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

Finn produced a replica of the "Orb of Daedalus".

This was a forgery commissioned by Finn based on his memory of seeing the "key" with his own eyes and the testimony of Rena, a former member of the Goddess faction (Ishtar Familia). It was just an ordinary piece of metal. The members examined the object in his palm closely.

"Finn... what if the black bull (Minotaur) appears?"

"Leave the judgment to the personnel on site, but... whatever you do, don't try to deal with it alone. Buy plenty of time to wait for reinforcements. Understand, Ais?"

"……good."

When Ais asked her questions, Finn firmly instructed her that priorities must never be misjudged.

Ais's golden eyes reflected the dwarf's blue eyes, and she nodded gently.

"...As everyone has worried, this operation is extremely difficult and is accompanied by danger and hardship."

After conveying the instructions, Finn looked around at the members and began to speak in detail:

"But so what?"

With keen insight and unwavering will.

"Do you remember the faces of your comrades who perished in the man-made maze? As long as we remember, we can turn the impossible into possible and overcome this unreasonable situation—am I wrong?"

"The commander is right!!"

The entire group was in high spirits.

There was no longer any fear or worry in their eyes.

The crowd responded to their leader's calm inquiry with fierce fighting spirit.

The brave remain steadfast.

They even used the lives of their fallen comrades to bring righteous indignation and high spirits to the group members.

Seeing that everyone's morale was high, Finn nodded and finally mentioned a point of attention that he had thought of unintentionally.

"If anyone causes an anomaly, it can only be 'him'. Don't let your guard down, keep a close eye on him. That adventurer will, as before, completely bypass our predictions."

It was almost like praising "that boy".

It's as if he's telling everyone that his "foolish act" will be the only source of unease.

Finn squinted.

"Finn...you mean...?"

"Yes—"

Finn nodded in response to Ais's voice and spoke the name of an adventurer.

That name struck the girl's heart, its echo lingering long afterward.

"It's Bell Craney."

Gaiden: Sword Oratoria 10 Interlude - The Secret Talk of the Gods

"A 'monster with reason,' right...?"

"That's right, that's the reason for this incident, and also the 'secret' that Uranus and the others have been hiding."

In the city's tallest spot, a secret conversation is taking place, unseen by anyone.

The location is on the top floor of the Tower of Babel.

The male god resided in the palace built by the goddess Freya.

The one who took off his hat and whose orange-yellow hair was swaying was Hermes.

"So what? What are you trying to achieve by providing me with this information?"

It was nighttime.

Hermes recounted the entire story of the events that had disrupted the city to Freya.

Including the true nature of the "armed monster".

This also brings to mind the divine will of the old god (Uranus).

Furthermore, the relationship between the "evil" lurking within the "artificial labyrinth" and the [Loki Familia] is also left unmentioned.

When Freya heard this information, her only reaction was to say "Oh".

She was taken aback, but much of the information was already known to her. This information, however, did not interest her.

The goddess of beauty was naturally only concerned with a mere "boy".

Compared to him, she honestly didn't care at all about the fate of the "Armed Monster" or the old god's plans.

"Miss Freya, I am very worried about Bell's current situation."

Bell Craney is now destitute.

Undoubtedly, all his achievements have been destroyed, and he is now rolling down the ladder of success. As some "hero" feared, he is about to lose everything because he has failed the expectations of the people.

That was the ending the male god didn't want to see.

"I'm planning to travel around trying to help with this, and I wonder if you'd be willing to lend a hand?"

"..."

"You wouldn't be happy to see that white light fade away simply because it's not getting its due, would you?"

At the same time, this is a development that the goddess does not want to see.

The handsome god reiterated their shared goal and politely made his request.

Regarding this request, Freya said:

"Have you forgotten what you did to me when I went to war with the goddess of beauty (Ishtar)?"

Freya told him this with a beautiful smile that would captivate millions.

The hidden meaning behind the smile is the wrath of a provocateur.

In order to destroy the Ishtar Familia, which was colluding with the remnants of the dark faction, the goddess of beauty was essentially manipulated by Hermes, leaving her still "furious."

When faced with Freya's unusually broad smile, which usually only brought a gentle smile to her face, Hermes's facial muscles twitched.

His expression stiffened, and he immediately raised his hands in surrender.

They neither apologized, nor defended themselves, nor pleaded guilty; they simply made a request.

"Then, I hope you can remain silent and observe."

I'll quietly observe the boy's fate. I'll quietly observe the "reversal script" that my idol (me) is about to write.

Hermes only revealed a little bit of information indirectly, stopping short of revealing the truth.

"Do you expect me to do nothing?"

"That's right."

Their eyes met.

The goddess's silver eyes met the god's orange-yellow eyes.

Hermes bowed slowly and respectfully.

"If you're willing to trust me and let me handle this... I'd like to get the 'key' from you."

Hearing this, for the first time...

Freya's eyebrow twitched.

"The 'key' to the man-made labyrinth... Once I have that, I'll take care of the troublesome 'rational monster.' Then, I'll make sure he sits on the throne of 'hero' once again."

"what you up to?"

"I want to create a 'stage' to welcome the heroes back."

Freya pondered carefully as Hermes bowed deeply.

When Freya sent Ishtar back to the heavens, she protected her familiar—the young attendant Tamuz. The "key" to the "artificial labyrinth" that he originally possessed is now in Freya's hands.

(Instead of handing it over to Loki, I'll hand it over to Hermes... To be honest, I don't trust that man... But, if "that kid" is to cross over, it should be "this way.")

A "stage" to welcome the heroes back.

A dramatic script prepared by the gods, or perhaps a farce.

Freya correctly understood Hermes's divine will and judged it to be sufficient as a "test".

Then, besides the male god's intentions, there's also her own "wish"—that she might be able to obtain the "most beautiful scene" through this.

That wasn't Freya's divine will, but rather the boy's "wish" to achieve a breakthrough.

(Since that's the case, then I'll...)

Freya realized that her "intuition" was correct.

Everything was for this choice, which is why she didn't give the "key" to Loki, but kept it with her.

"Oh, bring me the 'key'."

"Yes."

First, a brief response came from the dim depths of the room, and then, not long after, a boar follower approached Freya. He respectfully presented her with a magical artifact marked with the letter "D".

"Okay, you can have it."

The goddess's choice at this moment (on a whim)...

It will surpass her ideas and become the "point of contention" for everyone.

"Thank you, Miss Freya."

Hermes took the "Daedalus Orb" from Freya's hands, a smile appearing on his face.

Then, as if he didn't want to waste a single second, he quickly walked toward the door of the shrine.

Hermes left the room after saying, "Excuse me."

"...Hermes? Don't think you know everything, or you'll end up getting yourself into someone else's trap."

After the door closed and the heartthrob disappeared...

Freya then smiled and gave him a piece of advice he couldn't hear.

Ota, who was waiting beside him, asked in return:

"Do you mean what's in your hands?"

"It wasn't me... it was 'that child'."

After Freya finished speaking, she walked to the window.

Outside the seamless, tall windows, a dark, overcast sky stretched out.

She gazed at the still gloomy, overcast sky.

"I don't want any 'God-made heroes,' I'm tired of that kind."

Ironically, this sounds remarkably similar to the "artificial hero" that some "hero" once spoke of.

"What I want to see... no, what the whole world wants to see is an 'unknown hero'."

The goddess smiled radiantly.

She squinted as if gazing at somewhere beyond this place, and tucked strands of her hair behind her ears as if scooping up silvery dew.

"I think what's needed to break the stagnation in the lower realm... must be a 'heretic hero' who dares to betray even the gods."

The murmur vanished into the seamless darkness.

Side Story: Sword Oratoria 10 Chapter 4 Daedalus Outpost - Inside

The Loki Familia moved their position to the central area of ​​Daedalus Road.

The heart of the labyrinthine street is filled with towers and high-rise buildings, crisscrossed by staircases and narrow paths, creating a chaotic area so disordered that the ground is invisible even from above. Finn set up his headquarters on the rooftop platform of a massive, ancient building. The space was spacious, offering a panoramic view of the entire Daedalus Road.

Separated by the ground, directly below them lies the "artificial labyrinth." There, the members are deployed to defend the legacy of the master craftsman (Daedalus).

"Commander, the Hestia Familia has made a move."

"Is that so... Inform all members that 'something' is about to happen, and have the troops deploy according to the battle plan."

"yes!"