Three hours later, the second team of the expedition arrived on the 28th floor.
By the time they got there, the first team had already finished setting up camp, and most of the members were seated, resting and recovering.
Everyone in the second team had prior expedition experience and was at least Lv.2—any lower, and they wouldn't have qualified. If an escort team lacked the strength to protect others, they should've been placed in the first team to train.
After their arrival, Gareth regrouped with a few members of the first team.
"Finn, how are the kids doing?"
"Everyone's improving rapidly. Their growth is already visibly obvious."
"Oh? Sounds like this expedition really gave them a solid push."
Finn's reply far exceeded Gareth's expectations. He had assumed that, being their first time on an expedition, the younger members would struggle to adapt to the environment of the lower floors.
He hadn't expected Finn to say that they were all showing clear signs of growth.
Gareth was genuinely surprised, but even more so, he was pleased.
The better the younger members developed, the brighter the Familia's future would be. Even though he'd been at Lv.6 for quite some time, Gareth still hoped to see more of them rise to the top. Judging by the satisfied look on Finn's face, it seemed like the children really had made significant progress this time.
"It's impressive. Their progress has gone far beyond what we expected."
"It's just a bit unfortunate that Lili's team ran into a 'Monster Feast.'"
Gareth wasn't all that surprised. What he was more concerned about was the child's safety.
"How did she and her team hold up?"
Finn motioned for Gareth not to worry and continued,
"Lili's team faced the 'Monster Feast' head-on. They used up all their resources, but everyone made it through safely."
Hearing that, Gareth relaxed—but he was still amazed by how Lili and her team had made it through unscathed.
"To face a 'Monster Feast' and come out without a single injury... those kids really have grown."
He knew that most of Lili's team consisted of Lv.1 and Lv.2 adventurers. For a team like that to hold up under a 'Monster Feast' and show such resilience was remarkable.
To emerge without any injuries was a clear sign of how far every member of that team had come.
"Maybe if they hadn't run into the 'Monster Feast,' Lili could've led them further."
"Well, running into a 'Monster Feast' in the Dungeon isn't exactly rare. Getting an early taste of the Dungeon's malice isn't necessarily a bad thing."
Just the mention of a 'Monster Feast' told Gareth enough about the kind of situation Liliruca had faced—but he didn't see it as something negative.
"The deeper you go, the more you feel the Dungeon's hostility. We've experienced that firsthand many times."
"They may just be starting out on this path, but learning about the Dungeon's malice is crucial."
"If they couldn't keep going this time, they'll have another chance. What they've gained now is valuable experience."
"After all, we all know—adventurers don't grow overnight."
That was what people meant when they said there's no need to rush.
But that didn't mean adventurers shouldn't strive to improve. It meant growth takes time.
Talent, effort, and luck all need time to build.
That's why being an adventurer isn't about rushing—it's about building a foundation, then making your move.
Seeing the lingering regret on Finn's face, Gareth understood that he was feeling bad about Liliruca's unlucky break, so he offered a few words of comfort.
"You don't need to feel so sorry for Lili. This was her first expedition, after all."
"Think back—did we even make it to the 28th floor on our first one?"
Finn couldn't help but recall their early days, and a smile crept onto his face.
"Back then, we couldn't even imagine reaching the 28th floor."
"Even with all our talent, we got completely blocked at the 13th floor by one of those damn 'Monster Feasts.'"
He, Gareth, and Riveria had all been considered gifted at the time, but even they were stuck at the entrance to the 13th floor. It took several scouting runs, some serious planning, and assembling a larger party before they finally made it past the 13th floor to reach the 18th floor and the City of Rivira.
Seeing Finn smile again, Gareth clapped a hand on his shoulder.
"If we went through all that, why can't the kids today go through it too?"
"Besides, did we ever back down when we hit a wall like that? No—we pulled our team together and pushed forward the next time."
"That girl's got better conditions than we ever had. So what if she stumbled once?"
He had a point.
Finn realized he'd gotten a little too caught up in worry.
"You're right. Setbacks and challenges aren't something we adventurers can't overcome. It's just part of the path, and regret won't change anything."
"That's more like it."
Gareth chuckled and casually shifted the topic.
"Other than the kids' growth—anything else happen?"
That question instantly darkened Finn's expression.
There was something.
Gareth straightened up as soon as he caught the change in tone. Finn lowered his voice.
"It's about the Guild's power."
Gareth blinked, then quickly connected the dots.
"Special monsters with self-awareness in the Dungeon? Did your group run into someone?"
"Not us. Bell-kun did."
"Tch... figures."
"The Guild's involvement is a massive headache. If this isn't handled carefully, it could throw all of Orario into chaos."
"I know. But we can't turn it down—not that we even have the option."
If they could, Finn wouldn't have touched that mess at all. But right now, they had no choice.
Gareth understood why.
The Guild's influence was directly tied to Haruhime, and with Loki owing them a favor, they couldn't just look the other way.
"But even if the Guild's pressure is real, there had to be another reason you agreed so fast, right?"
Finn knew he couldn't hide it, so he let out a bitter sigh.
"Bell-kun was seen by Loki, Hestia, and Hephaestus while he was rescuing people."
That shut Gareth up immediately.
Now he understood why even someone as shrewd as Finn couldn't quietly clean up the situation—there was no getting out of it now.
And then Finn dropped the real bombshell.
"The Guild had Hermes Familia's Muddle deliver the 'eye' directly to Ais, so they saw the whole thing too."
Yeah, this was seriously bad.
Gareth's eye twitched uncontrollably at that.
Of all the things that could've gone wrong... and now the Guild was in on it too.
No wonder there was no way out.