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

Today, the many candles lit in the city are probably lit for her.

This light of mourning should soothe their sense of loss.

This is what I care about now.

*

Ais left the room.

Looking out at the brightly lit night view from the base—perhaps because of a strange dream—she couldn't stay in her room.

However, instead of her usual adventurer attire, she wore a white dress and tied her long golden hair back. As if guided by the lights of a memorial service, Ais quietly went out into the street alone.

(There are so many people this year...)

The elegiac ritual has only just begun.

The people who started from the central square were moving in a long line along the main road toward the monuments scattered throughout the city. Some were in the forecourt of the guild headquarters, some in the first cemetery, and some on the outskirts of the city. Among them were many "ancient" heroes whom they had never met, as well as adventurers who had already passed away.

In fact, most people attend the Elegy Festival to offer flowers to adventurers they know.

Family, lovers, colleagues. Many people in the labyrinthine city know those who perished in the dungeons. You can see human girls holding flowers, tears welling in their eyes, and fairy women who have long since overcome their grief, marching in procession.

The guild's staff were responsible for maintaining order at various points along the road, while Ais, leaning against the roadside and walking upstream, quietly lowered her gaze.

Looking at the flickering candlelight on the ground, the faces of those who had just bid farewell to their loved ones flashed through my mind. They could be relatives, close friends, or confidants. Among them were also my companions from the "Loki Familia."

Ais also lost many of her predecessors and successors from various factions during her brutal exploration of the labyrinth.

Fragments of death flashed through my mind, and I heard his dying words echoing in my ears. The grief of losing my companion once again tormented a corner of my heart.

If you don't want to face separation again, you can give up going to the dungeon.

All you need to do is stop "taking risks" and give up exploring the "unknown".

This is how people who don't know the truth advise adventurers.

But Ais—or rather, a first-level adventurer—has a reason why she cannot stop fighting.

Of course, everyone has their own ambitions and desires, but most importantly, Ais and her companions bear the mission entrusted to them by the whole world.

"—Ah, it's 'Fiora'!"

The candlelight illuminated her profile as Ais fell into deep thought—

A young orc recognized Ais, who was walking backwards, and exclaimed in surprise.

"Although he wasn't carrying a sword, it really is him!"

"She looks as beautiful as a fairy, even more so than the goddess!"

"What is 'Fiora' doing here?"

Several young children broke away from the group and ran over.

The group of innocent children looked up at the renowned Level 1 adventurer with shining eyes, which made Ais a little embarrassed.

"No, you have to use honorifics! First-level adventurers are truly great!"

At this moment, one of the half-elf girls reminded everyone.

After correcting everyone's words and actions, the girl looked at Ais again, holding flowers in her hands, and said...

"Um, 'Sword Maiden' lady, I heard it from my mother! She said there's a very powerful and terrifying 'dragon' on the other side of the world!"

puff.

Ais's hands trembled.

The timid half-elf girl looked at the silent Ais and continued speaking.

"Mom said that today's ceremony is also to send blessings to the heroes who protected the world from the 'dragon'! It's also to pray that the adventurers can defeat the 'dragon' that everyone fears!"

"..."

At this moment, all the other children held their breath and listened intently as the girl looked sincerely at Ais and spoke.

"Sword Maiden, please defeat the evil dragon!"

"……kindness."

Hearing the girl's wish, Ais nodded.

"Absolutely, we will defeat them."

Then Ais made up her mind and revealed a dreamlike smile.

Hearing Ais's answer, the children smiled brightly. They cheerfully said, "Go for it!" and then returned to their group.

Ais waved to the children and continued on her way. To avoid the crowd that had already noticed her, Ais headed for a less crowded path.

Finally, they reached the deserted high platform.

As Ais recalled her conversation with the children, she looked up at the star-studded night sky.

—On the other side of the world lives an extremely powerful and terrifying 'dragon'!

That was the last remaining quest among the "Three Great Adventurers' Quests".

This is also the tragic wish of all the people in the lower realm—to defeat the "Black Dragon".

This black dragon departed from the land of Orario, even being called the living end, and people all hoped to defeat it. This was the mission that Ais and her companions bore, and also the expectation carried by the "Family" standing at the pinnacle of the city.

Therefore, Ais and the others must keep fighting and keep getting stronger.

Even if thousands of companions leave, we must not give up.

This is a labyrinthine city that gathers the world's strongest adventurers, and it is also Orario, the birthplace of that calamity. Therefore, defeating the Dragon King is an obligation that must be fulfilled and a qualification that must be assumed.

A night breeze blew by, and Ais pressed her hair down as she gazed at the streetlights.

After a long time, the moon hanging in the sky slowly moved, and at that moment, singing came from the central square.

It seems the elegy that runs throughout the entire memorial service has begun.

Many citizens gathered in the city center, each singing with their heads held high.

At this moment, people transcended racial barriers, and a mixture of emotions flowed through the night sky of Orario.

Just as the girl said, people offer condolences and thanks at the elegiac ceremony, and at the same time, they pray.

Ais, and the first-level adventurers, were well aware of the significance of this prayer.

The world yearns for "heroes".

Many adventurers in the city listened to the songs throughout Orario.

They include a lone Lilliputian warrior sitting in his office, a fairy princess, and a veteran Dwarf.

There was a werewolf youth standing on the roof, and Amazon sisters.

There are also pig-man warriors located at the top of the white tower.

Everyone is looking forward to the "heroes" of the new era and listening to this tragic song of aspiration.

"..."

There will likely be a continuous stream of victims after this.

However, the birth of a "hero" is built upon countless lives.

This will likely continue until the wish for the lower realm is fulfilled.

It seems likely that this will continue until the will of the gods, which are keeping things hidden, is fulfilled.

This continues until you reach the very bottom of the dungeon.

Otherwise, this vast expanse of sacrificial fire would not have been extinguished.

(...Looking into the eyes of those children was truly painful.)

Listening to this elegy now is also very painful.

Ais also has her own tragic wish, which is different from people's "wishes".

Because she has something she longs to reclaim.

Until the agreement is reached, Ais will continue to fight for her personal grudges, just like those adventurers who lost their companions in the dungeons.

Adventurers are not the lofty "heroes" that people admire; they are merely comical puppets bound by selfish desires.

"I……"

Ais's throat trembled.

She painfully savored the beautiful elegy, while simultaneously trying to escape from its melody.

The girl did not wield the sword willingly.

The girl simply had no other choice.

The dream I had today and the solemn melody I heard kept swirling in Ais's heart.

Finally, Ais seemed to be venting her frustration.

"...I cannot be anyone's hero."

"..."

"Lord Bell?"

Bell stopped and looked at the night sky where the song was echoing.

"...The gods are also singing."

Today, one can hear dirges mourning the dead, hymns of thanks to heroes, and prayers yearning for new "heroes." Bell also noted that among them were songs of deities.

There is a wine-loving goddess enjoying a drink under the moonlight, a silver-haired beauty that stirs the soul, an elephant-faced god with tears streaming down his face, a blacksmith standing by the window, an elegant god standing on the city wall, and a young goddess waiting for the boys to return home.

Most deities offer dirges for their children.

Bell suddenly remembered something his grandfather had said when he was a child.

"The labyrinthine city has everything."

"If you can stand out from the crowd, wealth and fame will come easily."

"However, those who step into it will inevitably be swept up in the tide of the times."

"That's the kind of city it is."

"That's why... heroes are born there."

The life and death of adventurers, the life and death of heroes.

Thousands of adventure tales, and a constant stream of heroic stories.

— Orario, the labyrinth city.

This is the "originating land" where heroes abound.

This is also the "land of promise" where a small number of heroes are selected through numerous sacrifices.

Stories continue to be born here, regardless of the individual's wishes.

Only then did Bell finally vaguely realize the true meaning of his grandfather's words.

"I want to be a hero..."

Bell murmured his childhood dream to himself, and his dream vanished into the night sky.

"But... I always feel a bit sad."

Then, Bell softly recounted the sorrow that this persistent lament had brought him.

Let's go lay flowers this year too, so we can avoid losing ourselves.

The girl murmured softly.

Let's go to the flower shop tomorrow; I don't want to forget everything that happened today.

The boy muttered to himself.

The girl and the boy listened to the same song, looked up at the same night sky, and were immersed in very different thoughts.

*

The East was gradually enveloped in light.