At the dim entrance of the Dungeon, a soft glow dispersed some of the cave's oppressive darkness.
Phaethon disengaged his consciousness from the Bombu plush and returned to his original form as a young man.
He leaned quietly against the rocky wall near the entrance, waiting for the return of his first Familia member.
Before long, light footsteps echoed—and that familiar figure appeared at the end of the corridor.
Kanae Kocho, still holding Bombu in her arms, had traces of battle dust on her signature butterfly-wing haori.
But her eyes shone brighter than when she entered—more determined.
"Lord Phaethon, I'm back."
Kanae walked up to Phaethon with a hint of excitement and pride from a mission well accomplished.
Despite the unexpected encounter with a powerful Minotaur and two very different adventurers from the Loki Familia,
overall, this first expedition into the Dungeon had been a great success—she could feel her growth firsthand.
"Well done, Kanae."
Phaethon smiled gently. "You seem to have gained a lot."
"Yes!"
Kanae nodded enthusiastically, her voice filled with excitement.
"I can really feel myself getting stronger. Those monsters... even the Minotaur at the end—it was tough, but not unbeatable!"
"You exceeded my expectations!"
Phaethon praised. "Come, let's head to the Guild.
We'll exchange today's spoils for valis, and let you get familiar with a standard adventurer's routine."
The two walked side by side away from the Dungeon entrance and headed toward the Guild headquarters.
Along the way, Kanae was still reflecting on the battles—especially the fierce fight with the Minotaur,
which, though intense, had greatly improved her combat experience.
Back at the Guild, the familiar half-elf advisor Miss Eina was still busy behind the counter.
When she saw Phaethon and Kanae approaching, she greeted them with her usual professional smile.
However, the moment Phaethon dumped all the magic stones stored in Bombu's spatial pouch onto the counter, Eina's smile froze.
A small mountain of magic stones now lay on the counter—mostly from goblins, werewolves, War Shadows, and killer ants.
And on top of them all, there sat a noticeably larger, deeper-hued, and more energy-rich purple magic stone—
One that clearly belonged to a Minotaur.
"Th-this is…?"
Eina's eyes widened as she stared at the pile and then at the calm Kanae beside it.
Her mouth opened slightly—but no words came out for a while.
She simply couldn't believe her eyes.
"Miss Eina, could you help count and convert these to valis?"
Phaethon asked with a smile, as if this were all routine.
Eina took a deep breath and forced herself to stay calm, starting to sort the stones quickly and professionally.
But inside, waves of shock surged through her—Kanae, a newly registered Level 1 adventurer—
Had returned from just one trip to the Dungeon with this many magic stones?
It was nearly equivalent to what a well-trained party might gather in a whole week!
And that largest magic stone…
Eina recognized it immediately—it was a Minotaur stone, only found stably in the middle floors.
How could a Level 1 rookie solo a Minotaur? This defied all logic!
"Miss Kanae…"
While counting, Eina couldn't help but ask in a disbelieving tone:
"These stones… did you really collect them all by yourself today?"
Seeing Eina's shocked expression, Kanae remembered Phaethon's earlier warning.
With an apologetic smile, she replied as rehearsed:
"Yes, Miss Eina. I… may have overdone it a little.
I really wanted to grow stronger quickly, so I just kept moving down—ended up clearing most of the monsters on the first seven floors."
"Cleared… the entire seven floors?"
Eina's hand shook—nearly spilling a handful of magic stones.
She finally understood why so many rookie adventurers had come complaining earlier.
Saying they couldn't find monsters in the upper floors and had no way to earn money for their starter gear—
The culprit was standing right in front of her.
One person had swept all seven floors.
That was more than a little overkill.
"Th-then… what about this Minotaur's magic stone?"
Eina pointed at the largest gem, eyes filled with concern and confusion.
"A Minotaur is a mid-floor monster. How did you run into it? And… actually defeat it?"
"Ah, that…"
Kanae scratched her cheek and continued her explanation.
"I was clearing killer ants on the seventh floor when the Minotaur suddenly burst up from the lower floors. Looked like it was being chased.
It blocked my path, and I had no choice but to fight it…"
She didn't lie—just omitted that she willingly challenged it, and that Phaethon was present the entire time.
"I see…"
Eina nodded in realization, but then frowned, her face serious.
She began lecturing:
"Miss Kanae! That was incredibly dangerous!
Even Level 2 adventurers need to be cautious around Minotaurs—
As a Level 1 rookie, how could you engage it directly?
If anything had gone wrong, the consequences would've been unimaginable! Safety always comes first in the Dungeon.
You must never rush your growth and take unnecessary risks!"
Her tone was sincere—full of care and concern for a junior adventurer.
She then turned to Phaethon, a hint of reproach in her voice.
"Lord Phaethon, as her god, you must guide your Familia more carefully!
Especially in the early stages. Laying a proper foundation and advancing gradually is most important!"
"Yes, yes, you're absolutely right, Miss Eina."
Phaethon nodded repeatedly, wearing an expression of being taught a valuable lesson.
"I'll make sure to properly educate her when we get home."
But inwardly, Phaethon thought:
I was watching her the whole time—how could I let her get hurt? Still, Eina's concern is genuine.
After tallying everything, the small mountain of magic stones converted into an impressive amount of valis.
Holding the heavy pouch of coins, Kanae felt the real weight of this world's currency for the first time.
"Thank you, Miss Eina."
Kanae politely expressed her gratitude.
"No need—it's my duty. But please remember what I said.
Next time, be sure to pace yourself!"
Eina reminded her again.
"I will."
Kanae nodded seriously.