Chapter 89: Chapter 89: Back Home~
The boy disappeared in a blink, and then Ais and Bete both turned to Fron, as if to ask: acquaintance?
"Ah, he's a boy from my hometown. As for how we know each other, that's a long story."
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Dusk was approaching.
The massive square centered around the great white tower, the Babel Tower, was crowded with adventurers who had finished their day's work in the underground labyrinth.
Standing at one of the large entrances on the first floor of Babel, the streets were filled with the joyous sounds of inns celebrating and entertaining these adventurers.
Everywhere you looked, many humans and demi-humans were cheerfully raising their glasses, sighing with emotion, laughing together, and even some bored gods had thrown themselves into the crowd with their own glasses, mingling and fooling around with the people of the lower world.
Social status, birth, and reverence were all thrown aside, and the laughter between people became a miniature reflection of the labyrinth city Orario, the center of the world at this moment, as well as of the world itself.
Before long, the lights of street lamps (magic stone lamps) on both sides of the road illuminated this beautiful city filled with endless noise and excitement.
"Finally back, this sweet smell~"
Tiona raised her hands and closed her eyes, breathing in the city air with intoxicated joy.
Behind her, her sister Tione and the other two of the trio also had relieved smiles on their faces.
Only Bete, with his hands in his pockets, arrogantly wagged his tail and turned his head away, lost in thought.
Lastly, there were Ais and Fron.
Ais, with her perpetually indifferent expression, gazed toward the end of the North Main Street.
Fron, carrying a conspicuous supporter's backpack, removed his hood, showing a deeply moved face.
This ultra-deep "expedition," especially for someone like him undertaking a large-scale dungeon exploration for the first time, was undeniably an experience carved deep into the soul.
The fantastical and mysterious "Great Tree Labyrinth," the strange and magnificent "Water Capital," the boundless yet eerie "Great Wilderness," and the deep dungeon layers exceeding the area of Orario by over 40 times.
Unknown knowledge had become nourishment for Fron' growth, and he felt the "Falna" on his back burning with energy.
"We're home!"
"Whooooooaaaaa!"
Finn, leading the group, headed toward North Main Street.
In the northern part of the city, beside North Main Street, there was a massive park with dense woods separating a considerable area of land.
Among it stood a mansion much taller than the surrounding buildings.
The "Twilight Manor," the main base of the Loki Familia.
"Ahhhh, I'm done, totally exhausted."
"You stupid Amazon, weren't you just yelling about not fighting enough earlier?"
"You dumb wolf, are you picking a fight?!"
"Ah, I just wanna hurry home and snuggle with the captain~ Captain~"
"Alright, Tione, lots of people are watching, you know!"
"Um, um, Ais, I... I'm–I'm really glad we all made it back safely!"
"Lefiya? Yeah, we did."
Behind them, Fron smiled while watching these scenes, deeply moved inside.
Only when they stood before the gates of their headquarters did he truly feel alive.
The dungeon's environment was far too oppressive; even top-level adventurers, whose mental fortitude had been tempered like steel, couldn't stay for too long.
Not to mention the countless dangers along the way.
Battling three floor masters, treating comrades who hovered on the brink of death, the fight against the mighty dragon in the deep levels, ambushes from new species, and finally their desperate escape from the dungeon.
After all this, even if Fron had contributed greatly, it was still a harsh trial for any member, body and soul alike.
"Whew, the sky is still so clear, even at dusk."
"Welcome back, !"
A certain goddess spread open her arms and dashed out from the mansion with agility surpassing even top adventurers, charging straight at them!
Faced with the sudden assault of this shameless god, Tione, Tiona, and Ais calmly and habitually stepped aside with ease.
Until she reached Lefiya,
"Aaaaaahhhh, Lord Loki, what are you doing!!!! Let go of me!"
"Hehehe, Lefiya, did you get smaller?"
"I did not get smaller!"
At this sight, the girls, needless to say, turned away in embarrassment, and even the men instinctively averted their eyes.
Only Fron...
His eyes deep, he studied with a look of curiosity and mystery, even feeling the urge to pull out the notebook he always carried at his waist to seriously record and analyze.
And then... Lefiya, sensitive to gazes, immediately caught his stare.
"Ahhhhhhh, don't look!!!!"
Thud
Ais chopped the back of his head with a hand strike.
"Hentai."
"Pervert!"
"So that's the kind of person you are!"
Fron: "?" I'm clearly a gentleman, why am I being called a pervert?
"Hmm, but really, Lefiya's figure is actually pretty nice."
"Stop itttttttttt!!!"
The elven girl let out a wail of shame.
...
...
"Everyone, welcome back!"
The farce ended, and Loki looked at her children with a cheerful smile and shouted with joy.
"Ah, we're back, Loki!"
"Sorry, Loki, we're too tired, please excuse us."
As the leader, Finn briefly communicated with Loki and then was the first to enter the courtyard.
"Got it! Oh, don't forget about tomorrow night's celebration party!"
Loki teased Lefiya with a grin while answering perfunctorily, then opened her divine eyes and carefully examined Fron standing nearby.
The youth's equipment, cloak, gloves, short boots, belt, and leg pouches, were all worn out, as if aged.
The backpack behind him was equally covered in dust.
Even more shocking was the diagonally strapped [Aquamarine Staff] given by Riveria, which was now battered and tattered, showing just how arduous this expedition had been.
But in contrast, Fron's golden eyes were particularly bright.
"You brat, don't tell me you..."
Under Ais and Lefiya's gaze, he gave a silent smile, his lips curling into a wide grin.
"Ah." That short answer confirmed Loki's guess.
"Tsk tsk tsk, not bad at all. Congrats, but you still rank behind Ais, okay!"
Upon hearing this, the youth shrugged indifferently.
"Well, I don't mind at all!"
After saying that, he turned and went home.
"By the way, the magical workshop you asked the Goibniu Familia to modify has been completed, it's just beneath the residence!"
"Thanks, Loki!"
"Hurry and check it out, hehehe... it has that magical castle vibe."
...
...
After saying goodbye to the exhausted group, he returned to his small cabin first, removed his slightly damaged weapons and equipment, then collapsed on the bed and lay there with his eyes closed, feeling comforted both physically and mentally.
"Ah, nothing beats your own room. I don't want to move..."
They say the blanket is the best place for a person, full of belonging and security. Fron was no exception.
After long, intense battles in the tense and oppressive dungeon environment, his strained nerves hadn't relaxed properly. As soon as he touched the bed, he quickly fell into a deep sleep.
When he woke up again, it was already late at night.
Outside the window, starlight dotted the black curtain of the sky, accompanied by a comfortable summer breeze.
He lay quietly for a while, his nose twitching.
His clothes had developed a slight odor from long battles, so he reluctantly forced himself to get up, drank a glass of water, and went to the bathroom with a fresh change of clothes.
"Yo, Fron's here too!"
He hadn't expected to meet someone at this hour, surprising him slightly.
"You guys only napped a little before coming?"
"Yeah, I bet some people will sleep straight till morning."
"Everyone's exhausted, huh?"
"Of course."
Fron and Raul chatted and laughed as they walked to the bath.
As they talked, Raul's face was already relaxed with joy.
"After coming back from the dungeon, a good bath washes away all the fatigue. Then a little drink and a big, sweet dream~"
"..."
"The old man too?"
"Hahahaha, of course, just look at everyone else!"
They chatted as they walked, and even in the bath, the conversation didn't stop, though it gradually veered off-topic.
Men's conversations, as usual, revolved around certain subjects, like women.
...
...
It was late at night when Fron finally returned to his room.
Unlike when he had left, the room now had a refreshed look.
After earning a large sum using magic items, of course, he had tidied up his little place properly.
All the tables, chairs, and the bed were brand new custom-made items, crafted from high-quality wood sourced from the dungeon and refined by skilled artisans before finally being placed here.
Good things come at a price, but he could afford it.
Besides the furniture, the room now had a large wardrobe, a beautiful magic stone lamp, and brand-new flooring.
"Finally looks like something."
After glancing around the room, Fron turned his gaze to the bookshelf beside the desk.
He twisted the button on the nearby desk lamp.
Then... the sound of mechanisms clicked, and the bookshelf moved aside.
The stone wall revealed a spiral staircase, dimly lit by small magic stone lamps on both sides.
"Nice atmosphere. A item maker should have this kind of style!" Fron raised an eyebrow, smiling, and descended.
The spiral staircase was similar to the Babel Tower's big hole, leading straight down.
At the bottom, there was a wooden door. Pushing it open... He entered the world of a magician.
In the dim basement, the walls were lined with bookshelves, scattered with drawings and charts.
Directly opposite the door was a large workbench neatly arranged with measuring tools, utensils, and other items related to magic item production.
A magical workshop hidden beneath the "Twilight Manor."
Value/ Cost: 50 million valis.