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

Led by the orcs, a faint fragrance surprised them.

However, as if to interrupt their questions, one of the adventurers shouted:

"Found him, it's [Rookie]! He went into that house!"

A single sentence from a human adventurer caused the others' expressions to change drastically, and they rushed toward the location.

Thinking they were "going to get us into trouble," the group broke into an abandoned house built along a back alley—but...

"No, this way, on the way!"

"What!?"

"A monster! A monster has appeared!"

Reports of enemy sightings rose and fell, leaving the adventurers bewildered. Monster sightings were one thing, but how could Bell Craney be appearing everywhere? The group suspected other adventurers were lying to steal credit, each only listening to their own men, but…

"Hey, there's nobody here!? No rookie or monster!"

"I...I really saw it! Ah...it was behind you!"

The orc pointed behind him and shouted, but when the adventurer turned around, there was no one there.

Enraged, the high-ranking dwarf adventurer punched the man, who was also a high-ranking adventurer, on the head.

"Wow...this really can make people see hallucinations..."

—Hearing the angry and confused voices, Nazha covered her nose with a damp cloth (scarf) and said admiringly.

In her other hand, she held two withered flowers. Upon closer inspection, the red and blue petals revealed a faint scattering of golden pollen. These were also Fels' magical artifact, "Fantasy Flowers."

The effect is that those who inhale the pollen see phantoms of objects remembered by the flower. Although it has no effect on "Abnormal Resistance (Development Skill)," it is enough to cause chaos in this situation where many adventurers have gathered. Novice adventurers or advanced adventurers who have not learned "Abnormal Resistance" shout out whatever they see. Now, not only the Southern District where Lily is located, but also the Southeast District has fallen into serious chaos.

Holding the Fantasy Flower (a magical item) in one hand, Naza walked briskly along the night road. Bell had explained the flower's effects to her, telling her that all she had to do was carry the item and wander around the southern district.

"Where did you get this from...? That's really intriguing."

Naza focused her attention on the two flowers, then tilted her head slightly.

"But what exactly are Bell and the others doing...?"

"It's gone?"

Ais, chasing Bell on the rooftop, had surprise in her golden eyes.

The boy's figure was first blocked by something for a moment, and then he disappeared from sight.

Ais stopped her hurried pace and looked down intently from her vantage point.

(—No, it's still in (、、).)

Although Belle had vanished without a trace, she had accurately detected the boy's presence. First-level adventurers could detect even the slightest footsteps or scent; no matter how one hid or tried to eliminate their scent, nothing could escape their perception. The battle-hardened swordswoman quickly deduced that Belle was likely "invisible."

Seeing the adventurers below her being misled by false sighting information, Ais set off to chase after Bell, who was speeding through the labyrinthine street.

"【Fiora】".

"!"

However, someone appeared and blocked her way.

The person wore a long hooded cloak and, like Ais, long boots. Their face was covered; they were a masked adventurer.

The figure blocking Ais's way drew a wooden sword from his waist.

"I would like to challenge you to a duel."

Ais stared at the other person in disbelief.

"Now (…)...here (…)?"

As a member of the city's largest faction, Ais had been ambushed several times. Now, even being attacked by unknown assailants no longer surprised her. It wasn't unusual for someone confident in their swordsmanship to challenge the "Sword Princess."

Her surprise stemmed solely from the unusual circumstances.

"I also lead a shameful life, and if it weren't for this situation, I wouldn't even be able to challenge you to a duel."

The calm tone didn't sound like a lie. And she was right; the other person did indeed exude a martial artist's aura similar to that of the [Sword Maiden]. Ais truly felt a sense of empathy.

But is it really just a coincidence that this was chosen at this time?

Ais placed her hand on the hilt of her beloved sword, her attention diverted to the growing presence of the boy as he ran further and further away.

"Excuse me, but please accept this."

Ais was agonizing over whether or not to ignore it when the masked adventurer suddenly lunged at her.

Wow, so fast!

Seeing the wooden sword swing at the speed of a first-level adventurer, Ais had no choice but to draw her own. The clash of weapons produced a satisfying sound, and the two shifted the battlefield from the rooftop to the back alley.

Even if she wanted to prioritize catching Bell, the masked adventurer would inevitably follow. Ais realized that this would prevent her from focusing on Bell, so she chose to confront her opponent directly.

(That light particle is...)

Looking at the bright particles of light peeking out from inside the long cloak, Ais clashed fiercely with the masked adventurer.

*

"Is that elf alright...?"

Haruhime gazed worriedly in the direction the masked adventurers had set off.

Hestia, who had been looking down at the "magic map," also looked in the same direction as her.

"Hmm~, we can only trust Miss Elf. That child is incredibly strong, but Miss Warren, whom we saw on Daedalus Road, is also ridiculously strong..."

Not long ago, the masked woman, Ryu, visited the southwestern outskirts of the labyrinth town where Hestia and Haruhime were. She said that Bell had asked her to "hold off Ais," and as Bell instructed, she came to undergo "leveling up." In order to consume the time of the exceptionally powerful [Sword Princess], Haruhime's unconventional "spells" were indispensable.

The battle between Lv.5 and Lv.6, which was far too intense for a preliminary skirmish, took place in the southeastern part of the labyrinth town.

"immortal!"

"Bell?"

"Thanks to Miss Ryu's help, I've gotten rid of Miss Ais, but... I haven't been able to attract the attention of the Loki Familia. In that case, maybe I should go find Winnie and the others too..."

Bell was worried that if he didn't attract the enemy's attention, "The Heretic" would fall into their hands; Hestia told him, "Wait a minute, Bell."

"Your whereabouts are unknown, which must be quite a frightening situation for the Loki Familia. At the very least, they'll keep your whereabouts in mind. The most terrifying enemy is the one you can't see, you know that too, right?"

"this……"

"Do you have any more magical artifacts? If so, I hope you can remain invisible, distract the other adventurers, and avoid being discovered by the Loki Familia. The supporter should be making her move soon as well."

"……I see!"

Hestia successfully persuaded Bell, sighed, but then frowned.

"Even though I said that to Bell... damn it~, the enemy's formation (Loki Familia) hasn't been disrupted at all~"

"Lady Lily and Lady Bell are both working hard, but..."

On the map, Lily and Bell's symbols moved frequently, yet the Loki Familia formation surrounding the central area of ​​the labyrinth street remained intact. At least the magic stone lights visible from them remained consistently bright.

Hestia and Haruhime looked up from the "magic map" and stared anxiously at the center of the labyrinth street.

"Is there any movement?"

After the monster's howl signaling the start of war sounded, Finn listened to the intelligence and said in a low voice.

"A unicorn rabbit has been reported in the south! Multiple reports from the southeast region also indicate sightings of a monster!"

"Bell Crane has also appeared in the southeast! Uh, and Miss Ais seems to have lost track of him..."

"As I told you, Bell Craney is using a diversionary tactic. Leave his matter to Ais; you don't need to concern yourselves with him. There's no need to act on the south and southeast yet; the west is more suspicious than those two places. Elfie, tell Tione and his men in the northwest to move to 98th Street and lay a trap."

Upon hearing that Bell had gotten rid of Ais, Finn was surprised but remained calm, quickly issuing instructions. Seeing their leader's composed demeanor, the other members also managed to stay calm, shouting "Yes!" and running off with great enthusiasm.

The location was in the center of Daedalus Road. Finn, like Hestia and the others, was on a rooftop platform overlooking the labyrinthine streets. The place was spacious and breezy, like an ancient city.

The Loki Familia uses magic stone signal lights to transmit messages. Members waiting on the rooftops of buildings will make the signal lights flash and then turn off, thus transmitting on-site information to the central command.

(Ais is probably being held up. Is it an ambush? The enemy's strength is beyond my imagination... But it doesn't matter there. Ais will probably be back at her post soon.)

Finn rested the handle of his favorite spear on his right shoulder as he pondered.

(The enemy should have been numerous, but they were not discovered by the guards or scouts, nor did they fall into a trap. This is because... someone knows the geography of "Daedalus Road" very well, or they used magical artifacts? Or perhaps both.)

Finn deduced that the enemy had likely assembled into a main force. His judgment was based on the number of "keys" in the artificial maze.

According to the information provided by the god (Ikeros), Finn deduced that there are at most two keys. Although there is an "artificial maze" underground in the central area that Finn and his group are currently guarding, it is meaningless to reach it if they cannot open the "door".

If adventurers from other factions are included, the disparity in numbers is obvious, and the difference in combat strength is even more pronounced. It's highly unlikely that they would choose to attack from multiple directions if they were to unite. At least, for these monsters who cannot stand idly by and watch their brethren perish, this method is improbable. Finn, having fought against them before, has long recognized the united strength of these armed monsters.

They risked being exposed by barking, as if to send a coded message to their companions (monsters) who had been separated from them during the previous battle—the black bull (Minotaur) and others—this speculation is probably correct.

(What concerns me is the enemy's movements... although I have said that the west is suspicious...)

Finn looked down at his right hand.

The thumb he was looking at didn't ache.

Finn turned his face back to the maze-like street that stretched out before him and asked the waiting members of the group:

"Any news about the Black Minotaur?"

"No news has come in yet."

"Is that so... Maintain formation, I'll check the situation again."

The leader of the little people observed the battle unfold.

*

"Whoa... As expected of the captain, a battle has really broken out."

Raul Nord is an unremarkable second-tier adventurer (、、、、、、、).

He belongs to the Loki Familia. Although his ability level is 4, he gives other factions a rigid impression, which is attributed to his personality.

Raul believes he's always been someone who hides behind his seniors like Finn, secretly picking up what others have left behind to gain experience points. This has led to his lack of confidence, which indirectly results in others considering him "unremarkable." With black hair and black eyes, an average build, and features that are neither particularly handsome nor unattractive, his extremely ordinary appearance likely contributes to this perception. His nickname bestowed upon him by the gods is "High Novice."

To put it bluntly, he was intimidated by the powerful faction cadres, which is why he was so timid and hesitant.

At this moment, the young humans were filled with awe at their leader's (Finn's) ability to accurately predict the course of the battle, and whispered to each other as they looked towards the bustling southeast and south.

"—Raul!"

"Huh... Commander!?"

Hearing his name called, Raul turned around and was taken aback.

Because what appeared before him was the very person he was marveling at—Finn, the leader of the dwarves.

Raul was in the western part of the Labyrinth Street, on the defensive line far from the central area. Finn, who should have been at home, was there, causing chaos among the other members of the group.

"Why is the regimental commander here? Who's in command...?"

"The main monster team has appeared in the southeast! The Black Bull (Minotaur) is there too! We need to meet up with Ais, who's already on the scene, and crush the enemy in one fell swoop! Tell the troops to change formation! I'm going in too!"

The commander's forceful tone and the word "Black Minotaur" made Raul reflexively stand at attention and reply, "Yes, yes!"

"And Raul, do you remember the personnel deployment for the 'Artificial Maze'?"

"Oh! You mean the 'artificial maze' underground? I remember..."

Tell me, there's something that's bothering me.

Although confused, Raul followed Finn's instructions.

"Uh, the four 'doors' found in the northwest, northeast, southwest, and southeast should be guarded by Mr. Grace and his men..."

"Is that so... I'll go first. Raul, gather everyone around here, you all go to the southeast too."

“Okay, okay!”

Following Finn's instructions to head southeast, Raul hastily took action.

He relayed the leader's orders to those nearby. Although he hadn't received any notification from the signal lights, and other issues left him puzzled, he told himself that since Commander Finn had said so, it couldn't be wrong.

Raul did not make his own judgments, but obeyed the instructions of his great predecessor.

(Strange, why isn't the commander's favorite gun with him...?)

Raul was puzzled when he thought of Finn's unarmed appearance.

"Haa, haa...!"