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

"Next up is Ishtar. We know where she is and who she is. We can set off immediately to find out, but..."

"Yeah, to put it bluntly, she might be even more difficult to deal with—although I've heard that, like Njord, she only associates with that human out of self-interest."

Dionysus frowned, his princely features furrowed, and Loki nodded.

The Ishtar Familia is one of the most prominent factions in Orario. Represented by the "Barbela," they are not only powerful in combat, but their territory extends across a large portion of the red-light district. This faction controls the crucial "Night City," and currently, even the governing bodies (guilds) cannot take a strong stance against them.

If one wrong step leads to a full-scale confrontation, it's hard to guarantee that we won't end up as enemies of the entire Fengyue Street and the allied forces. Moreover, the "Goddess of Beauty" has many worshippers who might also rebel or take punitive actions.

Most importantly, just as in the port city, Ishtar is a smart woman.

Loki gave the "Goddess of Beauty" a look of annoyance when she was listed as a dangerous element.

"Ishtar, is that so...?"

at this time.

Hermes, who had been lost in thought and hadn't spoken until now, murmured.

"This is perfect... Loki, Dionysus, could I go and spy on her?"

"What?"

Hermes volunteered, much to the surprise of both Loki and Dionysus.

"What's wrong? Why are you suddenly saying this? You usually always dump your troubles on others, what brought you into this?"

"Haha, I can be serious when I need to, Loki?"

"Our opponent is one of Orario's most elite Familia members. A casual attack could leave not even ashes behind, you know?"

"It's nothing, it's alright. I'm currently dealing with Ishtar's 'request,' so snuggling into her arms now won't arouse suspicion. Besides, if anything happens... my lovely children will figure something out!"

"Please, have mercy on me, Hermes!..."

Hermes answered Dionysus with a smile. Luluni, the guard, wore a pitiful expression, her tail drooping, at the question of whether the chief god was serious.

"Loki gave me a piece of his mind, so I'll do my job properly... I'll leave Ishtar and the others to me."

Finally, Hermes smiled slightly and stood up from his seat.

He left the private room with Luluni.

"...What a troublesome guy, like the wind. He can be completely careless at times, but then he does strange things out of nowhere."

"Hermes' personality isn't something that developed overnight... it's just..."

Loki's face showed a troubled expression, and Dionysus, like her, was speechless, watching Hermes leave through the door.

He tossed his golden bangs and squinted his glass-like eyes.

"Loki...you must be wary of Hermes."

"Huh? Why are you suddenly bringing this up? You knew that spineless coward wasn't someone to be trifled with, didn't you?"

Dionysus continued to look towards the door, revealing the true meaning behind his words:

"I think you've probably noticed that Hermes is cooperating with us while also maintaining contact with Uranus."

"..."

"He claimed it was a personal grudge over the murder of his family (children), that he was a victim just like us... I think a large part of his reason for helping us was genuine. But at the same time, his actions must have also been in accordance with the will of that old god. If we let him get too much information and allow him to act freely, we might very well be manipulated by Uranus."

Dionysus invoked the name of the chief god who governed the guilds and spoke of his anxieties.

His face clearly showed distrust and displeasure towards Uranus.

"Knowing this, why did you still bring that spineless coward into the alliance?"

"I only judged that he had some use... and also because I wanted to know what Uranus was hiding."

The blond heartthrob turned his gaze back to Loki.

"Loki, perhaps what you said, based on actual investigation, is right; Uranus may be innocent. But even if he has nothing to do with this 'tainted fairy' incident, there's something that old god is hiding in his heart that's probably more troublesome than this, and it will bring turmoil to the labyrinth city (Oario)... I always have this feeling."

He made it clear that this was the reason why he did not trust the guild or Uranus.

Some even believe that the divine will of the old god may conceal "calamity".

Loki remained silent, neither confirming nor denying.

"And besides that... I think Hermes also had his own personal motives."

"?"

"That god-like figure assisted us as if he were Uranus's lackey—yet he intended to fulfill his own divine will. Seeing that cold smile just now, I couldn't help but feel that way."

Dionysus paused for the first time at this point, as if he were wary of some unusual situation whose truth was unclear.

Phil Weiss, who was waiting behind him, and Grace, who stood beside Loki, listened with serious expressions.

"That's what I meant when I told you to be wary of him. I think he might cause a lot of trouble."

"..."

The tense male god sighed wearily and took a sip of the completely cold black tea.

After glancing at Dionysus sitting opposite him, Loki looked at the door and pictured Hermes's meaningful smile from earlier.

★

"Daedalus Road" is a large residential area located in the southeastern part of the city (Olarion).

Despite being called a residential area, its structure is extremely complex and bizarre. The multi-story design results in several staircases extending up and down, and a chaotic network of roads spreads to every corner of the area. As the name "underground city on the surface" suggests, not only outsiders but even local residents can get trapped if they take the wrong path.

Construction on this site began approximately a thousand years ago, precisely at the turning point between the old era and the "Age of Gods," shortly after the descent of the gods.

The designer was the master craftsman Daedalus, which is how the place got its name.

This is the legacy left by craftsmen of the past in Orario.

"It's still the same here, so exaggerated~"

"If we get separated, I'm not confident I can rejoin the group..."

As the sun moved from the eastern sky toward its zenith, the Loki Familia were on their way to Daedalus Road.

Upon entering the complex labyrinthine street, Tiona looked around and remarked this, to which Lefia agreed. Ais, listening nearby, shared the same thought.

If you remove the everyday atmosphere of the residents, such as the clothes washed and hung out to dry on ropes, and the elderly playing chess, you could easily mistake this place for an ancient ruin.

"As we discussed at headquarters, there's a good chance we're looking for something here. Although I imagine it'll be a bit... no, a really tiring job, let's all investigate together!"

Loki, who was standing at the front, concealed the information about the second entrance to the underground city and looked back at Ais and the others.

The group was led by Ais and her friends, and as always, it was all female members.

Finn and other male members of the lineup are engaged in other activities.

"They say they'll investigate, but how? Besides the man in this painting, there are absolutely no other clues, are there?"

"The only thing we can do is to ask around and then do a thorough search."

Tiony, holding the man's portrait, couldn't help but groan "Ugh..." upon hearing Loki's reply.

In this "Daedalus Road," if you're looking for someone whose very existence is unknown, even if it's an adventurer's request with a high reward, absolutely no adventurer from Orario would want to accept it.

"【Fiora】, 【Great Slash (Amazon)】, 【JÖrmungandr】... even 【Nine Hell】 has arrived! Super strong!!"

"Ouch, Ray, don't push me!"

"So beautiful...so handsome."

The residents of the labyrinthine town, who kept their distance and watched, couldn't help but whisper amongst themselves as the city's most famous faction made its appearance. The children—humans, dog-people, and half-elves—looked at the first-level adventurer walking down the street with shining eyes; Ais thought they were adorable.

(Although I don't have many opportunities to come to "Daedalus Road"...)

From what Jin Tong could see in a quick glance, the residents' clothing was mostly unkempt compared to the average person strolling down the city streets.

Another aspect of "Daedalus Road" is that it is a slum inhabited by the city's poor. Down-on-their-luck adventurers or "familias" often end up here, and it is said that local thugs and ruffians frequently roam the area.

Judging by the residents' appearances alone, there wouldn't be any obvious security problems. However, it's an undeniable fact that this area is particularly prone to attracting criminals in the city. Furthermore, the hidden location of the second entrance to the underground city makes it ideal for planning crimes.

"But I have to say, Daedalus Road is even more dungeon-like than the dungeons."

"What are you talking about... Never mind that, what's the next step, Loki?"

"Anyway, let's decide on a meeting point first, then split up... huh?"

Loki was answering Riveria when he suddenly noticed something and stopped in his tracks.

Ais and the others also turned their gaze in that direction, and saw a large crowd surging in the square ahead.

Before everyone's eyes, an old god stood with his back to the fountain.

"Alright, put down your money, stained with grime! Only by shedding the poverty and hardship that weigh on your body and soul can your souls shine!"

The god held in his hands meat with bones and a bottle of wine.

His wrinkled lips were covered in food crumbs, and wine dripped messily from his mouth.

As soon as the god opened his arms, the crowd cheered.

"Ah, goddess Penea!"

"This is the meager wealth I've earned; please accept it, Goddess Penea!"

The demi-humans were filled with gratitude and each presented a large amount of gold coins.

The gold coins and money bag were placed at the feet of the god, the huge sums of money seeming to mock the acrobats and bards who were making money by the roadside, and they were accumulating more and more.

"What are you doing...?"

Tiona's murmured words expressed the sentiments of everyone in the Loki Familia.

Ais and the others were taken aback and looked over there with what could only be described as strange eyes.

"Hey, you guys standing there like idiots, hand over your savings to me too...wait, isn't that Loki?"

"Penea... so you're on Daedalus Road."

Loki was noticed by his fellow clansmen, who lacked any divine bearing, and Loki stared at her dumbfounded. The old goddess named Penea could only be described as poor and shabby.

She was dressed in rags that barely qualify as a robe, and her long white hair was disheveled. Although she looked like an old woman, she was still a goddess, so her skin was spotless and free of dirt or sweat, but she lacked any sense of majesty or solemnity.

Perhaps this is what the alluring witches in fairy tales become after they grow old and fall into depravity. This is the thought that Ais had about this divine being (character).

"Loki...do you know this goddess?"

"Ah—, rather than saying we know each other..."

Seeing that the other party was dressed in such tattered clothes that she didn't look like a god, Riveria frowned gracefully and whispered to Loki. Loki hesitated for a moment, then said, "I should say that no god doesn't know her," before beginning to explain.

"Among the gods, just hearing this guy's name would make anyone shout, 'Wow~ We're going to get infected with Penea~, run away~', and they would actually run away. She can calmly and nonchalantly steal all the savings from the temples (homes) of the gods (others) in the heavens... She's practically a walking form of poverty."

Goddess Penecia.

The thing it governs is "poverty".

Loki concluded by saying, "This guy is the most hated among all the gods."

"How incredibly rude! Poverty is the only purifier of both man and god! The only one who wouldn't consider me a fool is the goddess of the hearth (Hestia)!"

"That's just because the little dwarf herself is also heavily in debt and penniless all year round... What are you talking about?"

"Can't you tell? I'm telling these lovely children about the beauty of poverty!"

In response to Loki's question, Penea grinned and spouted nonsense.

According to her, all the children here agree with Peneya's teachings and are her followers. Some of them seem to be wealthy merchants, and Peneya accepts their unwanted possessions. It's a bit strange to call a deity this, but it does sound like a new religion.

The goddess (Penea) said: "Wealth corrupts the spirit, and abundance robs the body of labor."

Indeed, upon closer listening, it seems to have struck a chord with one aspect of the truth.

However, Penia herself, who vehemently advocated this teaching, was gnawing on a piece of meat with bones in her hand while speaking, making her completely unconvincing. At least, that's how Ais and the others perceived her.

In short, Peneya was swindling money from children to enjoy life in the lower world.

"It's similar to a [familia]... but it's not a [familia]."

"I thought that gods who descend to the mortal realm usually bestow 'favors' upon children, in return for having their retinues help them..."

"Are you saying these guys have just been brainwashed?"

"Making money without doing anything? That's amazing!"

Ais, Lefia, Tione, and Tiona reacted with various expressions of surprise or astonishment at Penea's decision not to even organize her "familia".