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

Upon hearing the report, Allen's eyes immediately flashed with a fierce light.

"...This time I'm absolutely going to kill that woman."

Faced with the menacing cat-man, Pan and the other members were too terrified to utter a sound.

"What should we do now, Allen?"

"Do you even need to ask that? Idiot."

Alfred, in principle, sought the opinion of the deputy commander in charge of on-site command, and Allen immediately issued the order.

"Return to headquarters immediately."

"Is there some unrest at the Freya Familia's headquarters?"

Aisha stopped in her tracks, puzzled.

This place is some distance away from the main street where people drink and make merry, and is located near Daedalus Road on the east side of the city.

"That's right, the news seems to have come from Sean and the others who are staying in the downtown area. Melly came to tell us that there are sounds like fighting coming from inside the wall."

"What's going on? Their fighting should end by sunset, right? Could it be a conflict with another faction?"

"We don't know for sure, but we can't just sit idly by..."

Falgar, a tiger-man and colleague of the Hermes Familia, also frowned in worry.

For better or worse, the title of "the city's largest faction" carries considerable influence. Any unusual activity within its headquarters would naturally cause alarm among other factions. This is especially true for the Hermes Familia, which prides itself on neutrality and focuses on intelligence gathering.

After hearing Falgar's words, the Amazons, who should have forgotten everything that happened after the Goddess Festival, suddenly put on a thoughtful expression.

"I bet they just happened to be fighting until tonight, right? Let's hurry up and finish distributing the firewood!"

Lulu, standing to the side, didn't pay any attention to Aisha and Farga's conversation.

The dog-woman, still carrying firewood, deftly shrugged and ran towards one of the houses.

"I'm from the Hermes Familia~ The firewood supplied by the guild has arrived~"

"Ah, thank you so much! The weather's been so cold lately, it feels like winter. You've really been a great help."

"Ah, yes, yes, then I'll be bothering you."

"Huh? That...that one?"

Lulune swaggered past the housewife (human) who answered the door and entered the house, squatting down in front of the fireplace.

"My household deity instructed that we must help everyone start a 'fire' before we are allowed to leave."

She quickly piled up the firewood, lit it with a flint and steel, and flames immediately shot out of the fireplace.

The couple and their daughter were delighted by her nimble move and invited everyone to stay for dinner. Lulu tried hard to resist the temptation, saying wearily, "We still have work to do."

"Sigh~ This job, also known as 'charity work,' still has dozens of cases to handle... But it's really cold tonight~"

"I'd like to ask that too. Seriously, would the Hermes Familia really take on this kind of work that's clearly trying to pander to the masses?"

"Well, this has never happened before..."

Because magic stone heaters are extremely expensive, most residents of Orario rely on regular heaters to get through the winter. However, the chief god (Hermes) announced a "charitable event," handing out large quantities of firewood and maps indicating which households would receive them to his guild members—an act that was truly beyond reproach. Since all guild members had to participate, Lulune and Aisha groaned in despair. Even Vice-Captain Falgar, carrying firewood on his shoulders, was frequently puzzled.

"Speaking of which... this firewood has a faint smell of 'blood'..."

Luluni hoisted the firewood and sniffed the air with her dog nose.

"You're not suggesting that this firewood was used as a murder weapon, are you?"

"Stop talking nonsense and get going. Hermes has repeatedly instructed us that we must finish the work before midnight."

"Ah, wait for me~"

Luluni anxiously caught up with Aisha and Farga, who were still complaining.

The firewood, personally distributed by the Hermes Familia, was lit one after another.

Without anyone noticing, the entire city gradually filled with "fire from the stove".

*

Boom! !

The mansion shook again, and I quickly braced myself against the wall to steady myself.

"Ugh...! It's happening again...!?"

Miss Haici, losing her balance, stumbled forward and headbutted me, causing me to groan in pain. I coughed as I helped her up and asked her a question:

"The situation seems quite serious. Are you sure it's alright?!"

"Um...!"

"Since it was a bandit who invaded, this cannot be considered a trivial matter; rather, it should be extremely serious—"

"Oh dear! I'm totally confused about everything too! That's why I wanted to ask someone to explain it to me!"

Miss Haici, whose cheeks were flushed, had been touching her aching forehead, but in the end she raised her hands in anger and shouted.

"I'm sorry." Even though I'm slightly taller, I was so frightened by her appearance that I quickly apologized.

"Bell, please don't leave this room!"

"Eh... But... but!"

"You're the apple of Goddess Freya's eye. If anything happens to you, I'll be severely punished! So, just do me a favor and stay obediently in your room! Understand?! I'll also leave a few guards with you!"

After giving her instructions in an uncompromising manner, Miss Haici quickly left the room.

Just as she said, two familiar senior members of the group walked in.

"Bell, you'd better listen to Heci, okay? Even though it might seem a bit overprotective, she actually likes you quite a bit."

"Given that you were cursed in the past, this attack may not be entirely unrelated to that."

“Okay, okay…”

These two are Miss Remilia and Mr. Lasker. They, like Mr. Paine, often come to chat with me.

Although they were all very gentle... their eyes—seemed to be watching me?

Are they wary of me? No, could it be that they don't want me to have any contact with the "intruder"?

This explains why Miss Haici, who came to find me first, reacted that way.

(What should I do...!?)

It's certain that a different kind of "wind" has begun to blow in the present.

As if seizing the perfect moment for me to reclaim my aspirations, a favorable wind blew up. Since I now have to avoid any contact with the goddess Freya, this is definitely a golden opportunity.

I turned my back to Mr. Lasker and the others, pretending to look out the window and begin to think.

I remember that Mr. Alfred's four brothers, Mr. Allen, and the excellent second-tier adventurers (Mr. Pain and others) were all away from the "Battlefield" because they had accepted adventurer quests. Although the gap in combat power was still almost hopeless, it was at least half as much as before...!

I must be prepared to take action. To strike down those who have helped me up to this day.

So I closed my eyes, quietly took a deep breath, and then forcefully opened them.

As I quickly turned around to run away, the two of them had already fallen.

“Eh!?”

I was momentarily stunned by Mr. Lasker and the others who collapsed helplessly to the ground.

What's happening here! ?

As I grew confused and became more alert, the door was opened without my noticing.

I stared at the half-open door, made up my mind, and cautiously walked out of the room.

I looked around to make sure there was no one in the corridor.

(—Incorrect.)

Deep in the long corridor, an unreal figure floated by as if helping to guide the way.

I waved away my confusion and chased after that figure.

The lights in the castle-like, wide corridors were all out, leaving only a pale darkness. Guided by that ghostly, elusive figure, I ran swiftly and freely.

Soon after, I arrived at the corner of the upper west side of the main camp.

There is a "meditation room" designed to help soldiers concentrate.

"here it is……"

This room, with its specially raised ceiling and stained glass skylight, looks like an altar.

This rectangular hall, which could be described as a small chapel, has a floor paved with black marble and is completely devoid of chairs. The layout, with only a single staircase leading to the interior, initially evokes the atmosphere of a crowning ceremony. The statues standing along the walls are not depictions of goddesses, but rather various weapons—great swords, spears, and battle axes—that appear to have endured countless battles.

These must be the remains of valiant warriors who are no longer alive.

I slowly walked into the silent, sacred warrior's hall.

As I walked to the center of the room, the open door was suddenly closed.

"!"

I immediately turned around.

The room, now a dark, enclosed space, was bathed in moonlight streaming through the skylight (stained glass). In a vision tinged with deep blue or pale purple, a somber silver hue... a young girl emerged from the shadows near the entrance.

"Miss Herren..."

She has long gray hair and is dressed in a black outfit that resembles that of a witch's apprentice.

This is our second meeting.

Just like when she helped deliver letters before the goddess festival, she covered the right half of her face with her bangs.

"..."

With the sound of footsteps, Miss Herren walked silently toward me.

I have many things I absolutely must ask, and a mountain of questions.

Did you lure me here? What is your purpose? What is your true intention?

To date, I have entered and exited the goddess Freya's chamber many times, so why has she, as the "goddess's attendant," almost deliberately avoided appearing before me?

The key question is, did I really only meet her twice?

I have this strange feeling that we've met countless times, and she's always by my side... what's going on?

These questions kept popping into my mind and then disappearing immediately, and I couldn't bring myself to put them into words.

The "nameless messenger of the goddess" who was not given a nickname.

I was so captivated by those eyes that seemed to be on the orders of a god, piercing straight at me, that I forgot to speak.

"..."

"..."

The girl stopped.

Our eyes met.

She stood in the middle of the room, keeping a distance from me.

The noise outside is far away.

The disturbance likely occurred on the east side, so no one approached the meditation room.

No matter what happens here, no one will come in to disturb us.

After their gazes met for a while, the girl finally opened her lips.

"How many answers have you come up with yet?"

I understand the implication of this question.

Reason warned me that I shouldn't answer, yet I honestly gave an answer almost foolishly.

"I am not affiliated with the Freya Familia, but rather Bell Crane of the Hestia Familia."

I had a strange feeling that I couldn't lie in front of those eyes.

After I finished my honest and straightforward confession, the girl continued to ask questions without changing her expression.