"I invited him to join our Loki Familia's expedition team," Ais nodded.
"That's awesome!" Tiona cheered, thrilled.
Since the arena, she hadn't seen Roy, and now they'd be together day and night in the expedition.
"Damn it, you idiot Amazon, use your brain! Stop swooning!" Bete glared at Tiona, voicing his doubts.
"That guy's origins are already shady, and now you're letting him join our expedition? Want more trouble later?"
Roy's pre-Status strength rivaled Level 5 adventurers—yet he was unknown.
For Level 5s like them, their names and legends spread far outside Orario.
But Roy seemed to pop out of nowhere, with no trace of history.
"Bete's got a point," Finn nodded, looking at Ais.
"Ais, why do you want him? Roy's strong enough for our expedition, but what else?"
Their team, barring accidents, could reach deeper floors with their current strength. One more or less high class adventurer wasn't decisive.
"Convenience," Ais said calmly but firmly, her face expressionless.
"And Roy's not suspicious—he's trustworthy."
"I get you trusting him," Finn's expression turned odd.
"But what's 'convenience'?"
Thanks to Roy's guidance, Ais broke her Level 5 barrier quickly, becoming the Familia's fourth Level 6.
Her trust in him made sense.
"Roy has magic—a storage space for carrying lots of supplies," Ais explained bluntly.
With Roy's consent, she could share his magic's details to show his value.
"Space magic?" Riveria gasped in astonishment.
Finn was visibly moved.
"Roy's got space magic?" Tiona's eyes widened.
"Is this a joke? That kind of magic...?" Bete gaped, incredulous.
Tione and Gareth shared their shock.
In Orario, no one was known to have it.
Even Orario's history barely mentioned it.
Magic awakenings were rare, let alone space magic—rarest of the rare.
Maybe it existed, but none had seen it.
Roy's sudden possession shocked Finn and the others.
"Last time, Lefiya, Roy, and I went to the deep floors together, using his storage space," Ais said naturally.
"It's very convenient."
"Lefiya knows about his magic too?" Finn pondered.
"I see," Finn smiled, nodding slightly.
"Then Roy can join our expedition."
"Finn!?" Bete tried to object.
"Roy's magic is really convenient," Finn explained.
"I calculated our supplies—enough for the 50th floor. But deeper floors need more. Food and water are secondary; potions are key."
Potions were 'luxury goods,' tricky to store. Return trips also consumed heavily.
Past expeditions suffered from supply shortages.
With Roy's space, they could carry more, easing supply worries.
"Whatever!" Bete, seeing Finn's approval, said no more, waved, and left disinterested.
"I'll tell Roy tomorrow," Ais said, relieved, a trace of joy in her heart.
"Also," Finn nodded, "I want to meet him. Ask him to visit our Loki Familia."
Roy had been a hot topic since the arena, but Finn hadn't met him.
Before the expedition, Finn needed to see who Roy was.
Letting him join without assessment was reckless—Finn wasn't that careless.
Soon, Finn ended the meeting and went to Loki's room.
"Loki, free tomorrow?" Finn asked.
"Planning to meet god friends," Loki replied.
After Freya's treat, she saw it as a good method, especially with tight funds.
"There's a guest tomorrow. I need you to join me," Finn said.
"Who? Needs me to show up?" Loki was surprised.
A guest requiring her presence was no small matter.
"I need your ability," Finn explained.
Ais's words were reliable, but Roy might show only what he wanted.
The Loki Familia owed Roy a favor, repayable elsewhere.
An expedition risked lives—Finn had to be cautious, for himself and the Familia.
"No problem," Loki squinted, smirking slyly.
"I'll advance half a month's pocket money. Save it, and it'll last a month or two," Finn said helplessly, knowing Loki's predictable demand, having pestered him lately.
"Why advance? Just give it now!" Loki grumbled, dissatisfied.
"Or I'll pay another god," Finn countered.
Some gods in Orario would take such jobs—many were strapped.
"Fine, your call," Loki reluctantly agreed.
Read advance chapters at:
200 Stones = 1 chapter
400 Stones = 2 chapter