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

Tiona was initially furious after being scolded by Bert, but she froze on the spot when she heard what Tione and Ais were saying.

"But...but...even if the 'guild' didn't notice, it's still possible, like Raul said, that it was the dark faction who did it, right?! Since things have gotten this serious!"

"Are you starting to make up excuses?"

"No way! Okay, okay—I vote for Raul and Rafia!"

"Huh?"

Tiona suddenly raised her hand, startling Raul and Lefia so much that they leaned back.

"Then, I'll vote for Angie."

"Me too."

"I didn't say anything that could be called an idea..."

"Then Ais! Which side will Ais vote for!?"

"Uh, um... I... I'll side with Tiona and the others, okay?"

"Great—that makes it four against three! Where are you guys, Vilia—!?"

"Why are you all holding a vote without my permission...?"

The votes of Tiony and Bert greatly confused Anachidi, and Tiona pulled Ais to her side and started arguing. Seeing the girls taking it upon themselves to use majority voting, Riveria pressed her hand to her forehead as if she had a terrible headache.

Grace shrugged, while Loki watched with a grin. Diona's silliness undeniably brightened the atmosphere.

Finally, as for Finn...

(It couldn't possibly be a trap set by the dark faction.)

He ruled out that possibility in his mind.

Finn didn't join the group's conversation, sinking into a sea of ​​thought.

(Of course, it couldn't be the work of the weirdos' underground forces. The enemy has already secured the man-made maze and is determined to "wait and see." When the time comes, the "Fairy Clone" bomb will naturally bloom and turn the city into ruins. There is neither a need for them to deliberately increase the tension in the city and make us on high alert, nor is there any need for us to take any risks.)

Finn covered his mouth with his right hand, looking at the floor as he spent every second deep in thought.

(Rather than that, this was... an unexpected and disgraceful incident that was out of everyone's control.)

Instead of considering the two options presented by Tiona and the others, Finn sought a solution from the "third possibility."

In other words, he realized that this was an unexpected incident—the effect of an "abnormal situation".

(While Angie is right that connecting this situation to what we're pursuing is somewhat hasty... at least we've gathered enough factors to make the enemy reveal their "secrets".)

First, Finn carefully considered these factors.

(The "guild"... no, the god Uranus and the Hermes Familia are in cahoots... if we believe the information Loki gathered, then there is "some kind of secret" between them. Since they don't intend to make it public, it means this commotion wasn't their intention... but judging from their covert actions, it's certain they are involved.)

The change to the mandatory quest broadcast was not the idea of ​​the guild's higher-ups, but rather the divine will of the chief god (Uranus).

Like Loki, Finn made this assumption.

If so, then is the Ganesha Familia, who accepted this forced mission, also a force that shares "some kind of secret" with Uranus and the others?

Finn also tucked this possibility into the corner of his mind.

(It's a bit of a stretch to equate "armed monsters" with "man-eating plants" and other "colorful monsters," but... there's now a fragment here called the [Ikeros Familia].)

This is a precious fragment in piecing together the whole picture.

It's said that the Ikelos Familia is linked to monster smuggling. Given the current situation, it's hard not to suspect them.

One more point to add is that the Hermes Familia is doing everything in its power to track them down.

(Assuming the "Armed Monster" was once in the hands of the Ikelos Familia, and then escaped... no, that's not right. That contradicts the testimonies of the inn's residents (Perth). The reason for attacking the town (Rivera) could be explained by saying "because the monsters are enemies of humans," but... something just doesn't feel right.)

Finn repeatedly deduced and investigated.

While Tiona and the others were still making a ruckus, Riveria and Grace quietly observed Finn as he pondered.

Having known Finn for a long time, the two waited patiently for him to come up with an answer.

The elven king and the dwarf knew that his "answer" would be the best solution.

(The information is severely lacking, and the background of the incident has not been fully investigated. A definitive "answer" cannot be deduced from these clues, but—)

Finn narrowed his eyes as he thought about this.

(Is this a case of an "accident" caused by the intersection of a "secret" long concealed by the god Uranus and the "evil deeds" of the Icelos Familia—is this reasoning too arbitrary?)

Those involved would probably be horrified if they heard Braver's series of thoughts.

What's most unsettling is his incredibly accurate intuition.

If "a certain teenager" caught up in the storm of this incident were here, he would surely be so frightened that his heart would jump out of his mouth.

(Everything is within the scope of the assumptions. No matter how I try to deduce the answer, my thinking jumps too far... Is it too hasty to put the [Icelos Familia] at the center of the event?)

Finn objectively re-examined his own thoughts, and shook his head at this thought.

(No, I'd better assume that's the case. The Ikelos Familia is the central force behind the unrest, and I can't accomplish anything if I don't make that assumption and take action. This "abnormal situation" must have been unexpected by all forces... If we fail to intervene and simply watch the unrest be suppressed, we will lose our first and last "great opportunity.")

Soldiers are expensive but slow.

Only this time did Finn employ this tactic.

He believes that, given the current situation, the important thing is to prioritize speed, regardless of the risks or the possibility of predictions falling through.

The most important point is that Finn firmly believed this in his heart:

He firmly believes that this unrest will be the key to that "man-made labyrinth" and the "first move" to create a new situation.

The urge brought on by the throbbing pain in his thumb also prompted him to make this judgment.

(Currently, our operations are limited to the surface. If we attempt to force our way into the dungeon, the Guild will definitely send back the Freya Familia, originally assigned to the city defense force, to confront us.)

The Tower of Babel is currently under lockdown. No one can enter the dungeon except for the Ganesha Familia's expeditionary force.

The gap left by the Ganesha Familia, which normally serves as the "Oario's Military Police" and acts as a guard force, is being filled by the Freya Familia. The Miko faction, punished for their destruction of the Mochi District, is currently following the "Guild's" instructions.

Even if an operation is launched, it will be impossible to reach the scene of the incident on the 18th floor.

"Bert".

Finn's words caused everyone in the meeting room to stop what they were doing.

The werewolf youth who had been called twitched his ears and looked back at him.

"I heard you mention before that the 'curse' operator you fought in the artificial labyrinth... was male, human, and wore smoky quartz goggles... is that right?"

"...Yes, that guy was wearing a dark faction robe, but that's for sure. He also used a spear of extremely poor taste."

Upon hearing Bert's answer, Finn pondered again.

(If my guess is correct... that man is Dix Perdix, the Hazer.)

That's the name of the leader of the Ikeros Familia.

(It's certain that the [Ikeros Familia] is in cahoots with the dark faction... Their base is a man-made labyrinth... If they first transport monsters into the labyrinth for smuggling, and then transport the goods to the port city (Melon) through underground passages (routes) leading out of the city...)

As everyone's attention was focused on him, the "thread" in Finn's mind, called hypothesis, gradually connected with the small "dots" that were originally just incomplete information.

The "point" that the "line" finally connects to is the "epicenter" of this incident.

(The 18th floor... the 18th floor, right?)

That floor is the location that was recently found to be connected to the man-made maze by a passageway.

"...All personnel, get ready."

Finn made a decision about his thinking.

Upon hearing Finn's instructions, Ais and the others widened their eyes and stood up together.

Before the already tense group members, the leader of the Lilliputians declared:

"We're heading to Daedalus Road."

*

The Ganesha Familia set off from the central square to carry out a mandatory mission, and some time later...

The Loki Familia has set up its forces on Daedalus Road.

In order to deceive the management body (guild) that issued the standby order—the old god (Uranus)—everyone carefully, quickly, and secretly set up their formation.

They handed over the main road, where the unrest was gradually subsiding, to other factions, and joined forces with Alicia, Kos, and others, deploying their members throughout the vast labyrinthine streets.

"The Thousand Elf! You were here last time too, right!? Seeing so many members of the Loki Familia is like a dream come true!"

"So cute and beautiful... I really want to be like you..."

"……shake hands."

"Huh, this...? I'm currently, uh, on security..."

On the surface, it was to appease the chaos among the residents of Daedalus Road.

Since the pacification work prioritized the outer streets, and the slums were originally in chaos, the residents of the neighborhood were very grateful for the care provided by the Loki Familia. No one blamed them, even though it was a smokescreen they used to conceal their true purpose.

A human boy with rosy cheeks, an orc girl with longing eyes, and orphans such as half-elves reaching out their hands surrounded Lefia and the other members of the group.

"I feel like I'm deceiving people, and I'm a little embarrassed—"

"This isn't the first time Finn has said one thing and done another."

"Hey! Don't speak ill of the commander! Besides, the commander isn't wrong to do what he's doing! If a brawl really breaks out as the commander is thinking, then we'll have to protect the residents!"

"That's too loud!!"

Some of them couldn't quite accept the slum dwellers' gratitude, but they still kept their eyes peeled for anything unusual on the vast "Daedalus Road." Tiona and Bert walked along the intricate network of dark brick streets, interspersed with staircases, using their fists and kicks to stop Tiona's shouting.

"Is this appropriate, Finn? Is this really necessary? Putting aside the 'guild' which is busy dealing with the situation, those people lurking in the 'artificial maze' have definitely noticed our movements, right?"

"Even if we operate covertly, they still have the advantage of terrain. As long as we stay on Daedalus Road, we can't hide from them for long no matter what we do. In that case, we might as well do it openly and make sure they can't ignore us."

The two were on the rooftop platform of a haphazardly constructed high-rise building.

Finn and Grace surveyed the labyrinthine streets, their voices fading into the wind. Rivera, her long emerald hair billowing in the breeze, also closed one eye and asked the little man with his back to her:

"You mean to distract the enemy? But wouldn't that just make them hide even deeper into the man-made maze?"

"At the very least, it should raise their guard against us. If the enemy hasn't found the 'key' to the goddess Ishtar yet, our current deployment... might mislead them into thinking we've obtained the 'key' and launch a major offensive."

Aside from the crew members who remained at headquarters with Loki, Finn deployed what could be considered surplus manpower to Daedalus Road. Most of these personnel were deployed in the "Old-Type Underground Sewers" directly beneath Labyrinth Street—a secret passage with an entrance to an artificial labyrinth—under the command of Raul and Anaquiti.

What will the remnants of the Dark Faction think when they see the Loki Familia deploying a large force near the "Gate," which is currently the hardest metal (orogen).

"Then as long as the enemy is vigilant enough, they will be unable to assign personnel to deal with the situation inside the man-made maze."

Upon hearing Finn's words, Grace and Riveria's eyebrows twitched slightly.

"...You mean some kind of anomaly is happening inside the man-made labyrinth?"

"This is just my imagination, but the 'armed monsters' that are moving around a lot in the dungeon and are worried about further invading the surface have stayed on the 18th floor without moving."

The Ganesha Familia has departed for the 18th floor. This information is absolutely true.

If the Ikelos Familia is busy cleaning up the mess, they absolutely cannot ignore the movements of the Ganesha Familia and "that". Although the "dispute" taking place in the artificial labyrinth is just Finn's optimistic speculation, the remnants of the dark faction will be caught in the middle, between the surface guarded by Finn and his group and the 18th underground level where the commotion broke out.

The enemy has lost Valetta Grede, the excellent commander of Arachnia.

Applying pressure to them is very likely to cause them to lose their composure.

"Furthermore... the fact that we can see adventurers other than ourselves proves that the area surrounding the man-made labyrinth is currently in chaos."

He glanced sharply downwards and saw a figure quickly disappear into the shadows.

Finn narrowed his blue eyes.

"Damn it... How did the [Hero] get here?!"

"—Hurrying to escape those blue-eyed eyes—" Luluni of the Hermes Familia cried out pathetically, her back pressed against the wall.

"Did they obtain information that the god Icelos is lurking here...? Even if they don't, judging from their posture, they definitely 'sure' something is going on before they take action...!"

[Hero] This is terrifying. The dog-woman's eyes were filled with tears, and her tail trembled with a chilling shiver.

"This is very bad, Hermes...! If we don't catch the real culprit quickly, our secret will be exposed...!"

A thief's instincts kicked in, and the girl began to move as if fleeing.

"...Can't find it."