Opening my eyes, I slowly gain awareness of my surroundings as the heaviness of sleep fades away.
So... I did it.
I killed Balor on my own.
...Well, with Haru's help, but still.
Looking to my side, I see Ryuu cuddled up to me with Alise spooning her from behind.
Seems like I slept quite a bit, huh?
And from the familiar scent of the forest, we were definitely on the 50th floor.
Hmm, the newbies would be staying here... actually, Finn might want Haru to join the main group, and with Iris and Ariel being level 3's, they should be fine too.
But for Lily... she's still a level 1.
And while her wit and commanding abilities were great, we already had Lyra and Finn who were far ahead of her with the strength to back those skills up.
Hopefully, Lyra will give her something to do.
Maybe going over the loot?
Thoughts for future Sirius.
Feeling a bit stiff, I wiggle my way out of Ryuu's hold and make my way outside, eager to stretch and get ready for the next day's adventure.
Although going by the people milling about, it was already the next day.
Getting something to eat, I find myself sitting at the edge of the cliff, looking over the grey woodland below.
The Loki Familia had already explored the entirety of the 56th floor, and even that took them three days.
But this time, we had some magic items for mapping, courtesy of the Hermes Familia, so it should be shortened to one or two days per floor.
...Hopefully.
I don't like spending more than a week in the dungeon.
Luckily, while we would be taking a look at the 59th floor, we were not going to thoroughly explore it like floors 57 and 58.
Just a small peek to see if the reports of the past are still valid.
Speaking of floor 58... there was that, wasn't there.
Dragon's Vase.
A singular large rectangular room swarming with Valgang Dragons, and other monsters, but mostly Valgang Dragons.
But even before that they're a threat, as starting from the 52nd floor downward, they could shoot their fire breath upward through multiple floors.
Well, as long as we stay away from the 'geysers', for lack of a better term, we should be good.
Just as I finish my food, I feel two people walk up to me.
"What's up?" I say without turning my head.
"Eep!"
Haha, I love doing that.
Thank you spatial awareness buff.
"Sirius... meanie."
Turning to face the two, I'm greeted by the sight of Ais and Lefiya, both dressed in their adventurer garb.
"Sorry, sorry, it was just too tempting to resist... So? What's up? You look like you have something on your mind." I ask.
Lefiya then closes her eyes and clenches her fist as if hyping herself up.
"Sirius!" She asks, eyes glimmering with determination.
"Yes?"
That is me.
"Please train me!"
Uh.
"Okay? I don't really mind. But can I ask why?"
"I... I don't want to be protected all the time! I don't want to burden my teammates anymore!" She says with tears gathering in her eyes.
I see.
The burden of being a mage, especially a glass canon such as herself, seemed to be weighing down on her.
Needing to be protected isn't a feeling that sits well with some people, even if they understand how important they are in their respective strengths.
"Okay then, I don't really mind." I reply with a shrug.
"R-Really!? Will I... need to do anything to pay you back? It can't be on behalf of the Familia, but-" As she begins to spiral, I cut her off.
"Hmm... not right now. If something does come up I'll tell you."
"O-Okay then. Thank you!"
"No need. I guess we'll start after this expedition, though I'll need to talk with Finn... Anyways, what about you, Ais?"
"I want to be trained by you too." Ais says, her expression still unchanging as ever.
Eh?
That's... a little more troublesome.
In terms of pure experience, she's likely ahead of me, and in terms of sword technique, she's already got a good grasp on her own style.
And in terms of magic... she only has one enhancement type.
"Not that I mind, but what exactly do you want me to train you in?" I ask.
"I don't care. Just make me stronger." She replies.
Haa, what a simpleton.
I guess I could try to help her use her enchantment better, both in magic control and using it in tandem with her sword techniques.
She also sucks at human combat, at least compared to her ability against monsters.
And her control is still quite sloppy...
"Fine. I'll train you two. Maybe even Ryuu and Alise can help out. Now, I won't force you two to reveal your status, but the more you show me the better I can help. Especially with your stats, Lefiya." I say.
"A-Alright."
"Mmm."
Ais then starts to walk off, leaving Lefiya faltering after her, not before turning back to me with a bow.
"T-Thank you, Sirius!"
At least she's polite.
Giving her a wave, the two take their leave as I think about the possible future of my two... students?
Well, aside from helping the youngest members here and there, I haven't had much experience truly teaching someone.
...Unless my children count.
Well, whatever, this will be an interesting experience to be sure, and it'll be good to have girls the newbies' age around.
----- 4 Days Later -----
"Alise team! Five Dragons ahead!"
"Got it!" Alise replies.
With Lyra's order, the four of us leap into action.
Well, the three of us, with Celty ready to fire off her magic from behind.
We were currently on the 58th floor known as the Dragon's Vase, slogging through the constant attacks from Valgang Dragons while the supporters hastily mapped the area.
Luckily, even though it was the largest floor we had been on thus far, it had an extremely simple structure, with only a few caves on the outskirts, so we had been going through it quite fast.
The journey here, through floors 51 to 57, was long and would have been impossible to do in a day without the maps.
True to the area's name, the Labyrinth, it had a flat structure with branching paths, essentially being a giant maze on each floor.
Yes... thank you Hermes Familia.
I had the feeling that I would be visiting the Labyrinth a lot more in the future, as we had found many herbs and useful materials, like the Cadmus Spring located on the 51st floor, whose water was a needed material for some new potions Dian Cecht's Dea Saint came up with.
Then there are the popular drop items from Black Rhinos, Deformis Spiders, Thunder Snakes...
Yeah, as one of the three Familias including Loki and Freya that can make it down this deep, we were definitely gonna get a lot of quests for the Labyrinth area.
Once again, thank you Hermes Familia.
Focusing back on the task at hand, I split off to face the two monsters to the right, leaving the other three for Ryuu and Alise to deal with.
Now, the most dangerous thing about these guys was obviously their fire breath attacks.
Being able to shoot through seven floors, the power is no joke.
And unfortunately, it isn't magic, much to my misfortune, so I can't deflect it either.
That or I simply couldn't feel it with my current level in Magic Sense.
Before entering direct combat, the first thing I do is jump to the side so that when I dodge its fire, it won't hit the rest of the force.
Flooding my body with stellar magic while in a crouch, I begin chanting a water Elemental Orb, eager to try out my new move against my two opponents.
Jumping up to dodge the synchronous attack, I finish my chant, and as soon as the magic forms above my head, I concentrate on the water circling the orb.
Picturing a pipe with high pressure, circulating the water within it to add to the velocity.
It only takes a moment to control the magic according to my wish, and as soon as I land on the ground, I unleash a powerful jet at the two Dragons.
One's head is immediately vaporized into a red mist, instantly killing it.
The other one is a bit luckier, barely dodging the attack so that it grazes its neck.
But before it could retaliate, I had already leapt toward it, my sword alight in stellar magic as I swung down, decapitating the monster.
Easy peasy.
"Tsk. So you were still faster, huh?"
Looking over to Bete, I see that his side has finished with their group of monsters, Gareth and Kaguya joining the Werewolf.
Well, he's not all that bad.
Still a complete dick toward 'weaklings', and has a generally vulgar attitude, but he wouldn't abandon anyone, regardless of how he feels toward them.
I could tell under his anger there was some... fear of some kind.
Yeah... probably some trauma there, not like there are any therapists around in this admittedly fucked up world.
"Well, it's to be expected, no? These guys are nothing compared to Balor." I reply cheekily.
"Tch. Whatever."
Maybe if he calms down his... dickishness, we could even become friends.
He's fun to banter with, after all.
"Yeah but still! It's probably a level 5 monster, you know!?" Tiona says.
I guess their team is done too.
As I'm about to respond, Finn walks up to us, his spear held firm.
"Well, I don't see any more monsters around, and we're mostly done with the mapping. How about we finish what was asked of this expedition."
Everyone becomes visibly excited at his proclamation.
"Put on your Salamander Wool! Today, we reach the heights of the legendary Familias of Zeus and Hera!"
Finn finishes his speech by raising his fist.
"YAA!"
Sighing at his theatrics, I put on the Salamander Wool cloak that Ariel passed to me.
It brings back memories of my first adventure, to defend myself against the heat of Hellhounds.
Good times.
The reason for the Salamander Wool was that while it protected against fire and heat, it also protected against intense cold.
And from the chill radiating from the nearby stairs, we were going to need it.
Even Tiona and Tione decided to cover up their... armour, if you can even call it that.
"Alright, let's go!"
Following behind Finn, our group of 14 first-class adventurers, with Tsubaki waiting back on the 50th floor for equipment repairs, head down the stairs to the 59th floor.
The cold is the first thing I notice, the biting chill crawling up from my boots.
And this is only the staircase!
Soon, we hit flat ground, and walking out of the tunnel, we witness a sight that hadn't been seen in over 12 years.
A maelstrom of icy wind, sweeping through the valley of giant glaciers piercing through the snowy ground.
So this is the so-called Glacier Territory...
Yup, just what you'd expect.
Man, they really got lazy with the naming, didn't they?
"C-C-Captain, i-i-isn't this e-enough?"
Oh, it seems Tione is really out of her element.
While it's cold, definitely cold, it isn't too bad.
That's probably due to my relatively high Abnormal Resistance, which protects somewhat against extreme temperatures.
It's still damn cold though.
Alise and Ryuu then cuddled into my chest, shivering from the cold.
"F-Finn, we confirmed the G-Glacial environment. W-We should head back." Alise says with a shudder.
"I-Indeed, the cold r-really wasn't exaggerated by the guild r-records, was it? W-We have confirmed the information left by our p-predecessors, t-thus, l-let's head back." Finn replies.
Turning around, we then make our way back up to the 58th floor, back to warmth.
Uhh... that was a really short trip, wasn't it?
Well, we only meant to see the 59th floor, not explore it.
That will be for next time.
----- 5 Hours Later -----
Seated around the fire, our expedition force on the 50th floor was having a small party, with no drinks involved, of course, to celebrate the end of the expedition and the start of our journey back.
"I'd like to thank you for joining once again, Astraea Familia. We wouldn't have been able to deal with the Valgang Dragons on our own, at least not with as few problems as we had." Finn says.
"Ah, it's fine! We had some fun and we'll be getting paid handsomely! Plus, we were able to catch up to Zeus and Hera! As short as it was..." Alise says.
"Mmm, but now we know that the cold is not to be underestimated. We'll have to craft some cloaks specializing in keeping us warm." Ryuu adds.
Shivering at the memory, Ryuu then cuddles up to my side, her head resting against my shoulder.
"Oh yeah, aren't we now S-rank Familias?" Tiona exclaims.
Finn then turns his head to the Amazonness.
"I'm not sure... the requirement for getting S-rank is to 'explore the 59th floor', but I'm not sure what we did counts as exploring. You usually need to submit a monster drop as proof. We'll probably stay at A-rank while getting quests up to the 58th floor if I was to guess."
Finn says with a shrug, though I didn't miss the glint in his eyes at the possibility of growing his Familia's reputation.
'S-rank Familia', huh?
Being S-rank means that the guild would give quests from the 51st floor and beyond, as well as exploration quests for unseen lands.
The only problem is that we don't know how far the dungeon goes.
And with the growing number of known floors, eventually, their ranking system will become obsolete...
Well, not my problem!
Hearing the soft snores, I glance down to see that Ryuu has fallen asleep on my lap.
Basking in the warm glow of the fire, I sweep my fingers through her long golden locks, gently tracing around her ear that elicits a soft hum of pleasure.
"I think we're gonna turn in now." I say to the group.
"Yeah, that's a good idea." Alise says while getting up.
"Ah, well, goodnight guys!" Tiona says.
"Mmm." Ais adds.
Nodding in thanks for their quiet send-off, I scoop up Ryuu into a princess carry and make my way toward our tent with Alise following close behind.
"Are you going to bed too?" I ask Alise.
"Huam~ yeah, I'm gettin' sleepy." She says while covering her yawn.
Laying my Elf down on the cot, I sit against the small pole in the middle, content at watching her sleeping figure.
...It's not creepy if we're married, right?
Suddenly feeling a weight on my lap, I look down to see Alise curled up.
"What~? Can I not use you as a pillow too?" She says with a teasing pout.
"Of course you can."
Bending down, I plant a soft kiss on her lips, the rich caramel taste permeating my senses.
Going in for more, we continue to exchange soft kisses until we eventually separate, a small string of saliva connecting our mouths.
"Mmm~ That was nice~" Alise says with a soft hum.
"Yeah, just go to sleep, captain." I say with a grin.
"Aww, it's been so long since you called me that."
Closing her eyes, her breathing eventually evens out as she drifts off to sleep.
"Well, I suppose I should get some shut-eye too. Though not with this position..."
Slowly lowering myself, I eventually find my head resting against Ryuu's thigh while Alise wraps her arm around my waist.
Closing my eyes, the distant chatter and the permeating scent of the fireplace lull me to sleep as I slowly fall into a slumber.
----- Leo POV - 2 Days Later -----
"So you've been down to the 59th floor, Ellie!?" Alea asks with wide eyes.
"Indeed." Ellie responds.
My siblings and I were currently sitting in our room, well, the room we were given by Loki.
That woman... was she really a goddess?
Nearly every day I've caught her sneaking glances at Astraea's chest with a lewd smirk.
Well, at least she's only looking.
After hearing that our parents were going to return today, at least going by the original plan, we asked Ellie about the dungeon.
"What's it like there?" I ask.
"It's cold. A land of ice and snow that can even freeze a high-level adventurer with low Abnormal Resistance and no clothing protection." She responds.
Wait.
"Ellie?"
"Yes, brother?"
"What's the furthest you've gone?"
"Hm, officially, our Familias stopped at the 59th floor. But in actuality, the executives of the Zeus and Hera Familias went all the way to the 71st floor."
I see.
"Wait! What do you mean 'officially'?" Alea asks.
"Hm? Oh, we just didn't report our further explorations." Ellie says.
Now I was curious.
"Why?" I ask.
"Simple. We didn't want to receive quests that deep." She says with a smile.
"...Oh."
That was... quite lazy, no?
"But why was it any different from the other 50 floors?" I ask.
"Multiple reasons."
Shifting her position, she raises her hand in a familiar manner.
Looks like we're in for a lecture, huh?
"Not only was it very long to get there, as the dungeon grows exponentially the further down you go, but it was also dangerous enough that our supporters could not follow us. It was only the executives that could go down that deep. That's not even getting to the Ice Dragon that rests on the 61st floor."
"The Ice Dragon?" I ask with veiled trepidation.
Was that like the Black Dragon that's known as the 'big baddie', as Mama Alise would put it?
"Yes, the level 10 monster rex. The hardest challenge, save for the three great quests, our Familias had ever faced."
Hmm, so there's even stronger than 'level 9'.
"Do you think Papa will be able to beat it!? He's really strong you know!" Alea says while pumping her fist.
"I... don't know. He most likely can fight above his level, much like Zald and myself, but it remains to be seen if he can reach those heights." Ellie responds with a frown.
Yes, our father...
Thinking of him, my mind goes back to the incomprehensible sight.
To dice up a leaf, and so finely at that.
It was something that truly showcased my father's insane swordplay.
And he did it with a blunted wooden sword!
Without his enhancement magic!
Even in my past life, I doubt I could complete such a feat, even using mana or aether to augment myself.
The closest I could get would be using static void, but even then... one cannot simply cut something that finely with a wooden sword.
Standing up, I pick up my practice sword that was resting near my bedside.
"Uh, Leo? What are you doing?" Alea asks.
"Nothing, don't mind me." I respond.
With us reaching the physical age of 3 thanks to our increased growth rate, I had started some basic training much like I did as Arthur Leywin.
Focusing on my movements, I swing down.
...Pathetic.
Even compared to my 3-year-old seld as Arthur, it was laughable.
...I see.
I should have realized it sooner.
This world... it doesn't have the mana augmentation I'm used to.
Even when I focused on my sword technique during my years of adventuring in the Beast Glades and training with Kordi, I still augmented myself with mana.
But I can't do that here.
Here, I'll have to rely on pure, simple swordsmanship.
How Papa did that crazy leaf thing... that was pure technique.
Well, not completely technique, with his falna and all, but pretty damn close.
Speaking of stats, I wonder how it feels.
I know even my Mamas could reign destruction with a sword swing if they really tried, but how can they use a fork and not destroy it?
Is it an instinct? Do they need to consciously 'release' their status?
I don't know...
And I guess I'll have to wait until I'm five to find out, which should be in a year if our growth rate continues.
Suddenly, the door opens to reveal Astraea.
Well... I guess Grandma Astraea?
"Hello, you four. Your parents are back from their expedition. How about we head down to the courtyard?" She says with her smile that always calms me down.
Maybe that's her godly charm?
"They're back!" Alea says, jumping to attention.
"Sister, wake up."
Shaking the resting Stella, Ellie also gets to her feet.
"Huam~ huh~?"
Well, I suppose I can shelve these thoughts for later.
For now, I have a family to welcome back.
Opening my eyes, I slowly gain awareness of my surroundings as the heaviness of sleep fades away.
So... I did it.
I killed Balor on my own.
...Well, with Haru's help, but still.
Looking to my side, I see Ryuu cuddled up to me with Alise spooning her from behind.
Seems like I slept quite a bit, huh?
And from the familiar scent of the forest, we were definitely on the 50th floor.
Hmm, the newbies would be staying here... actually, Finn might want Haru to join the main group, and with Iris and Ariel being level 3's, they should be fine too.
But for Lily... she's still a level 1.
And while her wit and commanding abilities were great, we already had Lyra and Finn who were far ahead of her with the strength to back those skills up.
Hopefully, Lyra will give her something to do.
Maybe going over the loot?
Thoughts for future Sirius.
Feeling a bit stiff, I wiggle my way out of Ryuu's hold and make my way outside, eager to stretch and get ready for the next day's adventure.
Although going by the people milling about, it was already the next day.
Getting something to eat, I find myself sitting at the edge of the cliff, looking over the grey woodland below.
The Loki Familia had already explored the entirety of the 56th floor, and even that took them three days.
But this time, we had some magic items for mapping, courtesy of the Hermes Familia, so it should be shortened to one or two days per floor.
...Hopefully.
I don't like spending more than a week in the dungeon.
Luckily, while we would be taking a look at the 59th floor, we were not going to thoroughly explore it like floors 57 and 58.
Just a small peek to see if the reports of the past are still valid.
Speaking of floor 58... there was that, wasn't there.
Dragon's Vase.
A singular large rectangular room swarming with Valgang Dragons, and other monsters, but mostly Valgang Dragons.
But even before that they're a threat, as starting from the 52nd floor downward, they could shoot their fire breath upward through multiple floors.
Well, as long as we stay away from the 'geysers', for lack of a better term, we should be good.
Just as I finish my food, I feel two people walk up to me.
"What's up?" I say without turning my head.
"Eep!"
Haha, I love doing that.
Thank you spatial awareness buff.
"Sirius... meanie."
Turning to face the two, I'm greeted by the sight of Ais and Lefiya, both dressed in their adventurer garb.
"Sorry, sorry, it was just too tempting to resist... So? What's up? You look like you have something on your mind." I ask.
Lefiya then closes her eyes and clenches her fist as if hyping herself up.
"Sirius!" She asks, eyes glimmering with determination.
"Yes?"
That is me.
"Please train me!"
Uh.
"Okay? I don't really mind. But can I ask why?"
"I... I don't want to be protected all the time! I don't want to burden my teammates anymore!" She says with tears gathering in her eyes.
I see.
The burden of being a mage, especially a glass canon such as herself, seemed to be weighing down on her.
Needing to be protected isn't a feeling that sits well with some people, even if they understand how important they are in their respective strengths.
"Okay then, I don't really mind." I reply with a shrug.
"R-Really!? Will I... need to do anything to pay you back? It can't be on behalf of the Familia, but-" As she begins to spiral, I cut her off.
"Hmm... not right now. If something does come up I'll tell you."
"O-Okay then. Thank you!"
"No need. I guess we'll start after this expedition, though I'll need to talk with Finn... Anyways, what about you, Ais?"
"I want to be trained by you too." Ais says, her expression still unchanging as ever.
Eh?
That's... a little more troublesome.
In terms of pure experience, she's likely ahead of me, and in terms of sword technique, she's already got a good grasp on her own style.
And in terms of magic... she only has one enhancement type.
"Not that I mind, but what exactly do you want me to train you in?" I ask.
"I don't care. Just make me stronger." She replies.
Haa, what a simpleton.
I guess I could try to help her use her enchantment better, both in magic control and using it in tandem with her sword techniques.
She also sucks at human combat, at least compared to her ability against monsters.
And her control is still quite sloppy...
"Fine. I'll train you two. Maybe even Ryuu and Alise can help out. Now, I won't force you two to reveal your status, but the more you show me the better I can help. Especially with your stats, Lefiya." I say.
"A-Alright."
"Mmm."
Ais then starts to walk off, leaving Lefiya faltering after her, not before turning back to me with a bow.
"T-Thank you, Sirius!"
At least she's polite.
Giving her a wave, the two take their leave as I think about the possible future of my two... students?
Well, aside from helping the youngest members here and there, I haven't had much experience truly teaching someone.
...Unless my children count.
Well, whatever, this will be an interesting experience to be sure, and it'll be good to have girls the newbies' age around.
----- 4 Days Later -----
"Alise team! Five Dragons ahead!"
"Got it!" Alise replies.
With Lyra's order, the four of us leap into action.
Well, the three of us, with Celty ready to fire off her magic from behind.
We were currently on the 58th floor known as the Dragon's Vase, slogging through the constant attacks from Valgang Dragons while the supporters hastily mapped the area.
Luckily, even though it was the largest floor we had been on thus far, it had an extremely simple structure, with only a few caves on the outskirts, so we had been going through it quite fast.
The journey here, through floors 51 to 57, was long and would have been impossible to do in a day without the maps.
True to the area's name, the Labyrinth, it had a flat structure with branching paths, essentially being a giant maze on each floor.
Yes... thank you Hermes Familia.
I had the feeling that I would be visiting the Labyrinth a lot more in the future, as we had found many herbs and useful materials, like the Cadmus Spring located on the 51st floor, whose water was a needed material for some new potions Dian Cecht's Dea Saint came up with.
Then there are the popular drop items from Black Rhinos, Deformis Spiders, Thunder Snakes...
Yeah, as one of the three Familias including Loki and Freya that can make it down this deep, we were definitely gonna get a lot of quests for the Labyrinth area.
Once again, thank you Hermes Familia.
Focusing back on the task at hand, I split off to face the two monsters to the right, leaving the other three for Ryuu and Alise to deal with.
Now, the most dangerous thing about these guys was obviously their fire breath attacks.
Being able to shoot through seven floors, the power is no joke.
And unfortunately, it isn't magic, much to my misfortune, so I can't deflect it either.
That or I simply couldn't feel it with my current level in Magic Sense.
Before entering direct combat, the first thing I do is jump to the side so that when I dodge its fire, it won't hit the rest of the force.
Flooding my body with stellar magic while in a crouch, I begin chanting a water Elemental Orb, eager to try out my new move against my two opponents.
Jumping up to dodge the synchronous attack, I finish my chant, and as soon as the magic forms above my head, I concentrate on the water circling the orb.
Picturing a pipe with high pressure, circulating the water within it to add to the velocity.
It only takes a moment to control the magic according to my wish, and as soon as I land on the ground, I unleash a powerful jet at the two Dragons.
One's head is immediately vaporized into a red mist, instantly killing it.
The other one is a bit luckier, barely dodging the attack so that it grazes its neck.
But before it could retaliate, I had already leapt toward it, my sword alight in stellar magic as I swung down, decapitating the monster.
Easy peasy.
"Tsk. So you were still faster, huh?"
Looking over to Bete, I see that his side has finished with their group of monsters, Gareth and Kaguya joining the Werewolf.
Well, he's not all that bad.
Still a complete dick toward 'weaklings', and has a generally vulgar attitude, but he wouldn't abandon anyone, regardless of how he feels toward them.
I could tell under his anger there was some... fear of some kind.
Yeah... probably some trauma there, not like there are any therapists around in this admittedly fucked up world.
"Well, it's to be expected, no? These guys are nothing compared to Balor." I reply cheekily.
"Tch. Whatever."
Maybe if he calms down his... dickishness, we could even become friends.
He's fun to banter with, after all.
"Yeah but still! It's probably a level 5 monster, you know!?" Tiona says.
I guess their team is done too.
As I'm about to respond, Finn walks up to us, his spear held firm.
"Well, I don't see any more monsters around, and we're mostly done with the mapping. How about we finish what was asked of this expedition."
Everyone becomes visibly excited at his proclamation.
"Put on your Salamander Wool! Today, we reach the heights of the legendary Familias of Zeus and Hera!"
Finn finishes his speech by raising his fist.
"YAA!"
Sighing at his theatrics, I put on the Salamander Wool cloak that Ariel passed to me.
It brings back memories of my first adventure, to defend myself against the heat of Hellhounds.
Good times.
The reason for the Salamander Wool was that while it protected against fire and heat, it also protected against intense cold.
And from the chill radiating from the nearby stairs, we were going to need it.
Even Tiona and Tione decided to cover up their... armour, if you can even call it that.
"Alright, let's go!"
Following behind Finn, our group of 14 first-class adventurers, with Tsubaki waiting back on the 50th floor for equipment repairs, head down the stairs to the 59th floor.
The cold is the first thing I notice, the biting chill crawling up from my boots.
And this is only the staircase!
Soon, we hit flat ground, and walking out of the tunnel, we witness a sight that hadn't been seen in over 12 years.
A maelstrom of icy wind, sweeping through the valley of giant glaciers piercing through the snowy ground.
So this is the so-called Glacier Territory...
Yup, just what you'd expect.
Man, they really got lazy with the naming, didn't they?
"C-C-Captain, i-i-isn't this e-enough?"
Oh, it seems Tione is really out of her element.
While it's cold, definitely cold, it isn't too bad.
That's probably due to my relatively high Abnormal Resistance, which protects somewhat against extreme temperatures.
It's still damn cold though.
Alise and Ryuu then cuddled into my chest, shivering from the cold.
"F-Finn, we confirmed the G-Glacial environment. W-We should head back." Alise says with a shudder.
"I-Indeed, the cold r-really wasn't exaggerated by the guild r-records, was it? W-We have confirmed the information left by our p-predecessors, t-thus, l-let's head back." Finn replies.
Turning around, we then make our way back up to the 58th floor, back to warmth.
Uhh... that was a really short trip, wasn't it?
Well, we only meant to see the 59th floor, not explore it.
That will be for next time.
----- 5 Hours Later -----
Seated around the fire, our expedition force on the 50th floor was having a small party, with no drinks involved, of course, to celebrate the end of the expedition and the start of our journey back.
"I'd like to thank you for joining once again, Astraea Familia. We wouldn't have been able to deal with the Valgang Dragons on our own, at least not with as few problems as we had." Finn says.
"Ah, it's fine! We had some fun and we'll be getting paid handsomely! Plus, we were able to catch up to Zeus and Hera! As short as it was..." Alise says.
"Mmm, but now we know that the cold is not to be underestimated. We'll have to craft some cloaks specializing in keeping us warm." Ryuu adds.
Shivering at the memory, Ryuu then cuddles up to my side, her head resting against my shoulder.
"Oh yeah, aren't we now S-rank Familias?" Tiona exclaims.
Finn then turns his head to the Amazonness.
"I'm not sure... the requirement for getting S-rank is to 'explore the 59th floor', but I'm not sure what we did counts as exploring. You usually need to submit a monster drop as proof. We'll probably stay at A-rank while getting quests up to the 58th floor if I was to guess."
Finn says with a shrug, though I didn't miss the glint in his eyes at the possibility of growing his Familia's reputation.
'S-rank Familia', huh?
Being S-rank means that the guild would give quests from the 51st floor and beyond, as well as exploration quests for unseen lands.
The only problem is that we don't know how far the dungeon goes.
And with the growing number of known floors, eventually, their ranking system will become obsolete...
Well, not my problem!
Hearing the soft snores, I glance down to see that Ryuu has fallen asleep on my lap.
Basking in the warm glow of the fire, I sweep my fingers through her long golden locks, gently tracing around her ear that elicits a soft hum of pleasure.
"I think we're gonna turn in now." I say to the group.
"Yeah, that's a good idea." Alise says while getting up.
"Ah, well, goodnight guys!" Tiona says.
"Mmm." Ais adds.
Nodding in thanks for their quiet send-off, I scoop up Ryuu into a princess carry and make my way toward our tent with Alise following close behind.
"Are you going to bed too?" I ask Alise.
"Huam~ yeah, I'm gettin' sleepy." She says while covering her yawn.
Laying my Elf down on the cot, I sit against the small pole in the middle, content at watching her sleeping figure.
...It's not creepy if we're married, right?
Suddenly feeling a weight on my lap, I look down to see Alise curled up.
"What~? Can I not use you as a pillow too?" She says with a teasing pout.
"Of course you can."
Bending down, I plant a soft kiss on her lips, the rich caramel taste permeating my senses.
Going in for more, we continue to exchange soft kisses until we eventually separate, a small string of saliva connecting our mouths.
"Mmm~ That was nice~" Alise says with a soft hum.
"Yeah, just go to sleep, captain." I say with a grin.
"Aww, it's been so long since you called me that."
Closing her eyes, her breathing eventually evens out as she drifts off to sleep.
"Well, I suppose I should get some shut-eye too. Though not with this position..."
Slowly lowering myself, I eventually find my head resting against Ryuu's thigh while Alise wraps her arm around my waist.
Closing my eyes, the distant chatter and the permeating scent of the fireplace lull me to sleep as I slowly fall into a slumber.
----- Leo POV - 2 Days Later -----
"So you've been down to the 59th floor, Ellie!?" Alea asks with wide eyes.
"Indeed." Ellie responds.
My siblings and I were currently sitting in our room, well, the room we were given by Loki.
That woman... was she really a goddess?
Nearly every day I've caught her sneaking glances at Astraea's chest with a lewd smirk.
Well, at least she's only looking.
After hearing that our parents were going to return today, at least going by the original plan, we asked Ellie about the dungeon.
"What's it like there?" I ask.
"It's cold. A land of ice and snow that can even freeze a high-level adventurer with low Abnormal Resistance and no clothing protection." She responds.
Wait.
"Ellie?"
"Yes, brother?"
"What's the furthest you've gone?"
"Hm, officially, our Familias stopped at the 59th floor. But in actuality, the executives of the Zeus and Hera Familias went all the way to the 71st floor."
I see.
"Wait! What do you mean 'officially'?" Alea asks.
"Hm? Oh, we just didn't report our further explorations." Ellie says.
Now I was curious.
"Why?" I ask.
"Simple. We didn't want to receive quests that deep." She says with a smile.
"...Oh."
That was... quite lazy, no?
"But why was it any different from the other 50 floors?" I ask.
"Multiple reasons."
Shifting her position, she raises her hand in a familiar manner.
Looks like we're in for a lecture, huh?
"Not only was it very long to get there, as the dungeon grows exponentially the further down you go, but it was also dangerous enough that our supporters could not follow us. It was only the executives that could go down that deep. That's not even getting to the Ice Dragon that rests on the 61st floor."
"The Ice Dragon?" I ask with veiled trepidation.
Was that like the Black Dragon that's known as the 'big baddie', as Mama Alise would put it?
"Yes, the level 10 monster rex. The hardest challenge, save for the three great quests, our Familias had ever faced."
Hmm, so there's even stronger than 'level 9'.
"Do you think Papa will be able to beat it!? He's really strong you know!" Alea says while pumping her fist.
"I... don't know. He most likely can fight above his level, much like Zald and myself, but it remains to be seen if he can reach those heights." Ellie responds with a frown.
Yes, our father...
Thinking of him, my mind goes back to the incomprehensible sight.
To dice up a leaf, and so finely at that.
It was something that truly showcased my father's insane swordplay.
And he did it with a blunted wooden sword!
Without his enhancement magic!
Even in my past life, I doubt I could complete such a feat, even using mana or aether to augment myself.
The closest I could get would be using static void, but even then... one cannot simply cut something that finely with a wooden sword.
Standing up, I pick up my practice sword that was resting near my bedside.
"Uh, Leo? What are you doing?" Alea asks.
"Nothing, don't mind me." I respond.
With us reaching the physical age of 3 thanks to our increased growth rate, I had started some basic training much like I did as Arthur Leywin.
Focusing on my movements, I swing down.
...Pathetic.
Even compared to my 3-year-old seld as Arthur, it was laughable.
...I see.
I should have realized it sooner.
This world... it doesn't have the mana augmentation I'm used to.
Even when I focused on my sword technique during my years of adventuring in the Beast Glades and training with Kordi, I still augmented myself with mana.
But I can't do that here.
Here, I'll have to rely on pure, simple swordsmanship.
How Papa did that crazy leaf thing... that was pure technique.
Well, not completely technique, with his falna and all, but pretty damn close.
Speaking of stats, I wonder how it feels.
I know even my Mamas could reign destruction with a sword swing if they really tried, but how can they use a fork and not destroy it?
Is it an instinct? Do they need to consciously 'release' their status?
I don't know...
And I guess I'll have to wait until I'm five to find out, which should be in a year if our growth rate continues.
Suddenly, the door opens to reveal Astraea.
Well... I guess Grandma Astraea?
"Hello, you four. Your parents are back from their expedition. How about we head down to the courtyard?" She says with her smile that always calms me down.
Maybe that's her godly charm?
"They're back!" Alea says, jumping to attention.
"Sister, wake up."
Shaking the resting Stella, Ellie also gets to her feet.
"Huam~ huh~?"
Well, I suppose I can shelve these thoughts for later.
For now, I have a family to welcome back.
