Ren Isana paid no mind to Loki's yelling in the background. After teaching Ais how to use the communication mark, he told everyone to double-check their gear. A few minutes later, Hestia finished washing up and came out.
Seeing that she was ready, Ren prepared to head out toward the Dungeon. Hestia followed closely by Ren's side, while Loki pulled Ais to the back of the group, continuously whispering various instructions to her.
On the way to the Dungeon, Ren suddenly turned to Hestia. "Hestia, if you don't have anything else to do, you should go recruit some new members for the Familia."
He brought this up because it was high time the Hestia Familia expanded its ranks. It couldn't just be Ren and his classmates forever—they didn't belong to this world.
Sooner or later, they would have to leave. Hestia needed to recruit some locals from this world so that when Ren's group eventually departed, the Hestia Familia wouldn't instantly become completely empty.
The sudden suggestion caught Hestia off guard. She looked at Ren in bewilderment. "Why do we need to recruit? Aren't we doing perfectly fine with the people we have right now?!"
She didn't understand why he would suggest such a thing. She was completely satisfied with her current Familia and had never even considered taking in anyone else.
"We aren't people of this world. If we leave one day, the entire Hestia Familia will instantly drop back to zero. But, of course, you don't have to recruit if you don't want to," Ren stated, bluntly laying out the cruel reality.
Hearing this, Hestia froze. Only then did it truly hit her—Ren and the others really weren't from this world. One day, they would inevitably leave.
Her mood visibly plummeted. However, Ren's voice sounded again. "Whether it's for the development of the Familia or for the future, recruiting new members is something that must be done. So, while we're down in the Dungeon, you should go scout some people, Hestia."
Given the Hestia Familia's current fame, recruiting a few adventurers wouldn't be difficult at all. They were no longer the destitute, dirt-poor Familia from the original anime.
Hearing Ren's encouragement, Hestia perked up. "Understood! I'll keep an eye out for suitable candidates and recruit them!"
She didn't dwell on her sadness and readily agreed. By the time Ren and the others returned, she would make sure to show him the new members registered at the Guild. Ren was right; this matter needed to be put on the agenda.
"I'll leave it to you then, Hestia. If possible, it's best to recruit adventurers who have just arrived in Orario. As for those looking to transfer from other Familias, forget about them." Ren had no need for mediocre freeloaders joining just to leech off their success.
However, Ren highly approved of Hestia's eye for character. He just wondered if she would manage to pick up Bell Cranel this time around. That guy was honestly absurd.
His growth speed was like a rocket. Forty-nine days to reach Lv.2, another month to hit Lv.3, two months for Lv.4, and finally two more months to reach Lv.5.
Adding it all up, he reached Lv.5 in less than a year. That kind of speed was absolutely heaven-defying, and his potential was immense. Moreover, that guy's background was equally ridiculous.
His adoptive father was Zeus, his aunt was Alfia, his mother was the beloved pet of the Hera Familia, and his mother's best friend was the Empress—the only Lv.9 adventurer in Orario. If those two Familias were still around...
Bell's status would practically make him the Crown Prince of Orario. So, if Hestia could pick him up, it would be a massive win. After all, the Empress wasn't dead, and neither was Zeus.
If the Zeus and Hera Familias hadn't failed their subjugation of the Black Dragon and suffered catastrophic losses, the current two giants of Orario wouldn't be Loki and Freya. Those two Familias only rose to the top by picking up the scraps.
Hearing Ren's instructions, Hestia nodded eagerly. "Okay, I'll pay close attention! I'll definitely give you a huge surprise when you get back from the Dungeon!"
She had made up her mind. Since Ren wanted new members, she would go scout for them and build a brand-new squad for him.
Ren nodded, not saying anything more on the matter. Aside from Bell, the only other person of interest was the little fox girl who would eventually appear in the Pleasure Quarter.
Ren was quite interested in her magic. But he wasn't in a rush; as long as she was there, he would have plenty of ways to bring her over or learn her magic when the time came.
Soon, the group arrived at the base of Babel Tower. Hestia couldn't go any further, as gods were strictly forbidden from entering the Dungeon.
"We'll part ways here. Head back early, Hestia. Don't get into fights with Loki, and focus on recruiting!" Ren patted the short goddess on the head, giving her one last reminder before turning toward the Dungeon entrance.
"Hehe! I know, I know! Have a safe trip, everyone! Stay safe!" Being patted by Ren made Hestia smile happily. She waved goodbye to everyone in the party.
When her gaze landed on Ais and Lefiya, she didn't treat them any differently, directly bidding them farewell as if they were members of her own Familia. It was hard to tell if she was doing it on purpose or by accident.
Regardless, the sight infuriated Loki. She immediately ran up and shouted, "Why are you acting like you care?! Ais and Lefiya aren't part of your Familia! They don't need your concern!"
Hearing Loki's outburst, Hestia instinctively wanted to snap back, but remembering Ren's parting words, she let out a haughty snort and turned toward the Guild without looking back.
"I won't stoop to your level. I just care about everyone equally!" Even as she said this, she couldn't suppress her smug smile. Ais and Lefiya were living at the Hestia Familia estate—how could they *not* be considered part of the Hestia Familia?
Seeing Hestia's smug attitude, Loki was boiling with rage. She went crazy and tried to charge forward to duel Hestia, but in the next second, Riveria grabbed her with a single hand.
"Enough, Loki. Stop embarrassing yourself. We're still on the street, let's go back." After saying that, she dragged Loki away, showing absolutely no intention of letting go.
"Let me go, Riveria! I'm going to duel that jerk! That damn shorty was provoking me! How can I tolerate this with my temper?!" Loki yelled and struggled wildly.
Many bystanders cast weird glances their way, making Riveria feel incredibly embarrassed. Sighing, she kept her grip on Loki, activated her newly learned [Lightness Technique], and rapidly sped away from the scene.
She had to admit, [Lightness Technique] was incredibly convenient. No wonder every member of the Hestia Familia was required to learn it. She had already received authorization from Natsuki Minamiya—any magic she learned from them could be taught to others.
As for whether the Loki Familia would make it public, that was their own business. Doing so would be aiding the enemy, and she trusted the Loki Familia wasn't that stupid.
Meanwhile, Ren and the others stepped into the Dungeon once again. Ren had already memorized the map, so the group navigated the upper floors with familiar ease as they headed deeper.
Ais and Lefiya quickened their pace to catch up with Ren's group. Glancing at the two, Ren activated the mark on his hand and spoke to everyone. "Let's speed up. Use [Lightness Technique] to travel and try to reach the 18th Floor as quickly as possible."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ren cast [Lightness Technique] and dashed toward the entrance of the next floor. Seeing this, the others immediately followed suit, and the group began advancing through the Dungeon at breakneck speed.
Their blistering pace startled quite a few adventurers who were also diving into the Dungeon today. Very few people dared to travel this fast, as everyone worried about monsters suddenly spawning and blocking their path.
Furthermore, moving at such high speeds consumed too much stamina. No one wanted their legs to turn to jelly when they actually encountered a monster—that was no different from courting death.
However, such concerns didn't apply to Ren and his classmates. This was also the first time Ais and Lefiya had traveled like this. They had also learned [Lightness Technique], taught to them by Natsuki Minamiya.
The two silently kept up with Ren's squad, focusing entirely on the journey. Under the buff of [Lightness Technique], the group quickly reached the 17th Floor.
Upon arriving, Ren finally slowed his pace. Seeing him slow down, the others did the same, silently pulling out Red Potions and Blue Potions to drink.
"Are we going deeper this time?" Asuna walked up to Ren and asked about the plan, as the rest of the group still didn't know his exact arrangements.
"Yeah. We'll use the 18th Floor as our camp, then explore downward. We'll go as deep as we can for the next half a month. If we receive news that the 27th Floor Boss has spawned, we'll head down to fight it. If not, we'll just let it be," Ren explained his plan.
Hearing this, Asuna nodded. At that moment, Ais spoke up. "If the Floor Boss on the 27th Floor spawns, people on the 18th Floor will talk about it. Besides, almost no one ever tries to subjugate that Floor Boss."
She shared the information she knew. As a member of a Familia that frequently went on expeditions, she was very familiar with these details. Following her words, Lefiya also chimed in to supplement the information.
They discussed the boss's mechanics, which lower floors were suitable for resting, and where monster spawn rates were lower. Chatting as they walked, the group entered the 17th Floor Boss room.
Since Ren and the others had killed Goliath recently, it hadn't reached its respawn time yet. Thus, the group didn't linger on the 17th Floor and proceeded directly to the 18th Floor.
Returning to the Safe Floor, Ren scanned the environment of the 18th Floor and said, "Let's camp near the entrance to the 19th Floor. We'll settle down first, then figure out our adventuring plans."
No one had any objections. Lefiya then spoke up, "I know a really good spot. Hardly anyone ever goes there, so it's perfect for a base camp."
They came to the 18th Floor frequently. The spot she knew was quite a distance from the main settlement on the 18th Floor, which was why very few people bothered going there.
When adventurers came to the 18th Floor, with the exception of large Familias, they almost always camped near the central settlement because it made resupplying much easier.
However, Ren's group didn't have that concern. Although it looked like they weren't carrying much gear, Lefiya knew very well that these people were walking mobile warehouses.
They didn't need to worry about resupplying at all, so they could just head straight to that secluded area. It was close to the 19th Floor entrance and completely free from disturbances.
The only thing they had to watch out for were monsters that might wander up from the entrance, but adventurers usually patrolled that area voluntarily, so accidents rarely happened.
"Alright, please lead the way," Ren said. Having someone familiar with the Dungeon act as a guide made things much easier. With Lefiya's suggestion, their next move was set.
Led by Lefiya, the group passed through the adventurer settlement and headed toward the 19th Floor. The adventurers in the settlement were quite surprised to see such a party.
*Which Familia is going on an expedition?* Some people recognized Ais. In Orario, Ais was the idol of many female adventurers, practically a superstar.
Seeing Ais, many speculated whether this group consisted of new Loki Familia members. Why else would the Sword Princess be with them?
However, some people also recognized Ren and his classmates. The Hestia Familia was famous in Orario now, and photos of some members had naturally spread.
Because they recognized Ren's group, they were even more confused. Why were the Loki Familia's Sword Princess and Elf mixing with the Hestia Familia?
*Did the Sword Princess and that Elf transfer Familias?* Such questions popped into many people's minds, sparking intense curiosity.
The group quickly passed through the adventurer settlement and, under Lefiya's guidance, entered a relatively quiet forest. After walking for a short while, they arrived at the edge of a river.
Lefiya looked around and nodded to Ren. "We're here. This is the place. People rarely come to this area."
Ren had his [Perception Magic] active. He scanned the environment and nodded in approval.
"Let's camp here. Having a water source will make things much more comfortable." After speaking, Ren sprang into action. He took out his tent, picked a spot, and began setting up camp.
Seeing this, the others followed suit. Everyone orderly chose their spots, took out their tents, and got to work.
Asuna and Yukino Yukinoshita chose spots right next to Ren's, setting up their tents just two meters away.
Ais and Lefiya did the same, pitching their tents right next to Asuna's.
After everyone had busied themselves for a while, Ren began setting up a Magic Circle. If nothing unexpected happened, this place would be their base for the foreseeable future, so some basic defenses were necessary.
When the group was away, they could directly activate the Array Magic for protection. This way, they wouldn't need to leave anyone behind to guard the camp, especially since they hadn't brought any dedicated Supporter personnel.
Besides, they couldn't possibly pack everything up every time they left and unpack it all over again when they returned at night. That would be far too troublesome.
As Ren busied himself around the camp, Ais watched with curiosity. She couldn't help but walk over and ask, "What are you doing?"
Seeing Ren burying Magic Stones in the ground, she was confused. What was the point of doing that? Lefiya also walked over, her eyes full of curiosity. She didn't understand Ren's actions either.
"I'm setting up an Array Magic. From now on, this will be our temporary base," Ren explained casually as he continued working.
Hearing this, Lefiya's eyes lit up. She asked in pleasant surprise, "Is it the same kind of Magic Circle as the one at the estate? I heard from Natsuki Minamiya that this kind of magic is incredibly complex!"