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

"If I were to meet the goddess Freya now... she would surely discover that I am no longer lost."

Children cannot lie before the gods; my state of mind would be immediately seen through.

Once the goddess Freya learns that "Bell Crane is convinced that he does not belong to the Familia of the Goddess of Beauty (Freya's Familia)," who knows what will happen. But at least one thing is certain: the situation will not improve.

So, what's really going on here?

No matter how much I believe in myself, the world still regards me as "Bell Crane of the Freya Familia," and Miss Ais doesn't remember that I am "Bell Crane of the Hestia Familia."

"Is the reason Orario became like this... because of the goddess Freya?"

...Did she use the power of "charm" to create this "closed world"?

It's unbelievable, but I can't think of any other answer. And only a god could have such an ability.

If this conjecture is entirely correct, then the existence of beings called "gods" is truly beyond the imagination of us mortals. After all, they can not only change individuals, but also influence the entire world.

Faced with such unimaginable methods, I couldn't help but shudder.

"If this was done by the goddess Freya... then why would she do it...?"

Is it to get me to join the Familia of the Goddess (Freya's Familia)? If so, why not use "Charm" on me like the others do? Is there some inconvenience? Or are there some conditions?

No, I can't figure it out at all.

How could a mere mortal like myself possibly fathom the divine will of the high and mighty goddess?

So I decided to put aside the questions related to the goddess Freya for the time being.

(What I absolutely must think about now is how to protect myself... What is the right thing to do?)

I cannot meet with the goddess Freya. Now that things have come to this, I don't know how to face her.

And instead of worrying about whether I'll have contact with the goddess, I should be concerned about whether others, after witnessing today's battle, will start to suspect that something is wrong with me. Like Mr. Hegney and Miss Heather. As for my master... well, who knows.

Although I was able to confirm that the "techniques" taught to me by Miss Ais and the others were good without giving myself away, I still felt that I shouldn't do such a foolish thing in front of a first-class adventurer, nor should I become completely emotional just because I regained my longing for my dream.

If Lily were here, she would definitely give me a sharp lecture.

Then Welf, Miss Mikoto, and Miss Haruhime will all give a wry smile, while the fairy will watch us from the sidelines...

"...Gods, everyone..."

I look out the window, longing for my real family (family).

My time with the Freya Familia was agonizing and painful, but it wasn't just that. I did find redemption here, experiencing different kinds of bonds and warmth. However… this is not where I truly belong.

I raised my hands and slapped my cheeks hard, trying to shake off the melancholy in my heart.

In short, I can be sure that I don't have much time left.

It's hard to say whether Mr. Hegni and his colleagues have already reported my situation to the goddess Freya.

Should we just escape from here? The problem is, what would happen if we did?

Even though I managed to shake off the largest faction in the city (the Freya Familia) and escape the "Battlefield," the world still hasn't returned to normal. Until everything is rectified, I have nowhere to go.

With a swallowing sound, I finished my rations and replenished the nutrients I needed.

I felt the abundant blood flowing through my body and brain, while racking my brains for a solution—and then something suddenly came to mind.

"Where is Miss Seele...? Now that this world has been distorted, where is Miss Seele currently...?"

Miss Chloe and the others don't remember Miss Seele.

The Freya Familia also insists that there is no woman named Seele here.

However, I am very clear that she did exist.

It wasn't that there was a disagreement; she had simply vanished completely. Doubts began to rise in his mind, and his intuition warned him.

I always felt that Miss Seele, who was treated as if she didn't exist, should hold some kind of "key".

Then what I should do is search for Miss Seele's whereabouts... and try to find her?

"Even Miss Ryu is nowhere to be found, this is really suspicious...! I have to find them quickly...!"

Having clearly defined my strategy, I suddenly stood up.

As I prepared myself to set off—

As if resonating with me, thus triggering a rebellion—suddenly an "explosion" was heard.

“Eh!?”

The mansion then shook violently.

I quickly steadied myself, stunned into silence. Although I had decided to take action, I hadn't done anything yet!

I quickly opened the window to check on the mansion and its surroundings.

Fearing an attack, I noticed thick smoke and dust billowing from the first floor of the mansion, along with glittering remnants of "magic."

"Bell!! Is Bell there!?"

"...! Uh, um!"

A series of loud knocks came from outside the door, followed by the therapist's familiar call.

After a moment's hesitation, I decided to respond honestly first.

"Thank goodness you're still here...! You didn't leave the room, did you!?"

The person who pushed open the door and walked in was indeed Miss Haici.

She looked more flustered than ever before. After leading several group members in, she visibly relaxed when she saw me.

"I've been in my room the whole time... What happened?! There was a really loud noise...!"

While I was puzzled by the content of the question, I asked it back.

Outside the room—no, inside the mansion—came the occasional metallic clang of swords clashing.

"...There are 'bandits' who have ventured alone into this sacred 'battlefield'."

Miss Haici paused for a moment before finally giving her answer.

I was stunned on the spot, even forgetting my own situation, and exclaimed in surprise.

"Thieves, bandits!? And they broke into the Freya Familia all by themselves!?"

*

Sharp slashes followed one after another.

Faced with an attack that clearly demonstrated the opponent's extraordinary strength, Ryu, drenched in sweat, swung his katana in a slash.

“Ugh!!”

"drink!"

The orc was completely exposed when his longsword was flicked upwards, and Liu immediately followed up with a sharp side kick.

Without confirming whether her opponent, who had crashed heavily against the wall, was unconscious, she turned and ran away. Soon, shouts of reinforcements rang out from nearby: "She's there!" and "Catch her!!"

Liu wanders alone through the first floor of the enormous, palatial mansion, attempting to escape.

If she wasn't mistaken, these pursuers were none other than the most troublesome and largest faction in the city (the Freya Familia).

"This really is the 'Battlefield'...! The headquarters of the Freya Familia!"

Liu Zheng sprinted at full speed, trying her best to control the situation, and large beads of sweat streamed down her delicate skin.

Ryu, who had finally woken up, had been locked in this unfamiliar "basement" for a week. She had long anticipated where she would be taken after losing consciousness in front of the girl (Seele)—no, the goddess (Freya), but she still felt anxious. The reason was that, apart from the dungeon, this was arguably the most "dangerous" place in the labyrinth city (Orario).

"Drink!"

“Hmm!?”

The moment Liu arrived in the spacious corridor, a human jumped down from the upper level and swung his sword.

In the instant that Ryu was forced to defend herself, which slowed her down, the other members launched a merciless attack on her, their speed and skill so great that Ryu had to fight back with all her might.

--The enemies are all so strong!

Such a thought, though simple, is also very insightful.

This is the stronghold of the city's largest faction, so naturally there are no weaklings here. Even the current adversary is comparable in strength to a mid-level second-tier adventurer. Moreover, everyone's combat proficiency is immeasurable. The best evidence is that Ryu, who had just escaped from prison, was soon in a predicament where she was about to be captured. Even the novice adventurers are aware of their limitations, relying solely on magic and sniping to hold her back. This forces Ryu to use all the skills she has learned, and she was even forced to use magic, revealing her whereabouts.

Fortunately, the mansion was still in chaos, and the enemy had not yet completed their encirclement, but this did not change the fact that Ryu felt as if she were in a cage surrounded by ferocious beasts. She was fighting fiercely with a female spearman (elf) who seemed to be at the same level as her, and as her clothes were torn by her opponent, she also directly cut off the handle of her opponent's spear.

"Fellow countryman—no, [Gale]! How did you escape from the basement!?"

Hearing her opponent's furious question, Ryu was reminded of memories from just minutes ago.

She was originally locked in a basement where she didn't have to worry about food and clothing, which couldn't really be called a "prison".

However, she was bound by "shackles" that caused her to lose her status and contained a curse that sealed her magic, so she had no chance of escaping.

Just as Liu was anxious and at her wit's end, "she" suddenly appeared.

"Come out."

She somehow managed to knock out the high-ranking adventurer guarding the entrance. After entering the room, she tossed the short sword "Twin Leaves" and the key to a shocked Ryu, telling her:

"The condition for letting you go is that after this, you must create as much disturbance as possible on the east side of the mansion."

—While I am on the move.

Faced with this request from a distance, and with a calm and inscrutable demeanor that made her thoughts impossible to fathom, Ryu was completely unable to let her guard down.

What does this mean? What is she thinking? How could I easily comply with such a request?

When Ryu expressed her resistance with her eyes, "she" added one last sentence.

"—Please, Ryu."

Ryu began to waver because of the tone of those words and the look in her eyes.

Even though their appearances and voices were completely different, she couldn't help but think of a certain "girl".

She left behind the stunned Liu and turned to leave.

So Ryu silently picked up the key, unlocked the shackles, and then fought with people like this.

(Why obey someone of unknown origin? To be honest, even I'm clueless. But "that sentence" and "that look"—)

Liu Liu's eyebrows furrowed as she gripped the small katana tightly in her hand.

After parrying the attack, she recited a "spell" in one breath, seemingly written with her lips, in front of the wide-eyed elven spearman.

"[Conquering the enemy with the brilliance of stars]—[The Wind of Light]!"

The artillery fire launched by "parallel chanting" blew away all the reinforcements that had gathered, while also triggering a second explosion and shockwave.

*

"An explosion has occurred at headquarters!?"

This is the first basement level of the Tower of Babel.

Allen was in the hall leading to the first level of the dungeon, preparing to ambush the Loki Familia who had returned from the "Expedition," but his face turned pale with anger after hearing the report from his crew.

"What's going on? What are the wild boar and the elf doing?!"

"Th-that...this wasn't an external attack; it seems someone used 'magic' inside the headquarters...!"

Startled by Allen's agitated attitude, the team members, realizing the commotion at headquarters, whispered their opinions.

Completely bewildered, Allen clicked his tongue, and the four little quadruplets who were also present spoke up one after another.

"The fighting on the plains should have ended long ago."

"No fool in the Familia would dare to use 'magic' carelessly and accidentally disturb the goddess's peace."

"So it must have been done by other forces."

"Could it be... [Hayate] who's been locked in the basement?"

The four Alfiek brothers seemed to be in sync and reached a conclusion, which Allen immediately narrowed his eyes upon hearing.

"Lord Eren! Lord Alfred!"

The next second, the half-human Pan suddenly ran over.

Alan, who was deep in thought, wanted to tell the other person to shut up and talk about it later.

"That sir... no, that woman has suddenly vanished!"