Clang, clang, clang—!
A long bell toll echoed from a certain spire, ringing a total of seven times.
After that, the entire Loki Familia seemed to come alive. Faint voices could be heard from the direction of various spires, indicating that the members of the Familia had awakened, and figures began to appear one after another.
Eiji put away his device and then headed to the bathhouse.
He couldn't keep summoning his device every time he practiced his swordsmanship. He needed to buy a katana. After all, the matter of his device wasn't something he wanted others to know about.
The Loki Familia's territory wasn't particularly spacious, but public facilities like the dining hall, bathhouse, and reading room were all present, albeit irregularly distributed among the various spires, making the layout seem chaotic.
The bathhouse wasn't large either, with only five showerheads and a bathtub that could fit five people. It could accommodate a little over ten people at most, but since it was early in the morning, there weren't many people using it, so it didn't feel crowded.
After washing off the sweat, Eiji changed into fresh clothes, feeling completely refreshed and invigorated.
"What a messy layout, I almost got lost…"
Eiji clicked his tongue and returned to his room with wet hair.
"Mmm… huff…"
The Amazoness girl, known as the "Crusher," was leaning against the door of his room, dozing off with her head down, breathing evenly.
How could she fall asleep like this?
Eiji silently admired her, but this was the entrance to his room. If she didn't move, it would be quite inconvenient for him.
"Huh? Oh, Eiji, you're back!"
Tiona, who wasn't a deep sleeper, woke up immediately upon hearing Eiji's footsteps approaching and grinned.
"What are you doing here?"
"Waiting for you to have breakfast together!"
"?"
"Eating together is a rule set by Loki, so all three meals in our Familia are eaten together in the dining hall!"
"I see."
Eiji understood.
He had originally planned to go out and grab something to eat before heading straight into the dungeon.
But since the Familia had such a rule, he might as well eat at the base. Moreover, if everyone ate together, it meant that the Familia's executives would gather as well. As a newcomer, it would be impolite not to show up and get acquainted.
After putting his clothes back in his room, Eiji and Tiona headed to the dining hall together.
The hall was furnished with several long tables, and the floor was paved with stone bricks. It didn't seem particularly spacious, only able to accommodate about fifty or sixty people at most.
Despite being one of the top Familias, the Loki Familia's base was far less extravagant than one might imagine. Was Ouranos really that short on land?
By the time the two arrived at the dining hall, more than ten people were already waiting there.
A tall male werewolf with wolf ears and a tail sat alone in a corner of one of the long tables. He had his arms crossed, his expression cold, and exuded an aura that kept his fellow Familia members at a distance, making them hesitant to approach him.
"That guy's name is Bete. He's a werewolf, Level 5. Though it's frustrating to admit, he's indeed a powerhouse. But he's a complete elitist, so it's best not to talk to him under normal circumstances!"
Tiona whispered to Eiji, clearly not on good terms with him.
The werewolf man shot a glance over, his expression annoyed. A lightning-shaped tattoo running from his left forehead down to his neck was a striking blue, giving him a wild and untamed appearance.
Tiona stuck out her tongue at him and then ignored him, continuing to introduce Eiji to the other Familia members one by one.
As expected, most of them were adventurers of Level 3 and above, with very few at Level 2. Each of them had a strong presence, making Eiji, who was relatively weak, almost unique in the entire Familia.
"Huh? Ais, good morning!"
Tiona's eyes lit up as she caught sight of someone entering the dining hall, and she waved enthusiastically.
Eiji turned to look.
"...Good morning, Tiona."
A dazzling golden mane, like the morning sun, came into view.
A slender girl had changed out of her morning gown and into a light blue outfit that exposed her back, revealing a large area of fair skin.
She was the girl who had watched Eiji practice his swordsmanship from the fourth-floor room of the East Tower an hour ago.
She was undoubtedly a charming girl, with features as refined as those of the goddess Demeter, whom Eiji had encountered the day before.
Her voice was soft, like a gentle breeze.
Her face also lacked noticeable emotional fluctuations, making her seem somewhat slow.
Eiji rubbed his chin, thoughtfully observing the girl named Ais.
Do high-level adventurers not fear the cold?
He wondered this to himself.
Both Ais and Tiona were wearing only one or two thin layers in the lingering winter chill, showing no signs of being cold.
As Eiji watched her, the golden-haired girl also looked at him.
Her eyes flickered slightly, as if some emotion was brewing within her, but she seemed hesitant. Her lips moved for a moment, but she ultimately didn't say anything.
"?"
Tiona glanced at Ais, then at Eiji.
Suddenly, she felt an intense sense of crisis.
"He's mine!"
She panicked and immediately clung to Eiji's arm, trying to assert her claim.
"Who?"
Eiji looked at both sides, feigning confusion with a "Who are you talking about?" expression, which left Tiona feeling dejected.
The sensation was quite lacking.
He didn't feel his arm sinking into anything it should have, leaving him utterly unmoved. In fact, he even felt like pulling it away. This was a first for him.
However, he hadn't intended to charm the golden-haired girl in the first place.
Admittedly, he sensed an extremely sharp sword aura from her, indicating that she was a formidable swordsman. He was very interested in sparring with her, but he had made a promise to Loki not to develop any relationships beyond friendship with any female Familia members.
He didn't intend to break that promise.
Ais didn't say anything, merely tilting her head slightly and giving Tiona a puzzled look.
She didn't understand what Tiona meant.
"Oh my? Has my foolish little sister finally fallen in love?"
A slightly more mature female voice came from outside the dining hall.
She was clearly teasing Tiona, her words accompanied by a playful laugh.
"Tione, don't look down on me!"
Standing beside Eiji, Tiona retorted indignantly even before seeing the speaker.
A series of hurried footsteps approached.
At the same time, several figures appeared at the entrance of the dining hall, coming into Eiji's view.
At the forefront was another Amazoness.
She bore a striking resemblance to Tiona, but unlike Tiona's short hair, she had long black hair that reached her waist. Her attire, however, was just as revealing as Tiona's.
Surprisingly, while her chest wasn't as ample as the goddess Demeter's, it was still quite substantial, forming a stark contrast with Tiona's flatness. It was as if she had taken all of Tiona's share.
***
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