Three minutes later, a figure in a hooded cloak slipped out of the Loki Familia's Twilight Manor. It was still early; the streets of Orario were quiet, and almost no one noticed him. He made no sound at all—just melted into the morning fog like a ghost.
Only Loki, leaning lazily on the windowsill, caught sight of him leaving.
"He's even more cautious than I expected."
Her tone was honest, but her lips curved in faint amusement. The boy clearly understood the dangers of Orario. Loki found herself far less worried about anyone bullying Tsuna than before.
Once Tsuna disappeared from view, Loki turned away from the window and looked at the two people in the room.
"Gareth, Riveria—don't you two feel like something's missing in here?"
"Hm? Missing?" Riveria blinked, caught off guard. She scanned the room carefully, confirming that it was just her, Gareth, and Loki inside.
"Hmm... feels like something's off," Gareth muttered, rubbing his beard in confusion.
Loki grinned. "Ha~ Tsuna's creation really is more impressive than I thought. It's not just his presence that fades—he even dulls the memory of him in your minds."
Riveria and Gareth still looked puzzled, so Loki gave them a pointed hint.
"Finn."
"—!"
Both of them froze for a heartbeat as the image of Finn standing there moments ago suddenly resurfaced in their minds.
"That medallion!"
"It lowered his presence to the point of hypnosis... I didn't even notice he was gone," Riveria murmured, astonished.
They recalled how Finn had vanished before their eyes without them sensing a single thing. It was as if his existence had been erased.
"That's not hypnosis," Loki said, seeing straight through it.
"It's an ability that hides personal information—temporarily concealing key identifiers so that others forget someone entirely. Like a divine disappearance. Heh~ Tsuna's power really can produce effects beyond imagination."
Still, Loki's expression softened slightly as she added, "But because his ability's so overpowered, I'm worried his personal growth might get stifled because of it."
Tsuna's gift was pure talent—but children too gifted in one area often ended up limited elsewhere. That was what concerned her. Loki wanted to see where his growth would lead as early as possible—because that would determine everything that came next.
"Of course," she went on, "if Tsuna's physical ability grows just as fast as his power, that's when things get complicated. It'll mean he'll need more well-rounded development—and that'll take longer."
Riveria and Gareth exchanged a glance. Riveria was the first to sigh.
"Loki, you sound like an overprotective mother today. You're usually the one teasing me for acting like that."
"That's because you three have such distinct personalities and strengths that I never need to worry about your growth," Loki shot back with a smirk. "Tsuna's different. He's got more potential paths than any of you. If he's talented both in power and personally, he'll need extra care—and a lot more time to learn."
She didn't bother hiding how much more attention she was giving Tsuna. Then her grin turned teasing.
"Oh my~ Riveria, are you jealous? Want more of my affection instead? If it's you, I don't mind giving it~"
And just like that, she turned into a pervy old man again. Riveria sighed; this was Loki's classic way of dodging a serious conversation. Clearly, she didn't want to continue that line of thought.
"Loki," Gareth rumbled, "don't you think it's too soon to send that kid into the Dungeon?"
He sounded uneasy. If it were someone like Bete—a loudmouthed brat—Gareth would've gladly thrown him into the Dungeon to get knocked around by monsters. But Tsuna wasn't that kind of kid.
"Ah, that," Loki said, waving her hand casually. "I don't mind Tsuna wanting to grow quickly. His situation's completely different from Ais's. Ais pushes herself out of pride more than anything. Tsuna's not like that—he's calm, he knows how to assess things."
"Ais faces a problem by charging through it—like the wind magic she wields, uncontrollable and wild. Tsuna's different. He evaluates danger—he has a natural instinct for it."
Loki remembered the moment from the day before, when Tsuna had sensed her even with their presences completely hidden.
"Yesterday, outside the bath—you were all cloaked perfectly, but he still noticed. Sure, his reaction was instinctive, but his awareness of danger... it's not just intuition. It's situational judgment."
"Tell me, does Ais have that? Even now?"
Riveria exhaled in resignation. "No."
Everyone in the Familia knew Ais's reckless nature. When faced with a threat, she didn't think—she drew her sword and charged straight ahead, never caring whether she could actually win.
Loki chuckled softly at Riveria's exasperated look. The elf only made that face when it came to that stubborn girl. Babysitting Ais was a full-time job, and Loki knew it. Which was exactly why she cherished a well-behaved kid like Tsuna even more.
"Riveria, Gareth," Loki said suddenly, "start preparing the next Dungeon expedition list—and add Tsuna's name to it."
"So soon?" Gareth frowned deeply.
"The boy just became an adventurer, and you're already putting him on an expedition team? Loki, I can't agree with that."
"It's fine," Loki said easily. "I'm not planning to have Tsuna fully involved in the upcoming expeditions. You're worried he'll be thrown in too early; I'm worried something unexpected might happen to him too. So I'm just suggesting his ability help you push deeper into the Dungeon."
Loki had never intended to throw Tsuna into a full-scale Dungeon expedition this early. She just wanted him to get a feel for it—to see, to learn, and to quietly give the team the best support his power could offer.