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

"...Let's split up. We'll head to the guild, and the rest of you can ask around. Just like that idiot said, let's turn the whole city upside down and search."

Tiony, who was appointed by Finn to be the on-site commander, also agreed with what his sister said.

The Loki Familia has scattered throughout the city in order to gather intelligence.

*

"Hurry, hurry! Ais, Tione—!"

"Stop rushing me, honestly..."

Under the blue sky, the streets of Orario were crowded with demi-humans.

Tiona moved through the crowded streets with the agility of a monkey, waving to the two of them, leaving Tione dumbfounded.

Ais and the other two were heading towards the "Guild Headquarters" located in the northwest district of the city.

(...but I think the chances of finding any clues are very low.)

Just as Tione had guessed, Finn had indeed made a request to the "Guild".

However, they did not receive any contact from the other party for a long time.

In other words, the "guild" did not find any useful information either.

Although it's a bit embarrassing to say this to Tiona, it's best not to have too high expectations.

After all, it's like searching for a "grain of gold" in a vast desert, a search that may or may not even exist.

For Ais, the current situation is like a journey without end.

(...Lefia...)

With more questions to consider, she suddenly became interested in a certain elf girl.

The girl was the one who heard Thanatos mention "Nidhogg" firsthand, so naturally she wanted to hear her opinion. However, Ais was more worried about the girl's condition.

Tiona and Tione were probably thinking the same thing. The reason is that even if they didn't say it aloud, the sudden shadow falling over their profiles was proof enough. The fact that one of the four people who used to always act together was now missing felt like a gaping hole in their hearts, leaving them with a profound sense of loss.

Can she pull herself together?

Will she be able to show that radiant smile again, like a hundred flowers in bloom?

Ais silently raised her head and looked up at the unfeeling, clear blue sky.

"Honestly, while I can somewhat understand your feelings, Lady Amid has already warned you against exercising for the time being, yet you still frequently go out and run around!"

"Haha... Sorry, Lily."

Just then—

Two voices pierced through the crowd and reached Ais's ears.

That is—

Ais shifted her gaze from the sky back to the street, searching for the person who had spoken.

That person had white hair and deep red eyes.

She stared in shock as she spotted the boy walking towards her from the other end of the crowd.

"Ah! It's Argo, the little hero!"

Then came Tiona's happy call.

Because of the loud shout, the other party also noticed the presence of the three of them.

"Miss Tiona and Miss Tione? And... Miss Ais..."

The boy Bell Craney, whom they bumped into on the street, seemed just as surprised as Ais and the others.

"What a coincidence to see you here, little hero Argo! What are you doing?"

"Well... after returning from the dungeon, since my body has finally recovered enough to walk normally, I wanted to go out for a walk to clear my head..."

Tiona, who described herself as "a boy who seems to have stepped out of a fairy tale," beamed with delight as she spoke to him. Bell responded with a hint of surprise.

The boy was dressed in casual clothes, but he wore a strangely shaped "armor" on his left hand.

Many sheet metal pieces can be seen assembled on the elbows, upper limbs, and finger joints. At first glance, it looks like it was pieced together from pieces of armor, resembling a gauntlet missing parts of armor, or a prosthetic limb that is only half-finished. The silvery-blue, mysterious luster of the surface makes it easy to see that it is some kind of magical artifact.

It's probably an assistive device used to immobilize an injured arm.

Based on its excellent structure and level of completion, it is likely the work of Amed.

Beside Bell, who stopped in front of Ais and the others, stood a little girl.

Including Tiona, who went up to bother Bell, the girl seemed quite dissatisfied and rolled her eyes at Ais and the others.

"..."

"..."

Bell, who was talking to Tiona, suddenly turned his gaze to Ais.

Then, their eyes met.

"...You've returned from the 'Expedition'?"

The fact that the Hestia Familia embarked on their first "expedition" due to a mandatory guild mission was even reported in the city's news magazines.

The rising star—no, the brand-new Lv.4 adventurer, "White Rabbit's Paws," has become a hot topic and attracted the attention of all citizens, plunging the entire city into a frenzy.

As for now—

The boy standing in front of Ais has once again returned safely from his "adventure".

"……Um."

In response to Ais's question, Belle nodded quietly in affirmation.

His lips curled up slightly, and a shy smile appeared on his face.

Ais last saw Bell about four weeks ago.

I feel like he's become even more outstanding.

—Miss Ais.

I want to become stronger.

On the city wall where the sun rises, Bell once said this to Ais, and then bravely forged ahead with his own actions.

Ais, understanding the unspoken message, instinctively returned the smile.

She had so much to say to the boy, but at this moment she felt both envious and admiring of his pure and innocent way of life.

"Oh, right! Little hero Argonaut, have you seen this painting before!?"

At that moment, Tiona, suddenly remembering the important matter at hand, asked this question.

Bell tilted his head in confusion, only to see Tiona thrust a copy of the mural right in front of his nose.

"Hey, stop right there, you idiot Tiona!"

"We're gathering clues about this painting! Little hero Argo, you know a lot about the legends, right? The dragon in the painting is called 'Nidhogg,' do you know anything about it!?"

Seeing her silly sister asking everyone for confidential information, Tiona angrily rebuked her, but Tiona ignored her and approached the boy.

The Amazonian girl, perhaps out of trust, pounced on him like a large dog wanting to play, startling Bell into a cold sweat as he carefully examined the rubbings of the mural.

The drawing depicts six girls surrounding a black evil dragon.

"This painting..."

"Tiona, I already told you not to show this painting to everyone! How could [White Rabbit's Paw] possibly know—"

Tiony, who was holding his head in distress, hadn't finished speaking—

"Ah, yes, I know this painting."

The boy nodded frankly in response.

"--Huh?"

Tiony was so shocked she couldn't speak for a moment, and Ais was equally stunned.

Even Tiona, who asked the question, seemed to think she wouldn't get any useful information, and thus stared wide-eyed in astonishment.

"I saw this picture in a fairy tale book that my grandfather used to read to me. It brings back so many memories."

On the other hand, the person involved seemed completely relaxed.

He was completely unaware of the ordeal Ais and the others had endured because of this, and he squinted his eyes, lost in his memories.

Then, maintaining that smile, he said:

"Is this the 'Six Rings of Fairy Spirits' that destroyed the evil dragon Nidhogg?"

*

As the sun sets and night gradually envelops the sky, it is the time when dusk turns into night.

In his office at the Loki Familia headquarters, Finn muttered to himself in a low voice.

“So that’s what’s going on…”

The group included the leadership led by Finn, Riveria, and Grace, as well as first-level adventurers like Ais, liaisons Raul and Anachiti responsible for informing the lower-level members, and Loki, who had just returned to the Twilight Pavilion.

A tense atmosphere permeated the office.

In the center of the room, on a wide table made up of several tables, lay an enlarged copy of the design of the artificial maze.

Bert and the others stood in a circle around the map, while Finn glanced sideways at Ais.

"The Six Rings of the Fairy... Is that what Bell Craney said?"

"Hmm... He said that it was thanks to the power of these fairies that they were able to defeat 'Nidhogg'."

Ais nodded in response under Finn's gaze.

After Ais and her friends ran into Bell during the day, they asked him in detail about the story of "Nidhogg".

"There are no heroes in the story of Nidhogg."

—"In their place appeared six great immortals sent by the gods."

"These great fairies, at the cost of their lives, finally defeated Nidhogg."

What expressions did the three people make while listening to the boy's explanation?

What melody is playing in my heart?

"They sealed the dragon with a powerful barrier, and then they began to sing... I think it should be chanting."

— "After the [Grand Mystic Code] was activated, the ferocious dragon was finally defeated."

—That's what it said in the fairy tale book I read.

After listening to the explanation, Ais asked the following question in a trembling voice.

"This means the girl in the painting was neither a living sacrifice nor a supplicant to the dragon—"

Regarding this question—

The boy answered clearly from the outset:

"Hmm, I think it must be the six primordial immortals who wove this circular poem and destroyed the evil dragon."

The Six Primordial Immortals.

Circular poetry.

The implication is precisely—

"—Do you want to recreate the ancient 'secret technique' that destroyed the evil dragon in this labyrinthine city?"

Finn's cold and sharp words echoed in the room.

With her lips tightly closed, Rivera leaned out and drew six circles on the unfolded artificial maze map with a red pen.

One in the north and one in the south.

There are two on each of the east and west sides—one each in the northeast and northwest, and one each in the southeast and southwest.

This is an open area on the tenth floor of the man-made maze where a "fairy spirit clone" is confirmed to be hiding.

If you connect six circles with a line, you will complete a perfect circle, a "ring".