As soon as Loki's words fell, people started popping up from all around.
Ryota stared blankly as a crowd of people dressed in various battle outfits, armored lightly, or even wrapped in towels poked their heads out from every possible direction.
Within seconds, the previously empty hall was packed full.
Finn leaped down from the second-floor railing, smiling warmly at Ryota:
"We meet again."
Right behind him was that familiar elf figure, the one Loki frequently referred to as "Mama"—Riveria.
Riveria stopped beside Finn, her gaze calmly settling on Ryota as she gave a slight nod of greeting.
Ryota returned the gesture, his eyes swiftly scanning the gathered members.
However, among the bustling crowd, that familiar golden-haired figure was nowhere to be seen.
Strange... Ais isn't here.
Puzzled, he was just about to ask when Loki's distinctive voice rang out beside him:
"Alright, alright, seems like everyone's pretty much here."
"Then let's follow the usual tradition!"
She dramatically waved her hand,
"We'll have a feast later!!!"
"We'll drink ourselves silly and welcome our new member—uh..."
She suddenly paused mid-sentence, squinting back at Ryota with narrowed eyes:
"What was your name again?"
Ryota gave her a speechless look.
Seriously? She didn't even bother asking my name before dragging me into her Familia?
It seemed the gods of this world were far more casual about recruiting Familia members than he'd imagined.
And to think he'd been carefully researching Familia data and drafting selection criteria at the inn, meticulously preparing to complete his main quest...
Turns out he had overthought the whole thing!
"My name is Ryota," he replied patiently.
"Oh right, right! That's the name!"
Loki clapped her hands sharply, spinning around again to face the crowd:
"We'll drink ourselves silly tonight and welcome our Familia's newest member—Ryota!!"
"Nobody's allowed to leave sober!"
Her words instantly sparked cheers from the crowd:
"Wooohoo!!!"
"We get to drink Lady Loki's booze again tonight!"
"I'm gonna serve the spiciest Devil Pepper soup to the rookie!"
"..."
At this point, Ryota finally caught on.
So that's why Loki had rushed so urgently to recruit him—not because of some grand fate or to monopolize talent...
She just wanted an excuse to throw a drinking party!
Then again, Loki Familia had always been among his top choices. He'd smoothly completed the main quest without any tedious selection processes.
Why not just go with the flow?
Just as he was settling into this idea, Loki's excited voice came again at his side:
"You still haven't told me—are you willing to join my Familia?"
You're asking this NOW? Isn't it a bit late for that?!
"Of course, I'd be honored to join the Loki Familia."
Loki chuckled mischievously, her normally squinted eyes opening slightly to reveal bright red pupils matching her fiery hair:
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's begin the ritual!"
Ryota glanced around.
The noisy crowd had quieted down, all eyes watching with anticipation.
Am I really supposed to undress in front of all these people?
But on second thought, it wasn't exactly something embarrassing.
Ryota rubbed his forehead with resignation, his mouth twitching slightly.
Besides, it's not like I'll lose anything by letting them look.
Decisively, he removed his outer clothing.
As his shirt fell away, his lean, perfectly sculpted muscles emerged, forming a classic inverted triangle shape, as if chiseled by a master artisan.
The crowd instantly fell silent.
Even the earlier rowdy cheers abruptly ceased.
Lefiya, who had been holding a cup of water, nearly spilled it as her hand trembled slightly. The tips of her ears flushed bright red.
Having grown up in the open-minded Wishe Forest, Lefiya didn't share the typical high elf arrogance or cleanliness obsession.
She genuinely liked humans and enjoyed interacting with them.
Loki blinked, giving an appreciative whistle:
"Ohh, not bad at all~!"
"Looks like I've struck gold this time~"
As she spoke, she extended her hand, accepting a slender silver needle handed over by a nearby member.
Piercing her fingertip, crimson blood slowly trickled down her pale finger.
With his memories from Earth, Ryota naturally knew what this ritual entailed, so he quickly turned his back towards her.
The moment the blood touched his skin, it rapidly spread and moved as if alive.
In the blink of an eye, the emblem of the Loki Familia emerged clearly on Ryota's back.
Loki admired her handiwork with satisfaction, even taking the opportunity to sneakily run her hand across Ryota's muscular back before saying:
"Listen carefully, Ryota."
"From this moment onward, you're officially a member of my Loki Familia."
"In Orario, all adventurers' status parameters are activated and recorded through the 'Falna,' with stats ranging from I to S."
She produced a piece of parchment seemingly from nowhere, preparing to transcribe, but continued talking without pause,
"Once any of your stats reach 'D500' and you've accumulated sufficient 'Excellia,' you'll qualify for a level-up."
"Don't think it's easy, though! Even our Ais took a full year to reach Level 2."
"Many adventurers never manage to cross this barrier their entire lives."
Loki paused briefly before continuing:
"Once you meet the requirements, come find me and I'll update your Falna to level you up."
"Of course, some children in our Familia don't immediately level up, choosing instead to further hone their proficiency before advancing. It's entirely up to you!"
"In short, just come see me every time you return from the Dungeon to update your Falna!"
Throughout her explanation, Ryota alternated among "Mm," "Alright," and "Got it."
He wasn't deliberately dismissing Lady Loki's words; he genuinely had no idea how to tell her that he already knew all these concepts inside out.
So, he settled for the safest and easiest responses.
Suddenly, Loki stopped speaking.
Ryota realized she'd stopped moving her hand and turned his head slightly in confusion:
"What's wrong?"
Receiving no reply, he turned around fully.
Only to see Lady Loki—who had been smiling teasingly just moments ago—now frozen in place, her face filled with shock.
Though her eyes remained squinted, the corners clearly twitched as she stared intensely at the parchment in her hands, looking like she'd just seen a ghost:
"Is this really... your first time receiving a Falna?"