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

“No, that’s not it…”

"..."

"I...I'm not afraid of you...!"

"..."

"But...but...!"

The girl, her body trembling uncontrollably, desperately tried to explain herself.

Faced with Finn covered in blood, she seemed unable to understand what she was afraid of or sad about, and her eyes gradually filled with tears.

“…………”

Finn simply smiled faintly.

That smile looked both fragile and forlorn.

He walked past Melissa, whose eyes were wide open, and said goodbye in silence.

Finn's criteria for choosing a dwarf as a mate—

It is also "courage".

Unfortunately, Melissa, who couldn't muster the courage to accept the ambitious warrior (Finn), ultimately didn't have the necessary "qualifications".

This also means that Finn's "first love" will not come true.

The key point is that he understands he cannot continue to be with the girl because he would frighten her.

"Ah...wait! Finn!"

The young man from the Lilliputian tribe placed greater emphasis on the mission of revitalizing his tribe, and resolutely severed ties with his first love.

Even when the girls of his own tribe called out to him in tears, he still walked forward without turning his head.

However, for the first time, the boy named Finn showed an expression befitting his age, his profile revealing a hint of sadness in his heart.

Finn.

Finn left the square and walked through the villagers who had made way for him.

Only Loki, the chief god, stood directly in the middle of the road to greet Finn.

Then she opened her arms.

"Can you lean on my chest?"

"..."

"Come on, cry however you want!"

Loki struck a pose that said, "Come on over!" with a strangely dashing smile on his face.

A gust of wind swept through, leaving the scene in silence.

The little man immediately forgot his sorrow and gave the other person a disdainful look.

He then let out a soft sigh and walked past Loki again.

Oops! Loki awkwardly fakes a fall.

"What?! I came all this way to comfort you, you heartbroken young man!"

"Thank you for your kindness, but please allow me to decline."

Unfortunately, I had already cried all my tears a long time ago.

The boy quietly added those words.

However... he immediately stopped and turned to Loki with a smile.

"Thanks, Loki. Thanks to you, I can finally stop worrying about this."

I feel a little more relaxed.

After the little boy finished speaking with a smile, Loki returned the smile.

Ironically, the only one who could understand the hero's feelings was the goddess before him.

But even with only one goddess, the boy still knew he was not alone.

After all, he and she were already a "familiar".

“…………”

The boy glanced at the little girl and villagers who were still watching them, then continued walking. The goddess walked alongside him.

The goddess and her retinue departed.

No one spoke up to stop them.

Only the windmill that survived continued to turn, making a sound.

"It's fine to act cool and leave the village like this, but what are we supposed to do next?"

"Let's head straight to the next village or town. Although I should be helping with the reconstruction of the village (Prebrica), staying there will only cause trouble."

After walking some distance from the village, Finn answered Loki's question.

The little boy had adjusted his mood and objectively pointed out that he had become an object of fear for the villagers.

Loki, who was secretly cursing his subordinate for being utterly unlovable, couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth as he gazed at the repaired road and the boundless plain before him.

"Alright, since I didn't bring any luggage from the start, let's head to the next adventure! Right? Hmm~ I've always longed for a journey like this!"

"I really envy you gods, you can find joy in everything."

"Hmph~ Not knowing how to enjoy life properly... Correction, enjoying life properly is such a loss, Finn!"

The goddess patted the dwarf on the shoulder, stretched, and then shouted towards the mountains ahead:

"Alright, let's embark on our journey to find the factions (familias) of adorable girls! Elf beauties, beastman beauties, dwarf beauties, and Amazon beauties! I'm coming to meet you all~!"

"Honestly, although I don't mean to criticize your quirks... but judging from the current situation, I'm afraid your future looks bleak."

The goddess and the little human boy walked side by side.

They were grateful to the village that had brought about this little encounter, and after saying goodbye, they set off for a new world.

The long journey to the labyrinth city—the Loki Familia journey, currently only involving two people—has begun.

Side Story: Sword Oratoria 14 Chapter 2: The Journey of the Elf King

"I've had enough!"

The elf shouted this.

She roared in a completely unladylike manner in her spacious and comfortable bedroom.

"Princess Rivera! You'll be reprimanded by the King for shouting like that!"

"Why can't I even scream freely in my own room?! I can say that as many times as I want, Aina! I've had enough of this caged life!"

Her lustrous, jewel-like emerald-colored hair swayed dramatically with her movements.

The phrase "more beautiful than a goddess" is by no means an exaggeration; her stunningly beautiful face has been completely ruined by anger.

Judging by her appearance according to human or orc standards, she is a young woman.

But her childlike tantrums made her look like a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl, a stunning beauty.

"Why am I not even allowed to be curious about the outside world?! Does Father really think a caged bird won't yearn for the sky?!"

Even when she was angry, she exuded an unparalleled elegance, which can only be attributed to her background.

The girl's name is Riveria Leos Alfre.

Just like Alfre, who represents the "progenitor" of the elves, she is a noble royal and a princess of the "elf royal family".

This is "Alfred Wangsen".

Along with the sacred Alf Mountains, located far to the west of the continent, it is known as the holy land of the elves and is also the residence of the elven royal family. In the heart of the forest where the giant Holy King Tree stands, there is a city made of trees, a paradise for the elves.

The royal city, built of white holy stone, is situated at the base of the Holy King Tree, while the princess's (Riviera's) bedroom is located at almost the highest point within the castle.

"Did you hear what he said?! He actually told me to 'be more self-respecting'?! I'm not my father's puppet!"

"Princess Rivera, please... please calm down...!"

Riveria was furious because of something that happened not long ago.

In short, her biological father—who was also the undisputed king of the elves, Raphael—summoned Riveria to the throne room and reprimanded her for behaving in a manner unbecoming of a princess.

The reason is that Riveria longs for the outside world.

Her secret purchase of various products from outside sources from caravans that were granted access to the forest and served only royalty was exposed.

"The outside world is filthy and disgusting? It's nothing but a barbaric backwater? How dare my father, who has never stepped out of the forest, say such things!?"

Simply put, Riveria is what most people would call a "spoiled princess." Rather than reading poetry in her room, she'd prefer to go hunting in the forest with her bow and arrow. She'd rather chat with her fellow elves returning from pilgrimages than pray before the Holy King Tree. These behaviors can be seen as a consequence of the overly strict royal upbringing she received from a young age.

Riveria has lived in repression since birth.

Receiving a royal education was fine; Riveria believed that those in high positions should fulfill their duties, and she thought she understood this principle. However, she couldn't accept the overly respectful attitude of her compatriots towards her, especially the way her father forced her to live a cage-like life, which made her extremely dissatisfied.

The transcendent beings known as the "Gods," who can be considered the fathers of all living beings in the lower realm, have now descended upon it one after another, rendering the responsibilities of royalty meaningless. Even so, her father still strictly forbids Riveria from leaving the forest, valuing only this social model that is utterly insignificant compared to the world at large. What can she possibly gain by remaining so stagnant?

—Now that we have entered the "Age of Gods", why do we still cower in the depths of the forest?

The question buried deep in Riveria's heart, which could also be called "impulse," grew stronger day by day.

"To sum it up with just the word 'meaningless' simply because you don't understand it—isn't that exactly the kind of foolish and ignorant thing that Father King most despises...!?"

The reason that caused Riveria to completely lose control was that her father tore up her treasured map of the Netherworld on the spot.

Rivera gazed tearfully at her soft bed, on which were scattered fragments of the maps she had painstakingly collected.

Seventy-one years have passed since I was born.

Princess (Riviera) had reached her breaking point.

"Aina! I've decided to leave the village!"

"Huh, huh huh huh huh!?"

The only attendant who could make Riveria open her heart, the elf Aina, gasped in fright.

The earth-shattering event that would later astound the Elf Village—no, all the elves in the world—was sown on this very day.

"The so-called fairy princess must be an elegant and quiet young lady from a wealthy family, so innocent that she would blush if teased even slightly, and she must be incredibly cute... "

When the elven princess made up her mind—

Loki, sitting in a tavern some distance away, was saying this with a look of pure bliss.

"So, elves are definitely still the first choice!!"

"Although I don't understand what you're trying to say... do you mean you want the next member to be an elf?"

Loki, having finished his drink in one go, slammed the glass down on the table. Finn, having taken a sip of mead, decided to double-check.

Finn and his companions are currently located in a town called "Karuna," in the southwestern part of the continent. This is a long and narrow town with countless inns, stretching out from north to south.

Ten days have passed since the two left the village of Prebrica.

While passing through this area, I decided to stop by the tavern for a drink.

"That's right! But the elves I want to recruit aren't ordinary elves! They're the noblest beings in the elven race—the elven royalty!"

"Loki... Elven royalty isn't someone you can meet so easily, and besides, they almost never go out and about, are they?"

"Isn't this town the gateway to the Elven royal settlement? I heard there's a shuttle bus that connects the two places."

"...I was just wondering why you've been spending so much time chatting with businessmen lately..."

Finn was stunned for a moment before giving a wry smile, while Loki laughed heartily without any regard for his image.

This frivolous goddess seems to have already made her plans and decided on the type of the next member.

"Loki, I have no intention of commenting on your quirks... but I advise you to give up on the elven royal family."

"I...no...want...to go to the Elf Royal Forest! I want to find a super princess who's as beautiful as an angel and can call out 'Loki!'!!"

"Since she's an elf princess, she wouldn't call you that, Loki..."

Seeing Loki slumped over the table in a tantrum, her only remaining member of the household sighed and began to explain.