Chapter 354: [354] The Quarterly God's Banquet
"It's truly unbelievable."
Even after Eiji had left, Finn continued to marvel, staring at the closed door through which he had departed.
"This old man feels like a whole era has passed," Gareth muttered, nodding in agreement as he sat on a low stool.
"When Ais reached Level 6, I felt a sense of urgency, but it was nothing compared to what I feel now."
After all, it had taken Ais nearly three years to go from Level 5 to Level 6.
But Eiji had gone from Level 1 to Level 5 in less than three months.
What could an ordinary person accomplish in three months?
Forget leveling up—most wouldn't even have polished their combat skills to proficiency. Yet he had shattered so many boundaries with the momentum of a dragon taking flight.
If word got out, countless jaws would drop.
"Indeed. Given his rate of progress, it won't be long before he surpasses us in level," Finn agreed, though he then shook his head, his gaze distant.
"But I believe his current strength has already reached our level in every meaningful way."
"Are you serious, Finn?" Gareth asked, startled.
"Did you not see his fight with Bete this morning?"
"Ah, I'm ashamed to admit I drank quite a bit last night," Gareth admitted, scratching his head.
Plenty of people had gotten drunk—it had been a night of celebration.
"I only heard he fought Bete, but I don't know the outcome."
Since the match had ended abruptly under unusual circumstances, most hadn't witnessed the final result.
"To put it simply, Bete was completely outmatched," Finn continued. "He lost in the very area he prides himself on the most—speed. Eiji didn't even take a single step back the entire time. And for the record, Bete was going all out."
"He's already reached that level?"
Both Gareth and Riveria couldn't hide their astonishment.
Bete was the fastest in Loki Familia—even Finn couldn't deny that. Finn himself wasn't known for agility; his speed stat usually hovered around B-rank at each level-up, far below Bete's consistent S-rank boosts and dual skill enhancements.
"So the title of 'fastest' has changed hands," Gareth murmured. "And if even a full-power assault couldn't make him budge… his defense must be on par with mine."
"Does that mean his strength truly matches yours now?" Riveria asked, her voice filled with awe.
For some reason, Riveria felt a surge of pride—a strange, almost parental satisfaction at seeing how much he had grown, even though they had only known each other for a little over two months.
"Now that you mention it, this old man's itching to get moving. Maybe I should head into the Dungeon and grind some levels?"
"Hah! Not a chance, Gareth. You think you can dump all this work on me and Riveria and go slack off?" Finn laughed, crushing Gareth's hopes.
Though this junior's achievements were extraordinary in many ways, Finn only felt pride in seeing the Familia grow stronger. Feelings like jealousy had no place in his heart.
No matter what, this was a tremendous boon for all of Loki Familia.
However...
An absurd thought flashed through Finn's mind for a brief moment.
Was Eiji's strength truly just on par with theirs?
During his fight with Bete, Eiji hadn't displayed any swordsmanship at all.
His swordsmanship was acknowledged by the entire Loki Familia as unparalleled in all of Orario. He could effortlessly overcome stronger opponents with his supreme skill, and even Ais often sought his guidance.
Moreover, his demeanor at the time had been far too relaxed.
This made Finn wonder just how much of his true power Eiji had actually used, and he couldn't help but anticipate how overwhelmingly strong Eiji would be at full strength.
...
"Misha, long time no see."
Hearing the familiar voice, Misha looked up in delight.
Ah!
The beautiful boy had become even more handsome!
As she gazed at the youth standing before the counter, Misha felt as if the entire world had momentarily lost its color, drowned in the radiance of his perfection.
When he pulled back his hood, the guild hall fell into an eerie silence. Countless eyes turned toward him, filled with infatuation.
"I'm here to update my adventurer report."
Ignoring the surrounding stares, Eiji spoke to Misha.
"Oh! Right!"
Snapping out of her daze, Misha hurriedly retrieved the forms from under the counter.
"By the way, I haven't seen you for about half a month now."
"Yeah, I've been focusing on training."
Eiji gave a vague reply before handing over the completed form.
Then, he was satisfied to hear a shriek.
"Level 5?! No way?!"
"What?"
"What is Misha saying? I don't understand."
"Isn't that the newbie from Loki Familia? The one who joined less than three months ago? The one who fought in the arena?"
"Level 5… Since when did the world become so unfamiliar?"
The commotion instantly spread throughout the guild hall.
Having successfully flaunted his achievement, Eiji left the guild headquarters with a flourish.
Only after a while did Misha regain her composure and hurriedly submitted the report to her supervisor.
The supervisor was stunned and immediately sent someone to verify the information with Loki Familia. Upon receiving confirmation, they were utterly dumbfounded.
An hour later, a large portrait was hung at the very top of the bulletin board.
"—Eiji, affiliated with Loki Familia, Level Level 5, no title, achieved in less than three months."
That was all it said.
Soon, the news spread throughout Orario as adventurers carried the tale far and wide.
Less than three months.
To reach Level 5!
Not even a single divine banquet had been held in that time—he hadn't even received a title yet!
The entire city was in an uproar.
This shattered all expectations, broke countless records, and could only be described as a miracle!
...
After leaving the guild headquarters, Eiji entered the Tower of Babel and purchased a set of lightweight armor worth nearly ten million valis, complete with chest plate, arm guards, knee guards, boots, and more.
After all, an expedition was coming up, and unlike last time when he had to stay at the camp, he would likely venture into unexplored territory this time. The danger would undoubtedly be high, so thorough preparation was necessary. Considering his mana needs, lightweight armor was essential.
Then there were potions. Many of the ones he had bought last time were left behind in the Danmachi world, and he hadn't brought many back. It was necessary to stock up again.
By the way, all this money was obtained from Tiona. After all, he had given her nearly 100 million before leaving last time, and she readily handed him another 50 million.
"Airmid, give me a few bottles of Elixirs!"
Eiji walked through the gates of the Dian Cecht Familia and spotted the Battlefield Saint busy at the counter.
"Only two bottles left."
The doll-like girl looked up, her silver hair swaying with the movement.
"That few?"
"Your Familia's captain sent people to buy up the rest."
I see.
In Orario, alchemists capable of brewing Elixirs were exceedingly rare, making each bottle highly sought-after. For the safety of the expedition, Finn had long dispatched people to purchase all the Elixirs here.
The girl handed the two newly brewed Elixirs to Eiji, her eyes scanning him up and down.
After not seeing him for a few days, how had this guy gotten even more handsome?
"Aren't you being too calm about this?"
"It's an expedition. Rushing won't help."
"What about the God's Banquet?"
"God's Banquet? What's that?"
Eiji replied with complete confusion.
***
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