The next morning, Tsuna woke right on schedule, his biological clock never failing him.
He stared up at the ceiling for a few seconds before greeting himself softly, "Morning."
"Time to get up. Today's officially my first day living in another world."
Luckily, Tsuna wasn't the type to have trouble sleeping in a new bed. The futon was comfortable, though the summer heat made waking up a little sticky.
With a thought, he imagined an ice-type Slime. A pale-blue Slime materialized in the middle of the room, and the stifling heat instantly began to fade.
"Much better."
The cooling power was impressive—the once-muggy room turned pleasantly crisp, and the clamminess on his skin eased away.
"I promised Miss Tiona we'd meet today. She said she'd help me learn about this world. A world of swords and magic… it's a lot more complicated than I expected."
There was the Great Feud from three years ago, plus the people Finn had mentioned—Silence and Gluttony. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how much there was to investigate.
He needed to understand the powers at play in this world—Loki's position in Orario, and the factions that stood against her. Since he'd formed a contract with Loki, knowing these things was essential. The last thing he wanted was to embarrass himself—or her—by saying something ignorant.
Until he had enough strength, Tsuna had no intention of provoking any opposing forces. For one, he didn't want to cause trouble for Loki. For another, he didn't want to get himself killed.
Enjoying the cool air, Tsuna lingered in bed for a while longer before finally sitting up.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
Someone rapped on the door. He had just finished dressing and was wondering who could be up this early when he went to open it.
"Good morning, Tsuna."
"Good morning, um…"
"Riveria. Riveria Ljos Alf. You can just call me Riveria."
She greeted him with a warm, gentle smile.
"Miss Riveria, did I oversleep? Do the Loki Familia members always wake up this early?"
That word again—Familia. Riveria had noticed it yesterday too, and the way he addressed Loki. Most new members would say "Lady Loki" or "Goddess Loki," showing proper respect. But Tsuna called her "Miss Loki"—a strangely casual honorific, like she was just some young noblewoman rather than a goddess.
Riveria had realized then that he probably didn't understand the concept of gods and Familias, which explained the strange way he spoke. Still, it raised another question—where exactly was this boy from, if he didn't even know about gods or Familias?
She'd ask him later. Riveria was genuinely curious about what Loki was hiding.
"Not every day," she answered. "We've been waking earlier lately because the Familia's preparing for a Dungeon expedition. Those of us in charge have a bit more to do."
"Dungeon…" Tsuna repeated, remembering Tiona had mentioned it yesterday. He hadn't asked then, but now that he had the chance, curiosity got the better of him. "Miss Riveria, can you tell me more about the Dungeon?"
Riveria nodded lightly. "Of course. We'll go over everything in time. But first—breakfast."
She smiled faintly. She had plenty of time today to answer his questions—and maybe learn a few things about him, too. But before all that, they needed to eat.
The two of them headed to the dining hall.
Unlike the crowded dinner from last night, only a few people were around this early. Tsuna spotted some familiar faces among them—Finn and Gareth.
After picking up their trays, Riveria and Tsuna sat across from the two executives.
"How was your first night, kid?" Gareth asked, his deep voice carrying a calm warmth—like a kindly grandfather's.
"Pretty good," Tsuna replied. "I'm not picky about beds. It's just… weird not having household appliances around."
"Appliances?" Gareth tilted his head. "Ah, you mean things powered by magic stones, like a Magic Stone Lamp? Though, come to think of it, Orario doesn't really have anything like what you're describing."
"Yeah… I guess that's just a difference between worlds."
The word world slipped out before he could stop himself.
Finn, Gareth, and Riveria all froze. The three exchanged quick looks, then glanced around the room. Thankfully, no one seemed to have overheard.
"Tsuna," Finn said quietly, "try not to mention things like that so openly, alright?"
Tsuna scratched his cheek, a bit sheepish. "I figured as much. But honestly, wouldn't you guys have figured it out anyway? I don't know if Miss Loki told you, but I doubt I could've fooled you for long. Better to just say it outright than make things awkward. And she didn't forbid me from telling you, so I think she's fine with it."
The three senior members exchanged another look—and a wry smile. The "naive kid" wasn't nearly as naive as they thought.
"Well, that settles that," Tsuna said. "There's probably stuff I shouldn't talk about, and I'm guessing Miss Loki doesn't want too many people to know. What I do want is to learn more about this world."
"I only know the basics so far—this is a world of swords and magic, and people like Miss Loki have the ability to tell when someone's lying. Beyond that, I'm clueless."
Miss Loki, huh. Finn could see now why he called her that.
"Tsuna," Finn said after a pause, "do you know who Loki really is?"
Tsuna shook his head. "No idea."
"Have you ever tried to guess?"
"Sure," Tsuna said thoughtfully. "I figured Miss Loki must be someone important—like a noble or a lord's daughter. Honestly, she feels more like a princess to me. She's confident, sharp, and fearless. Definitely not your average rich girl."
Finn chuckled softly. "That's a pretty high opinion of her. And honestly… not far off."
He leaned back, eyes glinting with amusement.
"But Loki isn't a noble, or a lady of status. She's a goddess—one of the divine beings who came down from the heavens."