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

His smile was ugly.

—If I make the wrong choice, at least I should make the right wrong choice.

A gurgling sound came from his throat.

Bell mustered his courage.

"………………………………. Please, please give me your guidance."

Bell gave a stiff smile and grasped the outstretched right hand.

Haruhime and Mikoto gasped, and Welf suddenly felt weak all over, but instead laughed. "Ah..." Lily sighed to the sky.

Bell shook hands with "The Monster".

"—Yes, nice to meet you!"

The lizardman who received the handshake... no, Reed grinned, and indeed showed a smile.

The next moment—thunderous cheers!!

The loud noise that startled Lily and the others filled the cave.

The monsters who had been watching Bell and Reed with bated breath cheered.

The red-capped goblins clapped their hands, the half-human, half-bird girl landed on the ground with great joy, the beastmen raised their hands in slow motion, and the unicorn rabbit hopped around—the cheers were endless.

They seemed to be dancing with joy for making friendship with humans and taking a memorable step.

"Turn on the lights!"

Reed shouted orders as the monsters rejoiced.

Some of the monsters, including the Black Dog (Hellhound), hurriedly dragged out the magic stone lamp hidden in the shadows of the rocks and skillfully lit it with their mouths and claws.

"The monster can use a magic stone lamp..."

Seeing the monsters cleverly using magic stone artifacts made by humans, Ming began to doubt his own eyes.

Not only that, the half-human, half-bird creatures also lifted the thick cloth covering them, revealing the quartz blocks hidden everywhere.

The huge cave chamber, similar to a stalactite cave, was suddenly illuminated by a dark green light source.

"—A tree, a green dragon!?"

"Even this kind of guy is here..."

Some distance from their current location, near the entrance to the cave, a dragon over ten meters long lay beneath a quartz pillar. Its body was covered in ancient scars, and its eyes, as serene as those of an old monarch, spoke of the many years it had endured. Its narrowed green eyes, fixed on their presence, made Lily and Welf instinctively flinch.

"Fellow people of the surface world, please allow me to get to know you all!" "Mmm..." "Me too!"

Some can speak, some cannot, and some have stiff pronunciations. Many monsters gather in front of Bell.

"It's an honor to meet you, Your Excellency Bell. I've heard so much about you."

"Your Excellency?"

"It's a pleasure to shake your hand."

Hello.

"My name is Laura, nice to meet you."

"Please, please guide me..."

"..."

"Alas!."

Starting with the little red-hatted monster who addressed Bell as "Your Excellency," the monsters took turns shaking his hand. Bell's expression remained stiff—sometimes letting out soft screams at the large, beast-like beastmen who silently extended their giant hands.

"I'm late with my introduction. My name is Lei, and I'm the Songbird (Sailian)."

"Ah... I, my name is Bell Craney."

"Yes, I know. ... Mr. Bell, thank you for saving my compatriots."

Bell also greeted the singing bird who called herself Rey, and grasped the finger-like feathers extending from the tip of her wing.

First, he felt the soft touch of the feathers, then he saw her beautiful and elegant smile. Belle hadn't learned her lesson yet, and blushed again.

"These guys are also very happy to meet a human who doesn't reject us, kid."

Seeing the monsters shake hands with Bell one after another, or even several times, the lizardman warrior grinned.

Upon hearing this, Bell looked around.

The gentlemanly red-hatted figure, the emotionally expressive half-human, half-bird, the half-human, half-snake with broken speech, the silent War Shadow… It didn’t matter whether they could speak or not, whether they were human or alien. All the monsters shook hands with Bell using eyes that held a hint of reason; their small palms, their huge, hairy hands, were all so warm.

While Bell was overwhelmed with indescribable emotions, the monsters, not only Bell, were also glancing at Lily and the others.

However, Welf and his companions could only awkwardly look away.

"...Ugh~"

As for Winnie...

She watched Belle surrounded by many monsters like a child whose treasure had been stolen.

"Chirp—..."

"A unicorn rabbit..."

Another small, chubby monster appeared in front of her, quickly walking towards Belle.

It was a unicorn rabbit, wearing a loose blue combat suit and a broken pocket watch around its neck. The white rabbit looked up at Bell with its big red eyes, and Bell bent down, extending his hand with the same clumsy smile.

Upon seeing this, the unicorn rabbit with its long ears swayed and cried out, "Pull—!" as it pounced into Bell's arms.

"Wow! Wait...it tickles...why are you licking me?"

"Aruru...this girl can't speak, but she seems to like you a lot."

"You're saying a girl—is female!?"

The unicorn rabbit happily hugged Bell and licked his cheek. Bell, after hearing Rei's explanation, couldn't help but let out a strange cry. Seeing this scene resembling two baby rabbits playing, Lily and the others cast indescribable glances at the flustered boy—when the dragon girl finally erupted. She ran out from behind Haruhime, who had been hiding, and rushed towards Bell.

"No, no! You can't take Bell away!!"

"Chirp!?" She forcefully pulled away the wailing unicorn rabbit and hugged the boy's arm.

The monster hopped and jumped in protest, "Ooh~!" But Winnie refused to give in, and then she suddenly noticed something.

He was surrounded and watched by many monsters.

She was originally afraid of the monsters who were also aliens, and dared not face them, but now she was standing in front of them.

Winnie hugged Belle tighter, and at that moment, the singer Niao Lei leaned closer to her.

"May I ask your name?"

"...Winnie."

"Winnie... what a lovely name."

Hearing the soft murmur, Lei smiled.

The praise for the names Bell and the others had chosen for themselves made Winnie blush and twist her body shyly.

A moment later, the feathered hand was extended in front of her eyes.

Winnie hesitated for a long time, then fearfully stretched out her arm and timidly and quietly shook hands.

The golden-winged singing bird narrowed her blue eyes.

"Nice to meet you, new 'comrade'. No one here will bully you, we welcome you."

Seeing his "compatriots" accept him just like the boys, his amber eyes widened.

Encountering kindness and having her existence acknowledged, Winnie quietly shed tears.

Soft, feathery fingers reached out and wiped away her tears, and a small smile bloomed on the girl's face.

The surrounding monsters seemed to be offering blessings, looking up and letting out loud cries.

"...Um, please tell me."

When the monsters' celebratory shouts ended.

Completely bewildered by the situation, Bell, holding Winnie, said:

"Who exactly are you, and Winnie?"

Ever since his encounter with the alien girl, this has been the core question he has been pursuing, and it's also what Bell and the others have always wanted to know. All the monsters turned towards the humans.

The golden-winged singing bird, representing them and them, answered:

"We are 'heretics (Zenos)'."

"—'Heretic (Zenos)'?"

At the altar lit by torches, Hestia murmured.

Uranus, who was sitting on the throne, nodded in response.

"That's what we call them...that's what we call those rational monsters."

The guild headquarters is located in the underground "Prayer Hall".

Hestia heard about the girl (Vinnie) from the all-knowing old god.

【Zenos】—This word, among the gods, means "heretic".

Dissidents excluded from the orthodox system.

"You mean Winnie is also one of those 'heretics'?"

"Indeed, they share common characteristics. These beings possess a high degree of intelligence... intellect, and more importantly, a mind. It is the sum of will and emotion, no less than that of our children."

"...!"

"A group of 'monsters' who defy the urge to destroy and kill..."

Hestia gasped upon hearing what Uranus had revealed.

Uranus added that, as far as humanoid monsters were concerned, many of the "heretics" possessed appearances similar to those of the inhabitants of the lower realm. His voice echoed in the "Altar Hall."

"We are not sure when the phenomenon of 'heretics' started, but ever since we clearly observed their existence and made contact, we have been assisting them in the name of 'protection'."

"Aid...!? Guild aiding a monster!?"

"What are you thinking?" Hestia was about to burst out cursing, but then she changed her mind.

Haven't I and Bell and the others been hiding and protecting the dragon girl Winnie all along?

Bell and his companions protected that pure and innocent girl, just as Uranus had described, who possessed the same heart as the children.

Looking down at Hestia, whose lips were tightly pressed together, the unmoving old man continued:

"The purpose of this mandatory mission is to return a 'heretic' that unexpectedly appeared on the surface to its companions. Hestia is the dragon girl that you and your retinue are protecting."

"...I won't ask you when you found out. So, what about Bell and the others now..."

"They must be heading to the 'Heretics' residence, their 'secret place'."

The real purpose of the forced mission was to escort Winnie.

The trigger for carrying out the mission was probably the commotion that alarmed the city a couple of days ago.

Thinking about this, Hestia suddenly had a question in her mind and asked it directly:

"Uranus, why did you specifically ask us to do this? Why not just kidnap Winnie and take her to the dungeon? Why tell us about the existence of the 'Heretics'?"

"There are several reasons, one of which is that Bell Crane and the others unexpectedly met a monster that could speak human language. However, the biggest reason is..."

Uranus paused for a moment, then told Hestia:

Hestia

"Because I judge that the goddess's followers... even if there is only a tiny possibility, could still be a glimmer of hope."

"hope?"

"Exactly." Uranus nodded.

"It is a bridge for the coexistence of humans and monsters."

"Am I dreaming...?"