Deus.Ex.Machina

"Fine." Finn fell silent for a moment before finally answering me.

"Finn-sama?"

"Finn-kun?"

"Are you sure?"

Everyone reacted differently, surprise and confusion evident on their faces. Some stared at Finn in disbelief, while others looked at him as if questioning whether he had truly thought it through. After all, agreeing to my condition without even knowing what favor he would demand in the future was not a decision to be taken lightly.

Finn, however, remained calm.

"The battle earlier made one thing clear," he said. "We are lacking. The earlier battle showed us that there are still opponents beyond our ability to handle."

His gaze shifted toward me.

"And whether we like it or not, Leon is one of the few people capable of helping us bridge that gap."

The others exchanged uneasy glances but remained silent.

"As for the favor," Finn said, "I am willing to accept that risk."

"Finn-sama..." Riveria began.

He raised a hand, stopping her.

"Because I believe he won't make an unreasonable request."

Then a faint smile appeared on his face.

"And if it isn't, we'll argue about it when the time comes."

A few chuckles escaped around the room, easing some of the tension.

"So that settles it then," I said.

Before anyone could add anything else, Riveria spoke.

"What about the others? They can't exactly stay here," she continued. "Especially if we're leaving with you."

The others nodded in agreement.

She had a point.

The expedition members, supporters, and the rest of the Familia couldn't simply be abandoned in the middle of the Deep Floors while their executives disappeared elsewhere.

"That's not a problem." I smiled.

Raising a hand, I activated a spell. Then, in front of everyone's eyes, a massive portal tore open in space.

"What is that?"

"It's a teleportation spell."

"A teleportation spell?" Riveria's eyes widened slightly.

"At this point, I'm not even surprised anymore."

I laughed.

"The spell is directly connected to the entrance of the Dungeon."

"What?"

"Directly to the Dungeon?"

"From here?"

Murmurs spread through the group.

Even those who weren't particularly knowledgeable about magic understood the implications.

Traveling between the surface and the Dungeon normally took time. Depending on where one was, it could take days or even weeks of travel. Yet I was casually offering a gateway that bypassed all of that.

Riveria's eyes narrowed as she studied the portal.

"Is this a permanent connection?"

"Not permanent," I replied. "Maintaining something like that indefinitely would be wasteful. But I can recreate it whenever necessary."

"Well, standing around won't accomplish anything. Everyone, prepare to move." Finn said.

The remaining members of the Loki Familia nodded and began organizing themselves.

Naturally, nobody was willing to blindly trust a portal that had appeared out of nowhere.

Finn, Riveria, Gareth, and several others personally tested it first.

One by one, they stepped through the gateway before immediately returning.

After confirming there were no hidden dangers, traps, or unpleasant surprises waiting on the other side, the rest of the Familia finally relaxed.

The evacuation proceeded quickly after that.

Groups began filing through the portal, helping the injured and carrying supplies along with them. The once-crowded floor gradually emptied as adventurers disappeared through the shimmering gateway.

By the time the last group crossed over, only seven people remained, myself included.

"Well, that's everyone. But before that..."

I raised my hand once more.

A second portal opened in front of us.

The executives of the Loki Familia stared at it, surprise and curiosity evident on their faces.

Then a figure stepped through.

A beautiful blonde woman emerged from the portal.

Ais.

For a brief moment, the entire floor fell silent.

The Loki Familia executives stared at the newcomer in complete disbelief.

"Ais?"

"Wahhh!"

"Ais-chan!"

The moment they recognized her, the executives of the Loki Familia rushed forward.

Before Ais could even react, Tiona wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug.

"We missed you!"

"We missed you!"

"Ais-chan, you should visit more often!" Tione added as she joined in.

Ais blinked at the sudden ambush.

"I saw you last week."

"That doesn't count," Tiona immediately shot back.

"It absolutely doesn't count," Tione agreed.

Gareth laughed as he approached.

"Good to see you again, Ais."

Finn nodded.

"You've been keeping busy, it seems."

Ais glanced toward me before nodding.

"Mm."

Then her gaze shifted toward Riveria.

"Ais."

"Riveria."

A small smile appeared on Riveria's face.

While the others tended to be more expressive, Riveria was far more restrained.

Still, the warmth in her eyes was obvious.

"How have you been?"

"Good."

"Eating properly?"

"Yes."

"Sleeping?"

Ais hesitated.

Riveria immediately narrowed her eyes.

"Ais."

"I sleep."

"That wasn't what I asked."

Without another word, Riveria stepped forward and gently brushed a few strands of hair from Ais's face.

"You look well," she said.

Ais paused before giving a small nod.

"Thank you."

It was a simple exchange, but it carried a familiarity that only came from years spent together.

Riveria had helped raise Ais for most of her life. That relationship didn't simply disappear because Ais had changed Familias.

The others eventually joined the conversation, bombarding Ais with questions about her recent adventures, her training, and what life had been like under my command.

I remained in the background and let them talk.

Originally, I hadn't planned on bringing Ais along.

But since I'd be helping them for a while, I figured there was no reason not to bring her.

Judging by the smiles on everyone's faces, it had been the right decision.

After a while, the excitement finally died down.

Ais eventually made her way back to my side while the executives of the Loki Familia regained their composure.

Well, most of it.

Tiona still looked like she wanted to drag Ais away for several hours of catching up.

Once everyone had finally calmed down, the six executives gathered in front of me.

Finn stood at the center, with Riveria and Gareth beside him. Tiona, Tione, and Ais stood slightly behind them.

"So," I said. "Ready to continue?"

Finn nodded.

"We are."

"Good. Let's move."

Without another word, the eight of us began our descent.

There were no monsters left on this floor. I had already eliminated everything earlier, and it would take some time before the Dungeon replenished its forces.

I took point at the front of the group.

Finn matched my pace and walked beside me while the others followed several meters behind.

As we continued deeper, I glanced at him.

"Do you have any information about the floors below?"

Finn shook his head.

"Very little."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Aren't there records from the Zeus and Hera Familias?"

"There are," Finn replied. "Or at least, there should be."

"Should be?"

Finn let out a small sigh.

"The Guild never granted us access to them."

That got my attention.

I turned toward him.

"They refused?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"No official explanation was ever given."

Finn's expression remained calm, but there was a trace of frustration beneath it.

"According to the Guild, the records are classified. Access is restricted, and even high-ranking adventurers aren't permitted to review them."

I frowned.

That made little sense.

The information had been gathered by adventurers who had risked their lives exploring the deepest parts of the Dungeon. Keeping such knowledge locked away only made future expeditions more dangerous.

"What do you know, then?"

"Nothing reliable."

"Nothing reliable."

That was unfortunate.

Having maps or records from the Zeus and Hera Familias would have made things considerably easier.

Those two Familias had reached depths no one else had managed to conquer.

If anyone possessed information about what awaited us below, it would have been them.

Yet the Guild had decided to keep it hidden.

"Interesting," I muttered.

Finn glanced at me.

"You think there's a reason for it?"

"Probably."

The Guild wasn't stupid.

Organizations didn't classify information without a reason.

Whether that reason was good or bad was an entirely different matter.

For now, however, speculation wouldn't help us.

Whatever waited below, we'd be discovering it ourselves.

Still, I wasn't particularly concerned.

If anything, it made things more interesting.

"Then we'll just have to see it for ourselves."

Finn glanced at me before letting out a small chuckle.

"Somehow, I expected you to say that."

"Were you hoping for concern?"

"Not really."

"Good."

Whatever secrets the Zeus and Hera Familias had uncovered, whatever reason the Guild had for hiding them, I would find out soon enough.

And honestly?

I was looking forward to it.

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