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

"They said they appeared at the North Gate and kidnapped an Orario goddess from the scene."

Lefia was shocked when she heard what the two told her.

Tiona and the others seemed to have just received the news as well, and the information was quite complex. They said that all guild members and adventurers who could move had been quickly summoned to the North Gate.

"W-Where did the goddess get kidnapped!?"

"This... I heard she's the goddess from the Argonauts' side..."

"Wha...you mean the goddess Hestia!?"

"Yes. And among the rescue teams that have already set off are—"

Lefia was already too frightened to speak by the unexpected turn of events, and then Tione added another piece of information.

"Eh! Eh eh eh eh eh～ ...

When Lefia heard what she said, she screamed on the spot.

*

"..."

Rivera's gaze fell on the open book.

The location was "Twilight Mansion". At the headquarters where all the members were out, she came to this place and was reading Finn's detailed written records of the Loki Familia.

Since establishing their base in the labyrinth city of Orario, the history of the Familia has been meticulously recorded, including the dungeon floors reached, the number of members, and even the members' ability levels. While it's impossible to record confidential information such as magic, skills, or abilities, the members' activities and growth are documented, truthfully showcasing Finn's earnest attempt to utilize the faction effectively.

In this record, Rivera follows in the footsteps of a young girl.

"There are unsettling potential factors," "You need someone to accompany you to the dungeon," "Your swordsmanship is quite impressive," "Grace and I both tend to overtrain," "Even with someone to escort you, it's amazing that you can reach the 10th floor on your own in just six months," and so on... Seeing that Finn had left some diary-like descriptions in addition to the records, Riveria chuckled softly.

She took out several thick volumes of written records from the bookshelf and spread them out on the table, repeating this action several times.

Riveria slowly untied the hair ornament that held her hair back.

Rivera's long, emerald-green hair, as smooth as a forest stream, cascaded down as she looked down at the golden hair ornament in her palm.

"Oh, Rivera, you're here."

Just then, Grace walked in, passing by the open doorway of the office.

"Grace, you're back. What's up?"

Do you have any "Lingfeng (Orb) Purifying Water" on hand? The stubborn stains on this stuff are really sticky; you probably can't get them off without that kind of product.

Grace had a short sword sheathed in her hand.

He drew the sword himself, revealing its scarred blade. The blade rippled with faint patterns, a rare design. Although the obvious dirt suggested the passage of time, the blade's luster remained as sharp as ever, clearly indicating it was a fine weapon.

Upon seeing the short sword, Rivera showed a surprised expression.

"This sword... it was with you all along, Grace."

"I suppose so. It's fate, so I'll keep it safe for you. Finn told me to rest, which is fine, but I don't have anything special to do, and I was just wondering how to kill time... and then I remembered this thing."

The dwarf, who had recently returned to Orario after destroying the illegal entrances to the man-made labyrinth (Knossos) outside the city, brandished the short sword he claimed to have found in his room.

"For some reason, I suddenly had the idea to polish it."

Grace seemed to recall something, her eyes curving as she examined the scarred blade.

"Speaking of which, what's wrong with you? It's not like you're about to go to bed, so why did you take off your hair ornaments? I haven't seen you with your hair down in ages."

Grace looked up and asked, and Riveria remained silent for a moment before glancing at the hair ornament in her hand.

"A couple of days ago... I told Lefia about Ais's past."

"Oh?"

"I wouldn't say it's because of that, but... lately, I've started to think back to what happened back then, and I'm unusually immersed in feelings of sadness."

Upon hearing this, Grace seemed to understand Rivera's thoughts as she held the hair ornament, and stroked his beard.

"Hahaha! This is necessary, isn't it? I'm just like you. Maybe it's because the battle has become so intense that we want to reminisce about the past. If we die, we won't even be able to reminisce anymore."

"Don't say such unlucky things, Grace."

Grace responded with a laugh after Riveria closed her eyes and gave her a warning.

"Maybe it's because we can't live without our kids."

"..."

"However, Ais is now a capable adventurer on her own. She won't need us to take care of her like before—"

When Grace got to this point...

A series of hurried footsteps echoed from the corridor, and a figure burst into the office.

"Lady Rivera! Mr. Grace!"

"Alicia? What's wrong?"

Riveria and Grace turned their gaze to the elf Alicia, who rushed in with a startled expression.

The second-level elven adventurer, panting, reported the latest news:

"Ais! She ran out of the city to chase after the special forces of the Kingdom (Lachia)...! It seems she went to the 'Bio Mountains' with [Rookie]!"

Rivera and the others widened their eyes.

The two of them immediately turned their heads and looked at the office window.

Looking out the window, to the north, where the mountains meet, gray clouds fill the sky—accompanied by sharp flashes of lightning that carry the sound of thunder to Orario.

"...The weather in the 'Bio Mountains' is terrible...I have a bad feeling."

"Yes... at least the situation in the future is unpredictable... really."

Grace frowned, and Riveria agreed with him.

They acted immediately. The two men took Alicia, who had come to report, and left the office.

The group moved quickly down the corridor in order to meet up with Finn and his men, who were supposedly commanding their troops; Riveria sighed softly.

"As expected, I still need to put in some effort."

Side Story: Sword Oratoria 9 - Reminiscence Chapter 2 - Are You Man or Sword?

Ais Wallenstein

Lv.1

力量：E489→D502　耐久：E434→438　灵巧：D597→C605

Agility: C606→615 Magic: I0

Rivera sighed when she saw the little girl's updated [ability stats].

"Having only been an adventurer for half a year... the speed of my growth is truly astounding."

"Although I had always thought she had talent, I didn't expect it to be this amazing."

Finn received the paper translated into Common Language and gave a wry smile.

After completing the mandatory mission assigned by the "guild," the two returned to their base (headquarters) and heard from Loki about the [ability value] update that Ais had completed early that morning.

"If things continue like this, we might level up at an unexpected time. From the perspective of the Familia, it's certainly great news, but... for Ais, it's not something to be happy about."

"Yes... The faster she grows, the more it proves that she is overusing her physical and mental strength."

Loki sat cross-legged on the desk; Rivera agreed with her.

"Ais actively participated in training with Finn and the others, and worked hard to listen to lectures. She also made great progress in mind control, but... that child doesn't know how to take care of herself. All she does all day is train, train, train, and nothing else."

"Furthermore, her half-baked understanding of combat techniques has actually made her more capable of handling the workload. Perhaps we shouldn't have allowed her to explore the labyrinth so early."

"What's the point of saying this? These days, the dark factions are openly causing trouble all over the streets. We have to make Ais stronger, otherwise it will be a real problem. We can't keep having Riveria and the others protect her forever."

Ais's current situation is that she overuses her physical and mental power without taking it seriously. This is causing Riveria and the others a lot of headaches.

She greedily absorbed the teachings of the first-level adventurers, and while her attitude towards learning was impeccable, the problem was that she was too impatient. To put it simply, this little girl had absolutely no interest in anything other than "becoming stronger."

However, Finn and the others saw many impressive qualities in Ais, including her swordsmanship, and out of their joy as teachers, they couldn't help but teach her too much and too strictly, which is something they need to reflect on.

"Do you know what those novice adventurers call Ais these days?"

"What should I call you?"

"It's hilarious... Everyone calls her 'the doll princess'."

"It's not funny at all."

"That's right, our Ais is way cuter and more youthful than any doll!"

That's not what I meant.

Rivera, who had become the one responsible for making sarcastic remarks, was feeling mentally exhausted when Loki put away his playful expression and looked up at the ceiling.

"If she keeps running with her body leaning forward, she'll fall sooner or later... I clearly told her that."

Rivera and Finn fell silent upon hearing this monologue that echoed in the office.

The grandfather clock that Loki insisted on buying recently is ticking away as the long hand moves forward.

After a while, Rivera spoke:

"What is Ais doing right now?"

Loki shrugged and chuckled dryly at the question.

"Let's go to the dungeon. Grace is taking care of her."

*

"Kisaraa ...

A flash of sword light slashed across its body, and the monster let out a bloodcurdling scream before its death.

Before the "purple moth" could fall to the ground along with its body and wings, Ais immediately rushed to the next prey after landing.

"!!"

"Giggle!?"

In the instant it sped past, the sword's edge had already beautifully pierced through the gaps in the "killer ant's" hard shell.

The slightest connection in its carapace was precisely targeted, and blood splattered from the giant ant-like monster's soft inner muscles. Taking advantage of its opponent's momentary hesitation, Ais delivered a second, devastating blow, killing the monster instantly.

"Ais, don't push yourself! Come back first!"

"I can still fight!"

Ignoring Grace's words about casually slaughtering monsters, Ais let her long golden hair fly freely.

Wearing a dwarf armor suit—a level higher than the guild's standard rations—and wielding a steel short sword purchased from a weapon shop, Ais was a specially modified version of the suit by Loki, while the latter was appraised and bought for her by the dwarf Grice. Equipped with these two weapons, Ais charged head-on at hordes of monsters. She cleverly used her petite frame to close the distance with the agility of a beast crouching on the ground.

Her skills were completely different from what they were six months ago; they had become quite refined and agile.

Completely different from her initial brute force that led to the excessive killing of monsters, Ais now eliminates unnecessary movements and strength, relying instead on speed and sharp agility to slaughter them. She skillfully uses enemy information to precisely target their weaknesses, shattering the "magic stones" in their heads and chests one by one. This is all thanks to the teachings of Bess and the others. Ais is gradually learning her own fighting style. She takes the initiative head-on, followed by rapid sword-wielding exchanges; this is the little girl's battle style.

However, this situation has become a new source of trouble for Grace and her friends.

"The defense is too sloppy... really, they're only thinking about how to 'defeat' the monster."

The giant ants' (killer ants) counterattack caused blood to flow from her cheek, but Ai paid no heed, thrusting her sword forward. Her armor, made of leather and white metal plates, was torn in several places by the monsters' claws. However, Ai seemed to accept these as necessary costs, unleashing twice the number of slashes.

Ais, in her pursuit of efficiency, seemed inclined to abandon defense. Grace, observing from the sidelines, frowned at this sight.

Coincidentally, at the same moment, just as Riveria and the others were worried, the little girl was ignoring the warning signs of her body's pain and panting, and kept swinging her sword.

"...!"

"Honestly, you've broken the weapon again."

As the last monster fell, almost simultaneously, the Steel Dagger also seemed unable to withstand the strain and shattered, its blade breaking in two. Ais's expressionless face showed only a slight furrow in her brow; Grace sighed.

"Ais, you need to learn how to cherish things, including your own body. You'll pay the price for it someday."

"...I can beat the monster, it's alright."

"I'm not talking to you about winning or losing..."

Ais wiped the blood from her cheek and looked away, causing Grace to sigh repeatedly. However, he then went to pick up "magic stones" or "dropped items" and did not pursue the matter any further.

Among Riveria and the others, Ais liked the distance between herself and Grace the most.