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

After the monster was defeated by the adults of other races who arrived, Dimna roared.

That was an outburst of emotions he had accumulated since he was born into this world.

He shook off the adults' outstretched hands, ran away from the tear-soaked remains of his parents, and impulsively ran wildly through the night forest. Ignoring the rain falling from the dark sky, he stumbled several times. Unconcerned about his cuts and lacerations, he ran towards the riverbank. Then, alone, he faced the sky and wept incessantly.

After daybreak, the rain had stopped.

As the tears dried in those beautiful blue eyes, Dimna's expression changed.

It was as if they had grasped the truth.

As the dawn sunlight streamed down from the mountaintop, the shimmering water reflected the sunlight, and a salmon leaped across it.

After that, Dimna abandoned his name.

When he buried his parents himself, he returned everything he had received from them, except for the title 'Dimna' that they had bestowed upon him.

Instead, he named himself "Finn." "Finn" means "light" in the Lilliputian language. Entrusting all his resolve to this name, the boy left the village.

To achieve racial revival.

Give hope to the newborn life and light up the world of little people.

I will dedicate everything to this.

His thumb, which had been aching slightly since the very beginning, whispered a declaration to him.

"You have no chance. Face reality."

"Shut up. My mind is made up."

He was ten years old.

The erudite, intelligent, and ambitious Finn Dimna was thus formally formed.

This is a premature formation.

In the distant future, even after he became a first-class adventurer in the labyrinth city, he continued to exist as "Finn." This was to repay his parents who saved him and showed him hope, to bring the light of hope to his people and dispel despair, and to change everything about the little people.

This is the story of the man who would later be known as the "Brave Warrior".

Blown by the wind, the windmill's blades turned leisurely.

The fountain in the main square shimmered, and the shops lining the street sold fruits, grains, and fish freshly caught from the river. Perhaps because the harvest festival was approaching, colorful flags tied to ropes fluttered against the blue sky.

The villages where people lived were filled with bustling noise.

"Haha~! The lower realm is really nice!"

In the grand square where humans and demi-humans come and go, there is a pillar that shouts jubilation.

Her hair was a deep crimson, like the color of dusk, and her eyes were narrowed into slits like a fox's. Her exquisitely beautiful face and slender body complemented each other perfectly; though it was difficult to tell whether she was male or female, she was undoubtedly a goddess of considerable stature.

The goddess Loki, with her back to the fountain from which clear water gushed forth, opened her arms as she gazed at the expansive scene unfolding in her vision.

"Unlike the boring 'Heavenly Realm,' this place is bustling and chaotic, and most importantly, it's full of energy!! Those gods with their dead fish eyes are gone, it's brimming with life! Hmm, my heart is pounding!"

Loki is a god who has just descended from the 'heavenly realm'. Just half a day ago, he descended on the plains outside the village and finally arrived at this lively village after a great deal of effort.

The word "futile" overflows to the point of being endearing.

Society is established by the connections between people, and people make a living in it.

This was completely different from the vast, silent, and desolate 'celestial realm'. Everything was new and exciting.

They didn't hesitate to kick away other gods who had a much higher chance of forcibly seizing the lower realm they had been eagerly anticipating.

Being able to witness firsthand the present-day life of the people in the lower realm is truly moving. What's most exciting is that I myself have become a member of the lower realm as a 'god'.

"After all, the goddess Freya and the powerful god Tohru beat us to it. We need to create our own 'strongest familiar'!"

She spoke like a child caught up in the noise, her eyes following the orc children running past her, a smile playing on her lips.

"I'm not interested in 'The Promised Hero' or anything like that... but if I'm going to do it, I should aim for number one!"

Loki uttered the whispers that had disappeared into the hustle and bustle, secretly bolstering his spirits.

She took a deep breath, preparing for what she was about to do.

Then, in the instant he turned around, he suddenly shouted.

"Help! Anyone want to join our clan?!"

Hearing the loud noise spreading across the middle of the road, people couldn't help but turn their gaze in this direction.

But once they realized it was the work of God, the pedestrians all looked like they had seen through it all and continued walking forward.

"Oh dear, I'm being ignored~ The children in the mortal realm are so indifferent. Oh well! I'll just go up and try to persuade them!"

After several unsuccessful attempts to persuade him, Loki decided to take action himself.

She began to smugly strike up conversations with the demi-humans she had her eye on—limited to cute and beautiful young women.

"Oh, that beauty over there! How about joining my clan?"

"I'll go first."

"Shocking! Joining now means joining a 'Familia' for just the two of us! Come and claim my first time!"

"Haha...sorry."

"Hey, you stylish fairy charcoal, how about we make a marriage contract?"

"This really annoys me, get out of here."

Humans, orcs, fairies—Loki extended invitations to over 30 women in total. Rejected by all of them, Loki was then given a severe beating by the reality known as the Lower Realm.

"Seriously! Everyone's totally clueless! Or rather, this difficulty level is way too high!!"

Is this what they call "sinking without a trace"? Loki, having failed to flirt with, no, to persuade, all his attempts, simply looked up at the heavens.

Returning to the large square where the fountain is located, I felt utterly lost and helpless.

"That's what they mean by 'the first bunch of gods to arrive were all wicked,' which gave people the idea that 'it's better to mind your own business'! Damn it, those idiotic gods!"

While he wasn't entirely wrong, Loki pretended to be oblivious to his own despicable behavior. As for her, who, like father, like daughter, constantly struck up conversations with girls, they were starting to look at her with annoyance.

"But the period immediately following the arrival of the gods is the most difficult, I know that all too well."

This is just the beginning, she muttered.

[Family]. Gods and their retinues are of one mind and body; in exchange for receiving blessings, the retinue must serve the god. This is common knowledge among the inhabitants of the lower realm, beyond question. At the same time, the danger of conflict between chief gods with hostile relations also exists. Therefore, those who join a group with the rash idea of ​​"seeking excitement in a peaceful life" will inevitably suffer. This has led to the saying that "the most important thing when choosing a [Family] is that the chief god must be a god of high character." Only at this time can the inhabitants of the lower realm be the judges, and they must discern the true nature of the god.

"Perhaps the fact that this is a peaceful village also plays a role. Monsters are kept out by the walls and guards, so it seems there's no need for any 'familiar' or anything like that."

Loki's village is called "Prebrika".

This is a village built along the river at the foot of the mountain.

All the buildings are made of stone. The roads are well paved with stone slabs, seemingly prepared to facilitate the frequent passage of traveling merchants and their carriages. There are also many inns. It's a place that's neither quite a village nor quite a city—a rather delicate place.

But Loki really liked the village. First of all, the fact that there were so many cute girls was a big plus. In the large square in the center of the village, where the fountain was located, children were running around laughing. The huge windmill gave one the feeling of 'this is the Netherworld'.

But what if I've chosen the wrong starting point? I specifically picked a remote place. Just as Loki was gazing at the sky and thinking this,

"—Found it"

I heard that sound.

"Um?"

She shifted her gaze from the sky and, through the gaps in the pedestrians, saw a boy.

A short, childlike creature with a mature smile on its face.

His golden hair shone, he was dressed as a traveler, and carried a long gun wrapped in cloth—a gun disproportionate to his physique.

He walked through the crowd and straight to Loki's side, as if confirming something, and licked his right thumb, which was not holding a spear.

"You're the one!"

"What are you saying?"

"You're just right"

He narrowed his beautiful, lake-like blue eyes and pointed this way.

"I want to join your [Family]."

Then, he was explicitly named.

Loki was genuinely startled by this.

It is extremely rare for a child to specifically request to join a yet-to-be-established "familia." The first member of a family often forms a special bond with the main deity, creating karmic connections that can be for better or for worse.

Turning back to look at the little human who had come from the opposite direction and pointed out their name.

The smile on his lips was exactly the same as before. It looked fearless and radiated confidence. "He seems like an arrogant brat," Loki thought for the first time.

"What, are you hesitating as a god? I've been observing your clownish behavior ever since. You should be more than happy to join me, right?"

Let me correct it.

It's not just a matter of appearances; he is undeniably arrogant.

"Besides, I don't think a god who has just descended to the mortal realm can choose their situation as they please, right?"

Furthermore, he possesses an insightful eye that allows him to see through the situation based on even fragmented information. And he is a beautiful young man who could be mistaken for a woman.

Loki's favorite type is cute girls, even though he's a man... but she's his "type." Not in a strange sense. It means that while he appears to be a cheerful and gentle little man, he actually exudes an aura of "cunning." In other words, a capable person.

This child is perfect for me. Loki, sensing this intuitively, unconsciously smiled.

"While I'm also curious about many things, like why you chose to talk to me... let's ask your name first. What's your name?"

The boy answered with a smile.

"Finn Finn Dimna"

The period immediately following the descent of the gods to earth is the most difficult.

As far as Loki herself has said is concerned, she is incredibly lucky.

After all, she won the lottery.

It's like rolling a die and suddenly winning a huge sum of money.

This is how Loki and Finn met.

After giving their names, Loki and his companions arrived at a tavern with a sign shaped like a wine glass.

"Finn, is that what you call him? How old are you?"

"Fourteen. I've been away from home for four years, honing my physical strength while honing my knowledge. Now I can defeat monsters on my own, and I think it's time to find a god with whom I can form a contract."

Inside the bustling shop, Loki and Finn sat down at a two-seater table and began introducing themselves. Although it was mostly Finn doing it.

On the table were pan-fried beans and herb-baked fish, along with an incredible number of wine bottles for a lunch.

Of course, Finn paid for it on Loki's behalf, who was penniless. The god, who drank heartily without any hesitation, was so impressed by the wine from the mortal realm that he exclaimed, "Kuh! This rough taste... I think I'm getting addicted to the wine from the mortal realm too!"

"So, you really chose us based solely on 'intuition'?"

"That's right. My thumb started hurting when I saw you. Over the past four years, I've come to trust this intuition more and more."

"Hmm~, 'intuition'? So, that means I've caught your eye?"

"Yes, that's exactly it. That's what my thumb claims. It says that being with you will allow me to climb the ladder... to become a shortcut to my ambitions."

He's truly a petty thief who doesn't know his place. The child actually uses a god as a stepping stone; the roles should be reversed. However, Loki didn't seem bothered at all.

Loki has taken a liking to Finn. He likes Finn's arrogant and disrespectful attitude, despite his seemingly upright character.

I admire this awareness of using the gods without any scruples for one's own ambition.

"Hey, Finn?"

"Just call me Finn. And what's with the way you're calling me? It's giving me the creeps."

"Hehe, so, Finn? What are your ambitions?"

Faced with this question, Finn straightened his posture and answered directly.

"The revival of my race... the Lilliputians"

Amidst the clamor of the tavern, a declaration, incongruous with the occasion, burst forth, resounding powerfully.

"The dwarves need light. A new hope that can replace the fictional goddess Fiana."