With no specific information about Roy, Finn could only order the Loki Familia to bolster their defenses to prevent another infiltration.
After a moment's thought, he issued new directives.
"For now, our core members will pair up and share rooms," Finn said.
"If an intruder strikes again, we'll have each other's backs."
"Ais-tan, you're with me!" Loki chirped, a goofy grin spreading across her face.
"Ais will room with me," Riveria countered calmly, shooting Loki a glance.
"No way! I need protection too! What if the intruder targets me?" Loki protested, flailing dramatically.
"You're the last one here needing protection," Bete scoffed. "No one's dumb enough to attack a god."
In this world, gods held revered status.
Attacking one would mark the offender as a global pariah, a risk no sane person would take.
"Someone bold enough to sneak into our home might be a lunatic! If they come for me, I'm done for!" Loki whined, doubling down.
"Don't worry, Loki," Tiona said flippantly.
"You won't die. At worst, you'll get a beating. No big deal."
"What if they did something… inappropriate to me?" Loki pressed, eyes wide.
The room's response was a collective stare of disdain.
"Uh…" Finn managed an awkward smile.
"Given they targeted Ais's room at night, their taste probably isn't that bad."
"No normal guy's desperate enough to go for you," Bete added, nodding.
"You're overthinking, Loki," Riveria said dryly.
"What's that supposed to mean? Am I that undesirable? Look at this face, this body! You're all heartless!" Loki fumed, gesturing at herself indignantly.
"I'm off to inform the others," Finn said, unfazed, exiting Ais's room.
"Same," Bete muttered, hurrying after him.
"Wait up!" Tiona and the others followed, leaving the room.
"Ais, let's go to my room," Riveria said.
Ais nodded, grabbing pajamas from her cabinet, ready to leave with Riveria.
At the door, she paused, glancing back at Loki, who lingered stubbornly.
"Ais-tan, changed your mind?" Loki asked, perking up.
Without a word, Ais grabbed Loki's collar, hoisted her up, and carried her out.
"Hey, Ais-tan, this is not a way you should treat me!" Loki squawked, flailing.
"Don't mess up my room," Ais said, tossing Loki outside before locking the door.
She then followed Riveria, ignoring Loki's protests.
Riveria and Ais returned to her room, shutting the door behind them.
"Ais, you saw the intruder's face, didn't you? Why lie?" Riveria asked, her tone gentle but probing.
Having raised Ais, Riveria could spot her tells.
When Finn asked about the intruder's appearance, Ais's hesitation betrayed her.
"I want to catch him myself," Ais admitted, her eyes downcast, a touch of embarrassment in her voice.
"I understand, but don't take risks beyond your ability."
"If you're in danger, tell us immediately, okay?" Riveria said, not pressing further.
"I will, Riveria," Ais nodded.
"Riveria, is my swordsmanship bad?" Ais asked, her clear eyes wavering slightly.
Her clash with Roy had shaken her.
Her prized swordsmanship, which she'd relied on, was effortlessly countered, and Roy's offhand remark about her "sloppy swordplay" stung deeply.
"Why would you think that?" Riveria asked, taken aback.
Ais wielded exceptional swordsmanship, outmatching most adventurers of her level in Orario.
Her confidence in her blade had always been unshakable.
"Nothing," Ais said, shaking her head.
"Don't push yourself too hard," Riveria said gently.
"Strength comes gradually. Rush it, and you'll burn out before you reach your goal."
Riveria understood Ais's burning desire to grow stronger, but progress required patience, battles, and unlocking one's potential step by step.
"I know," Ais said, her gaze dropping.
Roy's parting words echoed in her mind—If we meet again, I'll teach you proper swordplay.
"I'll find you," she resolved silently, determined to track Roy down and learn his swordsmanship.
She kept his appearance secret, knowing he was the intruder.
If another Familia member found him first, it could complicate her chance to learn from him.
"Ais, don't overthink it. Shower and rest," Riveria urged, her tone maternal.
After escaping the Twilight Mansion and soaring through the night sky, Roy landed in a secluded, unpopulated area.
"Night's a hassle," he muttered, eyeing the moon.
Unfamiliar with Orario, navigating in darkness limited his options.
Though he knew Danmachi's major story from the anime, they offered little immediate help.
Still, this world held promise for growth.
"System, adjust the relative time flow,"
[Calculating time flow adjustment costs for this world and DxD world. Please wait.]
After thirty seconds, it spoke again.
[Adjusting the relative time flow to 10:1 requires 10,000 dimension points. Adjusting to 100:1 requires 100,000 dimension points.]
[In this world, the Host earns 200 dimension points daily.]
"Set it to 100:1," Roy ordered.
The 350,000 points he'd gained from Ais made the cost negligible.
"Now, a place to stay," Roy sighed.
But as he moved from his landing spot, burly figures charged toward him, their voices carrying excitement.
"Where the flames fell—it's close!"
"Must be a treasure. We'll be rich if we grab it!"
"Hurry, don't let anyone beat us!"
The six men, clearly adventurers, buzzed with greed.
Two halted upon spotting Roy, their eyes narrowing.
"Someone's already here? Were you waiting?" one growled.
"Hey, kid, see that flame thing drop?" another demanded, his glare menacing.
"Go check the spot," one said to the other four.
"We'll question this punk. He might know something."
The four nodded, racing toward Roy's landing site.
"I saw it, and I know what it was," Roy said, smiling, his mood lifting.
The men radiated a decent aura, likely drawn by his wings, mistaking them for a treasure in the dark.
"You got it?" The four who'd run ahead stopped, turning back to eye Roy greedily.
Roy looked average, not like a high-class adventurer.
To them, he was an easy mark.
"Spit it out, kid. Show us," one urged.
"Sure, but…" Roy's grin widened.
Read advance chapters at:
200 Stones = 1 chapter
400 Stones = 2 chapter