Oh well… I'll just consider his little tease as punishment for using him to replenish my mana, Riveria sighed softly, the last traces of her earlier anger fading away. Looking at the boy beside her, she bowed slightly once more.
"No matter what, please accept my apology—for both the escaped Minotaur and Bete's rudeness."
"Mhm. Don't worry about it. I accept your apology."
Yoru gave a small nod, no longer rejecting her goodwill. He accepted the apology with a calm expression.
"…Would you say that to me too?"
Suddenly, Aiz—who had been silent the entire time—murmured something in an unusually curious tone.
"Uh… what do you mean?"
Yoru blinked in surprise, turning to look at her.
"You said you wanted Riveria to become yours. So what about me? When you see me… do you feel the same?"
Her golden eyes wide and bright, Aiz stared up at him with an expression full of anticipation.
"Uhh… how do I even respond to that…"
Faced with the serious and expectant gaze of the girl, Yoru found himself at a loss for words. Riveria, standing off to the side, had an expression somewhere between amusement and exasperation.
She really is a bit slow… Even knowing Aiz was a little airheaded, Riveria still felt embarrassed on her behalf. You're a girl—try to be a little more reserved…
Looking at Aiz's unwavering eyes, Yoru was conflicted. If he answered honestly and said yes, wouldn't that make him sound like some pervert? But if he said no… wouldn't that imply he thought she wasn't as attractive as Riveria?
…Though he did slightly prefer women with Riveria's gentle, maternal aura…
As Yoru struggled internally, Aiz just kept staring at him expectantly. Fortunately, Riveria stepped in to break the awkward silence.
"Alright, alright—let's go. Everyone from the Familia is still waiting for us."
She tugged on Aiz's arm to leave, but before going, Riveria suddenly turned back with a thought.
"By the way, you should hand that magic stone over to me. Of course, the Loki Familia will compensate you fairly, but walking around with that crystal might cause unnecessary trouble."
She wasn't wrong—an LV1 adventurer holding a magic stone from an LV2 Minotaur was far too suspicious and would draw attention.
Wait a second… an LV1 adventurer?!
Realization struck Riveria like a bolt of lightning. Her eyes widened in shock.
"How in the world did you get down to the ninth floor?!"
It didn't make sense. An LV1 adventurer shouldn't be able to reach the ninth floor. Something wasn't right.
"Uhh…" Yoru froze again. How could he even begin to explain that he'd somehow made it all the way down without encountering a single monster?
No one would believe that!
Aiz, meanwhile, was staring at him suspiciously. He might be claiming to be LV1, but there was no way that was true.
Based on the icy magic she had just witnessed, Aiz was certain he was at least as strong as a Level 5—possibly even stronger.
She opened her mouth to question him, but Yoru shot her a quick look, and she chose to remain silent.
So… he doesn't want to reveal that part?
"Actually, I was originally helping carry gear for a party of adventurers. But when we reached the ninth floor, we got attacked by a Minotaur, and everyone scattered…"
Yoru quickly came up with a plausible excuse.
"…Is that so?"
Riveria blinked, then nodded. She didn't think he had any reason to lie—especially not someone so new. And someone at Level 1 really shouldn't be able to get to the ninth floor on their own anyway.
As for him hiding his strength? From Riveria's perspective, it was impossible. She could tell his body was absolutely exhausted. His stamina and condition were clearly that of a rookie.
"Then let us escort you back up. As for the magic stone, we'll exchange it for valis and deliver the money to you later."
Riveria smiled kindly, and Yoru nodded in sincere gratitude. He didn't really want to show up at the Guild flaunting that kind of magic stone anyway. If someone with bad intentions saw it, it could get dangerous.
A crystal from a Level 2 monster… that should fetch a decent price, right?
With two beautiful women—Riveria and Aiz—by his side, Yoru made his way to the Adventurer's Guild.
Eina, who had been worried sick over his long absence, stared in shock when she saw him return flanked by two of the most powerful women in Orario.
Everyone in the Guild knew these two by name. One was Aiz Wallenstein, the strongest female swordsman. The other was Riveria, known as the greatest mage in Orario.
Both were elite members of the Loki Familia. Level 5 adventurers.
…But how on earth did Yoru end up with them? And they looked so close too?
"Are you Mr. Yoru's advisor?"
While Eina stood there stunned, Riveria walked up and asked politely.
"Ah, yes, I am… um, may I ask how you two from the Loki Familia ended up with Yoru?"
"There was a bit of an accident. We found him on the ninth floor and escorted him back."
Riveria kept things vague, deliberately avoiding the part where they were the ones responsible for the Minotaur's escape. It was a bit too embarrassing to admit.
"The… the ninth floor?!"
Eina's jaw dropped. She nearly fell out of her chair.
With a glare that could kill, she turned to Yoru and snapped:
"Thank goodness you two helped him—otherwise, this reckless idiot would've died in the Dungeon!"
"Ah… well… truth be told, it was actually our fault that Mr. Yoru ended up in danger in the first place…"
Seeing Eina about to explode, Riveria smiled awkwardly, hoping to calm her down.