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

Grace's cheek twitched slightly.

"...Why did you dress up as a woman?"

"This is all the instructions of the main god. She said that as long as you use the 'Three Maidens Attack Ceremony'... that is, three women with very different personalities take turns attacking, she will definitely be able to conquer you."

"But you're a man! Forget conquering her, you'll just make her go limp!! Anyway, stop talking like that, it's disgusting!"

Grace was furious, having completely forgotten about the situation.

It was as if he had transformed back into his former self, who loved to drink, was uninhibited, and had a free-spirited personality, shaking the entire steam room with his loud voice.

"I don't want to join a 'familia' like you with holes in their heads!"

"Then I'll switch back."

Seeing that Grace felt genuinely repulsed, Finn stopped speaking in his falsetto and took off the wig he was wearing.

Then she took off the large bath towel that was wrapped around her body, leaving only the waist towel that was already wrapped around her body.

This kid definitely did it knowingly—Grace thought to himself.

"Then I'll say it again, I hope you can join our [Family]."

Finn, who was originally sitting cross-legged in the chair, straightened his posture and sincerely expressed his will.

Just by looking at his deep, lake-like blue eyes, one can tell that he was not trying to play a prank or was mentally unstable.

After spending these past few days together, Grace was all too clear about this.

He let out a sigh.

"Why are you so fixated on me? There are so many dwarfs in the world."

"But heroes like you are rare, let alone outstanding dwarves who haven't yet joined any [Family]."

—They actually called me a hero.

Upon hearing this, Grace closed her eyes and smiled.

"Although it may sound a bit far-fetched, our goal is to become a top faction with a worldwide reputation, and for that—"

"I've already heard about this from your ancestral deity. What I want to hear is your true thoughts."

In your own words.

Grace conveyed this with her eyes, and Finn paused for a moment before continuing her story.

"I have a long-cherished wish. A long-cherished wish to revive my clan."

"To revitalize the clan?"

"They are all the little people who live in this world but have never seen or whose names they do not know."

Grace's eyes widened in surprise.

"The dwarf race needs a 'light' now, and I want to be that 'light'."

"...Do you know what you're saying?"

"Of course. I want to personally seize and recreate the glory achieved by the goddess (Fiana) of the past, and become a 'hero' of my people."

Finn fearlessly blurted out the word "hero".

For a fleeting moment, his small frame radiated a determination that was enough to intimidate Grace.

"To become the 'light' of a race, one must acquire immeasurable fame and achievements. It's not just about personal martial prowess; yes, one also needs the magnanimity to lead the gods' kin."

"So that's why you want to go to the labyrinth city (Orario)?"

"Yes, I want to dominate that place, which is also known as the 'center of the world,' and this is the fastest shortcut."

"..."

"Therefore, I need talented people, worthy companions to lead, or even more capable relatives than myself."

Finn's "ambition" was far beyond Grace's imagination.

It was so grandiose that it could almost be dismissed as childish rambling, but the boy in front of her was so brazen as to make such a statement that Grace didn't laugh at him; instead, she felt a surge of admiration.

Keeping one's word and putting it into practice—

Even if the results are the same, the former will still be the subject of discussion by outsiders.

It takes courage to speak out a dream that you could keep to yourself.

It is also a ritual to cut off one's own escape route.

Because if one fails to realize their dream, they will become a laughing stock in the world.

The little man before me possessed heroic "courage" and monstrous "determination".

Even now, he continues to push himself, single-mindedly striving to realize his "ambition".

"I don't deny that I intend to use you to achieve my ambitions, but I assure you that you will also benefit from it. If you also have dreams, I am willing to provide assistance and will try to satisfy your ego."

"...You're really blunt."

"If I don't do this, I'll be taking advantage of them."

Even though she had honestly confessed her plans, there was not a trace of remorse in her bright blue eyes.

Moreover, their eyes and tone were so sincere that it was impossible to refute the claim that such a verbal agreement was completely unbelievable.

For Grace now, the boy's ridiculous and absurd "ambition" is undoubtedly a "poison".

This made him feel both inferior and envious, just like his conversation with Riveria the night before.

Compared to this little human who so brazenly revealed his ambitions, how insignificant was he?

Grace even had this illusion.

"...I can't leave this village."

Perhaps they were moved by Finn's determination.

In return for the other party's frankness in revealing his "ambition," Grace also honestly confessed the true thoughts buried in his heart.

What were your feelings when you first arrived here?

"The residents here are living very resiliently, but unfortunately, resources are extremely scarce."

"That's right. The mineral veins in this area have been almost completely exhausted. In order to support all the villagers, the young people and I have no choice but to go out to work and obey those businessmen."

Because the village is so remote, travelers, especially merchants, never pass through it.

Including Naruel and Noruel, who are very attached to Riveria, "Lonsa" would inevitably face the destruction of the village if it weren't for the hard work of Grace and others for all the children in the village.

"I grew up in this village, and I caused a lot of trouble for the villagers when I was young. The main thing is that ten years ago, I was too arrogant and accidentally got into a conflict with a certain country, which led to the village's livelihood being taken away."

Because they had heard that there was a powerful, unaffiliated dwarf here, many of their [families], like Finn and the others, came to recruit Grace.

One of the recruiting nations—and it just so happens to be a vassal state of that "empire"—sent a cunning and treacherous little man as their envoy.

Because the negotiator, along with his hometown, had thoroughly humiliated Grace, he, who was absolutely confident in his own strength, immediately punched the other party away.

In conclusion, the [Family] did not use force to attack "Lonza".

However, the villagers' various jobs disappeared all at once, which seemed quite abrupt.

"My dad and his comrades risked their lives to work in the mines to support the villagers... but one day they died in an accident."

"..."

"The village has become like this entirely because of me."

The rising heat made Grace's face turn very ugly.

Finn was about to say something, but after hearing the story, he relaxed.

Then he smiled.

"I've heard tales of your heroic deeds from the villagers. What is it that you seek?"

In his youth, he went into the mountains to hunt monsters.

During his youth, he traveled to the country where the conflict broke out and won the championship in martial arts competitions held by the other side on several occasions.

In order to find out what was at the end of the world, he climbed to the top of a mountain and looked westward from a high place. As a result, he gave up his dream and brought his youth to an end.

After reminiscing about the past, Grace replied with a smile:

"A fierce battle."

He spoke of a wish that was far simpler and purer than the ambitions of a teenager.

"I want to immerse myself in that kind of adrenaline-pumping battle... to meet an opponent stronger than me, that's all."

After speaking, Grace kept her lips tightly closed.

A moment of silence fell over the scene.

"You really should join us."

"Maybe, but I can't do it."

Grace spoke these words as if she had severed the confusion in her heart.

Only silence and sweat trickling down their chins settled between them.

After a period of time──

Grace glanced at Finn, who was wiping the sweat from his forehead with his slender arm, and as if trying to dispel the heavy atmosphere, he unusually raised the corners of his mouth.

"Furthermore, if the members of the [Family] are so cowardly that they surrender in a steam room, I would rather die than join them."

Upon hearing this, Finn slowly narrowed his azure eyes.

"...I see. So, if I win this heat endurance contest, I'll be eligible to recruit you into the group."

"This is nothing at all," Finn boasted nonchalantly.

Only at this moment did Grace reveal a competitive smile for the first time.

Inside the sweltering stone house, an unseen competition was about to begin.

"I think you should stop pretending."

"You're the one who's right."

"You look like you're about to be roasted into a dried-up human body!"

"On the contrary, you seem to have gotten thinner? The muscles you worked so hard to build seem to be starting to break down?"

"Get out of here."

"Then you can go out first."

The two sides exchanged barbs.

Their gazes met, as if sparks were flying.

Both Grace and Finn are quite competitive, and although they were sweating profusely, they both wore proud smiles.

As temperatures continued to rise, the inhabitants and dwarves, driven by their desire for victory, remained shrouded in intense heat.

After several hours—

This duel, in which both were rendered unconscious, ended in a draw, leaving a dumbfounded Rivera, a hearty laugh-out-loud Loki, a blushing Aina, and the miners frantically carrying the two away.

The day after failing to determine a winner with Finn.

Still feeling slightly dizzy and tired, Grace carried her tools and headed toward the Serspor Mine, located directly west of "Lonza".

(Damn it, that little thug... he still makes my head spin.)

Grice, secretly grumbling to himself, led his men into the mine.

Despite the presence of magic stone lamps along the way, the tunnel was still quite dark.

The exposed stone walls were cold and piercing, and the narrow roads on both sides created a sense of oppression.

Looking at the rotten, neglected timbers, Grace frowned and ordered his men to replace them. That day, they planned to continue expanding the tunnel along the veins from which resources were still estimated. While they could rely entirely on the dwarves' proud brute force to dig with pickaxes, the village (Lonsa) craftsman (the old man) had prepared powerful explosives; blasting the way would be much easier. If gnomes inhabited the mountain, this would surely offend them, and they would have no choice but to offer dwarven firewine and kowtow in apology.

Grace surveyed the tunnels, which had been developed to an excessively vast extent, and as he confirmed that his men were busy with their respective tasks, he prepared to begin work himself—

"...? Yugur, what's wrong?"

"..."