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

Just when they were in dire straits, they were rescued by Miss Ais Wallenstein, the Sword Maiden.

Although I was flustered, I still wanted to thank her. However, the moment she reached out her hand to me, my mind went completely blank—overwhelmed by shame and nervousness, I lost my composure—and I fled the scene as fast as I could.

Miss Eina, who listened to my recount the whole story, grew increasingly grim.

"—Hey, why won't you listen to me! Haven't I always told you that going into the dungeon alone is dangerous enough? You can't go down to the lower levels without thinking it through, you can't take risks!"

"Yes, yes...!"

—"Adventurers cannot take risks"—

This is Miss Eina's catchphrase. It might seem contradictory at first glance, but it essentially means "always be prepared for accidents, safety first."

She said that newbies like me should especially remember this. She said the chances of dying are highest when you first become an adventurer.

Who would have thought that you would encounter a Minotaur with a level 2 rating on the 5th floor?

Generally speaking, that monster would only appear in dungeons below the 15th floor. In Miss Eina's words, "Nobody knows what might happen in the dungeon."

...Really, if it weren't for that person, I would be dead by now. Just thinking about it makes my spine tremble, and I even feel the urge to urinate.

I swore in my heart that I would never forget Miss Eina's words of advice.

"Sigh... You seem to harbor some strange dreams about the dungeons. I think that's what caused today's accident, isn't it?"

"Ah, hahaha..."

You got it right. I suddenly feel like taking a little risk and seeing if I can meet someone of the opposite sex... If I were stupid enough to tell the truth, I'd definitely get beaten up.

From the very beginning, my desire to become an adventurer stemmed from impure motives: a dream of encountering beautiful women and girls I had yet to meet—like a fateful encounter in a tale of heroes. While completing the formalities at the guild, Miss Eina witnessed my dubious enthusiasm. Though she couldn't fathom my true thoughts, she still looked at me with a skeptical gaze.

Ah, but things will be different starting today. I will abandon those impure motives and enter the dungeon with pure and devoted reasons.

Because of me, I met that person.

"Um, so, could you please tell me about Miss Wallenstein...?"

"Hmm... From the guild's perspective, leaking adventurers' information is prohibited..."

"I can only tell you the publicly available information, okay?" Miss Eina made it clear before she began to describe. That's just how kind she is, though it could also be because I'm a new adventurer.

Real name: Ais Wallenstein. A female swordsman who serves as a core member of the Loki Familia.

Her swordsmanship is undoubtedly among the best of the adventurers. Furthermore, because she once single-handedly annihilated a group of monsters equivalent to LV.5, she earned another nickname among adventurers, derived from her title "Sword Maiden": "War Maiden."

Her name spread throughout the realm of immortals, and it is said that the immortals praised her as "the most beautiful girl in the world."

All the men who approached her with ulterior motives either died heroically or were shattered to pieces.

Just recently, I finally achieved the feat of killing a thousand people...

"Hmm—what else? She's beautiful, incredibly strong, and always a hot topic."

"Um, that's not information about adventurers... I mean things like hobbies or favorite foods, and the last piece of information you mentioned earlier..."

My cheeks were burning as I spoke cautiously. Miss Eina blinked two or three times upon hearing this.

"What, Bell, have you fallen for Miss Wallenstein too?"

"No, that...uh, yes..."

"Haha, well, there's nothing I can do about it. Even I, as a fellow woman, can't help but sigh when I see her."

Miss Eina smiled wryly as she brought the black tea to her lips. Every movement she made was so elegant.

Although she praised Miss Wallenstein so highly, she herself was quite popular among adventurers. With eyes outlined like jewels with soft lines, a delicate chin, and a beautiful nose, she possessed all the qualities of a beauty. Everyone was saying how many men were pursuing her. Me too; I was overjoyed when I learned my advisor was Miss Eina.

Although she is of mixed race, her appearance inherited a strong elven bloodline, yet she is surprisingly kind and approachable. It seems that many people are captivated by the gap between her public image and her true self.

Miss Eina thought about it for a moment and then told me that she had not heard of anyone being involved with Miss Wallenstein.

I couldn't help but make a victory sign.

"As for private matters like hobbies, I've really never heard of that... Oh, no way, that has nothing to do with my job! I'm not handling relationship counseling!"

"Please, please help me!"

"No—no! Okay, if there's nothing else, let's go back right away!"

Miss Eina stood up, practically urging me to leave the room. My feeble resistance was futile, and we left the room together, arriving at the guild headquarters' entrance hall.

The luxurious hall, built of white marble, appeared somewhat deserted, while the statues of adventurers and gods placed along the walls exuded a strong presence.

"Oh, Miss Eina is so mean..."

"Let me tell you... you've become an adventurer now, there are many other things you need to be careful about, you know?"

“Ugh…”

I know that too.

Now that no one is protecting me, I must rely on myself to keep venturing into the dungeon to survive. Besides that, I also need to be careful with my spending, otherwise the consequences will be dire.

Besides, I have people I need to support... I mean, "gods." In reality, I don't have the extra energy to be infatuated with Miss Wallenstein.

"You've already received 'favors' from gods other than Loki, haven't you? I think it's very difficult for you to have a close relationship with Miss Wallenstein, who is also a member of the Loki Familia."

"……yes."

"...I don't want you to give up on this relationship, but you need to face reality. Otherwise, it won't do you any good."

The implication is: at least for now, you must fulfill your duty as an adventurer.

Although her mention of "family clans" as an example made me feel like I'd been given a death sentence through a roundabout way.

Miss Eina looked at me with a troubled expression, and offered her a routine response as a guild employee.

"Should we go exchange some money?"

"...That's true. After all, I defeated some monsters before I encountered the Minotaur."

"Then let's go to the money exchange. I'll go with you."

I feel so indebted to her for caring so much. I'm so clueless, yet she's already taken such good care of me. If this continues, I'll probably have to bow and scrape to Miss Eina for the rest of my life.

So we went to the money exchange inside the guild headquarters and collected our earnings for the day.

The "Magic Stone Fragments" obtained from defeating monsters such as goblins and earth spirits totaled approximately 1,200 Fali. This was lower than usual because I ran away as soon as I saw Miss Wallenstein, and spent less time exploring the dungeon than usual.

Hmm—considering weapon maintenance and the food for both the gods and me, it seems I can't replenish the equipment...

"...Bell."

"Oh, yes. What is it?"

Just as I was about to head back, Miss Eina, who had escorted me to the exit, called me back.

She hesitated for a moment, then spoke as if she had made up her mind:

"Let me tell you, women still prefer men who are capable and reliable, so... well, as long as you don't get discouraged and keep trying, one day... understand?"

"..."

"...If Bell gets stronger, maybe Miss Wallenstein will turn around and take a look at you?"

I stopped what I was doing, carefully considering the implication of her words, and watching Miss Eina, who was observing my reaction from below.

When I finally realized that she was encouraging me not as a guild employee, but as a friend, I couldn't help but smile.

I excitedly rushed forward, then immediately turned back and called out to Miss Eina:

"Miss Eina, I like you the most!"

"...Huh!"

"Thank you!"

Seeing Miss Eina's face turn completely red, I laughed and ran through the crowded street.

The labyrinth city of Orario.

It possesses an underground labyrinth commonly known as the "underground city"—no, it is a massive city built upon the labyrinth.

This thriving city, centered around "guilds" that manage the city and its underground, is home to various races of demi-humans, including humans.

My knowledge of Orario is limited, and this is all I can say about it. Although I live here, I am ashamed to say that I only have a rough understanding of this city.

People who venture into dungeons and make a living from the income they obtain are called adventurers, which is my current profession.

I grew up in the countryside, some distance from Orario. Being rather naive and innocent, I've only known the ways of the world since my grandfather, who raised me, started raising me a year ago.

After his death, he lost his protector and ran away from the village with the remaining property.

Needless to say, it's because I long for a wonderful encounter in the dungeon.

"A man should aim for a harem!"

My grandfather often told me this when I was a child, and I still vividly remember his hearty smile back then.

As far back as I can remember, I loved the heroic tales my grandfather read to me. Hearing about those incredibly cool heroes defeating monsters, saving people, and rescuing imprisoned princesses, I genuinely wished I could be like them and make that my dream.

And it was then that my grandfather told me.

The most essential element of those heroes' deeds is their encounters with lovely girls.

Everything progressed rapidly after that. As a child, I admired heroes and was also passionate about encounters with the opposite sex. From morning till night, my grandfather taught me what "male romance" meant.

As I grew older, I began to realize that I could not become a hero, and one dream gradually withered; but in contrast, another passion seemed to have inherited my grandfather's will and grew stronger.

My grandfather often recommended "Dungeon Oratorio," a classic that I consider a masterpiece. The story of the heroes who left behind great achievements in this labyrinthine city may have contributed to the formation of my passion for this game.

If you find yourself on the stage where heroes embark on their adventures... if you go to Orario, if you become an adventurer, if you venture into the dungeons.

Perhaps I will encounter the kind of fateful encounter that appears in the tales of heroes.

After losing my only family member, the idea left by my grandfather seemed to be the driving force that brought me to this place where the underground city is located.

When I first came here, I was blindly pursuing my goals; but now, having experienced the threat to my life, I've begun to reflect on how foolish my reasons for coming here were. I might be the only one who became an adventurer with such a ridiculous idea. But honestly, I think those who pursue wealth or fame are, at their core, much like me.

"Living" is difficult in itself. Today I almost lost my life, and I finally realized this.

Whether it's a dungeon or anything else, it's not something you can deal with easily.

This also includes my new target—Miss Ais Wallenstein.

I weaved through the crowds on the avenue teeming with people of all races.

Dwarves, goblins, orcs, Palmu… some looked like ordinary citizens, while others were armed with dangerous gear. For someone like me who grew up in the human countryside, everything in this city seemed new and vibrant. Even the surging crowds seemed endlessly fascinating. The noisy commotion of the crowd inexplicably lifted my spirits.

An elf with a sleek appearance brushed past me, momentarily catching my eye, and I continued towards my destination. I left the main street, traversed truly narrow alleyways, and turned several corners.

When the noise from behind stopped, I found myself in a dead-end alley.

"..."

I looked up at the building in front of me.

This building, nestled deep in a deserted alley, is a dilapidated church.

This two-story building, constructed to worship the gods, is practically half-collapsed. Its appearance, with its broken and crumbling stones, reveals the dizzying marks of years of weathering and the sorrow of being forgotten.

Directly above the entrance hall, a stone statue of a goddess, her entire body broken and missing half her face, looks down at me with a smile.

"Hey."

There was no need to confirm, but I still turned around to make sure no one was there before walking through the doorless entrance and into the church.

The interior was even more dilapidated than the exterior, a complete mess. Cracked floor tiles were overgrown with weeds, and most of the ceiling had collapsed, revealing a large hole. Warm sunlight streamed through the hole, illuminating the altar, which had barely managed to retain its original shape.

Inside this church, which could not be denied even if it were called ruins, I habitually walked through the interior and came to the small room behind the altar. This dimly lit room was filled with bookshelves that were empty of books, and behind the innermost bookshelf... there was a staircase leading to the underground.

I stepped down the shallow stairs and opened the door to the room where a faint light was leaking from the small window.

"God, I'm back—!"

I greeted them loudly and stepped inside, entering a small, habitable room that didn't live up to the name "basement." It was spacious enough for someone to live in.

The person I was calling was lying on the purple sofa that was visible as soon as I entered the room. She, who had been reclining and reading, immediately jumped off the sofa and stood there.

Judging by her appearance alone, she seems to be a little girl... or a teenage girl, somewhere in between. She's shorter than me, and people would believe she's a "sister of similar age."

The girl with a smile on her youthful face came to me with light footsteps.

"Hi, you're back! You're back earlier than usual today?"

"Uh, because I almost died in the dungeon..."

"Hey, are you alright? If you die, I'll be devastated. I might even be unusually sad and upset."