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

A young elven asked a question in an almost obsequious manner, leaving Riveria speechless for a moment.

Unfortunately, this reaction was extremely fatal.

"Princess Rivera, are you Princess Rivera!?"

"We are pilgrims who once visited the Sacred King Tree! And we were very honored to meet you back then! Do you remember us?!"

"Now that Your Highness the Princess is here—"

"Does this mean the message released by the Elf King is truly true!?"

"Ah, what a privilege to meet you...!"

"Princess Rivera—!"

"Please allow me to pay my respects to your esteemed presence!"

Riveria was surrounded by the crowd in an instant.

As soon as the news spread, people of the same clan, regardless of gender or appearance, flocked to the scene.

Travelers, hunters, bards, and even knights from a certain kingdom all rushed to the scene.

Even though this was right in the middle of the road, the elves transcended the barriers of their positions and groups, forming walls of people.

Riveria, who was in the center, was stunned by this scene. Ironically, the suspense that King Raphael had repeatedly mentioned, out of concern, about "the meaning of the royal family leaving the village" actually came true.

The caravans that had long used the inn town (Karuna) as their base were also stunned by this unprecedented scene and could only watch from a distance.

"Wait, wait a minute, I've already severed ties with Wang Sen...! So don't come any closer...! Huh!?"

"Lady Rivera—!?"

"Aina—!?"

Despite being royalty, Riveria failed to understand her own worth and was thus swallowed up by the crowd of elves, while Aina, pushed aside by the throng, screamed in alarm.

Loki watched the chaotic scene unfold from a distance, seemingly detached from the chaos, and simply exclaimed "Wow!"

Finn, on the other hand, helplessly pressed his little hand to his forehead.

"...Let's move to a less crowded place first."

The little boy sighed and made this suggestion.

The Supreme God had no objection to this.

"I underestimated the faith of my fellow countrymen..."

Exhausted, Rivera blurted out those words.

After a difficult escape from the elves' encirclement, the group arrived at a secluded bar in town.

The princess was so tired that she almost collapsed onto the four-seater table.

She finally understood firsthand how shocking it was for the Elven royal family, who had always been in the great holy land of "Alfreson," to embark on a journey to the outside world.

"As Lady Rivera's attendant, how could I be so inconsiderate... I'm so useless..."

"No, this isn't your fault...it's all my fault..."

Aina, who was just as naive as her master, was also exhausted and looked haggard.

Loki laughed gleefully as he watched the two elves who had suffered a terrible fate for underestimating the outside world.

"I was just as surprised! I didn't expect the elves to have such a strong sense of kinship!"

"That situation was an exception, but luckily we managed to shake them off in the end."

"Yes, I really have to thank you both for this... You were a great help just now."

Riveria frankly thanked Loki and Finn, who were sitting on the opposite side.

Although their friendship had only lasted a few days, Finn was somewhat moved by the proud elven royalty bowing their heads in gratitude.

"Speaking of which... couldn't we have found a more decent place? Until I heard this was a bar, I thought it was some kind of chicken coop. No, even Wang Sen's stables are more comfortable than this place."

Riveria frowned elegantly, and after giving this merciless criticism, Finn, who deeply appreciated that the princess still maintained her composure, gave a wry smile.

"Such a filthy environment... it's more like an abandoned building than a bar."

"In this town with its many races, there are very few shops that elves wouldn't frequent. Just look at your furrowed brow right now; you have no choice but to go to places that you feel physically repulsed by."

To be more precise, this is an "extremely remote and cheap bar".

The wooden floors and walls here were dilapidated, seemingly ravaged by termites; the tables and chairs creaked with every movement; and the customers all looked shabby, mostly Lilliputians or dwarves. The bartender (a human) standing behind the counter looked like some kind of thug. For the elven royalty, accustomed to living in the royal city and its comfortable environment, this was, in a way, a culture shock.

After Rivera finished speaking, covering her mouth and nose with one hand, Loki, seemingly unconcerned by her words, casually remarked, "I actually quite like places with this bar-like atmosphere~"

"It seems best not to stay in this hotel town (Karuna) for too long. You're attracting too much attention."

"That's the only way... This time, the attention I've received is even more out of control than when I was in the village, which is really not what I intended."

"Lady Riveria, please don't feel alienated from your fellow countrymen because of this. After all, it is an honor for them to see you in person."

Riveria reluctantly nodded in agreement after hearing Finn's suggestion.

Aina lowered her brows and gave a wry smile as she helped comfort the princess, who was overwhelmed by the excessive reaction of her compatriots.

Then the four of them ordered a few dishes.

After a brief welcome reception, they began discussing future strategies.

"By the way, I haven't heard you mention the purpose of this trip yet."

"Hmm~ Although Finn and I each have our own plans... to put it bluntly, it's basically about 'creating the strongest Familia in my mind' and dominating the world!"

Loki explained to Riveria very succinctly, and Finn couldn't help but retort, "What kind of answer is that?"

He then began to explain the whole story, including his own interests in relation to Loki and his ambition to revive his clan.

After hearing Finn's determination, Rivera's face turned serious.

The expression on her face no longer showed any hint of "how dare a mere little human dare to spout such nonsense".

"Rive, you want to travel the world, right? I'm also planning to wander around, so now you can travel too!"

"I told you not to call me that disgusting thing... Although I only agreed to travel with you because of circumstances, I will leave you immediately once I repay the favor I owed Wang Sen when I left. Remember, in a Familia, you can change your membership or leave the group after a year, right?"

"Huh?! What's going on?! Didn't we exchange vows of love?!"

"Who exchanged vows of love with you?!"

"Please calm down, Lady Rivera!"

"This is Loki's baptism~" Finn quipped casually from the sidelines, adding his own comment.

"Rivia, have you ever heard of 'Dungeons'?"

"...Of course. This is one of the three great secret realms in the world, an underground labyrinth located at the edge of the continent, where various 'unknowns' still slumber unexplored. For these reasons, the labyrinth city of Orario is also known as the 'center of the world'."

"Exactly. And since you yearn to see the unknown world, isn't the dungeon your ultimate goal?"

“…………”

Riveria fell silent after Finn's words.

Finn took this reaction as an admission and continued to lobby.

"Loki and I are headed for the labyrinth city of Orario. You just need to satisfy your curiosity and use us. If you're not satisfied, you can leave anytime. What do you say?"

"...Alright, I do share your interests. I'll reluctantly accommodate you until then."

Based on the current situation, Rivera weighed the pros and cons and ultimately decided to accept Finn's proposal.

The reason was that she knew she was not yet familiar with the outside world, and she inexplicably believed that as long as she stayed with Finn and the others, she would never put Aina in danger.

Finn saw through Riveria's intentions, which is why he proposed a "compromise".

Having witnessed Riveria's talent as a mage firsthand, it would be a great pity to let her slip away right under our noses. Besides, this was an indispensable condition for establishing the name of the "Familia".

Finn, who initially opposed the inclusion of the elven royal family in the guild, has immediately changed his strategy to try and retain Riveria. Even if it only postpones her departure, he believes that after sharing joys and sorrows, she will inevitably develop a sense of camaraderie.

Of course, this wishful thinking must not be revealed.

The young and frugal people of this time naturally knew how to be thrifty and calculating.

"Hey Finn, you're using that cunning trick of wearing a sunny smile again! You're definitely planning to use it again to attract women everywhere, aren't you? You're such an evil little thrush, willing to do anything to achieve your ambitions!"

"He... Lord Dimna is clearly a dwarf, yet he can act so confidently. He is truly an outstanding man."

Loki and Aina whispered to each other, while glancing sideways at Finn and Riveria, who had reached an agreement but were just waiting to shake hands.

"By the way... it seems a bit late to ask this now, Aina, don't you mind? Although you are Riveria's attendant, your wishes have never been confirmed from beginning to end."

"Please don't worry about it. I had already decided to stay by Lady Riveria's side forever... Besides, I always felt that traveling with you would be helpful to Lady Riveria."

Aina and Riveria shared the same idea, as if by telepathy.

The genuine smile on her face conveyed Aina's friendship and care for Riveria.

What an understanding girl (elf).

Loki genuinely believed it. Plus, Aina possessed impressively large breasts, which seemed quite soft.

Compared to the somewhat brash Riveria, the well-mannered and gentle Aina is more like a sheltered young lady, which makes Loki reveal a lewd smile.

"Oh, Aina, how about you join my [Family]? I won't treat you badly—as long as we can eventually develop a super-friendly relationship where we bathe together—"

"Didn't I say you weren't allowed to lay a hand on Aina?"

"—Pfft!?"

"Lady Rivera—!?"

The long staff that was drawn in an instant exploded on Loki's forehead.

"You shameless, despicable goddess! If you dare to seduce Aina again, I'll break off all ties with you immediately!"

"Ah~ I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Lady Riveria~! I won't be fickle anymore~! I'm only in love with Riveria~~!!"

"What nonsense are you spouting, you idiot! It's disgusting! You're really repulsive!!"

Loki's impassioned apologies only enraged Riveria even more.

Faced with his increasingly noisy companions, Finn reluctantly took a sip of the cheap drink he had just ordered.

(This is what a "family" is, or what it means to travel together.)

Finn, thinking this, chuckled innocently.

"Getting back to the main point... right now, the most important thing is to recruit new members to increase the strength of the [Familia], right?"

"This time I want to recruit female beastmen~! And they have to be super cute beast-eared girls! You can't go wrong with that!"

"Judging by the way the main god behaves, is this [Family] really alright...?"

Finn ignores Loki, who is only interested in recruiting beautiful women and girls, and Riveria, who is completely dumbfounded by this, and tells her that the faction needs to increase its members.

We already have a mage (Rivilia) who serves as a defender, and a shortstop (Finn) who is suitable for center. If we can find a strong and powerful forward, we can form the ideal three-person team.

In order to make the Loki Familia famous, Finn is eager to recruit a "third member" as soon as possible.

"Tch, how dare they call themselves the strongest [Familia]..."

"They just brought in an elven royal who doesn't know anything about the world and thinks he's so great..."

Just then, the patrons at another table started complaining at a volume deliberately meant to be heard.

"...I heard the whole conversation just now. You bunch of degenerate people who waste your precious time on cheap liquor."

The ones who were arguing with the outsiders (Finn and his group) were the regular patrons of the bar, mainly humans and dwarves.

For them, who spend their days drowning their sorrows in these secluded bars, the Loki Familia, with their ambitions and dreams, must be an absolute nuisance. Perhaps they couldn't hold back any longer and made sarcastic remarks, but this caused Rivera, with her fastidious nature, to overreact.

Faced with the stares of the patrons who seemed to be questioning, "What are you, a pampered elven royalty, doing here?", Riveria was furious. Finn and Aina quickly stepped forward to appease her.

Loki, seemingly finding the drinks unpalatable, quickly went to pay the bill.

The group, pulling the distraught elf princess along, prepared to push open the door and leave the bar.

"Hey!! Why are there elves in our territory!?"

At this moment──

A group of people, quite the opposite of Finn and his group, were heading into the bar.

Finn frowned.