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

"...Please rest assured. We are willing to do everything in our power to fulfill any other requests..."

"You just want to lock me in a birdcage, which is no different from those foolish gods (male gods) in heaven who just want to imprison me."

Freya still refused to listen to advice, abandoning her usual sacred demeanor and behaving like a free-spirited fairy.

She straightened her expression, turned her face away, and raised one hand to the side.

"You may leave."

A goddess representing beauty is absolutely not content with a single love. No, even countless loves could not satisfy her.

Such amorous behavior may seem indecent at first glance, and could even be considered immoral. However, this only applies to mortals, a standard that belongs only to humans, and in the eyes of the gods, it doesn't seem to be considered immoral.

Ota had a vague idea of ​​Freya's "true wish," and although he felt a mix of emotions, he could understand it. But he still couldn't help wanting to stop her. Ota wanted to respect Freya's will, but he was also worried about her safety. These two feelings forced Ota into a dilemma.

"..."

At this moment, however, he could not hide the confused expression on his face.

For someone who is a martial artist, to see him with such an expression would be as if he were in unbearable pain.

The young maids who were serving in the corner of the room were also flustered and had no idea what to do.

The wild boar ear on Otto's head bent down as if it had nowhere to go.

*

Night falls—

The labyrinthine city, transformed into a city that never sleeps, is brightly lit and bustling with activity. A group of people sit around a huge round table.

This is neither the top floor of the Tower of Babel nor a bar in a corner of the city.

Instead, it is the base of the Freya Familia located in the fifth district of the city, "Fólkvangr".

This is a round table area that only cadres are allowed to enter.

"Oh, why did you call us here?"

Alan Fourmore, the cat-man sitting at the round table, spoke first.

Despite standing at only 160cm (Cels), he possesses a piercingly sharp gaze and exudes an aura that hints at the violent acts he might commit. His black cat-like fur and blue eyes give him a dignified appearance, yet his demeanor makes him unapproachable.

Ellen's title is "Vana Freia".

Not only in the city, but this title is known all over the world, and it is enough to represent the Lv.6 first-level adventurer of Orario.

"How long has it been since the last emergency call-up?"

"I don't think this has happened since the start of the all-out war with the dark faction."

"So this is also a major battle of the same scale."

"Then I'll have to take good care of my weapon."

The four identical voices came from the dwarf quadruplets on Allen's side.

They are the four Jaliba brothers.

The quadruplets are not only first-class adventurers of the Freya Familia, who are on par with the Vana Freia, but they also share the title of the Bringal.

Although they were only Lv.5, their teamwork in battle was second to none in the labyrinth city, strong enough to overturn the disadvantage of the dwarf race compared to other races. The four of them looked exactly alike, the only difference being their eye color.

The seats, from right to left, were arranged exactly according to the order of birth—eldest son Alfred, second son Duvalin, third son Berling, and youngest son Ger.

"This means the horn announcing the impending twilight of the labyrinth city is about to sound... The epic battle between the [Familia] is about to unfold... My right hand is already itching to act... Hmph, hmph hmph hmph hmph..."

"You don't have to force yourself to join the conversation, Hegney."

The dark elf raised the corners of his mouth in a strange smile—actually, it was just a stiff smile, coupled with his poor speaking skills that made his words a jumbled mess—and the white elf man beside him offered advice as if it were commonplace.

These two, who are not related by blood but are easily regarded as partners because they are both elves, are Hegni and Hedin.

Their full names were Hegny Ragnar and Hedin Søren.

The former has brown skin and silver hair that is almost purplish, while the latter has crystal-clear white skin and long golden hair that reaches past her shoulders.

They are both Level 6 adventurers and "magic swordsmen" skilled in powerful "magic" and superb combat techniques. The titles bestowed upon them by the gods are [Dainsleif] and [Hildr slave], respectively. They even share the nickname "Black and White Knights".

The members attending this roundtable meeting are the strongest fighting force that the Freya Familia is proud of.

"There is only one reason for gathering everyone here... it is related to the goddess Freya."

After looking around at everyone present, Otto slowly began to speak.

He stated the topic of the day clearly from the outset.

In other words, Freya's "old problem," which has recurred countless times, has struck again.

"...That matter."

The group members, including Allen, immediately fell silent, their expressions serious and solemn.

"In that case, it's understandable why we were suddenly summoned."

"After all... last time it was so serious that we almost went to war with the Loki Familia."

"Yes, it even almost killed [Nine Hell]."

"No, last time we even angered the elves outside of the opposing faction (Loki's Familia), and we got a beating from them, didn't we?"

"Shut up, Alfred."

The eldest of the four Jariba brothers calmly began to complain, but his three younger brothers immediately covered his mouth. Allen ignored him and glared fiercely at Ota.

"I warned you before that the lady's personality is too free-spirited. Whether she's amorous or what, even if we have to lock her up, we have to find a way to make her behave like a god."

"—You wretched cat, watch your words."

"How dare someone like you interfere with that person's freedom?"

The four Jaliba brothers, who were originally arguing amongst themselves, were the ones who angrily voiced their rebuttal.

Facing the powerful killing intent emanating from the four dwarfs' glaring eyes, Allen fearlessly declared:

"You bunch of shorty who can't accomplish anything by yourself, stop showing off your power over there."

"Hmph, hmph... Now is the time for me, who surpasses such reckless courage, to demonstrate my loyalty and righteousness... My loyalty will never be inferior to anyone else's, including you bunch of good-for-nothings..."

"I told you to shut up, Hegney."

The dark elf Hegni also joined the battle, and the situation escalated further.

On that murderous round table, Hedin's sigh echoed emptily.

The members of the Freya Familia, including Eren, are not exactly on good terms; in fact, they often have grudges against each other.

They swore allegiance only to the chief god (Freya).

And all he wanted was the goddess's favor.

Therefore, even those who share the same divine blood are merely targets to be eliminated in their eyes. In order to become the most qualified to receive Freya's favor, they engage in daily "fighting" under the guise of training.

Freya knew about this but did not stop it, and even—

"You all have such a good relationship."

He said this with a smile.

However, this is the unique secret behind the strength of the strongest faction in the city (the Freya Familia).

A brutal infighting within the [Family].

The entire [Family] did not resort to childish methods like sparring in order to gain the goddess's favor, but rather through competition, allowing them to advance to higher realms at a speed far exceeding that of other factions. All of this stemmed from the pursuit of the goddess's affection. It was Freya's charisma that created this situation.

The power to disregard the lives of comrades—this is the decisive difference between the Loki Familia, led by great executives like the Brave and whose members are united in purpose.

One side emphasizes the power of the "individual," while the other side leverages the strength of the "group" through mutual complementarity.

The phrase "two giants of the labyrinth city" perfectly describes the contrast in characteristics between these two factions.

"Even if you argue so unbearably, it won't help. We need to come up with a solution as soon as possible."

The elf Hedin made it possible for the long-delayed meeting to continue.

With his striking good looks, Hedin could be described as being favored by the gods. After uttering these words, he left Allen and the others speechless, only able to smack their lips in response, while Otto nodded in agreement.

"This time... it's impossible to stop the goddess Freya. Restricting her freedom would only have more serious consequences. The best approach right now is to protect the goddess Freya secretly."

O's deep voice made Allen and the others turn sharp.

The first-level adventurers were all keeping each other in check through their gazes.

The reason is that the topic of the roundtable meeting has changed to "who is qualified to be the guardian of the chief god (Freya)".

"Leave it to me, I am that lord's chariot."

"snort."

"--Which piece of shit made me laugh?"

One of the dwarfs scoffed at Allen, who had volunteered first.

Seeing the cat-man suddenly unleash a murderous aura, the four Jaliba brothers couldn't help but make fun of him.

"It's ridiculous that a stray cat dares to call itself a tank."

"Hey, stop talking, you're making it impossible for the discussion to continue, Du Hualin."

"You domestic animal, you're no match for a war chariot. Go pull the plow and till the fields!"

"Are you listening to me, Berlin?"

"That man only touched your throat and you're already in heat all the time, what a lecherous cat."

"I told you to shut up, Ger."

"That's why I can't stand animals that are inherently lowly."

"All of you, shut up—!!"

--Correction: It was the three younger brothers who spoke rudely, and the eldest son who tried his best to stop them.

Alfiek Jariba is the only poor guy among the four brothers. Just because he was born a few seconds earlier than his mother, he was forced to take charge of disciplining his unruly younger brothers.

Alfred was so angry he cursed and almost cried, but the other members showed no intention of helping him. For Ota and the others, this was just an everyday occurrence.

This was a roundtable meeting that could easily escalate into a fight if anyone added fuel to the fire.

Seeing that the meeting was dragging on without reaching a conclusion, Otto slowly began to speak:

"...Given the circumstances, I am still the most suitable person to take on this important task."

"""What?"""

The atmosphere at the scene froze instantly.

Everyone simultaneously turned their gaze toward Ota.

"You stinking wild boar, don't go too far. Don't put on airs and hogging the spot next to that sir."

"How are you going to protect someone as big as you secretly? You're such a muscle-brained person."

"Don't make this place hot, you muscle brain."

"Shameless muscle-brained idiot."

"Stop using parts of your body other than your body to make jokes, you muscle-brained person."

"Hmph hmph hmph...muscle brain."

"You're a truly pathetic person, Hegney. And so is Muscle Brain Otto."

"........."

Allen and the others naturally had many grievances against the boar-men who were appointed as personal attendants by the main god (Freya).

Faced with the relentless slander from his unscrupulous companions, Ota remained silent with a blank expression.

His reaction wasn't because being the leader meant he had to silently endure the members' complaints.

Otto's patience was limited; he too could get angry, and he was not as magnanimous as he seemed.

However, being a martial artist, he knew he couldn't win an argument against Allen and the others.

That's right—only your own fists can shut them up.

Several pairs of eyes met.