noticed something unusual.
"Ais-san, is something wrong?"
Ais didn't respond—she just shook her head.
For some reason, when she had looked at that man just now, it had felt like facing her own father.
But that was impossible. That man was someone she'd never heard of before. How could he resemble her father?
After all, her father was the famed Mercenary King.
In the age before the gods descended and bestowed their blessings, Wallenstein, the Mercenary King, had fought using only swordsmanship and the aid of the great spirit of wind—and even managed to blind one of the Black Dragon's eyes.
Yes—the very same Black Dragon that annihilated the combined forces of the Zeus and Hera Familia, which included one LV9, two LV8s, and numerous LV7s and 6s.
The Sky King, the One-Eyed Black Dragon, had lost its eye to Wallenstein—who had never even received a Falna.
A hero of legend like that could never be compared to some ordinary man. So Ais dismissed the thought as a mistake and said nothing.
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