Chapter 8: The God from Another World, and a Super-Excited Loki
Accompanied by leaving the first tier with its pale blue walls and ceiling, the long-distance expedition of the [Loki Familia] came to an end.
Streetlights began to light up one by one, and the glow of magic stones gradually studded a city filled with an endless stream of bustling noises.
"We're finally back...!"
In the northern part of the city, by the roadside outside the bustling north avenue.
"Ah~ Such fresh air~!"
"Every time we come back, it feels like getting a new lease on life."
"I'm going to Pleasure Quarter, I'm going to Pleasure Quarter~!"
"Let's go wild!"
"Charging into everything will only ruin you, don't let your desires break through your willpower!"
A mansion much taller, longer, and larger than the surrounding buildings stood here.
Finally returning to the city filled with the aura of adventurers, the members of the [Loki Familia] felt that everything looked fresh and novel, just like monkeys stepping out of the deep mountains for the first time.
The mansion, formed by several overlapping high-rise towers, resembled a sword mountain, while its bronze-colored exterior made it look like a blazing fire.
The central tower, the tallest among them all, flew a jester flag that was currently dyed a jujube red.
This was the base (headquarters) of the [Loki Familia], Twilight Manor.
"Ah~ I'm exhausted, I really want to eat a mountain of meat~"
"I'd rather take a shower early."
"Ahahaha..."
Listening to the Amazon sisters, Lefiya could only offer a bitter smile.
Ais and the others, having returned to the surface from the dungeon, now stood before headquarters. The thirty-member adventurer group, each carrying supplies, arrived in front of the front gates.
A male and a female member standing by the door bowed to Finn, who was walking at the very front of the procession.
"We're back. Please help us open the gate."
At Finn's words, the gate was immediately opened from the inside.
Built on a narrow plot of land, headquarters seemed to operate on the logic that if you couldn't expand sideways, you should reach upward. Therefore, after walking through the main gate, the front garden was naturally not very spacious.
Utilizing the space between the gate and the mansion, only a tiny garden had truly been set up.
The few planted vegetation and colorful flowers swayed gracefully in the gentle caress of the breeze.
Shirou followed Ais and the others onto the grounds of the mansion.
Originally, Shirou had planned to leave as soon as they returned to the surface, but Finn and the others cordially invited him to be a guest at the [Loki Familia]. Curious about what it looked like inside, Shirou didn't refuse and came along with them.
Just as everyone was about to walk through the gate, a figure dashed out from inside the mansion.
With her crimson hair swaying, she ignored any males present and charged straight toward Ais and the other girls.
"Is everyone safe?! I've missed you guys to death!!!"
Loki, with her crimson hair, opened her arms and lunged forward, but Ais and the Amazon sisters easily dodged out of the way without making a big deal out of it.
Lefiya, who was at the very end of the line, unfortunately got caught up in the crossfire and could only let out a shriek of "Eep!"
"Loki, there were no casualties on this expedition, though the deepest floor reached didn't increase either. I'll report the details to you later."
Finn said to Loki.
"Yeah, alright. Anyway, as long as everyone's safe, nothing else matters~!"
For Loki, seeing these kids return safely was the thing that made her the happiest.
At that moment, Loki suddenly noticed an unfamiliar face in the group.
"Eh? You are...?"
"Ah, this is Mr. Orihara Shirou. We ran into him on the fiftieth floor."
Finn introduced him to Loki.
"Is that so? But this guy seems..."
Loki looked Shirou up and down carefully, her usually squinted eyes opening slightly.
"No... You... clearly have the aura of a god... But why haven't I ever seen you before?"
That unusual aura—mortals couldn't perceive it as clearly as gods could, whereas deities could deeply sense that faintly revealed might.
At that moment, the other familia members cast astonished gazes one after another.
"Loki, do you know him?"
"I have no idea either! But this guy definitely isn't a mortal, yet I don't know him at all!"
Loki's eyes were already filled with curiosity as she stepped forward and grabbed Shirou's hand in a tight grip.
"Hey, hey, hey! Are you really a god? I can tell, you're definitely not a mortal! But it doesn't make any sense! I know every single deity in the upper world, and I've never seen you before. Where on earth did you pop out from!?"
Shirou looked at the hyper-excited Loki and raised an eyebrow slightly.
The deities of this world really loved seeking out amusement; as long as something interested them, they would hound it relentlessly.
"Stop it, Loki, don't bother Mr. Orihara!"
"Yeah, yeah! Even if you see another god, you shouldn't be this impatient!"
The Amazon sisters, Tione and Tiona, stepped forward one after another, grabbed Loki, and dragged her away from Shirou's front, halting her fanatical behavior.
"What do you brats know?! I don't know him at all!" Loki shouted, "Do you know what this means?! When I was bored and pulling pranks in the past, I got to know every single god in the upper world, but I've never laid eyes on this person before! This is strange!"
"Hey, hey, tell me quickly, what kind of god are you?" Loki gripped Shirou's hand tightly, as if afraid he might suddenly run away.
"You want to know that badly?"
Shirou tilted his head slightly, looking at the goddess Loki, who was acting like a little girl begging for candy right in front of him.
"Of course! Please~ tell me already!"
A scene that completely blew the minds of the familia members unfolded right then and there.
Their lord and deity was actually begging the man from another world without an ounce of dignity.
"Oh god, I must be dreaming!"
"Is this bozo really our main deity?"
Members who found it hard to believe what they were seeing let out such exclamations.
"So embarrassing..."
"Seriously, for Loki to do something like this..."
The Amazon sisters covered their eyes in sheer helplessness.
Loki, however, didn't care at all. As a goddess, she cared nothing for face or pride. Now, single-mindedly wanting to know Shirou's identity, she even started throwing a tantrum and rolling around on the ground.
"Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell meee!!!"
Seeing her act like this, Shirou used a tone one would use to coax a child.
"Alright, alright."
"Mhm, mhm! Hurry up and say it!"
Loki immediately stood back up, her eyes wide open, staring intently at Shirou's face with a look brimming with keen interest.
"It's only natural that the native gods of your world don't recognize me. After all, I only just came over from another world not too long ago. While I do indeed possess divine power, I am not—"
Before Shirou could finish his sentence, Loki let out a shriek of pleasant surprise.
"Another world—!?" Loki was more excited than she had ever been before; this was a hundred times more thrilling than barging into the female members' bathhouse to cause trouble. "There's actually a place like that?! Hey, hey, hurry up and tell me what kind of god you are?!"
"I keep telling you, I'm not—"
"Aaaaaah, you're a god from another world aaaahhh!!" Loki was so excited her face had turned red, and she began shouting like a madwoman.
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