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

However, Lily's hatred and loathing, fueled by years of abuse, prevented her from doing so.

The pent-up anger and sorrow drove the frail girl to vow revenge against the adventurers.

She has decided to bid farewell to her life, which has been spent drinking muddy water until today.

Reclaim everything that has been taken from the adventurers until now, and gain freedom with your own hands.

Lily forced herself to keep smiling, kicking away, tearing apart, and sealing away the guilt that threatened to spill over.

After laughing for a while, they started to leave.

Just like the day she was driven away by the kind people she once knew, Lily hid herself, bathed in the endless rain and dragging her bleeding body.

☆

From that day on, Lily kept repeating things that seemed like those of a thief.

She lures adventurers into traps within dungeons, steals their valuables, and then painstakingly returns them from the labyrinth. Although the enraged adventurers, deceived by those who appear to be her supporters, sometimes break through the traps in pursuit, Lily's transformation magic is so perfect that no one manages to catch her. Lily also finds a slight sense of satisfaction when she targets her own faction, stealing valuables from the members of the [Soma Familia].

Regarding the emptiness hidden behind her joy, rather than pretending not to notice, she suppressed her weak will with the power of her rekindled anger. "Have you forgotten what you've been through so far?" she told herself.

Thus, he exacted countless revenges on the adventurers, over a period of several years.

Lily noticed that her pupils were cloudy when she looked in the mirror of the cheap hotel that served as her hideout.

Even today, they still ambush adventurers, their red blood flowing, shrouded in the corpses of monsters—their own dusty, gray-white forms, filthy to the point of being laughable.

Lily, gazing absently at the mirror, suddenly remembered a fairy tale.

Was it read at the home of the elderly couple who owned the flower shop? It was an ordinary story, one I can no longer recall exactly where I saw it.

A ragged Cinderella who is transformed into a stunning beauty by a mischievous fairy.

She went to the palace to have a little dream, and the prince fell in love with her at first sight. Although she ran away because the fairy's magic was broken, the prince later found her again.

The prince went to meet the girl who had broken the spell, and they lived happily ever after.

Staring at her reflection in the mirror, covered in blood and grime, Lily asked a question.

When this deceptive transformation magic is broken—will there be someone who truly reaches out to you?

"Absolutely stupid"

Facing her own imagination and looking at herself in the mirror, Lily laughed at herself.

While using her anger towards the adventurers to mask her parched heart, Lily sank into her bed in her solitary room.

Outside the window, the moonlit night enveloped the sky, and she stared at her cold hands, which she had forgotten the warmth of others.

☆

That's right.

The kind of childish fantasy stories where a prince comes to greet you after you find yourself are fictional.

Besides—there's no way there'll be a hero who can save me.

So, we need to do it today too.

They put on masks, disguised themselves as innocent children, and deceived foolish adventurers.

The next prey has been decided.

They were sheltering themselves from the enraged adventurers. Completely novice humans.

Although I have no idea what he was thinking when he helped these little people he didn't even know, his statement, "Because she's a girl, I have to protect her," was absolutely hilarious. It was incredibly stupid, utterly idiotic. I'd never heard such a reason before, and I was so surprised that I couldn't even manage a laugh.

It was as if the white hair embodied purity, and the color of the pupils was like that of a rabbit, a deep red.

They must have just arrived in the city. They still have a bit of a rural feel to them.

Then, from this aura, one can understand that he is a thoroughly kind person, who must have grown up in a superior environment, unlike the miserable little people. He must have never encountered any misfortune.

Therefore, I need to teach him myself.

This city is dirty, cruel, and ruthless.

The reality that if one does not receive God's grace, one will be crushed by painful bitterness.

The tuition fee was that pitch-black dagger, so incongruous with his status.

You must defile that pure and innocent heart as you would your own. You must distort it as you would your own eyes.

Dye yourself just like you do.

Betrayed, cry out, as if you've become unable to trust anyone, just like yourself.

We must ensure that he never again utters stupid lines like "because she's a girl."

He looks like an easy target, a sucker. He'll be dealt with quickly.

If we could acquire that dagger, which serves as a sharp blade, we might even be able to reach our target amount.

Hurry up, cover it with dirt and dust, and start deceiving.

Lily, who believes there is hope ahead on the path of continuing to deceive herself and others, has once again spoken to an adventurer today.

"Big brother, big brother. Big brother with white hair."

BD Bonus Novel BD4 Short Story Prayer

The online translation is from the Kingdom of Light

Image source: uiop031

Translation: pdapanda

A black-based suit jacket and trousers. The collar is decorated with a butterfly-shaped ribbon.

The tailor-made uniform's high-quality fabric is immediately apparent without even touching it. Trying it on reveals its surprisingly easy movement; it's practically an adventurer's battle suit with superior functionality.

Even so, when faced with clothes provided free of charge, I still couldn't shake the feeling that they were too high-end and didn't suit me.

Seeing her own uniform silhouette faintly reflected in the window, Eina couldn't help but feel terrified.

"Now go and greet the other staff. Just like I told you a few days ago, you've been assigned to the agency. They probably intend for you to work as a receptionist in addition to your regular duties... Are you listening, Zul?"

"Ah... I'm so sorry!"

When the young dog-man leading the way asked her a question, Eina hurriedly looked away from the window.

In the long corridor that was still open, there were several demi-humans dressed similarly. As I passed by, I noticed that they all had serious, expressionless faces. My friend from my student days, standing close by, swayed her cherry-blossom hair, looking even more nervous than I was, her teeth chattering.

Was it because Eina and her friends looked so immature that everyone around them was smiling at them? Feeling her face flush, she absentmindedly adjusted her glasses and listened to her superior's explanation. The spring sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating Eina as he led her forward once more.

So, just as they were about to enter the room they were being shown to, a wide hall made of white marble came into view, leading down the corridor, where a large group of strong, burly adventurers were jostling each other.

Supporting these fearless individuals will be Eina's mission from now on.

Eina Zur, springtime at age 14.

She joined the governing body that rules the labyrinth city of Orario and became a member of the 'Guild'.

☆

Eina chose the guild as her workplace, to be honest, solely for the money. As expected of the central organization of the labyrinth city, hailed as the 'center of the world,' the guild's wages are very high. The workers, needless to say, earn even more than some lower-ranking adventurers, depending on the circumstances. Being a guild employee is a high-paying job.

However, Eina is not the kind of person who is greedy for money.

She wanted the money so she could send living expenses to her family who remained in her hometown.

Eina, a high-species fairy, was born into a royal forest. Having once escaped from a village with a princess, her mother seemed ill-suited to the outside world, spending many days bedridden. Her human father, who loved her, worked tirelessly as the sole male breadwinner to support Eina, her sister, and other family members, earning a daily wage while also managing household chores and childcare.

Eina was grateful to her parents for providing her with an education even in those circumstances. She resolved to repay their kindness by gaining as much knowledge and experience as possible for her beloved family. Unsuited to combat—or rather, unsuited to sports—she pushed her lectures to the limit—something that was, of course, her favorite thing to do—and considered joining the guild as a strong aspiration.

Hard work pays off. Eina, who achieved excellent grades in the school district, won a recommendation, crossed the threshold, and achieved her goal of working in the guild.

"Just like we've said before, I'll officially start working as a member of the guild, and then..."

In her single room in the staff housing provided by the guild, Eina was writing a letter.

In letters to family members, he reports on his recent situation and then jokingly expresses his anxieties about the future.

It would be a lie to say I felt no anxiety about the new environment. Sometimes I longed to hear the voices of my father and mother, and my younger sister, whose face I barely remembered.

However, Eina was also looking forward to it.

Joining the guild wasn't just for her family; in Orario, the "center of the world," she looked forward to broadening her horizons through working as a guild employee.

So many people, so many adventurers, so many great deeds. In this city, Eina will surely discover things she's only ever read about in books, or even find things not recorded in books, and be moved by them. She'll be filled with interest and excitement. It will definitely be worthwhile.

She sat in a chair, making a rustling sound with a quill pen on the wooden table, her long, brown hair swaying down her back. A smile appeared on her slightly childlike yet elegant half-elf face.

Soon after, Eina ended the letter with the word "dear" and sealed the envelope.

"...Yeah, good luck."

Bathed in the sunlight streaming through the window, Eina squinted and composed herself.

☆

"From today onwards, I will be your advisor. I am Eina Zur."

Eina's initial job was as an exploration consultant for adventurers.

Needless to say, she took on the duties of the assigned task, and after receiving guidance as a receptionist for the guild's flower, she accepted the job. As someone who has many opportunities to interact with adventurers, it would be difficult to be competent without first understanding their daily infiltration into the dungeons.

Eina, who had just accepted an introductory consultant position from her superior, greeted the adventurers she was assigned to meet for the first time in the interview room.

"...She's a half-demon."

The adventurer opposite is named Maris Hackard.

She is a human female with short, blue hair tied up in a bun, who seems quite competitive. She is 15 years old, with a slender body and a height of 160 centimeters, taller than Eina. She is a novice adventurer who has just registered with the guild.

Maris, staring intently at Eina who was forcing a smile out of nervousness, sighed.

"I actually wanted a gloomy, middle-aged dwarf...some immature half-human or something."

"Varied……"

"Ha, what bad luck. Being forced into a position with a complete rookie... honestly, what a terrible outcome."

As expected of someone who aspires to be an adventurer, she vented her dissatisfaction with speech that was easily detectable as ill-mannered.

That face clearly showed insult and contempt for Eina, who was not yet used to wearing a uniform.

"You, you're the one over there! Aren't you a newly debuted adventurer?! Your [Family] is also a newly established faction, you're clearly a newbie!"

"What?! From this moment on, I'll become a first-class adventurer and be famous throughout the world! What did you just say!?"

"You clearly don't understand anything, so please don't talk about being a first-level adventurer! You're a hundred years too early!!"

"What did you say?! You...!? ...

It started with a heated argument. Eina, with her excellent grades, clear mind, and upright character—all three qualities—was clearly too young back then.

In the well-soundproofed interview room, heated arguments and rebuttals erupted face-to-face. The girls, standing up, even forgot their positions of authority, engaging in a fierce verbal battle. The situation was a far cry from the positive progress they had initially envisioned.

Regardless, Maris, who made the worst first impression, was still the adventurer Eina initially took charge of.

"Don't get too cocky, half-human, just because you're a little more developed!?"

"Who are you looking at?! It's just that Ms. Maris is too shabby, I'm very ordinary!!"

"Wa ...

At the feet of the two men, their faces flushed and foreheads touching, lay the daggers and light armor that should have been provided as rations, gleaming as if they were bored.

"Seriously, it's unbelievable, that person!"

That evening.

In a tavern near the upscale residential area recommended by the guild, Eina poured out her complaints about Maris.

"Wow... I haven't seen Eina this angry in a long time!"

Faced with the figure of a human girl sitting across the table—who had never drunk any alcohol but whose voice had become rough—Misia Flott's eyes widened. She was also her friend from her school days.

As expected of a guild-recommended establishment, there weren't any ill-tempered adventurers here. She sat at a two-person table in a corner of the tavern, sipping her juice, her cherry-blossom hair swaying, tilting her head in confusion.

"The adventurers under Eina's command are quite unreasonable, aren't they?"

"Is it going too far, or just that the words were harsh...? They said a lot of prejudiced things, so..."

"Hmm," Eina said, pouting.

Missia seemed somewhat pleased to see her usually mature friend's youthful appearance befitting her age.