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

"Ah, Rivera, you've come. ...Oh dear, the little girl came too."

"Hello, it's been a long time."

Turn from Northwest Street into the back alley and venture deeper. Descend the stairs leading underground, open the decaying wooden door, and enter a strange shop.

The interior was spacious and dark. Bottles containing terrifying creatures like snakes, lizards, and scorpions were fixed to shelves on the walls, illuminated by magic stone lamps hanging from the ceiling like fireballs. At the back of the shop was a large black cauldron, simmering something and emitting red steam. Lefia seemed unaccustomed to the place, looking around anxiously. Just then, the old woman behind the counter handed Lefia a staff.

"Have all the magic gems been replaced?"

"Everything is ready, and all the stones have been replaced with the highest grade as you requested. Honestly, I don't know if you went on an 'expedition' or what, but you managed to break four magic gems..."

Despite the shopkeeper's incessant muttering—a long black robe, white hair, and aquiline nose—a smile played on her wrinkled lips. Rivera took the silver staff meant for repair from her, holding it with both hands and examining it closely. The nine gems on the staff shone brightly, reflecting a royal beauty that even goddesses would envy.

Regardless of the type used for striking, magic staves specifically for mages cannot be purchased from regular weapon shops. Unlike melee weapons like swords, magic staves, which enhance "magic power" to adjust the strength of "magic," require their makers to be proficient in magic. Therefore, very few blacksmiths are capable of crafting them. Individuals who handle magic-related items are called mage, or in other words, blacksmiths who specialize in forging staves.

Magicians craft their own staffs using sacred woods, special metals, and ores from the elven forest to enhance the mage's abilities. Among these, the most potent are the multicolored magic gems—not found in nature, but crafted only by them—that significantly amplify magical effects. The presence or absence of such gems drastically alters the performance of a staff. The staff Lefia held at that moment also had a magic gem radiating a pale light at its center.

The shop, filled with strange items, was overflowing with short wands and staffs that would surely pique the interest of any mage. As Lefia looked around, searching for any other valuable items, she noticed a book behind the counter.

"Huh!...Wait, could that be a grimoire?!"

"Ah, you noticed. That's right."

The shopkeeper nodded to the astonished Lefia. The thick book with its intricately carved cover could force someone to learn "magic"—it was a precious book brimming with "miracles." There were very few people left in the world capable of making such a book.

"Renova, did you do this?"

"Hehehe! How could that be? I'm not such a great magician. I just know someone in the magical country and got a copy through our old friendship." The shop owner answered Riveria's question in a suspicious tone.

High-tier spellbooks not only teach magic, but also have a chance to increase the number of spell slots. The maximum number of spell slots is three. Although you can't increase it further, someone who originally had one slot will have two, and someone with two slots will have three. This increases the number of spells each person can use at birth, which is why spellbooks are traded for more than level one equipment.

The magic book in front of us seems to be being auctioned. The price tag has been changed several times, and the current price has reached an astronomical figure.

"Well, those of you who can use more than four types of magic don't need this thing, right?"

She never mentioned her background or faction. The witch-like shop owner glanced at Lefia and Riveria, then curled her lips into a wide smile.

"Those people in the magical superpowers see you as a thorn in their side."

"E-Me too! Isn't it just Lady Rivera?"

"Isn't the little girl even more outrageous, getting a nickname like 'Thousand' or something? Hehe! Be careful when walking alone at night."

"Don't threaten people, Renova. And don't take it seriously, Rafia. Let's go."

"How indifferent, Riveria... Heh, thank you for your patronage."

With Lefia swallowing hard, Riveria left the shop as the shopkeeper, emitting a strange laugh, watched her go.

The guild headquarters hall is built of white marble.

The great temple facing the street was just as crowded as the street itself, packed with adventurers. Finn and Tione walked to the front of the huge billboard.

"I'll take on some regular adventurer quests occasionally. It's a rare opportunity, so I'll just do what adventurers are supposed to do. You guys need the money, right?"

"Yes. It seems that both Ais and Tiona have to pay back the cost of the weapons. Ais was already outrageous enough, but my stupid little sister is even more outrageous. She didn't even consider having someone forge weapons made of super-hard metal (Durable Steel)... It seems that she has incurred a huge debt because of this."

"In that case, it would be best to choose simple quests that offer good rewards and allow you to handle several at once... It would probably be better to choose adventurer quests that involve monster extermination."

Finn and Tione looked around at the guild notice board, hoping to find some adventurer quests they could take care of while exploring the dungeon. The notice board, covered in parchment, was filled with quests, such as collecting "dropped items" from specific monsters, escorting caravans, and many others unrelated to the dungeon.

"Oh, this seems quite interesting."

"Which one?"

"The song echoing through the labyrinth... Please find the owner of the song in the lower level... Oh, unlike the roar of monsters, it's a beautiful song that captivates the listener. Is the singer a human, a monster, or even the dungeon itself...? It even says that the client is so concerned about this that they can't sleep at night."

"No, Captain. These kinds of requests are obviously troublesome. The rewards are pitifully low, and we don't have time to deal with this kind of thing."

"You really don't understand romance."

Finn shrugged after hearing Tione's advice. Isn't the irresistible urge to explore precisely what makes being an adventurer so fascinating? The little boy smiled knowingly.

Later, they tore several commission forms from the notice board and submitted them to the guild window. After going through the procedure of avoiding duplicate commissions, the ownership of the adventurer commissions submitted by Finn and his party belonged to them. As long as the commission is formally accepted in this way, and the evidence—or collected items—along with the contract, is handed over to the window later, they can receive the reward that the client entrusted to the guild for safekeeping.

Furthermore, the more official guild-ordered commissions completed, the more merits earned, indirectly affecting the rise and fall of the [Family] level. Each adventurer's commission has a different level of difficulty, and the faction to which the adventurer belongs will be evaluated by the guild for handling these commissions.

After thanking the clerk who helped them with the paperwork, Finn and Tiony headed to the Tower of Babel, where their companions were to meet.

"Ah! Finn and Tiony are here."

"We're the last ones. Sorry to keep everyone waiting."

Located in a corner of broad-leaved trees, dozens of meters away from the towering skyscraper (Tower of Babel) in the vast Central Park.

Ais and the others, who were in the shade of the tree, saw Finn carrying a long spear, and Tiona, who was also carrying a backpack. Tiona kicked the broad-leaved tree she was leaning against and then excitedly picked up her huge weapon.

Lefia and Riveria picked up their staffs, while Ais checked the feel of the Sword of Despair hanging at her waist.

"Everyone seems to be all ready. It's about time we went."

"Yeah. It's been a long time since just the few of us went into the dungeon."

"Hey, I'm already super excited before I even go!"

"You need to control yourself, okay?"

After Finn and Riveria finished speaking, Tiony, looking utterly helpless with Tiona, gave her a casual remark. Lefia chuckled at them, then turned to Ais and said:

"I will also do my best to help everyone."

"Yes, thank you, Dong Feiya... Let's do our best together."

Ais smiled back at her, and then looked up at the sky with everyone else.

Towering skyscrapers stretch towards the distant sky. After gazing up at the beautiful and solemn white-walled giant tower for a while, they heard the noon chimes ringing from the east. As if propelled by the clear chimes of the city, Ais and her companions stepped forward and walked towards the tower's entrance.

*

"..."

The central tower of the Twilight Pavilion, the highest floor.

In a private room filled with bottles of liquor and exotic props, Loki silently and intently reads the intelligence newspaper.

These merchants or certain clans sold stacks of parchment scrolls containing numerous densely written reports in the Common Language. Some of these reports were accompanied by exquisite illustrations, bold and eye-catching headlines, and witty and engaging content; all these carefully crafted elements aroused consumers' desire to buy.

On a newsletter half-filled with gossip and juicy tales, Loki glanced at the illustrations depicting monsters wreaking havoc in the streets—articles related to the Monster Festival from a couple of days prior.

"Hmm...the contents of every intelligence report are pretty much the same."

Loki, sitting in his chair, tossed the newsletter onto the table. Besides the one he'd just finished reading, several scrolls were spread out on the table. Almost every scroll was accompanied by illustrations and featured extensive descriptions of the unexpected incident at the Monster Festival.

The mishandling of the Ganesha Familia, the attack by spies outside the city, and the capricious gods committing crimes for their own amusement... The case of a monster escaping halfway through the festival, causing panic among the city's residents, has been the subject of various speculations in the newspapers, but none of the reports have published the information Loki wanted to see—namely, information about the man-eating flower monster.

"Hmm..." Loki, her hands clasped behind her head, looked down at the table, then thoughtfully turned her gaze to the ceiling before calmly standing up. She walked out of the room, down the spiral staircase, through the sky corridor, and into one of the towers.

Loki strolled through each room, glancing around to make sure no one was there, until he finally arrived at the meeting room where the group members often gathered.

"Oh dear, is Bert all alone? Where are Ais and the others?"

"...They said they went to the dungeon. It seems they took Finn and the others with them too. They won't be back for two or three days."

In this room facing the hallway, often used as a conversation room, Bert lay alone on the sofa. He glanced at Loki before continuing to lie there, replying rudely.

"What, you got left behind?"

"That's not true!"

Bert propped himself up and growled gruffly. His glare seemed to say, "Stop talking nonsense," and he slammed his tail down on the sofa with a loud "thud!" His attitude made him seem more like he was embarrassed and angry. "Alright, alright," Loki said, trying to soothe him.

Then she asked Bert what his plans were for the day, and he replied, "...Nothing." He was silent for a moment, then turned his head away.

"...Hey, Bert, excuse me, could you spend the whole day with me today?"

"what?"

Seeing Bert's surprised expression, as if to say, "What are you trying to do?", Loki replied:

"I want to investigate this."

Sword Oratoria 2 Side Story Chapter 2: The Case Occurs

Ais and her group departed from the Tower of Babel at noon as planned.

Upon entering the dungeon, goblins and earth spirits immediately appeared, only to be quickly driven away. Tiona and Ais, positioned at the vanguard, cut down every enemy they encountered, witnessing their swift demise. Perhaps realizing their insurmountable odds, the number of monsters blocking their path dwindled rapidly. The surrounding adventurers also seemed to want nothing to do with them, disappearing entirely.

Ais and her group quickly crossed the "upper level" and arrived at the middle section of the 17th floor of the "middle level".

"Ah—, it's still more reassuring to have the large double-edged sword—"

"Miss Tiona, is the weapon you had reforged completed?"

"Mmm, the second generation of 'Ulga'! Fresh out of the oven and piping hot—!"

Hearing Lefia's question, Tiona easily twirled the large twin blades, Urga, which she held in one hand, in response. She was overjoyed with the enormous, specialized equipment she had retrieved from the Gubney Familia before setting off on her exploration.

The blade was slightly thicker than the previous one, and its sharpness seemed to have improved as well. Wielding this high-quality blacksmith's masterpiece, which cost more to make than Ais's "Sword of Despair," Tiona felled the recklessly leaping tiger monster, the "Fanged Lion Tiger," with a single blow.

"I can only imagine how tough it must have been for the [Gubney Familia]..."

Tione sighed as she pulled the "magic stone" from the monster's corpse.

She carried a cylindrical backpack and collected loot with Lefia, who also served as her supporter. Under the leisurely watch of Finn and Riveria, she obtained a blue-purple crystal and the item "Fanged Lion Fur" from the fanged lion tiger that Ais had slaughtered.

To raise money to compensate for the substitute sword, Ais has to fight several more battles, but the real battlefield isn't here; it's in the deeper levels, the "Lower Levels" and the "Deep Levels." Basically, the deeper into the dungeon, the stronger the monsters; however, the higher the purity (quality) of the "Magic Stones" you can obtain, and the "dropped items" can be sold as valuables. Given the strength of Ais and her companions, who are only first-tier adventurers, exploring the Lower or Deep Levels is more efficient than staying in the Middle Levels to earn money.

Reaching the target amount of forty million is a long road. Ais, secretly cheering herself on, led the team forward with the primary goal of reaching the lower areas.

"The original poster hasn't shown up. Were they defeated by someone else?"

"Hmm—it seems all the adventurers from Rivera Town mobilized to take care of it. They said it would cause traffic congestion."

After navigating a massive, cavernous passage accessible even to large groups, Ais and her companions arrived at the deepest part of the 17th floor. Tiona and Finn were talking; instead of the "Lone King of the Labyrinth" blocking their path, numerous monsters, such as the "Minotaur," roamed the vast space.

Ais and her group walked in a straight line through the hall where the room's owner was missing. Tione and Finn also joined the battle, defeating the attacking monsters one by one. Lefia, who was not good at hand-to-hand combat, also fought hard while repelling the monsters under Riveria's guidance, using staff techniques.

Soon after, the group entered a hollowed-out cave in the wall deep within the large space—a passage leading to the next level.

"Hmm~, finally I can rest—"

After passing through the sloping cave, Tiona stretched as if she had breathed a sigh of relief. The warm sunlight streaming down from above and the sparsely wooded forest entrance welcomed Ais and her companions as they arrived on the 18th floor.

The soft lighting and fresh air seemed out of place in the monster-filled underground labyrinth. This floor gave one the illusion of returning to the surface, and like the 50th floor that Ais and her companions had used during their previous "expeditions," it was one of the safe points in the dungeon.

"This floor is always so beautiful when I come here."

"Yeah, that's right..."

Perhaps due to her elven nature's love for forests and other natural environments, Lefia's expression softened, and Ais nodded in agreement.

As the group made their way through the forest, majestic trees with moss-covered bark and clear, babbling brooks came into view.

"Now... it seems to be 'daytime'."

Rivera shielded her eyes from the light and looked up.

The dense foliage created a sparser patch of shade, forming a large, sunny area within the forest. Looking up from there, one could see countless crystals clustered on the ceiling of the building.

At the center are numerous white crystal blocks that shine like the sun, surrounded by clusters of blue crystals that emit a soft glow. These crystals, reminiscent of blooming chrysanthemums, each shimmer and sparkle, giving the 18th floor a "sky" despite being underground. Such mysterious phenomena in the dungeon always attract the attention of many adventurers.

This underground "sky" made of crystals will have its crystal brightness decrease over time, thus creating periods of "morning," "daytime," and "night." Moreover, the changes in these periods are not fixed; they will gradually deviate from the time of day on the surface, and the time difference will vary in size and change at any time.

The beautiful, glowing crystals are a unique feature of the 18th floor. They grow not only on the ceiling but in every corner of the entire floor, and the forest that Ais and her group are currently traversing is also tinged with indigo blue by the light emanating from the blue crystals growing from cracks in the ground.

"Hey everyone, what are you all planning to do? Should we head straight to the 19th floor?"

"Let's head to Rivera Town first. I need to sell all the items I've collected along the way, otherwise my luggage will be full in no time."

While the Amazon sisters were talking, the group headed from the southern forest where they were currently located toward the western part of the floor—the "town" inside the underground city.

005

The 18th floor is a safe floor for adventurers to visit for the first time in the dungeon. Because the terrain on this floor is particularly beautiful, it is also known as "Unedr Resort".

Crossing the forest northward from the southern tunnel cave, the first thing that appears before your eyes is a vast grassland dotted with crystals.

The verdant plains that stretch out in the center of the building contrast beautifully with the clear, cloudless underground sky, creating a truly magnificent sight. A giant tree rises from the heart of the grassland, known as the Central Tree, with a hollow at its roots that leads to the 19th floor.

To the north lies a magnificent wetland region, with lush forests stretching from south to east, while to the west stretches azure lakeshore dotted with large islands. The overwhelmingly vast buildings encompass almost half the city, where nature thrives, embraced by dreamlike crystal and a mysterious sky. One wealthy individual even commissioned adventurers to escort him here solely to witness this breathtaking spectacle—this underground paradise unlike anything found on the surface.

The rocky cliffs surrounding the circular building create the feeling of a giant landscaped garden. After crossing a makeshift bridge made of large logs spanning the lake, Ais and her group arrived on the island. They admired the view of the building from above as they made their way to their destination.

"Ah—, it feels like it's been so long since I've been to this town—"

Diona spoke while facing directly ahead, in front of which was a towering, enormous island that seemed to have been cut off from the continent, and the "town" was built near the top of the island.

An archway made of wooden pillars and flags reads "Riviera Town".