Danmachi: Strongest Familia

To reduce their daily necessities consumption, Irelia and her party sold almost all their daily gains at a low price to a familiar businessman in Rivira.

Of course, the prices followed Rivira's market rates, and they had to purchase some food at a high price in the process.

This contributed to Rivira's GDP every day.

When the profiteers of Rivira saw Irelia and her group, their faces lit up with laughter.

How could they find a better business opportunity when they made in a few days what they'd usually earn in a month?

One profiteer even wished Irelia could live permanently on the eighteenth floor.

"This place is terrible! 200 Valis for a loaf of bread? They might as well just rob us!" 

Another batch of bread was bought at an exorbitant price, securing rations for the three of them for the next few days.

As they were about to leave, the profiteer suddenly stopped them.

"Wait a moment. A man was attacked and killed on the street last night. I heard it was a gruesome death. Everyone's talking about it. Since you're here, maybe you'd be interested in checking in before I close the shop?"

Under the puzzled gazes of Irelia and her companions, the profiteer explained in a hushed tone.

Irelia and her group were his top clients, and he didn't want anything bad to happen to them.

After all, who else would he make money from?

"Someone was killed? Do you know who it was?" Irelia asked.

"No idea, but if you're curious, I can take you to the scene," the profiteer offered warmly.

Irelia and her group had just returned to the eighteenth floor, camping outside the town. The incident clearly had nothing to do with them. 

Moreover, they were strong enough to handle themselves, and their presence reassured the profiteer about his own safety.

"Should we check it out?"

"It sounds interesting. Let's take a break today," Haruhime said, her eyes lighting up. While murders didn't intrigue her, the idea of a rest day certainly did.

And so, they decided to join in the commotion.

Following the profiteer, they arrived at a square in Rivira. On the steps stood Borus, Rivira's elder and a one-eyed man, loudly demanding a body search.

Judging by the crowd's excitement, it didn't seem like someone had just died.

For the people of Rivira, a death wasn't as thrilling as the chance to search someone's belongings.

"Disgusting… Grandma was right—no matter the time, there are always men who think with their lower halves," Irelia muttered, glaring at the excited crowd with disdain.

It felt like a waste of her time being there.

"Look over there! It's Finn and the others from the Loki Familia!" someone exclaimed.

"I see. The Loki Familia is here, and it's their top cadres too," Lulu whispered to Haruhime.

"They're probably here to make money," Haruhime speculated. "It doesn't seem like they brought many people. Maybe they're planning a quick dive into the dungeon to stay in shape."

Irelia nodded knowingly. Only those of a certain level could understand the mindset of their equals.

After all, only top adventurers like them would think of a dungeon dive as a casual stroll.

Meanwhile, Finn stood on the platform, delivering a rousing speech. His words, coupled with his aura as a brave figure, seemed to have won over the adventurers of Rivira.

A group of adventurers collaborated with members of the Loki Familia to begin the search.

Of course, the key factor remained strength.

Irelia and her companions showed little interest in this, much less any intention to join in what they saw as a farce.

With so many adventurers in Rivira, searching them one by one would take so long that the issue would become irrelevant by the time they uncovered anything.

"Long time no see, Lulu, Irelia. Are you two here to guide newcomers through the dungeon?" 

After delegating tasks to his familia members, Finn walked straight over to greet Irelia and her group.

Both Lulu and Irelia were well-known figures in Orario, so Finn naturally recognized them.

It was Haruhime, however, who caught his attention.

As the second fox girl in the Sol Familia, Haruhime was also a recognizable figure in Orario despite her relatively low rank. However, since joining the Sol Familia, no news of her leveling up had been heard.

This lack of progress had led many to stop paying attention to her. Yet here she was, accompanied by two prominent adventurers, journeying to the eighteenth floor.

Finn noticed Irelia subtly positioning herself to shield Haruhime, as though to protect her.

Is there something special about this girl? Finn thought to himself, making a mental note to keep an eye on her.

"Long time no see, though I'd prefer not to meet under these circumstances," Irelia said curtly.

"I feel the same way," Finn replied with a wry smile. "Do you know what happened here?"

"We heard from a merchant—something about an adventurer being killed," Irelia replied.

"The deceased was an LV4 from the Ganesha Familia," Finn said, carefully observing their reactions.

The trio looked mildly surprised but displayed no other significant emotions.

"Why is it the Ganesha Familia again? Have they been cursed with bad luck recently?" Lulu remarked with a sigh.

"If you have time, could you lend a hand to help calm the situation?" Finn asked.

"No time, sorry," Irelia replied flatly. But before she could finish, the ground beneath them trembled violently.

Cracks rapidly spread across the earth, and nearby buildings began collapsing under the force of the tremors.

Before anyone could react, rows of piranha-like plant monsters burst out from the ground.

These were the same plant monsters that had appeared during the Monster Festival, but their numbers were far greater this time.

In every direction, the streets of Rivira were overrun by these monstrous flowers, their twisting forms toppling houses and leaving destruction in their wake.

"Ah, it seems we've been dragged into something troublesome," Lulu muttered in surprise.

"Sorry, I need to get back to my companions," Finn said quickly before drawing his spear and cutting his way through the monsters to rejoin the Loki Familia.

"Tsk... Haruhime, stay close to me! Lulu, please watch over her," Irelia ordered sharply.

While Finn and the others fought on their end, Irelia pulled Haruhime behind her protectively. The monsters were not a significant threat to her, but their overwhelming numbers posed a risk, especially to Haruhime.

After all, Haruhime was the treasure of their familia.

"Leave it to me!" Lulu responded as she and Irelia began fighting back-to-back, efficiently cutting down the monsters that swarmed them.

Haruhime stood between them, unable to see much past Lulu's small frame. However, her attention soon shifted to the chaotic battles unfolding above.

After dispatching another wave of nearby monsters, Irelia turned to Haruhime, who pointed toward the distant fight where Finn was holding his ground.