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

"What nonsense are you spouting about elves being allies?! If that's the case, then our comrades (Hestia's Familia) are all sworn brothers of us dwarves!"

Mr. Dorumur interrupted loudly from the side.

Ignoring Mr. Lewis's reproachful look, he punched his broad chest and said:

"We have never forgotten the kindness we received back then. Even if we have to face the toughest opponents... brothers, we will fight to the last moment for you."

Looking at the friendly smiles on Mr. Dorumur's and his dwarf companions' faces, I was speechless for a moment.

We first met through Miss Eina, then supported each other in the dungeon, and now we fight side by side like this. It's easy to call this a wonderful fate, but I'm deeply moved by Mr. Luvis and his companions who, through a series of coincidences, gradually became acquainted and came to stand by me with such loyalty. I'm truly grateful to them.

"Yes! Thank you so much!"

"Hey! Don't forget we're here too~ [White Rabbit's Feet]!"

"—Ugh!?"

Suddenly a strong arm hooked around my neck.

To avoid being rude to Mr. Luvis and Ms. Naza, I quickly turned my head and coughed to the side. Then, when I looked back, I saw that the person in front of me was the adventurer senior with a mischievous smile on his face.

"Mr. Modo!? You're all here!?"

"Of course! As long as we win, we can obtain the vast amount of gold and silver treasures hoarded by the Freya Familia! Then we can have a good time at the grand casino!"

Looking at Mr. Modo, who was arm in arm with me and maintained his usual demeanor even at a time like this, I couldn't help but give him a wry smile.

Mr. Kyle and Mr. Scott stood a step apart, shaking their heads and saying helplessly, "I can't stand him..." Why did they react this way?

"...Judging from your expression, it seems you've made ample preparations."

After Mr. Modo released me, he looked down and examined my body.

I was wearing my newly purchased Clean Combat Suit, and my protective gear was the sixth-generation rabbit armor made by Welf.

The weapons are the "Goddess Blade" and "White Illusion," which she is already very familiar with, and she also has a "Goliath Scarf" around her neck.

The leg package contained three jars of double elixirs, as well as a jar of the rare panacea developed by Ms. Nazha.

I took another look at the complete set of equipment I had put on before exploring the battlefield, and then nodded in response.

"Let's win a battle, [White Rabbit's Foot]."

"……yes!"

Faced with Mr. Modo's smile, a smile that belonged to an adventurer rather than a thug, I responded with a smile in return.

"All gods and their retinues, gather here! Let's hold this final battle meeting!"

As we, from different factions, united as one, the voice of the goddess Hestia echoed from the depths of the camp. Miss Nazha, Mr. Sakura, Mr. Luvis, Mr. Mordo, and the others exchanged glances, nodded, and then set off to assemble.

There are only two hours left before the battle begins.

This is the last rest period before everyone enters the battlefield, while waiting for the referee (the Ganesha Familia) to announce the start of the match.

The goddess Hestia stood in front of the tent in the center of the camp, becoming the focus of everyone's attention. The rest of the people formed a semicircle, with our leader and the gods standing at the front, followed by Welf and Aisha, and the other adventurers, blacksmiths and battle prostitutes standing on the outermost circle.

"As instructed by the Ganesha's Familia, first, each of the gods should take a 'flower' placed here and pin it to their chest, making sure it is not covered by anything!"

The gods obeyed the goddess Hestia's command and each took a flower that was displayed on the table.

Takemikazuchi is a purple chrysanthemum.

Mihe is a flowering coleus.

The goddess Hephaestus is a pale pink calamus.

There were also male gods (Modi) who cried out "I'm doomed—" and gave an empty laugh, goddesses who regarded beauty as a thorn in their side, and so on. Everyone pinned flowers to their chests with very different expressions.

"The detailed rules were decided by the Council of Gods, and I believe all the gods are well aware of them... Once the 'flower' is taken or lost by the enemy's family (children), that deity is considered eliminated, so please be careful!"

"So, even if the god is discovered by the opponent, they won't be immediately eliminated, and can continue the game as long as the flower isn't stolen... is that right?"

"You're right, Modo! When the Familia (children) discover a god, they can only snipe at the flowers at most! But when the main god's flower is taken away, the Familia under their command must retreat together. Therefore, the gods must try their best to escape or resist to the very last moment!"

After answering Mr. Mordo's question, the goddess Hestia pinned the red freesia to her chest.

It is said that the inhabitants of the lower realm consider harming or killing the gods taboo, and it is on this premise that the rule of "stealing flowers" was set, therefore direct attacks on the gods are strictly prohibited in the competition. If a god is affected by a "magical" attack—if the god is accidentally sent back to the heavens—that [Family] will be immediately disqualified from the competition. In other words, this prevents the use of the drastic measure of bombarding the entire ruins at the start of the battle to force the gods out.

The Freya Familia must seize the flowers of gods such as Hestia.

As for our ultimate goal... it is to seize the flower that person possesses.

"I forgot to confirm this at the Council of Gods: to what extent can the resistance be sustained? Can I take the initiative to fight back?"

"Unleashing Kamui is forbidden, Freya's powers... 'Charm' is naturally also prohibited..."

"...What if it were the God of War (A-Jian) ​​instead?"

Faced with Takemikazuchi's question, Hephaestus showed a rather subtle expression, while Hestia was also puzzled and sweating profusely.

Because each god has their own domain... As for Takemikazuchi's "martial arts," it can indeed be used for resistance, but it's unclear to what extent it should be prohibited... It seems to be a rather difficult issue to handle.

"...Then let me ask you, to what extent can you handle the Freya family's children?"

"A second-level adventurer can fight twenty people at the same time, while a first-level adventurer should be able to throw one person out."

"I think you should just go straight to the front lines and fight."

Takemikazuchi calmly answered Hestia's question, and the gods (such as Modi) immediately began to complain, looking as if they had witnessed a disgusting unknown creature.

While we were stunned into silence, only Mr. Sakura and Ms. Mikoto puffed out their chests with smug expressions.

"In short, just resist within the bounds of not breaking the rules... but the most important thing right now is 'deployment'... where should the gods hide?"

Hestia, having regained her previous serious demeanor, then turned to look behind her.

You can see the "commander-in-chief" standing on the wooden crate, looking down at the parchment spread out on the large table.

-- The leader of the "Faction Alliance" is the Hestia Familia.

It is only natural that the person in charge of leading and commanding must be a member of the goddess Hestia's retinue.

Leaving aside the fact that the guild leader has been promoted to Lv.5, there was a lot of opposition when she was first announced as the commander, but now no one raises any objections anymore.

That profile resembled that of "the tribe's hero," calm as a still lake, as he continued to gaze at the map of the ruins spread out on the table.

Before I arrived at this camp, Lily had been observing the battlefield terrain, strategizing and devising countermeasures.

"...As for the 'deployment,' let the gods decide for themselves."

I don't know if they finally came up with a solution or if they were just constrained by the deadline.

As if cutting through her confusion, Lily raised her head to face the countless gazes directed at her.

"If Lily were to make the arrangements alone, the enemy might be able to discern our habits from our formation. In that case, the location of the gods' hiding places would definitely be discovered. Therefore, we hope to find a hiding place for the gods that is beyond Lily's comprehension."

"...Okay, I understand, Miss Supporter."

No one believed that Lily had neglected her duties before the war even began.

In fact, Lily had already calmly assessed the strength of both sides and was even willing to use the omniscient gods.

After the goddess Hestia nodded in agreement with the dwarf girl's suggestion, a "whoosh" sound came from the side.

A male god whose name I don't know how to address cheerfully whistled.

"Lily wants to make one thing clear to everyone first: the enemy commander is far more resourceful than Lily. If we come up with ten plans, the enemy will be able to crack nine of them and then use the last one to outmaneuver us."

Lily looked around at the adventurers and said that there was absolutely no exaggeration in what she said.

The enemy's commander-in-chief is most likely the [Hildr slave].

Hedin Thranduil, the white elf who trained me as his master.

I have personally experienced firsthand just how rational that person was, how much they valued theory, and how cold-blooded and ruthless they could be.

"Speaking of fierce warriors, I believe Lily needs no further explanation. Even though we outnumber them, we would still be doomed to defeat them in a direct confrontation. And these are the opponents that Lily and her companions will face this time, a group known as the [Freya Familia]."

"Lilyluka..."

"To be honest, if we weren't in this situation, Lily would just want to get out of here as soon as possible."

Faced with Lily's display of her insights, innermost thoughts, and vulnerability, Miss Daphne called out softly with concern.

Lily, looking worried, immediately lowered her head.

"But—Lily still wants to win."

But—

When she raised her head again, her eyes, now bright and alert, made me gasp.

"Goddess Freya has committed an unforgivable mistake, and Lily really wants to take this opportunity to teach her a lesson... The important thing is that she doesn't want to be separated from Lord Bell! She absolutely doesn't want to hand over someone she cherishes!!"

Miss Megumi and Miss Haruhime were both speechless at Lily's sudden outburst of passion, while Welf raised the corners of his mouth in a smile.

Miss Daphne and Miss Cassandra looked surprised, Miss Aisha and Mr. Mordo grinned, Mr. Sakura and Miss Chigusa nodded in agreement, while Miss Naza, Mr. Luvis, and Mr. Dorumur narrowed their eyes.

Then──

"Adventurers, please lend your power to Lily!! Lily will surely bring you victory!!"

Lily said this sentence—

This vow—that there is no other way out but to win—

Shout it out loud.

It ignited the fighting spirit in the hearts of adventurers.

"Ugh ugh ...

The crowd raised their weapons high above their heads and roared in unison.

Inspired by a young girl, the shout that seemed to resound through the sky startled Hestia, the goddess standing next to Lily, causing her to lean back and almost fall.

"Great! Let's go for it!"

"After all, even a little human girl wouldn't hesitate to say such harsh words!"

"Not responding would be a blow to the pride of the Amazons!"

The adventurers, who were originally struggling with tension, anxiety and fear, became high-spirited, and those emotions were completely overwhelmed by their strong fighting spirit.

"Hmm~ Little Lily is such a good woman~! I'm so sorry for teasing you about being so little before!"

"When we award titles next time, let's name her 'Our Little Lover'!"

"I'll make sure to perform well in front of Lily then!"

Not only the clans, but even the gods who acted on impulse seemed full of energy.

I was surprised by the sudden surge of excitement in the camp... but this reaction didn't last long.

After regaining my senses, I blushed and smiled.

"The job of giving morale-boosting speeches has been taken away by someone else... our army's commander-in-chief."

"Haha...but I think it's better this way."

To Ms. Nazha, who whispered those words in my ear with a mischievous smile, I could only respond with a wry smile.

To be honest, it would be utterly shameful for me to go on stage and give a speech, contrary to my usual style, even though I, as the group leader, have probably already lost face... But I am still very happy, and I am happy beyond words.

After all, this support girl was my first "partner" in a team, and she originally hated adventurers, but now she has won the hearts of so many people and even received such applause.

—He's practically a true "hero".

At least that's what I think.

I am not great enough to comment on others, but I am incredibly proud of Lily.

"Ah, Lord Bell..."

As the energetic adventurers dispersed from their tents to make their final preparations, Lily and the fairy approached me. After completing her first task, "boosting morale," Lily, who seemed about to sigh, gave an embarrassed smile upon noticing me.

"Lily, you're amazing... You look exactly like Mr. Finn!"

"It was all thanks to Lord Finn who instructed Lily. He said, 'You should use your cute appearance, which I don't have, to act very politely at first, and then use a rude tone to motivate everyone'... He also said that this would be more to the taste of adventurers."

After Lily finished explaining shyly, she commented on Mr. Finn, saying, "This person is actually full of petty tricks and is not suitable to be called a 'hero' at all."

I burst out laughing at these words, and at the same time felt that Lily was incredibly reliable now.

(...I feel like I could discuss that matter with Lily now.)

I still have this feeling to this day.