Loki nodded in satisfaction after listening to Ren Isana's explanation. If that was the case, she could have her people craft the necessary components. Without another word, she turned and left to find someone to make the items.
Seeing this, Ren ignored her and continued packing the materials into his Spatial Ring. Loki had everything he needed here; he could only marvel at the sheer depth of a major Familia's resources.
Once all the materials were gathered, Ren spoke up, "Thanks for your patronage. If you have any issues with this Magic Circle in the future, feel free to find me."
*Perfect.* Now he could give everyone's weapons a massive upgrade. Plus, there were plenty of materials mixed in for repairing armor.
It was safe to say Ren had made an absolute killing this time. Barring any accidents, he wouldn't need to scrounge for materials for a very long time.
"Alright. If there are any problems, I will contact you immediately," Riveria nodded. Loki had essentially spent several hundred million Valis to provide the entire compound with a permanent training ground.
Averaged out daily, it was actually an incredible value. Even if it only lasted twenty years—7,300 days—the total cost, including the materials given to Ren, was less than 600 million Valis.
Rounding it to 600 million Valis, that was just over 80,000 Valis a day. Was 80,000 Valis a day for twenty years expensive? It was practically a steal. After doing the math, Riveria felt it was well worth the price.
"We'll be taking our leave then. Let's call it a day," Ren said. He had his materials, and the Meditation Array was set up. There was nothing left for him to do here.
After all, Hestia was still waiting for them. They had lingered here long enough, and it was already noon.
Riveria nodded. At that moment, Aria spoke up, "I'll go with you. I need to find Yor-sensei anyway."
Ren naturally had no objections. After bidding Riveria farewell, he led Asuna and the others out of the compound. This time, only Aria tagged along.
Lefiya and Riveria stayed behind to place communication marks on the rest of the Familia. However, they would likely seek out Ren's group at the Hestia Familia estate once they finished.
Stepping out of the Loki Familia's territory, Ren activated the mark on his hand to sense his surroundings. Finding that Hestia was nearby, he headed straight toward her.
Asuna and the others followed closely. Under Ren's lead, the group quickly located Hestia, who was just walking out of a bookstore near the Loki Familia after finishing her shopping.
Bell Cranel was already carrying bags of all sizes. Seeing Ren's group approach, Hestia hurried over and asked, "Are you done? That jerk didn't give you a hard time, did she?"
They had been gone for so long that she thought something had happened. Thinking this, Hestia glanced at Aria. *This girl actually followed them back? Was that idiot Loki not around?*
"She didn't give us a hard time at all. In fact, we struck a deal and I scored quite a haul from her," Ren said, waving his ring, which was now packed with materials.
Hearing this, Hestia's eyes lit up. *Such a good thing actually happened? I guess that flat-chest isn't completely useless after all.* The thought brought a wave of joy to Hestia's heart.
In that case, she could go a little easier on Loki next time—though only once. After that, she'd go right back to being ruthless.
"Everything is settled, and it's already noon. Let's eat out today and experience some of this world's cuisine," Ren suggested, glancing up at the midday sun.
Since they were already out, they might as well dine at a restaurant. They had been in this world for a while now but hadn't eaten out once; they had always cooked their own meals.
Hestia's eyes sparkled at the suggestion. That sounded like a great idea! The others were equally tempted, as none of them had tried eating at a local restaurant yet.
"Yes, yes! Where should we go?" Hestia looked at Ren excitedly. Eating out was fine, but she wasn't very familiar with Orario's dining scene and didn't know what to choose.
Ren turned his gaze to Aria and asked, "Aria, do you have any recommendations? None of us know what's good in Orario."
While the rest of them were clueless, Aria definitely knew. Ren actually knew of one place—the Hostess of Fertility—but it was better to let someone else bring it up.
After all, Ren had been with the group the entire time. Everyone knew exactly who he had interacted with. Suddenly dropping a specific name like the Hostess of Fertility would definitely raise suspicions.
Faced with Ren's question, Aria didn't even have to think. "The Hostess of Fertility. The food there is good."
It was the place her Familia visited the most, and a favorite among many adventurers. Since Ren asked, that was her top recommendation.
"Then we'll trouble you to lead the way. We can finally see what Orario's food is like." Hearing the restaurant's name, Ren gave an inward thumbs-up and immediately finalized the decision.
"Follow me." Aria didn't hesitate, stepping forward to lead the way. The Hostess of Fertility wasn't too far; it would only take a few minutes to walk there.
The group followed Aria toward their destination. Along the way, Ren couldn't help but ponder. *Freya is working there under the guise of Syr, right?*
*Will we run into her this time?* Ren speculated inwardly. If they did, he could use his [Jianjigu] to copy her ability.
*Swapping bodies with someone... that's pretty interesting, isn't it?* Scheming internally, Ren continued following Aria. He glanced back at Bell, who was lugging around all those bags, and slowed his pace. "Give those to me."
Saying that, Ren reached out, took the bags from Bell's hands, and stored them directly into his Spatial Ring. He did the same for the items Haruhime Sanjouno was carrying.
Watching this, the two of them blanked for a second before hurriedly bowing. "Thank you, Ren-sama!" they said in unison.
"I'll give them back when we return. For now, just enjoy the walk. After all, you'll be back to training once we get home," Ren said, before slightly quickening his pace.
Hearing this, Bell nodded eagerly. Unable to hold back his curiosity, he asked, "Ren-sama, when are you all going to the Dungeon next? Can you take me with you?"
Bell was brimming with anticipation. He had been looking forward to his first adventure for a long time, but he couldn't just run off on his own. From now on, his actions had to align with the Familia.
"That will take some time. There's no rush to enter the Dungeon. Use this period to focus on your training. The Dungeon is incredibly dangerous, after all," Ren said, glancing at the boy.
Youthful ignorance truly knew no bounds. This kid Bell was quite absurd. Now that he had joined the Hestia Familia and was receiving proper training, he would undoubtedly become much stronger than he was in the original storyline.
Ren was genuinely curious to see how far the boy would grow. If Ren and the others eventually left this world, Bell would become the next captain of the Hestia Familia.
Thinking of this, Ren made a decision. Once they got back, he would have a word with Yor-sensei to ramp up Bell's training intensity. When it was time for their expedition, they would bring the kid along and throw him into the deep end to accelerate his growth.
"Alright, I'll do my best!" Unaware of Ren's sinister plans, Bell nodded with a hint of disappointment. It seemed he wouldn't be going into the Dungeon anytime soon.
"We'll bring you along on our next expedition. I just hope you can handle it when the time comes. Grow up quickly, Bell!" Ren called out as he sped up to walk at the front.
Receiving Ren's promise, Bell instantly lit up with excitement. He was going on the next expedition?! That was amazing! Bell resolved right then and there to train as hard as he possibly could!
Under Aria's guidance, the group arrived at the restaurant known as the Hostess of Fertility. Since it was noon, the establishment was already bustling with patrons.
"Welcome, meow!" As Aria pushed the door open, they were greeted by a catgirl. She welcomed them enthusiastically, though a flash of surprise crossed her eyes when she saw Aria bringing in a group of unfamiliar faces.
"Mama, we have new customers, meow!" the catgirl shouted toward the back before ushering the group to an empty table.
Hearing the shout, a stout woman wearing an apron emerged from the kitchen. Spotting the newcomers, surprise flickered in her eyes before she offered a hearty greeting. "Welcome to the Hostess of Fertility, Miss Aria, and to our new guests! I'm the manager, Mia."
Her voice was loud and boisterous. She was the owner of this establishment, a Lv.6 adventurer, and the former captain of the Freya Familia, though she had long since retired.
On top of that, she was a dwarf. Of course, looking at her height, you would never guess it. A dwarf standing at 180 centimeters? Anyone hearing her race for the first time would undoubtedly question reality.
"Hello." The group greeted the manager. Meanwhile, Ren discreetly observed the tavern's interior. *Syr doesn't seem to be here.* Even with his [Perception Magic] active, he couldn't detect her presence.
Instead, the icy elf was present, currently serving customers on the other side of the room, looking every bit the ordinary waitress.
After the introductions, Mia asked, "What'll you have? Do you first-timers need some recommendations?"
As she spoke, she surveyed the group. Her gaze lingered on Hestia for a moment before settling on Ren. *So this is the recently famous Hestia Familia?*
*Their potential is truly astonishing.* Everyone present possessed considerable strength. This young man in particular gave her an incredibly dangerous feeling despite his age.
"We'll leave it to you, then. We'd like to try your signature dishes," Ren replied. Not knowing what to order, he simply let her take the reins.
"You got it! I guarantee you'll be satisfied!" Seeing Ren leave it to her, the manager grinned broadly and turned back toward the kitchen. Not long after, the catgirl trotted over again.
"What would you like to drink, meow? Juice or beer, meow?" she asked.
"Juice is fine. We don't drink," Ren decided for the group. After all, Aria was a terrible drunk, and the rest of them were students, making alcohol highly inappropriate.
The only one who could drink was Hestia, but Ren figured she wouldn't want to anyway. What was the fun in drinking alone while everyone else had juice? So, juice it was.
"Understood, meow! Please wait a moment, meow!" The catgirl noted the order and spun around. Shortly after, she returned carrying several large mugs of juice, accompanied by the cold-faced elf.
This was Ryuu Lion. As she set the juice down, she couldn't help but glance at Ren. Ren happened to be observing her at the exact same moment. Their eyes met, but Ryuu quickly looked away and turned to leave.
Once she was gone, Asuna couldn't help but ask, "Why were you staring at her?"
Asuna had noticed Ren's lingering gaze and felt deeply suspicious. *Did Ren take a liking to that elf? Is this his type?*
*Short-haired ice queens?* Asuna speculated inwardly, muttering to herself. *Should I cut my hair short...?*
"She's very strong. This tavern is full of hidden experts. The manager is Lv.6, and the others are Lv.4..." Ren explained.
Surprise flashed in Asuna's eyes. Was it really that absurd? No wonder Ren had been staring. It seemed she had completely misunderstood.
"Orario really is full of hidden experts," Asuna marveled. Still, it didn't concern them much. If they were only Lv.4, it wasn't a big deal—she could hold her own perfectly fine.
*Who isn't a Lv.4 here?* Even if she had just leveled up, she wasn't someone to be underestimated. With her newly acquired magic, Asuna was brimming with confidence.
What Ren didn't tell Asuna, however, was that Ryuu was at the absolute peak of Lv.4. In fact, she had been on the verge of reaching Lv.5 five years ago, but had simply gone dormant since then.
The group chatted for a bit while sipping their juice, which tasted surprisingly good. Before long, a rich, mouth-watering aroma wafted over to them.
A massive platter of pre-stewed meat was served first. It was clearly prepared in bulk so the kitchen could dish it out the moment it was ordered.
Next came a gigantic portion of pasta, followed by various other meat dishes... In just a few minutes, their table was completely covered in food. Mia brought over the final dish and said, "That's everything! Enjoy your meal, and don't you dare waste a single bite!"
Looking at the feast before them, Asuna and Yukino Yukinoshita exchanged glances. *Good grief, can we really finish all this? Isn't this portion size a bit much?* Even though they had hearty appetites, there was no way they could clear this table, right?
Ren didn't overthink it. He simply raised his glass of juice and declared, "Let's dig in. Cheers!"
Hearing Ren, everyone raised their glasses for a toast before diving into the food. They had to admit, the dishes here were absolutely delicious.
By the end of the meal, Ren and the others had completely polished off the entire table. Patting his stomach in satisfaction, Ren called out, "Manager, check please!"
They had come here purely to eat, though Ren had also wanted to see if Syr was around. Unfortunately, she wasn't here, which felt like a bit of a missed opportunity.
Ren didn't get to know anyone else in the tavern either. To the staff, Ren's group were just ordinary customers. But he wasn't in a rush; there would be plenty of opportunities in the future.
Especially Ryuu. Perhaps he could find a chance to recruit her into the Familia early. However, that required careful planning. Ryuu used to be as famous as Aria, but had faded into obscurity after a certain incident.
If she picked up her weapons again, Ren had no doubt she would quickly catch up and become a Lv.6. Her talent was undeniable, and she was already infinitely close to Lv.5—she just hadn't updated her status in years.
Furthermore, her magic was incredibly valuable. She had wide-area wind and light magic, single-target healing magic, and that final spell that allowed her to use the magic of her former Familia members. Could that be considered the power of bonds?
That final magic probably hadn't awakened yet, which only proved how immense Ryuu's talent was. If the opportunity arose, Ren would definitely invite her to join their Familia.
In the original timeline, she only joined the Hestia Familia after reaching Lv.6. Ren accelerating that process shouldn't be too much of an issue, right?
Ryuu's situation was a bit unique. She was currently a wanted fugitive. She had gone on an absolute killing spree in the past—anyone connected to the Evils faced her ruthless judgment.
Evidence or not, she killed them first and asked questions later. To get Ryuu to join the Familia, he would have to untangle the knot in her heart. Did that mean he had to kill that special monster on the 27th floor?
It hadn't spawned when they visited the 27th floor previously. After all, summoning it required a specific method—one that the Evils had already tested!