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

"—It's not that any of you are the mastermind. You are all accomplices."

An abandoned warehouse near the back of the guild branch.

Rivera spoke to the livid-faced branch manager, Rupert.

"What nonsense are you spouting...? If you continue to make false accusations, I will take it as an insult to the guild."

"So, what are those pieces of equipment you're carrying?"

As the port city (Meren) descended into chaos, and the guild branch built at the rear was engulfed in panic and turmoil, the man who was the branch manager slipped out alone, attempting to move something away.

Startled by her words, Rupert's face began to twitch, and he dropped one of the objects he was holding in his arms. It was a magic stone artifact.

"When the port city (Eron) was in trouble, Orario should have immediately sent out adventurers, but seeing the current situation, he is still holding back... because you took all the signal lights with you."

What Rupert was still awkwardly clutching in his arms was a signal light shaped like a telescope. By continuously illuminating the phosphorescence of this magic stone artifact, a signal could be sent to the duty room on the city wall, allowing Melon to instantly convey an emergency to the labyrinthine city (Oario) several kilometers away.

"Now, if adventurers and guild leaders enter Melen, their misdeeds will be exposed. For example, the man-eating flower incident... In other words, that's the gist of it, isn't it?"

"...!"

Faced with Riveria's closed eyes that seemed to see right through him, Rupert's face finally lost all color.

"So the reason you've been pretending to be enemies is to avoid being discovered as accomplices..."

"[Loki Familia]...!"

At the mayor's (Medor's) mansion, the elf Alicia, like Riveria, is interrogating Borg.

Borg was holding a large sack. It was obvious that it contained that "magic powder." Desperate to hide the sack, Borg seemed resigned and collapsed to the ground.

"What do you mean by saying everyone is connected to these man-eating plants...?"

As Loki listened to the chaotic questions from his retinue beside him, he looked at the man-eating flower that seemed to be sleeping motionless in the black cage, and then his gaze fell on the powder scattered at Njord's feet.

"Mixed in this powder... is it 'magic stone'?"

“…Right.”

Njord seemed resigned to Loki's accusations and admitted it.

Ignoring Rhodes and the other members' astonishment, Loki continued:

"To keep it a secret, you even ground the 'magic stone' into powder and mixed it with fishmeal or some raw stuff... Is that all there is to the recipe?"

"Hmm, it's amazing you noticed. I went to great lengths to fool even the gods..."

"Ais activated her natural intuition (sensors) and deliberately sneaked into the mayor's (Merdor's) mansion. Then she found the 'magic stone' in the basement." Njord smiled self-deprecatingly.

Rhodes, whose mind was in complete disarray, interrupted Loki and the others' conversation:

"Wait, please wait a minute, Goddess! The 'magic stone' you mentioned, is that the one in the monster's chest... How could powder mixed with that become 'magic powder' to repel monsters?"

"Oh, you didn't know? Those man-eating plants over there prefer to attack monsters rather than humans—or rather, they prioritize hunting 'magic stones'."

Upon hearing Loki's further explanation, Sakta and the others were startled.

According to the individual information about the man-eating flower collected by Ais and others, the tentacles of the "Filthy Fairy"—that is, the colorful monsters—have the characteristic of preferring to hunt "magic stones" rather than humans.

"So as long as you sprinkle powder mixed with 'magic stone' into the sea, the carnivorous plants will be busy eating the powder and won't attack the ships." The other day, Tiona offered her insight that "magic powder" was "bait," and it really hit the nail on the head.

This "magic powder" was originally a tool used by the carnivorous plant.

"I...I don't understand at all...why do this prevent the other monsters from attacking the ship?"

"Didn't I say that carnivorous plants prefer hunting monsters to humans?"

Seeing Rhodes's utter bewilderment, Loki sighed and went straight to the heart of the matter:

"The carnivorous plants released into the lake will devour the monsters that breed there...and lately, the ships haven't been attacked, and the waters near Mellen have become peaceful, haven't they?"

Rhodes, Sulcata, and the others stared in astonishment, their gazes all fixed on the male god.

"I understand most of it... but I'll still ask. How could you do something like this?"

In response to Loki's question, Njord stepped away from his spot and reached his hand into the distant spring.

He skillfully caught a fish.

"...Look, Loki. Look at this giant black fish."

Those are juvenile giant blackfish. Although they are still juveniles, their bodies are already as long as those of ordinary fish, and their scales are about to grow back crooked and strong.

"Their scales are unusually well-developed. Is this all an evolutionary adaptation to defend against monsters?"

"I know. Ever since monsters started running rampant, the ecosystems in many places have been thrown into chaos."

"Yes, that's right... But this giant black fish is relatively fortunate. They can barely survive and become food for the children... But the other fish... are not so lucky."

"Is that the reason? Is that why they released the carnivorous plant?"

Njord nodded with a gloomy expression.

He gave a wry smile to the shocked Rhodes and the others, and continued:

"The oceans below are truly awful. The number of monsters has increased far too much in the last five hundred years."

"I think so. It's barely manageable on land, but in the sea, there aren't many people who can defeat the monsters."

"Yes, although Poseidon and his team are trying, it's just a drop in the ocean. At this rate, even fishing will be a problem... in the oceans all over the world, and in Mellen. I simply cannot stand idly by."

Nyod, the god of fisheries.

A god who fears losing the bounty of the ocean to the mortal realm.

After hearing Njord's confession, Rhodes, a fisherman, stood frozen in place.

"Not long ago, Melen's fishing catch plummeted to an uncontrollable level. It's because the monsters are eating all the fish. The city (Orario) can afford to import them from abroad, but our faction (here) can't do anything about it."

"..."

"To earn money, I have to fish; to fish, I have to go out to sea; and every time I go out to sea... my family dies. Rod's father and grandfather did too."

Njord smiled forlornly at Loki, who had nothing to say.

"Even if I bestow 'favors' upon the children, they will still die at the hands of the monsters."

"Nyod the God!..."

Rod's voice was trembling with tears.

"I've thought about making my faction a militant one like Poseidon's... but that would terrify the fishermen, and even if it were realized, as I just said, it would be a drop in the ocean. Just when I didn't know what to do... I learned about the existence of these man-eating plants (monsters)."

Njord looked at the carnivorous plant as he finished speaking.

"When did this happen? How do you know?"

"Seven years... no, six years ago, right? It seems to have drifted from the drainage channels of Orario and escaped from Lake Rolog."

He said that although damage was caused at the time, a traveling "Familia" happened to be present and annihilated the man-eating flower. Moreover, he took advantage of the man-eating flower's vulnerability while it was attacking other monsters.

Njord unfortunately discovered that the man-eating plant had a preference for "magic stones," so he invaded the upstream of where the monster appeared, which is Orario's drainage system.

The monster fish can swim upstream along the brackish lake and vice versa, while the man-eating plant swims downstream from the city.

This happened before the city repaired its drainage system with fine metal (mithril) fences.

"I wandered into the city's sewers without permission... and there I met a strange human."

"What kind of humans?"

"Let me think... that person had their eyes covered by bangs, and their skin was so pale it looked like they hadn't been in the sun at all; they looked very unhealthy..."

Njord said that after he explained why he had come to the place, the man said he wanted to make a deal.

"God, if you grant my request, I can lend you that carnivorous plant."

Thus began the secret agreement between the man and Njord.

The other party placed the carnivorous plant in the lake or near the sea near Mellen for Njord, and in return, Njord facilitated the goods offered by the man—smuggled goods from the port city.

"So you dragged the guild branch and the town mayor into this, didn't you...?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Sigh!" Loki sighed, and Njord shrugged.

The quickest way to conduct smuggling in the port city (Merren) is to win over the guild's branch and the Murdoch family. Njord stated that Borg also supports his plans for peace and fisheries security off the coast of Merren.

The guild branch—or more accurately, Rupert—was successfully won over with money.

"Besides, to make this powder, we always need the guild to help us collect some 'magic stones'..."

Rupert obtained "magic stones" from headquarters and sold them privately.

Borg manufactures powder directly in the basement of the mansion.

Then there's Njord, who nonchalantly fishes in the lakes and seas where monsters are dwindling.

The accomplicity among these three individuals was a result of opportunistic circumstances.

They delivered the powder to ships entering and leaving Mehren through Borg, ensuring their safety while continuing this practice for several years.

"Those without the powder might be attacked by carnivorous plants... Didn't you even consider this possibility?"

"If the number of monsters in the sea is not reduced, more children will die... I can't get rid of this thought."

Seeing Njord smile faintly, Loki sighed again.

The god Njord is so fond of fishing, the ocean, and the related lower realm inhabitants.

Seeing the kind gods who had once generously helped them come to this, Loki only said, "How foolish..."

Rhodes was speechless at the actions of the supreme god and could only hang his head in dejection.

"Let me confirm, you mainly deal with your trading partners and have no connection with remnants of dark factions or weirdos, right?"

"I don't understand what you're talking about, but... I guess so?"

In other words, the enemy leader that Loki and his companions are investigating has nothing to do with the carnivorous flower disturbance in the port city (Merlen).

Having investigated this far, a wave of intense fatigue washed over him, but Loki still wanted to ask the questions he needed to.

"Is someone responsible for transporting the carnivorous plants from the city? It looks like they moved them here first and then put them in the lake. Who's in charge of this area?"

"Uh—, ah—..."

"Speak quickly."

"...It's the Ishtar Familia."

Njord seemed to admit defeat and confessed the truth.

"They're kind of the window between those people in the sewers and us, or maybe an intermediary? Anyway, I often ask them for help when I have problems. And they seem to be colluding with the trading company, allowing them to enter and leave the city without permission, so for things like those man-eating plants (monsters) that have become too powerful, I ask them to take care of them..."

"Putting carnivorous plants in the harbor is like using bait to lure us in, isn't it..."

"...It's probably them too."

Seeing the carnivorous plant appear made Njord doubt his own eyes and lead him here, which was also caused by the Ishtar Familia. Loki muttered the name of this faction to himself.

That's about it for the clues. Loki, having obtained the information, turned to Njord and faced him.

"I won't say much about your past actions. After all, it seems that Mellen has truly become more peaceful. However, I will inform the guild about this. You won't be allowed to use the man-eating flower anymore."

"Um……"

"Also, from now on I'll make you work like a slave, consider it compensation. Be prepared, okay? I have something else I want to ask you."

"...Okay."

Njord finally bowed his head in dejection and agreed.

Loki turned and looked around.

"This is the place that brat... Kali and his gang used as their base, right?"

"Yes. And they seem to have some connection with Ishtar."

"Lefia and...Tiona might be here too?"

"Hmm." Loki nodded and turned to the members of his entourage.

"Sakta, Elfie. Could you please go and tell everyone that Lefia and the others are here, and bring them over?"

"You mean everyone?"

"You mean Miss Ais, and Miss Rivera and the others...?"