"This was truly an incredible adventure," Shirou said.
"I never want to go through something like this again."
Hearing Shirou's exhausted remark beside him, Asfi sighed with a gloomy expression.
At that moment, Shirou and the others were resting on the twenty-fourth floor, recovering their strength in a safe zone.
After so many continuous battles, even Shirou was feeling worn out.
The others were in even worse shape—
especially the members of the Hermes Familia, many of whom were injured.
Fortunately, Asfi and her companions had foreseen the dangers of this mission and had prepared plenty of supplies.
They had no shortage of high-grade elixirs, which allowed everyone to recover quickly—Asfi included.
"This expedition really opened my eyes. All kinds of strange things showed up… Looks like Orario is going to be quite turbulent," Shirou muttered.
Upon hearing that, silence fell over the group.
Even Bete, who was usually loud and arrogant, stopped talking and sat quietly, lost in thought.
The information they had gathered was simply shocking.
"Brother… is Orario really going to be destroyed?" Lefiya asked, lying beside Shirou with her head resting on his lap.
She sounded completely bewildered.
Gently stroking her hair, Shirou said softly,
"Don't worry. Neither I nor the gods will ever allow that to happen. It's not something you need to concern yourself with. Finn and the others will handle it. You just need to focus on getting stronger."
Hearing Shirou's reassuring words and feeling the warmth of his hand, Lefiya whispered quietly,
"I know..."
And so, the two shared a peaceful, comforting moment together.
The sight made Filvis, who stood nearby, feel a pang of envy.
She never had such a caring older brother in her life.
After a brief rest, the group began their return journey.
Relying on the overwhelming combat strength of Ais and Bete, they advanced quickly through the Dungeon.
And Shirou...?
He was carrying Lefiya on his back while protecting the injured.
On the way back to the surface, Shirou noticed Ais's gaze from behind as she guarded the rear, so he slowed his pace to fall back beside her.
"Do you have something you want to say, Ais?" he asked.
At his question, Ais opened her lips slightly, hesitated a few times, then finally spoke.
"I want to go to the 59th floor."
"Why?"
"Because of Revis… Finn and the others are considering canceling the expedition. I don't want to wait anymore."
Ais wasn't begging Shirou to do anything—she was simply voicing her frustration.
She knew very well that the 59th floor wasn't a place she could reach alone.
It was a challenge that required everyone's cooperation.
But considering her comrades' safety, now wasn't the right time for another expedition—
even though she desperately wanted to go.
Conflicting emotions twisted inside her heart.
She was torn between reason and desire.
"I see…" Shirou replied with a gentle smile, understanding her inner conflict.
He knew very well that this expedition wouldn't actually be postponed—
in fact, it would be larger than any previous one.
The Loki Familia was set to receive support from the Hephaestus Familia.
With the addition of countless high-level blacksmiths, Loki Familia's overall strength would soon surpass all expectations.
That was thanks to Loki and Finn.
Whether it was Loki, the goddess herself, or Finn, the Familia's captain—
both longed for the unknown.
The greater the uncertainty, the greater their excitement.
And it wasn't just them; nearly everyone in the Loki Familia shared that same spirit.
Their drive to explore the unknown was what had carried them this far.
"Don't worry," Shirou said warmly. "I'm sure they'll consider your opinion—and don't forget, you'll always have my support."
"That's right! We'll always support Ais!" Lefiya suddenly declared loudly, pretending she hadn't been listening.
Hearing their words, Ais's golden eyes softened with warmth.
"Thank you… Shirou, Lefiya."
---xXx---
"I see. I didn't expect things to be this complicated."
In the conference room, after listening to Shirou's full report, Finn, Riveria, Gareth, and Loki all frowned deeply.
"A coalition between monsters and Evilus aiming to destroy Orario," Loki murmured.
"They really plan to unleash the Deep Monsters onto the surface… That's insane," Finn said, biting his thumb in thought as he analyzed every scenario.
At that moment, only Shirou, the three executives, and Loki were present in the room.
As for Ais and Bete, neither of them knew much about the full situation.
Only Shirou had experienced it firsthand, so he was the one to report it.
Riveria had ordered the others to return and rest.
"You've done well, Shirou," Riveria said kindly.
Taking the cup of red tea she offered, Shirou smiled faintly as he sat down.
"It was definitely tough. That battle felt like something out of the forty-ninth floor."
Endless monsters, overwhelming abilities, and even a floor boss-level enemy—
since Shirou's arrival in Orario, aside from major expeditions, he hadn't fought a battle that intense.
"Hahaha! Sounds like it was rough!" Gareth laughed heartily and patted Shirou's shoulder.
"As expected, with you there, we never have to worry about Ais and the others' safety!" he added.
"I'm not that amazing," Shirou sighed modestly.
"Just take the compliment, lad! Hahaha!"
Hearing Gareth's teasing tone, Finn chuckled as well.
"If it weren't for Shirou, Bete probably wouldn't have made it back in one piece."
"That's right—Shirou really is the best!" Loki chimed in.
Even Loki's praise left Shirou a little embarrassed, but he accepted it with a humble smile.
After a few lighthearted jokes, Shirou turned serious again.
"So, Captain, does this mean our next expedition will be delayed?"
Finn smiled and shook his head.
"Of course not."
---xXx---
Yawning tiredly as he walked down the corridor, Shirou finally made his way back to his room.
But as soon as he opened the door, he froze.
Ais was sitting there, waiting for him.
"You really are impatient," Shirou said with a wry smile.
Stepping inside, he glanced at Lefiya, who was already lying on his bed, and sighed helplessly.
"And what exactly are you doing here?"
"I… I want to stay with Ais!" Lefiya blurted out.
Scratching the back of his head, Shirou couldn't help but chuckle at her persistence.
Watching him walk toward the door, Ais suddenly asked, her tone anxious,
"How are things looking?"
"As long as I'm here," Shirou replied confidently, thumping his chest with a grin,
"nothing unexpected is going to happen."
---
(End of Chapter)