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

"Yes, but don't show it to me... because I'm not qualified to know the contents."

Both sides gave vague and ambiguous answers.

Under the watchful eye of Miss Eina, whose lips were tightly closed, I slowly peeled off the sealing wax.

With a stinging sense of tension, I opened the instruction booklet inside the outer wrapping.

[The entire Familia] and the dragon girl head to the 20th floor of the dungeon.

『————————』

I've frozen.

My body temperature was instantly stripped away, and I lost sensation in my hands and feet for a few seconds.

The common language (Koine) written in the letter, the words leaping off the page, evoked an incredible sense of awe.

"The higher-ups said it absolutely must be shown to the goddess Hestia... Bell? What's wrong?"

Miss Eina's words went in one ear and out the other.

My gaze was fixed on the instruction book in my hand, my breathing vibrated, and the force of my violent heartbeats shook my vision several times.

How could this be? Why? When?

Several questions popped into my mind and then disappeared.

The dragon girl refers to Winnie. Were the Hestia Familia caught hiding her?

The guild was in control of the whole thing?

Are we under threat?

(If that's the case—)

What is the purpose of this mandatory task?

What is the guild's true intention?

Honestly, I can't make a calm judgment.

"Bell! Bell!?"

Miss Eina called me several times because she saw that I looked unusual.

My pale face was drawn away from the instruction book as if I were attracted.

"Miss Eina, the guild—"

My throat felt like it was spasming; after uttering those few words, I couldn't move anymore. I couldn't continue speaking, I couldn't bring myself to ask.

What does the guild know?

Is he an enemy or a friend?

Suspicion breeds darkness and will soon trap me.

Miss Eina's face twisted in shock.

Could it be that you—

(—No, that's not right, that's not right!)

I shook my head, kicking away my thoughts that were almost spiraling out of control.

She couldn't possibly be spying on me, or observing my reactions.

Miss Eina is an employee, a low-level member of the guild.

Didn't she just say that she has no right to know anything? She's helped me so much so far, I'm not allowed to doubt her!

(Yes, so this is—)

This is a mandatory task issued by the higher-ups within the guild.

I made a gurgling sound in my throat.

A tidal wave of power is about to engulf me.

"—Chin, Bell, come talk to me."

"!"

Seeing that I was being disturbed, Miss Eina straightened her upper body.

I snapped back to reality, looked up, and saw her staring straight at me with an almost pleading expression.

"If you have any worries or troubles, please tell me, okay? I won't tell anyone, I promise. Seeing you in so much pain, I don't want to pretend I didn't notice."

Miss Eina poured out her heart, her eyes trembling.

"Even if some people say I'm not qualified to be a guild employee, I still want to become a source of strength for you adventurers."

My pupils trembled too.

"I only have this much strength... I can only listen to you, so—"

--Believe me.

Miss Eina's plea disrupted my thoughts.

She knows nothing.

However, if I reveal everything now and rely on her gentleness, she will surely suffer collateral damage and be dragged into the dark, impenetrable seabed.

I can't drag her into this—

"It's alright... please don't worry."

My throat trembled, and I could only manage to squeeze out these words.

I could tell that Miss Eina had lost all her strength and was looking extremely sad.

I dared not meet her eyes.

Seeing my dejected state, Miss Eina also lowered her head.

I could almost hear a barrier being built between the two of them.

I left Miss Eina behind and fled the room as if I were escaping.

"Mandatory mission..."

I reluctantly severed my lingering concerns and headed from the guild headquarters to the mansion.

I rushed back to the mansion, where Welf and the others were stunned after reading the instructions for the mandatory mission in the living room.

"Did they find out? Because of yesterday's commotion?"

"Even so, they acted far too quickly. A dragon girl... Lady Winnie clearly concealed her true identity, yet they clearly identified her race... It seems they knew much earlier."

Welf frowned deeply, Lily tried to remain calm but her tone lacked composure, and Miss Messenger and Miss Haruhime stood motionless in silence. Even the deity who was currently reviewing the instruction manual remained silent with a grave expression. Winnie wasn't here.

No one sat down; everyone stood in the hall.

We looked at each other, sharing a sense of dread.

"What concerns Lily even more is the content of this mandatory mission..."

Lily first spoke to the deity, then checked the contents of the instruction book from the side.

She seemed unable to understand the instructions in the letter, narrowing one of her chestnut eyes.

"Lily can't figure out the guild's purpose at all. They're not trying to arrest us, nor are they asking us to hand over Lady Winnie... they just want us to go to the dungeon."

In addition to the instruction book bordered with vine patterns, there was also a note sheet with detailed information.

On the floor map with red lettering, an area deep within the 20th floor is marked as the destination.

Even the departure time has been specified.

Tomorrow at midnight, the time is limited to late at night.

"You mean the guild has no intention of arresting us...?"

That's all I can say for now.

"Taking Lady Winnie to the dungeon...why is that?"

"Who knows? It's completely unpredictable. Are they going to use her for something in the dungeon...? Are we just transporting goods?"

Miss Mei and Lily, Miss Haruhime and Welf were talking.

As they answered each other's questions, the note sheet was passed to Welf, who looked at it again and frowned.

"The biggest problem is, can we even make it? Are we really going to the 20th floor? This is a do-or-die situation; safety isn't an option!"

"...As long as we continue to use Lady Haruhime's 'magic,' with two LV.3s and one LV.2 including Lady Bell, we fully meet the requirements for reaching the 20th floor of the middle area as a small team. The only worrying point is our lack of experience with the floors."

The floor plan should have been developed with more time and a more practical, safe approach.

Now we have to skip many steps and head straight to the depths of the 20th floor, which we've never been before... What's certain is that we must venture into an "unknown" territory for us.

The first floor to be conquered is fraught with danger, and the unfamiliar terrain makes it easy to become passive when dealing with new enemies... In response to Welf's question, Lily replied that these are all issues worth worrying about.

"...What should we do?"

After everyone's conversation was interrupted.

In the silent living room, Miss Ming spoke softly.

"Looks like I have no choice but to go..."

"After all, this is a mandatory task, and we have no right to refuse."

Welf and Lily answered in heavy tones.

Now that the city's management has figured out our situation, there's no way to escape. Futile resistance is pointless, and the guild will never let us leave Orario.

The fact that the other side publicly announced that we were hiding monsters was enough to wipe out the Hestia Familia.

(What will become of Winnie...?)

I know that since we can't see through the guild's true intentions, making wild guesses is pointless.

Lily and the others are right, and I know we have no way to resist.

But what will happen to Winnie after we take action... that's the only thing that worries me.

(But... the guild probably knows everything, and that's why they want us to go to the 20th floor.)

The underground city, where Winnie was born.

There are also monsters, beings who call Winnie a "comrade"...

I don't know what the outcome of this mandatory task will be.

However, yes, at least—it's possible to learn about the guild's thoughts and some secrets about Winnie.

If we can find out something, we might be able to find a way out.

(Adventurers... no, should they be called "explorers"?)

In the distant "ancient times," they were once called adventurers, a group of curious people who ventured into dungeons to explore the "unknown."

In order to explore certain secrets, we have no choice but to go to the dungeon like them.

"..."

Our gaze is drawn to the goddess Hestia, the chief deity.

The deity, who had been silent until now, accepted our gaze and slowly nodded.

It means: Go ahead.

Having consulted with the divine will, we nodded in agreement and decided to carry out the mandatory task.

"I'm sorry... I let things get this way and dragged everyone into this..."

Then, a moment later.

I bowed my head slightly and apologized to Welf and the others.

I can't think, "I should have just not saved Winnie," I can't think like that. My desire to protect her is still in my heart at this moment, without the slightest falsehood.

However, as a member of the [Family] and as its leader, I must apologize.

By causing trouble for the faction in this way, I've essentially driven it to the brink of collapse, just as Lily warned.