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

"Is it really her, Lulu?"

"A... Asphie..."

Among the people who stood up around Ais, a female adventurer stepped forward.

Her smooth, aqua blue hair was dyed white in only one strand. Her eyes were blue, matching her hair color. Wearing silver glasses, she had a refined and elegant appearance, giving the impression of being exceptionally intelligent.

His attire consisted of a pure white cloak and boot-shaped sandals adorned with golden wings. A portion of his belt peeked out from under the cloak, from which hung a short sword (weapon) and several holsters.

As Ais exchanged glances with her—while surprised—she realized who the beautiful woman before her was.

(Asfi Al Andromeda...)

The leader of the Hermes Familia, and one of the less than five "mysterious" holders in Orario.

Also known as "Perseus," he is a rare item maker.

She has invented countless potions and items through developing her "mystical" abilities. These include potions that block curses and anti-status effects, a harp whose sound attracts specific monsters, and even the inkless quill pen that Ais always carries—all traceable to her invention. Her reputation is as renowned as that of the city's top-tier adventurers, only in a different field.

As Ais gazed at Asphie, Lulune, who was being asked, stood up and said, "It should be..."

"...Did you also accept the request?"

Looking around at Asphie, Luluni, and the other adventurers, Ais asked.

Judging from the distance between them and the aura they exuded, they should be members of the same faction. As for her question, Asif, who was presumably older than Ais, sighed and replied, "Yes."

"This greedy, stupid dog has brought a lot of trouble to the entire [Family]."

"A-Asufi~"

The merciless accusations made Luluni cry out in pain.

Ais turned her gaze to Luluni, who awkwardly explained the whole story to Ais.

"I think you, [Sword Maiden], have seen that person before... Just a few days ago, the person in the black robe appeared, hoping I would help him. At first, I refused him by saying 'I've had enough,' but..."

Luluni said that since the commotion at Rivera, the men in black had disappeared for a while, but recently they'd started contacting her again. The men in black chose to come to Luluni when she was alone again. Remembering how she almost died delivering goods last time, she initially refused to agree, but…

Seeing that Luluni was starting to hesitate, Asphie interrupted and continued:

"The other party seems to be threatening her, saying they will expose her for lying about being a Level 1."

"..."

"And it even dragged us down with it..."

Ais fully understood their situation and wore an indescribable expression.

When I questioned Lulune last time, she said that many members of the Hermes Familia were lying about their original rank under the orders of the main god. This was because once their strength was exposed, it would be difficult to maintain the "not seeking the limelight, maintaining neutrality" attitude desired by the main god. Furthermore, once the faction's combat power was revealed, the Familia's rank would likely rise sharply, and the taxes paid to the governing body (guild) would also increase dramatically. Regardless of their intentions, the Hermes Familia's current situation (and actions) constituted tax evasion, and if the guild found out, they would definitely have to pay a large fine or face some kind of punishment.

Having been caught red-handed, Lulu had no choice but to follow the instructions of the man in black, involving all the members of her faction and accepting the commission.

"You idiot! Fool! Who cares what they're threatening you with? Just play dumb! How can you be a thief like this?!"

"Waaah~ Please forgive me~"

Asphie's outburst caused Luluni's beast ears and tail to droop. Even her colleagues, who had gathered to clean up her mess, glared at her coldly.

"Just dealing with the capriciousness of the chief god (Hermes) is exhausting enough, and now I've gotten myself into this kind of trouble...!"

The leader (Asphie) was muttering angrily, but her face also showed the weariness that comes with being played by the gods.

"That...about the future..."

"...I'm sorry, you must have found this amusing."

Ais asked politely, and Asif first closed her eyes, then put her glasses back on.

She straightened her expression and steered the conversation back to the adventurer's request that needed to be addressed immediately.

"Let me confirm the details of the request. The destination is the food warehouse on the 24th floor. We need to investigate the cause of the monster surge and eliminate any possibilities, right?"

"Yes."

"Now, let me tell you about our forces. There are fifteen of us in total, including myself, all of whom are members of the Hermes Familia, and most of them are at Lv.3."

Ais and the others checked the details of the commission with each other and confirmed the combat strength of both sides.

In addition, they exchanged basic information about exploring the dungeon, such as weapons and items they had on hand, and the division of labor between forwards and defenders. Although it was only once, Ais still had to entrust her back to Asphie and the others.

Adventurers of mixed genders came to greet Ais warmly, and Ais responded to each one.

"There's nothing we can do now. Everyone needs to give it their all and handle this case. Especially Lulu, you'd better work your butt off."

"Okay, I understand..."

Everyone around nodded in response to the leader's call, and Luluni answered weakly.

Finally, Asfi turned to Ais.

"Having you, Fiora, with me is like a reassuring pill. Although it's only a short-term team, I still hope you'll give me your guidance."

Please give me your guidance.

Asphie smiled, and Ais returned a small smile.

The other person extended their hand to Ais, and the two shook hands.

Those who accept the same adventurer's commission form a united front with other factions.

Ais temporarily joined the Hermes Familia's party.

"However, please don't tell anyone about our affairs."

"Oh, okay."

Instructed not to reveal the truth about the Familia, Ais and Asifi left the "Golden Cellar Pavilion" together.

After making their final resupply in Rivera, the group headed towards the 24th floor.

■

"Fels".

A deep, resonant sound echoed from the altar.

In the deep stone hall, reminiscent of the innermost part of an ancient temple, four bright red torches pierced the profound darkness that filled the surroundings.

This is the prayer hall for the chief god (Uranus) located in the basement of the guild headquarters.

The imposing chief god, clad in a long robe and hooded garment, sat on his throne in the center of the altar. Surrounded by torches swirling with sparks, Uranus turned his pale eyes toward the black-clad Fels.

Why did you make a request to [Sword Maiden]?

Several hours had passed since Ais accepted the adventurer's request to investigate the 24th floor. After Fels finished his business and returned to the altar, the immovable old god asked him a question.

Maintaining his immovable and serious posture, his tone sounded less like an accusation and more like a confirmation. It was Fels himself who had said that needlessly provoking Loki, the chief god, to suspect the swordswoman (Ais) was not a good thing. Uranus wanted to ask him why he was willing to take this risk to contact Ais.

The man in black standing in front of the throne replied:

"The Sword Maiden seems to have overreacted to that 'orb'."

Fels recounted the information he obtained from Luluni when he issued the adventurer's request. He learned that Ais had reacted strongly when she received the fetal orb, and even nearly fainted.

Uranus's eyebrows twitched slightly upon hearing this.

"I believe that Ais Wallenstein has some inexplicable connection with the jewel, which is why she did this. Perhaps this can be a clue to solving the mystery of the jewel."

After hearing Fels's idea, Uranus remained silent, as if he were also pondering the whole matter, and spent a period of speechless silence.

"Besides..." Fels, who was watching him, continued shortly after:

"We barely managed to resolve the incident at the food warehouse on the 30th floor on our own, but it caused significant harm to Comrade (Reed) and the others. We can't let them bear any more burdens."

Fels mentions the reason why Hassanal was able to retrieve the orb on the 30th floor.

The sound continued to emanate from beneath the hoodie, which was obscured by darkness.

"There was no guardian last time, but what happened on the 30th floor must have made them quite neurotic. To prevent any unexpected situations, I have prepared sufficient combat power, including [Sword Maiden]."

"Will the guardian...that beast tamer appear?"

"Very likely," Fels replied, and Uranus closed his eyes.

"I'll make things clear with Hermes."

"I'm sorry, Uranus."

The Hermes Familia, like Ais, was also called upon to handle adventurers' requests. Uranus told Fels that he would take care of their problems. Filled with guilt for dragging so many adventurers into dangerous situations, Fels looked up.

"Although I feel bad for [Fiora] and the others, we can't continue to let them do whatever they want."

The man in black, as if to demonstrate his awareness, spoke resolutely.

■

This is a wide, large hole.

Deep within the underground city, far from the surface, in the deepest part of the middle level.

The damp air and foul stench permeated the air.

This is neither the body odor of monsters nor the smell of blood. It's a kind of stench that you would never smell even if you were thrown into the belly of a monster (dragon), like the putrid smell of rotting meat that attracts insects.

This area, filled with the stench of corpses, is a corner of the dungeon, yet adventurers hear no howls of ignorant and ferocious monsters. It's as if it's separated from the dungeon, completely unrelated to the noise of the labyrinth.

In the eerie silence, the intermittent sounds of multiple footsteps moving about, the rustling of something, and a low, broken gong-like cry could be heard.

The dark space was illuminated by a blood-red light.

"..."

With a "whoosh," she took a bite of a strangely colored fruit from the side of her face that was being burned by the red light.

The long shadows cast on the ground are formed by the bodies of women with beautiful limbs and full breasts.

His sharp eyes were green. His bangs—red hair the same color as the light—swayed slightly.

This person was the red-haired woman whom Ais and the others called the female beast tamer.

She sat on one knee on the ground, motionless.

"—Hey! The dungeon is full of monsters, causing a commotion among the adventurers. Won't that be a problem!?"

The newcomer was a man whose upper body was covered by a large robe. He wore a turban that reached his mouth, and on top of that, a headband that obscured his face.

The woman responded coldly to the man who was shouting.

"It's so noisy, stop yelling."

She spat out the crumbs she had eaten with a "pui" sound and crushed the fruit she was eating.

illustration

The bursting fruit pulp scattered everywhere, like crushed brain matter.

"I'll lend you the Viola plant; you figure out how to deal with those small fry yourself."

Seeing that the woman didn't even glance at him and spoke to him in a completely cold and unfriendly manner, he clicked his tongue and turned to leave.

After the man wearing the headscarf disappeared into the darkness, another figure appeared.

The object illuminated by the red light was a man dressed entirely in white.

"How unlucky of me to have been discovered by the adventurers."

The person wore a helmet made from the bones of a monster (a dropped item). Their attire obscured their features, making them appear even more sinister and terrifying. Their tall frame was unarmed.

The red-haired woman glanced at him, and the man stopped and asked:

"Is it alright to just leave it as is, Rives?"

The red-haired woman—called Revis—then turned her gaze back to the front.

"Whatever the adventurers notice is none of my business."

"Are you planning to pin this on the Evils?"

"That's right, I won't leave here."

Rives watched with little interest the countless figures moving in the dim light.

The man standing beside Rives, looking down at her, then emphasized his words.

"What if, like on the 30th floor, someone comes to capture 'her'?"

With a "thump," the red light source began to shake.