Chapter 68: Is There Something Going On Between These Two?

The same thing wasn't just happening within Freya's Familia.

Many Familias received related news and subsequently made the decision to pay attention to Rigel.

Not to mention those Familias, even Loki's Familia itself caused quite a stir because Rigel had become a Level 5 adventurer.

"Mr. Rigel is already Level 5."

"His strength must already be on par with Level 1 adventurers, right?"

"Our Familia has gained another officer, greatly enhancing our strength."

"Perhaps, even Freya's Familia isn't a match for us now."

"Not quite, they still have a Level 7."

In the hallways of the Dusk Manor, the members chatted excitedly as they walked, their tones and expressions filled with enthusiasm.

"Ah, damn it, we've been caught up."

Tiona let out a wail as soon as she received the news.

"Stop whining. Instead of shouting about being caught up, think about how to avoid being overtaken so quickly."

Tione remained calm.

"Tch."

Bert, hearing the members discussing the matter, frowned and left the manor.

"Mr. Rigel has become Level 5, Miss Ais."

Refaia, who happened to meet Ais in the dining hall, said this with excitement.

"Um-hmm."

Ais, who already knew about this, showed little reaction, her eyes flickering slightly, lost in thought.

As for the Familia leaders, they gathered in Finn's office to discuss the matter.

"Though we expected it, it's still astonishing to see it happen."

Gryse sat in a chair, his arms crossed, making the chair creak under the weight he shouldn't have been putting on it.

"It's only been a month and a half." Livia stood by the desk, holding the guild's bulletin, looking at the information about Rigel. "That skill, 'Fool's Obsession,' is really unfair."

"Who knows if his growth will slow down." Finn took a sip of the drink on the table and smiled. "If it doesn't, we might be the ones being caught up soon."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Gryse laughed. "But that kid still has a long way to go."

"Will it be as fast this time?" Livia added, "It's not easy to reach Level 6."

Indeed, reaching Level 6 is not easy.

The feats required to level up from Level 5 are not comparable to the previous levels.

At this level, embarking on a quest and achieving a great feat is extremely difficult.

If the risk is not great enough or the opponent is not strong enough, it's impossible to accumulate significant high-level experience.

If the risk is too great and the opponent too strong, it's equivalent to courting death.

At Level 5, if one encounters a risk that must be taken or a powerful opponent that must be challenged, the magnitude of the risk and the strength of the opponent are considerable.

A single misstep, and one might fail to achieve the feat and end up dead, making it a losing proposition.

This is why, in Orario, there are still some Level 5s, but only a handful of Level 6s, all concentrated in Loki's and Freya's Familias.

The reason is that those who challenged sufficiently strong opponents and took sufficient risks either died or failed.

Before Level 5, one could rely on senior members of the Familia to lead and easily defeat powerful enemies through group combat, accumulating sufficient high-level experience. However, once at Level 5, even with a Level 6 leading, it's not easy to accumulate sufficient feats.

Take Ais, Bert, Tiona, and Tione, who have been Level 5 for several years. They have participated in countless expeditions to the dungeon and defeated numerous powerful monsters, yet they still haven't accumulated enough feats to level up.

Loki's Familia participates in at least two to three floor boss hunts per expedition, with Udeus (Level 6) and Balor (Level 7) being stronger than Ais and the others. Despite defeating them numerous times, the officers still haven't leveled up, showing how difficult it is to reach Level 6.

If Ais and the others chose to face Udeus or Balor alone, they might achieve great feats and level up.

In group combat, experience is divided, making it harder for Ais and the others to accumulate sufficient feats.

Especially during the hunts for Balor, the Level 7 floor boss, the three main officers of Loki's Familia are the primary force, and the officers receive only a small portion of the experience.

These factors combined make it very difficult to level up from Level 5 to Level 6.

To truly achieve Level 6, one must risk their life, and even then, they might lose it.

But—

"Given Rigel's growth rate, the difficulty of leveling up will definitely be lower for him." Finn smiled. "I don't think this step will be a problem for him."

With the skill 'Fool's Obsession' accelerating his growth, Rigel will accumulate feats faster than others.

Therefore, Finn doesn't believe Rigel will get stuck at this step like the other officers.

"I wonder how long it will take him to level up this time."

Finn mused.

"Six months? Or a year?"

For a prodigy who reached Level 5 in a month and a half, Finn can't estimate how long it will take for the next level.

"Maybe not even that long!"

Gryse laughed heartily.

"I just hope he doesn't take unnecessary risks."

Livia hopes Rigel will slow down a bit.

Otherwise, it means he's taking great risks.

As a current Level 6, Livia knows the magnitude of the risks required to level up from Level 5 to Level 6.

She hopes Rigel will be more cautious, grow steadily, and not take unnecessary risks.

Unfortunately, that kid doesn't seem to be the type to stay put and will likely take great risks eventually.

Livia is a bit worried about this.

"One Ais is already enough to deal with, and now we have another one who takes even more risks."

Livia sighed.

Finn and Gryse glanced at Livia but said nothing.

This is something for Mama (Livia) to worry about; they, as men, aren't suited to say such soft words.

Livia will definitely find a way to advise and even control Rigel, so they don't need to worry.

Finn, however, has something else on his mind.

"We need to handle the aftermath of the expedition today." Finn said, "Our losses were significant this time, and we have no gains. We need to process the loot quickly and plan for the next expedition."

"Agreed." Gryse nodded. "The kids have rested enough; they need to get back to work."

"We need to discuss how to deal with the new types of monsters." Livia added. "It's good to get things done quickly."

Finn stood up. "Let's gather everyone at the entrance."

Livia and Gryse nodded.

Handling the aftermath of an expedition is the first task upon return.

The loot brought back from the dungeon, whether magic stones or dropped items, needs to be sold to fund future activities.

The weapons and armor of the expedition members need repair, and supplies need to be replenished. The Familia's operations require funding, and preparations for the next expedition need to be made, all of which require money.

Therefore, processing the loot is the top priority after returning from an expedition.

When this happens, Loki's Familia mobilizes almost all available members, leaving only a few to guard the base, to quickly process the loot and secure the necessary funds.

Even the officers are no exception.

Rigel didn't participate in this process last time.

He joined the Familia during the last expedition and, being a new member, wasn't involved in processing the loot.

But this time, it's different.

Rigel participated in the expedition and even leveled up, becoming a Level 1 adventurer.

As a Level 1 adventurer in Loki's Familia, Rigel is now, like Ais and the others, a full-fledged officer and a key member.

As an officer, a key member, and a participant in the expedition, Rigel needs to help process the loot.

Rigel immediately headed to the entrance upon receiving the call.

"Rigel! Over here!"

Seeing Rigel, Tiona waved to get his attention.

Rigel noticed that Tiona stood out among the crowd.

The other members seemed to respect the officers and kept a respectful distance.

Tiona stood in the center, flanked by Tione, with Ais and Refaia nearby.

Tiona's call drew the attention of the members.

To be honest, the scene made Rigel a bit uncomfortable.

The members looked at him with respect and admiration, making his back itch.

"Come over here!"

A certain Amazon, lacking in tact, shouted, clearly not planning to let Rigel off.

What could Rigel do?

He had to go over.

"Good morning."

Rigel greeted Tiona, Tione, and Refaia, then looked at Ais.

Ais was also looking at Rigel.

They exchanged glances, seemingly recalling last night, and both smiled.

The difference was that Rigel's smile was rather calm, while Ais's seemed a bit embarrassed.

"???"

The others, seeing this, had question marks appear above their heads.

Is there something going on between these two?

New book, seeking support! Recommendations! Collections! (*^▽^*)

(End of Chapter)