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

The two turned their heads left and right to check their surroundings before diving deeper and deeper. They swam along the sloping lakebed, and the sunlight streaming into the water from the surface above them gradually receded into the distance.

Then, after the two fought several battles with the monsters roaming the brackish lake.

(Is that the one...?)

They found what they were looking for.

Near the deepest part of Lake Rolog, Tiona and Tione's eyes saw a breathtakingly huge "lid." It was a large, circular seal, well over ten meters long.

The material of the "lid" is unknown; it may be "white holy stone" or "white corundum," a mineral found in the labyrinth. The large, chalky lid, a different color from the surrounding rock bed, also resembles the gate to an underwater temple.

A large hole, formed like a horizontal cave on a slope, is now sealed off by a "lid," but it was originally large enough for even dragons to pass through. In the distant "ancient times," countless aquatic monsters came ashore from here.

Tiona and Tione lowered themselves to face the imposing canopy.

(I mean, this...)

(It should be a monster fossil... no, it's a "dropped item".)

Inside a large, snow-white lid, there was a pitch-black foreign object.

Those were the black bones of a colossal… no, even larger, beyond-standard monster (dropped item). Reminiscent of a dragon's skull, a long, serpentine spine, enormous fins like wings, and other such things, the bones, missing several parts, were curled up and interspersed among the white stone. Tione was right, like a fossil.

Even though Tiony and the others didn't know much about the large lid, they still knew the true nature of the corpse.

(Leviathan, the King of the Seas...)

"Ancient" refers to ancient creatures (monsters) that emerged from underground cities to the surface and possessed power.

Along with "King of the Land (Behemoth)" and "Cyclops," it is one of the three great adventurer commissions of humankind, a calamity in the sea. Fifteen years ago, the god (Zeus) and the goddess (Hera) led the strongest adventurer army and successfully defeated this monster.

(I've heard that the black dragon's "scales" can scare away monsters...)

It is said that about a thousand years ago, the Cyclops, which flew away from Orario, dropped several scales in various parts of the Nether. These scales continuously emit energy fluctuations, and all other monsters, without exception, are terrified of the King of Monsters' aura and dare not approach. This phenomenon has been confirmed.

The skeleton of this "King of the Seas" is the same as that one.

It is generally believed that the labyrinth monsters are sealed by the immense divine power of the guardian god (Uranus), preventing them from invading the surface. Even if a monster were to escape, it would likely flee upon seeing this black skeleton, let alone be destroyed by it.

After the gods (Zeus) and their [familia] defeated the "King of the Sea", they brought back his remains and used them as part of the lid to make the seal impenetrable.

"Leviathan Seal". This is the official name given to the guild.

Facing the black-and-white, eternally unopened underwater gate, Tiona and Tione lost track of time as they gazed at it.

(...Let's check if the lid has any cracks.)

Leaving their gazes from the empty, black bone eye sockets, Tione and the others began to get down to business.

They examined the large opening, looking for signs of any monsters passing through, or any paths that could be considered secret passages. The two split up and approached the cover, checking every corner and thoroughly inspecting the surrounding rock bed.

But in the end, they found nothing and it was all for nothing.

(There isn't a single scratch on the lid!)

(Okay, although I already knew that, I have to say that with such a strong seal, it's impossible for monsters to break through... To be honest, they don't seem to dare to get close at all. There are no escape tunnels nearby either...)

Tiony sighed as she glanced sideways at Tiona, who was waving her arms with her head down and feet up.

Even the monsters that attacked several times along the way couldn't sense any presence around the seal. The large lid that kept the monsters away remained intact.

(Isn't the monster afraid to get close to this cover? Shouldn't we check areas a bit further away? Like, maybe they dug a new hole where there's a major detour.)

(I don't want to wander aimlessly around such a big lake...)

Tiona and Tione met and exchanged glances. The Amazon sisters, at a loss, let the bubbles float above their heads and looked around.

(——!)

At this moment, Tiony's eyes became as sharp as an eagle's.

What she caught in the distance was two long bodies swaying in the water.

The skin color is yellowish-green.

(Tione!)

(No mistake! It's a man-eating plant!)

The two kicked the water to speed up their progress.

The monster was swimming less than ten meters above the lake. Above, more than one boat was propelling itself forward. Tiona and her companions decided to destroy the carnivorous plant and close in on the enemy.

"!"

The vibrations in the water alerted the monster to the girls rapidly approaching it.

With a snap, the two carnivorous plants burst open their tightly closed buds, revealing hideous fangs and mouths. They turned all their tentacles toward the two people, trying to drive away the approaching threat.

"It really exists! (Runs away!) — Hey! (Hey!)"

Facing the barrage of whips coming at her, Tiona skillfully dodged them with agility that would make even a mermaid envious. As she brushed past them, she also swung her "Kobelle Blade" in one hand.

With a burst of bubbles, the carnivorous plant's tentacles were severed.

「!?」

Taking advantage of the gap created by the whip being chopped into pieces, Tione immediately launched a surprise attack.

She instantly threw herself into the frozen man-eating flower's embrace, wielding her azure blade just like her sister, the flashes of light coming in pairs.

"!"

"————————————Ah?"

The naval weaponry proved its might, easily slicing through the carnivorous plant's tough, impervious hide. Struck by a flash of azure light tracing an arc, the monster, now devoid of its flower head, died instantly.

As for the remaining one, it twisted its body, trying to escape.

(Oh no! It's not resolved!?)

The long absence of naval combat caused the second strike to be shallow.

The severely injured carnivorous plant seemed to be pleading for help from the sunlight, rapidly rising to the surface of the water.

Tiony and Tiona gave chase—but then, a new ship sailed in from the lake gorge.

--Oops!

As the enormous ship appeared in its path, the carnivorous plant, as if to vent its anger, shot its tentacles toward the bottom of the ship.

"Loki!"

Ais's sharp voice cut through the crowd.

When Fiora sensed the danger before anyone else, the Loki Familia members who remained on land also witnessed the strange phenomenon on the lake.

"The ship's quilt...?"

"Something's tangled around the ship!"

Yellow-green tentacles extending from the water surface entangled the galleon sailing ship that had just entered Lake Rolog.

The whip, bearing the marks of being cut, tilted the massive ship, and then the carnivorous plant appeared.

The monster that created the huge waves was about to seize the galleon.

"Oh no, Ais, you guys need to save them (Part 1)!"

Lefia and the other mages moved to the open lakeshore and immediately began chanting; not only that, Ais and the others also used nearby boats as stepping stones, intending to rush there as quickly as possible.

"—Gah!?"

However, just a moment before.

A figure leaped from the galleon and chopped off the head of the man-eating plant.

"Varied……"

The massive head flew into the air, spinning as it fell toward the lake.

As water splashed everywhere, the tentacles that had been wrapped around the ship loosened, and the limp, powerless body of the monster sank into the water. Seeing this, Ais and the others froze.

"What, what what?"

"Did you defeat the carnivorous plant?"

Tiona and Tione suddenly emerged from the water, both speechless.

The man-eating plant, which even high-level adventurers in Orario struggled to defeat, was instantly killed.

The surrounding ships on the lake were shrouded in a chaotic commotion, but Tiona and her companions paid no attention, gazing up at the large foreign ship floating on the water before them.

Then—a loud thud.

The shadowy figure that had slaughtered the man-eating flowers, accompanied by the gleam of a scimitar, descended from the sky onto a nearby fishing boat.

"Laug Rujita... Di Shilut."

Upon hearing a language different from the common language and belonging to a certain race, Tiona was the first to react.

She turned around as if struck by lightning, and saw a woman standing on the boat.

Her brown skin drew the horrified gazes of the fishermen, and her unique, revealing clothing was striking. Among these elements, she wore a black veil that covered her mouth and obscured the lower half of her face.

Beneath her swaying, sandy-brown hair, Tiona gazed silently into the eyes of her compatriots, and gently parted her lips.

"Baj..."

Tiona and Tione stared wide-eyed as if they had seen something unbelievable, and that wasn't all—as if to deliver an even greater blow, a voice rang out from the galleon.

"There are familiar faces."

"————"

Hearing that childlike yet mature tone, Tiony and the others were truly stunned this time.

Looking up suddenly, they saw a large group of female warriors (Amazons) looking down at them from the deck of the giant ship—along with a young goddess.

Her blood-red hair swayed in the sea breeze; her skin, like that of her retinue, was brown. Though she was only a young and adorable girl, she wore jewelry made of fake skulls and a mask with fangs; moreover, the eyes revealed beneath the mask radiated an otherworldly and divine power. Beside her stood a female warrior (an Amazon), whose hair, like the woman on the fishing boat behind her, was sandy brown.

Ais and the others watched from the shore, and Tione's expression changed drastically.

Facing the goddess on the ship with a gentle smile, she called out her name:

"Kali...!"

Gaiden: Sword Oratoria 6 Chapter 3: The Land of Female Warriors

The massive galleon slowly entered the harbor.

The ship's design, featuring an anchor shaped like two swords, a warrior statue at the bow, and a massive oar resembling an axe extending from the hull, all representing female warriors, attracted the attention of many. This is how the foreign group landed.

Seeing a group of Amazons led by a young, masked goddess disembarking from the boat, even the strong fishermen suddenly became flustered and uneasy.

"Kali!"

It was Tiony, who was wearing a swimsuit, who called out to them at that moment.

Tiony caught up with the ship that had been heading straight for the port shortly after they met and hurried over. Tiona, close behind, did the same. Seeing the sisters' unusual atmosphere, the gathered crowd automatically parted to make way.

When Ais and the others arrived after changing their clothes, they were met with a standoff that seemed imminent.

"What are you doing here?"

"It's been so long since we last met, and you start your day with something like that, Tione?"

"Stop talking nonsense and answer me!"

"It's nothing, just sightseeing."

Facing Dione, who had been verbally abusive from the start, the masked goddess Kali replied nonchalantly, saying "This is troublesome."

She sent an Amazonian to deal with the town officials who rushed in. They seemed to have been prepared beforehand, and unceremoniously presented the port entry permits to the officials.

"Don't try to lie to me!!"

"Really? I'm tired of the monotonous daily life and have come here seeking excitement."

Seeing Tione's furrowed brows, Kali merely smiled. Tiona, who hadn't joined the conversation, also pouted, making no attempt to hide her astonishment.

As for Ais, she was watching the two people in the group who were closest to the goddess.

Amazons with sandy-colored hair who look like sisters.

—Very strong.

The Sword Maiden's intuition told her this after a long period of intense combat.