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

In order to convey the message to Riveria and the other members, they dispersed from in front of Ais.

"Lefia... Tiona, Tione."

Looking up at the sky, Ais ran into the bustling street.

"I asked the guards at the city wall, and they said they didn't see anyone resembling Tione or the others. Of course, they didn't see the [Kali Familia] either."

"Thinking about it that way, the hiding place is either still inside Melron... or it's over there at the brackish lake where there are no outer walls," Loki said in a low voice after listening to Riveria's report.

The location was a balcony overlooking the town from their hotel, which they used as a base.

"Also, it seems Ais and the others have obtained intelligence. Apparently, there's some activity at the port."

"Okay, that's settled then. I understand, I'll head to the fishing port right away."

Loki, who was standing by the railing, turned around and nodded.

With her back to the light in the room, Riveria walked to the side of the main god.

"The original goal was to investigate the man-eating flower, but that's still not resolved. There's a mountain of work to be done."

"Oh, thanks to Miss Ais, the mystery has been largely solved."

"What? J"

Hearing Loki speak so frankly, Riveria turned her face toward her.

Loki waved his hand and said, "I'll tell you later—" and turned his gaze back to the front.

"However, the 'threads' connected to this incident haven't been figured out yet..."

Loki stared intently at the town's night view with sharp eyes.

"Looking down at a group of ants from outside the chessboard feels pretty good too."

The most luxurious hotel in the port city.

Ishtar sat in a luxurious chair on its top floor.

"If we can reduce Loki's cadre by even one, we'll consider it a win. Even if it creates enmity, the blame will be directed at those country bumpkins... If those guys become unusable, it will delay the implementation of the plan, but we can always find other forces."

The goddess leisurely stayed in a safe area far away from the parties involved, enjoying her pipe.

She puffed on her cigarette while looking out the window at the lake and harbor.

"The goddess Ishtar..."

"You're back, Aisha. What's wrong?"

"I moved the things as you said, but what exactly are they?"

What appeared before Ishtar was a long-legged shrew.

She came to give a report, her beauty replaced by a stiff expression.

"Oh, this is the first time you've seen it... I'm not quite sure either. I'm just a bit connected to a group of people who use that thing to sneak around."

"..."

"Is there anything you'd like to say, Aisha?"

Her alluring, narrowed, amethyst-like eyes made the shrew hold her breath.

Soon, as if remembering something, her right hand began to convulse, and she quickly looked away.

"...I'm going back to my post."

"Yes, please."

As the shrew walked out of the room, Ishtar smiled faintly and put her pipe back in her mouth.

"Lina~, did you bring my armor yet~?"

—Leaving the top floor where Ishtar was staying, in the large room of the hotel.

The Amazonian girl, returning from the city (Oario), hands over her weapons to the giantess Fliny.

"This...this...and an axe."

"Seriously, so slow, and ugly. You left yesterday, but only came back at the last minute."

"I used my trading company to evade city checks, which took some time... I'm sorry."

The young members of the group said fearfully that Frini snatched the equipment from the bag with one hand.

Upon opening the bag, the heavy, crimson-dyed armor gleamed.

"Hehehehehe! I'm going to beat you to a pulp today, [Fiora]~"

Frini revealed a hideous grin that was a mixture of joy and anger, her gaze flying towards a corner of the large room.

"Let's get ready, Haruhime!"

"…………yes."

The girl, her head covered by a pure white cloth, murmured in an almost inaudible voice.

She pressed one hand to her chest, swallowed her anger, and lowered her head, following the giantess with solemn movements.

"Come on, come on... Tione."

Hidden in the darkness, Argana called out Tione's name.

Her sandy-brown braids swayed, and her snake-like eyes gleamed fiercely.

Behind her, many Amazonians basked in the sea breeze, waiting for their time to come.

"Meditating, Baje? That's strange."

"..."

On the other hand, unlike where Algana was, it was in a hollow cave like a rock cave.

In a space far larger than where Lefia was imprisoned, Kali spoke to the sand-haired Amazons sitting on the ground.

"Do you want to fight Tiona as soon as possible?"

"..."

"Hehe, I know the answer already."

The soldier, his mouth veiled, silently opened his eyelids.

Her eyes, like her sister's, were filled with fighting spirit.

"I am also very much looking forward to it... The banquet is about to begin."

Kali smiled fiercely from beneath her mask.

The goddess's declaration echoed through the void, then dissolved into the air and vanished.

The brackish lake trembled as waves crashed onto its shore.

The long night is about to begin.

Side Story: Sword Oratoria 6, Chapter 5: The Duet of the Sun and the Moon

Port-Merren was built along the shape of a huge, elliptical brackish lake—Lake Rolog.

From the center to the east, a trading port and fishing port were built, making it the busiest area in the area. In contrast, the west side had a vast dock for a certain "giant ship" to moor, as well as a shipyard.

The docks are open to accommodate excess passenger ships that the trading port cannot hold while the ship is not yet in port, and many other vessels are moored there at this time. In the shipyards, which are built as if excavating into the land, there are ships under repair or merchant ships that are half-built.

Nowadays, monsters have emerged from the dungeons and frequently cause disasters at sea. As a result, coating ships—especially their hulls—with sturdy, refined metals has become the mainstream trend. Of course, refined metals, including "mithril," are very expensive, so only the private ships of the wealthy or large vessels undergo this treatment.

The labyrinth city of Orario also sells its dungeon ores—such as the high-hardness "Black Silver Steel"—to Orario for profit. Since commercial groups like the Familia or merchants can also buy and sell "dropped items," they also actively negotiate prices by purchasing ores from adventurers.

Not a single shipwright could be seen; the shipyard was shrouded in darkness. All the magic stone lamps were off, leaving only the distorted outline of the half-finished wooden ship visible in the night. A chilling silence, uncharacteristic of Orario's main gate, permeated the air.

Algana was in a corner of this shipyard.

"I've been waiting for you for a long time, Tione and Tiona."

Upon seeing Tiony and Tiona appear, Argana greeted them in Amazonian language. She was followed by a large group of Amazons.

Tiony asked the smiling woman in the same language:

"There must be shipwrights working here late into the night... What happened to them?"

"I put them to sleep."

Tiony clicked her tongue, and this time it was Tiona's turn to speak.

"Where is Rafia?"

"Stay with Kali at Bajie's place, not here."

Unlike the poor Common Language, she spoke Amazonian fluently and without any awkwardness.

Algana stretched out her arm and pointed to the outskirts of the city.

"Go that way, Diona. You'll find out soon enough. Baje is waiting for you."

Upon hearing this instruction, Tiony and Tiona exchanged a glance.

Then they immediately nodded to each other.

The other party was asking the sisters to separate so they wouldn't have to fight side-by-side, and the two agreed.

"Tiona, you better not lose!"

Bathed in the moonlight that peeked through the clouds for a fleeting moment, Tiony spoke.

She stared intently at Algana in front of her and spoke to her sister behind her.

"...Yes, Tione, you too."

After a brief exchange, Tiona rushed out.

She bid farewell to her sister and headed in the direction Algana had indicated.

"Tione, come here."

"..."

Tiony remained vigilant while following the lead.

She moved stealthily in the darkness with many Amazons, boarding a large ship docked in the harbor.

"You're going to fight here? You'll be exposed soon, won't you?"

Even when Tione frowned and questioned her, Algana just smiled.

Instead, the other Amazons acted swiftly and disappeared into the ship's hold.

"It doesn't matter if we're discovered. Because no one else can get on the ship."

Her words seemed to become the catalyst, and the ship slowly began to sail.

As Tiony was still in surprise, several oars protruding from the hull of the ship began to propel it, and the ship visibly moved further and further away from the port.

"This is a temporary arena. It's narrower than the ones in our country, though."

People in the Amazon paddle their boats, propelling them forward across the lake.

"They really know how to play tricks," Tione muttered, feeling the vibrations beneath her feet.

(Once we're outside the port, it's impossible for anyone to cause trouble... We just need to take down one of them.)

The ship's propulsion—the oarsmen—are warriors from the Kingdom of Tir Scylla, capable of rivaling even high-ranking adventurers. Even if someone were to pursue them in a rowing boat, the difference in speed would prevent them from getting close.

An unassailable arena (arena) at sea.

It's perfect for performing the "ritual" that Algana wants.

Tiony could guess that this was probably Kali's idea.

"Found it."

As Tiony and the others walked towards the ship, Ais's eyes still caught sight of them, even from a distance. She stood up from the rooftop near the harbor and spoke to those behind her:

"Navi, call everyone here."

"yes!

Ais ran out before she could hear the whole answer.

She rushed ahead of the other members and headed towards the shipyard.