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

"...Since you're capable of tunneling through all by yourself, why not just build an escape route to the 14th floor first...?"

"After receiving the news, the Ganesha Familia and other factions on the surface should have already taken action, so we can leave this to them. With their large numbers of people, they will definitely be more efficient than me handling it alone."

Faced with Luke's honest words, Lefia calmly answered as she walked along the ice cave.

Working together to dig a proper route can indeed effectively shorten the time, but right now it is more important to meet up with Nano and the others as soon as possible. Moreover, the two who set off first are much closer to Nano and the others than the rescue team.

When Lefia showed no intention of changing the priority of her objectives, Luke replied with "You're right" in agreement.

"We've had really bad luck; we haven't been able to find the 'vertical pit' that leads to the lower level."

Although Lefia moved through the collapsed dungeon using methods that defied common sense, she was ultimately limited by what was known as mental strength. Most importantly, as she said, it was very inefficient.

Instead of following the proper route, Lefia sought out the "vertical pit," a shortcut that would quickly lead to the lower levels. This way, she wouldn't have to wander through the maze and could reach the 18th level in one go.

Although Luke couldn't help but have the self-destructive thought that "she might as well use her magic cannon (spirit bow light arrow) to create a vertical crater under her feet," such an action was still too barbaric among the countless actions tacitly permitted in the dungeon. After all, doing so would inevitably kill any adventurer who happened to be directly below, and there was also a high chance of causing a collapse.

Lefia's wide-area annihilation magic (Advanced Sword of Victory), inherited from the royal family (Riveria), allows her to probe "horizontally" but cannot detect "vertically".

"However, we have already reached the 16th floor. We only need to find one more 'vertical pit' to go to the 17th floor."

"That's true... but it's taking longer than we expected. Putting us aside, I'm worried about Nano and the others."

As Luke said, this is the 16th floor.

They finally made it here after a difficult journey from the 15th floor, which had been hit by a landslide.

Luke glanced at the pocket watch that Lefia had taken out and realized that the "Seventh Squad" had been infiltrating the dungeon for almost half a day.

They're almost breaking their record for the longest time they've stayed in the dungeon.

Logically, he should be feeling physically and mentally exhausted by now...

(...But I'm not tired at all right now.)

It seems the dungeon is prioritizing repairs to the terrain damaged by the collapse, and no monsters have been spawning since. Furthermore, monsters naturally won't spawn in the "ice cave" created by Lefia—once the dungeon walls are frozen.

Although they weren't crushed to death by the collapse, the surviving monsters will still appear, but their numbers are considerably fewer than usual. While Lefia is technically a defender, she's also able to kill monsters faster than Luke, so honestly, it's best to just leave it all to this elf to handle alone.

(It seems like I've become someone who's dispensable...?)

Luke couldn't help but question the very existence of the striker (himself).

This made him feel even more inferior.

This situation naturally led Luke to become less talkative, and a silence gradually settled between him and Lefia.

"...Luke, may I ask you an awkward question?"

"...What kind of awkward question are you referring to?"

Lefia seemed unable to bear the silence any longer and asked a question.

A look of suspicion appeared on Luke's face.

"It's less about being embarrassed and more about this feeling being a bit narcissistic... Luke, you have feelings for me, don't you?"

Boom! Luke crashed headfirst into the ice wall to the side.

"Whoa! Are you alright!? Luke!! Did you slip!?"

When a younger female student suddenly brought up such an unexpected and astonishing topic, Luke blushed and yelled back.

"W-what are you saying?! How is this possible?!"

"Ah, you're right, that's great~ If you, who used to hate me, suddenly fell in love with me, it would honestly give me a real headache."

After Luke loudly refuted the argument, he was deeply wounded by the other party's smiling reply (counterattack).

Lefia didn't notice Luke, who was walking unsteadily, and she looked genuinely relieved.

"Actually, Nano said some strange things to me, saying that you seem to have feelings for me."

"...So you think my silence for the time being is also due to this reason?"

"Yes, if you come into the maze with romantic feelings, I will have to reprimand you severely. Ah, that's great. Actually, I've been hesitant about how to handle this."

Damn it, this woman seems so happy.

Whether it was anger, sadness, or a desire to cry, Luke clenched his fists, his fists trembling slightly, overwhelmed by a mix of emotions.

Who would directly ask the person involved?

I (Luke) don't like anyone! That's right, I have absolutely no feelings for this woman!!

The point is, even if you really have feelings for someone, if asked, "Do you like me?", no one would immediately confess, "Yes, I like you!"

This fool who doesn't understand love!

I really do hate her!

Luke, his cheeks flushed, stared at the celestial elf in front of him, whose mind had completely switched to the "teacher" mindset in order to fulfill the "instructor's position".

"You've finally cheered up."

"what?"

"I hope you don't underestimate yourself. The reason I seem omnipotent is simply because I have more accumulated 'experience' than you."

Looking at Lefia's slight smile, Luke couldn't help but widen his eyes.

"Therefore, you don't need to feel inferior. Besides, I am your mentor, so it's only natural that I would strive to perform well, isn't it?"

Faced with that smile, Luke felt a sense of shame unlike anything he had felt before.

Lefia probably saw right through Luke's thoughts and was worried that he would doubt his self-worth, so she put on this act to cheer up the depressed Luke... No, Lefia's words just now were definitely from the bottom of her heart, she didn't cry because of this (so annoying).

(I've once again developed a prejudice against this senior student...)

A closer look reveals that Lefia was constantly on guard, never neglecting to check the map, and continuously taking small amounts of the mental energy recovery potion she carried.

The reason there were so few monsters along the way that Luke didn't need to intervene was because Lefia chose the easiest and shortest path. She seemed to possess limitless mental strength; simply put, she always managed to replenish her supplies at the optimal time to face this battle for survival.

Lefia is so impressive because she does what an adventurer "should naturally pay attention to".

In contrast, Luke failed to do what an adventurer "should naturally pay attention to," and he didn't even understand it.

That's all there is to it.

The boy learned another lesson, this time making him completely forget his inferiority complex.

"Luke, are you still wavering?"

"...To be honest, there is a bit of that. After all, I didn't expect to encounter such a severe natural disaster... no, it's more like the 'malice of the terrain.' I believe Nano and the others think so too."

After passing through the ice cave, they were attacked by "hellhounds" as soon as they turned a corner. The two of them dealt with them at the same time, and continued on their way after dealing with the "magic stones".

"Then, you have grown once again. This is the dungeon. Even on floors with a difficulty level that is very low for your level, adventurers (us) can still find themselves in danger or lose their lives."

Luke gasped.

Even the "middle level," known as the first line, still has ways to drive second-tier adventurer teams to the brink of defeat.

It can even easily take a life.

In fact, if it weren't for Lefia, Luke and his crew would have been wiped out long ago.

"Dungeons hunt down intruders"

Luke finally understood the meaning of those words.

This is the underground city.

In this underground world, deadly traps are set up everywhere.

"...Have you ever been in a near-fatal situation, senior?"

To avoid being too hasty, when the two took their first short rest since they had been trapped—

Luke accepted the water bottle that Lefia handed him after taking a sip, and casually brought up the question.

"If it weren't for Miss Ais and the others... if it weren't for my companions from the Familia, I'm afraid I would have died about fifty times over."

“Eh!”

Luke was stunned.

It's clear this is no joke.

The elf in front of me was very serious in claiming that he had experienced "more than fifty near-death experiences".

Even such a highly skilled mage has encountered so many dangerous situations?

It was probably because Luke wore his heart on his sleeve, so Lefia gave him a wry smile as he remained silent.

"When I was still at Lv.3 like you, I was actually more immature than you, and I always dragged my teammates down."

"...Even though you're this amazing now?"

"That's right, I finally reached this level after experiencing more than fifty near-death experiences. So I have to keep improving."

The elf, stronger and more mature than Luke, smiled again.

Just as Luke was so confused that he didn't care about drinking water, Rafia, who had been keeping a close watch on the surroundings, said in a serious tone:

"Luke, if you think I'm 'great'... then please pass on what I've taught to others, share these things that have become part of your being with as many people as possible."

As the halftime break ended, the elegantly beautiful elf continued, as if speaking to herself:

"Passing on the teachings of our predecessors to those who come after is the duty of the 'mentor'... This is the realization I gained during this mentoring experience."

Luke felt that these were "the words of a young girl (Lefia)," rather than a paraphrase of someone else's experience.

She truthfully expressed her understanding and feelings.

It is precisely because it contains real experiences and feelings that it was able to touch Luke's heart so deeply.

"Then, please save as many people as possible and minimize the occurrence of tragedies. Don't lose the people you cherish."

Luke couldn't help but shudder.

It was the sincerity contained within that made Luke involuntarily shiver.

He even forgot he should be on high alert and quickly looked at Lefia, who was sitting to the side.

The elf stared straight ahead, but his eyes reflected nothing.

(What are those eyes looking at, and where are they looking—? Who is the person you cherish?)

At that moment, images of Miria and Cole from the "Seventh Squad" flashed through Luke's mind.

And Nano, who is happy and laughing.

A childhood friend with an eccentric and meddlesome personality who always acts like an older sister.

Lefia's eyes—made Luke imagine the three important people lying in pools of blood, covered in wounds.

His lips trembled involuntarily, and he inexplicably felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

"Have you...lost anyone?"

By the time Luke came to his senses, the question had already slipped out.

"I killed her."

Luke was so surprised he forgot to breathe.

"Although there was nothing I could do, I did kill him with my own hands."

This is neither a confession nor a repentance.

For her, it was simply a fact.

As if she were forcing the dark side of the labyrinth out of the girl's heart, she revealed this information to Luke.

Luke had no idea what had happened.

Perhaps because the other person was too badly injured, Lefia ended their life to prevent them from suffering any longer.

Perhaps it was in order to ensure the survival of himself and his companions that he tearfully abandoned them.

Luke didn't know the answer, and that wasn't important at the moment.

Does Rafia realize what kind of expression she's making right now?

Did she realize what kind of look she was giving?

"...!!"