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

With her face contorted in a distorted profile, she refused to answer the question and quickened her pace, trying to get rid of Lefia.

Just ignore me!

Lefia was furious.

"Stop right there! Answer my question!"

Rafia made her request with a voice as loud as a gust of wind lashing her body, but the boy didn't even glance at her.

He focused solely on the terrified monster fleeing, forgetting everything else.

"Why, why...!"

Lefia growled in a low voice.

(Why do you look so pained?!)

Look at me!

Explain clearly!

Otherwise, I won't understand anything!

Facing the boy whose expression revealed bitterness and turmoil, she shouted loudly in her heart.

Where did all your usual excuses go? Shout "You've misunderstood!" while your face turns red. Just like when my crush (Ais) takes care of me (Bell) and I (Lefia) get angry, you're quick to defend yourself. Right now, I can still get a little angry like usual, say a few words to you, warn you, and then forgive you!

So don't show that tragic expression!

That expression doesn't suit you at all!

Even Lefia herself couldn't sort out the thousands of words that filled every corner of her heart.

Lefia must not want to see the boy like this.

It's not disappointment, nor is it unmet expectations; it's just that I don't like it.

As competitors, as rivals, as adventurers striving towards the same "aspirations".

Lefia wanted to understand his true intentions; he was no longer chasing a monster, but a boy. However…

"Ughh ...

「!?」

The screams that echoed all around forced Lefia to give up asking questions.

The adventurers were no match for the out-of-control dragon girl, collapsing to the ground one by one, bleeding profusely. The dragon monster, now devoid of the red stone on its forehead and attacking anyone it saw, was no different from a storm.

With a wavering gaze, Lefia had no choice but to "expel" the monster.

"—[Unleash a beam of light, the bow of sacred wood. You are a master archer!]"

She continued walking at full speed while simultaneously chanting in parallel.

Upon noticing the surge in "magic," the boy was so startled that his shoulders trembled, and he turned around to look at Lefia for the first time.

Perhaps because they knew each other, the boy hesitated to unleash the "magic," and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Please don't do this!?"

—You're asking the impossible!

Letting monsters run wild will cause more damage.

If they were unlucky, it wouldn't be adventurers who were swept away at this moment, but ordinary citizens.

We're no longer in a position to ramble on and on.

If that "monster" gets away, even you (Bell) will face a tragic future!

"Snipe, elven archer! Pierce through, arrow that never misses!"

Lefia twisted her face and stretched out her wand, unleashing "magic".

"[Spirit Bow and Light Arrow]!"

This is a single-shot spell with "tracking properties". Once cast, it will not disappear until it hits the target, making it an absolutely guaranteed hit.

A high-powered flash of light, capable of slaying even large-scale monsters, illuminated the surroundings.

The boy, who had given up hope in the dazzling beam of light, turned around.

「!?」

He plunged into the "magic" firing trajectory.

The boy spread his arms, trying to block the flash of light before it hit the dragon girl.

Lefia was speechless when she saw him willingly act as a "meat shield" for the monster.

"Light, [Light Dispersion (Ario)]!?"

She hurriedly chanted the incantation to make the "magic" explode.

Receiving the detonation spell (Spell Key) of the auto-tracking attribute magic, the [Spirit Bow Light Arrow] exploded just before it was about to hit the boy.

"Ugh...!"

Although it didn't hit him directly, the "magic" that exploded right in front of him still blasted Bell away.

The boy's armor was smoking and he was covered in wounds, but he immediately stood up and began chasing the dragon girl again.

Lefia was left behind, bewildered and lost.

"……Why."

In the very center of the alley, Lefia couldn't help but stop.

Why go to such lengths?

Why would you go to such lengths to protect a "monster"?

She couldn't understand why, even though she was "right," she couldn't help but feel like she was the one who "did something wrong."

"...Stop right there, Bell Craney!"

She remained standing there, only calling out to the receding figure.

The boy didn't even turn his head.

He chased after the dragon girl as if he didn't want to waste a single second, completely acting like a "fool".

After being repeatedly ignored, Lefia clenched her hands and finally couldn't help but tremble all over.

Her face flushed crimson, reaching even the tips of her slender ears, and she closed her eyes tightly, unable to contain herself any longer, and roared at the top of her lungs:

"Give me your reasons, your causes...explain them clearly!!"

The sun sank behind the city walls, and dusk arrived.

The elf's roar, its face flushed red, echoed through the evening sky.

Side Story: Sword Oratoria 10 Chapter 3: The Hero's Melancholy - The Sword Princess's Troubles

"Iceros, God of the gods, allow me to repeat myself, there is no time. Please answer our questions."

Finn made such a demand of the divine object before him.

The location was a half-collapsed abandoned house. Maroon sunlight streamed in through the pitted walls, illuminating the scattered rubble.

It was evening, and the battle with the "armed monster" had just ended.

Thanks to the enemy's cleverness, the Loki Familia lost track of the "Black Bull" and other monsters. They are currently busy with cleanup work, including repairing the damaged streets, preparing for the appearance of monsters, and evacuating residents.

"Vivel" was destroyed by adventurers.

Dust representing the remains was reportedly found in the "underground passage." A detailed investigation is currently underway regarding this matter.

While the other members were busy with their own duties, Finn, along with Loki, was secretly interrogating the "parties involved" in the case.

"Asking me is pointless—don't you all know about man-made mazes? Then why bother asking me?"

The male god's laughter echoed in the abandoned house.

He had dark blue hair and brown skin, and wore black clothing. His dignified face, a testament to his divine status, bore a deeply ingrained, frivolous smile—the kind of smile that favored pleasure, advocated for instant gratification, sought self-destruction, and was the most difficult to deal with among gods.

Ikelos, the male god.

Following Finn's instructions, Grace laid a trap and captured the chief god of the Ikelos Familia.

"Once those guild members arrive, you'll be helpless. You won't be able to cause any trouble then, so you might as well confess now."

"Don't glare at me like that, Loki~. Besides, it's surprising that I'm always causing trouble~"

Loki, who was standing there, looked down at him. Ikelos plopped down on the uncomfortable rubble and answered casually.

He pulled his gaze back to the front, meeting Finn's eyes as he sat in the old chair.

Do you have the 'key' to the man-made maze?

"No, really. After all, what happened with the goddess (Ishtar) did. Those guys from the dark faction took my share when they saw I was leaving the man-made labyrinth."

As a key witness in this case, Ikeros will be brought to the "Guild".

Then he'll most likely face "punishment." Either he'll be sent back to the heavens, or he'll be permanently banished from the city. In any case, once this opportunity is missed, there will be no more contact with him.

Before handing the person over to the "guild," Finn tried to get the information they wanted.

"What is the size of the Dark Faction? How many [Families] does it have?"

"I don't know, after all, they're just a ragtag army gathered under the Grim Reaper (Shanatos). I just use the man-made labyrinth (there) as a hotel to sleep in, so I'll only brush past them at most, and I'm not interested in them. But, if we're talking about [familias], it's probably only Shanatos's faction~"

"'Enior'... Do you know any god (guy) who calls himself that?"

"Oh, you mean the Urban Destroyer (Ernio)? I don't remember that. Who would know that kind of nonsense god?"

Although Icarus answered Finn and Loki's questions in turn, his answer was almost always "I don't know." He seemed to be merely observing his [familia's] actions with amusement—though he would sometimes help them to enjoy the "show"—but he was completely uninvolved in the "Labyrinth City Collapse Project." At least Loki, being a fellow god, could assure him that he wasn't lying.

"I really don't understand why you'd collude with those dark factions," Loki cursed, but he just responded with a shameless smile, "Whatever."

The smuggling operation in the port city (Meren) is led by the Ikeros Familia. The smuggling is to raise money to build an artificial labyrinth. As for why monsters are chosen as smuggled goods, it is because they can be sold at high prices to nobles with a "monster fetish".

The information provided by the male god during interrogation was mostly old news, with very little new information.

However—they learned the reason for the construction of that unusual artificial maze through this.

That was the "master craftsman Daedalus's" dream, and the "human obsession" that his descendants built over the years.

Upon hearing that the "man-made labyrinth (Knossos)" took thousands of years to reach its current size, Loki visibly frowned, while Finn sighed inwardly.

On the day we were initially defeated by the man-made maze...

Although I sensed it was an extraordinary space the moment I stepped inside, it now seems that the "delusions" involved are deeper and more profound than I imagined.

"I understand the reason for the construction of that demonic cave. ...Then, where is the 'manual' that supposedly captivated the members of the master craftsman (Daedalus) family, driving them to commit insane acts? Where is the 'blueprint' that contains all the structural details of the man-made labyrinth?"

"Hehe... [Hero], are you really planning to conquer that absurd and ridiculous maze?"

"Stop talking nonsense and just answer Finn's question, you stupid god."

"It's not in my hands, really. It was originally in the hands of a member of the family (Dix), but the 'favor' he showed no signs of arousal, so he's probably dead."

"..."

"Maybe someone took it, or maybe it fell somewhere in the man-made maze~"

Finding a manuscript in that vast, complex, and bizarre labyrinth... just hearing about it makes one's head spin.

It wasn't a metaphor; it was no different from searching for a grain of gold in the desert. "It seems like the other descendants of the Master Craftsman (Daedalus) have all memorized the contents, so if we cut open their heads, we might find a map, right?" Ikelos told them a not-so-funny joke, which made Loki kick him in exasperation.

"...Iceros, the god of the heavens, this is the last question."

As the sun set, the area outside the abandoned house became chaotic and noisy with numerous footsteps and shouts.

Finn noticed that a guild employee had arrived, so he narrowed his blue eyes and asked a question.

"Armed Monsters... what exactly are they?"

"...Hehehehehe! What do you mean by 'what is it,' [Hero]? What do you want to ask?"

A smile spread across Ikeros's face.

The handsome man leaned closer to look at Finn's face with genuine pleasure, and Finn pressed him for answers:

"Do they have feelings? Not intelligence, I'm asking if they have 'wisdom'? Do they form a community?"

Every word of these words hits the nail on the head.