Morning sunlight streamed through the ornate glass window at Loki Familia’s headquarters, casting a warm orange-gold glow across Riveria’s floor.
Riveria Ljos Alf slowly opened her emerald eyes, which remained clouded with lingering confusion and disorientation.
Her cheeks felt unbearably hot, while her heart beat much faster than usual.
Her chest rose and fell as her breathing remained slightly uneven.
Riveria touched her face and felt intense heat beneath her fingertips.
“I actually…
had that kind of dream…”
Her quiet voice trembled in a way even she failed to notice.
The dream had been far too vivid.
Riveria could barely distinguish whether it had truly been a dream or an experience that happened in reality.
She remembered standing within an unreal yet magnificent space, surrounded by floating starlight and flowing ribbons of light.
A hazy figure stood before her.
She couldn’t see his face, yet his presence made her feel inexplicably close, relaxed, and secure.
Then…
Simply remembering what followed made Riveria’s entire body grow hot.
Inside the dream, she had abandoned the calm and dignity she had maintained for over a century.
She behaved like a completely different person—bold, passionate, and utterly uninhibited.
Riveria remembered her laughter, her movements, and the intense emotions she had never experienced before surging through her chest.
‘Oh, gods…’
She abruptly covered her face with both hands, buried herself in the pillow, and released a muffled groan.
Riveria was an elven princess, the vice-captain of Loki Familia, Orario’s strongest mage, and the adventurer known and feared throughout the city by the alias “Nine Hell.”
How could she possibly have such a dream?
It was unbearably shameful!
It was completely humiliating!
If Loki discovered how wantonly Riveria had behaved inside the dream, that troublemaking goddess would probably mock her for an entire century.
No, Loki might continue teasing her for a thousand years!
Riveria shook her head forcefully, as though she could physically throw those embarrassing images out of her mind.
Her long emerald hair spread across the pillow with a silky shine.
“Calm down, Riveria.
It was only a dream.”
She raised her head and spoke quietly to her reflection, attempting to suppress her turbulent emotions through reason and composure.
“Dreams aren’t real or meaningful.
They’re merely fragments of unrelated memories pieced together.”
“There’s no need to care about it.
I simply need to forget.”
Riveria repeated those reassurances inside her mind again and again, almost as though she were trying to convince herself.
Gradually, the heat in her cheeks faded, and her heartbeat returned to its normal rhythm.
‘Yes.
I only had a dream.’
No one would ever know, and the dream would have no real effect on her.
She only needed to treat it as an absurd accident and continue living normally.
Riveria drew a deep breath, rose, and opened the window.
A morning breeze carrying the scent of dew and vegetation entered the room, dispersing the lingering sensual atmosphere.
Numerous early risers were already active in Loki Familia’s courtyard.
Several young adventurers practiced swordsmanship.
Their wooden swords collided with sharp, rhythmic cracks.
Farther away, pots and dishes clattered in the kitchen as the smell of cooking drifted through the air.
Everything felt peaceful and ordinary.
Riveria observed the familiar scene for a moment.
The last traces of unease and embarrassment in her heart gradually faded.
She changed into her usual simple yet tasteful mage’s robe, carefully combed her long green hair, and tied it behind her head with a silver ribbon.
The woman reflected in the mirror had regained her usual calm, dignity, and authority.
It was as though the flushed and breathless Riveria from earlier had never existed.
“All right.
The expedition will depart soon.
I can’t allow something so insignificant to interfere with important matters.”
Riveria nodded at her reflection as though encouraging herself.
She then collected several documents and maps from the desk and left the room.
Several Familia members cleaning the corridor bowed respectfully when they saw her.
Riveria acknowledged them with a slight nod and walked steadily toward Loki’s room.
The expedition team was scheduled to depart that afternoon and explore the Dungeon’s deep floors.
As vice-captain and their strongest mage, Riveria needed to confirm every member’s condition and ensure that all supplies were prepared.
She also needed Loki to update her ability values so she could accurately monitor her condition throughout the expedition.
Riveria reached Loki’s door and knocked.
“Come in, come in~”
Loki’s familiar lazy yet cheerful voice came from within.
Riveria entered and found Loki sitting on a large sofa with her legs raised, holding a bottle of alcohol and looking as careless as ever.
“Oh, Riveria!
What brings you here so early?”
Loki grinned mischievously as her cunning eyes swept over Riveria, searching for an entertaining reaction.
“It’s rare for you to ask me for an ability value update.
Are you secretly excited because the expedition is about to begin?”
Riveria remained expressionless, her voice perfectly even.
“This is merely a routine update.
Confirming any changes in my ability values is a necessary part of preparing for the expedition.”
“Fine, fine.
A routine update.”
Loki shrugged, rose from the sofa, and walked over to Riveria.
She bit her fingertip, causing a crimson drop of divine blood to gather there.
“Come on.
Same as always—lie down.”
Riveria removed the upper half of her robe, revealing her smooth, pale back, then lay facedown on the bed reserved for Falna updates.
Loki pressed her finger against Riveria’s back.
Divine power seeped into her skin as Loki began reading the information recorded within her Falna.
At first, Loki remained completely unconcerned and even hummed a tune beneath her breath.
After five or six breaths, however, her humming abruptly stopped.
Her entire body froze.
“Hm?”
Loki murmured in confusion and frowned.
She pressed her finger more firmly against Riveria’s back, as though checking whether she had misread something.
“What is it?”
Noticing Loki’s unusual reaction, Riveria turned her head slightly.
Loki didn’t answer immediately.
She examined the Falna once, then twice, before her eyes suddenly flew wide with disbelief.
“Riveria…”
Loki’s voice carried a rare seriousness.
“Are you certain you haven’t entered the Dungeon recently or undergone any unusual training?”
“I’m certain.”
Riveria answered without hesitation.
“I’ve spent all my time handling the Familia’s paperwork and preparing for the expedition.
I haven’t even visited the training grounds.”
“Then this is strange…”
Loki muttered before quickly retrieving a sheet of parchment and transferring the updated information onto it.
Riveria couldn’t suppress her curiosity.
She sat up, accepted the parchment Loki handed her, and examined it.
When she saw the information written there, Riveria was also too stunned to speak.