Danmachi: Is It Wrong to Be the Main Character in Orario?

"...Still ended up being resented, huh."

After cutting off contact, Bell shook his head helplessly.

But this outcome was well within his expectations. After all, Loki's personality was something he'd accounted for.

Someone who didn't truly care for their own Familia wouldn't have reacted so strongly.

In a way, both Loki and the Loki Familia were undoubtedly the best choice he could have made.

As for the resentment—Bell didn't need to worry about that.

It simply wasn't worth caring about.

If the Loki Familia failed, then Loki could resent him all she wanted. It wasn't like she'd have a chance to get revenge after that anyway.

Of course, that was just talk—but Bell was actually quite confident in this expedition.

If success was possible, who would choose failure?

If they pulled it off, the strength of the Loki Familia would rise significantly. Orario would gain three more Level 7s, which would be a major deterrent to the Evilus.

And if the Loki Familia could stand tall again, they'd become a powerful ally in the eventual battle against the Black Dragon.

Success only brought advantages.

Just thinking about the rewards of completing the 24th expedition made it clear—this mission had to go smoothly.

According to the results of his divination, the "Spirit Fetus" was indeed located on the 59th floor, and it had already been nurtured for a while. All he had to do now was go and collect it.

That's right—Bell wasn't relying solely on his memories to pinpoint the Spirit Fetus's location. He had confirmed it through divination.

That's why Runes were so incredibly useful. They could be applied to so many fields, making them arguably the most versatile form of magic.

"How to control the Spirit Fetus, weaken its life force, and trigger its potential."

"Now that even its location can be confirmed, everything is proceeding according to plan."

Back when Bell first identified Freya's Familia as a looming threat, he had already started thinking seriously about the expedition to the 59th floor.

To prepare for that, he had not only bolstered his own strength but also started thinking about how to help the Loki Familia break past that threshold.

"Now it's just a matter of waiting for the results."

Of course, this was also a test for Bell.

Without the Loki Familia knowing, he had elevated their enemies—turning a Spirit from Level 6 into a Level 7, and even a Level 8. If he could control the Spirit's power properly, could he help the Loki Familia adventurers achieve a "Great Feat"?

This wasn't just a case of being surprised.

If this method was viable, then "Excelia" could be earned through it.

But Bell also knew—this kind of trick would only work once.

The first time, people might just speculate. But the second time, they'd definitely realize it was his doing.

As for creating an "Excelia package" for others?

Honestly, Bell wasn't running a charity, and he had no intention of exposing himself so openly.

Even after returning from this expedition, he only planned to reveal strength around the level of a Lv. 2.

As for the Loki Familia, by the time this expedition was over, they'd likely already figured him out.

And with Loki, there was a real chance she'd completely sell him out—so Bell had no expectations of keeping his secrets from them once the mission was done.

That's why helping them reach Lv. 7 was already the limit.

Besides, not just anyone could handle this kind of package.

If their strength wasn't enough to reach a higher tier, it could easily cost them their life.

Bell shook his head slightly, then began undressing and got ready for bed.

Unlike Finn and the others, he never had trouble sleeping. Bell always made sure to get plenty of rest—otherwise, he'd be low on energy the next day.

Since this expedition would demand full concentration, he used the night to relax and recover as much as possible.

...

Five hours later—the time when daylight returned to the Dungeon.

After a full night's rest, the first and second teams were generally in good shape.

Except for the most critical group—Finn and his companions—who all had dark circles under their eyes and looked like they barely slept.

"That's weird..."

Daphne gave them a puzzled look. They were fine yesterday, so why did the entire group look like they'd been up all night?

"Lili, what do you think happened?"

"...How would I know something like that?"

Liliruca naturally had no idea, but seeing their pale faces and clear anxiety, she knew it couldn't be anything good.

"Everything was fine before bed yesterday, but somehow, so much changed overnight. That really is strange."

She felt a deep sense of unease.

"Normally, they've been on plenty of expeditions. There's no way they'd be this anxious over one."

And they were all Lv. 6—did they really need to be worried when they were only on the 28th floor?

Wouldn't it make more sense to start worrying around the 50th?

Displaying this kind of anxiety at this point could seriously disrupt the pace of the whole expedition. Liliruca couldn't imagine the team leaders wouldn't realize that.

So did that mean things were so bad they understood the risk—and still couldn't keep it together?

But if that was the case... what kind of problem could trouble them so much that none of them got any sleep?

"No, this won't do."

Liliruca grabbed some towels and walked over.

Daphne quickly caught on and rushed to grab some of the unused ones as well.

"Captain."

Finn had just stepped out of his tent and hadn't even had a chance to breathe when he heard someone call him from behind.

Turning around, he saw Lili walking over with towels in hand.

Finn blinked in surprise. Then, instinctively rubbing his eyes, he realized what she was trying to do.

"Thanks, Lili."

He took the towel, wiped his eyes, then placed it on his head to hide the dark circles as best he could.

"Gareth, Bete, Raul—you guys watch it too."

Looking around, he saw the same exhausted look on all of them. Only Ais, stretching nearby and doing her morning warm-up, seemed full of energy.

Finn's eyelid twitched hard. Her level had risen, her behavior had clearly changed—but why was Ais still acting like a kid?

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

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