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

Although I successfully escaped the Freya Familia's encirclement, I was extremely reluctant. They must have already discovered our escape. I couldn't even imagine what these people, who mistakenly thought I was planning to kidnap Seele, would do.

My master might chop me into eight pieces and throw me into the sea to feed the fish!

I should have known better than to agree, but it's no use saying anything more now.

That being said—

"Let's go, Mr. Bell!"

Seeing Miss Seele's radiant smile beside me, I could only offer a wry smile in return.

"Got dumped, meow!?"

Anya exclaimed in surprise.

When they finally realized that Bell and the others had disappeared without a trace, Lunova, Chloe, and Ryuto were all greatly surprised.

"Have we been left behind?"

Ais was very surprised.

Having finally managed to locate Bell and the others, Hestia was thrown into confusion when this happened so soon after they were within eye contact. She exclaimed, "Huh!? Huh!?"

"You've been left behind!?"

Allen roared in anger.

Feeling uneasy about the apparent involvement of the Sword Maiden, he spat and was about to set off to keep an eye on her when he received this report, which immediately sent a chill down the spine of the member responsible for relaying the message.

“Really…”

Hedin let out a long sigh.

Only the elf's sharp eyes spotted the boy and girl escaping from the dark alley, but he deliberately ignored them and ordered his eager members to set up an encirclement in completely different directions.

"Find them!!"

The commotion that occurred on the day of the Goddess Festival reached its climax.

I took Miss Seele and fled to the northwest district of the city.

Try to avoid traveling through main streets, and instead choose alleys or complex lanes where it is easy to hide.

The commotion that came from afar... no, it was a series of angry roars, further emphasizing the fury of the Freya Familia.

After all, my taking away their guards without permission is a provocation to them. If I get caught, I'll be in deep trouble!

"Haha!"

I don't know if Miss Seele understands my feelings, but she just keeps smiling!

She seemed delighted to finally be free from her guards—free at last, and her expression was the happiest it had been today.

This was the first time I had ever seen her laugh so heartily. It was as if even the act of running at full speed filled her with joy, her five fingers tightly clasped around mine.

We walked through narrow alleys lined with various shops, and passersby were startled by our rapid running and either made way or stopped to watch us go.

Holding a suitcase and dressed in a sharp suit, I was holding hands with Miss Seele, who was dressed in a formal dress. To onlookers, we probably looked like a butler and a young lady from some wealthy family.

They would run as fast as they could to catch a ship that was about to set sail.

To be honest, my current state of mind is no different from that of a fugitive being hunted by a powerful mercenary group!

"It really feels like being in a fairy tale! Every day is never boring when I'm with Mr. Belle!"

"I'd definitely say no to that kind of life!"

Ahead is a small stone bridge built over the river.

We finally stopped when we reached the middle of the bridge. I let go of Miss Seele's hand and we both gasped for breath.

Despite being a high-level adventurer, I was now completely out of breath. I felt both fear and dread towards my provoked opponent, causing my heart to pound and my breathing to become erratic.

I wiped the sweat from my chin with my hand and couldn't help but bend over and put my hands on my knees.

"I'm sorry to make such a difficult request of you, but I feel so light and happy right now, really... really happy."

I turned around and saw Miss Seele with rosy cheeks and one hand on her chest.

She was breathing heavily, her full breasts rising and falling with each breath.

I feel that Miss Seele has finally revealed her true personality, and she is gradually no longer using honorifics in her speech.

—It seems that comparing Miss Seele to some rich young lady back then was the most apt description.

Miss Seele at this moment was so refreshing that I couldn't help but laugh.

We looked at each other on the deserted bridge, with the blue sky above us as our only audience.

"Speaking of which, I didn't expect you to actually manage to escape from under the noses of those first-level adventurers... You've unknowingly become a very skilled adventurer."

Miss Seele smoothed her messy hair with her hands and smiled as if she were proud of me, which made me smile wryly in return.

What's impressive is the magical artifacts Mr. Fels made... and I always had a feeling—of course, it's just intuition—that we haven't been threatened by pursuers until now, all thanks to my master's intervention.

It felt like my master sighed and then cleaned up the mess for his unworthy disciple.

(That being said... the enemy has a large number of people, and things are not going to go well if this continues. Even if we can't hold out until things calm down, it would be better to find a place to hide first...)

As a high-level adventurer, my intuition kept reminding me of this.

Even though Orario is vast, running around aimlessly will definitely get you caught.

After all, I have experienced firsthand the terrifying power of sheer numbers when fighting against the Apollo Familia and the Ishtar Familia.

And I also wanted to let Miss Seele rest for a while...

"Huh...? Could this be...?"

I turned my head to look around and noticed something.

This is the northwest part of the city—the very center of District 7.

This area is characterized by its antique stone buildings, which I visited earlier during my "exploration" phase.

The "building" I arranged on the date itinerary just happened to be located nearby.

"...Miss Seele, I'd like to go somewhere next. Would you like to come with me?"

"I'd be happy to. Where is the place you're referring to?"

Looking into those pale gray eyes that revealed the joy in their hearts, I smiled back and gave my answer.

"It's Da Jing Tang."

This building, which includes a clock tower, is said to be 100 meters tall.

The building's facade features striking, enormous stained-glass windows, flanked by two clock towers, creating a powerful presence. The walls are adorned with intricate bas-reliefs. Looking around, one can't help but wonder how the craftsmen managed to complete such exquisite carvings in such a prominent location.

It is both majestic and solemn.

This building, which commands respect from anyone who sees it, is called the "Great Church of St. Flanders".

This is one of Orario's famous landmarks, and you can often hear travelers mentioning its name.

"There are two of us. May we go inside for a visit?"

"You are [White Rabbit's Feet]... I'm sorry I didn't recognize you immediately, please come in."

We arrived at the gate and paid the entrance fee to the male guild staff member who was acting as the counter.

Perhaps due to their profession, they were always particularly respectful when facing high-ranking adventurers. The staff member initially seemed a little surprised, but quickly smiled and let us through. "Looks like you've become quite a celebrity," Miss Seele teased me in the ear. "Please don't take this opportunity to make fun of me," I said, feeling embarrassed, as I walked towards the central gate with its three doors side by side.

Passing through the gate under the gaze of the fairy and knight reliefs on the door, we are greeted by an infinitely vast space.

"Wow...that's spectacular."

Miss Seele voiced my amazement on my behalf.

The central corridor, plus the long corridors on both sides, is likely sixty meters wide. It's also twice as deep. The ceiling is exceptionally high, reflexively making one want to look up in awe.

There is a mural on the ceiling, also featuring fairies and knights. Unlike the relief, this one includes a saint, with a knight beside her grievingly embracing the fairy's remains.

Besides the murals on the ceiling, the left and right corridors are arched and have a row of windows, stone pillars and silver statues. There are also many benches in the hall.

The view that comes into view can be described as a large church.

"Originally, entry was prohibited inside, but I heard it was opened to the public to coincide with the Goddess Festival... I'm sorry, but I really want to come inside and see it."

"Hehe, you don't have to mind, I'd also like to visit this place."

In this solemn environment, where one hesitates to make a sound, we reflexively lowered our voices to talk.

As we walked along the corridor, I put my hand on my head and gave a wry smile, while Miss Seele returned the smile as if she couldn't help but chuckle. In the long corridor lined with massive stone pillars, warm sunlight streamed into the room through the stained-glass windows on the side, making it so bright that I had to squint.

Guild staff, adventurer volunteers dressed as priests, and goblins were on site maintaining order, but the number of visitors to the temple was less than expected. Most were probably enjoying the festival or visiting other attractions. Small groups of tourists occasionally stopped to observe the various art forms with curiosity. Of course, I'm not qualified to judge others.

We toured the interior clockwise from the left-hand corridor, and after some time we finally arrived at the deepest part of the main hall.

Beneath the giant stained-glass window, painted with knights and saints, in blue and purple.

There was a crystal coffin with an exterior meticulously decorated with pale metal.

This is the altar—the chapel—where the "spiritual relics" are kept.

"This is……"

"I've heard that the remains of the 'Fairy Spirit' are kept inside. There are many different opinions about this... Some say that a beautiful fairy spirit girl lies inside, others say that the fairy spirit turned into countless crystals and was preserved inside, and still others say that the fairy spirit became a 'Fairy Spirit Sword' after being 'weaponized'."

"Is this the 'miracle' of the 'Fairy Spirit'...?"

"This coffin has been completely sealed and no one has opened it to this day... I've heard that the only thing that's certain is that this coffin has been guarding the water spirit inside for over a thousand years."

Sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows, illuminating the pale coffin, which I observed intently.

As I explained this to Miss Seele, I felt a little like crying for some reason.

Besides being fortunate enough to peek inside the Jingtang, I was perhaps also influenced by the solemn atmosphere.

However, the main reason is probably that he is familiar with the "history" of this building.

"Mr. Bell, have you always wanted to visit here?"

"Yes, if I were to bring Miss Seele here for a visit... I think this place is the most suitable so that you can understand my hobbies."

The Great Hall of St. Flanders is one of the historical monuments built based on a certain heroic tale.

This is both a story that actually happened in Orario and an "ancient" relic that proves this history.

In fact, there are many such buildings in Orario, and they are all actively maintained. The Tower of Babel is a prime example.

Within the northwestern part of the present-day city, there are many temples and churches built before the age of the gods. For example, there are related buildings near the former stronghold of the Hestia Familia, the "Church Chamber." I suspect that church is also a remnant of a structure built in "ancient times."

At the same time, I was surprised that such a magnificent "Great Hall of Saint Flanders" was so little known within Orario. The reason is that, with the Great Hall as its center, the city contains various buildings that are even larger and more spectacular than the Great Hall, making one deeply realize just how vast and complex the labyrinth city is.

"In the 'Labyrinth Oratoria,' there's a very famous heroic tale called 'Flanders of Water and Light'..."

"Ah, I know this story. The children at the orphanage kept asking me to read them storybooks, so I chose this one."

In fact, I have visited this large hall several times. For me, a fan of Heroes' Tale, it is just as important as the "Adventurers' Graveyard" which enshrines the monuments of various heroes, and is a must-see attraction.

Since the altar was specially opened to the public today, I really wanted to come and visit it.

"I remember the story was about the knight and the fairy teaming up to fight against monsters from the underground, and they even got married in the end, right?"

"That's true in fairy tales, but it's not actually like that."

"what?"

Just as Miss Seele looked at me with a surprised expression, other people came to visit as well.

So we stepped aside from the altar and sat down on the bench in the middle of the front row.

"When the knight Flanders met the fairy, he swore he would love her forever, but later he was attracted to the saintess who had always admired and supported him... and in the end he chose the saintess."

"...Is this true?"

"Yes, the fairy was heartbroken and shed enough tears to turn this land into a lake... Later, because of love turned to hate, she decided to kill Flanders."

Although the descriptions of the tears are probably exaggerated, the brackish lake in the southwest of the labyrinth city and the waterways that run through the city are said to have originated from this fairy.

This is what I found out by working with Ms. Haruhime, who watched the same Heroic Tale.

"So, how did it end?"

"The epic tale I read... was about a fairy who wanted to kill a knight, but ultimately succeeded in protecting the one she loved."

"Protect?"