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

As if by prior arrangement, the two left the street and came to a small square with a fountain. It was as if they were about to have a secret rendezvous, facing each other in a place where no one else would pass by.

"There wasn't a single person at headquarters, just an empty building... It took me ages to find it."

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry. It wasn't very comfortable living there, so I moved to a new place."

"At least report it to the guild, Ikelos."

Their voices were unrestrained, as if they knew each other intimately, giving a glimpse into their long-standing acquaintance.

However, the atmosphere emanating from the two male gods was one of scheming and intrigue.

"So, what do you want from me, Hermes?"

"It's nothing, I just wanted to ask you something... I overheard that the Ikelos Familia is involved in smuggling activities in the city."

"Hey, where did you hear that? Is it reliable?"

"I think they were nobles from Elria?"

"...Hehe! What do you mean by 'overheard by accident'? You've done your research pretty well."

Ikeros quickly understood the cards in Hermes' hand, and his smile deepened.

"Hermes, are you doubting me?"

"I don't want to doubt our old friends from the 'Celestial Realm,' but... Ikelos, your [Familia] has been suspected of being in league with the Evils, the dark faction, in the past."

"I already said it, that was a false accusation. At least I never claimed to be some kind of evil god."

Ikeros was always evasive and cryptic in his words and actions.

Hermes maintained his smile under his hat.

"There's another interesting piece of information."

"Oh, tell me about it?"

"I've heard that a strange monster has been spread throughout Orario, intending to plunge the world into chaos."

In an instant.

As Hermes stepped into the core, Ikeros opened his deep blue eyes wide—and grinned, almost splitting his lips open.

"Heh! Heh he ...

For some unknown reason, Ikelos felt a surge of joy and burst into laughter.

Hermes watched silently, while Icelus burst into laughter in front of him, bending over several times.

After the laughter echoed for a long time in the setting sun, the male god straightened up and laughed.

"However, unfortunately, I had absolutely nothing to do with that matter, nor did I give any instructions. It was just those—their retinue (kids) causing trouble."

Ikelos seemed to have no intention of hiding it anymore, saying:

"Lately, there are far fewer idiots and brats, but a bunch of arrogant guys have appeared. These bastards have no respect for the gods and dare to order me around like that."

"..."

"But...they're just doing pointless things, isn't it hilarious?"

The smile that appeared on his face was a suppressed, joyful smile of a god.

It's like saying that from God's point of view, children who do stupid things are so funny that they're more adorable than anything else.

"Is it also the work of the main god to hold tight the reins of the [Family]?"

"Enough with these insincere words, Hermes. Imps can endure pain but not pleasure. Aren't we gods the same? I can totally understand how those guys feel."

So as long as those guys continue to please me, I won't stop them.

Ikeros leaned closer to Hermes and said firmly.

"You can kill me or send me back, but those won't stop there. They'll just hide or make new pacts with other gods (guys)."

"You can imagine."

"Go ahead and investigate. Use your retinues (little devils) hiding nearby, see if you want to investigate my surroundings or theirs. It's nothing."

I don't mind, dig all you want. — That seems more interesting.

As if taking pleasure in the destruction of himself and his children—the fate of his family—Icelos concluded the topic with these words.

He maintained a flippant smile until the very end as he left the square.

Hermes watched her idol's figure disappear into the distance, then sighed and said:

"It's a headache. Nothing is more difficult to deal with than a god who is thirsty and lacks entertainment."

You should reflect on your own actions.

Hermes’s family members told him this from their hiding places nearby.

Sunlight streaming in from behind the city walls illuminated the exterior of the headquarters.

Bell and the others have temporarily left "The Hearth Hall," with only Mikoto, Haruhime, Winnie, and Hestia remaining at headquarters. Hestia had asked Hephaestus for leave early in the morning and didn't go to work, while the other three stayed with the main god, waiting for Bell and the others to return from the dungeon. They each embarked on different missions.

Hestia consulted books about monsters or the history books of the city (Orario) to gather information.

The spirit was sent to patrol the courtyard of the house.

As for Winnie, she played with Chunji, who was taking care of her.

"We've found Haruhime!"

"Hehe, you found it."

Winnie hugged Haruhime, who was hiding in the shadows of the corridor and dressed in a maid outfit.

The two were playing hide-and-seek, a game that Belle and Haruhime, who had stayed behind until yesterday, had played with Winnie several times. They agreed that they absolutely could not go outside and could only play in the courtyard, so the two took turns hiding.

"Haruhime has been replaced as the demon!"

"Very well, then may I count them?"

Chunji faced the pillars of the corridor and loudly counted, "One—two—".

Winnie smiled and ran off.

The hem of her long robe billowed in the wind as she searched for a place to hide.

(...Bell, isn't he back yet?)

Just as Winnie was about to hide behind the plants in the courtyard.

She suddenly remembered Belle, who hadn't returned yet, and her face turned worried.

The boy who had always been by her side was now gone. Although Haruhime was still with her, she still felt lonely.

Before you know it, your emotions can become increasingly unstable.

In the dark labyrinth where everyone wanted to harm her, only the boy smiled at her, saving her from loneliness. For Winnie, this was the only reason.

The boy is the light, and he is the greatest comfort to Winnie.

Like a toddler seeking parental affection, the young dragon girl could not help but miss the boy.

"..."

Winnie looked up at the third floor of the mansion, her gaze falling on the fox-girl with her back to her.

After hesitating for a moment, Winnie disobeyed her instructions and quietly left the courtyard.

Once back in the mansion, she was drawn to Belle's room on the third floor.

Winnie pushed open the unlocked door, making a "squeak" sound, and cautiously peeked inside.

The room owner was indeed not there. Her heart sank, and she quietly moved toward the bed where the blankets were neatly folded.

She covered her head completely with a blanket and crawled into the bed.

"Bell's, the taste..."

Winnie sniffed, making a sound, and buried her face in the sheets.

With her eyes closed, Winnie imagined the boy's figure accompanying her to sleep, and curled up into a ball.

"...?"

Inadvertently.

She sensed a presence.

There are four.

They walked down the long corridor on the third floor and filed into the room next to Belle's, where Winnie was currently staying—a room that was currently unused.

Winnie was both confused and afraid of being scolded, so she held her breath and held her breath—

"A talking monster besides Winnie?"

—That sentence was indeed heard from the next room.

His amber eyes were wide open.

Her long, silver hair trembled.

The elf's twisted and sharp ears twitched. Its unusual hearing, which was normally detectable even by distant intruders in the vast dungeon, picked up every word of the conversation from the next room.

When she came to her senses, Winnie had already propped herself up on the bed without making a sound.

The girl quietly pressed her ear against the wall.

"Is this true, Welf?"

"Yes, it's on the 19th floor, the place where Belle and Winnie met..."

Hestia asked in surprise, and Welf nodded to her with a tense expression.

After splitting up with Bell, Welf and Lily returned to the mansion. Urged by them, Hestia, with only her life on her hands, changed the location to the third floor of the mansion for a private meeting.

In order to prevent Winnie and Chun-hime, who was close to her, from hearing it.

"We spoke with them, and they said we smelled like our compatriots... they were probably referring to Winnie."

"Could there be other beings like Lady Winnie...?"

Upon hearing Welf's report, who had directly encountered the other party, Ming was greatly shocked.

She couldn't speak, and Lily beside her remained silent.

"...Welf, what kind of feeling do you have towards the other person?"

"At the very least, I think that person is more intellectual than Winnie. Although he's clumsy in speech, he's wearing a robe to hide his true identity and pretending to be an adventurer... and he also seems to know something."

Welf uttered each word he heard, and as Hestia listened, her throat made a quiet sound, and she gasped.

As the atmosphere in the room became extremely tense, Lily, who had been silent, finally spoke:

"Lily believes that we should stop protecting Lady Winnie."

『！ ！ 』

This statement left everyone speechless.

The fastest to react is fate.

"Lady Lily, what are you saying?"

"Lily put it bluntly: we're about to step into a very suspicious situation. It's an anomaly that even the gods don't understand, and there are other groups besides us tracking the talking monster... Now they've discovered other individuals who can speak human language, and the situation is hard to predict."

She meant that they were gradually being drawn into some major trend regarding this unusual situation.

Based on the information she had gathered so far from the tavern and other places, Lily explained the situation in an extremely objective manner.

"But! If we say we shouldn't protect her anymore... what will happen to Lady Winnie!? If we abandon her, what will she do...!?"

"...It might be difficult to do this, but Lily thinks we can send her out of the city. She is the Dragon Girl (Vivel), and neither the gods nor the surface monsters outside of Orario can do anything to her."

Winnie is from the "middle class" and is the strongest dragon among monsters.

Having considered the dragon girl's potential abilities, Lily stated her opinion calmly and casually.

"As long as I hide in the 'Seolu Forest,' I should be able to survive."

"Lady Lily...!!"

Out of concern for her confidante Chunji, and because of her deep affection and loyalty, she was furious and raised her eyebrows in anger.