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

"Loki, the goddess!?"

Loki waved and thanked them as he left the window.

Loki's next move was lightning fast.

She walked through the window into the corridor leading from the foyer into the depths, a corridor accessible only to authorized personnel. She moved swiftly and quickly, brushing past guild staff members carrying stacks of documents several times.

Because her attitude was so overtly blatant and her steps so graceful, the employees were so startled by the sudden turn of events that they didn't have time to react. They could only stare with their mouths half-open, unable to even call out to her.

"I remember this should be the road..."

Loki looked around as he walked past the second office filled with desks, the archives room that resembled a library, and other rooms on the first floor of headquarters.

Relying on her memory of having been here before, she turned several times in the staff corridor, and soon a bright red carpet embroidered with gold thread came into view. She said "Oh," quickened her pace, and came to a wide and long straight corridor.

The red carpet laid out in the columned aisle extends all the way to the underground staircase.

"—Please wait, Loki!?"

"Hmm...you're here."

Just as Loki was about to walk down the underground stairs, several loud footsteps stopped her.

A middle-aged male elf appeared with a large group of guild members.

Despite wearing a suit of better quality than the average office worker, his flabby belly, which seemed ready to pop at any moment, stretched the clothes open. He wiped the sweat dripping from his droopy chin several times with the back of his hand, and short, gray hairs sprouted from his receding hairline, swaying incessantly. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but even his pointed ears seemed to droop a little.

Despite not being short, his wide-set physique made him appear unnecessarily short. His thighs, covered in fat, were also thick and short.

He was quite different from the typical image of a handsome and clever man that most people would imagine.

"Hey, Leuman, long time no see. How have you been?"

"Loki, goddess! This is the sacred path leading to the altar of Uranus! Please return!"

Loki greeted her casually, and the elven men and their subordinates stopped in their tracks and stood before her.

"Huff...huff..." The man panting heavily was none other than Loiman Madil, the de facto supreme leader of the guild.

As an elf, a long-lived race, Loiman has served the guild for over a century and became a high-ranking official more than a decade ago. Over 150 years old, he has the final say on city operations and, because of this position, he has been able to indulge in lavish travel and luxury for years.

His bloated, obese body had forgotten his elven blood; he looked like a newly rich tycoon. "Please go back immediately!" he cried out repeatedly. Loki, ignoring him, walked amicably towards him.

"Hmm, have you gained weight again? Look at this chubby belly—"

"Where are you grabbing...!"

Loki wrapped his right arm around the other man's shoulder and pinched his belly with his left.

She tugged at that lump of flesh and shook it every now and then, making Loiman's eyes twitch. He tried to shake off Loki several times, but Loki just chuckled and wouldn't let go.

Loiman Madir is despised by all the elves of Orario.

He forgot his racial pride and dignity, became shameless, and indulged in the depravity of money, even becoming fat and ugly. Many people called him "the guild's pig" and scorned him. Even Riveria cursed him harshly, calling him "a disgrace to his race."

Seeing Loiman blushing and screaming, Loki just thought, "Kids are so cute."

Loki stood beside Lloydman with his arm around his shoulder, his thoughts the exact opposite of those of Riveria and the others.

Even the most intelligent and clever elves could stoop to such a low level. How foolish and adorable children are—this thought always arises in the goddess who deeply loves all the comical characters in the world whenever she sees Lloydman.

At the same time, she also felt that this was what made the lower world interesting.

"Goddess Loki! Let me reiterate, this place is inherently inviolable. Furthermore, the guild is an absolutely neutral organization; even the gods cannot violate it…!"

"Don't be so cold-hearted. I just have something I want to ask Uranus, is that alright?"

"No! Absolutely not!"

Loki casually brushed off Lloydman's retort while he stood on the luxurious carpet, glancing away slightly. The others nearby didn't dare interrupt the guild master's argument with the Celestial, simply standing there bewildered.

If one were to suspect the guild, Lloydman would indeed be someone who needs to be investigated… but Loki is certain he's innocent. Given his long history of dissolute living, he wouldn't stoop to threatening the city's safety and then willingly give up his comfortable life. Rather than suspecting him, it's better to seek out those who might be persuasive enough to sway him, such as the employees nearby.

However, the only person Loki was looking for was the divine being who sat firmly in the guild's center—waiting behind those underground staircases.

(What should we do now?)

She should have rushed down those steps before Loyman and the others found her.

Despite Loki's status as a god, if she were to force her way through, those present would likely resort to force to drag her out. That's how important the divine artifact underground is to the guild, and Lloyd and the others are very wary of outsiders having any unnecessary contact with it.

Loki continued to play with Leuman's soft belly while lost in thought.

"—It's alright. Loiman, bring her over."

Just at this time.

A majestic voice echoed from the front of the red carpet and columns, and from the depths of the underground staircase.

"But, Uranus...!"

"I said yes. You may all leave."

The deep voice silenced the groaning Loiman with just those words.

He glanced at Loki several times, then at the underground staircase, before dejectedly leaving the main passage with the others.

Loki watched Loyman's chubby figure disappear into the distance, then turned back to face the stairs.

The owner of the voice remained silent, using silence to grant permission to pass. In the vast, silent passage, Loki walked alone on the carpet toward the dark abyss leading underground.

"..."

The sound of footsteps echoed, clattering and clattering.

The light from the magic stone lamp was insufficient to illuminate the long staircase. Loki, holding onto the wall, descended the stairs.

—The origins of guilds can be traced back to about a thousand years ago.

In what is known as the "Ancient" era, monsters emerging from underground caves waged a long and fierce battle against humanity on this land.

People hoped that the "lid" to plug the hole—the tower and the fortress—would be completed soon. The predecessor organization of the guild led the plan to stop the monsters from advancing to the surface, but the plan was repeatedly thwarted.

The towers and fortresses were always destroyed by monsters just before they were completed, causing heavy casualties each time. Many great heroes also sacrificed their lives for them.

The tower was finally built, but the plan failed again. Just when humanity was feeling hopeless and despondent after countless defeats, light fell from the heavens to earth.

The gods descended.

The gods appeared in various parts of the underworld ravaged by monsters, and this place was no exception, with many gods descending. They nonchalantly told the terrified humans, "We've come for entertainment," and the male god was among them.

A deity devoted his energy to building towers and fortresses.

It was none other than him who first brought "God's grace" to this land.

With his dedication and the assistance of the other gods, people successfully stopped the monsters' attack, thus completing the fortress city that served as the prototype for Orario.

The organization that worshipped the male god as the "creator god of Orario" reorganized under his leadership, and a major faction with him as the main god was established. The city's management organization - the Guild - was thus formed.

Even in modern times, many people still worship this god, whose name is Uranus.

"...Oh, it's been a long time!"

Descending the steps, you are greeted by a stone hall and altar that exude a sense of history.

Large stone slabs covered the ground, resembling a hidden underground space of a temple. The light illuminating the surrounding darkness wasn't from magic stone lamps, but from four torches flickering with red flames.

At the center of the altar, surrounded by torches forming a square.

A towering, imposing old god sat on a massive stone throne—the throne of gods—his gaze peering out from beneath his hoodie, his azure eyes fixed on Loki.

"What brings you here, Loki?"

The deep, resonant voice vibrated through the air.

A powerful physique, exceeding two meters in height, was draped in a long robe. His face was deeply wrinkled and refined, with a white beard and glimpses of matching white hair visible through the hood. His serene expression made him stand as still as a statue. The way he sat, his thick arms resting firmly on the armrests of his throne, perfectly embodied the image of the ruler of the sky as imagined by the "ancient" people who had not yet witnessed the gods.

009

Among the gods, the ancient god, who was incredibly tall and powerful, possessed a divine status that made the people of the mortal realm unconditionally submit to his commands.

"Nothing much, just showing up... I have something to do."

Loki ascended to the center of the altar and walked to the front of the throne.

"The celebration was a complete mess. I heard people from all sides are giving you a thorough dressing down. Are you alright?"

"The city's operations are entirely handled by Lloydman and his team. It has nothing to do with me."

Since laying the foundation for Orario, Uranus has always maintained an attitude of "ruling without governing".

He delegated city management to his staff, including Leuman, while he himself remained confined within this altar. To prevent any potential disputes, he did not bestow "divine favor" upon his staff, and the guild itself maintained its role as city administrator.

By not calling themselves the "Uranusian Families," they were essentially declaring their renunciation of force.

As long as the main god (he) does not secretly harbor private soldiers, the guild will have no fighting power.

"Lloyd and the others are really unlucky, having to let an old man like you dump all the trouble on them."

Lloydman disapproved of Uranus's contact with outsiders, partly due to the guild's structure.

Even though he was appointed as the highest leader, he still could not disobey the words of the supreme god. If Uranus changed his mind, the guild's organizational structure could also change completely. In order to prevent others from indoctrinating the supreme god, the high-ranking members who did not want to lose their current positions regarded this altar as a sacred place, keeping it physically and spiritually away from the masses.

"What do you want to say?"

On the other hand, this altar is indeed an inviolable sacred place.

The reason Uranus did not leave this place, and the reason the guild pleaded with the chief god to go into seclusion at this altar, was because he was offering "prayer" to the dungeon.

Uranus offered a "prayer"—using his powerful divine might to suppress the underground city and stop the invasion of the monster army. He suppressed many monsters in various floors (underground), successfully halting the frequent surface attacks from the "Ancient".

At least the guild firmly believes this.

What Lloydman and his team feared most was the collapse of the current equilibrium in the dungeon.

If it were Loki, she would very much like to complain: How could it be the gods praying?

"So many things happened at this year's festival. There were some really disgusting and weird monsters. I'm quite curious about where those things came from and who gave the order to get them."

"..."

Loki launched into a long, interrogative speech, while Uranus remained silent.

He remained motionless, sitting firmly on his throne.

Loki questioned the core of the matter to the ruler of the city, who was also the divine being who held the reins of the guild.

"Is the guild pulling the strings behind the man-eating flower monster?"

With a crackling sound, the torch burst into sparks.

Sparks flew, illuminating the massive body, and Uranus spoke.

"That's not it."

The crimson gaze of Loki, fixed on her with her azure eyes, told her this.

"No, that's not it, it is."

Loki muttered to himself, gazing at the face of the god seated at a distance.

The dignified expression hidden beneath the hoodie remained unchanged, still serene. After peering into the depths of those clear, azure eyes for a moment, Loki lowered his voice and said, "I see."

Sorry to bother you. Keep up the good work!

Loki turned his back to Uranus.

Loki let his footsteps blend into the altar, where only the sound of burning torches could be heard, and walked toward the exit steps.

Despite many doubts, Uranus is unlikely to be the mastermind behind the events.

Without drawing any conclusions yet, Loki made this judgment. The Supreme God might have meant something else, but he deliberately beat around the bush like before, so that Loki could perceive his unspoken meaning, and she could also sense that his eyes were trustworthy.

(It seems like someone's been watching us... Oh well, whatever.)

Was it Dionysus's intuition that was wrong, or was there some situation within the guild that was beyond the reach of Uranus's will?

In any case, this was a fruitful endeavor, and Loki was somewhat satisfied.

When the stairs leading to the ground were right in front of her, she turned to look behind her.

The gods, who had never broken their silence, remained unmoved and sat firmly on their enormous thrones.

*

The crystal sky on the 18th floor is about to transition from "day" to "night".

The countless white crystals growing in the center of the ceiling stopped shining, and the surrounding blue crystals also dimmed. As the warm white light that had bathed the forest and grassland slowly diminished, the entire floor began to darken.