It was under such circumstances and external pressure that even someone like him had become somewhat mentally and physically exhausted, so he could only finish the task and take the chance to relax a little.
To feel the sweetness and beauty of the world.
"...Huh?"
Arriving at the entrance of the Hostess of Fertility, Fron felt that something was missing, making him a little uncomfortable.
He thought for a long moment before suddenly realizing it!
Every day when he walked here, he could already hear the cute waitress sweetly saying, "Welcome!", yet now things felt unusually quiet...
After thinking it over for a bit, Fron immediately understood where those waitresses had gone.
So it's Hestia… no, Freya must have noticed something, and that's why Anya and the others acted. If I remember correctly, there was also a Level 5 involved…
Four veteran Level 4s and one top-class Level 5, sending a lineup like this to the lower floors around the thirty-something levels was clearly overkill.
Since they had already set out, there was no need for him to interfere. If anything, his involvement might even slow down the rescue efforts.
If that caused a butterfly effect and something went wrong, wouldn't he be the one blamed?
After all, he was Level 6, his existence alone might affect the path.
Thinking that, he shook his head and decided to return to his familia's base first, repair his equipment, replenish supplies and magic items, and prepare for the upcoming decisive battle.
Compared to the upcoming raid, exploring the dungeon's thirtieth floor or so meant nothing to him.
Even that "Calamity," the Juggernaut summoned by the Dungeon, under the overwhelming gap in level, stats, and skills, was not even a match for a single exchange.
And he was quite confident. He had witnessed Tsubaki's combat power during the assault on the 59th floor. Besides, anyone who could reach Level 5 was basically a cheat character!
It was a paradox. Anyone who reached Level 5 was a monster. Without some kind of "cheat," how could they possibly overcome so many life-and-death trials to arrive at Level 5 territory?
Lost in his random thoughts, Fron walked away step by step.
Inside the Hostess of Fertility, Mama Mia paused her movement of wiping a mug, glanced at Fron's retreating back, and then continued working.
As the Boss, she naturally knew the reason he didn't come in.
...
Orario, northern district, the Loki Familia.
Because of the failure of the previous subjugation battle, the members had been training themselves intensely these past two days, which indirectly made the base unusually quiet.
Standing before the main gate, Fron noticed that even one of the gate guards was missing, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
Even the gatekeepers are working this hard?
What? You say even Loki Familia's gatekeepers are Level 2? Upper-class adventurers?
Oh. Then that explains it.
Expressionless, he walked through the gate, leaving the guard boy confused, why was Fron looking so cold? Was he in a bad mood!?
Passing through the front courtyard, Fron headed toward his magic workshop. His set of equipment had taken considerable damage after the battle and needed repairs.
Because the forging materials were special Black Goliath Hide, repairing them was extremely difficult. Add to that the weapons, magic items, and potions he needed to replenish, it would take quite a bit of time.
Just as Fron entered the workshop and began working,
In the tower belonging to the female members:
A dis-spirited figure curled up on the bed, hugging her knees tightly, leaning against the wall, shrinking her whole body into a small bundle.
Her little head was buried in her arms, her shoulders trembling from time to time, she looked pitiful and fragile.
At this moment, she was completely immersed in her own world of sorrow, as if cut off from reality.
Even if Ais or Riveria came to comfort her, she did not respond at all.
...
'Why did she have to die?'
The question endlessly tormented the girl's heart and mind. She kept thinking about it. She kept asking that question.
In her mind, the question never found an answer.
No matter how many times she asked the cold, rational void, no answer ever returned.
Wandering, suffering, right now, filling the girl's heart was neither anger nor sadness.
It was a blankness, an empty white space with nothing in it.
After two days of releasing her grief and fury, whether her mind or her heart, everything had been worn down by this sudden tragedy, ground into something flat, exhausted, and colourless...
It was as if everything had been covered by pale ashes, every boundary erased, vanished.
She couldn't even distinguish which parts were emotion, which parts were longing, and which parts were "pain."
She knew nothing.
She couldn't even move. She couldn't do anything.
It was an empty void, the girl resembled a doll that had lost its soul.
And in that endless white wasteland within her, those precious and warm memories buried under layers of gray ash shone brilliantly like gemstones.
In her ears, a voice seemed to echo endlessly:
"If that's the case, then I'll be the one to protect you."
Her broken heart refused to replay those scenes, but it couldn't stop them.
Like a revolving lantern, the memories appeared and disappeared.
Tears flowed endlessly from the corners of her eyes, despite not knowing how many times she had already cried, her eyes and body still produced tears.
No matter how many cries of agony she let out, her tears never ran dry.
Just like the nature of the girl herself, infinitely overflowing, without limit.
...
"Ding, ding, ding, "
A hammer struck the black woven material on the anvil, yet it rang with a sharp metallic clang, as if it wasn't fabric at all, but some kind of hard yet flexible metal leather.
Following the muscular arm holding the hammer, a shirtless man stood before the blazing furnace, swinging down again and again, striking the piece of equipment in his hands.
"…"
This time, as the man raised his arm again, he suddenly stopped. The broken rhythm made him sigh helplessly.
"I'm telling you, standing around blocking the doorway is pointless. If you want to come in, then come in… it's not like you don't know how the door works."
He spoke irritably, grabbing the towel around his neck to wipe the sweat from his face.
"Uh… s-sorry for disturbing you, Fron."
Using the huge metal slab as its mechanism, the workshop door slowly opened, revealing Ais, Anakitty, and a few other girls...
-----
T/N: I know Lefiya was affected by Filvis's death, but was she this much affected in the light novel also or is it just author exaggerating it?