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

"To avoid upsetting you again, I will strive to become stronger. And to fulfill your wishes, I will do my utmost to guide you."

These are all Rafia's heartfelt words.

Having lost someone she cherished during a fierce battle, Lefia, who was only focused on becoming stronger, finally realized this at this moment.

She couldn't be sure that this was Loki's intention in making such an arrangement.

However, through this mentorship, she felt that her horizons broadened and she successfully grew.

"Luke, if you still have any complaints, I welcome you to speak them out. Although you seem a little discouraged, I think your strength is your ability to express your opinions frankly."

“Wha-what!?”

Upon hearing this, Luke exclaimed in surprise, bewildered.

In the past, Lefia was a person who obeyed orders without question.

Even when Anachiti and Alicia came to the "school district", she never disobeyed anyone, just nodding happily like a house dog... No, even after she joined the Loki Familia, she remained unchanged, simply "continuing" her student self.

Luke, on the other hand, is different. He knows how to express his opinions, dares to defy those of higher status when he has doubts, and can also admit his mistakes as he is doing now.

This is truly something to be both envious and admiring.

Even though Luke felt ashamed and quite frustrated, Rafia still respected him greatly.

"Ming, didn't you just tell me not to disobey you...!?"

"But I'm not asking you to completely obey me, okay? If you have any doubts or feel that something is wrong, please feel free to tell me, and I will do my best to respond to you."

Doing this will definitely make those of us who receive education in the "school district" stronger.

After conveying this unspoken meaning, Lefia put the dagger and staff back into her belt.

Then she bent slightly and extended her right hand to the bewildered boy.

Lefia suddenly recalled a past event that seemed perfectly suited to the current situation, so she put it into words.

"Don't worry, no matter how many times, I will remind you and guide you back to the right path."

Lefia smiled slightly as she extended her right hand.

Looking at the "senior's" bright and sunny smile—

The boy, who was a "junior," felt his cheeks burning.

Her face was flushed as if she had a fever.

Side Story: Sword Oratoria 13 - Spirit Chase II

The helmsman displayed superb boating skills as he navigated the fjord, and the "school district" returned to the "port city of Mellen" after three years—though it was a newcomer for Rafia at the time.

"The 'school district' is back! Aaaaaaaahh ...

"Welcome back—!"

"What kind of adventure did you experience this time?!"

As the "school district" entered the port, Lefia felt inexplicably moved.

Countless people waved or waved flags along the shore to welcome them, and there was even a band playing live.

Since the "Return of the School District" is a major event in the port city (Melon), many residents of the labyrinth city (Oario) also came to participate. In addition to the port, people were jumping up and down with flags on the high platforms and rooftops, and innocent children were chasing after them, waving and greeting them.

The port city of Melron, which is equivalent to the "birthplace" of the "school district," seems to be praising the children who have traveled the world with the "school district" as if they were family, and welcoming them back.

"Wow, that's amazing, Yalisa! Although all the places we've visited have been very welcoming, this is the first time I've ever seen such a large crowd! It's like a triumphant parade from a storybook!"

"Yeah, that's right. I only enrolled in the school after leaving Orario last time... so this is the first time I've seen this scene!"

This is the outermost part of the academy level. The railings that prevent people from falling are crowded with students. Lefia and Alyssa, who are among them, are also very excited, and even have a strange feeling that they are about to experience a brand new adventure.

"Although you can only travel to the labyrinth city (Oario) after the 'internship' begins, you can freely enter and leave the port city (Merlen) from today onwards. Please enjoy the long-awaited land life to the fullest. That being said—"

"Over the years, it has been common for factions (familias) from Orario to attempt to make unauthorized contact and recruit members in the port city (Melon) before the official 'familia recruitment' period. Given such a warm welcome, it's understandable that students might lose their composure temporarily. While all of us fully respect your chosen path, we still urge you not to make decisions that could ruin your future due to momentary impulses—"

The "school district return trip" was ultimately a special case, unlike visiting other countries or towns. It even included a school-wide assembly where Principal Balde and Chief Teacher Lyon explained various precautions and communication matters.

Lefia was amazed that a port could accommodate the "school district," and she was deeply moved by the sight of almost all the residents of the port city (Mellen) coming to welcome her. However, she quickly regained her composure after the gathering—only when she later learned that while she was receiving a warm welcome, ships from other countries had also submitted countless petitions, she couldn't help but twitch her cheeks.

"Alright, I'll indulge myself a bit and celebrate my upcoming trip to Orario! I heard there are brothels in the port city (Melen) too!"

"If you dare to go, I will sever all ties with you, Badain."

"Ugh, how terrifying! Your attitude is so cold, it doesn't sound like you're joking! Yalisa! Please don't look at me like I'm dirty and try to uncover my new fetish! I'm obsessed with breasts!"

"Lefia, please lend me some money. I've spent all my savings on research."

"Sure...but Nathan, where do you want to go?"

"I'm going to 'Merren La Noodles'."

"Ramen?"

"No, it's 'Merlen Lamen'. This shop is located in a port city, yet its broth is made with pork bones instead of seafood—it's practically the most bizarre of the bizarre. And yet, it's so delicious it leaves you speechless. Even knowing it's unhealthy… your body instincts do the exact opposite… you crave that greasy food…"

"I see... By the way, what exactly is 'Lamen'?"

"All I can say is that it's a noodle dish with a broth as the main component and a variety of toppings. Although there are all kinds of noodle dishes in the world, none are as addictive as this. I tried it once on my last return voyage and became its captive."

"Oh... Ah, wait!? Nathan, you were already in the 'school district' three years ago!? Could it be that you, with your baby face, are actually older than me!?"

"Who are you calling a cute little boy, you brat? Don't make me give you an enema in a fit of anger!"

"babble!?"

Although the students were so excited to see the towering gray-white tower that they could hardly contain themselves, they all headed to the city with the same "early celebration" mentality as Badain (which is why Lefia knew so much about the merchants in the port city (Meren)).

The "school district" ship, which is undergoing a full overhaul in the dock, will remain moored in the port city (Meyron) for an extended period of time.

However, the school only mentioned the word "long period of time" without specifying a date.

Although the repairs can sometimes be completed in as little as six months, they have also taken as long as a whole year.

After all, if the repairs are not thorough enough, it will not be able to withstand the three-year journey around the world. If it were to break down and sink along the way, the consequences would be unimaginable (this "anchoring" happened to be the longest one and a half years, during which Lefia joined the Loki Familia).

Because the "school district" is in its longest anchorage period, it has become customary for a large number of applicants to flock to the port city (Melon) and the labyrinth city (Oario). In fact, the most common birthplaces for students within the "school district" are also the port city (Melon) and the labyrinth city (Oario). Therefore, one of the reasons why so many people come to greet them on their return journey is that their own children are also on board. Many students take advantage of this "early celebration" period to return to their hometown in the port city (Melon) and enjoy time with their families.

From various perspectives, the "school district return" incident can be considered a phase in some respects.

The "school district" that has nurtured many adventurers in Orario only holds a so-called "graduation ceremony" during this period—more precisely, a school anniversary celebration that all students can attend, a large-scale event to welcome new students like Lefia who enrolled midway through the school year and to congratulate graduates.

This "graduation ceremony" will be held after completing a "special internship" in the labyrinth city (Orario).

This means sending students to explore the underground city.

"Everyone, please proceed carefully and don't disrupt the formation—Badain! Nathan! Don't act on your own as soon as I finished speaking!"

"You're being too neurotic, Yalisa! Just treat it like a normal field survey and do it boldly! After all, we're still 'upper-level' right now!"

"I've been here before. But more important than that, I want to collect the components that make up the dungeon, the soil, the walls, everything. All the samples I collected in the past have been used up in experiments. This time, I'm determined to unveil the mysteries of this absurd labyrinth myself..."

"Nathan! A monster is charging at us—!?"

After Orario's access was restricted, Lefia and her group of four immediately went to explore the dungeon.

Dungeon

This is a place that Lefia has heard countless times about in the "Vessen Forest." In "ancient times," it was known as the "Great Cave," a "monster furnace" and "demon's lair" that once brought humanity to the brink of extinction.

Lefia was very nervous at the beginning of the exploration.

Then she—quickly got used to it.

Although the sight of monsters actually emerging from the walls was eye-opening for her, and she was ambushed several times, the low-level monsters, "goblins" and "earth spirits," could be killed with a single blow. Even though she could indeed sense that they were stronger than their counterparts on the surface, Lefia and her companions had fought many more troublesome monsters during their travels around the world.

As expected, after completing the upgrade and reaching Lv.2, I became Superman.

People of this level would be the center of attention in other countries or towns, capable of traversing various dangerous areas, including the dungeons, one of the "Three Great Secret Realms of the World".

While Lefia and the others were hunting "goblins" and "earth spirits" in the "upper level," their understanding of the dungeon gradually turned into "just a place of this level."

"However, those adventurers who brush past us always seem to be different from us in some way. Though it's hard to put into words and it's unsettling, perhaps it can be described as 'efficiency'..."

"Hmm, the adventurers also have very large breasts; even if they aren't giant breasts, many are still quite beautiful..."

"It has nothing to do with the chest. However, I can understand what Alyssa is trying to say. Although our overall strength, including our level, is better, we have encountered situations where novice adventurer teams have earned more than us when we went to the gold exchange."

"First of all, the 'prerequisites' for extracting and collecting 'magic stones' from monster corpses are vastly different. After multiple reproductions, the 'magic stones' inside the chests of surface monsters become very small, sometimes even invisible to the naked eye when the body is dissected. On the other hand, the original individuals produced in dungeons, even the 'magic stones' from the upper levels, are at least 1C (Selchi) to 1.5C (Selchi), roughly the size of a fingernail. Since it can be used directly as a source of income, everyone would naturally try to improve 'efficiency.' I believe that the 'culture' of supporters developed for this reason. Although full-time supporters seem to be looked down upon, I think this profession is very useful when exploring dungeons—"

"I told you you were too noisy, Nathan!"

Leaving aside that one consistently brilliant individual, after each dungeon exploration, Yalisa and the others would hold discussion meetings in the dormitory's dining hall and actively exchange opinions with other "teams".

Just as Nathan was eager to analyze and interpret, the dungeon's ecosystem and its structure—where "the terrain automatically repairs itself and monsters spawn from the walls"—were indeed intriguing. Faced with this underground labyrinth that even changed its scenery as she went deeper, a labyrinth beyond human comprehension, Lefia's heart would race with excitement every time she reached a new floor.

Moreover, Lefia's behavior in the dungeon was inexplicably active.

The firepower, which could be called a "turret," always played a crucial role. The Seventh Squad had excellent teamwork, and with Nathan, who was only a Level 1 but had exceptional insight, giving instructions, the monsters were no match for Lefia's magical firepower.

This made Lefia feel omnipotent, like an all-powerful god.

After realizing that he was more active than anyone else in the world-famous dungeon, asking Lefia to stay calm and not get too excited was simply asking the impossible.

"Lefia is amazing! She actually managed to annihilate such a large group of 'orcs' in one fell swoop!"

"This, this is all thanks to your and Nathan's instructions, Alyssa... and Badain, who was wreaking havoc ahead, was also very capable."

"That's not true! Badain was able to launch his attack without any worries precisely because of your cover!"

Due to the nature of the dungeon's structure, "forwards" and "defenders" must each fulfill their specific roles.

Lefia's "magic" was already outstanding within the "school district" at the time, so in a sense, she could naturally stand out here. Therefore, Alyssa said excitedly:

"Perhaps you'd be perfect as an adventurer?"

Perhaps it was because of Alissa's words that Lefia became interested in the profession of "adventurer".

*

On this day, the "school district" was filled with an atmosphere of excitement that rivaled that of the return to the port city (Melon).

"Hey, isn't that the carriage?"

The students who had also gathered at the railing cheered enthusiastically when they saw the cat people and the female elf adventurer who had parked in front of the "school district" and stepped out of it.

"It's the Loki Familia!"

"A black-haired cat-person and a malt-colored elf... Could they be Alchat and Elrief!?"

"Aren't there any officers who are Level 1 adventurers?"

"You bastards, they're all Level 4!"

"How come a Level 4 isn't qualified to be a cadre...?"

"The Loki Familia is absolutely awesome!!"

The students in the "school district" went into a frenzy when faced with the Loki Familia's "recruitment."

Although Anachiti and the others seemed to be giving a wry smile, after the two waved, screams erupted from everyone present, regardless of gender. The situation was truly astonishing when Badane exclaimed, "That elf has amazing breasts! They must be even more magnificent when she's naked! I could tell at a glance!" Arisa and the other female students immediately erupted in fury, shouting, "You really should go to hell, Badane!!", "Please just die, Badane!!", "You'll never get near my two older sisters, Badane!!", seemingly serious about giving him a good beating. Lefia, witnessing this, was terrified.

Lefia had also heard about the Loki Familia's exploits, and although she didn't scream like the other students, she was still secretly very excited.

"A new hope to replace the gods (Zeus) and the goddess (Hera)"

"The Frontline of Dungeon Conquest"

"A large faction led by dwarven heroes, elven royalty, and great dwarven warriors"

The largest faction of Orario, so highly praised by the world.

Furthermore, they were a [familia] belonging to a noble royal family. To say that Lefia hadn't noticed them would be a blatant lie.

"Although we are here to recruit members for the Loki Familia... as you all know, this is the first time we, the Loki Familia, have participated, so we may not be clear about some of the rules. We hope you can be lenient with us."

"Now that we're here, we'll naturally scrutinize everyone carefully. I sincerely hope to find among you those who can fight alongside us."

Anachiti and Alicia, who booked the lecture hall for their briefing, were beautiful even in Lefia's eyes, perfectly embodying the image of "capable women," and were figures that even women couldn't help but admire.

It is well known that Loki refused to recruit graduates from the "school district" because of her discord with Baldr. It is said that she was also not very interested in this "familia recruitment". It seems that she only reluctantly sent people after the guild made repeated requests. Annaki and the others also arrived at the "school district" much later than scheduled.

Even so, Anachiti and Alicia moved in earlier than the other factions and held introductory sessions, always surrounded by students eager to chat or ask questions. Furthermore, the number of attendees skyrocketed after the introductory session for combat science students—essentially a simple "simulated combat" exercise. This was because Anachiti's swordsmanship and Alicia's magic and archery skills had captivated many.

Lefia felt that it was inappropriate to disturb the two of them for personal reasons.

Hello, fellow countryman.

"Huh... Huh?! Lady Alicia and Lady Anachiti?!"