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

"Sister is right!!"

Eina's imposing presence intimidated her orc superior, who dared not utter a word in response. Misia reflexively covered her head with her hands.

The employees, who were startled and leaned back, could only watch helplessly as the capable waitress left. Eina, driven by her emotions, slung her bag containing security equipment over her shoulder.

Clack, clack! Her leather shoes clattered rapidly as she walked straight through the hallway.

Eina's arrival startled the gathered citizens, who quickly made way for her as she left the guild headquarters.

"I'll come find you myself!"

*

I looked up at the night sky through the slightly open curtains. The remaining folds of clouds looked tiny and delicate.

A sliver of moonlight made me feel that the rainy day had come to an end.

“…Let’s go.”

I whispered to myself in the room where not even a light was on.

There's no one left at headquarters except me. Following my discussion with Fels, the group spent a day preparing and went to Daedalus Road first. I'll lock the door when I leave, but I'm afraid other forces will still break in while we're out, searching for clues related to the incident. Knowing this, the group hid valuables in Welf's workshop and basement before leaving.

Normally, we would ask Mihe and the others to watch over the house, but... this time we might be affected. We can't ask anyone else for help, nor can we involve others.

"..."

I stood up from my chair and looked at my body in the full-length mirror.

My equipment consisted of my usual rabbit armor, a small bag, and a black cloak that blended into the night. Although the gods praised me, saying, "It suits you perfectly!", I suppose it looks a bit too flashy on me now. My weapons were the [Goddess's Blade] and [Ushiwakamaru]. Then I remembered that my other crimson dagger had been knocked away during the battle with the hunters and was still inside the "artificial maze"...

"I hope I'll have the chance to get it later."

I gently stroked the eye crystal—usually inlaid with rubies—set on the gauntlet of my armor, and left the room.

As I walked through the main gate of the mansion shrouded in darkness, I saw a divine figure standing there.

"Hermes..."

"Are you going, little Bell?"

As if Hermes had been waiting for me, he gently pushed up the brim of his travel hat and asked me with a smile. I simply replied "Yes" and nodded.

"Really... I support you, keep it up."

"……thank you."

After exchanging a few words, I walked past Hermes.

I headed toward Daedalus Road, feeling the watchful eyes that followed me.

"..."

Hermes still had a smile on his face as he watched Bell's figure disappear into the night alley.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, he inadvertently noticed a figure approaching Bell's headquarters.

It wasn't that someone was foolish enough to steal while the owner was away. The man politely knocked on the front door with the iron ring, looking up and staring at the unlit mansion. Even with her eyebrows raised, her profile was still beautiful; she was a half-elf.

Wearing a guild staff uniform, she walked straight up to Hermes.

"Hermies, do you know where Bell... Mr. Bell Craney has gone?"

"E-Eina, why are you so angry?"

Hermes and his group, being a neutral faction, also handled guild commissions, so he remembered the names and appearances of all the beautiful waitresses, but he had never seen the guild's flower (Eina) with this kind of expression, which startled him a bit.

However, his orange-yellow eyes narrowed rapidly.

"I remember that Eina was Bell's advisor, right?"

"Yes. Then, may I ask, Mr. Bell Craney, where did he go...?"

"Yes, I know. He seems to be heading to Daedalus Road."

"Thank you," Eina said briefly, but Hermes called her back.

"Wait, little sister Eina. Could you please give this to little brother Bell?"

"This is……?"

Hermes took out a bracelet set with a purple gemstone from his pocket.

He placed the jewelry on her wrist discreetly, without touching Eina's skin to avoid upsetting her.

"This was dropped by Bell, and I wanted to return it to him, but like you, I missed it. I'm sorry, could you please give it to him, Eina?"

"...I understand, please leave it to me."

Eina was initially suspicious, but Hermes said he had other things to take care of, so she agreed.

She then departed, and the god watched her retreating figure with a faint smile before disappearing into the darkness of the night.

*

I traveled from the southwest to the southeast of the city where the headquarters is located, and arrived at "Daedalus Road".

As soon as I stepped into the complex and bizarre maze street, all the adventurers around me turned their attention to me.

"...!"

My colleagues, who believed there was "something wrong" here, also looked at me with suspicion.

No, it's alright. That's right, don't be afraid.

Following the discussion's conclusion, I successfully attracted everyone's attention and strolled along the road.

"Hey, [Rookie]. If you know anything, tell me."

"...I know nothing."

"The Lord God kept rambling on and on, saying that you must know something about those monsters."

Some adventurers whose names I don't even know, and who don't seem very respectable, have been pestering me. I always give the same answer.

I could sense that the atmosphere along Daedalus Road was tense. Five days had passed since the Heretic appeared on the surface, and perhaps because there had been no significant results, the entire neighborhood was filled with fatigue and restlessness.

It's also possible that adventurers have a gut feeling about it.

Knowing the situation means there should be progress.

"Excuse me... how is the evacuation of residents going?"

"...Under the guild's guidance, there's no one left around here. Those who hadn't gone to take refuge before seem to have all been gathered on the northwest side of 'Daedalus Road' today."

After struggling with the persistent adventurers for quite some time, I finally managed to escape and asked an elven archer about the situation. Although he looked displeased, he still answered me politely. This labyrinthine street is located in the city's third district, between East Avenue and Southeast Avenue... According to him, the residents must have taken refuge on the East Avenue.

I thought of the children in the orphanage (Lay and the others), and although my heart ached, I also felt fortunate.

The area that will soon become a battlefield should be the area from south to west within "Daedalus Road".

(Next up is the Loki Familia...)

I was careful not to be noticed by other adventurers, and quickly scanned my surroundings.

On the blackened brick road, I searched for the Joker's badge... and found it. Several demi-human men and women with badges on their armor were whispering by the wall. The members of the Loki Familia glanced at me and then ran out of my sight.

"...?"

Those group members clearly saw me, yet they chose to leave, which puzzled me greatly, but I couldn't ask them or chase after them. While I was filled with suspicion, I pretended to be gathering information and slowly moved south towards the maze street.

(Are those people... going to report to someone? To whom? Mr. Finn? Or—)

The answer to this question descended upon me in an instant.

Thud! An unusually loud thud of boots hitting the ground startled me, and I jerked my head up.

"Ah!"

Then, I began to doubt my own eyes.

On the rooftops of the towering buildings along the road, against the backdrop of the night, lies a beautiful golden sheen.

Her eyes, the same color as her flowing hair, stared straight down at me.

Clad in azure and silver armor, the city's strongest swordsman appeared above my head.

(Miss Ais...!?)

"..."

On the bustling path of adventurers, only the boy noticed her presence and looked up at her in astonishment; Ais's gaze fell downwards.

"Finn, if that boy comes to Daedalus Road...I will watch over him."

—After the group members rested for a while, before they took their positions, Ais made this request to Finn.

"Hmm...Are you alright, Ais? You've been too biased towards Bell Crane in many things. To be honest, I'm worried you're deliberately letting him do as he pleases."

Finn admitted that everything else was fine, except for the task of monitoring Bell, which he did not intend to have Ais do.

"Let me be frank, Ais. Even from an objective standpoint, Bell Crane is still a source of unease and danger for Orario. Based on this, we have two things to do: maintain the highest level of vigilance and, if necessary, stop his actions."

"..."

"Can you really do it?"

Facing the leader's unwavering gaze, Ais first lowered her eyes, then nodded firmly.

"If that child does anything strange... I'll stop him. Rather than let someone else do it, I want to do it myself."

"..."

"As for monsters, if they appear... I'll defeat them."

With the utmost sincerity, Ais expressed her feelings, which were both a sense of responsibility and personal affection.

Finn looked into her open eyes and said, "Okay," agreeing to her request.

"I'm so untrustworthy..."

Ais snapped out of her reverie, turned around, and whispered.

But there was nothing she could do about it—she murmured to herself.

Because Ais always found it easier to talk to that boy.

(Just like what the lower-ranking members (Orva) told me, he's all alone now...)

Ais shook off her distracting thoughts and focused her attention on the scene below.

Faced with the boy who still looked up to her, Ais revealed her own figure as a distraction and began to monitor him.

(Is it just Miss Ais who's watching me all by herself...!?)

Oh no, I've been tricked.

In that instant, this thought crossed my mind. The enemy had deployed their strongest forces, not giving me a chance to act rashly. They intended to use a single, sharp sword to sever our insignificant tricks.

The Loki Familia has entrusted the task of monitoring me entirely to Miss Ais—

I stood motionless in the middle of the road, and the adventurers around me followed my gaze and began to notice the presence of the [Sword Maiden]; cold sweat streamed down my face.

"God... Miss Ais is watching me."

"Oh my god! Really?"

I pretended to wipe my face, and whispered to the eye-shaped crystal embedded in the glove on my left wrist.

The blue crystal display that turned off the image came back with a faint, trembling voice.

"To put it another way, you could trap Miss Warren in your hands, but... if necessary, can you get rid of her?"

"I think it's probably... no, it's absolutely impossible... I can't get rid of her."

My job was to draw the crowd's attention, and if necessary, find any stray "heretics"—the foot soldiers. However, given the current situation, those plans have fallen through. I was supposed to use a diversionary tactic, but I only managed to attract Miss Ais's attention. This means that even if I acted, the Loki Familia's formation on Daedalus Road wouldn't be shaken in the slightest. Was this how Mr. Finn commanded things?

Even if you try to use some tricks to deal with Miss Ais, you will only suffer a terrible counterattack.

Or should I take advantage of the chaos to escape her surveillance?

Impossible, impossible. Even with Fels' magical artifacts...

I instinctively touched the bulging pouch under my cloak, holding my breath.

at this time.

"Wow!"