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

Loki believed that Freya was indeed the person who held the "key" to the divine object (person).

"...There's no time left."

When the conversation ended, there was a period of silence.

Finn spoke earnestly.

"It's a bit strange to call it 'internal strife'... but if what Loki says is true, and the Freya Familia holds the 'key'... then we can only stir up trouble."

Upon hearing this, Riveria and Grace's expressions turned serious.

The leader meant that if even slightly forceful negotiations failed, they would be prepared to resort to harsher measures—"resistance"—without hesitation. Of course, if the two [Familias], considered the two giants of the labyrinth city, were to start a conflict, all of Orario would suffer immense disaster. The slight capriciousness or whims of the main god would make it difficult for either side to interfere with the other, and this is where the weaknesses of the Celestial faction (Familia) as a community (system) come to the fore.

Finn, with his elbows propped up on his desk, squinted his emerald eyes, which resembled the surface of a lake, and prepared to give an order.

at this time……

"Commander! I'm going in!"

Raul entered the room without knocking.

He was panting heavily, "Ugh!" The gazes fixed on him and the tense atmosphere filling the room made him shrink back, looking like he had done something wrong.

"What's wrong, Raul?"

"Uh, well... I'm informing you of any information I receive, whatever it may be... even though it might have nothing to do with the artificial labyrinth (Knossos)..."

Finn urged him with his eyes, "It's alright, just say it."

Raul, who had been hesitant, first glanced at the street scene unfolding outside the window, and then said:

"Just now, a commotion broke out in the western part of the city—"

*

"A humanoid monster...?"

Upon hearing this information, Ais asked a question in return.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard it appeared in the West District yesterday."

Walking beside her, Tiona spread her arms wide and exaggerated her description.

Tiony, standing to the side, frowned, as if annoyed that she was blocking his way.

The morning light streamed into the room through the side windows.

After finishing her daily sword practice, Ais walked down the narrow corridor of the mansion when she ran into the Amazon sisters, who were explaining to her the commotion from yesterday that had already spread throughout the Loki Familia.

"Not a large-scale one, or something like that...?"

"It doesn't seem so. I heard it was seen by a novice adventurer, who said it was 'Happy' or 'Siren'. I guess it has nothing to do with the commotion during the previous festival."

Ais was implying that it might be a large-scale "man-eating flower monster," but Tione shook her head. She said that it had nothing to do with the Monster Philia incident that Ais and the others went to suppress, and even the monsters that roamed the city's underground sewers, starting from the man-made labyrinth (Knossos), were unrelated to this matter.

After hearing the information described by the two, Ais couldn't help but tilt her head.

If we weren't mistaken for monsters with animal faces and human bodies like the "Earth Spirits," monsters that could be called "humanoid" wouldn't appear until the 19th floor. It's extremely hard to imagine that monsters could traverse so many layers without being discovered by adventurers and climb up on their own.

To be honest, if a monster were to appear on the surface—in Orario, protected by massive city walls and skyscrapers (the Tower of Babel)—it would be a major event. The Monster Festival is a celebration, a pure exception; the general rule is that monsters cannot be taken out of the dungeon. Needless to say, violating this rule will result in guild punishment and a severe price to pay.

"I heard that things really blew up yesterday, and the guild staff seem to be still trying to confirm things from multiple sources."

I've heard that these "humanoid monsters" appear in the middle of busy main roads where crowds of people gather. All of these factors combined would certainly cause a major disturbance.

The peaceful street corner must have completely changed, turning into a chaotic mess.

"...Does Finn know?"

"I know. The commander said he hopes that those who have free time can gather intelligence discreetly. It seems the commander has his own ideas."

Ais asked for confirmation, and Tione answered affirmatively. Even the lower-ranking members of the Familia were discussing this event enthusiastically; had Finn sensed something about it?

(A humanoid monster... Since it's called "Happy" or "Silen," it must be a winged species...)

The monster, which still hides somewhere, terrifies ordinary people.

The mere thought of that scene made Ais feel uneasy. Ais slightly raised her head, staring at the ceiling. As an adventurer living in the city, she decided to keep this in mind.

"What if we discover a monster?"

"Finn means it's best to capture him alive."

Tiona clasped her hands behind her head, and Tione followed up with her reply:

"The commander said that if anyone is going to be harmed, then we should deal with it."

Ais swayed her long golden hair and touched the sword "Sword of Despair" that was worn at her waist.

"understood."

Ais at that time...

Without thinking, I just nodded.

*

"A date with Burt Roca, a date with Burt Roca! Hey, let's hold hands, okay?"

Right beside me, a brown-skinned girl beamed with a broad smile.

Instead of linking arms with her, Bert silently jabbed Lina Tully's elbow into her temple. The movement was practiced to an extreme degree.

"Whoa!? Stars!? The sky is filled with stars that overshadow Bert Roca!?"

"I'd better ask, what are you doing here?"

"That's because I'm keeping an eye on the Loki Familia's headquarters all day long—!? The sky is full of little stars—!?"

"Go to hell."

The Amazonian girl clutched the side of her head, writhing in pain. She rolled around on the ground, unfazed even though her underwear was exposed. Demi-human passersby glared at her, annoyed by her disturbance.

Bert didn't even glance at Lina, who was screaming wildly, and strode forward.

"She's really clingy to you..."

"Enough, stop talking nonsense."

On the other side, the cat people Annaquite stood there dumbfounded, watching them.

Bert retorted dismissively.

Although both are orcs, these two are a particularly rare combination within the Loki Familia.

"Ahhh!? Get away from me! Get away from me!"

Lina sat up abruptly, squeezed between the two, and used both hands to separate them.

"Ugh! There are so many cute and pretty girls in the Loki Familia! Bert Loca will be tempted! Rena is always on edge!"

"Idiot."

"I have absolutely no chance with this guy, don't worry."

The two ignored Lina and strode forward.

Lina, who had been left behind, suddenly came to her senses and hurriedly caught up with the two.

"Is this the road where monsters have been reported?"

"Yes, it seems so."

The place the two went to was in the northwest of the city, a narrow street instead of a main street.

Bert and Anachitty are tracking the "humanoid monster" as instructed by Grace. The reason they were chosen is simple: Grace wants them to use their "scent" to track it down.

The monster was seen yesterday evening.

Although the investigation into the "guild" has been completed, there may still be some clues left.

"Seriously, so what if it's a monster? It has nothing to do with the 'key' anyway."

"Not necessarily. These days, we have to gather all the intelligence first, right?"

"Ha! It's just that there's nothing else to do."

(...What kind of reluctant but knowing conversation is this, like two partners who understand each other perfectly...! Is this cat-person really going to become my cheating cat (love rival)...!? This is terrible!)

Bert cursed the blocked-off situation with undisguised frustration, while Annaquite tried to reason with him. Only Lina misunderstood the situation completely, her intense anxiety preventing her from calming down.

Lina tried even harder to stick to Bert, while Bert blocked her and stopped in front of a path.

"The 'humanoid monster' disappeared here. It's said that when the residents threw stones at it, a little fairy girl took the monster away."

"A mischievous little imp?"

"The monster initially seemed to be covering itself with a robe, but it appeared to be trying to attack the child, so it spread its wings."

"There's definitely something fishy going on..."

Bert frowned upon hearing Annakitti's explanation after quickly gathering information.

The two sniffed and immediately detected a lingering scent that was not human, but rather that of "alien beings".

Even scents that "guild" members or other adventurers might miss, the two orcs, whose five senses had been enhanced through multiple rank-ups, could perceive.

Bert and his companions moved from the street into a dimly lit back alley.

"Tsk... They even used a sachet to mask the odor (prop)."

"It seems so..."

"Huh? What's going on? Monsters can't use items... And from what you guys were saying earlier, is someone harboring a monster?"

"How would I know?"

Bert answered Lina, who was startled to see her face appear from behind, and decided to act on instinct.

Based on the information he had gathered and his deductions, he moved through the city's seventh district.

"...Huh? What's this completely destroyed church?"

Bert passed by the ruins of a building that had been reduced to rubble.

The ruins collapsed and crumbled as if struck by "magic".

From the collapsed stone structure, one can barely discern that this was a deserted church.

"...By the way, I heard a rumor that a certain [familia] used to use a dilapidated church as their base?"

Which [family/clan]?

"Hmm... Even with Lina's gray brain cells, I still can't remember...!"

"Go to hell!"

Lina crossed her arms and muttered something to herself, while Bert rudely cursed at her as he looked around at the pile of rubble.

At his feet lay a ruined statue of a goddess.

*

"【Ikelos Familia】?"

Lefia asked again for the name of that faction.

After news of the "humanoid monster" appearing on the surface spread, on the third day, Lefia came to the back alley of the northern district of the city.

The dog-woman with wheat-colored skin stood diagonally in front of her.

"Yes. Although it was only recently discovered, that [familia] is very suspicious."

Lulune Louis, the thief of the Hermes Familia, nodded in response, leaning against the wall.

Lulune seemed to have arrived early to visit Lefia's headquarters. She said, "We have some information we'd like to share with you." She handed a letter to the guard, asking him to tell Lefia to go to the location written on the letter—incidentally, the reason she specifically asked for Lefia was supposedly because she believed that Lefia would be a more reliable accomplice than some roughneck (Bert) or other first-level adventurers.

The dark back alley, just turn your face to the side and you'll immediately see a bright and bustling street and crowds.

As for why they chose a back alley instead of a tavern or other similar venue for their secret rendezvous, it seemed to be because Lulune was incredibly busy. Lefia had gone to great lengths to find the designated alley, but Lulune wasn't much better off, arriving quite late. She looked exhausted and kept apologizing.

"The smuggling incident in Harbor (Melon) is related to the fundraising methods of the dark faction; it's those people."

"!"

"The main smuggled goods were monsters... sold at high prices to nobles and dignitaries with peculiar tastes. The evidence is also available."

Lefia was speechless upon hearing this. She opened the parchment scroll that Luluni had given her and browsed through the detailed information.