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

"!!"

"How can a sword that cannot keep its oath not become dull?"

In the lush green sea where only the two of them were, Ota succinctly put it.

The boar-man warrior turned his back to Ais and slowly disappeared into the morning mist.

Left alone in the battlefield (Fólkvangr), Ais bit her lower lip and looked up at the sky.

"...Bell."

I'm sorry──

Ais could only manage to utter these words in the end.

*

"What's going on here, Lloyd?"

The little people's voices carried a strong sense of condemnation.

Facing Finn Dimna's questioning gaze, a bead of cold sweat rolled down Guild Master Loiman Madil's cheek, but he still glared back firmly.

"As stated in the notification, the guild is unable to approve your [Loki Familia] participation in this war game."

The dwarves and elves faced each other across a table.

This is a small coffee shop located in an alleyway some distance from the main road.

Finn and Lloyd agreed to meet secretly here.

"Could you please provide a reason that is convincing enough for us?"

"I have no need to explain this, nor do I need to convince anyone. Your [Loki Familia] and [Freya Familia] are two powerful forces worthy of being called the 'City's Twin Heroes,' and you must continue to dominate Orario while maintaining a delicate balance, just like the strongest factions of the past (Zeus and Hera)!"

With his emphasis, Leuman had clearly expressed what he was thinking.

"Under no circumstances should Loki and Freya be allowed to clash head-on in the War Games, lest it turn into a lose-lose situation."

It was based on these ideas that he poured cold water on this "battle".

Moreover, he was probably prepared to provoke public outrage—even to force a decision in a near-dictatorial manner.

The evidence was that Lloyd could be seen frequently stroking his flabby belly with one hand, and his complexion was extremely poor. It's believed that many people within the guild also strongly opposed his decision, as if one could hear his rumbling stomach groaning.

In fact, the reason for choosing this secluded alleyway café for their secret meeting was also due to concerns about the attention Lloyd would receive from those around him. If word got out that the Brave had stormed into the Guild Headquarters to protest, Lloyd's prestige would plummet, deepening the discontent among adventurers and guild staff, and potentially igniting public outcry. If Lloyd were to fall ill under the pressure, it would be a complete waste of time. Therefore, Finn, with little other option, chose this café, provided by one of his guild members (an elf), as the meeting place.

Therefore, it is not hard to imagine that this order was a last resort for Leuman.

However, in Finn's eyes, this matter had nothing to do with him.

At this moment, his eyes were sharp, a stark contrast to his usual gentle and refined demeanor.

He simply couldn't accept this decision.

"Then why hold a war game? Why set rules? To avoid 'war' and change it to 'duel'... The reason for adopting the 'competition' format is to curb the 'casualties' that the guild doesn't want, right?"

"How dare you say that! An adventurer's verbal promises are completely unreliable!"

Lloydman vehemently refuted Finn's remarks.

Their attitude was so tough that they refused to budge at all.

"When have we ever avoided casualties because we easily believed your stories? In fact, it's rarer to avoid casualties altogether!"

Even if it is explicitly forbidden to "kill" enemy family members, people can still die if something happens.

This is the guild's perspective.

Even though it's merely a war waged by the gods, those who ultimately take to the battlefield are spirited adventurers. If the opponent is an opposing faction, the situation becomes even more serious, as rationality such as the "rule of stopping short of a fight" is thrown to the wind as the battle intensifies.

That being said, Finn saw all of this as hindsight.

The guild has always turned a blind eye to the casualties caused by the war game.

No, war games themselves actually encourage people to do this.

The main reason is that it's much better than the two sides fighting directly in the city. Secondly, they don't want to create a game to determine the winner, because the grudge between the gods will never dissipate no matter how much time passes. So they have no choice but to do this.

At the same time, this certainly contains the intention of "making the infighting between factions prompt adventurers to improve themselves."

From a certain perspective, war games are also a "trial" ground where those who are willing to make sacrifices can gain more benefits.

For example, the war game between the Hestia Familia and the Apollo Familia is a good example.

Contrary to most people's expectations, the Hestia Familia did not obediently become fodder for the Apollo Familia, but instead turned the tide and became famous in one battle. Bell, in particular, became a well-deserved rising star (super rookie) in that battle, making a name for himself as an outstanding adventurer. The rumor that he was a "new hero candidate" even spread throughout the streets and alleys.

Even though Leuman insists, "Don't confuse the labyrinth city (Orario) with the holy land of female warriors (Amazons) who are constantly and savagely fighting each other!", since this place is also known as the "City of Heroes," it is inevitable that conflicts will break out among those who aspire to become heroes.

But—

"Finn! Even I can see it! This will be the largest war game in history! The battles will be extremely fierce, leaving everyone struggling to survive, and all self-control and rationality will vanish! Even first-level adventurers will be no exception! This is exactly what it means to fight the Freya Familia!"

This commotion is just the beginning.

With their memories brutally altered through "charm," all the residents of Orario are being manipulated at will. Countless people must be enraged by such a trampling of dignity.

"I admit that the goddess Freya did indeed commit an unforgivable mistake! However, because so many people have been angered, the situation has become so serious that it's almost out of control! Vanargand, for example, is a perfect example!"

After the Werewolf Bert had his "Charm" shackles burned away by the Hearth Goddess (Hestia), he charged into the territory of the Freya Familia to wreak havoc. Even though the guild had issued a ceasefire order, Bert would never have given up if it weren't for Finn and the others helping to suppress him.

"This time, we absolutely cannot afford to fail! With the battle against the 'Black Dragon' imminent, we cannot afford to lose any of our first-class adventurers, let alone you, the Loki Familia, and Otto and the others...!!"

The final task entrusted by the three adventurers—to slay the "Black Dragon"—is both the responsibility and the duty of the Labyrinth City.

Once Finn and his companions are both severely wounded in their battle with Otto and his allies, their wish for the lower realm will not only be difficult to fulfill, but will also be completely hopeless.

This was the only thing that worried Leuman more than anyone else.

"But if we don't join the battle, the Hestia Familia and its allies will undoubtedly be defeated."

After hearing Lloydman's reasoning, Finn narrowed his eyes and uttered these words.

"...So what? Goddess Freya's only request is 'Bell Crane's conversion,' it's just an adventurer changing their familiar!"

Loemann paused for a moment, then retorted with a low growl.

"Even if the Hestia Familia is defeated, the city's combat strength remains completely unaffected!"

Finn for a long time...

It's been a long time since I've felt like making a heartfelt smack of my lips like this.

—The guild… no, Lloydman’s “bad habit” has struck again.

Overemphasis on the big picture leads to unreasonable behavior.

Lloyd, as the guild leader, is by no means an incompetent "guild pig," but he has a tendency to overemphasize the importance and urgency of matters while disregarding human relationships and morality.

It's the same this time.

To avoid the loss of the powerful urban fighting force of the Freya Familia, they prevented the Loki Familia from intervening and treated the Hestia Familia as a pawn to be discarded.

Even after such an "invasion," Lloyd still stood on the side of the Freya Familia.

Even though he will have to live under the threat of "allure" from now on, he will still restrain his emotions with iron-like rationality and will do everything he can to fulfill the mission of the labyrinth city and try to realize the world's "destiny".

From the perspective of a ruler, this move is perfectly correct, perhaps even the wisest judgment among those who care about the people. But at the same time, it is also a fallacy that cannot convince the world.

The Loki Familia, led by Finn and Bert, completely rejected this claim.

"What you're doing is nothing but a farce, Leuman."

"Because I had to turn this into a farce, Finn."

The two glared at each other angrily.

Faced with the hero's (Finn's) almost murderous gaze, the elf (Loyman) stared back with unwavering determination.

Such an attitude allows one to vaguely discern his level of awareness.

"...The format and rules of the War Game will be discussed and decided at the upcoming Conference of the Gods. We will uphold the principle of fairness and ensure that both sides have a chance to win. Let me state upfront that I do not wish for the Hestia Familia to lose."

"Given your usual style, how many people would actually accept your statement? At least my band members wouldn't agree, and I have no intention of forcing them to accept it."

Unlike his attempts to remain calm, Finn spoke with a vengeful tone.

Upon hearing this, Lloydman's face immediately turned red with anger.

His face flushed red... and he let out a heavy sigh.

Then it transformed into an incredibly haggard, aged face, and took something out of its pocket.

"Finn... take a look at this."

"?"

There was an "ice cube" on the table.

It is smaller than a short knife.

Upon closer inspection, the object was not ice at all, but a short sword with a damaged blade that had been frozen.

"This is……?"

Finn asked a question in confusion, and Lloydman answered truthfully.

"This was brought back from the 'Thousand Cang (Talia) Ice Garden'."

"!"

Finn's eyes widened instantly.

His gaze shifted back and forth between Loyman's face and the frozen dagger on the table.

"...Aside from her, were there any other achievements?"

"Only a few relics were found."

"...Where is the location?"

"The 'gap' between the 60th and 61st floors. That's all I can tell you for now."

Finn instinctively lowered his voice.

He asked after thinking for a moment.

"...Where's the 'key'?"

"They didn't find it; at least neither Zeus nor Hera found anything."

The store fell silent for a moment.

Finn, however, had the illusion that the world had stopped turning.

Lloyd immediately got to the point.

"If you promise not to participate in the war game, I'm willing to tell you all the information the guild currently has about 'Ice Garden'."

"!!"

"And it includes all the information, from detailed routes to the location of the territory. It might even allow you to launch an attack."

Finn was shocked once again.

Ignoring the stunned dwarves, Lloyd continued speaking in a very bitter tone.

"Even Zeus and Hera could only bring such small things back to Earth, but... you Loki Familia, who have that 'wild girl,' might be able to find the 'key.'"

Finn, whose mind was blank, almost ignored Lloyd's words.

He put his bewilderment aside and frantically tried to process the information in his mind... and asked a question before figuring out Lloyd's true thoughts.

Why did you choose this particular time to agree to release the intelligence?

"—Don't force me to say anything too harsh! You bunch of stubborn bastards!"

Loemann put on a fierce expression again.

"Actually, until you [Loki Familia] and [Freya Familia] are as united as Zeus and Hera, I have absolutely no intention of releasing this information!! If what the report says is true, the location of 'Ice Garden' is a den of dragons and tigers! Yet you guys are always at odds, never thinking of shaking hands and making peace! Now you're even preparing to fight!"

Lloyd was so angry that he slammed his fist on the table with a "thud".

He stood up and began to hurl insults at the enemy.

"Rather than letting you kill each other...!! It would be better to avoid conflict by releasing classified information!"

Loemann gasped for breath, his shoulders heaving, then plopped back down in his seat and kept his lips tightly shut.