Loki might've felt a twinge of jealousy toward Hestia when she first heard how that story played out—but the moment she laid eyes on Tsuna, every trace of that feeling vanished.
Sure, Hestia's first child in the mortal world might've had the makings of a Hero. But her own Tsuna? He was something else entirely. Loki was absolutely confident in that.
"So, Miss Loki plans to interfere?"
"Hmm~ maybe I'm a little curious," Loki said lazily, propping her chin on one hand. "But I'm not the type to believe fate can be changed just because I meddle. Some things play out no matter what you do. So my answer's simple—let it be."
If it had been before, maybe she would've been tempted to step in. Loki didn't deny that. But that was before she'd brought Tsuna home. After that, she lost all interest in getting involved. In fact, a different thought crossed her mind.
"If that little shrimp actually reaches that point," she said with a sly grin, "I'd like to see if her kid could serve as your whetstone."
A Hero-grade whetstone—now that was a luxurious idea. Still, Loki couldn't help but be curious and a little excited.
"A whetstone, huh… Miss Loki, you're giving me too much credit. I don't think I'm that strong, or that I can grow that much in such a short time."
Tsuna smiled a little, touched by her faith in him—but he wasn't sure he could live up to it.
"Relax. You just became an adventurer; you've got time. With your potential, even if your growth's slow, you'll still end up around Finn's level."
…Wait, why am I the benchmark now? Finn thought helplessly.
"Anyway, we'll see how fast you grow today. Early growth tends to be quick, but once your Status reaches a certain point, it slows down. Still, we should be able to get a general idea."
"Eh? But I thought today was for basic lessons?"
"That's only for people who know nothing about the world," Loki said, waving a hand. "Since you already understand the basics of Orario, we can skip the crash course."
Normally, that would've been an essential lesson—but given that Tsuna already knew enough about how things worked, Loki decided to shift focus to his growth instead.
"Finn, take Tsuna into the Dungeon. Today's about seeing how he develops. Be back before sunset—I want to see how much his Status improves."
"Now? Shouldn't we still be keeping his secret under wraps?" Finn asked, raising a brow.
"It's fine," Loki said, brushing it off. "Normally, sure, it'd be tricky. But with Tsuna? He's more than capable. He can slip into an Alternate Dimension or summon monsters that block sight better than any disguise. As far as anyone else'll see, it'll just look like he went into the Dungeon alone."
If it were any other kid, Loki would've been more cautious. But with Tsuna, there was no need to overthink it.
After all, he could create anything with Annihilation Maker. Hiding information was almost too easy for him. Not because it wasn't important—but because for him, it took no effort.
"Tsuna, how about it?"
"I'm fine," he said confidently. "I shouldn't have any problems on the upper floors. I just need to get used to the environment. It'll also be a good chance to test different kinds of beasts—and to figure out how to stabilize functional ones."
He really had no reason to hesitate. Now that he understood the world around him, it was time to figure out the limits of his imagination and his power—to see what surprises Annihilation Maker could still hold.
He wanted to feel his strength firsthand, to find ways to grow, to uncover his own secrets—and to find the road home. To do all that, he had to get stronger as soon as possible, perfect his creation ability, and push its limits.
"Perfect," Loki said, grinning wide as she patted his back. "You've got your goal, so get moving. You'll have to adapt to the Dungeon's environment on your own. I'm staying here today—I'll be waiting for you to come back. Show me how much you've grown."
"Got it."
Tsuna took a deep breath. He wasn't nervous. Compared to Bell Cranel's circumstances, he had it way better—strong allies, Loki's support, and a determination to grow stronger. He believed he could do it.
"Finn, I'll be counting on you."
"Don't worry about it," Finn said, smiling. "I want to see what you can really do, too. I'll rely on your ability to hide me."
"No problem."
Tsuna already had an idea in mind. It was a simple trick, really.
He imagined the emblem of the Loki Familia—and infused it with a new effect: concealment. A way to erase one's presence as much as possible.
Extending his hand, he manifested a small silver medallion engraved with the Loki Familia crest and handed it to Finn.
"This will reduce your presence. Anyone who looks at you will subconsciously ignore you. Even if someone notices you for a moment, the medallion will quickly make them forget you're there."
"You can make something like this?"
Finn accepted the medallion, astonished as Tsuna explained. The moment he fastened it to his collar, it activated.
He blinked—Loki's eyes weren't focused on him anymore. In fact, he could see his reflection in her pupils vanish entirely.
That strong? Finn's heart skipped a beat.
He knew some magic items had quick effects, but this was on another level. He was standing right there in the same room—and yet, just by wearing the medallion, he'd completely disappeared from Loki's sight.
He glanced at Riveria and Gareth—neither of them were looking his way. In their eyes, he simply wasn't there. There wasn't even a flicker of confusion; it was as if their minds had automatically erased him.
What a terrifying ability. Finn looked down at the medallion gleaming faintly against his chest, thoroughly impressed.