With that, Roy and Ais's team gained a resentful elf.
To join Ais in the dungeon, Lefiya reluctantly agreed to Roy's condition to act as a supporter, collecting magic stones.
What stoked her resentment most was Roy's failure to provide a supporter's backpack—she had to buy one herself.
"Looks like you're not thrilled to be my supporter."
"Why not head back and let Ais and me go alone?" Roy asked, sensing Lefiya's bitter glare.
"I'm not unwilling, but I think some team roles are a bit… off," Lefiya replied with a forced half-smile, her hands gripping her backpack's straps, betraying her frustration.
'No, no, hold it together.'
'He's doing this on purpose, trying to rile me up so I'll leave.'
'He wants to be alone with Miss Ais. I won't let him win.'
"Oh?" Roy raised an eyebrow. "What's off?"
"As far as I know, Mr. Roy, you're only a Level 1 adventurer, right?" Lefiya said, seizing the chance to sound serious.
"I don't know your past, but our three-person team is the smallest for the dungeon."
"We need clear roles. The strongest handle monsters."
"The weakest collect magic stones and drop items as supporters, avoiding interference in fights."
"You're pretty self-aware," Roy said, glancing at her approvingly.
Can't he take a hint? Lefiya fumed.
She'd been arguing to avoid being the grunt supporter, but Roy seemed deaf to her point.
"Lefiya, your strength is the weakest here," Ais said.
Lefiya opened her mouth, speechless.
"Miss Ais, didn't they say his strength was fake?" Lefiya whispered to Ais after trailing silently behind them for a while, finally finding a moment to ask.
Roy's name had echoed through the Loki Familia recently.
Only Loki, Tiona, and Riveria had witnessed Roy defeat Tiona firsthand, so his strength was mostly rumor-fueled speculation.
"Who said it was fake?" Ais tilted her head, confused.
"Mr. Bete said…" Lefiya mumbled.
After news of Roy and Tiona's match spread, the familia debated it.
When Bete caught wind, he dismissed the claims.
As a Loki Familia executive, his words carried weight.
Other executives didn't care much, though Tiona defended Roy.
Still, Bete's skepticism won out—Level 5's loss seemed too absurd.
"Bete was wrong," Ais said firmly.
"Roy's strength is real." Realizing she might've downplayed it, she added, "Stronger than me and Tiona."
Lefiya froze, her face flushing crimson.
Recalling her earlier lecture about Roy being the weakest, she wanted to vanish into the floor.
When she tried to apologize, her throat tightened, words failing her.
She followed quietly, head down.
With Ais leading, the trio moved swiftly, breezing through the upper floors and reaching the middle floors in no time.
"You don't even pick up magic stones. Why make me a supporter?" Lefiya muttered, eyeing the discarded stones with frustration.
Ais, acting as vanguard, effortlessly cleared monsters, but Roy forbade picking up magic stones, calling it a waste of time.
"You'll help on the lower floors. It won't be so easy then," Roy said with a smile.
"Just don't complain about being tired."
"I've been a supporter before. At Level 3, my strength and stamina are way better now," Lefiya replied, her hostility toward Roy easing after the earlier embarrassment.
"The thirteenth floor has lots of chambers, and monsters spawn fast," Ais explained.
"We need to hurry to the next floor, or we'll get swarmed, and they'll wreck the passages." She glanced at Lefiya.
"No problem," Lefiya said with a strained smile.
At normal speed, crossing the thirteenth floor was fine, but Ais and Roy, eager to descend, moved at Level 5 pace—tough for a mage like her.
"Trouble? Honestly, it's no big deal," Roy said, grabbing Lefiya's backpack.
It was sturdy, able to bear a person's weight.
"Whoa, what are you doing?!" Lefiya yelped, feeling herself lifted, flailing in shock.
Ais nodded, approving the method, and sped up, darting forward.
Roy, carrying Lefiya, followed her startled cries.
The middle floors varied, but most, like the thirteenth, were cave-like.
Sometimes, reaching the next floor didn't require climbing; a half-floor run sufficed.
Ais knew the routes well, so Roy and Lefiya reached the twenty-third floor quickly.
"This is where I usually train. Below is the Waterfall," Ais said.
"We didn't bring supplies, and going further would be tough. Plus, many monsters there are weak to you, Roy."
"Alright, let's kill monsters here," Roy nodded. The two-hour trip was enough for now.
Read advance chapters at:
200 Stones = 1 chapter
400 Stones = 2 chapter