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

Sex, alone, would at least reach the 'middle level'... really."

The female animal trainer they had just discussed came to mind for Finn and the others.

They knew they were becoming too neurotic, but they were still a little worried about Ais.

"Hey, if you're worried, why don't you just ask Bert or someone else to look for it? That stubborn guy also said he wanted to go to the dungeon."

Loki offered his advice from the side.

Hearing that Bert had seen Ais level up, he was eager to try it himself, and Finn and the others also felt that this might be the most appropriate thing to do. If it were an orc with a keen sense of smell—although the chances were slim in a labyrinth filled with the stench of monsters—they might be able to find her by following Ais's scent.

"Next, Finn, could you please investigate the underground sewers secretly, without the guild's knowledge?"

"Is it that sewer I was talking about earlier?"

"Yes, we didn't investigate very thoroughly when we went last time."

Loki said to Finn, who was looking up at him, "Isn't it annoying to go on a long expedition looking for clues, only to find that the clues were right at your feet?"

"If I go with you, I'll get in the way. Can you take over the command?"

"Okay—I understand. In that case, let's get going now."

"I'm sorry, the sewers are quite large, so you can bring more people. However, it might be better not to bring too many children who use magic."

Loki suspected they might encounter carnivorous plants that reacted to "magic," so he offered a warning, which Finn accepted.

Finn got down from the chair and addressed Diona and the others who were left at the doorway:

"Tiona, Tione. I need to investigate the city's sewers immediately. Come with me."

"Yes, leave it to me!" "I don't quite understand it, but no problem!"

Finn instructed the two to gather anyone available besides mages, and the twin sisters immediately rushed out.

Let's prepare for the 'Expedition' too.

"Hmm, I'll take the boys to pick up the 'Demon Sword' we ordered."

One by one, everyone left the office.

By the time they noticed, only Loki and Lefia remained in the room.

"Strange? Uh—I..."

"Hmm—Lefia will stay home with me then."

Seeing Loki grinning, Lefia, who had been thrown aside, let out a "woof" and lowered her head.

■

Orario, surrounded by towering and sturdy city walls on all sides, looks like a cage at first glance.

Indeed, the urban structure, passed down for millennia since "ancient times," is centered around the concept of breakwaters to ward off monsters from the underground city. Once you turn your back on the magnificent city center and the towering white-walled towers reaching the sky, all you see are endless stone walls that isolate the city and its people from the outside world. Witnessing the imposing city walls that surround the city from within, it is said that first-time visitors to the city can't help but murmur, "It's like a giant prison."

However, in reality, the city of Orario, surrounded by city walls, is more prosperous and wealthy than any other city or country.

Products from various regions flow into the city, from the southwestern brackish lakes near the coast to the extensive and well-maintained grassland roads, where they are exchanged for magic stone products for export. Orario enjoys the abundant resources of its dungeons, a place where people and goods from all over the world converge.

As usual, a wide variety of goods are traded and sold on the streets through the exchange located in the southwest of the city. Carriages come and go, busy unloading cargo, bringing rare foods, jewels, and all kinds of weapons and armor to the streets, where they are displayed in shops, dazzling and astonishing the bustling city dwellers and travelers.

Under the watchful eyes of massive city walls, the labyrinthine city presents a bustling scene.

"..."

In stark contrast to the vibrant atmosphere on the street, Ais stood alone, dejected.

The "Sword of Despair" hanging at her waist swayed irregularly in sync with her heavy steps.

Surrounded by the crowded streets, Ais strode towards the underground city in the center of the city.

She wanted to buy some items that were almost used up during her long exploration at the shops in the skyscraper facility (Tower of Babel) before heading into the dungeon. Although Ais had been listless since yesterday, she felt there was no point in continuing to be so depressed, so she used all her willpower to drag her body, which had been wanting to stay cooped up in headquarters, outside.

She had already upgraded, and needed to properly switch her consciousness to move towards a higher realm. Although she told herself this, she just couldn't feel good.

Meanwhile, at headquarters far behind them, Loki and the others had already discovered that Ais had gone out.

The heroic demeanor of the "Sword Princess" has vanished, replaced by an ordinary girl burdened with worries, wearing a sword and armor, walking along the road like a lost child.

(...Why am I so frustrated?)

Was it because this was the second time he had escaped?

I never used to care about other people's rumors or opinions... but the fact that the white rabbit thought Ais was scary made me so sad. Or rather... so hurtful.

It's like wanting to reach out and pet a cute little animal, only to have it dodge away in a flash.

Looking into those deep red (rubellite) eyes, did I feel like a monster more terrifying than the Minotaur?

The imagination she had created only made Ais more frustrated.

(...The sun is so bright.)

She murmured to herself deeply.

Under a clear sky, many people basked in the sunlight as they walked down the street, including many adventurers clad in heavy armor. Ais, unaware of the envious and curious glances directed at her from the crowd, mingled with them as she headed south along the main road.

Ahead, the wide roads become more open, and a total of eight main streets converge at Central Park, where adventurers from the west and south gradually enter the circular area.

Ais, who had come from North Street, also entered the square and headed towards the white tower, the "Tower of Babel".

Just as she walked forward a while...

"ah."

"...?"

She unexpectedly encountered the woman she had just met the night before—a half-elf visitor who was visiting headquarters.

■

The first basement level of the Tower of Babel.

In the open hall leading to the underground city, there is a single entrance to the underground labyrinth in the center of the floor—a huge hole with a diameter of ten meters.

The circular hall is filled with long, thick pillars arranged at fixed intervals, and the ceiling murals above are incredibly realistic depictions of the beautiful sky.

This place marks the boundary between the underground labyrinth and the surface. Adventurers frequent this place day and night to venture into the magnificent underground city that stretches deep beneath the earth. At this moment, it is also crowded with countless demi-humans, who bring their supporters into the "Great Cave."

The blond, golden-eyed swordsman descended the tower's steps and appeared at the entrance to this labyrinth, which was open 24/7. Ais overtook the many adventurers and headed alone into the "Great Cave."

There was a small spot of light reflecting off one of the spots.

Tiny sapphires, set in the ceiling painting, gleamed faintly, chasing after her silhouette.

"—A good opportunity."

In a dark, enclosed room.

Looking down at the crystal placed on the base, the man in black—Fels—muttered to himself.

The crystal, which shines with the same brilliance as the sapphire painted on the dome of the basement of the Tower of Babel, reflects the figure of Ais as she descends the spiral staircase set up in the "Great Hole".

Staring at the girl's figure as she entered the dungeon alone, Fels took action.

"I must depart, Uranus."

The man in black turned and disappeared into the darkness.

■

Ais accepted the commission.

That's what they say, but it's not a formal adventurer's commission; it's a personal request that offers neither reward nor benefit.

The client was the half-elf visitor from last night.

The guild employee Ais met in the central square—named Eina Zul—privately made a request to Ais: "Please help a boy named Bell Crane."

According to her, the boy is now embroiled in a troublesome matter. That's why she, the boy's advisor, has disregarded propriety and pleaded with Ais, whom she has only recently met, for assistance.

Ais agreed to her request because Ais, like her, really wanted to help the boy. Besides, she also had something to say to him.

It's said the boy has already ventured into the dungeon, and his current whereabouts are unknown. In order to find an adventurer in the vast labyrinth, Ais freed her strong legs and sped up her journey.

"Excuse me, have you seen a boy with white hair?"

"Wow!?"

"Huh, a sword... [Sword Princess]!?"

The orc adventurer and his party members who asked Ais were all startled.

Ais told the boy about his distinctive features, "white hair and deep red eyes." When the boy said he hadn't seen him, she immediately ran away, leaving the first-level adventurer, who was so high up that he was practically unapproachable, speechless and stunned.

The main location for finding new adventurers (Bell Crane) is, of course, the "Upper Level".

Unlike the lower levels, which are accessible only to a few advanced adventurers, the upper levels are the domain of numerous novice adventurers. Fortunately, there are many people here, and the labyrinth itself is much smaller than the lower levels, making intelligence gathering relatively easy.

Every time Ais saw an adventurer, she would run up to them and ask if anyone had seen the boy.

"A white-haired human... Now that you mention it, I think I have seen one."

"Really?"

"Uh, yeah... he was there early this morning, I remember he went to the 8th floor with the support team..."

With her Lv.6 stamina, she quickly covered every corner of each floor and asked dozens of people.

Ais asked several adventurers who claimed to have seen the boy, and gradually pieced together his trail. Single-mindedly pursuing the eyewitness accounts, she continued to venture into deeper floors.

By the time they noticed, Ais had already traversed the path leading to the 9th floor.

She heard a new piece of information: the boy went down the stairs and then headed to the next floor.

—The 10th floor?

Ais, who had been desperately searching for the boy, began to have questions in her mind.

On the day of the Monster Festival, when she heard that the boy had defeated a fleeing monster of a higher level than himself, she felt the same sense of unease.

The boy Ais knew was a novice adventurer. About twenty days ago, he had almost died at the hands of the Minotaur. In terms of both skill and physical ability, he was among the lowest caliber of adventurers.

However, how could such an inexperienced adventurer possibly reach the deepest part of the "Upper Level"—the 10th level—out of a total of 12 levels? According to the client (Eina), the boy had no companions to rely on and should have been exploring alone.

(...have you grown up?)

In such a short period of time?

Even back then, it took Ais more than half a year to reach the 10th floor by herself, but the boy has grown so much that he can get here in just twenty days.

That's - impossible.

(Too fast—)

That's just too outrageous.

I've never heard of such an adventurer before.

But if that were the case, how did the boy get to such a deep floor? Thinking of this, Ais shook her head. She scolded herself; now was not the time to think about such things.

Ais ran down the stairs connecting the two floors, leaving behind the unsolvable question and a newfound interest in the boy.

Soon she climbed the stairs and reached the 10th floor.

She burst out of the starting point of the cave on the floor, where wisps of white mist filled the maze.

The fog obscuring the view is a characteristic of the "upper levels," starting from the 10th level; it can be considered a kind of dungeon gimmick. The white veil filling the field of vision weakens adventurers' sense of direction and their ability to detect monsters, making it extremely difficult for novice adventurers. In this environment where it's hard to find anyone, Ais treads on the green grass, making her way through the intricate labyrinth.

She effortlessly dispatched the little devil she encountered in the passage, her pace showing no sign of slowing down. She didn't miss a single trace of the aura scattered deep within the fog, determined to proceed along the established route of the 10th floor as she remembered it.

She didn't rely on her eyesight, but pricked up her ears to listen carefully—and she heard it.

"!"

It was the grotesque roars of monsters, the sounds of fierce battles, and the howls of humans.

Instead of the gruff voices of the rough men, she heard a high-pitched, youthful voice, which made Ais change direction. She sprinted down the long corridor, rushing towards the cave from which the sound came.

In the spacious area, a few withered trees stood sparsely. Ahead, near the center of the cave, several enormous shadows were wreaking havoc in the mist. Without a doubt, they were large-scale monsters called "Orcs."

Only one figure is seen battling the monsters.

"—【Flame and Lightning】!!"

The next instant, flames and lightning shot out in a straight line, accompanied by the sound of cannons, piercing through the sea of ​​fog.

Ais opened her golden eyes wide and saw the shattered orc and the white-haired adventurer with his arm outstretched.