Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

Lily, who had silently listened to and witnessed the entire conversation, quietly clenched her fists.

The pain and anger that tormented his entire body ignited a black flame deep within him.

Not just today. The treatment she has received so far has fueled Lily's desire for revenge.

Lily glared at the despicable adventurer who scorned and mocked her, and clearly heard the sound of complaints dripping into her chest.

*

Time flew by, and as she approached her thirteenth year since birth...

The girl carried out her revenge plan.

In the back alley where the rain was pouring down, fierce roars echoed all around.

As the angry curses of several adventurers mingled with the chaotic footsteps, a beautiful elven girl gasped for breath.

She splashed through the puddles, making a loud splashing sound, and after completely escaping her pursuers, she stopped and leaned against the wall.

The elven girl, her long golden hair soaked by the rain, quietly opened her lips while controlling her breathing:

"—The Voice of Revelation at 12 o'clock."

The moment the chanting began, a gray light membrane enveloped her entire body.

The next instant, the elven girl standing there vanished without a trace, and Lily appeared with chestnut hair stuck to her cheek.

Her breathing was labored and her hands and feet were trembling as she opened the package she was carrying.

Inside are bracelets and rings that gleam with gold and silver light, other adventurer accessories, loot from rare monsters, and even a dagger-shaped "magic sword".

Lily's eyes became watery, and her lips held a twisted smile.

"She did it! Lily did it—you all deserved it!!"

Transformation Magic: The Ash Girl

Lily used the "magic" manifested by her [ability value] six months ago to deceive the adventurers.

She disguised herself as an adorable, harmless, and pitiful elf supporter to approach the adventurers and steal their money in the dungeon.

"Haha ...

Lily smiled.

She let out a loud laugh she hadn't heard in ages, her heart filled with a dark joy.

Even now, one can still hear the roars of the adventurers whose valuable items, such as the "Demon Sword," were stolen. She tried her best to control herself, but she couldn't stop laughing.

She has deactivated her transformation and is no longer the "elf girl scoundrel," so no one can find her. Afterwards, she can simply transform again, sell these spoils, and make a fortune without giving herself away.

Having finally made her move, Lily looked up at the rainy sky with a sense of satisfaction.

(Finally, I can finally confront those adventurers who have been bullying Lily all this time...!)

If this transformation magic, the "Stove Ash Girl," is cleverly utilized, there must be other ways to make money. She could also choose a completely different life.

However, Lily's long-standing resentment and hatred from her abuse prevented her from doing so.

Long-accumulated anger and sorrow led the frail girl to vow revenge against the adventurers.

She was bidding farewell to the life she had lived by drinking muddy water.

To reclaim everything that has been taken from us by adventurers and to win our freedom with our own hands.

Lily kicked away the guilt that was about to overflow, sealing it deep inside her heart, and forced herself to keep smiling.

After laughing for a while, she left the spot.

Bathed in the same heavy rain that fell on the day she was driven away by the kind people she once knew, Lily dragged her injured and bleeding body and disappeared into the smoke-filled depths of the city.

*

From that day on, Lily repeated acts that resembled theft time and time again.

She swindles adventurers in the dungeon, stealing their valuables and rushing back to the surface. Enraged by the betrayal of her mere supporters, adventurers sometimes break through traps to pursue her, but Lily's transformation magic is flawless, and no one can catch her. She feels a slight sense of satisfaction when she steals money from some members of her own faction, the Soma Familia, in a similar manner.

She desperately pretended not to notice the emptiness hidden behind the joy, even using the power of rekindled anger to subdue her weak will, saying to herself, "Have you forgotten how you've been treated so far?"

Then, two years later, after she had repeatedly avenged herself on the adventurers, she...

Lily looked at the bucket of water and found that her pupils were cloudy.

She had just escaped back to the cheap inn she used as a safe house (base). Today, as usual, she let adventurers fall into her trap, and she herself was covered in bright red blood and monster carcasses—a grayish-pink appearance, so dirty it was laughable.

Lily stared blankly at the water, suddenly remembering a fairy tale.

She might have read it at the elderly couple's house? She couldn't quite remember; it was just an ordinary story.

It tells the story of a poor, disheveled girl who was transformed into a stunning beauty by a mischievous fairy. She went to the palace with a faint dream, and the prince fell in love with her at first sight. The fairy's spell was lifted, causing her to flee in haste. However, the prince later found her.

The girl, whose magic was lifted, was greeted by the prince and found happiness.

Lily stared at her reflection in the mirror, her face covered in dirt and blood, and asked a question.

When this false transformation magic is removed—will someone reach out to save your true self?

"...Absolutely stupid."

Lily laughed at her own imagination and her reflection in the water mirror.

Alone in her room, she poured her anger at the adventurers into her parched soul, wrapping herself in the dusty sheets on the bed.

The boundless moonlit night outside the window looked down upon her cold hands, which had long forgotten the warmth of others.

*

That's right.

Finding yourself, the prince who comes to greet you is nothing but a child's dream, a fictional existence.

Not to mention that there is no such thing as a "hero" willing to save himself.

So, she'll continue today...

Put on a mask, pretend to be an innocent child, and deceive the foolish adventurers.

She has already chosen her next prey.

The other party was a human who had protected himself from an enraged adventurer and was clearly a novice.

Lily couldn't understand what the other person was thinking to help her, a dirty little stranger. The answer was the ridiculous excuse, "Because she's a girl, I have to protect her." It was utterly stupid and not worth mentioning. She had never heard of such a reason before. Lily was so dumbfounded that she couldn't even laugh.

He had white hair that seemed to symbolize a simple and honest nature, and his eyes were a deep red like a rabbit's.

The country bumpkin vibe hasn't completely disappeared; he must have just arrived in the city.

Then you can tell that he's a complete pushover.

Unlike some pathetic little people, they must live in a privileged environment. They've definitely never had any major misfortunes.

So, I'll teach him myself.

Teach him how filthy, harsh, and ruthless this city is.

Teach him the reality that if you encounter the wrong god, you will be gradually crushed by suffering.

The tuition fee was like a black dagger that he could never reach.

She wanted to corrupt that pure heart to the same degree as herself, to twist it to the same degree as her eyes.

It would be best to become tainted by evil like her.

It would be best to be betrayed like her, cry out in pain, and stop trusting anyone.

Lily wanted to make him never again say something as stupid as "because she's a girl."

Besides, he looked like a fat goose that could be easily dealt with; he could be taken care of in no time.

If we can get our hands on that finely crafted dagger, we might be able to reach our target amount. Perhaps we can even break free from the curse of the [Family].

Come on, cover yourself in dirt and grime, and deceive him.

Lily could only believe that continuing to deceive herself and others would eventually bring hope, and today she spoke to another adventurer:

"—Big brother, big brother. Big brother with white hair."

Interlude of Volume Fifteen: I am his advisor

"Deep, 'deep layer'..."

A wave of dizziness washed over me.

Eina felt dizzy and slumped onto the table.

The adventurer she was in charge of, Bell Craney, sat opposite her, looking quite awkward.

The gentle afternoon sunlight streamed into the guild headquarters through the windows.

In one of the interview rooms here, Eina is listening to him talk about his recent "expedition".

When Bell returned to the surface, her injuries were too severe for her to obtain detailed information. Later, she was caught up in a flurry of other matters—dealing with reports and follow-up work on the significant sacrifices made by high-ranking adventurers—and the matter was postponed.

And so, it has come to this...

When Eina heard the "truth," she was almost terrified.

"...So, after you were swallowed by the 'Worm Well,' you wandered in the 'deep layers' for four whole days?"

"Yes...and then, with the help of Miss Ryu...[Swift Wind], I barely managed to maintain a sliver of hope..."

"...Specifically?"

"...We tried to cross the Colosseum, and as expected, we almost died. After using the Firestone (bomb), the ground collapsed...and there we discovered unexplored territory..."

"Aaaaaah..."

In the well-insulated box, Eina slowly raised her head, but upon hearing Bell's next explanation, she covered her head with her hands and let out a genuine groan.

Because the head of the inn town (Rivera) (Perth) had stormed through the window, Eina knew he was involved in the conflict caused by [Gale]. But conversely, she thought that was all.

Who could have predicted that he would not only fight a major battle against the "Enhanced Species" as a preliminary battle, but also engage in a battle with the "Great Serpent Well" controlled by the beast tamer Jarrow Harma, who is on the blacklist, and then fight to the death with the unprecedented "Destroyer (Zagnat)," and finally fall into the "Deep Layer"? Even the gods probably couldn't have foreseen it.

Bell stammered, as if carefully choosing his words, but Uranus seemed to already know about the existence of "Zagnat." Since it was a divine message directly conveyed by the main god, bypassing the guild's higher-ups, Eina would surely keep the existence of such monsters a secret, but honestly, she really didn't understand what had happened. The fact that [Swift] knew Bell was already surprising enough.

As for the floors the [Family] reached, she had also heard that reaching the "Deep Floors" was to be kept absolutely secret. This was Lily's idea, and from her perspective, she must have wanted to eliminate the possibility of increased taxes paid to the management organization (guild) no matter what.

Although it violates regulations, given the special circumstances, making a false report seems to be their right.

So Eina was willing to help.

Although I'm willing to help...

"...By the way, what are the updated [ability stats] parameters?"

"Uh... the highest possible is B..."

bump.

Eina raised her hands and collapsed onto the table.

This is the second time.

(My head hurts so much...)

I was just listening to him, but I felt like I was riddled with wounds.

The notes written on parchment with a quill pen in one hand soon became useless.

Although she had already guessed that she probably wouldn't hand it over, it seems that she really doesn't need to submit it.

The report by second-tier adventurer Bell Craney, including the "Expedition" content, will once again be shelved.

The first "Expedition" of the Hestia Familia—a mandatory mission assigned by the "Guild"—resulted in "Failure".

Eina decided to resolve everything with this one sentence.

Because she was certain that any further alterations or embellishments would definitely expose the deception.

At that very moment, she decided to coordinate her story with the boy's advisor, Lily.

(In short, let's arrange more lecture time for Bell first...)

She could no longer predict what other problems the boy might cause.

She's going to have a super one-on-one super class, absolutely.

As Eina pressed down on her glasses, which were about to slip off, she made the decision in her mind.