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

The latter is the primary objective; the "heretics" must return to the dungeon to survive.

They also took two routes.

One is the Tower of Babel in the center of the city, which has a "great hole" leading to the underground city.

Then there is the "artificial maze" located on "Daedalus Road" in the southwest of the city.

"If we choose the central square as our destination, war with the adventurers will be inevitable... Also, we don't know how the Freya Familia will act. Fels will not let them choose this path."

"I've tried to negotiate with her a few times, but I really don't think she'll listen to me."

Hermes sighed with a wry smile at the silver-haired queen who reigned over the Tower of Babel.

"In that case, the only destination the 'heretics' should choose is still 'Daedalus Road,' where the terrain is most advantageous, but..."

"To enter the underground city through the 'artificial labyrinth,' you will be blocked by the Loki Familia."

The labyrinthine street is just as complex and bizarre as an underground labyrinth (dungeon), and if this can be used to your advantage, you might be able to evade the notice of adventurers. However, even if you get past this hurdle, the greatest challenge still awaits.

"Although I already knew, this is not an easy hurdle to overcome," Hermes said with a carefree laugh, while Uranus urged him to continue his report.

How's the "artificial maze" project going?

"With testimonies from adventurers in the labyrinthine inn town (Rivera), the monster that stormed the 18th floor has been identified as being related to the monster that appeared on the surface. Many Familias have noticed that there is a second entrance to the dungeon."

"So all the adventurers are concentrated on 'Daedalus Road,' is that right...?"

"That's right. It seems that some people have started looking for the entrance and exit on their own, but after all, that's an area designed by the genius (Daedalus). So far, apart from the Loki Familia, no one has found the entrance to the 'Man-made Labyrinth'."

Upon hearing this, Uranus asked Hermes:

"Hermes, your [familia]..."

"It has already been investigated."

"!"

Hermes pulled out a book, as if to present it as evidence.

"This is the 'Daedalus Manuscript'."

For the first time, Uranus's usually calm eyes widened.

"Before I give Icelos to the Loki Familia, I want him to give me this notebook. It contains the design plans for the 'Man-made Labyrinth,' including the locations of the entrances and exits."

"..."

"I also had my family members (children) investigate whether the 'blueprints' were correct. Asphie complained to me that using the combination of the black helmet (Hades' helmet) and the sachet... to evade the eyes and ears of the Loki Familia while conducting the investigation scared her so much that she lost several years of her lifespan and even punched me."

The one who found the vanished god (Ikelos) was none other than Hermes. He said that he had cornered Ikelos and demanded that the god grant him several requests in exchange for obtaining the "Daedalus Manuscript".

In the four days between the Hermes's confession and today, he had his retinue investigate the surroundings of the "artificial labyrinth" without being discovered by the Loki Familia—acting secretly—before approaching the old god.

Then, he handed over the journal.

"Here, take it. You probably need it, right?"

"..."

Seeing Hermes squint his narrow orange-yellow eyes, Uranus remained silent, his eyes tightly closed.

The torch flames burst open with a crack. Amidst the sparks, the old god accepted the ancient book as if it were everything, and tucked it into his robes.

Hermes smiled and stepped back.

"Hermes...what are your plans?"

"That's hard to say. As I've said before, I'm more interested in Bear Grylls."

Two days earlier, in the same place, Hermes had spoken to Uranus.

He said he couldn't let Bell's reputation plummet and have to step down; he had staked everything on the boy.

Hermes clearly conveyed his divine will to Uranus: the disappointment of the masses and the negative label of "enemy of mankind" would hinder the young man from running on the path of kingship.

That's why Hermes is now operating in secret.

"I've given Asphie and the others some orders. Now we'll see how that child behaves, but..."

"He certainly won't stand idly by," Hermes said.

The handsome man seemed to have seen through the whole situation, and revealed a slight smile.

"I ask you, Uranus. What do you think the 'heretics'... and their fallen 'wise men' will do from now on?"

"..."

When asked about his right and left hands, who had been with him for centuries, the god fell silent.

Finally, Uranus spoke after a long pause:

"What actions might Fels take next..."

"Reed, could you give me some blood?"

The black-clad magician spoke, listening to the sound of rain that seemed to travel straight into the dark underground.

"Blood?"

"Yes. If I had a healthy body, I wouldn't need to ask others for help..."

"Hey, who told you you're just a skeleton?"

"Stop talking," the man in black said, swaying slightly. Reed ignored him and scratched his arm with his sharp nails.

Seeing the red blood dripping from the torn wound, Fels took out a quill from his pocket and dipped it in the blood.

The parts of the feathers stained with blood turned bright red, and red paint began to seep from the tip of the brush.

"Is this also a magical artifact?"

"Yes, but I didn't invent it."

Reed came over to watch with great interest, while Fels, holding a magical artifact that could use blood instead of ink, began to write on parchment.

Who got separated from them?

"Aruru, Helge, Rett, Fly, and then Asterios... Fly was with us, but her severely injured body couldn't hold on and she fell from the sky... Rett went after her."

Far from Reed and the others, Winnie, sitting on the floor, was talking to the singer, Birdie.

This is a deep, horizontal cavern in the sewers. Behind the half-ruined walls, it seems to connect to a forgotten well. In one corner of the space, broken ropes, a windlass, and a bucket are scattered. A light drizzle falls from the cavern leading upwards.

The "heretics" who had been wandering in the city for a long time rested and recuperated in the surrounding area. Rei mentioned the names of the unicorn rabbit (al-mi'raj), the black dog (hellhound), the red cap (redcap), the half-man half-bird (Happy), and the bull (Minotaur).

"We don't know where Fei'er and the others are, right?"

"Yes, we've been walking around in this sewer for ages, but we haven't even found a trace of fragrance... Maybe it's hiding on the ground."

The dragon girl was worried about the safety of her fellow dragons, so this time the gargoyle Guros answered her.

Just then, Winnie's belly made a cute gurgling sound.

I'm hungry...

"After all, I haven't eaten almost anything these past few days..."

Monsters get hungry too. The "heretics," who absolutely refused to eat people, couldn't get any decent food under these circumstances. Winnie, wearing the robe dropped by the fleeing adventurers, touched her flat, pale belly.

"Fels, continuing to run away like this isn't a solution. Is there any way...? Hey, what are you doing?"

Worried about his compatriots who hadn't had a chance to reunite and their waning energy, Guros turned to ask a question. The black-clad magician, without pausing his pen, answered directly:

"write a letter."

Fels replied with only this one sentence, and after writing the letter—as if he had timed it perfectly—a shadow rapidly invaded the underground from the wellhead.

Reed and the others immediately prepared to fight, but Fels stretched out his arm to the side and stopped them.

"They've finally found us."

An owl with a prosthetic eye perched on the magician's outstretched arm.

It is Fels' familiar.

"If I hadn't damaged the 'Oculus' in that battle, I could have summoned it much sooner..."

Fels regretted the fierce battle with the Ikelos Familia in the "Man-made Labyrinth," and then tied the letter he had just written to the familiar's foot.

"Fels, that letter wouldn't be...?"

"Yes." Fels nodded in response to Reed's words and released his familiar.

The owl spreads its wings, letting its white feathers flutter in the wind, flying towards the distant sky where rain is falling.

"That's our last hope."

*

Like a belated rainy season, the rain poured down relentlessly in Orario. Yet even this rain could not wash away the sense of isolation that had accumulated in the city.

I was alone in my room, gazing out the window at the street scene shrouded in gray sky.

"..."

Ever since I returned to headquarters with the immortals, a feeling has been creeping over me.

It's like being "spyed on".

Indeed, ever since I left the mansion, I've felt many gazes. At first, I thought they were the eyes of people on the street, but... my skin, which had become sensitive to the gazes of others, whispered a possibility to me.

This gaze, devoid of anger or contempt, and devoid of emotion, is now... a surveillance "informant"?

Is someone spying on me? Is it targeting me, or the Hestia Familia?

I was originally hiding by the window, but now I leaned out of the window and scanned the surroundings of the mansion.

Outside the iron fence surrounding the headquarters, a figure quickly disappeared around the corner.

“!…”

I left the window and walked out of the room. If I had misunderstood, so be it. But with an uneasy heart, I wanted to tell everyone how I felt and decided to seek help from the gods.

"...?"

As I walked briskly down the corridor, a scene flashed before my eyes.

Facing the window of the courtyard, an owl, even though it was getting wet in the rain, remained perched in the center of the courtyard as if waiting for someone.

The owl looked up at me as I stopped, and the gleam in its eyes—its crystal prosthetic eyes—startled me.

I changed direction and quickly ran down the steps. As soon as I reached the owl, it floated up and landed on my arm.

"This is……"

A letter was tied to the owl's leg.

"The Heretic's Secret Documents..."

The clock on the wall showed it was evening, and we were in the living room of the mansion.

Upon receiving a letter from Fels' familiar, the entire Hestia Familia gathered here.

"Although the code is difficult to decipher... it cannot be wrong, this is Lord Fool (Fels)'s SOS message."

Lily, holding a dictionary she'd brought from the library, said that, as she put it, the letter was a jumble of all sorts of demi-human languages, and at first glance, the whole thing seemed disjointed.

This article requires rearranging and combining the Lilliputian language containing the word "heretic" with the Fox-like language containing the word "fool" to decipher its meaning. In other words, only those who know the true identities of the "heretic" and the Fool (Fels) can decipher this code.

The gods, Lily, Welf, Miss Mikoto, and Miss Haruhime each had a serious or tense expression as they looked at the letters spread out on the table.

"Tomorrow night, to Daedalus Road, is that it...? It seems they're desperate."

"But...the one currently staying on 'Daedalus Road' should be..."

"Yes, Lady Haruhime. Many adventurers and members of the Loki Familia are there, ready for battle."

After spending many days in seclusion, Welf, who had just come out of the workshop, finished speaking. Miss Haruhime pressed her hand to her chest, indicating that she agreed with her unease.

The red handwriting, which wouldn't smudge even in the rain, began with an apology, then mentioned the current situation of Fels and his group and their plan to return to the dungeon, and concluded with a request for assistance. At the end, it added, "I earnestly request everyone to lend a helping hand once again."

The letter also said that Winnie had woken up and was safe and sound, which relieved Miss Chunji and me... After reading the letter, everyone fell silent.

Everyone was just staring at the letter on the table.

"...It's practically like an evil god leading people down the path of destruction."

Lily whispered the frightening metaphor, but it was by no means an exaggeration.