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

"Could it be that its [ability value] has reached its limit, causing its growth to slow down?"

"!"

"And then nobody's willing to tell you how to [upgrade]... right?"

When Ais heard her crush reveal the inside story, she was stunned.

With the same smile as before, the male god finally came to Ais.

Then he brought his face close to Ais, who was standing there dumbfounded, and stared at her intently.

"So that's how it is... You are the one the great god (Zeus) spoke of—"

Just as the male god uttered a soft murmur, Ais, somewhat shaken, didn't quite hear it, and then...

The male god straightened his posture and said:

"Do you want me to tell you how to [upgrade]?"

He told Ais that.

「!?」

"Don't be so wary. Guiding children is the duty of gods; isn't it their natural order of things?"

"...Are you really willing to tell me?"

"I swear on what I am in charge of, I assure you there is no lie."

Ais no longer cared why the god before her was approaching her or what his purpose was.

She leaned forward excitedly.

"tell me!"

"Alright, of course. Heroes who shoulder the responsibility of the 'Promised Age'... should probably have their performance improved as much as possible."

As he spoke the second half of his words as if in a monologue, the male god's smile deepened.

"As for my name... let's not say it. If Loki catches me, she might give me a hard time."

So I hope you'll keep this a secret. The handsome god offered this as a condition for his cooperation.

Ais was so eager that she agreed without saying a word.

In the center of the spacious front yard, where there were few pedestrians, the handsome man whispered to her:

"The condition for sublimation bestowed by the gods (us) is the achievement of 'great deeds'."

*

"Ais, where are you!?"

She heard a voice calling her.

Ais immediately knew it was Riveria's voice.

It's almost been a year since they met. Rivera has always been strict, sometimes gentle, and occasionally kind. Her silvery voice, constantly scolding herself and gently stroking Ais's ear, is always there. So Ais can tell what kind of expression Rivera is making right now. But even knowing, the little girl pretends to be oblivious.

In the dark of night, a torrential downpour was falling in Orario.

Ais dragged her cold body, soaked by the winter rain, toward the light source illuminated by the magic stone street lamp.

"Rivia..."

"Ais!...!?"

Upon seeing her walking towards them from the street, Rivera was speechless.

Her armor was stained crimson, and her combat suit was tattered. Although the rain had washed away the bloodstains, it couldn't hide the deep cuts on her skin. Illuminated by the magic stone's light, she looked utterly like a doll on the verge of breaking down.

Ais forgot to sheathe her beloved sword, which she had swung until her palms were raw, and looked up at the stunned and speechless Riveria with an expression even more emotionless than usual.

"Please, give me some of the elixir..."

She must have been searching for Ais, who had left the mansion alone and hadn't returned by the middle of the night.

Rivera, with her long, emerald hair sticking to her face, was speechless upon hearing the plea.

"I want to go to the dungeon again..."

Upon hearing Ais confess what she had been doing all this time, Rivera's face twisted in disgust.

"What are you doing?! What are you saying?!"

Riveria ran toward Ais while yelling and knelt down in front of her.

She refused to give Ais the elixir. Instead, she forcefully poured healing magic onto Ais.

As if speaking of the feelings of the elven royal family, the emerald magic light, infused with excessive spiritual power, instantly healed Ais's injuries and even restored her physical strength.

"You said you went to the dungeon alone!? How long did you fight!? No, what did you fight!?"

"...'Young Dragon'."

Infant dragon.

That was a rare monster that appeared on the 11th and 12th floors, and the only one that appeared on the "upper floors"—a dragon that possessed the strongest potential among the monsters.

In terms of the upper areas that do not have the "Lone King of the Maze", it is essentially the floor master.

Upon hearing Ais murmur the monster's name, Riveria's astonishment turned into rage.

"I defeated it... but it's definitely not enough... I need to defeat more."

Ais's emotionless eyes reflected this image of Riveria, telling her indifferently.

Seeing the little girl frankly express her fighting spirit, which seemed to be bound by a coerced ideology, Riveria roared:

"You idiot, stop joking!? Do you think I'd let you do that?!"

"..."

"How many times have we told you not to go to the dungeon alone! Why don't you listen to us!?"

"..."

Why did you do that?!

Ais's shoulders were gripped by two hands that conveyed anger and sorrow.

Ais lowered her head, clenched her teeth, and shook off the fingers that were digging into her shoulder.

"……No……"

"Ais...?"

"None of you told me..."

Ais glared fiercely at the bewildered Rivera while yelling:

"Rivieria, none of you told me! You all kept it from me! The method of sublimation (upgrade)!"

"!!"

"The conditions for 'great achievements' are all just empty words!"

She sternly rebuked the wide-open emerald eyes.

Ais let out a passionate roar, seemingly pent-up from somewhere within her, and shouted:

"You all know perfectly well what my wish is!"

Ais's feelings became uncontrollable.

She knew that what she was saying was just empty words, but she still couldn't stop herself from blaming Rivera in front of her.

Ais thought she had become stronger. She believed that by following Rivera and the others' teachings and under their protection, she had indeed grown. Ais thought she had gained their approval.

But that's wrong.

Rivera and the others refused to believe Ais, refused to believe in Ais's power. They thought what Ais was doing was dangerous, so they gave her perfunctory answers.

If there were other conditions for the upgrade, Ais's mind wouldn't be so disturbed. "Power" is everything to Ais now; without this trust, the Valkyrie (Ais) has no value. She has no emotional support. The goodwill of Rivera and the others has shut Ais out completely.

Ais didn't understand why she had been hurt so badly.

Only one thing is certain: the fact that she was not accepted by them has left a rift in Ais's heart.

"Where did you hear about this...?"

Upon discovering that the little girl had learned how to elevate her "capacity," Riveria murmured in a daze.

Her lack of denial only intensified Ais's heartache, and she glared at her, saying:

"I want to go to the dungeon again. To gain the qualification for ascension!"

Seeing Ais grip the sword tightly in her right hand, Rivera stepped forward and said:

"Calm down, wait, Ais! It's not time yet!"

Ais's emotions were off the charts.

She slapped away the hand reaching for her, and thud! She pushed the other person in the chest instead.

Ais stepped back from the astonished Rivera and cried out:

"When is the 'right time'?!"

Driven by her emotions, she started yelling and screaming.

"I must become stronger! I don't want to waste my time, I can't do it!"

"Ais..."

"Heroes won't come to my aid! I can only become stronger myself!"

The smiles of my mother and the words of my father from the past came back to me.

That scene shattered, leaving only the little girl alone in the darkness. All that remained was the little girl's desperate cry as she pulled the sword stuck in the ground before her eyes.

"Ais, listen to me. I..."

"No, no! Don't get in my way!"

Ais interrupted Riveria as she stood up and approached her.

Ais rejected her, stating it clearly:

"I am not your 'puppet'!"

The next instant—snap!

A loud cracking sound came from his cheek.

The shock caused Ais to drop the sword she was gripping from her hand.

Ais froze on the spot, realizing that she had been slapped on the hot cheek.

She only stood frozen in place for a few seconds.

Looking ahead, Rivera, soaked by the rain, was glaring at Ais with an expression she had never seen before.

"You have no idea how I feel, how dare you...!"

It was like anger, sadness, and pain all at once.

The raindrops sliding down her cheeks as they pattered against her face looked like tears to Ais.

"Is it wrong for me to care about you?! Why won't you understand me... We're all worried about you!"

Riveria shouted angrily.

This was the first time she had revealed her passion. It was an extreme emotion no less intense than Ais's.

Ais's resolve wavered. Her determination to fulfill her long-cherished wish, no matter the sacrifice, even if it meant sacrificing herself, began to falter.

The golden eyes, stared directly at by the emerald eyes, shrank back and twisted in fear.

"We are...one family (family).

Ais was in a sorry state.

I felt embarrassed by her gaze and her outpouring of emotion.

—Then anger flared up.

What I'm angry about is my own stupidity.