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

Her eyes were bloodshot with excitement—her cheeks flushed with a feverish blush—and indeed, the sight of the serpentine snake made Ais even more timid, causing her to lean back involuntarily.

The feeling it gives is so different from before...!

"Speak! Hurry up!"

"It's... roughly in that direction..."

Pressed for answers, Ais instinctively pointed towards the headquarters. "Is it over there?!" Algana exclaimed, immediately utilizing her LV.6 physical abilities to sprint towards the north of the city.

Ais, left standing alone, was lost in astonishment for only a moment.

"Fiora!"

(here we go again!)

The sound of something flying towards her made Ais turn around. What she saw was her twin sister, Bajie, who looked exactly like Algana, rushing towards her.

"Naru Lanze Algana! Deno Gofa!?"

(Ah... she's asking about Algana.)

Ais couldn't understand a word the Amazonian dialect was spewing out in rapid succession, but she still managed to glean Algana's name from it. Ais reflexively pointed again towards the headquarters. More accurately, towards the direction where Algana's figure had disappeared.

Sweating profusely and looking utterly disheveled, Bajie uttered what seemed like a thank you, and then dashed off with tremendous speed, shattering the stone slabs in her wake as she disappeared behind the rooftops of buildings.

Not long after, one could hear the city police running around nearby shouting, "Where did the Amazons who invaded the city go?!", "Can't find the twin sisters!", "They actually broke through the main gate, how dare they!", "They've attacked three times in a row recently!", "If we let this go, it will damage the reputation of the Ganesha Familia!", "I am Ganesha!" and so on.

As she gradually came to understand the culprit behind the commotion, cold sweat broke out on the back of Ais's head.

"I can't stand it. Algana and the others are such a headache... They look like females in heat."

At that moment, a young girl appeared before Ais.

Brown skin and black hair. Dressed in a light blue dress, she looked up at Ais with a resentful expression.

"It was all started by you, the Loki Familia."

He looks incredibly young and innocent, but his tone of voice is more mature than that of an adult.

Ais couldn't help but cast a surprised glance at the unfamiliar and contradictory girl in front of her, who then snorted and took something out of her bosom.

"She's a concubine."

"Ah... Kali... God?"

Ais's eyes widened when she saw the long-toothed mask the girl was wearing.

After removing the "divine power" from her body and infiltrating among the inhabitants of the lower realm, the goddess Kali, who was also the chief god of Algana and her companions, nodded in satisfaction.

"By the way, this hair is a wig. It's one of my disguise props."

"Uh... how did you end up here?"

"Of course it's because of Algana and the others' violation of Orario. They said things like, 'I'm going to see a male stronger than me!'..."

"Eh~" Kali removed her mask and let out a heavy sigh. Seeing her like this, Ais realized that her earlier guess was correct. This time, it was cold sweat dripping from her forehead.

"It's all your fault! You utterly humiliated my children. Everyone who was defeated by the [Hero] or the male members of the party has become like Argana."

The reason is simple and clear.

The Amazonian instinct to "become infatuated with males stronger than themselves" is triggered, and Algana and the others transform from "true warriors" into "warriors born for love (laughs)." Just like Tione.

Thus, the members of the [Kali Familia] who are still stranded in the port city forcibly broke through the city's security lines and invaded Orario.

Moreover, judging from the situation observed just now, this has probably been happening for several days in recent days.

"Baje, who underwent the 'ritual' with Diona, is still relatively mentally sound. She's probably the only one left."

"..."

"Now, I have to worry about Argana's drastically changed personality every day, with a different kind of anxiety than before. I cry and whine while trying my best to stop them from causing trouble. The other members of the group won't listen to me either..."

"..."

"That child is the one who's suffering the most right now, almost like a concubine..."

“S-Sorry…”

"What? Who asked you to apologize! The one who receives an apology will actually feel uncomfortable! Just thinking about being defeated by that washboard goddess makes me unhappy!"

Ais's reflexive apology provoked Kali to stomp her foot in anger. Faced with the goddess, who stomped her foot and looked so young, Ais could only silently break out in a cold sweat. She also felt a belated sense of guilt towards the male members (Finn).

On the other hand, she also found it incredible.

The Kali Familia relentlessly pursued Tiona and Tione in their quest to create the "strongest warrior" who survived the struggle. This even escalated into an incredibly fierce battle. Just two months ago, no one could have predicted that Ais would now be standing in town, conversing with the Kali Familia's chief deity.

"We managed to sneak in while Algana and the others were causing trouble... Orario is indeed as interesting as the rumors say. It's just that there are too many people and things, which is a downside."

As Kali spoke, she took out potato balls from the paper bag in her hand. The small, steaming potato balls, which looked like they had just been bought, were tossed into her little mouth and enjoyed with gusto.

Ais unconsciously looked at him with longing, so Kali gave her one.

"With faction leaders like Algana turning out like that, the Dou Kingdom is doomed. I was even planning to come here to recruit people... By the way, [Sword Princess], would you like to come with me?"

"Well, I'd still like to..."

"You wouldn't refuse my fried potato balls, would you?"

"Well……"

Ais almost choked and coughed after taking a big bite of the fried potato balls.

Seeing the girl in front of her looking guilty and at a loss, the goddess jokingly laughed and said, "Just kidding."

"Even Ishtar was easily defeated by Freya. The concubines and subordinates waiting in the port city (Melen) are no longer able to contribute anything."

"!"

"That goddess is only good with words, really."

Kali's words caught Ais's attention.

Noticing Ais's unusual reaction, the goddess smiled.

"I know nothing about those people called the Dark Faction. There's nothing I can tell you."

"..."

"Until Baje brings back Aljana and the others, I'll continue to wander around the area. Farewell, [Sword Princess]. Thank you for keeping me company."

The youthful-looking goddess left these words behind and quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Ais, still standing in a corner of the exchange, slowly raised her head and looked up.

Dusk was gradually covering the sky.

Ais walked onto the road that had been stained orange-red.

Orario at dusk is bathed in the setting sun.

After leaving the exchange, Ais took a detour to the southeast of the city.

The reason she planned to take "that thing" to "that place" was probably because she encountered Lulu and her fellow Hermes Familia.

It may also be guided by the many people and stories we encountered today.

The destination is within the area encompassed by the red-light district and the labyrinthine Daedalus Road.

"The First Cemetery".

It is also known as the "Adventurers' Cemetery." As its name suggests, it is a burial ground built specifically for adventurers who have lost their lives.

The graves of numerous adventurers—those who died in dungeons, perished in battle, or whose remains could not be recovered—are concentrated here. Deep within stands a dark monument dedicated to the great adventurers of Orario's brave resistance—the "Heroes."

The countless tombstones shrouded in twilight evoked a sense of desolation akin to homesickness. It was as if, with eyes closed, one could hear the laughter and chatter of their companions who lay buried here.

Ais looked down at her palm.

The prepared bouquet could not respond; it simply swayed in the breeze.

"what……"

After walking a short distance and passing several tombstones,

I saw a figure walking towards me from the bottom of the road after finishing the worship.

Long, smooth, glossy black hair, crimson eyes. Her body was completely covered by clothing—reminiscent of a priestess's pure white robes.

Ais stopped in her tracks, and then someone else spotted her.

"You are... [Fiora]."

"Philwines, Miss..."

The elven girl Philvis Sharia stared wide-eyed in astonishment at the completely unexpected coincidence.

However, their expressions quickly returned to calm. Ais and Philweis, separated by only a short distance, gazed at each other.

"...This is the first time we've been alone together like this."

"Yes……"

"Are you here to offer flowers?"

"Yes...you too?"

Ais asked Phil Weiss, who was staring at the bouquet in her hand.

The elven girl seemed about to nod calmly... but slowly shook her head.

"No... I'm here to 'apologize'."

"..."

Although I've never spoken to Phil Weiss herself, we've had some exchanges. I've also heard a lot from Rafia.

"The Nightmare of the 27th Floor." The major incident instigated by the Dark Faction six years ago caused Philvis to lose many of her [Familia] companions. Refia once said that Philvis still deeply regrets being the only one who survived.

"I am already covered in filth," she even declared.

"【Fiora】...Have you ever felt fear?"

"fear……?"

"The fear of making an irreparable mistake."

"..."

"It doesn't help anyone, it just makes me look bad... all I do is keep losing..."

Phil Weiss lowered her head for a moment, then raised it again, her crimson eyes staring directly into Ais's golden pupils.

"You're completely useless, and you're even getting important people into trouble... What would you do if you were caught in this kind of 'fear'?"

The elf, who had once lost everything, asked this question.

It's as if it foreshadows a future where Ais is trapped in a dark vortex, and whether she likes it or not, she can only keep fighting. It's also as if it's worrying about Ais's future.

It is even more evident that they care about their compatriots.

"Will you resign yourself to fate? Run away? Or continue to fight?"

Philweis pressed the overwhelmingly powerful Sword Maiden for answers.

Ais couldn't answer.

"...Sorry for asking you such a strange question."

"……Won't."

"Let me go first."

After speaking, Phil Weiss walked past Aiss and left the cemetery.

Philweis's question still echoed in my ears, pounding in my heart. After gazing at Philweis's silhouette bathed in the setting sun for a long time, I finally managed to take another step.

Finally, they arrived at a corner of the cemetery purchased by the Loki Familia. The tombstones of many factions' ancestors, dating back to the time of Finn, Riveria, and Grace, are located here.

Ais approaches the seven new tombstones lined up in the middle.

"Although it's been a while... I'm back to see everyone."

Add a flower to each tombstone, and trace the names of your companions engraved on them with your eyes. This includes the name of the healer who cared for Ais many times, "Line Aisher".

"Knossos, the Man-Made Labyrinth." This is the stronghold of the remnants of the Dark Faction, located in Labyrinth City. Seven members of the Loki Familia perished in that man-made labyrinth. They triggered a trap within the labyrinth, the party was torn apart, and ultimately, they could not be saved.

About a month has passed since that tragedy, and even though the wounds are gradually healing, loneliness and sorrow still turn into pain, repeatedly whipping me.