Danmachi: Strongest Familia

After seeing off the Loki Familia, the Sol Familia quickly set up camp in the spot previously occupied by the Loki Familia. This saved them a great deal of effort.

But despite their relief, everyone was exhausted from the battle. For now, the expedition had to be set aside.

Riveria also had to evaluate the gains and losses. The situation on the 50th floor remained uncertain. The insect-like monsters had broken in from the entrance to the 51st floor, and no one knew what was happening in the deeper levels. Were the lower floors overrun by bugs? Was there an insect nest lurking somewhere? And more importantly, would these creatures launch a second wave of attacks, or would they continue their advance into the middle floors?

Something was definitely off. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been so many unseen insect-type monsters.

In this state of uncertainty, Riveria wasn't sure whether they should continue exploring. Before making any decisions, it was clear they needed to send a scout.

And the ideal candidates for this task were none other than the ninjas—Kennen and Akali. Over the years, Akali and her fellow ninjas had completely taken over the scouting duties that Lan had once done. After all, ninjas were not only skilled in assassination; their agility and discretion made them perfect for gathering information.

"Have you both memorized the map?" Riveria asked, her gaze fixed on Akali and Kennen with a touch of concern.

The Sol Familia had a map covering the 50th floor and beyond, drawn during a previous expedition. The map was gradually refined by Riveria, acting alone after reaching the 50th floor, and later supplemented by Alfia.

It could be said that, apart from the Guild, the Sol Familia currently had the most complete dungeon map available.

"Yes, we have it memorized." Both ninjas nodded, and Riveria looked satisfied but still cautious.

"Remember, prioritize your safety above all else. Return immediately once you confirm the situation," she reminded them.

Even though Akali and Kennen were highly skilled, the sheer number of monsters they had encountered earlier was worrying. If they got caught in a siege, escaping could prove difficult.

The two ninjas set out, and the rest of the expedition team spent the next few days in relative peace, camping on the 50th floor. 

Finally, after a few days of silence, Kennen and Akali returned to camp. They appeared fatigued, but thankfully, they had no injuries.

"How did it go?" Riveria asked, her voice steady.

"From the 51st floor to the 58th floor, we saw the same insect-like monsters on every level," Akali reported. "But for now, there's no sign of them moving to the upper floors."

"Did you notice where they're coming from?" Riveria pressed, hoping for more details.

"We couldn't pinpoint their exact origin," Kennen answered. 

"But the magic stones these creatures possess are strange. They don't seem to be naturally occurring in the dungeon."

As Akali spoke, she handed Riveria one of the magic stones. It looked entirely different from the usual ones found in the dungeon. Riveria had already encountered something similar when Tione had handed over a magic stone taken directly from the monster's body.

"These worm-like monsters also prey on other monsters. It's as if they're emerging from an even deeper part of the dungeon," Kennen continued, his tone level.

Akali seemed to remember something and added, "One more thing—there was something strange about the temperature on the 58th floor."

"Temperature?" Riveria asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Theoretically speaking, the 59th floor should be in the glacier field. It is said that the water flow of the glacial lake everywhere makes it difficult to move forward, and the extremely cold air will make it difficult for the body to move."

"Was the temperature on the 58th floor unusually high?" Riveria asked, thinking through the implications.

"Yes. There was no sign of cold at all. In fact, it felt strangely warm. I suspect something might be wrong on the 59th floor."

After Akali finished speaking, she stood aside and did not speak again to affect Riveria's judgment.

The tent fell silent as Riveria processed the new information. She needed to make a decision. Even if they chose to leave, the Guild would likely send someone to investigate once the news reached them.

This was a very real issue. Only a handful of familia in Orario could reach the 50th floor, let alone the 59th. Would they ignore the potential threat?

When faced with such a crisis, it was the Sol Familia's responsibility to act. They were the ones who could shoulder the burden.

"Go and rest for now. I'll think it over," Riveria sighed deeply. If she had known how troublesome this situation would become, she might have chosen a simpler course of action, like fishing peacefully on the 39th floor. There, they wouldn't have to deal with these incessant bugs.

But, of course, that was just a passing complaint. Even if she had stayed on the 39th floor, she would have still come to the 50th floor once she heard about the situation.

That night, all the members of the Sol Familia who were above LV5 gathered outside Riveria's tent. Everyone sat around the fire, awaiting her decision.

"I've decided to organize a team of adventurers above LV5 to go check out the situation on the 59th floor," Riveria announced slowly, her voice steady.

After thinking long and hard, she realized she couldn't ignore the situation any longer. First, they would head to the 59th floor to assess what was going on, then decide how to proceed.

If the situation seemed too dangerous, they would return to Orario and request help.

"Let's do it!" Sett was the first to agree, his voice full of excitement.

"I have no objections," another voice chimed in.

"We follow your orders, Riveria-sama!" came the unanimous response from the others.

Riveria's leadership and prestige within the Familia were unquestionable. Soon, everyone was in agreement.

However, the composition of the team for the 59th floor still needed to be decided.

"Kennen, Sett, Yone… Haruhime," Riveria said after some thought, naming the chosen adventurers but Tiona didn't hear her own name until the end.

Tiona, who lost her weapon, was arranged to stay in the camp.

Upon hearing she would not be joining the expedition, Tiona collapsed onto her sister, looking more devastated than when she lost her big double-edged sword.

"Don't worry. It's just a reconnaissance mission. We'll be back soon," Tione said, gently patting her sister's head in an attempt to comfort her.

But Tiona's misery was palpable, and her sister's words offered little solace.

"Why don't you let Tiona temporarily take over as the supporter? The spare weapon won't affect her strength much, and she could help protect Haruhime," Yone suggested, perhaps moved by the pitiful appearance his disciple giving him.