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

"The so-called adventurer's request, simply put, is a general term for asking adventurers to do things."

We were walking on Northwest Street.

Compared to other avenues, this street is exceptionally wide, and as its name "Adventurer's Street" suggests, it is frequented by many adventurers.

"You can think of it as many clients asking adventurers to solve their various problems. The clients will prepare a reward that matches the content of the request, and the adventurers will complete the adventurer's request and then receive the reward as a reward."

"Uh, isn't that like the relationship between us and the gods who bestow 'favors' upon us...?"

"Yes, to borrow the words of the gods, it's what's called 'fair exchange'."

Footsteps echoed on the stone-paved road.

It was still morning, and the adventurers who were about to explore the dungeon were probably visiting the guild headquarters or the various item shops to make their preparations.

My gaze was involuntarily drawn to the elf squad dressed in beautiful clothes and armor, which resulted in Lily pinching my thigh. I apologized repeatedly to her puffed-out cheeks and then listened attentively to her explanation.

"A typical example of an adventurer's request in Orario is... an adventurer going deep into the dungeon to collect resources for a client who is unable to fight."

"It really sounds like a labyrinth city."

"Hehe, that's right."

Soon, following the flow of adventurers, we came upon a massive building constructed of beautiful white stone. This was the guild headquarters, which resembled a grand temple.

Passing through the front yard and stepping into the spacious hall, you can see a large number of adventurers coming and going, shoulder to shoulder.

Lily, who cleverly "transformed" into a beastman child, occasionally shook her cat ears and stopped in front of a large billboard.

"Most adventurer requests are posted by the guild. Here is a list of adventurer requests that are currently recruiting."

The large notice board was covered with countless parchments, some of which contained official information about dungeons or adventurers provided by the guild, but most of them were adventurer requests that Lily had mentioned.

Each parchment contains the details of the commission and the remuneration, along with the client's signature or a badge proving that it is the client's personal seal or a "family" badge.

"Let me see... 'Requesting the collection of 10 Hellhound Fangs'... 'Willing to exchange the following rewards for the fruit of the 24th floor'... 'Defeat the floor boss - Recruiting temporary team members ※Note: Joining requires reaching Lv.3'... "

As I read it aloud, I could feel my cheeks twitching slightly.

If these quests had a difficulty level, almost none of them would be achievable for me in my current state. The only one I might be able to manage is probably this quest to "collect 30 orc skins".

But it's impossible to complete it overnight... it will probably take a lot of effort.

"As you can see, almost all adventurer requests related to dungeons target floors below the 'middle level'."

"Middle layer"...that is, the realm of adventurers of level 2 and above, starting from the second layer.

Adventurers who have undergone an upgrade are collectively referred to as "Advanced Adventurers".

"Why aren't there many requests from 'higher-ups'?"

"That's because most ordinary [familia] members or adventurers can go by themselves. Unless you really have no talent for adventure, as long as you form a team and take your time, you can reach around the 7th floor of the upper level."

Ah, that’s it.

I've heard that half of the adventurers in Orario are still at Lv.1 and haven't leveled up yet.

It's easy to understand why most Familias can reach the "Upper Floors" but not the "Middle Floors." Because only a limited number of adventurers can reach floors below the "Middle Floors," there are naturally more quests related to those floors.

So that's what Lily meant when she said, "Most of the content of adventurer requests is applicable to high-level adventurers."

"However, the adventurer requests posted by the guild are limited to members of the [Family] or merchants, which means they are more attractive to adventurers."

"?"

"To put it bluntly, it means being certain of receiving reasonable compensation... and most importantly, having credibility."

While I was still completely clueless, Lily started moving again.

She walked out of the guild headquarters before leaving the notice board.

"That means some adventurer requests are problematic. For example, the client's name is concealed, or the details of the request seem off."

"...Uh, like taking something without paying, or something like that?"

"Ah, that's spot on, Lord Bell. Lily is so pleased with your quick thinking."

Lily smiled, as if pleased with her students' growth.

"By the way, Lily has used this trick before too—" I chuckled dryly when I heard her say this with a smile, my lips twitching.

Just how much do you hate adventurers, Lily...?

"In short, requests that are too low to be recognized by the guild, or requests made by ordinary people, all gather in those kinds of hotels. In every sense, those are all sorts of bizarre requests."

Lily said this, pointing to a hotel built next to Northwest Street.

According to her, it was a "Family" of a hotel, which, in addition to being a guild, also mediated adventurer quests for its clients—in short, it was like a private organization. A closer look revealed a signboard on the door that resembled a "Family" emblem.

Incidentally, I've heard that the "familia" of those hotels actively gather information from their guests, and they also have an side as information brokers.

Earning commissions from adventurers' requests and selling the information obtained to manage a [Familia]...that's quite an idea.

This shows that there are truly all sorts of different kinds of "families" in the world.

"In short, I advise you to avoid adventurer requests that are not approved by the guild, to avoid being taken advantage of. ...Even if a [familia] you have a relationship with asks you for a request directly, it's the same."

...I understand what Lily is trying to say.

She just wanted to teach me that Miss Nazha's adventurer requests weren't processed through a guild, so her credibility wasn't high enough, and she shouldn't have accepted them in the first place.

But if it were a stranger, it would be fine, since it's a request from an acquaintance, so there shouldn't be so much suspicion...

"That's why Lord Bell is called a pushover. Although Lily has no right to say this about you, your kindness makes you vulnerable to being taken advantage of and easily fooled."

...My thoughts were probably written all over my face, and Lily gave me a merciless lecture.

Plus, I'm somewhat aware of my own limitations... Hmm—I have nothing to say in response.

"Well, as long as Lily is alive, she will never let anyone deceive Lord Bell, so you can rest assured. —Alright, that concludes the basic information (explanation) of adventurer's quests. It's about time to get to the main topic."

"Uh, okay."

We walked slowly down the avenue, and I took out the parchment again.

I read it over again to confirm and carefully understood the contents of Miss Nazha's adventurer's request.

Hmm—but speaking of which, we need to find the "Blue Demon Butterfly's Wings"...

"The Blue Demon Butterfly, that must be it, right? Everyone says it's a 'rare species'..."

"Yes. They appear on the 'upper floor,' so they pose no danger to Lord Bell right now... but finding them may take some effort."

"I think so..."

Although Miss Nazha said there was no deadline... it seems that the adventurer's request I accepted might actually be a bit tricky.

As I thought about it, a worried expression crept onto my face. To ease my unease, Lily smiled slightly at me.

"Don't worry, Lord Bell. Lily has an idea. Let's make some preparations and then head to the dungeon."

...I really am always bothering Lily.

I feel guilty towards this supporter who always makes up for all my shortcomings, but at the same time I find her very reliable.

◆

"Blue Demon Butterfly".

It is said that this butterfly monster appears on the 7th floor of the dungeon.

They have four transparent blue wings, and their flight is said to be so graceful that even adventurers can't help but stop and admire them.

The Blue Demon Butterfly has a beautiful appearance that doesn't resemble a monster, and it is also known as a "rare species" because it is extremely difficult to encounter.

Monsters that are rare and seldom seen on each floor are called "rare species," and the Blue Demon Butterfly belongs to this category. Needless to say, the items dropped by these hard-to-find "rare species" are valuable and have high added value.

I've heard that the encounter rate for Blue Demon Butterflies is relatively high compared to other "rare species"... but even so, finding this monster using normal exploration methods would definitely take a while. To this day, I haven't seen them even once, which is the best proof.

Recalling the monster encyclopedia that Miss Eina had forced me to memorize, I initially thought that this adventurer's request might not be completed within a day.

"...Are we too far in?"

"Yes. We're almost at the south end of the floor."

The location is on the 7th floor. We went to the item shop first, and then went into the dungeon to this floor where the Blue Demon Butterfly appears.

Following Lily's instructions, we continued along the narrow passages that formed the maze, and it took about an hour. We strayed significantly from the proper route leading to the next level and entered the edge of the 7th floor.

In the dungeon, I only went down to the lower levels and never ventured into the corners of the floors. The unfamiliar paths made me a little nervous, and I quickly dealt with the monsters that appeared using the Goddess's Blade and the Double-Edged Dagger.

Lily also quickly took the "magic stone" from the "killer ant" I had defeated.

"Lily, what could be going on so far inside this building?"

"There is a pantry with underground granaries."

A grain depot? Almost at the same time I asked that question, the roadside landscape began to change.

The pale green walls, the phosphorescent ceiling, and the gradually uneven surface of the ground beneath one's feet. The further one goes, the less regular and orderly the maze becomes, giving one the illusion of having wandered into a cave.

As I blinked in surprise, the phosphorescence on the ceiling gradually faded and lost its brightness.

(Light……)

Instead, a hazy, mysterious green light emanates from the deep corners of the cave-like passageway.

I stopped and silently turned to look at Lily. She didn't say anything either, only nodded at me. I held my breath and cautiously stepped deeper into the cave.

A slightly faster heartbeat vibrated in my lungs.

Since I got used to venturing into dungeons, it's been a long time since I've felt this way about facing a secret realm. The premonition of the "unknown"—a realm I haven't yet entered—filled my chest with an intense mix of tension and calm excitement, even though I'm still relatively new to adventure.

Listening to the echoing footsteps around me, I slowly peeked out from around the corner, heading towards the end where the truth of the green light was about to be revealed.

“——”

The moment you step into that place, any words you were going to say are forgotten.

It was a spacious area.

Even on deeper floors, I had never seen such a vast void.

What first caught my eye was the green quartz standing prominently on the front.

The enormous green crystal pillar reached up to the ceiling of the dark, hollow space, blending seamlessly with the wall behind it. The twisted, crystalline surfaces, raised in various places, resembled tree bark, making the entire crystal pillar look like a quartz tree.

The cascading green light is the radiance emanating from this crystal tree.

(Those monsters...)

A transparent liquid seeps from the crystal tree, and the dripping sap gathers into a large pool of spring water near the roots.

To lick this liquid, the "killer ants" and "purple moths" cling to trees, while the "needle rabbits" stick out their tongues to moisten their throats by the spring.

"Were you startled?"

"Lily..."

"This is the food depot... a supply space given to the monsters by the dungeon."

I was still standing there, stunned, when Lily asked me with some delight, and even offered an explanation.

Every so often, the monsters born from the dungeon would naturally feel hungry. It is said that some of these monsters would hunt adventurers for food or kill each other, but most of them seemed to fill their stomachs by consuming the liquid provided by the dungeon, their mother city.

This spacious area is a source of nutrition for the monsters.

The name "Granary of the Underground City" is indeed fitting.

"...Are we looking for the Blue Demon Butterfly here?"

"Yes. Rather than searching aimlessly, Lily thinks it's more likely to encounter them if we lie in wait here."

Now I understand everything.

I heard that besides the first and second floors, each floor has two or three food storage areas. If we just keep watch at one of them, without having to wander around the huge floors, the hungry Blue Demon Butterflies might just come to us, and we can catch them red-handed.

Laying in ambush and waiting for the prey to take the bait—that's what hunting is all about.

"Alright, Lord Bell. Stop staring blankly and get hidden. The consequences will be dire if the monsters find us."

"Ah...yes, that's right."

I stood frozen at the entrance of the passageway, and Lily nudged my waist.

Besides the route we took, this vast void connects to more than a dozen passageways, from which hordes of monsters could appear at any time. If they discovered us, we'd be forced to fight all the monsters in this space... I don't even want to think about it.

We moved silently and swiftly to a corner of the great void.