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

"You mean the 'fangirl' you're talking about...?" Ais asked with her gaze. Loki, with her crimson hair soaked in the rain, grinned in response.

Soon, it was her turn to turn around.

"However... I don't want you to lose to him. Neither Ais nor Finn."

After leaving those words, Loki departed from the rooftop platform.

Ais was left alone, accompanied by the torrential rain.

"……I……"

Ais slowly pulled her gaze back to the front, ruminating on Loki's words.

She thought it over again, pondered it carefully, asked herself questions and answered them... but in the end she still did not choose another path.

Ais was determined to carry out the will she had told the boy.

That's the only way. That's all there is to it.

The image of her younger self (Ais) that surfaced in her mind said nothing.

She simply stood there with her head bowed, her bangs covering her eyes, like a ghost.

In other words, that's the answer.

"Finn is also...confused...?"

Recalling Loki's murmur, Ais's gaze drifted to the sky.

If the hero (Finn) and the boy (Bell) said the same thing, asking her whether she thought killing the monster was right or wrong—

Ais will surely rebel against them and surrender herself to the "black flame" deep within her heart.

*

Night was falling over the city.

Just as the gray sky, blocked by clouds and unable to let in the afterglow of the sunset, gradually darkened, Finn quietly opened his eyes.

This was the empty house in the maze-like street that he borrowed for a short nap.

As Finn pulled back the blanket, he asked the two presences in the room:

"How long did I sleep?"

"Exactly one hour."

"Why not stay in the dream a little longer... You've been busy for quite a while, haven't you?"

The two people in the room—Rivieria looked dumbfounded, and Grace sighed in response.

The fact that the two who were supposed to take their place as conductors was staying here shows how worried they were about Finn. Fortunately, Grace and the others didn't say anything to the band members; it was just the two of them staying with him.

Finn got out of bed and gave a wry smile.

"The 'gate' to the man-made maze has been found in the southeast corner of Daedalus Road. Now we have four sites under our control."

"We've searched every single underground passage; these are probably all we have. The other entrances and exits either connect to the underground city or are independent, separate pathways. It's simply impossible to find them all."

"yes……"

Finn sat on the edge of the bed listening to the two report on the situation.

After confirming that no one else was present, Finn spoke:

"Rivia, Grace, listen to me. This is my guess about the whole picture of this incident."

He described the actual situation of the "armed monsters" and their relationship with the god Uranus or the Hestia Familia.

Finn told Riveria and Grace all the things he could deduce.

He only told these two comrades who were his equals.

"...If what you say is absolutely true, then the purpose of the old god (Uranus)'s faction in hiding the 'sane monster with reason' is..."

"Yes, in this case, they must be trying to send the monsters back to the dungeon."

"From a broader perspective... no, from the perspective of ultimate purpose, what exactly is the purpose of the god Uranus?"

"Who knows? Maybe it's a case of humans and monsters (monsters) coexisting?"

"...This is absurd."

He nodded in confirmation to Riveria, and gave a joking answer to Grace's question.

Finn's eyes were half-stern when he answered the latter, causing Grace to groan and twitch his beard.

"...Let's set aside the pipe dream of humans and monsters living in harmony."

Rivera, who had been silent, first stated a major premise, and then spoke:

"Is it possible to negotiate a truce with a rational monster... just for this one time?"

Her intention was to use the old god (Uranus) who held the guild headquarters to exchange the lives of the monsters for the "key".

Riveria raised this possibility.

She stated that, judging from Bell Crane's words and actions, if the monsters truly have no intention of harming the city, they might be able to conduct peaceful negotiations by making contact privately.

Finn's answer to this question is:

"impossible."

He expressed an absolutely negative attitude.

"Colluding with monsters (or monstrous creatures) to obtain the 'key' might indeed be an effective method. But what happens after that?"

"..."

"Will this affect the morale of the members? Will some defect? ​​Many members of our faction (clan) have had their families, lovers, or companions killed. Do we really have a way to convince them?"

"..."

"Will 'she'—the Sword Princess (Ais)—listen to the Hero's (my) decision?"

No.

Yes, in other words, it's impossible.

Just as Rivera and Grace silently agreed, there's no doubt that infighting will erupt within the Familia. Once their secret meeting with the monster is exposed—no, once they betray their comrades—everyone, led by Bert and the others, will surely condemn them. The rift between humans and monsters runs that deep. No, the relationship between them is so tragic that "rift" is an understatement.

If it weren't for the current situation, there might still be room for consideration.

However, not just now.

With the imminent collapse of the labyrinthine city, the Loki Familia cannot afford to lose their composure.

"If we participate in the divine will of the gods like Uranus even once, our life and death will be in their hands."

Finn would bet on it.

Once they agree to negotiate with the monsters, the old god (Uranus) and the male god (Hermes) will put a "collar" around Finn's neck.

The gods cannot be controlled with a lukewarm word like "trust".

Because in order to achieve their goals, they will not hesitate to manipulate the people of the lower realm.

If Uranus and his allies obtain the card "The Hero, a 'Popular Hero,' Colludes with a Monster," the Loki Familia will inevitably become part of Uranus's camp.

That would "hinder" Finn's ambitions.

It is a path to self-destruction.

When Finn's collusion with the monster is exposed, the Hero will inevitably fall into a state of self-destruction.

Bell Craney, who now embodies public hostility, is a prime example of this.

(...Don't lie, Dimna.)

Finn felt nauseous at his own thoughts.

The points I'm about to make are both genuine and superficial statements.

Deep within his frail body lies a profound desire to achieve what it means to be a "hero," and a deep-seated hatred.

Finn... no, "his" parents were killed by a monster.

Right before their eyes, the parents who were protecting their own child were pierced by the monster's sharp teeth and claws.

The monster took away his parents, and he vowed to make the dwarfs rise again.

If it weren't for the "monster," Finn wouldn't have been born.

If it weren't for the "monster," the arrogant, ordinary boy would have lived out his days in his hometown village.

To be on friendly terms with monsters is to turn away from the day it all began.

That would be tantamount to completely denying the existence of "Finn".

(I...I (Dimna) absolutely cannot do that.)

No matter what you say, you can never deny the hero (Finn).

"..."

"..."

Finn knew that Riveria and Grace were looking at him with heartbroken eyes.

But it was by no means sympathy or pity. Like the Lord God, the two had long been by Finn's side, watching him dedicate everything to fighting for his ambition, and they held in their hearts magnanimity and respect.

Leaving aside the matter of the [Family], Finn would never ask others for help for his own ambitions. He bluntly stated that it was his own goal and he was unwilling to let others share his burdens.

Riveria and Grace sometimes offered advice and suggestions, but they could only stand by and watch.

"I understand... I'll leave it to your judgment."

Riveria broke the pause.

Grace closed her eyes and nodded beside her.

"...I'm sorry."

"You fool, why are you apologizing? What you said makes perfect sense; you didn't say a single wrong word."

Finn's words were far more practical than absurd notions like "negotiating" with monsters, let alone any talk of "symbiosis."

Grace snorted and said this to the little people who were apologizing while staring at the floor.

Finn raised his face and gave a wry smile, as if he were thanking his two close friends.

"However, a secret deal is a good idea. We can lure those monsters out under the guise of negotiations, then steal the 'key' without a second thought. That'll make things simple. Hahahaha!"

"Grace, you... I really misjudged you. Even if you're a monster, I would never allow you to do such despicable things as plotting against others."

"Just kidding, just kidding! Seriously, elves are just so stubborn... If we really wanted to negotiate with a monster, we could only ask the god Uranus to mediate. If we had a guilty conscience, the god's eyes would see right through us. There's no way we could possibly succeed in using underhanded tactics."

Grace and Riveria started chatting idly, as if trying to change their mood.

Perhaps to ease the atmosphere emanating from Finn, they deliberately bantered in a joking tone.

Finn was deeply grateful for their thoughtful gesture, but then fell into deep thought again, carefully considering what would happen next.

"But this makes conflict inevitable. The battlefield will be on 'Daedalus Road,' and there will be things that will prevent us from obtaining the 'key'..."

"Besides the monsters, there's also the Hermes Familia... and the Hestia Familia, I suppose."

The noise surged through my mind again.

Perhaps it was because Finn realized again that he could not give up the name of "Hero" that Bell Crane's face appeared in his mind.

...Wasn't that boy ever confused?

Didn't you worry, like Finn is now, about losing everything you've built up over the years? Didn't you weigh the trust of the people, the trust of the adventurers, your status and reputation against the life of the "monster"? Didn't you commit such a "foolish" act without a shred of regret?

The truth and falsehood are shrouded in mist.

Only one thing is crystal clear.

In short: Bell lived up to his beliefs.

He didn't abandon it; instead, he chose to protect it.

They protected a "monster".

If it were Finn, he would have already given it up.

He paid the price for his ambition.