"128: Miss Ais Is Not a Simp"

The rest of the Loki Familia stared at the two of them, dumbfounded.

"A supporter?" they echoed among themselves in disbelief.

It was common for lower-level adventurers to serve as supporters for higher-level ones, especially during expeditions. Within the Loki Familia, second-line adventurers at levels three or four often assisted first-line members as supporters. But that was within their top-tier Familia. Having a level five adventurer serve as a supporter? That was unheard of in Orario.

Even level six adventurers weren't qualified to recruit them as supporters. Based on their estimates, Su Mo himself was probably level six. After all, Orario only had one level seven adventurer—Ottar of the Freya Familia—and Su Mo was clearly not him.

Just as they were about to say something, Ais eagerly accepted Su Mo's offer, beaming as if she had just won a prize.

Lefiya and the others were completely stunned. What kind of shameless devotion is this? Su Mo hadn't even promised to teach her anything, yet Ais had agreed so quickly—and was even happy about it. If Ais were part of the canine race, they half-expected her tail to be wagging by now.

Finn couldn't help but cover his face in exasperation. When we get back, I need to recommend to Lady Loki that we seriously strengthen Ais' education.

Though Riveria understood Ais' mindset, she still felt that Ais' swift agreement was unwise. Just as she was about to intervene, Ais suddenly glanced back at them, her expression somewhat hesitant. Riveria and the others quietly sighed in relief. Thankfully, Ais hadn't completely lost her mind; at least she still sought their opinion.

And then came Ais' question.

"Riveria, Finn... if I become his supporter, what will happen to the expedition?"

"Pfft—!" Finn accidentally sprayed water all over Gareth in shock. "Cough, cough, cough!"

They had assumed Ais was still weighing whether or not to accept Su Mo's offer because of their upcoming expedition. But instead, Ais had already decided she would become Su Mo's supporter—the only thing she was now considering was whether she could still handle the Familia's expedition on top of that.

She wasn't hesitating over whether to refuse him—she was simply weighing whether becoming Su Mo's supporter was worth giving up the expedition. At that moment, Finn and the others finally tasted something akin to a parent's helplessness. So this is what people mean when they say, "the daughter has grown and turned to outsiders." Even before anything was settled, Ais was already leaning toward someone else.

Until now, Finn and Riveria had remained calm, dismissing the outside rumors that Ais might be falling in love as mere nonsense. But at this moment, the three heads of the Loki Familia exchanged glances and reached an unspoken conclusion—there's definitely something going on! If Ais hadn't developed feelings for Su Mo, there was simply no way she would go this far.

With that realization, the three of them found themselves at a loss for words. Naturally, as elders, they should support the personal lives of their Familia members. Besides, Su Mo was young, exceptionally powerful, and undeniably handsome. They had to admit, standing next to Ais, the two made quite a striking pair. Even from their perspective, the two were well matched. The only problem was that they still didn't know enough about Su Mo to entrust Ais to him entirely. And more importantly, this wasn't the time to be thinking about that. Ais was practically ready to elope right before their eyes. If they didn't speak up soon, it would be too late.

Finn finally stepped forward and asked directly, "May I ask, Mr. Su Mo—are you planning to take Ais into the deeper floors of the Dungeon?"

"Yes," Su Mo nodded calmly. "Due to certain reasons, I need a large quantity of magic stones in the near future. But if I were to venture alone, my efficiency would be too low. Most supporters are simply not capable enough. Having a competent adventurer assist me would make the process much smoother."

He was fully aware that Finn, as the captain of the Loki Familia, had every right to inquire about the activities of his members. Thus, Su Mo didn't mind the questioning and answered truthfully. Glancing at their expedition party, he casually added, "Of course, if you're currently in the middle of an expedition, I can wait a few days. As long as it's not too long, I'm in no rush. But if it takes too long, I might have to reconsider."

He had high standards for his supporters and was in no particular hurry. Strength was one thing, but discretion was far more important. Ais, who wasn't particularly talkative, naturally fit the bill perfectly. After some careful consideration, Su Mo had no plans to replace her. However, he couldn't reveal that part outright. A wise employer never let their assistant realize how irreplaceable they truly were.

Sure enough, upon hearing his words, Ais grew visibly tense. "Please don't worry! It—it won't take too long!" she quickly assured him, then looked to Finn and Riveria for help, her eyes full of silent pleading.

Faced with her gaze, both Riveria and Finn could only offer wry smiles.

"This expedition won't take long," Finn nodded. "It's more of a preparatory scouting mission before the formal expedition. Even if Ais leaves now, it won't affect our plans too much."

Indeed, the real expedition would require much more time, but this current venture was different. They had already reached the forty-third floor and were only planning to explore five more levels, stopping at the forty-eighth floor. They had no intention of challenging the floor boss on the forty-ninth floor yet. That was a task reserved for their next full-scale expedition, one requiring much more preparation.

After all, the floor boss on the forty-ninth floor was estimated to possess strength equivalent to level seven. Even with Riveria's firepower as a mage, they wouldn't risk such a confrontation unprepared. Finn's explanation wasn't only for Su Mo's benefit—it was primarily to reassure Ais. If Su Mo felt the wait was too long and decided to find another supporter, Ais would no doubt resent them for it. They didn't want to be responsible for getting in the way of young love.

But then Ais' eyes lit up. "Really, Finn? I can leave now?"

Finn fell completely silent. She's really this eager to leave with him? Young people's passion was truly beyond his comprehension. Still, if Ais could finally show interest in something other than simply growing stronger, it might actually be good for her overall growth. After some careful thought, Finn gave a nod. "Yes, you may."

The floor bosses that needed to be eliminated were already dealt with. The remaining part of their expedition wouldn't involve any large-scale battles. With multiple level six adventurers still present, as well as Tiona, Tione, and others at level five, Ais' absence wouldn't make much difference. More importantly, even if Su Mo and Ais ventured deeper into the Dungeon, they likely wouldn't go beyond the forty-eighth floor. The floor boss on the forty-ninth was beyond even their capabilities. They might move faster traveling light, but not by much. Their expedition party would catch up sooner or later. In that case, safety wasn't too much of a concern. If anything happened, they would still have enough strength to come to Ais' rescue. And if things did turn dangerous, they would have a good reason to put a stop to these risky solo ventures. If everything went smoothly, then all the better—it would prove that Su Mo was indeed capable of guiding Ais safely.

As a leader, Finn weighed many possibilities before finally making his decision. He would let Ais go with Su Mo for now. Whether danger arose or not, he would retain enough room to react and protect her if necessary.

On Ais' side, though she wasn't aware of all the factors Finn had considered, she understood well enough that being allowed to temporarily leave the expedition was a special favor from him. Bowing gratefully, she said, "Thank you, Captain!"

Finn nodded and reminded her, "Be careful."

Then, he turned his gaze to Su Mo. "Since Ais herself has agreed, I'll entrust her safety to you."

"Of course," Su Mo replied without hesitation. He fully understood Finn and Riveria's concerns.

Su Mo smiled and nodded, giving his reassurance. "Rest assured. As an adventurer, I would never let my supporter walk into a trap."

"Then, I'll leave this child in your care for now," Riveria said, offering a slight bow after hearing his promise, feeling a bit more at ease.

After bidding their farewells, under the watchful eyes of the Loki Familia, Su Mo and Ais gradually disappeared into the distance.