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

If I had followed the textbook instructions... and dealt with them one by one as Miss Eina taught me, even if I had been attacked by the Needle Rabbits, things wouldn't have turned out like this.

I experienced firsthand the terror of the dungeon. Nothing is absolute.

If I had made one wrong step, if it weren't for Lily, I would really be dead.

My body trembled. As a lesson, I vowed to remember this incident. Underestimating the enemy can be fatal.

Lily was still nagging, but I let it go in one ear and out the other, finally letting out a long sigh.

"Are you listening, Lord Bell?"

"Ah, um, I'm sorry... I'm reflecting on my actions. I promise I'll never do it again..."

"...It seems you are indeed reflecting on your actions. Well then, Lily won't say any more. If you still haven't learned your lesson, then it's Lord Bell's responsibility."

Yes, I nodded again, promising not to repeat the same mistake, and then stood up.

I wanted to thank Lily again, but then I remembered what had just happened. "Oh, right."

"Lily, you just used magic, didn't you?"

"...Huh?"

After I said that, Lily wavered. She hurriedly hid the small red dagger she was holding in her right hand behind her back.

"That...could it be the 'Demon Sword'? Ah, so that's what saved me...Thank you so much, I'm so happy."

"...! Lily, Lily didn't mean to help Lord Bell! It's just that if Lord Bell isn't here, Lily's income will decrease, so that's why Lily did this! Please, please don't misunderstand!"

"...What are you talking about, Lily?"

The incredibly difficult question left me with a look of utter frustration, when Lily suddenly widened her eyes. Blushing, she said, "What nonsense is Lily spouting...?" and began to cover her head with her hands through her hoodie. Hmm, I was speechless too...

"Uh... Lily has a 'Demon Sword' on her?"

"Ha, hahaha. Because, for some reason, it ended up in Lily's hands..."

"Oh. But I remember the magic sword breaks if used too many times, right?"

"Yes, Lily only uses it in emergencies. But as long as it's for Lord Bell, Lily won't be stingy, okay?"

...Hmm, that's completely the opposite of what I just said. It doesn't matter.

Not long after, and because we were getting a little hungry, we decided to have lunch. After Lily finished cleaning up the monster corpses, we sat in the center of the cave. Since sitting against the wall could result in being bitten by a newly hatched monster, we usually sat in this spot when resting in the dungeon.

This space (cave) is very spacious, so even if enemies appear at the entrance or exit, they shouldn't be too late to react.

(Oh right, I haven't returned the basket that Miss Seele gave me yet...)

As I ate the simple food, I remembered the lunch I got from Miss Seele yesterday.

I didn't have a chance to return it last night because it was too late, and this morning I overslept and missed my chance to go to "the bountiful mistress's" place. I absolutely have to go and return it today...

Later, we had a long chat.

The dungeon was quiet, and there was no sign of any monsters appearing.

Secretly observing Lily's giggling, I nervously searched for an opportunity to try and bring up the matter that had been on my mind.

"By the way, Lily, you said yesterday you were going back to your [Family], is there something wrong?"

I asked as casually as possible, but Lily's expression instantly froze.

She immediately forced a smile again, but it looked somewhat stiff.

Or...should I not have asked?

"Why would you ask such a question, Lord Bell?"

"...Because Lily doesn't seem to get along well with her family, um, I'm a little concerned...I'm sorry."

I still have a lingering unease about Lily's isolation within the Familia. This feeling was so strong that I reacted strongly when I learned she was going back to headquarters last night.

I reflexively apologized, and Lily smiled with her eyebrows down.

"Thank you for your concern, Lord Bell. But it's alright, nothing of the sort happened."

"real?"

"Yes, really. Yesterday was the monthly gathering of the Soma Familia."

"assembly……?"

"...It's a long story, so let's skip the details. To put it simply, it's a notice that requires everyone to earn a certain amount of money by next month. The amount is set according to each member's ability, so everyone has to be present."

It's probably the operating costs of the [family/kin].

Since they belong to a faction, it's only natural, in a sense, to collect funds from the income of its members—in my opinion, it's about supporting their homes—so there's nothing strange about it.

Lily, who was ostracized by her fellow members of the [Family], was probably trying to sell herself as a supporter in order to reach the target amount of funds collected.

"That's really strict, actually setting a minimum amount for everyone. Don't people who earn less work very hard...?"

"Yes, Lily thinks so too. Especially for supporters, or adventurers who lack potential..."

Ah, my eyes widened.

Although I'm not entirely certain yet, I've gained some understanding.

So Lily used to speak with such a sharp tongue because she was short of money...?

Perhaps the bad relationship with one's own people is also due to disagreements over money.

I quickly asked about something that concerned me, "What happens if we don't reach the target amount?" Lily smiled as if she could read my mind, shook her head, and replied, "There's no special punishment."

In other words, there were no penalties... I felt relieved like a fool, but I couldn't help but wonder if there was something more to the story behind the Soma Familia making such a young orc child work alone.

Seeing my furrowed brow and serious expression, Lily seemed somewhat apologetic as she smoothed down the top of her hoodie. Hmm, apologetic...?

"Um, that's right. I heard the Soma Familia still sells sake, is that right?"

The atmosphere started to get awkward, so I abruptly changed the subject.

I forced an unnatural smile.

"Ah, that... it was a failure."

"...Failure?...Huh, huh?"

"Yes. It's just taking the portion that was originally planned for the winemaking process and letting it circulate on the market. Because it would be a waste to throw it away."

Wait a moment.

I remember Miss Eina saying that the sake from the Soma Familia tastes exceptionally good and is in high demand… Among those who buy sake are some who are veritable experts, and yet their sake is something that even these people praise highly… a failure?

What kind of failure was it exactly?

Seeing that I couldn't hide my doubts, a somewhat sinister smile appeared on Lily's face.

"In other words, even the failed attempts are still high-quality wines."

That shouldn't be considered a failure, I thought unconsciously, reaching for my throat.

No, if that's the case, then what is the "finished product"...?

"Our chief god, Soma, is uninterested in anything, let alone other gods. However... there is only one thing that catches his attention: brewing wine."

"..."

"This is Soma's greatest and only interest. He is obsessed with it and disregards everything else... It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Soma's purpose in establishing the Familia, and the meaning of the Familia's existence, is entirely for this interest."

Setting goals for members to raise funds also seems to be because the brewing process requires a large amount of money.

It's not unusual for deities to create or utilize their "familias" out of interest. Deities enjoy constantly pursuing entertainment, and establishing "familias" isn't just about ensuring their standard of living; it's also part of their leisure activities, which I completely understand. Some deities actively promote industries, likely partly out of similar curiosity.

But... how should I put it, I still can't shake the jarring feeling I get from the Soma Familia.

Perhaps it's because of Lily's situation that I've become neurotic, but I just feel that the Soma Familia looks very morbid.

—"Like a madman"—"Burning one's life"—"Fighting to the death"—

That's what Miss Eina said back then, her expression and tone resonated deep within my mind.

"Ah, hahaha... If that wine is really that good, I'd like to try it too...?"

I felt my expression was about to contort, so I made a joke to match the topic we'd been discussing.

Lily looked at me like that and smiled softly, almost inaudibly.

"Lily thinks it's better not to..."

"..."

Our conversation ended with those words spoken softly.

I couldn't muster the courage to speak to her again. While I was still hesitating, the monster appeared. We had no choice but to fight it. Lily immediately returned to her normal demeanor, and I temporarily put aside my inner turmoil and went along with her.

The gap between us has not yet been bridged.

I don't know if it can be filled in.

I have personally experienced this very strongly.

It felt like I was being forced to confront my own helplessness and weakness once again, which made me inexplicably feel useless.

◇

Two days passed after that incident.

Since the last time I went into the dungeon with Lily, there has been a whole day of downtime.

The day before yesterday, Lily came to tell me that she couldn't go to the dungeon because of something. I don't know if it was related to the [Family] issue, but the way Lily looked up at me apologetically is still vividly etched in my mind.

I just couldn't muster the energy, so I didn't go to the dungeon yesterday.

Lately, I've been running dungeons every day to take a break, I tell myself, but... something just doesn't feel right.

Whenever I think of Miss Wallenstein's face, a voice inside me screams, "This isn't the time to slack off," but I just feel utterly powerless. Like a deflated balloon.

"...Ah—, that won't do."

I sat up from the sofa and roughly scratched my hair.

I exhaled sharply, expelling all the pent-up emotions from my body.

In short, get moving. Find something to do. You can't just lie around like this forever.

It's not exactly a change of mindset, but a shift in consciousness. For now, I'll just put Lily's matter in a corner of my heart.

(It's been a while since I cleaned, let's give it a tidy up...)

I spend less time at headquarters now, and it feels like I haven't done any housework in ages.

Thinking that it wouldn't be good to leave everything to the gods, I decided to take action and stood up from the sofa... The basket on the cabinet came into my view.

"……ah."

I'm such an idiot.

"I'm really sorry!"

"Hahaha..."

Snap! I clasped my hands together and bowed deeply.

In the bright midday sun, I rushed into "The Abundant Mistress" and apologized to Miss Seele. I'd forgotten to return it for days, and I couldn't find any excuse.

"Please lift your head, Mr. Bell. I didn't take it to heart."

"No, but..."

"Then please be more careful next time. What's done is done, so let's show our sincerity through our future actions."

That's so true... I looked up cautiously, lifting my head.

Miss Seele gazed at me tenderly with a smile on her face.

At times like these, I can truly appreciate how much more mature this young lady is than I am.

"But that's true. You've been completely out of touch, which has made me very worried. I've even made mistakes at work because I was so worried."

"I'm so sorry..."

"...I was laughed at terribly by everyone, you know?"

Miss Seele gave me a slightly resentful look and pouted. Huh? Seeing my wide eyes, she coughed deliberately, her cheeks flushed, and stopped blaming me.

Although I was puzzled, I returned the basket to her and then took the menu from the store.