Chapter 267: When in Doubt, Ask Finn

At this moment, Loki Familia was welcoming Finn and the other three back from the Dungeon.

"Ais... huh?"

Loki had just leapt forward but didn't see the person she wanted to tackle, and her excitement instantly deflated.

"Loki, we're back."

Finn smiled out of habit. Seeing Loki like this gave him a familiar sense of homecoming.

"Oh! Welcome back."

Loki quickly masked her disappointment and let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Not seeing Ais right away wasn't necessarily a bad thing—it actually gave her a chance to talk things through with Finn before facing her.

"Finn, once you've finished dealing with the usual stuff, come to my room."

"Hm? Loki, that urgent?"

"...A lot has happened in Orario while you were in the Dungeon."

Seeing the mix of resignation and unease on Loki's face, Finn immediately sensed the gravity of the situation.

"Understood. I'll be over right after I put my things away."

After returning to his room and setting down his gear, Finn didn't even bother changing clothes—he headed straight for Loki's room.

Back at the Familia entrance, Loki's serious expression had already seemed out of the ordinary, and her reaction to Ais's absence had also felt a little off.

Finn still didn't know what had happened in Orario these past few days, or why Loki was in such a state.

So now, he simply quickened his pace.

Knock knock!

"Just come in, Finn."

With permission granted, Finn opened the door and stepped inside.

Right away, he noticed Loki had already prepared two glasses and a bottle of red wine. It was clear she was planning a serious talk.

"That's rare. You even had wine ready in your room."

Loki gave a sheepish smile. Right now, Finn was the only one she could talk to—she wasn't ready to bring the others in yet.

Finn shook his head slightly and sat down in the seat Loki had prepared.

Loki smiled, filled the glasses, then took her own seat.

"Finn, a lot has been going on behind the scenes these past few days."

"I really wanted to avoid getting involved, but since I went to see Ouranos about Ishtar... that option's off the table."

"Haruhime and Aisha, right?"

As soon as he heard that, Finn immediately understood her dilemma. She must've ended up owing Ouranos-sama a favor—leaving her no room to refuse this time.

"Bringing in Haruhime and Aisha was necessary no matter how you look at it. Haruhime's power is a vital part of our Familia."

Even if she owed a debt, the benefit their Familia had gained from it far outweighed the cost.

Haruhime might not have any combat ability, but as a support, she was exceptional. Anyone who knew what she could do would never let her go easily.

"Loki, start from the beginning—what's going on?"

Finn had already steeled himself mentally.

After all, if this was just about resolving the aftermath of the Haruhime situation, even if things got a little messy, it wouldn't be beyond what he could handle.

"It's actually about that woman you ran into."

"You mean the one Ais and Lefiya encountered?"

Finn's expression turned serious in an instant. He hadn't seen the woman himself, but from Lefiya's description, he could tell her strength was well above Lv.5.

To easily twist Ais's arm and nearly abduct her—that kind of power was no joke.

"We've identified her."

"That fast?"

"Yeah, that fast. Someone returned to the Familia with the Jewel Fetus... and one of her hands. If it weren't for that kid, there's no way we'd have learned her identity so quickly."

Just thinking about that kid talking so smugly made Loki feel bitter.

He really was a monstrous all-rounder—growing at a ridiculous pace, capable of fighting well above his level, wielding special Authority, and possessing absurd mobility.

And as if that weren't enough, his origins were terrifying too.

Compared to him, Ais was completely outclassed.

"Bell-kun...?"

A flicker of surprise crossed Finn's eyes. Even now, he couldn't imagine how Bell-kun—who on the surface specialized in magic—could take up a weapon, use specialized techniques, and slice off that woman's hand in a surprise attack.

"His strength really caught me off guard."

"Even if it was a sneak attack, he's undeniably powerful. He's nothing like the magic-focused Adventurer I thought he was. His combat skills clearly qualify him to fight opponents far beyond his level."

"His magic... Finn, don't even call it magic anymore."

Just thinking about the "magic" that kid used made Loki's face twitch uncontrollably.

That was Authority itself.

He used Authority to create Rune Stones, and even started selling them. Looking back, Loki regretted not spending more—next time, she was going to buy up as much as she could.

She steadied herself and brought the conversation back on track.

"The woman's identity has been confirmed. We also know exactly what that Jewel Fetus retrieved by Ganesha's child is. And for us, this means nothing short of a deadly challenge."

"The enemy... is a Spirit."

"!?"

At the mention of "Spirit," Finn's pupils contracted sharply. Not even in his worst dreams had he imagined the enemy would be a Spirit.

"Is that why the woman didn't kill Ais? She was trying to take her instead?"

"Yes. That's exactly what the kid concluded. But the way he found out that the Jewel Fetus's true form was a Spirit... let's just say it was blunt and brutal."

He enslaved the Spirit's mass-produced fetus directly and made it answer questions—something utterly impossible under normal circumstances.

But with that Authority, he pulled it off.

Simple and crude, yet terrifyingly effective.

"The Spirit's true body is still somewhere in the unexplored depths of the Dungeon. For us, that's a massive threat."

"It means our future expeditions could end up facing creatures as dangerous as that Spirit."

"And according to the kid's analysis, the Spirit's true form is confirmed to be Lv.8."

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

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