Looking Forward to Another World - Chapter 20

———(Family).
That’s the word Riegel perceived from the scene unfolding before him. As the trio, who had been watching from the back, stepped forward, the aura of kinship became more apparent.

“We’re back, Loki,” announced the regal elf woman with a voice that was both stern and tender.

The dwarf warrior, with a hearty laugh, effortlessly helped Loki to her feet, as if she were as light as a doll.

Then, the Pallum youth, the shortest among them all, with hair like golden wheat and eyes as clear as a lake, spoke with a surprisingly mature tone, “This expedition was a success, no casualties, but the gains weren’t substantial. I’ll brief you on the details later, Loki. For now, let everyone rest and take a good bath.”

As Loki regained her composure, she announced cheerfully, “Well done, everyone! Take a good rest!” The members of the expedition responded in unison and began moving the spoils of war into the headquarters, guided by the young Pallum leader.

Riegel remained where he stood, his gaze fixed on the leading figures, reflecting admiration and respect. These individuals were the pillars of the Loki Familia, renowned for their strength and famed across the world.

In the world of adventurers, based on levels, they are classified as either Upper or Lower Class. Lower Class Adventurers are at Lv.1, while Upper Class Adventurers are those who have ascended to Lv.2 or higher. The Upper Class is further divided into Third, Second, and First Class Adventurers, with Lv.6 being exceptionally rare, numbering less than ten in all of Orario. The Loki Familia boasted three of these Lv.6 adventurers, marking it as one of the most influential families.

The Amazoness twins, Tiona and Tione Hiryute, and the Werewolf Bete Loga, all Lv.5, were among the first to join the Familia. They were followed by the trio of Finn Deimne, Riveria Ljos Alf, and Gareth Landrock, each a Lv.6 and a leader in their own right.

Riegel’s attention then returned to the quiet, doll-like young girl among them. “Ais Wallenstein, Lv.5, the strongest swordswoman of the Loki Familia, titled the (Sword Princess),” he thought to himself, as his gaze lingered on her.

The people of the Familia, whether those who had stayed behind or those who had returned from the expedition, all looked up to these figures with a mixture of awe and affection. They were the very definition of (Family), a concept that seemed distant to Riegel but now felt tangibly close in this moment. The young girl about to enter the high tower seemed to hear something, turning her head towards Riegel. Their eyes met, locking gazes in a fleeting moment. In that instant, it was as if they existed in a world where only the two of them mattered, everything else fading into the background.

Riegel shares a peculiar trait with Ais – a faint, transparent brilliance in their eyes. Despite Riegel’s pure black eyes contrasting starkly with Ais’s dazzling gold, their similarity is unmistakable when they look into each other’s eyes. Both exhibit a transparent glow, a detached air, and an imperceptible resoluteness.

Caught in this moment of mutual recognition, both Riegel and Ais are momentarily transfixed. They find in each other’s gaze a reflection of themselves, an uncanny feeling of looking into a mirror. This sensation holds them in place, momentarily forgetting their surroundings, and for a long while, they stand in silent communion.

Eventually, Riegel is the first to break this spell. Acknowledging Ais with a respectful nod, he turns to assist the stationed Familia members in moving the spoils of the expedition. Ais watches him, her golden eyes shimmering faintly.

“Ais-san?” The voice of Lefiya, an elf girl who looks more like a follower than a companion to Ais, breaks the silence. With her long chestnut hair tied back and pointed ears peeking out, she appears younger than Ais but already possesses a beauty that could rival the moon.

Lefiya’s call brings Ais back to reality, but their conversation is soon interrupted by Tiona, another high-ranking adventurer of the Loki Familia. Her energetic voice fills the air as she playfully teases Ais about her interest in Riegel. Tione, Tiona’s twin, joins in with her own remarks, highlighting the rarity of Ais taking notice of a new male member.

Amidst their chatter, Riegel continues his work, unaware of the attention he’s drawn. The other members of the Loki Familia, including the stern but caring Riveria and the playful chief god Loki, all observe the scene with interest.

Loki, in particular, watches with a sense of satisfaction, knowing that Riegel has already caught the attention of her Familia’s strongest members. This development promises an interesting dynamic within the Familia, especially with Ais, who’s usually detached and focused solely on her duties as an adventurer.

As Riegel works and the others retreat to their quarters, Ais lingers, her gaze following him until the very end. In that moment, a new chapter begins in the lives of Ais, Riegel, and the entire Loki Familia, one filled with unknown possibilities and budding connections.

“Loki?”
Finn, who was in conversation with Loki, noticed the sudden silence of the Chief God and called out to her.

“Sorry, sorry, just spaced out for a moment,” Loki returned to her senses, laughing nonchalantly. “You guys go handle your own stuff, rest well for now. We can talk about anything else tonight.”

“Okay.” Finn nodded. “Then I’ll go in first, and we can deal with the spoils of war tomorrow.”

“Go ahead, go ahead,” Loki waved her hand, sending off her Familia’s Captain and her first child.

Once all the expeditionary Familia members had entered the base, Loki grinned and shouted in Riegel’s direction, “Kid, come back early tonight, don’t mess around too long!”

The call from behind made Riegel pause in his actions. He understood that Loki was preparing to fulfill her promise from last night to introduce a “teacher” to him.

“Got it.”

Riegel had to suppress the excitement in his heart and abandon his plan to venture deeper into the Dungeon today.

…

Time always flies. When the night fell again, Orario welcomed back the adventurers returning safely from the Dungeon and the citizens ending their day’s work. The streets filled with a lively and relaxed atmosphere, as people of all statuses and races seemed to mingle together.

This vibrant atmosphere was undoubtedly most intense in the Twilight Manor today. Perhaps due to the return of the expedition members, the Loki Familia was livelier than in the past few days, with a lively ambiance.

After ample rest, the returning members shed their fatigue from days of campaigning, removed their gear, and immersed themselves in the comfortable atmosphere of the Familia. Usually, this would be the time to settle the gains from the expedition. Even though Finn, the Captain, had decided to deal with the spoils tomorrow out of consideration for their hard work, other matters, like updating ability values, would typically be addressed now.

Many Familia members couldn’t wait to see how much they had grown from the expedition and if they had accumulated enough experience to level up. Unfortunately, Loki seemed not in the mood to handle this today and postponed the ability value updates.

“In a couple of days!” was all Loki said, leaving the Familia members with no choice but to comply.

In such a situation, within Loki’s divine room, the heads and executives of the Familia gathered.

“Looks like everyone had a good rest, I’m relieved,” Loki commented, satisfied with the condition of the Familia’s top adventurers.

Werewolf Bete, however, seemed somewhat displeased. “What’s the matter? Why did you suddenly call us all here?” He complained about Loki disrupting his schedule, his eyes frequently drifting to Ais.

“It’s rare for you to call us all together like this,” Tiona, hugging Ais’s arm, expressed her surprise and a bit of jealousy from Bete.

“I thought you’d only call the Captain for a talk,” Tione added, “but I don’t mind. As long as the Captain is here, I’ll be there too.” Finn, the Captain, could only respond with a helpless expression.

Riveria shook her head, sitting next to Ais, waiting for Loki to speak.

“What’s so important that you had to call all the executives together?” asked Gareth, stroking his long beard and looking inquisitively at Loki.

Ais, however, remained silent throughout, sitting motionless.

With that, Loki, hands on her hips and looking quite pleased, spoke up. “Don’t rush. I just wanted to introduce a troublesome kid to everyone so you can get to know him.”

This statement took everyone by surprise. “Introduce someone?” They grew even more curious about who could make
their unpredictable Chief God take such a formal approach, gathering all the executives and heads.

The gathered members looked at each other, their curiosity piqued. Who could be this person that Loki was treating with such seriousness, leading to the assembly of all executives and leaders of the Familia?

“Alright,” Finn agreed, and then excused himself to go inside, deciding to deal with the spoils of war the next day.

“Off you go,” Loki casually dismissed her Familia’s Captain and first child.

After all the members of the expedition had entered the base, Loki, with a grin, called out to Riegel, “Kid, come back early tonight, don’t stay out too late!”

Hearing the shout from behind, Riegel paused for a moment. He knew that Loki was ready to fulfill her promise from the previous night to introduce him to a “teacher.”

“Understood,” Riegel responded, setting aside his eagerness and abandoning his plan to delve deeper into the Dungeon that day.

…

Time always seems to fly by quickly. As the day turned to night once more, Orario welcomed back its adventurers from the Dungeon and its citizens from their day’s work. The streets filled with a lively, carefree atmosphere as people from all walks of life and races mingled together.

In today’s Twilight Manor, the atmosphere was particularly vibrant, perhaps because the members of the expedition had returned, making the Loki Familia much livelier and more animated than in the previous days.

After ample rest, the expedition members shook off their fatigue from the prolonged campaign, shed their gear, and immersed themselves in the relaxed and comfortable environment of the Familia. Normally, this would be the time to settle the gains from the expedition. Despite Captain Finn’s consideration to postpone dealing with the spoils of war until tomorrow, to accommodate the fatigue of the members, other matters, like updating ability values, would typically be handled at this time.

Many Familia members eagerly anticipated seeing their growth from the expedition and whether they had accumulated enough experience to level up. Unfortunately, Loki appeared not to be in the mood to handle this matter today and delayed the ability value updates.

“In a couple of days,” was all Loki said to her Familia members, leaving them with no option but to comply. Fortunately, with no major tasks to accomplish until the next expedition, many members were content to enjoy some rare leisure time without immediate urgency.

In this situation, the leaders and executives of the Familia gathered in Loki’s divine room.

“Looks like everyone is well-rested, that’s good to see,” Loki remarked, pleased with the condition of the Familia’s top adventurers.

Werewolf Bete, however, seemed somewhat disgruntled. “What’s going on? Why did you suddenly call us here?” he complained, casting frequent glances towards Ais.

“It’s quite unusual for you to call all of us together like this,” Tiona, embracing Ais’s arm, expressed her surprise, eliciting envy from Bete.

“I thought you’d only call the Captain for a talk,” Tione said, then added, “but I don’t mind, as long as the Captain is there, I’ll be there too.” Captain Finn could only respond with a look of resignation.

Riveria shook her head, sitting beside Ais, waiting for Loki to speak.

“What’s the matter that you’ve gathered all the executives here?” asked Gareth, stroking his beard, curiously looking at Loki.

Throughout this, Ais remained silent, sitting motionlessly.

Loki, standing confidently with hands on her hips and a look of self-satisfaction, finally spoke. “Don’t be hasty. I just wanted to introduce a troublesome kid to you all so you can get acquainted.”

This announcement caught everyone by surprise. “Introduce someone?” They grew even more curious about who could make their unpredictable Chief God take such a formal approach, gathering all the executives and leaders of the Familia together.