Chapter 735
24th Floor Maze Food Storage Investigation Team Formation
Chapter 735 24th Floor Maze Food Storage Investigation Team Formation
Fels told Broly about investigating the food storage in the 24th-floor maze. The other party was very polite, but Broly found it somewhat inexplicable.
"Why don't we just submit this kind of investigation request directly to the guild?"
I just got back from the dungeon yesterday, and I won't be going there for the next couple of days.
Broly politely declined and walked around the strange man in black robes in front of him.
"My request is related to the man-eating flower monster that suddenly appeared on the day of the monster festival, as well as the killer and the fetal orb that appeared in the town of Riviera in the 18th floor of the labyrinth."
You were a witness to both of these incidents, and I believe you are a suitable person to handle this. I'm very sorry to have bothered you; I will try to entrust the task to another witness.
As he spoke, Fels prepared to leave.
Then, their path was blocked by the Saiyan boy who had turned back.
Who is the other eyewitness you plan to find?
Broly asked.
"Ais Wallenstein, the swordswoman of the Loki Familia."
Fels answered without hesitation.
Broly recalled the day the fetal orb incident occurred in Rivera Town, when the swordswoman seemed a little off. He carefully recalled the details and couldn't help but ask the man in black robes in front of him a question: "Who is Arya?"
"Arya is the name of the legendary wind fairy."
"What is the relationship between the other party and Miss Ais?"
"According to the information I have, Sword Maiden Ais Wallenstein should be their daughter."
"Eh?!"
Upon hearing this, Broly was stunned, not expecting that the name belonged to Ais's mother.
"Did something happen to the other person?"
"Mr. Broly, have you heard the story of the black dragon?"
"No."
"That's not a fairy tale... uh..."
Fels had clearly prepared his answer, but he hadn't expected that the other party hadn't heard of such a well-known heroic fairy tale, so he had to pause immediately.
"Cough cough~"
Fels coughed twice before meeting the Saiyan boy's curious gaze, composing himself before continuing, "Legend has it that a black dragon appeared that destroyed the world. Faced with the imminent threat of destruction, the great hero Albert Wallenstein stepped forward and, together with the fairies, defeated the world-destroying black dragon, thus saving the world."
"Albert Wallenstein?"
"Yes, if I'm not mistaken, then he should be Fiora's father, but there's no follow-up story about the great hero in the story."
In legend, the great heroes and fairies paid a heavy price to save the world from the evil dragon.
"Then, what about the fetal pearl?"
"Those are the seeds of filthy immortals, unclean things born from the immortals who died and were devoured by the underground city."
"So, it's a monster formed from the spirit of Ais's mother?"
"I don't know, but the filthy fairy spirit is undoubtedly craving the fairy spirit bloodline within the sword maiden."
Fels answered.
"Then why did you commission her to investigate? Wait, could it be that you're one of the Filthy Fairy's subordinates, deliberately luring Miss Ais into the dungeon?"
Broly's eyes flashed with a dangerous light, and Fels, sensing something was amiss, quickly waved his hands and explained, "How could that be? If I were one of those weirdos under the Filthy Fairy's command, how could I possibly be fighting against those guys?"
Fels hurriedly explained that he was the one who had previously commissioned Lulune to retrieve the fetal pearl.
“Even if you’re not a subordinate of the Filthy Fairy, your secretive nature makes your identity highly suspicious.”
Fels was helpless. Seeing the Saiyan boy's eager look and ready to fight, he could only reveal his identity as a subordinate of the guild's chief god.
"Are you a member of the guild?"
"Yes."
"Then why do you look like this?"
"Because my identity cannot be exposed, the reason why the guild is able to command many of Orario's Familias is because the chief god Uranus and the other gods made an agreement that they cannot arbitrarily bestow divine favors upon others."
In other words, the guild does not actively control armed forces, but how could it possibly maintain order and stability in Orario without any armed forces? I am the private soldier of the guild's chief god, Lord Uranus.
Fels pulled out something that looked like a coat of arms and showed it to Broly.
"Uh, it looks like that, right?"
Broly pondered for a moment, and although he had no idea what the other person was holding, he still nodded in a pretentious manner.
"But if they are private soldiers, why did they tell me?"
But then he asked again.
Fels: "..."
[Don't you even listen to what you're saying? You're acting like you're going to attack me if I don't speak up. How can I not speak?]
"Because our chief god, Uranus, believes that Hestia is an upright deity, and would never be a god who would disrupt the order and peace of Orario. And you have made outstanding contributions to the city during the Monster Festival, so we are willing to give you some trust."
"Is the investigation request for the 24th floor of the maze urgent?"
Broly accepted the explanation given by the black-robed man, Fels. He restrained his readiness to attack and inquired about the commission the man had mentioned earlier.
"No one knows what kind of conspiracy the strange people under the Filthy Fairy are plotting in the dungeon. If we delay, things will change. Of course, the sooner we deal with them, the better."
Fels nodded in response.
"Alright, I'll take the job."
Broly changed his mind and prepared to take on the commission.
"Then I'll go and ask Sword Maiden for help again."
"Hey, wait, I've already accepted it, why are you still asking Miss Ais to do it?"
“It’s not that I’m underestimating you, Mr. Broly, but investigating the monster in the 24th floor of the labyrinth is risky. Sending more capable people along would be the safest approach.”
Fels is the type to play it safe and seek victory. Besides inviting Broly for help, he originally intended to invite Fiora for help as well.
Now that Broly has agreed, there's no reason not to invite Sword Princess. After all, in Fels's opinion, it would be more stable and safer for Sword Princess to go on the investigation with the leader of the Hestia Familia.
"That's fine."
Although Broly felt he should be able to handle the investigation request, since his stats had more than doubled after the update, it wouldn't matter if Ais went along. Without the Black Dragon story following the Fairy Spirit, the girl might be searching for clues about her mother.
. . . .
Just as Broly and the newly acquainted Fels went to Loki's Familia to find Ais, in the residence of another Dionysus, the black-haired elf also found his golden-haired chief god: "Lord Dionysus, a monster riot has occurred in the 24th floor of the labyrinth."
"Do you know the reason?"
The blond heartthrob asked with some curiosity, believing that Phil Weiss would never have come to report this matter to him if it had nothing to do with him.
"It's related to the monster attack that happened in Rivera Town before."
Phil Weiss said.
"Sigh, the other weirdos on the Filthy Fairy's side are acting on their own, not following the plan. It's really a headache."
"Should we intervene to prevent those fellows from acting on their own and ruining your plans, Lord Dionysus?"
"No, no need. Let those guys make some noise to attract attention."
The blond god paused for a moment before turning to the female elf beside him and saying, "Philwiss, come with me to the Twilight Mansion to see the god Loki."
Should we take action against the Loki Familia?
"We'll see. If there's an opportunity to reduce their strength, then we'll take action. If there's no opportunity, then we'll clear ourselves of suspicion."
. . . .
"Good heavens, that Uranus guy has been hiding his true colors well."
After Loki met Fels and learned of his identity, he immediately started criticizing him.
“All of this is for Orario,” Fels replied.
"I have no doubt about that."
Loki shrugged. She had previously investigated those new monster species, but after receiving a negative response from Uranus, the guild's chief god, that the new monster species were released by him, she stopped investigating.
"So, what brings you here, Uranus's clandestine underground forces, to my side?"
Loki asked directly.
"Let me state upfront that I don't want to get involved in any troublesome or pointless events."
Ultimately, the Loki Familia and the Guild are not entirely on the same side.
Loki and Uranus are two different gods, and their thoughts and desires are different.
Help is welcome, but you must offer sufficient benefits in return.
Of course, even if Uranus were willing to offer enough benefits, Loki wouldn't help with everything.
In response, the black-robed man, Fels, directly mentioned the keywords: Sword Maiden, Aria, Monster, and Filthy Fairy.
After explaining the monster uprising in the 24th floor of the labyrinth and its connection to the monstrous minions under the tainted fairy, Loki's face darkened.
"Trouble has come knocking!"
"Should we kick them out?"
Bert the werewolf asked. He had joined Loki's Familia halfway through, so he was a little confused by what he heard, but seeing his god's aversion to the matter, he couldn't help but ask from the side.
"No, this is Ais's business. Go and get Ais here."
Loki really wanted to kick Uranus's men out of the way, but reason prevented her from doing so. Instead, she sent the werewolf to call Ais over.
The swordswoman arrived quickly, dressed in a training bodysuit, clearly having just returned from the dungeon yesterday, yet still showing no signs of slacking off in her training.
"Hey, Mr. Broly, is there something you need from me?"
Upon entering the living room, the swordswoman immediately spotted the Saiyan boy and asked him directly, seemingly ignoring the black-robed man sitting beside him.
After Loki updated her stats last night, Ais was in a great mood when she discovered that her stats had broken through the normal limit and reached the 2s level.
This ability to become stronger regardless of limits is an effect of Broly's temporary wing skill, which makes the swordswoman's attitude towards the Saiyan boy visibly more affectionate.
“It’s not me who needs to talk to you, but Mr. Fells who needs to talk to you.”
Broly pointed to the man in black robes beside him.
"Actually, it's not 'sir,' it's 'madam.'"
Fels corrected the Saiyan boy's words and, meeting the Sword Maiden's probing gaze, explained the situation on the 24th floor of the maze.
Upon learning that the woman who could recite her mother's name had caused a monster riot in the 24th floor of the dungeon, Ais immediately offered to take on the task and investigate. Her eagerness made it seem as if she was about to change her clothes and head straight to the dungeon.
"Ais, you don't need to be in such a hurry. At least, make some preparations first."
Loki rubbed his temples and stopped his own Fiora, who was in a great hurry.
“The people I previously commissioned to investigate are now keeping watch near the food storage area on the 24th floor of the maze. You can prepare to go tomorrow.”
Fels quickly added that going to the dungeon to carry out a dangerous investigation mission without any preparation would undoubtedly be a death sentence.
"Uh, okay."
Upon hearing this, Ais thought of the Sword of Despair that had been sent for maintenance, and quickly calmed down.
An adventurer, despite being called an adventurer, should actually be someone who takes as few risks as possible.
Equipment, medicine, teammates—if you have all the necessary preparations, not doing them is not just risky, it's reckless and foolish.
Equipped with the swords of the Gubernian Familia, and with the Loki Familia having a considerable stockpile of medicine, their teammate Broly was already prepared.
"Ah, why was Riveria invited to the school district? Grace is out too, and Finn is busy with the expedition..."
Loki checked the schedules of his family members and found that the only people available tomorrow were the husky who was always doing nothing, the elf girl who was always following Ais, and the Amazonian flat-top girl who also seemed a bit idle.
"However, if you include Broly, you can make a five-person team."
Ais and Tiona are front-line damage dealers, Bert is a roaming light cavalry and scout assassin, Lefia is a back-line mage and healer, and Broly is an all-rounder who can play any position, with healing, control and damage. Except for lacking a dedicated tank like Grace, the configuration is perfectly fine.
"With this team composition, I feel that we could easily take on the newly re-emerged floor master [Udeos] on the 37th floor."
After hearing Loki's team composition for tomorrow's mission to investigate the abnormal monster riot in the 24th floor of the labyrinth, Tiona put her hands behind her head and said with a relaxed expression.
"Don't underestimate the enemy; this team is missing a shieldbearer."
Although Loki felt there was no problem, he still felt he had to dispel the Amazonian girl's contempt.
Just then, someone came to announce that the god Dionysus had come to visit.
. . . .
"Loki, have you heard about the monster uprising on the 24th floor of the labyrinth?"
The blond heartthrob, who was invited in, immediately adopted a serious expression and asked Loki a question upon seeing him.
"Your information network is quite extensive; I just heard about this from Uranus's private army..."
Loki harbored some doubts about Dionysus, but outwardly remained calm as he replied, "I didn't know before, but I heard about it today."
That's no lie; I only heard about it today. Well, that guy named Fels just left, and Dionysus arrived right after.
"This is related to those new monster species, and it might also be related to the guild. I'm planning to send someone over there to investigate. Loki, do you want to cooperate with me and find out what's going on here?"
After explaining the situation, Dionysus directly questioned the god of clowns opposite him.
If Dionysus had come before Fels arrived, Loki would probably have replied, "What's it to me? My kids have a lot of things to do too." But now, well, it just so happens that this happened.
"Those carnivorous plants are just as powerful as the monsters in the Deep Zone, so, Dionysus, which child from your familia do you intend to send there?"
Loki squinted and asked.
"Don't worry, I won't slack off, and I won't let my children who aren't capable enough carry out any overly dangerous missions."
In response, Dionysus gestured for the black-haired, red-eyed female elf beside him to step forward and introduce her to Loki: "This is Philwiss, the leader of my clan, and also my most powerful child."
"A first-level adventurer, a level 6 White Witch, is she?"
Loki had heard of the other party.
After all, the titles of adventurers who have surpassed Level 1 are determined by a discussion among the many gods at the Orario Gods' Conference held every three months.
As for why they chose titles, the gods simply thought it would be very cool to have a cool title to address the children.
"Although my child is a Level 6 first-class adventurer, she is more skilled in defensive barrier magic than offensive methods. Therefore, she cannot conduct the investigation alone, which is why I want to cooperate with you in the investigation."
Dionysus explained his reasons for seeking cooperation in the investigation.
Loki: "..."
[No physical shield guards, but a mage guard has appeared, right?]
"I wonder what you think?"
"Okay, let's work together on the investigation then. But I need to make some preparations before we can set off tomorrow."
"It's okay, I need to make some preparations on my side too."
The two gods, each with their own agendas, ended up cooperating with smiles.
. . . .
"Ye En, if you have the chance, leave the Loki Familia adventurers in the dungeon."
Late at night, the blond heartthrob met the evil alter ego of his beloved child in his wine cellar and gave him this instruction.
"A harbinger of death, how can it not bring good news?"
Dionysus chuckled as he drank. Although he didn't know who Loki would send on the investigation mission, he was prepared to devour anyone who wasn't strong enough.
. . . .
The next morning, Philweis met with the Loki Familia in the central square. To the surprise of this black-haired, red-eyed elf, there was another person in the group whom she had heard of before but had never seen.
"This is Mr. Broly, the leader of the Hestia Familia. He will be accompanying us on this investigation mission."
(End of this chapter)