CHAPTER 391: CHAPTER 391: PARENTS AT LEVEL 8

"Your parents?"

Bell’s brow furrowed. That couple was no joke. Even if he’d only seen them through a projection, the aura they gave off was unmistakable—if his instincts were right, they were even more terrifying than the current strongest in Orario.

"Your parents are a textbook vanguard and rear guard pair. Both are powerful on their own, and with their coordination, taking them on would be way harder than challenging the entire Freya Familia."

To put it bluntly, the combined strength of the Sword Princess’s parents could flatten the Freya Familia without breaking a sweat.

"They’re still alive? Wait—are they really that strong?"

"Tsubaki, drop the ’are they’ already. I could tell just from their presence. Each of them is at least Lv. 7—possibly even more dangerous than the strongest currently in Orario."

"Lv. 7 and above? Then that’s Lv. 8?"

Tsubaki’s eye went wide, her one open eye practically bulging out of her face.

But it was a natural reaction. In today’s Orario, the peak had slipped from Lv. 9 down to Lv. 7. So hearing that a couple had reached Lv. 8? Of course it was shocking.

And to top it off, this Lv. 8 duo were none other than the parents of the famous Sword Princess herself. That just made it all the more unbelievable.

"Exactly. Being Lv. 8 already makes them monsters, and they’re a swordsman–mage combo."

"This... can anyone even handle that?"

A swordsman and a mage—frontline and backline—that’s the most classic formation there is. It’s common across Orario. But how many can actually pull it off to perfection? Probably only a handful.

A mage can only unleash their power if they’re given time to cast. That depends on whether the swordsman can hold the enemy off long enough. If the vanguard holds, the rear guard devastates.

It’s a combination that demands synchronization. Both have to be at their peak. If even one of them falls behind, the entire synergy falls apart.

You see this kind of formation all the time in Orario. In the Loki Familia, Finn, Gareth, and Riveria are the prime example.

Together, their formation is nearly unstoppable within their tier. Even against someone one level higher—like Ottar, the King—they wouldn’t necessarily lose.

So when a swordsman and mage duo are both strong, they can absolutely punch above their weight.

If three Lv. 6s can hold their own against the apex of Lv. 7, then wouldn’t two Lv. 8s be capable of taking on a Lv. 9?

That’s why Tsubaki felt it made no sense. If the Sword Princess’s parents were really that powerful, with such a perfect synergy, how was she supposed to beat them?

"It might be possible—if someone can hold off the swordsman in the front and quickly take out the mage in the back, then there’s still a shot at winning."

Even though the swordsman-mage combo was a classic formation with few obvious flaws, Bell had still pinpointed the critical weakness.

"The mage is the linchpin. Once they start casting, it’s game over for most people. That’s the catch with this combo—take out the mage, and the swordsman becomes a lot more manageable."

"So what the Sword Princess needs... is someone to pin down her father. If she can raise her strength to Lv. 7, she’ll finally have the qualifications to confront her mother. But finding that kind of partner won’t be easy. At minimum, they’d have to be Lv. 7 and capable of fighting above their level. Otherwise, it’s just wishful thinking."

"No way anyone could meet that standard."

Tsubaki couldn’t help but speak up.

From her perspective, just stalling a Lv. 8 vanguard was a monumental task. Even Orario’s top-tier adventurer—the King—might not be able to manage that.

It wasn’t just a matter of delaying them for a moment. This was about blocking a serious Lv. 8 swordsman from returning to cover the rear. That’s not something a Lv. 7 could handle. At the very least, it would take someone at the same level—another Lv. 8.

"Sword Princess, don’t be so hard on Bell. Even if he’s hiding his true level, there’s no way he could meet your standards."

Tsubaki tried to dissuade the Sword Princess. The conditions she described were far too extreme. How could anyone reasonably meet them?

If Hephaestus ever found out that she pushed Bell into something like this, Tsubaki didn’t even want to imagine how her Familia God would punish her.

Just the thought sent a chill down her spine.

Ais furrowed her brows too. If her parents were really as powerful as Bell Cranel claimed, then she knew she couldn’t take them on alone.

But even now, a ripple stirred in her heart. She looked at Bell Cranel with clear, unwavering eyes.

Ais knew—without a doubt—that this person could become her partner. The one who would stand beside her against her father and mother.

But she also understood that he wouldn’t admit to it easily. Not even if he was hiding power far beyond what he let on.

"...I understand."

Ais knew when to press forward—and when to retreat. This wasn’t the time to push. She needed to take a step back and wait for him to come forward on his own.

Now that she understood how steep the challenge truly was, her urgency vanished. She knew this kind of battle would only allow one chance. She’d need all the time she could get to prepare.

If both her father and mother were Lv. 8, then she would at least need to reach the peak of Lv. 7 to even have the right to face them.

Right now, she had only just become Lv. 6. She was still a long way from Lv. 7, which meant she could afford to wait—for him to take the first step.

"I still have to keep getting stronger. At least until I’m truly qualified, I won’t bring it up again."

Bell understood what she meant. But he didn’t respond—he just narrowed his eyes slightly, something quietly calculating behind them.

Facing a duo of Lv. 8s... might just be the path to Lv. 9.

And reaching Lv. 9—that would be the moment he could finally challenge the Black Dragon. Maybe... just maybe, the Sword Princess’s parents were a necessary step toward that future.

It was something Bell would need to think through—carefully.