Chapter 73 - The Gift

The team returned to the surface late at night, and everyone was eager to sleep in their bed. After a hot shower, Bell and Ais went straight to bed with no lap pillowing. It had been quite an ordeal to deal with all the bad guys and then cleanup essentially every known floor of the dungeon other than the abyss-like floor. Now they were going to enjoy a good night of sleep before going to a big meeting the next day.

The next morning, they woke up to the chirping birds and enjoyed a nice breakfast with their familia. The meeting is at the secret headquarters for lunch, so they had a morning to relax. So they went shopping and got a quick Jagamarukun at the old place that Hestia used to work. Ais got a new dress that Bell liked, and Bell bought some new clothes also. Before heading out for the meeting, they went back home to put away their new clothes. Ais wanted to wear her new dress, but Bell reminded her that they have not wrestled for many days. With that, the struggling began, but after a few minutes, Bell collected his predetermined reward from the blushing Ais...

After their fun, they flew to headquarters along with Wiene and the entire familia. The others were there already. Hermes and Freya called the meeting to order while Loki and Hestia were brought in by the communications rock. Gros and Asterius were also there representing the Xenos.

Hermes "Well, you did a great job cleaning up the dungeon. All restrictions have been removed other than the 60th floor. Someday you will need to open up those passageways and clean that out also."

Freya "Tell you what you saw at the bottom. No sign of the baby monsters? Can you see any way to find the passageway?"

Bell "We did not see any signs of the glass containers or the metal containers. Just all an enormous pile of rocks"

Gareth "There is at least 30 feet or more of rock debris covering the 99th floor. I tried to move it over and over again but there is no way using earth raid. Even if Bell uses his argonaut blast 1000 times, nothing much will happen with that much rock."

Ais "We would need hundreds or thousands to remove the debris, but where would we take it?"

Loki "This sounds like it is buried for good."

Ottar "I dont' think any monster could survive buried by that much rock"

Finn hand-drew an illustration of the bottom of the dungeon for everyone to see.

Hephaestus "We could try to build some type of tool to help remove the rocks. But this looks like it will take a very big effort by hundreds non-adventurers for a very long time.

Takemikazuchi "This is not practical. What normal civilians can be brought to the deep levels. We dont have that type of army to protect such an effort."

Hestia "Is there any type of magic that will help?"

Miach "Where is the Great Earth Spirit?"

Loki "All the great spirits, other than Ais, went missing after the great war."

Finn "Did something happened to them again"

Freya "They may have felt they have outlived their usefulness and faded away"

Bell "What about Ais"

Hermes "So protective... she will be fine, dont worry"

Bell and Ais both blushed badly after being called out.

Freya "Well we can worry about the vigras and violas all we want, but there is nothing that can be reasonably done"

Hermes "What about the passageway on the 99th floor?"

Loki "We are probably going to have to leave it be. Unless someone has a way to move all those rocks"

Gareth "No way we can do it"

Ais "Someone has to have incredible powers to remove those rocks"

Tiona "Like a god?"

Loki "Like a god. Even argonaut-kun cannot blast that much rocks away"

Freya "Gods are problems for gods, not children."

Riveria "Yes, it appears we just have to keep watching"

Hestia "May be this team can be reassembled every few months for a deep level inspection.

Bell "With the deep cavern, we can fly down there pretty quickly"

Hermes "Logistically, the dungeon has became a lot easier for flying. Asfi, may be you and I can spend some time there"

Asfi "You are crazy, and cause another dungeon meltdown?"

Hermes "It was exciting. Things are going to get boring around here with this team having defeated the dungeon"

Riveria "I am going back in retirement"

Gareth "Me too"

Hermes "Something going on there? : ) wink "

Lefiya and Filvis beat up Hermes with Asfi's approval. Hermes is gagged and hung upside down...

Dionysus "Filvis, dont go overboard"

Asfi "Unfortunately that is the only thing that works..."

Finn "I think we can declare victory. Bell and Ottar, we can schedule a visit to the deep levels every 3 months."

Bell "It would be fun working again with you guys"

Ottar "Yes, I am fine with that."

Freya "Yes job well done."

Takemikazuchi "There will be an official celebration tonight. Do enjoy the cookout"

Bell and Ais "Roasted meats yum"

With that, the meeting was adjourned. The gang hung out together until an early cookout dinner.

After the dinner, Riveria dragged Finn to Bell and Ais.

Riveria "Bell, Ais, Finn has a gift for you"

Bell and Ais "Wow"

Finn "... ..."

Riveria "Finn, do your job"

Finn "Well it was really Riveria's idea"

Riveria "What Finn really means to say was that I approved of his idea"

Finn "Well, it was more Riveria who thought of it"

Riveria "Just do it"

Finn "Well Ais, now that you moved to the Hestia familia, we thought that we never gave you a parting gift..."

He hands Bell and Ais a wrapped gift.

Finn "Dont open it now. Go back home and open it before going to sleep"

Riveria "Yes, dont open it now. It is better that you want before going to sleep."

Bell and Ais were kind of puzzled but they agreed.

That night, everyone flew home. After lap pillowing, Bell and Ais got ready for bed. Bell went to shower, and when he was done, he heard a loud scream from Ais ...