Danmachi: Strongest Familia

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Standing at the entrance, they gazed out toward a raised rocky mountain in the distance. There, a temporary camp composed of tents and wooden houses stretched across the landscape.

A clown flag waved proudly in the air above the camp at the center of the station.

"Then, they must be members of the Loki Familia. They've already reached the 50th floor," Kled said, riding on Skaarl's back. He shielded his eyes from the sun with one hand, staring at the distant camp where the Loki family had set up.

That location was the highest point on this safety floor.

In the past, they would have chosen to camp there during expeditions. Unfortunately, that area was now occupied by someone else.

"Isn't that expected? After all, they have three LV6s. It's no surprise they made it this far," Sett remarked.

"Shall we go say hello?" Kled suggested.

"Say hello? Why don't we find a spot to camp instead? I'm not keen on sharing a camp with the Loki Familia," Sett said, walking off toward the forest with a few others.

Looking toward the direction Sett had gone, the remaining members of the Sol Familia turned to Kennen.

"Veronica, you stay here and wait for Riveria and the others. The rest of us will go with Sett to help find a place to camp."

Kennen wasn't particularly opposed to sharing a camp with another family, but the Sol Familia had a lot of secrets, and it wasn't necessary to mingle with the Loki Familia. Their families didn't have the best relationship, after all.

The group quickly found a flat area, and began clearing the land to set up camp.

Meanwhile, the sentinels of the Loki Familia, stationed nearby, noticed the group at the entrance to the 49th floor.

It was unrealistic for so many people to be unnoticed.

"Captain! A team has appeared on the 49th floor! Judging by the flag, it's most likely members of the Sol Familia!" one of the scouts reported.

"Haa—how did Sol Familia get here?" Bete, the white-haired werewolf, asked in surprise.

In the center of the Loki Familia's camp, several of their leaders were gathered, discussing the next exploration mission. 

Upon hearing the scout's report, Bete couldn't help but ask.

"Of course, they're here for the expedition," Gareth answered, rolling his eyes. "The Sol Familia has been preparing for an expedition for some time. Did you think they came here for fun?"

"The scout also mentioned it was an entire team. The Sol Familia rarely forms teams outside of expeditions," he added.

"But why now? Don't they know we're already here for an expedition?" another member wondered.

"Instead of worrying about why they're here, why don't we just visit them? I haven't seen Riveria and the others in a while," Finn interjected, cutting off his teammates' speculation.

He and Riveria were well-acquainted, both being heads of large familias, and they had many opportunities to interact with one another.

After a brief decision, Finn opted to keep things low-key, bringing only Leifia, an LV3 mage, along with him. 

Leifia had been deceived by that cunning rogue, Loki, some years ago, and Sol hadn't realized it at the time. 

The truth was, he simply didn't have the patience or inclination to keep track of every newcomer passing through Orario each day. 

He had assumed Leifia would come straight to his home, especially with Riveria by her side. But events had taken a different turn. Loki had intercepted Leifia, though it wasn't a significant issue—Sol's household already had an abundance of talented mages. 

With a wry smile, Sol thought to himself, "My precious daughter matters far more than Leifia anyway."

——

Sol Familia Temporary Camp.

"Captain Finn, I apologize for the delay. We intended to visit after Riveria arrived," Kennen said as he approached.

"It's alright, I came too hastily," Finn replied.

The polite exchange between them quickly grew awkward. 

The camp hadn't even been fully set up yet. Would they really be expected to sit on a stump, fresh from the forest?

Fortunately, Finn, being tactful, found a way to ease the tension. He quickly turned the conversation to a more neutral subject, asking about the recent happenings in Orario.

Not long after, Riveria and her group arrived, guided by Veronica.

Upon seeing the still-unfinished campsite, the logistics team immediately sprang into action.

The first echelon led by Sett didn't know how to build a proper shelter, so their contribution—clearing a bit of space—was the most they could manage.

As they entered the center of the camp, Riveria spotted two deep in conversation.

"Finn, long time no see," Riveria greeted with a smile.

"It's been a while, Riveria. Why did you decide to start the expedition now? Were you planning to join us?" Finn asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not really. The guild pushed us to complete our mission. It just so happens that the family members have been well-organized recently, so we decided to get moving," Riveria explained.

"I see…" Finn nodded thoughtfully, though a hint of envy crossed his face.

As the head of a large family himself, he couldn't help but feel a bit wistful. The Sol Familia had organized such a massive expedition in short notice, and their resources were clearly immense.

Though no one knew exactly how much money the Sol Familia had, their residence in Orario was a thing of beauty, located right at the heart of the city.

But Finn only envied them from a distance. After all, no one dared to actually challenge the Sol Familia.

In the past, whenever Orario had rare magical books or other valuable items, the Sol Familia would buy them at a high price, which had irritated many of the other gods.

But after the Sol Familia single-handedly defeated a coalition of families in the past, that resentment disappeared. The result had been a resounding victory, with five LV5 adventurers and many mid-level members. Riveria had, single-handedly, brought their siege battle to a swift and absurd conclusion.

That left an indelible mark on the gods watching, who quickly learned the cost of crossing the Sol Familia.

"Just in time," Finn said with a smile. "We haven't explored the depths yet. Perhaps we can cooperate for a while."

"Joint exploration…" Riveria hesitated, considering the offer.

In truth, it was thanks to the Loki Familia that they had reached the 50th floor so smoothly. After all, they hadn't encountered any floor masters along the way.

"Forget the joint exploration. But if you need anything, don't hesitate to contact me," Riveria decided, gently rejecting Finn's invitation.