Chapter 36: When do you plan to teach him magic?

Crossing into a new tier—that's no joke.

Monster levels, respawn frequency, spawn quantity, and events starting from the 12th floor like "Monster Parties," "Cave-ins," and vertical shafts—

"Ah, so many things to watch out for. Such a pain."

"Screw it, I'm going to sleep first."

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The bright moon faded, the morning sun rose, and the light drove away the darkness, illuminating this labyrinth city at the edge of the sky.

Fron, who groggily crawled out of bed, stared blankly at the window while sitting cross-legged in a daze, until his eyes were drawn to a strand of golden hair in the courtyard, slowly regaining focus.

Without disturbing the girl's morning practice, he looked away and glanced at the backpack piled in the corner.

"I should find a time to return this to Raul."

He got up, washed up properly, put on black clothes and brown leather boots, and finally went out for breakfast.

Except for the first day when he had breakfast in the mansion's main dining hall, Fron had either been reading through the night or buying some food casually from the street while exploring the dungeon, so it had been quite a while since he came here.

Last time, it was very quiet because most members had gone on an "expedition," but this time it was a completely different scene.

He walked through the corridor and pushed open the doors.

Immediately, a noisy and bustling atmosphere overwhelmed Fron.

Looking up—

Whether it was lower-ranking members or main combatants, almost everyone was here, except for the three executives.

They probably avoided showing up to not affect others, much like how leaders don't usually eat in the cafeteria.

"Hey! Fron. What took you so long!"

The first to greet him was always Tiona—this had almost become a routine.

Understandable, since her personality was the most cheerful. If Ais were to shout like that, it would be totally out of character.

Exchanging friendly greetings with those around him, Fron walked straight in.

"This spot is a bit too conspicuous. I'd better eat in the corner."

"Eh? Is it?"

"..."

Unable to explain it well—the cafeteria had four rows of tables, two of which were against the walls.

Tiona and the others sat in the middle, making them visible to anyone on either side. This kind of attention didn't feel good. Being pointed at while eating—Fron was just too shy.

"Ah, I'll go get food first!"

After greeting them, he simply got a bowl of seafood soup, two sandwiches, a fried egg, and an apple.

Just as he said, he went to a corner, sat down, and began eating quietly by himself.

"The cook's skills are amazing—our Familia is full of hidden talents!"

Drinking the delicious soup and eating the tasty sandwiches, Fron's expression softened.

Relaxing and eating quietly like this was a real enjoyment.

As Mama Mia used to say, isn't the purpose of living simply to eat well and be full? Though simple, it expressed the truth of life.

Perhaps that's why she opened a tavern for adventurers after retiring.

Having experienced life-and-death adventures, Fron gradually came to understand this too.

Maybe it's called growth?

Enjoying the food, his thoughts drifted away, until a familiar scent reached his nose—that unique fragrance only belonging to a girl.

"——?"

In the reflection of the soup, a wisp of gold floated by. His hand paused.

Sighing, Fron put down his spoon, twitching at the feel of all the members sneakily glancing at him and the sudden awkward silence in the hall. Among them, Lefiya's gaze was especially terrifying.

The elven girl's expression looked broken, dark and scary—like she might kill someone—

Enduring this hair-raising atmosphere, Fron moved his lips and forced out an awkward smile—

"Um, Ais?"

"...Mm."

Mm your head! Why are you suddenly sitting here? You're putting me on the spot!

Also, don't just stare at me in silence—it's super awkward!

Dealing with an emotionless girl, Fron was at a loss.

"Want to spar?"

"..."

"I can tell—your body movements are out of sync when you walk. It's because your attributes rose too quickly, and your mind can't keep up."

The girl unusually said so much in one breath, and her face was full of seriousness.

Fron rubbed his nose and smiled wryly:

"You noticed?"

Ais sat upright across from him, her posture demure and ladylike. One could hardly tell this was the same person who went berserk fighting against monsters.

"Mm. Not just me—everyone can see it."

"..."

Well, that's awkward. He thought he'd hidden it well, but turns out everyone knew?

He leaned back, a bit discouraged, feeling a headache coming on.

"I originally planned to deal with it after leveling up, but when I went to the dungeon yesterday, I realized it's not that simple. That disjointed feeling is seriously affecting my combat."

"I'll help you."

"Won't it waste your time?"

"No. I'm free."

"..."

Is that okay for a Familia executive to say?

But that's the truth—work is handled by the three top members, and lower-level tasks don't fall to these executives, so the result is people like Ais, Tione, Tiona, and Bete are basically idle unless they're clearing the dungeon.

"Then I'll be in your care."

"And me too, Fron! Let me teach you real martial arts!"

"...Tiona, what's with that suspicious look in your eyes? I've got a bad feeling."

"Hehehe, what do you mean~ No way! It must be your imagination! We're so kind to offer to spar with you—how could we have any ulterior motives!"

Glancing doubtfully at Tiona, who was hugging his arm, he remained skeptical.

Until—

"Pff—"

A kick landed on his face, sending him spinning like a twisted pastry.

Right before he blacked out, he finally realized why Tiona and Tione were so eager to train with him.

They were just using it as an excuse to beat him up! Did I offend them or something?!

"Get up, Fron. That was too weak! And what was that move just now? Are you trying to be funny?"

Tione took a few steps forward, grabbed his collar, pulled him up, and shook him around with a teasing grin.

"Sis, sis! He's fainted again! It's my turn!"

"Aw, I wasn't done yet! It's been so long since I've had such a durable punching bag. My hands are itching—"

Seriously, do they even hear themselves?

Still, he couldn't escape the clutches of these demons.

When he woke up again, his opponent had already switched to the little angel.

"My turn now."

"Come on!"

Fron got into a stance with bare hands, only to see a shadow flash—and he blacked out again.

Top floor of the Twilight Manor's tower, the captain's office.

Standing by the window, Riveria couldn't bear to look and turned her face away, sighing while rubbing her forehead.

"Tione and the others really don't hold back—honestly."

Finn placed a finished file aside and took a sip of water.

"With someone like that on the stat board, of course everyone's fired up. I get how they feel~"

The dwarf warrior sat in his special chair, his large body nearly bursting out of it.

"All SSS stats, and still rising. A gem like that must be polished well—he'll definitely be the Familia's trump card. So yeah, a little hardship is good for him."

"Speaking of which, Riveria, that kid has the 'Scholar' skill—similar to Lefiya. When do you plan to teach him magic?"

"Hmm, after he levels up. Right now is the best time to build a foundation—I don't want to scatter his focus."

Finn clasped his hands in front of his face and smiled:

"I heard Fron is already an apprentice blacksmith and even forged his own belt."

"Nani!?"