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

Even those first-class adventurers who can transform into murder weapons with their bare hands stretch their fingers, making a sound.

Just as the tension, stretched to its limit, was about to break and war was about to break out—

"Um... Goddess Freya left a letter and then went out..."

"""What!?"""

After the female member of the group who was serving Freya came to report, Ota and the others turned to look at each other at the same time.

Everyone was stunned, as if frozen in stone.

--It seems these level one adventurers (men) are really no good.

The girl (Helen) gazed into the distance, thinking to herself.

*

"As long as it doesn't cause a commotion in Orario, it'll be fine, right?"

Our Queen Freya stood outside the massive walls that the labyrinthine city was so proud of, murmuring these words to herself with a sense of leisure.

Even knowing that these words were mocking her behavior, the free-spirited goddess still followed her intuition and moved forward.

Not long ago, Freya suddenly barged into the guild master's office at the guild headquarters.

She provocatively approached the bewildered and nervous Leuman Madier, and just as Leuman was about to be aroused, she whispered:

"Don't blame me for telling the old god (Uranus) about the dirty deeds you've done!"

Upon seeing Loyman, who turned pale with fright, Freya smiled and offered a deal.

"Is it still possible to assume you were misled into letting me leave the city?"

Despite her captivating smile that could bewitch all, she was ultimately a witch. Given her knowledge of the secrets of important city officials, she was practically a gust of wind capable of passing through any crack.

Even the guild leader, who usually strictly forbids his [Familia] from leaving Orario, looked ashen-faced as if the world was about to end, and reluctantly nodded in acceptance of the proposal.

"Enjoying the scenery like this is quite beautiful... Hehe, am I feeling particularly excited right now?"

Before Freya lay a vast grassland, as expansive as the sea.

The streets, paved with white stones, stretch across the grassland like bridge piers. The fragrance of tender buds and beautiful petals dance in the air as if welcoming guests.

It is currently early spring, and even the goddess who governs spring must be delighted to wish Freya a wonderful journey.

"Should I go west? East? South? North...? Hmm, which do you think is better?"

Freya, wearing a hood and a long robe, called out to the travelers who were preparing to head to Orario.

Even through the long robes, the merchants driving by in their carriages, the travelers in their travel attire, and the demi-human bards all seemed to be slightly stunned by Freya's charm, and thus pointed in the directions they recommended.

To the north is the Bio Mountains.

—Once you cross the treacherous valley, you will reach a rare lake whose grandeur rivals that of the underground city.

The west is a foam lake leading to the ocean.

—During this period, one should be able to see a rare waterfall that stretches straight to the sky.

The east is the land route to the center of the continent.

—The market, which prospered because of the Silk Road, will welcome you with the grandeur of a thousand-year-old kingdom.

The southern frontier is a hidden realm that has not yet been fully explored.

—These forgotten historical sites can definitely bring you an "unknown" experience.

The people sang praises to the goddess, each in the direction she pointed. Freya couldn't help but smile upon hearing this.

Gazing at the endless expanse of scenery before her, she squinted her eyes alluringly.

"So, where will my partner (Odr) be?"

2

The ship sails on the "ocean".

Two masts stretched high into the sky, their billowing white sails catching the west wind.

The boat is made of wood and metal, and is a medium-sized vessel that can carry at least fifty people.

With a series of sounds emanating from its bow, the ship strides confidently and proudly through the "ocean."

But—

This ship is not sailing on a vast, azure ocean.

This place is a yellowish-brown "sea of ​​sand".

"It's amazing to find ships that sail in the desert like this."

In the dazzling sunlight that the labyrinth city of Orario could not match, Freya murmured to herself.

She is currently on the "deck".

It's like sitting on the edge of a ship, leaning against it, gazing at this vast desert world from this ship traveling alone in the desert.

To the average person, this must have looked quite bizarre.

Ships that should be at sea are sailing in the desert.

"But this is indeed a view of the Netherworld I've never seen before. It seems deciding to head southeast was the right choice, wasn't it?"

Freya squinted, basking in the dry gusts of wind.

Freya headed southeast from Orario, located on the western border of the continent—once known as the end of the world.

The goddess decided to travel to that secret realm that had never been visited before, and what awaited her was a vast desert stretching endlessly along the horizon.

This is the desert, which stands in contrast to the sea.

Its name is "Kaios Desert".

For the countries located in the center of the continent, this is a sandy sea region in the far southwest.

"Ota and the others did find all sorts of desert-related gifts for me from the Desert Maze... but seeing them in person is just not the same."

The sand dunes resemble an endless mountain range.

Ships churn up sand from the endless carpet of fine sand, turning it into dust that is sucked into the sky.

Is that rocky wasteland shimmering in the heat in the distance a real sight, or just a mirage?

If you disregard the sweltering heat and extremely dry air, it is indeed a beautiful sight. However, the thought of viewing this magnificent desert world from a boat makes one want to laugh.

A maid with her lower face covered by a thin veil came to remind Freya to go back to her cabin to escape the heat, but Freya raised one hand to politely decline.

"Goddess Freya, are you satisfied with this desert voyage?"

A man walked over.

This human male has a robust physique.

Freya spoke to the guide who had helped arrange the trip, expressing her feelings.

"It's truly refreshing. I never expected to encounter something so novel outside of Orario."

"You flatter me! I, Boffman Fazl, am merely a businessman, willing to serve Your Majesty with utmost loyalty! Please feel free to give your orders!"

The businessman, who identified himself as Boffman, wore a smug smile.

His name and physique are reminiscent of Guild Master Leuman, though he is a whole size larger. He has wheat-colored skin and a thick black beard, and wears a turban, making him look every bit the desert dweller.

"Just being able to witness the goddess Freya, who caused a sensation in the mortal realm with her divine power and unparalleled beauty, is an immense blessing from heaven. Now, to even be able to stay by your side is the greatest fortune I can have! I believe it is the gods who bless merchants who are especially favoring me!"

Boffman was probably just trying to flatter her, yet he uttered these exaggerated words without batting an eye, almost making Freya burst out laughing. Speaking of the merchant god of Orario, the first person that comes to mind is a certain handsome god (Hermes) who always has a smile on his face but whose thoughts are hard to fathom.

Although Boffman mentioned the word "accompaniment," Freya did not hire him to accompany her on her journey.

It was just that Freya happened to meet Boffman in a town just before entering the Caios Desert.

When Boffman entered the bar and caught a glimpse of Freya's stunning beauty hidden under her hood, he first swallowed hard.

When he guessed Freya's true identity, he immediately rushed forward.

He volunteered to be Freya's guide "free of charge" so that she could lead the way, since Freya had not yet decided on her destination.

Moreover, they were quicker to raise their hands and step forward to compete than the other merchants who flocked to the scene.

All this was for the "honor" of being helped by the goddess to embark on her journey.

Having the opportunity to do someone a favor like this for the Freya Familia, or even just to have the famous goddess Freya remember his name, would be a huge profit for a merchant.

Establishing a relationship with a powerful [Family] will be quite advantageous in many ways.

Besides buying and selling materials, equipment, and weapons, one can also entrust the other party to help deal with troublesome matters that require force to resolve.

"Instead of currying favor with ordinary royal relatives, it's better to curry favor with powerful clans."

This is a well-known maxim in the business world.

Moreover, the other party is the strongest familia in the "center of the world," the labyrinth city of Orario, so the return on this favor is immeasurable.

If you can build a connection with Freya, it will still be a great deal even if you have to cover all the expenses of this spontaneous trip.

The fact that even a businessman (Boffman) would go to such lengths shows that Freya's name has already spread from Orario to the whole world.

"Boffman, I came to this desert to kill time, and I only took a liking to you because I admire your talent. Now that you've accepted this job, you'd better find a way to satisfy me."

"Of course, Goddess Freya! Please leave this matter to me, Boffman, the richest man in this desert!"

"Then, I'd like to first check out the places around here where the most children frequent."

"Yes, sir! *chuckles*"

Putting aside his tendency to boast, the goddess (Freya) could indeed tell at a glance that Boffman was a very talented businessman. However, his manner of speaking and laughter were inexplicably infuriating.

In short, Freya was filled with anticipation.

She even wore a smile on her face, a smile different from that of the queen of the labyrinth city (Orario), as she was immersed in the beauty of the desert.

Looking at the "Goddess's" smile, which seemed like that of a pure young girl, even Boffman would sometimes forget that he was just the servant of the woman in front of him and couldn't help but stare in fascination.

"By the way, I remember this ship was built by the magical superpower (Altna), right?"

"Huh!? Y-yes!"

Faced with this unexpected question, Boffman, finally regaining his composure, spoke up to explain.

"This ship is called the 'Desert Ship'! It's a high-class vehicle that has only recently been imported from this country to the Caios Desert!"

Boffman gave a triumphant explanation of the ship sailing in the desert.

Besides Orario, the magical superpower (Altna) is also one of the world's major "powers," and the ship they built can be described as a giant magic item.

This is the world's first "desert-specific" vessel, created by dozens of magicians (mages).

"Where's the ship's power? Look how many sand dunes it's already crossed; it couldn't possibly be sailing solely on wind power, could it?"

The ship had just passed a rather steep sand dune.

It is significantly different from ordinary ships that brave the wind and waves.

After Freya asked her question, Boffman pointed directly below the deck.

"It operates using 'magic.' There are over thirty slaves in the hull that continuously provide magic to power the ship. The ship runs on 'magic,' which is certainly in line with the style of a magical superpower (Altna)!"

Boffman explained that there were multiple crystal balls at the bottom of the cabin, and when a person placed their hands on them, "magic" could be infused into them. Unlike warships (Trireme) that were propelled by oars, this was a so-called magic ship (Magianaus).

I see. Freya also thinks this has a style very much like that of the magical superpower (Altna).

The magical superpower (Altna) completely adheres to "magic supremacy".

Magicians and sorcerers (mage) have a strong sense of electoral identity, and even claim that "magic represents everything".

Whether it's the fact that the local residents rely on "magic" to make a living, or that more than half of the residents are elves, these facts are enough to demonstrate their ideology—but for this reason, the country unilaterally regards Orario, which has many powerful mages, as a thorn in its side—

Those without "magic" are not qualified to pilot this ship.

I feel I can hear the persistence of the magical superpower (Altna) from this ship.

"It seems the magical superpower (Altna) shouldn't be underestimated..."

Since the Materia items that Orario was so proud of were put into circulation, they have become well-known and most commonly used items due to their practicality. However, the "Desert Ship" is also a very outstanding invention.

Although this is an item that cannot function without "magic" and cannot be used by just anyone, it at least has the potential to become one of the new means of transportation in the desert region. In order to prevent the labyrinth city from monopolizing the limelight, various countries and cities, including the magical superpower (Altna), are doing their best to develop it.

On the other hand, life was just as hard for the enslaved.