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

A year has passed since she became an advisor.

Among the adventurers under Eina's supervision, Maris was the first to die.

"Zul! Hey, Zul!? Ugh, damn it!!"

The sound of employees calling their own names seemed to come from afar.

As if trying to escape something, everything went dark. Consciousness gradually faded.

However, Maris's face, her blood-stained expression, was etched in my mind and I could not forget it.

She already knew it.

This is the labyrinthine city of Orario.

Every day, numerous adventurers venture into the dungeon, only to never return.

She couldn't possibly not know.

But Eina had this mindset that she was the only one who wouldn't get into trouble.

Without realizing it, I thought those things had nothing to do with me.

I thought that the adventurers I had been laughing with until yesterday, my irreplaceable friends, would never leave.

This was the first time Eina had faced the death of someone close to her.

*

It seemed that his separation from Maris became the catalyst.

The adventurers under Eina's command all died later.

Even the high-level adventurers who took over afterward never returned after going to the "middle level".

"I advise you not to invest too much emotion in adventurers."

Eina now truly understands the meaning of what her boss told her.

The endless sense of loss says it all.

It is likely that many guild employees, including their superiors, have experienced similar or even more devastating blows.

(I……)

Eina's first feeling was not sadness, but an inescapable regret.

As a labyrinth exploration consultant, haven't I done enough for adventurers?

Is there anything else I can do to help her and others?

—I killed her.

This thought lingered in Eina's mind.

"That's too arrogant, Zul."

As if he could see right through Eina's thoughts...

The werewolf woman, one of the more senior waitresses, spoke up.

"They could have chosen safer jobs, but instead they became adventurers. For wealth, for fame, or for some idiotic thrill of the 'unknown'... How can we save such fools?"

"Rose..."

"Whether or not they want to 'take a risk' is their own business... No matter how much we try to persuade them, it's all in vain."

The werewolf waitress said irritably while fiddling with her long red hair.

At her desk, where her work was making no progress, Eina, who had been sitting motionless in her chair like a doll, slowly raised her head.

Even Eina, whose gaze was weak and powerless, could sense that besides her irritation, her profile seemed to also exude a slight sadness.

"This job is so tough..."

After some time had passed.

In the office where only the two of them remained, Missia murmured softly.

On the table was a cold serving of black tea for two.

The adventurer under Missia's command also unfortunately passed away.

"They're all never coming back... no matter how strong, handsome, or gentle they were... everyone...!"

"Misia..."

Even from the side, it was clear that Missia had once harbored feelings of affection—or perhaps a faint love—for that adventurer. Now, she bowed her head, her petite body trembling, a few drops of water falling onto her thighs.

Eina had never seen the usually cheerful and lively girl appear so vulnerable.

"Hey, Eina...can I come over to you?"

"...Okay, sure."

Missia sat down on the sofa where Eina was sitting and cried.

She leaned her face on Eina's shoulder as if seeking support, sobbing softly.

Eina, who held her tightly, also shed tears that day.

Thanks to Missia, she was finally able to mourn and weep for the deaths of Maris and the others.

*

Later, after witnessing the deaths of many people, and in her life filled with grief day and night, Eina came to understand one thing.

That is, "adventure" will lead adventurers to their deaths.

A moment of carelessness, underestimating the enemy, curiosity, or even the courage to challenge "great achievements" can become the scythe that takes their lives.

In Eina's mind, recklessness and impulsiveness became synonymous with "adventure".

Eina was unable to stop the adventurers from embarking on that kind of "adventure" on several occasions.

(It's so painful, I'm really in pain... but...)

Like other waitresses or staff, she once tried to keep her distance from adventurers.

However, Eina abandoned the idea.

She saw Maris's shadow in the adventurers she met as an advisor, and decided not to run away from her grief, but to face them sincerely.

(Because if I abandon them, I'll only feel worse.)

When I first joined the guild, the interest and excitement I felt changed into a sense of mission.

While other colleagues, and even Missia, began to put on fake smiles and distance themselves from the adventurers, Eina took the initiative to try to understand these male and female adventurers better.

"Alright, Mr. Lewis, that's all for today!"

"Waaah... Miss Eina, please let me rest for a bit...!"

She taught her own classes, thoroughly imparting all the knowledge about the underground city.

Whether the other party was a novice adventurer just starting out or a senior adventurer who had taken over from other responsible personnel, no one was polite.

She wouldn't let them "take risks".

With this thought in mind, Eina did everything she could for the adventurers.

Even when the challenge escalates, she carefully studies the team's preparations and various countermeasures, taking precautions with caution.

Sometimes she would even make requests to trustworthy adventurers, mentally preparing herself for danger, and explore the labyrinth together.

Because she wanted to personally experience the threat that dungeons posed to adventurers.

"Mr. Dorumur, this is all wrong! Come on, please try again!!"

"Please spare me, little sister Eina~!?"

The employees, who were initially frowning, gradually stopped gossiping after seeing Eina's increasingly determined demeanor.

And Missia, too, has begun to change.

"Hey, Eina. I'm in charge of a new orc this time... what weapon should I recommend?"

"Misia... Okay, let's think about it together?"

At least she no longer treated things strictly as business; she would consult with Eina and carefully consider what she could do for the adventurers. She regained her former optimism and cheerfulness.

This made Eina very happy.

*

Time flies.

When it was noticed, Eina had already surpassed Maris in height.

I even cut my long hair.

Her figure, which Maris had once envied for being "well-developed," has continued to grow and mature.

Then, in the spring of that year, after she had served in the guild for five years—

*

"—I...I want to become an adventurer!"

Eina encounters a boy who aspires to become an adventurer.

"...I...I'm just confirming, you're here to log in as a new adventurer, right?"

"yes!"

He was a human with white hair and deep red eyes, resembling a rabbit.

Seeing the boy nodding enthusiastically, Eina, who was handling business at the window, smiled.

Following the established procedures, she had the boy fill in the required information on the parchment before glancing at the login application form.

His name is Bell Craney.

She is human, just like Maris, and even younger than her.

Eina had seen several young people like this boy who had volunteered to become adventurers, and her expression darkened in an instant.

But she quickly put on her usual smiling face and completed the formalities.

She told the boy to come back tomorrow, and then returned to her office for the time being.

"He'll die young like that, no doubt about it."

"Rosie!"

"You should be able to tell he has no future, right, Zul? How many years have you been working here?"

The werewolf waitress seemed to have witnessed the whole thing and spoke to her, half-jokingly.

After spending a few years in a "guild", employees will gradually develop a discerning eye.

You can tell whether a new adventurer who logs in has a future.

Even Eina thought that the boy from earlier was unlikely to achieve great things as an adventurer.

At least she could sense that the young man lacked the "gratitude." Having her thoughts read by the senior waitress, she had no reply.

What kind of consultant does he want?

"Uh... female employee, her race is elf."

"He said he wants an elf! Sophie, do you want to accept it?"

"No need, it's a waste of energy for an adventurer who won't last long."

This beautiful (elf) employee, who joined the guild at the same time as Rose and was one of the most popular members, continued to handle her work while talking, displaying an overly indifferent attitude and ignoring her.

Her pale purple hair swayed indifferently.

"Rose, Sophie! I don't think you should be so quick to judge someone as having no future!"

Eina couldn't help but protest, and the werewolf waitress, upon hearing this, said "Well..." and smiled.

"Want to make a bet? I'll bet on how long that little boy can last."

Hearing her wager on the boy's future, the waitresses who were resting all reacted.

I'll bet six months.