"Dang Dang Dang—!"
A long bell rang from a certain spire, ringing a total of seven times.
After that, the entire Loki Familia seemed to come alive, with fragmented voices coming from various spires, indicating that the members of the Familia had woken up, and figures began to appear one after another.
Ryoji put away his Spiritual Item (Device) and then went to the bathroom.
He couldn't keep summoning the Spiritual Item (Device) every time he practiced swordsmanship; he needed to buy a katana. After all, the matter of the Spiritual Item (Device) was not something he should let others know about.
The area of Loki Familia wasn't very large, but it had plenty of public facilities like a cafeteria, bathroom, and reading room, all irregularly distributed among the various spires, giving it a chaotic appearance.
The bathroom was also not big, with five showerheads and a bathtub that could fit five people; the maximum capacity for more than ten people at once was already a stretch. Fortunately, there weren't many people using it in the morning, so it didn't feel crowded.
After washing away the sweat from his body, Ryoji changed into a new set of clothes, and he instantly felt refreshed and clean.
"What a messy layout. I almost got dizzy from wandering around..." Ryoji clicked his tongue and returned to his room with wet hair.
"Mm... Huh..." The Amazoness girl was leaning against the door, dozing off with even breaths.
'How can she sleep like this?' Ryoji admired her secretly, but since this was his room's entrance, it would be difficult for him if she didn't move.
"Mm? Oh, Ryoji, you're back!" Tiona, not sleeping deeply, immediately woke up upon hearing Ryoji's footsteps and smiled brightly.
"What are you doing here?"
"Waiting for you to go eat breakfast together!"
"?"
"We have to eat together; that's Loki's rule. So all meals for our Familia are eaten together in the cafeteria!"
"So that's how it is." Ryoji understood.
He had originally planned to go out and buy something to fill his stomach before heading directly into the Dungeon.
But since the Familia had such a rule, he might as well stay at the base to eat. Moreover, eating together meant that the executives of the Familia would gather, and it would be quite inconsiderate for him, as a rookie, not to show his face and get familiar with everyone.
After putting his clothes back in his room, Ryoji and Tiona headed to the cafeteria together.
There were several long rectangular dining tables set up, and the floor was paved with stone bricks. It didn't look very spacious, accommodating only about fifty to sixty people.
Although Loki Familia was one of the top-tier Familias, it was surprising that their base was not as lavish as he had imagined. Is Orario really that expensive?
By the time the two arrived at the cafeteria, more than ten people were already waiting there.
A tall Werewolf male with wolf ears and a tail sat alone in the corner of a long table. He crossed his arms, his expression cold, exuding an aura that made the surrounding Familia members almost afraid to approach him.
"That guy is called Bete; he's a Werewolf, Level Lv.5. Although he is unlikable, he is indeed a powerhouse. Just don't talk to him on normal days!" Tiona whispered to Ryoji, looking like she didn't get along with him.
The Werewolf man glanced over with an "Ah?" expression, his eyes showing impatience. The lightning-shaped tattoo extending from his left forehead to his neck was a deep blue, giving him a wild and unruly appearance.
Tiona made a face at him and then ignored him, continuing to introduce Ryoji to the other members of the Familia.
As expected, most of them were Adventurers of Lv.3 and above, with Lv.2 being quite rare. Each person's aura was long and deep, making Ryoji, as a weakling, almost unique in the entire Familia.
"Mm? Ais, good morning!" Tiona's peripheral vision caught sight of a figure entering the cafeteria, and she immediately brightened up, waving energetically at her.
Ryoji turned to look.
"…Good morning, Tiona." The dazzling golden hair, like the morning sun, came into his view.
The slender girl had changed out of her morning nightgown and into a light blue outfit that revealed her back, exposing a large area of her fair skin. That was precisely the girl who had watched Ryoji practice swordsmanship from the fourth-floor room of the eastern tower just an hour ago.
She was undoubtedly a very charming girl; in terms of facial features, she was completely comparable to the Goddess Demeter Ryoji had encountered two days ago.
Her voice was soft, like a gentle breeze.
Her face also lacked significant emotional fluctuations, giving her a somewhat dull appearance.
Ryoji stroked his chin, thoughtfully observing the girl named Ais.
'Do Adventurers become immune to the cold after reaching a high level?' He pondered this in his mind.
Both Ais and Tiona were only wearing one or two thin layers of clothing in this slightly wintry weather, showing no signs of being cold at all.
As Ryoji watched her, the golden-haired girl was also looking at him.
Her gaze flickered slightly, as if brewing some emotion, but it seemed she had some hesitation. Her lips moved for a moment, yet she ultimately did not speak.
"?"
Tiona glanced between Ais and Ryoji.
A sudden wave of intense anxiety surged through her.
"This is mine!" She immediately panicked, quickly hugging Ryoji's arm in an attempt to assert her claim.
"Who?" Ryoji looked around, making a confused expression as if to say "Who are you talking about?" which left Tiona feeling quite frustrated.
The sensation was quite poor.
He felt no pressure from his arm being pulled, and internally, he felt no disturbance, even wanting to pull away. This was a new experience for him.
However, he had no intention of trying to attract the golden-haired girl.
Indeed, he sensed a sharp sword aura from her, suggesting she was a very skilled swordsman. He was quite interested in sparring with her, but he had already made an agreement with Loki not to develop overly friendly relationships with any female Familia members.
He did not plan to break that agreement.
Ais remained silent, only tilting her head, looking at Tiona with some confusion.
She did not understand what Tiona meant.
"Whoa? My idiot little sister actually has a day of romance?" A slightly mature female voice came from outside the cafeteria.
She was clearly teasing Tiona, her words accompanied by a playful laugh.
"Tione, don't underestimate people!" Tiona, standing next to Ryoji, shouted in indignation before even seeing the person.
A flurry of footsteps approached.
At the same time, several figures appeared at the entrance of the cafeteria, coming into Ryoji's view.
The one at the front was also an Amazoness.
She had a face very similar to Tiona's, but unlike Tiona's short hair, she had long black hair that reached her waist. Her outfit was just as revealing as Tiona's.
What was surprising was that her chest size, while not as large as Goddess Demeter's, was still quite impressive, forming a stark contrast with Tiona, as if she had absorbed all of Tiona's proportions.
(End of Chapter)
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