Chapter 375: Men's Topics

"That's our Aiden for you," Raul praised genuinely. "There are hardly any people in all of Orario who could get involved with the Goddess of the Moon."

At that moment, the loud voices of some adventurers at a neighboring table cut through the din, catching the trio's attention.

"Hey, did you hear? The Sword Princess failed an adventurer commission!"

"Huh? What kind of nonsense are you talking about? Ais Wallenstein? How could she possibly fail?"

"It's absolutely true, the news is everywhere. No one knows what the exact request was, but it's real. It's hard to imagine what kind of task could stump the Sword Princess."

The news rippled through the tavern like a boulder dropped into a calm lake.

The First-Class adventurers of the Loki Familia boasted a near one hundred percent success rate on commissions, and the Sword Princess was no exception. When there was a particularly thorny request, the Guild would issue mandatory quests to the Loki Familia or their equals, the Freya Familia. It had long been standard practice in Orario.

Whether it was subjugating an Enhanced Species that had wiped out dozens of high-level adventurers, or exterminating an army of monsters that had spawned in the Deep Floors, they had resolved countless severe crises.

That was precisely why the rumor of the Sword Princess failing a commission carried such immense shock value.

Even though it was an unverified rumor, the adventurers gossiped endlessly. Even the wealthy merchants who commissioned them for deep-floor gathering missions debated in private about what kind of impossible task this could have been.

Not just Aiden, but even Raul looked dumbfounded and worried. His hand froze mid-air with his drink, his expression painted in disbelief.

"Raul, do you know what happened?" Aiden frowned, looking at him.

Raul rubbed the back of his head and shook it blankly. "I have no idea... Miss Ais failing a mission? How is that even possible?" He couldn't fathom what kind of quest could cause Ais, who was now Level 6, to declare failure.

"Well, Ais isn't omnipotent. She probably just ran into some unexpected accident," Aiden was much calmer than Raul. "Failing a commission might cause a bit of a stir, but it's nothing to worry about."

He wasn't overly concerned. Given the stellar reputation Ais and the Loki Familia had built, a single failed quest wouldn't cause any real trouble. The adventurers and merchants were just using it as gossip for their downtime; it would soon be buried by new rumors. Failing a quest was a normal occurrence—every adventurer had failed at some point.

It was only because the Loki Familia's track record was so flawlessly perfect that this single loss sparked such intense discussion. Otherwise, no one would have batted an eye.

Ignoring the tavern rumors, Aiden turned to the captain of the Takemikazuchi Familia. "Ouka, how is your Familia doing lately?"

"Same old, same old," Kashima Ouka sighed, taking a massive gulp of ale, looking troubled. "Mikoto's stats have long surpassed the threshold to level up. Now, all she needs is a proper Great Feat."

"Speaking of a Great Feat, do you want our Focalors Familia to team up with your Takemikazuchi Familia for a joint expedition?" Aiden offered. "A trip down to the Middle Floors should earn you enough for a Great Feat."

However, Ouka shook his head, declining the offer. "Thanks for the kindness, Aiden. But we want to earn our Great Feats through our own hard work. We also want to accumulate more stats on the journey there."

Aiden nodded in understanding. He knew that no matter how close two Familias were, they couldn't build a relationship on dependency. If they did, the group receiving help would gradually lose their independence and eventually ruin themselves.

"I understand. But if you ever run into trouble you can't handle, don't be a stranger. If I can help, I will."

"Pfft—!" Raul panicked, spitting his drink out on the spot. He looked around frantically, terrified a familiar face might have heard him. Lowering his voice, he leaned in close to Aiden and asked nervously, "How did you know?"

"Never mind how I know," Aiden gave him a deadpan look. "You didn't get scammed again, did you?"

Raul had once fallen obsessively for a courtesan in the Pleasure Quarter. Not only had she drained his life savings, but he had also secretly embezzled Familia funds, nearly getting himself kicked out of the Loki Familia. The most ridiculous part was that, after spending all that money, all he got to do was hold her hand.

"No, absolutely not!" Raul's face flushed deep red as he explained awkwardly. "She... she doesn't want my money! We're just friends right now. We talk about our troubles. We're purely Conversation Partners."

"Alright, as long as you know what you're doing," Aiden sighed. "If you really like her, take some initiative. Don't let it end with just holding hands again." He wasn't truly worried Raul would repeat his mistake. The lesson had been harsh enough; the guy was still paying off a massive debt to his Familia. He definitely didn't have the guts to do it again.

"Listen to you, sounding like an expert. Don't tell me you've gained some experience?" Ouka, who had overheard them, looked at Aiden with probing eyes.

"Of course. I'm not like you two. You're both fully grown men and still virgins," Aiden cast a disdainful glance at them both. They were both older than him. Yet one was so timid he wouldn't make a move even if the opportunity was handed to him, and the other was solely focused on his Familia and his hometown shrine, lacking the time or interest for anything else.

"Seriously?" Ouka threw an arm over Aiden's shoulder, sizing him up suspiciously. "Did you sneak off to the Pleasure Quarter too? Is that how you knew about Raul? Did you run into him there?"

"What are you talking about? I have zero interest in a place like the Pleasure Quarter," Aiden pushed his arm away, annoyed.

"Then it must be the Saint of Battle Rhythm!" Ouka suddenly realized, patting him on the back with an envious expression. "Good going, kid! You work fast." He already knew Aiden and Robin were together, but he never expected Aiden would score so quickly.

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