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

It's a circular space that expands from the large hole I just climbed up. And it's unusually vast. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it could accommodate thousands of adventurers; it really is that large.

The temple-like decor, which makes one completely unaware that a monster's lair lies directly below, exudes a noble style. If someone were to tell me this is an altar for offering sacrifices to the gods, I might believe it. This hall is indeed ingeniously designed.

The entire hall was decorated in blue and white, with black stone tablets inscribed with the names of many adventurers scattered around. Thick, long pillars were spaced at equal intervals, too numerous to count at once. Looking up, one could see the sky filling the entire ceiling. Nowhere else could one find such exquisite celestial paintings.

Once you get here, it's completely safe. Your tense nerves naturally relax, and the hidden fatigue suddenly overwhelms your entire body.

(…Huh?)

Amidst the throngs of adventurers and supporters carrying backpacks, I moved to the wall to avoid obstructing those approaching from behind, and a rare sight came into view.

Huge cargo crates. Several crates with wheels attached to their bottoms, used for transporting supplies, were placed some distance from the large opening in the underground city.

I remember... it was often used when exploring the deeper levels of dungeons, also known as "expeditions"?

It is used to store food or spare equipment, and also to store dropped items and other large quantities of items.

I searched for information from my vague knowledge, gazing at the cargo boxes—suddenly, a box rattled.

(Huh!)

I was speechless with astonishment when I saw that the box could move on its own.

The actions made from the inside are like saying "Let me out." The contents of the box will move around, so you can guess what's inside without even opening the lid.

Is it difficult...?

I started to think that the cargo box looked like a "cage" and immediately began to simply imagine what was inside the box.

(Is there a monster trapped inside?)

A low growl even came from the cargo box, confirming my suspicions.

Is it appropriate to put monsters in a place like this...?

I've heard that this Tower of Babel, managed by the guild, is the "lid" of the dungeon. Apparently, in what's known as the "Ancient Times," monsters appearing on the surface were commonplace—causing immense damage, said to have destroyed the entire world's surface—and this giant tower was built to prevent such occurrences. In other words, it's a breakwater preventing monsters from leaving the dungeon.

Now that adventurers who have received "divine grace" are actively hunting monsters, there is absolutely no chance of a large-scale monster attack... Even so, I heard that the guild still uses this Tower of Babel as its base, continuously monitoring the dungeon without letting their guard down. They are responsible for managing Orario and study countermeasures every day to prevent the city from being destroyed.

In other words, monsters should never be released out of the dungeon under any circumstances.

The appearance of monsters in this safe zone outside the dungeon shouldn't have happened. It should have been this way.

But just as I was thinking this, another group carried new cargo boxes up the stairs through the large hole. I looked weak and quickly lost my confidence.

"Is that going to be held again this year?"

"Monster Philia, is it...?"

"Is it meaningful to hold those kinds of events every year?"

"It's just bread and a circus... utterly boring."

"Ganesha is really putting in a lot of effort for no reward. They're forced to do this kind of thing by the guild, having to wag their tails for the citizens every year."

"You don't understand. After all, he's the group owner, Lord Ganesha, hahaha."

I heard this conversation amidst what could not be described as a noisy cacophony of voices.

...A monster festival?

The unfamiliar words left me completely bewildered. These monsters, seemingly captured, were being brought to this place one after another—could it also be related to that event called the Monster Festival?

Members of the Familia, clad in armor bearing elephant-head emblems. I, like everyone else around me, watched them pull crates of various sizes.

(Ah... Miss Eina?)

Brown, medium-length hair appeared in the corner of my field of vision.

My heart skipped a beat, and I followed the familiar figure with my eyes. There was no mistake, my supervisor, Miss Eina, was there.

As a pointy-eared half-elf, her delicate features now appear serious as she carefully discusses something with another guild member.

(Is she working...?)

Seeing Miss Eina engrossed in her conversation with a document in one hand, I felt too embarrassed to call out to her.

Comparing this with the conversation I just overheard, it seems that the act of moving this monster was authorized by the guild.

Seeing that Ms. Eina and the others, who are guild employees, participated in this task, it's not hard to see the clues.

(Although I really wanted to ask her what she was going to do with these monsters... I'll ask her another time.)

I felt bad about bothering her while she was working, and I didn't really want to ask people around me I didn't know... I felt like I'd be laughed at for being naive.

Left with questions about indigestion, I left the scene.

There's no point in staying here any longer, and I'm covered in sweat and stench.

I glanced at Miss Eina's profile one last time before heading toward the shower room on this floor.

▣

"Thank you for coming."

As the staff in the lobby saw me off, I walked out of the guild headquarters.

After taking a shower and leaving the Tower of Babel, I went to the guild headquarters to exchange the magic stones and dropped items for money.

However, knowing that Miss Eina wasn't there, I left early after finishing my business...

"It's completely dark now..."

The outside was already tinged with the colors of the sunset.

Stepping out of the guild headquarters, which stands like a grand temple on the main street, the surrounding area instantly becomes bustling with activity. Passing through the headquarters' front courtyard, where a monument is erected, crowds of various races flow past me on both sides.

In Orario, there are eight main streets called "Main Streets." These eight main streets radiate from the city center, extending in eight directions to the city walls that encircle the town. Perhaps it's easier to understand if you think of the city's overall appearance as a cake. It's like cutting a large cake into eight equal parts.

When distinguishing the various main streets, people refer to them according to their location, calling them North Street, Southeast Street, and so on. Incidentally, the hidden room in the church where I and the fairy reside is located in the section between Northwest Street and West Street. Miss Seele's workplace, "The Abundant Mistress," is also built on the side of West Street.

The Northwest Street where I am standing now faces the guild headquarters, so most of the pedestrians on the street are adventurers.

Exploring dungeons in Orario requires the assistance of the guild in handling various procedures and providing various forms of support. Therefore, all adventurers must frequently visit the guild, without exception. As a result, it's natural to see many adventurers on this main street.

As a result, along this main avenue bustling with adventurers, numerous shops catering to them stand side by side. Looking around, one sees mostly weapon shops and taverns. Even stepping off the main street and into the dark alleyways, one finds clusters of somewhat dubious item shops and other adventurer-specific stores. Inns are also plentiful.

Watching the adventurers disappear into the shops, I wandered aimlessly. Even if I got home, the gods wouldn't be there, so I just wanted to kill some time.

"Huh? Oh, isn't that Bell?"

"Ah, a god!"

After walking a few steps on the stone-paved path, a person walking towards me from the front called out to me.

His features were as beautiful as jade. This tall young man, whose eye level was much higher than mine, was, if I may use a cliché adjective, a quintessential nobleman. His grey robe couldn't conceal his refined air, which was unlike any human or even a subhuman.

His extraordinary appearance, and more importantly, the unique divine aura he exuded, made it clear at a glance that the great figure before me was a deity. I bowed to Mihe, the only deity with whom I had a relationship besides Hestia, the chief goddess of the [Family].

"Hello, Mih. Going out to buy something?"

"Hmm. I, the god, will personally go buy the groceries for dinner. What is Bell doing?"

"Just browsing the shops... because I have no money, so I'm really just looking."

"Haha, we're just a small-scale [family], life's tough for us."

Mihage, holding large paper bags in both hands, smiled broadly at me. Even disregarding his cheerful nature, Mihage's smile possessed boundless charm; even I, a man, was mesmerized by it.

As beings beyond our reach, the gods, though possessing various appearances such as children or those just entering old age, are all invariably born with perfectly proportioned features. Their flawless beauty often becomes the object of envy for us imperfect beings in the lower realms.

Seeing the god Mihe, with his azure hair swaying and a beaming smile, I couldn't help but smile too. At that moment, I remembered the goddess Hestia and decided to ask her about it.

"Um, Mihe, do you know where Hestia is? She went to a friend's party two days ago, and... well, she hasn't come back yet..."

"Where did Hestia go? Hmm... I'm sorry. I have no idea. I'm afraid I can't be of any help."

"No, it's okay! Please don't worry about it!"

Having been apologized to by a deity, I quickly waved my hand to express my fear.

"I think the party you're referring to is the banquet hosted by Ganesha... but I didn't attend that day. If I had gone, I might have found out something."

"Huh, wasn't Mihe God invited to the banquet?"

"No, I did receive an invitation. But I have a poor family to take care of, so I don't have the time. I also missed the banquet a few days ago because I was busy coordinating products with my assistant."

I may not be sure if I put it this way, but the fragility of the Mih God's Familia is no less than that of our Hestia Familia.

Even a novice adventurer like me can have a connection with God Mihe... Perhaps this is what is meant by communication among the lower classes.

"Oh, right. Bell, here, take this. It's the elixir I mentioned earlier, the one I just finished."

“Eh!”

Mih, holding the paper bag with one hand, took two test tubes from his pocket and readily handed them to me. Hearing him say "Take these" and hand them to me, I accepted them without hesitation.

The deep blue liquid, like the deep sea, undulated in the slender container, making a "plop" sound.

"M-Mikhail God, this is!"

"It's nothing, just currying favor with a good neighbor, it can't hurt, right?"

Ignoring my surprise, Mih smiled mischievously and handsomely.

Mih used his free hand to pat my shoulder before brushing past me.

"Hehehe, then I'll take my leave, Bell. Hope you'll visit my Familia often in the future!"

Mih waved one hand and then turned his back to me.

I froze on the spot, then smiled at the back of Mihe who had disappeared into the crowd.

I bowed again, then put the elixir (stamina recovery potion) I received into the leg pouch on my left leg.

The Mih Family runs an item shop. Although the shop is very small, it is a true specialty shop selling elixirs to adventurers.

I have absolutely no knowledge of how to make elixirs. I've only heard that each of the various clans that sell items creates unique healing potions using their own methods, constantly improving their products to differentiate themselves from competitors. And among these clans, the elixirs I buy most often are those made by the Mih clan.

Although they are all called "families", the activities they perform are very different; Mih and his people are a good example.

There are merchant factions that sell items, and blacksmith factions that manufacture weapons and armor; there are also rumored factions that go out to sea to fish. People often think that "familias" are groups of adventurers, but that's not the case.

To put it simply, as long as the gods' "familiars" can make money for them, the activities are fine as long as they can.

The policies of a "Family" are determined by the gods, so the things that the main god of that faction is particularly interested in may also influence the direction of the faction's activities. For example, "I want to eat delicious food from the mortal realm, so I'll open a restaurant!" After all, some have even formed a country, showing that the attributes of "Families" are indeed diverse.

However... even so, conflicts will still erupt between factions, so without highly skilled members, a [Family] cannot be established. A [Family] will inevitably need individuals capable of handling unexpected situations, such as adventurers.

Perhaps because Orario is a labyrinth city, there are many people who aspire to become adventurers, making this tendency particularly pronounced.

For me, becoming an adventurer is not only because it's the best way to make money (although it's also because I yearn for the romantic encounters of adventurers), but also because I don't have any special skills that would allow me to enter other industries.

I looked to my left, where the weapons shops at one end of the street were submerged, and imagined myself as a blacksmith. But I couldn't help but smile bitterly because it was so incongruous with my own life.

"..."

As more and more shops selling weapons and armor appeared, and the figures of adventurers clad in heavy gear became increasingly conspicuous, I stopped in front of one of the shops.

Compared to the shops on either side, this weapons shop was twice as big.

The bright red paint, reminiscent of flames, still stands out on this avenue lined with shops.

The signboard hanging on the heavy door panel bore a strange symbol: 【НØαιτοS】.

I cannot decipher this script, which resembles sacred writing; I only know its meaning. It represents the mark of a world-renowned blacksmith clan.

While keeping an eye on the people around me, I walked toward the shop window as usual.

Through a transparent glass display case, various swords and blades were on display, each clearly a treasure even to a layman. There were double-edged swords with crossed emerald green blades, long-handled swords with impressive attack range, and slender swords adorned with gold.

These sharp and outstanding blades fascinated me, especially one of the short knives that caught my eye.

Reflecting the light from the magic stone lamp above, the pure white blade is tilted and inserted at the center of a small box studded with gems, as if this radiant dagger were the treasure within the chest. Its blade, honed to the point of resembling an animal's fang, is not only aesthetically pleasing but also tells people that it is no less powerful than the longswords around it.

Look at the price tag, which is placed discreetly; the string of zeros is even more frightening.

(Seriously, that sounds so appealing...)

I've made it a habit to press my face against this shop window like this. Whenever I have free time after returning from the guild, I'll stop by the shop for a quick look.

A top-tier weapon used by first-rate adventurers.

I know that for someone like me whose entire set of equipment is still provided by the guild, this kind of high-level item is completely out of place and laughable, but I still hope to use it at least once.

...I really want it.

I muttered to myself, and if other adventurers heard me, they might say, "You're still a hundred years too early!"