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

The elven royalty saw through the expression on the Sword Maiden's face, which no one else would notice, and Ais asked her a question in return.

In response to her question, Rivera said, "Well," and looked up.

"I came here before entering Orario, and a few more times since then, though not many. It seems that many of the elves living in the forest are not used to the scent of the sea breeze... but I love it. When I saw this azure view, which was something that my restricted village didn't have, I was quite moved."

Looking out at the sea that could be faintly seen in front of the outlet of the brackish lake, Rivera smiled.

Just as Finn hoped to revive the Dwarf race, Ais had heard that Riveria left the High Elf village to see a world she had never seen before.

It's said that when she first encountered Finn and the others, she was "forced to sign a demonic pact," and was dragged into Loki's "Familia," where they spent every single day hurling insults at each other. In truth, she simply wanted to travel the world and had no intention of ever coming to Orario.

Even Rivera, with her unique perspective, said that the diverse landscapes she witnessed on her journey to Orario repeatedly swayed her soul. Her pursuit of new discoveries and the exploration of the "unknown" had, at some point, revealed her true potential as an adventurer, and now she was fully integrated into the labyrinthine city. However, Rivera also confided in Ais that one day she wanted to leave Orario and travel the world again.

Ais suddenly began to think about what she would do when she left.

Even though she knew it was impossible, Ais couldn't help but imagine that she might leave with Riveria... like a child who couldn't leave his mother, which made her feel a little embarrassed.

"Alright, everyone, stop looking around and let's move forward—! The sea… no, the great lake is calling us—!"

"What is that saying...?"

Loki, the noisiest among Ais and her friends, led the way, much to Tiony's annoyance.

Watching the God of War walk down the street humming a song, Ais recalled how she had come to this place—what had happened last night.

"In order to find another entrance to the underground city, we must first investigate the port city (Mellen)."

After the banquet, everyone returned to the mansion's main dining room, where Loki told the entire group the following.

"Isn't Mellen the port city nearby? Why not search within the city itself instead of going outside?"

As the group members sat down at their respective tables, Tiona raised a question next to Ais's seat.

But some of the group members, unlike her, showed expressions of sudden realization.

"Tiona, do you know how aquatic monsters manage to come ashore?"

In response to Finn's smiling question, Tiona touched her chin with her finger.

"Well, let me think... Did they climb up from under the Tower of Babel?"

"Fish can't walk, you idiot Tiona."

After the Amazon sisters made a fool of themselves and made some sarcastic remarks, Riveria explained:

"The only entrance to the dungeon is the 'Great Hole' directly beneath the 'Tower of Babel'... That's the general consensus, but strictly speaking, that's not the case. Outside Orario, there are paths used by aquatic monsters and exits connecting to the water's edge."

"In other words, the port city (Melen)..."

Following what Rivera had said, Ais gave the answer.

"In the large brackish (Rolog) Lake, just a stone's throw from the city, there is a cave that connects to the 'lower levels.' The fish-like monsters came up to the surface from there. It is said that people only discovered the existence of the cave after the gods descended."

After hearing Grace's addition, Tiona said flippantly, "Oh yeah—I didn't know that either—" Tione looked like she couldn't stand her.

"Fifteen years ago, the underwater cave was completely sealed off by the faction of the gods (Zeus) and the goddess (Hera), with the help of the Poseidon Familia. It should have been impossible for the monsters of this underground city to ever appear again... That's how it should have been."

However, the clandestine activities of Rives and other eccentrics and remnants of the dark faction at this time suggest that there are other entrances and exits to the dungeon besides the Tower of Babel.

Perhaps the blocked underwater caves have reopened, allowing colorful monsters like man-eating plants to be transported out of the brackish lake... This possibility cannot be ignored.

After Finn finished speaking, he glanced at Loki with his blue eyes.

"Indeed, it's necessary to investigate, but..."

"I think it's impossible, judging from the way those guys on the 24th floor look."

Rivera closed one eye and spoke vaguely, and Bert agreed.

Ais and Lefia, who were sitting nearby, exchanged a glance and also remembered what Bert had said about the 24th floor food warehouse incident.

The remnants of the dark faction imprisoned most of the carnivorous plants in black cages. It's possible they could travel from there to the "lower levels," move them to the water's edge of the underground city, and then release the monsters, but...

"Yes, I understand what you're trying to say. But, according to Dionysus, someone seems to have witnessed a monster never seen before near Melon... It looks like a disgusting snake, a long, yellowish-green monster."

Upon hearing the information provided by Dionysus, Ais and the others all changed their expressions drastically.

A disgusting snake, long and large, yellowish-green... these all fit the characteristics of a man-eating flower monster.

Under the watchful eyes of his bandmates, Finn began to speak:

"Since there's suspicious information, we have no choice but to investigate. And who knows, there might be clues there."

The group leader's opinion received unanimous support from everyone present.

The Loki Familia have decided to travel to the port city of Melon for their investigation.

"But leaving the city requires guild permission, right? And all that agonizing paperwork. There's absolutely no way we can leave tomorrow."

Orario—in this context, the guild—fears nothing more than the outflow of its urban fighting force, primarily composed of Rank 1 adventurers. With a few exceptions, no one can freely enter or leave the city; [Familia] must go through complicated procedures to obtain permission to leave. Sometimes, this process can take several days.

The thought of having the guild issue licenses was already making Tione listless, and she was resting her cheek on her hand when—

"Don't worry. I've already got permission from the guild."

Loki said casually.

"...No way?"

"Really, really. I argued with the clerk at the window for ages, insisting that he hand the application directly to the god (Uranus). On the document, I wrote in coded language (holy script) 'I'm going to investigate the man-eating plant for you, don't interfere,' and it was approved in no time."

Tiony's cheek slid off her palm, and Loki laughed heartily at her.

Perhaps feeling that interfering would arouse unnecessary suspicion, or perhaps wanting to use the Loki Familia to solve the case related to the man-eating flower, the guild master agreed to let them pass.

Seeing Loki waving around the scroll stamped with the authority's seal, even Finn couldn't help but smile wryly.

"So you came with us from headquarters today to get the license... oh, so that's why..."

"But...but their hands and feet are a bit too fast..."

"...Something seems a bit suspicious?"

"That's very suspicious..."

Tiona, Lefia, Ais, and Tione, who were sitting at the same table, had a bad feeling.

Even the other members of the group, who had been tempered by the God's unprecedented actions, became more wary. At this moment, Loki revealed a broad smile.

"That's how it is, so Finn, you guys are just going to stay in the city and watch over things, right?"

"Huh!?"

"I'm going to stay overnight in Mellen with Ais and my girlfriends!"

Ignoring the gruff protests from the male members of the band, led by Bert, Loki made this announcement triumphantly.

"Hey! What's going on here? Explain yourself!"

"Merlen definitely has to go, but we can't leave even half a person in the city—we don't know what might happen. Besides, I've already promised the guild that I'd leave about half of my [Family] members here as a safety net."

"I'm asking you! Why are only women allowed to go?!"

"Oh, and Finn, I'll need you to keep a close eye on Dionysus and his gang. That guy dares to dump trouble on me, and I occasionally manage to catch him doing something wrong. Besides, I don't trust Hermes; he's acting suspiciously."

"How dare you ignore me?!"

Loki, preoccupied with explaining things, enraged Bert, and Raul and the others desperately tried to stop him. Finn and the other leaders sighed and groaned, while the female members of the group simply felt annoyed.

Ais and the others exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions inscrutable. With the God's personal approval, the investigation into the female-only Melen was officially approved.

"It really is just us coming... Ah~, Captain~"

"Hahaha..."

Tiony grumbled on the bustling streets of Melen, while Lefia gave a dry laugh. She was right; the Loki Familia that had come to the port city consisted only of women.

Beautiful and charming elves and cat-people, pitiful humans, and adventurers recruited by the lustful goddess attracted the attention of the surrounding crowd. Especially Ais and Riveria, whose beauty rivaled that of goddesses, drew all the male gazes.

"Okay—I think he should be at the port—"

Loki strode through the streets without saying where he was going, and didn't need Ais or the others' help, carrying a large backpack. What was inside the bulging backpack seemed to be a secret.

Despite the suspicious looks from his family, Loki finally stepped out of the crowded throng and into the harbor.

"Wow...! You still have that same charisma!"

Lefia cheered as she saw the harbor up close. Sailors with towels tied to their heads, looking quite professional, strolled around. The harbor was vast and chaotic, filled with countless ships.

Pure white sails billowed in the blue sky. Sailboats of all sizes were anchored at the dock, too numerous to count. Among them, the merchant ships, so large they required looking up to see, were particularly awe-inspiring, captivating many members of the group. Ais was one of them.

"Ais, are you stunned?"

"...Wow, that's amazing."

Ais's gaze was drawn to the large ship about to depart. Tiona smiled at her, her hands clasped behind her head, and looked around.

The port, shaped like an arc along the brackish lake, was just as bustling as Orario. Strong sailors unloaded cargo from the ships, and wagons laden with barrels and crates headed off to who-knows-where. Ships that looked like passenger ferries were teeming with people, from well-dressed elves to orcs who seemed like passengers, and many demi-humans disembarked from the decks across wooden bridges.

The view of Lake Rolog stretching out in front of the harbor is magnificent. The vast brackish lake has no opposite shore, and the hazy horizon under the white clouds resembles a sea. The lake water reflects the sunlight shining on its surface, radiating a blue shimmer that matches the color of Lefia's eyes.

A harbor breeze carrying the scent of the sea, the calls of waterbirds echoing everywhere, and the distinct clamor of sailors—different from that of adventurers—made it possible to feel the boundary between water and land even with eyes closed. This scene, unlike the discovery of the dungeon or the encounter with the "unknown," brought a sense of peace, causing Ais to forget how to speak.

"Everyone, over there—!"

Heeding the voice of the Lord God, Ais and the others continued south along the dock.

After walking past mountains of barrels and goods for a while, Loki seemed to have finally found the person she was looking for, and shouted loudly at the divine object in front of her:

"Hey—, Njord—!"

"Huh? Isn't that Loki!"

Upon hearing Loki's voice, a majestic and imposing male god turned around.

His hair, tied back at the nape of his neck, was brown. A gentle smile graced his face, yet his features were sharp and muscular. He was as tall as Bert, his upper body strong and muscular when shirtless. Such a well-built man was a rare sight in Orario. Coupled with the image of him carrying fishing nets on his shoulders, Ais and the others, upon first seeing him, formed the impression of a "man of the sea."

"It feels like it was just yesterday we met. It's been years... no, more than a decade since we last saw each other, hasn't it?"

"From the perspective of the gods (us), it's just a blink of an eye. It's been so long since I last saw you, even though I was being lazy. No, I sometimes want to show my face, you know? Really, really."

"Stop lying," the god-like Njord said with a smile. Although his skin was sweating under the sun, it remained fair. His unblemished complexion offered a glimpse into the eternal and unchanging qualities of a deity. Especially his legs, clad in knee-length shorts, looked as beautiful as if they had been washed by the waves every day.

The way the two gods put down their fishing nets and chatted intimately with Loki suggests that they had a deeper relationship than just a brief encounter.

"Riveria seems to be doing quite well too. Your reputation is being reported every day from inside the city walls."

"Don't flatter me too much, Njord. Fame is always exaggerated."

Njord also chatted with Riveria with a carefree smile.

Seeing the royal family respond with a small smile, Lefia timidly asked:

"Lady Riveria, do you know this handsome man?"

"He took great care of me before I entered Orario. However, it seems he and Loki had a connection back in the Celestial Realm. You've probably heard of the Njord Familia, who brought the bounty of the sea to Orario, haven't you?"

"Oh~" "Now that you mention it..." Tiona and Tione said, and Ais also showed a look of sudden realization.

Besides its thriving development as a trading port, another characteristic of Melen was its thriving fishing industry, with a quarter of the port being fishing ports. The operation and management of these fishing ports were handled by the Njord family.

The Nyord Familia is a fishing-oriented faction common in seaside towns. They fish not only at Lake Rolog, but also in the open sea connecting to it. The large quantities of fish and shellfish caught by the Nyord family are not only sold at the market in Melen, but also circulated in Orario, bringing fresh seafood delicacies to the citizens. They, along with the Demeter Familia, which manages large farms, are considered the two major factions closely related to the food supply of the Labyrinth City.

"So, what brings you here? Suddenly barging in with such a large group. I don't see Finn and Grace. And what's that bag you're carrying...?"

Surrounded by the working fishermen, Njord looked at Loki's backpack with surprise.

Loki grinned.

"Actually, we're here to check on some things and take a company trip. To 'unwind,' I have a small question for you, Njord."

"What do you want to ask?"

"You must be extremely familiar with the geography around here, right? So..."

The two gods were face to face, whispering to each other. In front of Ais and the others, came the intermittent voices of "A secret spot, a secret spot!" "The kind that nobody knows about!" "A place that can be called a paradise on earth...".

Seeing her repeated emphasis, Njord seemed to realize something. He glanced at Ais and the others' luggage with Loki's, a serious expression on his face, and whispered something in Loki's ear.

Loki nodded repeatedly, a broad smile on his face.

"Thanks, Njord! I'll tell you everything later!"

"Hey, Loki, can I come with you—"

"no."

Without a word, Loki rejected Njord's request, then turned to his retinue and called out: