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

Hearing the knights behind her begin chanting "magic" simultaneously, Riveria also drew her wand and chanted a spell.

Both sides used incantations longer than twelve sections, but Riveria, whose talent was second to none among the royals and who had learned to ride and chant while hunting, completed her "magic" at a much faster chanting speed than the knights, even though she was a step slower in casting her spell.

"[High-Speed ​​Explosion]!"

"[Flames explode!]!"

To avoid accidentally harming the princess, the knights chose wind magic.

Riveria then used fire magic.

Several strong gusts of wind that were weaving through the trees were forced to change course by the scorching flames.

However──

"Aa ...

"Aina!?"

Despite avoiding being directly hit by magic, the raging winds swept across Aina's mount's legs.

The white horse immediately lost its balance, and Aina was thrown off and crashed to the ground.

Because Riveria was momentarily distracted, the unicorn she was riding was immediately wounded by an arrow.

“Hmm!?”

With a roar from the sacred beast, Riveria crashed hard into the tree.

She endured the excruciating pain and looked up, only to find herself surrounded by knights.

"A mere servant dares to abduct Princess Rivera... utterly shameless!"

“Ugh!?”

"stop!"

One of the knights stormed over and mercilessly struck Aina with the butt of his gun.

Riveria quickly pulled her beaten best friend into her arms, her eyes sharply fixed on the knights.

"It was my decision to leave the village! Why did you attack Aina!?"

"It was with this person's help that you managed to slip out of the capital. Am I wrong?"

That statement isn't wrong; after all, it was thanks to Aina's help that Riveria was able to reach the stables undetected. However, to dismiss Riveria's responsibility solely because of this would be a stretch.

Intending to continue resisting, Rivera quickly surveyed her surroundings.

The unicorn had been wounded by an arrow, and the white horse had broken its front leg.

This means that the two have lost their mounts, which they could use to shake off their pursuers.

"We cannot harm your body. However, this attendant will be executed once he is taken back to the village."

"Huh...!?"

"The king has personally given the order... so it's alright to be a little harsh."

"This child needs to be taught a lesson."

Although the king, her biological father, was not present, Riveria, speechless, seemed to hear his voice and clenched her fists in anger.

At the same time, he could feel that Aina in his arms was terrified and her face turned pale.

"This is how to bring you to your senses... I urge you to let go of your illusions about the corrupt outside world and all sorts of pointless longings."

The elven knight commander spoke in a flat, indifferent tone, and with his handsome features, one couldn't help but wonder if it was a puppet speaking.

Ah, it's that inorganic look in your eyes.

It's always been like this.

The eyes of those who lock themselves in cages seem to be made of glass beads.

They refuse to engage with the "unknown".

Unwilling to understand the "unknown".

They dare not go out and "take risks".

Like a plant, it idly passes through the long years—

The frustration, disgust, and anger that had been accumulating in Rivia's heart throughout her life disrupted her thoughts.

"Princess Rivera, you don't need to worry about me—"

Riveria hugged Aina.

When Aina, suppressing her fear, tried to comfort Riveria in a trembling voice, Riveria touched her head, pulled her into her arms, and interrupted her.

"—Me—!"

Then he opened his throat and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"I hate you! I hate people like you who are bound by customs, living monotonous and unchanging lives, and never striving for a future!"

This anger—this desire to leave the village—might just be the naive and ignorant princess throwing a tantrum.

It might just be an act that causes trouble for others.

But Riveria could no longer bear it.

I can't stand this lack of emotion, this inability to feel anything that touches my heart, like a plant waiting to wither away, wasting my life.

At the same time, she was certain of one thing.

Those who fail to keep up with this new era will ultimately face destruction.

The bad habits that have spread throughout this vast forest will one day kill the elven royal family.

What is the value of a life for a bird trapped in a cage, unable to spread its wings and soar?

Like the "Elven Saintess Celtia" in some hero's biography—why refuse to step into the unknown world!?

"I—I hate this village to the core!!"

With tears welling in her eyes, Rivera poured out her thoughts.

The deep green forest bore her anger and lament, remaining silent.

The tranquil night sky did not respond to the shout.

"...Princess Rivera lost her mind for a moment."

The middle-aged knight commander said with an icy gaze.

As the elves, who had all dropped what they were doing to rush to the princess's aid upon hearing of her escape, gradually appeared in the surrounding area, the Knight Commander issued an order.

"Take the princess away and arrest this attendant."

The encirclement gradually tightened, and as the elves reached out their hands one after another, Rivera and Aina, whom she held in her arms, couldn't help but close their eyes tightly—

"This is a real headache."

Just then—

A sound like something tearing through the air could be heard.

A sound of a kick hitting the armor was heard.

Finally, the elves' screams echoed.

"I had repeatedly told myself that I should never get involved in the politics of the Elven royal family."

Riveria opened her eyes at those words.

Then, she was stunned by what she saw.

Suddenly, a child-like expert gunman appeared and blasted all the elves away.

"Why, why are there dwarfs here!?"

"Excuse me for secretly following the group of guards nearby. Uh... I apologize in advance for trespassing in the forest."

Faced with the Knight Commander's astonished and angry rebuke, the dwarf boy replied in an inappropriately calm tone.

"The elves who abandoned their posts and rushed here"—the elven guards were in a sorry state. The knight commander glared at his compatriots who were completely unaware of being followed, but in the end, he turned his anger towards the little human in front of him.

That handsome face, as delicate as a doll's, was now twisted and deformed by rage.

He gripped the wooden sword made from the sacred tree branch tightly, so tightly it made a slight sound, and gave the order:

"Get rid of him!!"

The elves, filled with righteous indignation, could only offer one response to the fact that such a lowly race had dared to trespass and defile this sacred forest.

Countless elves began their murderous attack on the only dwarf on the scene.

"It really turned out like this after all..."

The boy's response was a sigh.

Countless unsheathed swords clashed head-on with a long spear in an instant.

“──!!”

Looking at the fierce battle unfolding before her eyes, Rivera couldn't help but doubt her own eyes.

Facing the elven swords attacking from all directions, the dwarves seemed to have eyes in the back of their heads, dodging or deflecting the attacks one after another, and counterattacking with their spears. As for the rearguard knights who intended to use "magic" in the gaps, he mercilessly threw the stones he had brought with him beforehand, interrupting their incantations with muffled groans. The boy's skills were superb; even Riveria and Aina, who knew nothing about martial arts, could tell that he was a formidable fighter.

Despite his short stature, he possesses an incredible amount of combat experience.

Aren't the Lilliputians a race that has long lost its "courage" and has given up on itself?

Is this the "outside world"?

Rivera was deeply shocked by this little man who not only dealt with a large number of knights, but also took them down one by one.

"...! Young man! Why are you helping us!?"

Rivera finally snapped out of her shock at the reality before her and, to hide her inner turmoil, asked a question aloud.

"Go ask her. I'm sorry I don't have the time to answer you right now."

Finn, a dwarf, merely glanced at Riveria before continuing his fight with the approaching elves.

--Her?

As Rivera repeated the word in her mind, she heard footsteps walking across the grass nearby.

"I never imagined I'd encounter such a miraculous stroke of good fortune!"

Rivera turned around and saw a woman with short, crimson hair and a grinning face standing behind her.

"...! You're a goddess!!"

Rivera deduced the other person's identity from their "divine power"; in contrast, the goddess looked at Rivera with an almost impolite gaze.

"She's planning to leave her hometown because she's dissatisfied with life... Am I right? This spoiled and willful little princess?"

"...!?"

"And now you are very frustrated that you lack enough power."

The newcomer seemed to have heard Riveria's earlier shout and guessed the truth based on only fragmented information.

The goddess before him—Loki—looked down at Riveria, raising the corners of his mouth as if he wanted to negotiate.

"Would you like to join my [Family]? If you agree, you'll be saved!"

"Huh...!?"

"To be honest, it would be a huge headache for me if you didn't join. After all, no matter how powerful Finn is, he can't fight against four people."

While Riveria and Aina were greatly surprised, the situation was just as Loki had predicted: Finn was gradually becoming the underdog.

Killing his opponent as if encountering a monster would save trouble—but that would cause an international conflict with the elves—so Finn must not take his life. However, even if he carefully renders his enemy temporarily unconscious, the endless stream of enemy reinforcements will eventually lead to a situation where too many ants can kill an elephant.

Not to mention, the battle was extremely unfavorable to Finn from the very beginning. After all, he had to cover the "burdens" including Loki, resist the elves' rain of "magic," and even single-handedly keep the battle evenly matched, which was truly remarkable.

Therefore, Loki's implication was—

How about joining her team and no longer being a "burden"?

"Are you... are you threatening me!?"

"I'd rather call this negotiation~ After all, making a contract with me will grant you power, and you won't have to worry about being taken back here anymore. You'll regret it if you don't accept it~... Besides, you want to protect your friends, right?"