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

This enormous serpentine monster, capable of shaking the entire mine with a mere twist of its body, was like a "tornado" that shouldn't exist underground. Grace was repeatedly blown against the wall, crashing to the ground, blood splattering everywhere.

The so-called "super-sized species" are those that can easily crush their opponents with their bodies alone.

Compared to the various monsters that Grace has eliminated so far, "Lemton" is both powerful, tough, and ferocious.

"Ugh...!?"

The flickering lantern, damaged and constantly illuminating—

It was Grace, who was covered in blood.

"That's way too serious..."

This was the first thing Finn said after arriving at the "Selsebor Mine".

At first glance, the vast mining terrain resembles a canyon. The areas where soil and rocks are piled up are lined with wooden houses such as mineral storage warehouses, making it look like a small town.

This mining town, usually filled with the clamor of miners, is now shrouded in the sounds of wailing.

Dust filled all the entrances leading into the mine, and miners covered in blood struggled to escape, while even monsters like goblins and rock lizards fled in all directions. The collapse had likely caused a section of the mine to lose its balance, and the slippery ground caused rocks to completely bury the wooden ladders, bridges, and cart tracks; nowhere was intact.

The miners, led by dwarves, repeatedly shouted for the wounded to take refuge first, while the merchants screamed in agony because their equipment was completely destroyed.

"Thick smoke is billowing from multiple entrances... Could it be that all the tunnels collapsed at the same time? This is too unusual."

With a furrowed brow, Loki was convinced that the accident was neither a natural disaster nor a man-made one, but rather the work of a more savage and brutal "monster".

"More likely, those dwarves are still trapped in the mines!?"

Seeing this mountain disaster that she would never have had the chance to witness in her birthplace, Riveria could no longer remain calm.

Having narrowly escaped the mine, Finn found none of Grace and the others among the wounded lying on the ground nearby. He stopped a nearby miner, exhausted from running around, and asked if he had seen any of Lonsa's miners—

"They haven't returned yet! Grace of Lonsa is the best miner around here! He must have gone to the deepest part and is trapped there!"

But what I got in return was such a heartless answer.

Even Riveria, who was previously at odds with the dwarves, was shocked after hearing this—just then, she suddenly felt her skirt being gently tugged.

"Will Boss Grace and the others...die?" "...?"

"...!!"

The question was asked by Naru and Noru, who were very attached to Riveria and the others.

The twin sisters, who had come here with the villagers of Longsa, were now teary-eyed.

Many of the other dwarves, upon witnessing this scene, knelt down in despair.

Faced with the dwarves who covered their mouths and choked with sobs—women who always came to care for her because of misunderstandings—Riviera unconsciously clenched her hands.

"...Aina, I'm still really bad at dealing with dwarves."

"Lady Riveria...?"

"The dwarves are all loud-voiced, careless, and never consider the feelings of others. Like my fellow dwarves, I guess I'm just not cut out for this race."

I assumed she was observing the horrific scene around her and wasn't looking at the bewildered Aina, but the elven princess raised her eyebrows and shouted:

"But!! How could I stand by and watch them die for such a trivial reason!! Not to mention these kind people who, even when faced with the difficult and neurotic elven royalty, still accepted them with open hearts and no prejudice. How could I possibly sit idly by?!"

The dwarves, who were desperate and helpless, were drawn to the shout.

Nalu'er, Noru'er, and the villagers of Longsa, their eyes brimming with tears, were all stunned into silence.

Although Aina knew that such feelings were inappropriate, she was still deeply moved by the royal honor that the princess showed to the dwarves, rather than her own kind.

"Little people, you need to think of something! I really can't come up with a way to break this deadlock on my own!"

"Rivia..."

"I'm now completely at your mercy! So—please help these dwarves!!"

Riveria strode up to Finn.

This is the first time she has acted "willfully" since leaving "Alfred Wangsen".

At the same time, it also means abandoning the dignity of an elf, admitting one's own incompetence, and having no choice but to humbly beg others for "plea".

She, who is stubborn, inflexible, and naive, will surely change from now on.

Her noble character, as displayed in front of Finn and others, will be able to save and guide many people.

Compared to Finn, who was merely a "fake" and could only become a "manufactured hero," Riveria radiated the brilliance of a chosen one, causing Finn to squint his eyes and feel a moment of envy; but he immediately nodded firmly in response.

"I understand. I will make full use of you. Are all the effects of the 'magic' you told me before—that you've confirmed through your training up to this day—truly accurate?"

"Um!"

"In that case, although the methods will be somewhat forceful, you will be the 'key' to saving Grace and the others. Immediately prepare the necessary items, and also gather all the spiritual energy potions! We'll also need the other dwarves' help to clear the blocked tunnel!"

Finn ripped the white cloth covering his spear and loudly ordered an attack on the mine, to which Riveria obeyed without hesitation.

She not only took all the items from Aina, who was carrying a small pouch, but even grabbed a merchant and said, "Pay later! Hand over all the elixirs now!!" demanding supplies in a near-threatening manner. The trembling merchants dared not disobey the elven royal family, and the dwarves in the village (Lonsa) hurriedly made preparations.

"The problem is that even with Rivera's help, the search area is still too vast..."

If there were a way to pinpoint the area where Grace and the others are trapped—

As Finn forced himself to swallow his words, Loki, who was carefully observing his surroundings, double-checked a certain spot as if he had been electrocuted.

"Hmm~!? Little one over there! Stop! Stop right now—!"

"Hoo-hoo!?"

Loki spotted a "human figure" among the miners and various monsters fleeing from the smoke-filled mine entrance and rushed forward to grab it.

The "figure" caught red-handed stared wide-eyed in terror.

"I've unexpectedly found the 'target that can solve all problems'! Now I can save myself the trouble of searching everywhere!"

Faced with the "goddess" with a wicked grin, the captured "fairy" appeared extremely fearful.

Drops of blood fell onto the rocky ground.

"Brother Grace...!"

Grace was covered in wounds.

With each breath he took, blood seeped from the wounds, the skin covering his proud muscles riddled with holes.

After all, it wasn't originally intended as a weapon for defeating monsters, and the pickaxe was broken in two.

Covered in bruises.

No other word can describe Grace's current state.

"Hiss his ......

On the other hand, a fierce rage ignited in the compound eyes of "Lemton".

The reason is that several of its scales were shattered by the now-destroyed pickaxe.

To put it nicely, it was revenge; to put it bluntly, it was adding fuel to the fire. Enraged by Grace's counterattack, "Lemton" launched an even more intense attack.

At the same time, it was also enraged by its prey's refusal to submit.

The reason why no one has been swallowed by the monster so far is all thanks to Grace's activities.

The other dwarves were terrified as they watched the man and the beast locked in a fierce battle for hours.

"What are you doing?! Quickly dig a path and call for help!"

Grace, with his back to his underlings who had stopped what they were doing, shouted a reminder.

He reprimanded them for not digging the tunnel that was blocked by the collapse.

Grace, who was injured in the initial sneak attack, acted decisively.

The goal is to keep "Lemton" focused on him.

He recklessly engaged in direct combat, using his attacks to make his enemies hate him to the core.

Everything was done so that at least the underlings could escape.

Grace has made up her mind to go down with "Lemton".

He planned to use the "explosives" provided by the village (Lonsa) craftsmen to blast the tunnels, sacrificing himself to send the monster to its doom.

Grace is now the shield and last line of defense protecting the dwarves behind her.

(But the situation is quite bad...! My vision is starting to blur...!)

However, he is also nearing his limit.

Excessive blood loss caused a persistent, annoying tinnitus in my ears.

It's impossible to be sure how many more times the constantly trembling fingers can clench into a fist.

The enemy is an extraordinary being among the surface monsters, far surpassing any common goblin. Even if you told Grace that "this snake comes from the depths of the dungeon," he still wouldn't understand. Perhaps it's a good thing he doesn't understand, since the dungeon's numbers are an unshakeable indicator, only serving to highlight the disparity in strength between friend and foe.

Therefore, it is even more unusual that Grace, who has been able to contend with it without having received any "favors" yet, has been able to do so.

(Looks like this is where I'll end up...)

The inexplicably piercing sound of a heartbeat repeatedly proclaimed its own fate.

Grace couldn't help but smile at this.

(While it's far from a truly intense battle... to be honest, it's not bad either.)

It burned to ashes in the fierce battle.

For me now, this is a luxury.

So Grace laughed.

He subconsciously put on a resigned smile full of "unwillingness".

"Grace, Big Brother..."

Grace's expression—

Yugur happened to see it.

Is he smiling...?

Under the constantly flickering light of the lantern—

On the other side of light and darkness—

It revealed Grace's true feelings, feelings that she had never shown until now.

When the young dwarf realized that it was he and the others who had forced Grace to wear that smile—a fire ignited in his heart.

"--Ughh ...

The fire instantly ignited the fuse, and Yugur, consumed by his inner turmoil, charged out.

He abandoned the other miners, gripped his pickaxe, and charged toward "Lemton".

"Huh...!? Yugul!? Stop! Stop right now!"

Ignoring Grace's alarmed advice, Yugur swung his pickaxe with all his might.

Sparks flew between the scales and the pickaxe, and Yogur was immediately thrown back.

However, he immediately got up and launched another attack.

"We're not spineless cowards who rely on our big brother's protection all the time!"

The young dwarf roared, his voice no less powerful than the growl of a monster in a fit of rage.

"If you only bring trouble to your older brother, what kind of younger brother are you!"

He raised his voice and shouted out his feelings to himself and the other dwarves.

"What kind of family are we if we can't support our eldest brother from behind?!"

Yugur roared, tears streaming down his face, blood spurting from his fingernails that had cracked from overexertion.

““!!””

The shouts echoing in this enclosed space shook the hearts of everyone present.

Therefore──

At the young dwarf's shouts, the other dwarves followed suit and attacked.