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

The orc silently turned into gray dust.

The chest, which had been struck twice by [Flame Lightning], was now riddled with holes, and the "magic stone" that should have been inside had vanished without a trace.

As the object that the orc had transformed into gradually crumbled, I slowly lowered my arm, my breathing quickening.

(They won)

It works.

Swordsmanship, combat tactics, and magic are all examples of this.

It can handle monsters several times its own size, belonging to the same large-scale category as the Minotaur.

The heart gradually calmed down, then began to feel hot.

A sense of accomplishment, and probably a sense of fulfillment.

A slow smile spread across my face as I fully savored the intense emotions.

"Lily, I did it..."

I turned around with a beaming smile, but all I could see was white mist.

My partner, who has always been with me until today, has suddenly disappeared.

The feelings I had just felt vanished in an instant.

"Lily!"

A sound that was almost a scream came from his throat.

I suddenly looked up and turned my head to look around the cave. But all I could see was thick fog; there wasn't a trace of Lily.

I had the worst fears, but I quickly regained my composure and rushed out on the spot.

If it were the male adventurer attacking, Lily would probably scream or fight back. Encountering a monster is more realistic.

I searched every corner of the square hall where visibility was extremely low.

"...?"

I was running anxiously among the dead trees when suddenly a strange stench wafted into my nose.

I covered my mouth and nose with my arm and scanned my surroundings. It didn't take long for me to spot the source of the stench.

Under the tree, there was a piece of raw, bloody meat.

(This is... a tool used to lure monsters?)

I knelt down and stared at the greasy, specially processed flesh and blood.

No mistake. I've seen them sold in item shops. They're traps used to lure monsters in dungeons frequented by adventurers (and their companions) to increase hunting efficiency…

Why is this place here now...?

“——”

A loud rumbling sound vibrated my eardrums. It was an orc.

Moreover, there was more than one set of footsteps. They overlapped like a poorly chorus.

And so I discovered it. Slippery, glistening chunks of meat were scattered around.

My thoughts paused for a moment, then the overwhelming presence that was closing in left me speechless.

"...No way?"

— Four.

The sight of the orcish horde approaching side-by-side, seemingly in love, left me speechless, muttering to myself in disbelief.

Even dealing with just one would be difficult, let alone four at the same time. It's impossible; there's no way they could win. They'd be surrounded immediately and sent to their doom. Even if they tried to deal with them individually, their enormous bodies, combined with their wide-ranging natural weapons, would surely lead to their capture.

I have to escape. I have no choice but to.

I can't get out of this situation.

But what about Lily?

What if she is unable to leave the cave due to injury or some other reason?

Should I abandon Lily?

The orcs, drawn by the stench of blood and flesh, had already spotted me, emanating a dangerous aura. The muscles in my thick arms slowly swelled, and green veins surfaced.

The two sides had closed the distance to the point where a battle was inevitable, but even so, I was still unable to move, and that was when...

From the outside of my field of vision, I heard a whooshing sound of wind cutting through the air.

"babble!"

*Snap!* A sound of something breaking came from the left leg, and part of the pouch on the leg was thrown into the air. It was the pouch that held the dagger.

On the leather buckle of the leg bag, there were gleaming metal arrows.

As I stared wide-eyed, the orcs attacked all at once, as if that were the beginning of their assault.

"Ooh o ...

"!"

The two orcs, equipped with natural weapons, unleashed a powerful swing.

I jumped sideways without hesitation, escaping my original position.

There was no time to rest. My heavy but broad strides swallowed up the distance between us and the enemy, and in an instant, the other two had already made their move to grab me.

"Whoa, wah!"

My wrist, which grazed my face by a hair's breadth, made me scream.

This is no joke! What am I supposed to do?!

I had never experienced the detrimental effects of acting alone so acutely. Faced with the monsters' relentless, storm-like attacks that gave me no respite, I frantically dodged.

Then, just as I ducked through the sweeping blow of the stick...

I saw Lily walk past through the gaps between the large orcs.

"Lily! Ah, oh!"

As I screamed, the orc's attack grazed my body. I couldn't afford to be distracted.

Taking advantage of the moment, Lily quickly picked up the pouch that had fallen to the ground and took out the Goddess Blade from it.

After examining it carefully, she put the dagger in her bosom, turned to me, and showed me her usual smile.

"I'm sorry, Lord Bell. That's enough."

"Lily, what are you saying?!"

"...Lily thinks that Lord Bell should learn to doubt others more."

Hearing my wavering cries, Lily tilted her head adorably.

Her eyes were hidden by the hoodie and bangs, but her small lips still curved upwards.

Moreover, it carried a hint of loneliness.

"Please find a chance to escape."

Lily said this through the orcs, as if leaving me with her final advice.

She slung her bulging backpack over her shoulder again and turned her back to me.

"Goodbye, Lord Bell. We will never meet again."

Lily turned to look at me one last time before disappearing into the fog.

"Lily, Lily! -- Ugh -- Enough already, aren't you all annoying me?!"

"Boohoo!"

★

"You're too kind, Lord Bell."

Lily ran down the passageway carrying luggage that most people would find difficult to lift.

Holding the backpack straps hanging on her shoulders, she moved forward through the maze without hesitation.

Lily told Belle two lies.

One point is that she was not a donor who needed money at all.

Lily is a thief. Or perhaps you could call her a con artist.

She is a thief who targets high-paying adventurers, stealing valuable weapons or items.

As is customary, she set her sights on Bell, who possessed daggers forged by the powerful Hephaestus Familia, and has been working with him ever since.

The so-called "poverty supporter" was merely an excuse to get close to Bell.

And the other is—

"Um."

The wind pressure blew off the hood of his coat, revealing his fluffy animal ears.

Lily smoothed the ear with her little hand and gently parted her lips to utter a "chantment".

"【The Voice of Apocalypse at 12 o'clock】."

Like a layer of dust, a gray film covered Lily's head.

The light dissolved silently, and in the blink of an eye, the ears on his head disappeared without a trace.

The bangs that covered her eyes and the tail on her waist had also disappeared completely.

"It's definitely more efficient to make slight adjustments to each part than to transform completely."

If Bale were there, he would be very surprised.

A pair of large chestnut-colored eyes, and playful, adorable features. The appearance of an orc child was completely gone.

At this moment, Lily is the same Palum girl that Bell met in that back alley.

Lily's other lie: that she hid her true identity.

In order to erase the impression of the suspicious Palum being chased by male adventurers, she disguised her appearance with the transformation magic she had already learned—[Cave Ash Woman].

Lily has used this special magic to deceive countless adventurers.

Even if the victimized adventurer chased after the thief in a fit of rage, that person was already a stranger to Lily, making it impossible for her to catch him. The "Palum Crime Gang of Thieves" that circulated among the adventurers was the best illustration of Lily's magical achievements.

Sometimes they pretend to be supporters, and sometimes they pretend to be harmless citizens.

Lily skillfully uses magical effects that not only allow her to transform into another person, but also to add physical characteristics to them regardless of race, and continues to commit all sorts of evil deeds to this day.

(It was such a failure to let that adventurer see how I used magic...)

The man chasing her in the back alley was one of the adventurers who had been swindled out of money by Lily. He had accidentally witnessed the activation of the "Cooking Ash Woman" and thus saw through her true nature. That's the gist of the back alley chase scene.

He was lucky to escape unscathed that time, but it seems that the adventurer betrayed him to Bell last time.

Ever since witnessing Bell's secret rendezvous with the man yesterday, the boy's attitude towards Lily has noticeably changed. Bell repeatedly checks on her condition and has even secretly observed her several times, as if he suspects Lily or fears she might disappear.

The time to make a judgment has come; it should be correct.

(...and so...)

It's a pity she regrets losing the profits she could have stolen from Bell.

It was over, and she felt reluctant to leave the comfortable environment the boy had provided for her.

The thief within me and the inexplicable self coexist within me.

she knows.

No matter how much this asymmetrical affection grows stronger each day, it is ultimately useless.

The relationship with the boy could not continue.

The obvious risks cannot be ignored.

Because when Bell knows everything, it will be absolutely impossible for him to forgive Lily.

"..."