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

It must be as he said. And then the "scars" on his body will continue to increase.

Bert seemed to dislike Rafia's clear eyes, so he maintained his mocking expression and hurled insults:

"That cunning elf is truly pathetic. The one who stayed behind is so useless, a half-baked fellow who can't even stand on his own two feet."

"...!"

"And you even took the weapon and used it without permission, which became your legitimate excuse. Although I have absolutely no liking for that woman, at least in this respect, I feel sorry for her."

After hearing this merciless insult, Lefia raised an eyebrow.

Her almond-shaped eyes widened—then her brows furrowed, and tears slowly welled up in her azure eyes.

"...Huh? Uh? What's going on?"

Bert's dumbfounded expression in the face of the reaction was almost comical.

"Why did you have to say something so hurtful?!"

"Uh, hey, shouldn't you be talking back to me now!?"

"Actually, I'm also quite bothered by taking Miss Philweis's sword without permission!"

Rafia kept wiping away her tears and began to wail loudly, which completely panicked Bert.

To onlookers, he looked exactly like a boy who teases a girl and makes her cry.

Because so much had happened, Lefia's mind was completely dominated by the thought of "wanting to change herself," leaving her no time to indulge in sadness—she couldn't even have a proper cry.

After the "school district" incident, Lefia realized that she no longer needed to pretend to be strong. The strong armor protecting her heart began to loosen, and then she was punched by the rude werewolf. She accidentally let all her emotions out.

The most surprised person was Bert himself.

He had thought Lefia had undergone a complete transformation and was worth training, which was why he provoked her, only to get this result. If Grace had been there, she would have definitely said, "That's why you have to change that awkward personality," and let out a heavy sigh.

Seeing Rafia crying her eyes out, Bert, who had completely miscalculated, didn't know what to do. He couldn't offer her a hug or pat her on the head to comfort her, leaving him looking utterly pathetic.

"...Hey, hello..."

"Ugh... Mr. Bert is an idiot!"

"........."

"Idiot~~..."

"...I think that woman doesn't want to see you looking like this..."

With his wolf ears and tail drooping limply, Bert could only think of this word of comfort.

Sobbing, Lefia looked up, her tearful eyes meeting Bert's embarrassed expression.

"You stupid wolf who made Lefia cry—!!"

"Whoaaaaaah!?"

"Lefia, you'd better stop training with that stinky wolf. He's no different from a wild beast who doesn't understand women at all!"

Tiona punched Feibert, while Tione hugged Lefia, patted her back, and then kicked the werewolf in the stomach without even looking.

They stood on the skywalk as usual, observing, and rushed down immediately upon hearing the crying.

Ais patted Lefia's head to comfort her.

"Don't joke around! You two beasts (Amazons) are no match for me!"

"Mr. Bert... is really terrible..."

"--Pfft!?"

Although Bert immediately stood up, he was dealt a fatal blow by Ais's icy gaze.

When Tiona and the others stopped fighting and started looking at the werewolf who was kneeling on the ground with disdain, as if he were trash—Lefia suddenly turned and ran away.

"Ah... Lefia!"

Even with Ais and the others calling from behind, Lefia still made it across the base camp's walls in one go.

Lefia fled in disbelief as the guards at the gate watched in astonishment.

The reason is simple.

She didn't want anyone to see her with red, swollen eyes from crying.

That's enough.

I even wanted to pull myself together and be a reliable elf.

The result proved that I hadn't changed at all.

Nothing has changed!

The crybaby Lefia is back. Feeling both pathetic and pathetic, yet inexplicably nostalgic, Lefia runs through the city, waving her arms as if she's transformed into a gust of wind, leaving passersby with bewildered expressions, wondering what's going on.

Lefia kept wiping away her tears with her hands.

I don't know where I should go.

All we can do is keep running blindly.

Finally, we arrived at that familiar high platform.

It was also a place where she had made a promise with someone to go see "Guangguan" together, but even visiting it broke her heart.

Until just now.

"Hoo-hoo...woo- ...

Despite being a high-level adventurer, Lefia was panting heavily, trembling slightly, and leaned her upper body back in one breath.

"Miss Philweis is an idiot! A complete liar! Heartless! What a big liar! She clearly promised to go see 'The Crown' with me!"

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, Rafia squeezed her eyes shut and shouted loudly at the blue sky.

This is precisely the resentment she has accumulated over time, hidden beneath her sorrowful past.

"I know you've been through tough times! But you could have talked to me about it! Maybe things would have been different then, wouldn't they!?"

"So what's wrong?! You always look so worried and make me anxious! Are you some kind of lonely little baby?!"

"But you're so beautiful and adorable when you smile! How can anyone just ignore you?!"

"And you clearly said you were worried about me, but in the end you accepted Dionysus's request without question! You're exactly the kind of woman Loki described who would be deceived by a scoundrel! Miss Philweis is awful! So disillusioning! -- Just kidding! Actually, I like you the most!"

"But Miss Philvis ultimately chose to leave with the gods! She values ​​men more than female friendship, right?! Never mind you! Hmph!!"

Although the conversation turned into insults and complaints, Lefia still managed to vent all the words she had been holding back.

"Miss Philvis! Miss Philvis~! I love you! I love you the most! I will never forget you! I will never forget you in this lifetime~!!"

Rafia, clinging to the hope that Philweis might hear her from heaven and frighten her into a panic, repeatedly shouted and shouted, conveying all her thoughts.

She has finally conveyed what she had always wanted to say.

When the tears have all dried—

Lefia, panting heavily and with her shoulders heaving, slowly revealed a smile.

Then she raised her head, looked up at the cloudless blue sky, and said:

"So... I'm going to keep moving forward."

She will never go back to who she was, nor will she allow herself to go back on her path.

That's what I was thinking, but I felt inexplicably refreshed and relaxed.

The crybaby Lefia has graduated and become a somewhat dignified elf, but as expected, she still sheds tears in certain places.

Repeat this process over and over again, and gradually transform yourself into someone who is no longer anyone else—a powerful version of yourself.

Even after losing what she cherished, Lefia still raised her head and came to this mundane conclusion.

"Although Mr. Bert did say so... I'd still like to ask you to lend me your sword and staff, Miss Philvis. I've already lied a lot, so this shouldn't be a problem, right?"

After Rafia finished asking with a smile, the sound of wind howling came from the sky.

Her mood at this moment was as clear and calm as a lake reflecting the blue sky.

Winter has arrived, and the chilly winds evoke images of snow. As snowflakes adorn Orario, they must also bring changes to Lefia's heart.

Will I have a few more descendants by then?

In that case, Lefia has no choice but to become stronger.

"You'll always be with me... That's what we promised each other, right?"

As soon as Lefia closed her eyes, she felt someone nodding in response to her.

She placed her hand on the shoulder from which she could vaguely feel warmth.

The girl, who would never become anyone else again, held the short sword sheathed and revealed a bright, sunny smile.

Side Story: Sword Oratoria 13 Afterword

Sorry to keep you waiting, here is the thirteenth episode of the spin-off.

The main story and the spin-off are finally synchronized on time. I expect that episode 19 of the main story and episode 13 of the spin-off will be "two sides of the same coin." Due to various inside stories, as of February 2023, episode 13 of the spin-off, which plays the "antagonist" role, was released first. Although it contains some spoilers for episode 19, please bear with me.

As predicted in the previous episode, this episode marks the beginning of a completely new chapter.

As it is the awakening of another female protagonist in the spin-off—an elf—her appearance and inner self have also been completely renewed.

When I was initially conceiving the ending of the twelfth episode of the spin-off, the first thought that popped into my head was "she will definitely become someone else".

After numerous discussions with her editor and teacher Haimurakiyotaka, she was born as she is today.

That being said, I didn't feel like I was writing about a different person at all while I was writing. She was completely different from the person I knew in the past, which puzzled me greatly, but things became clear as I approached the end.

Although many things change, there are indeed things that remain unchanged, and this is true for both humans and elves, whether in reality or in fiction.

Compared to the protagonist who awakened in volume twelve of the main story, I believe the growth of this elf heroine is no less significant. She will undoubtedly break free from the author's control and reach unimaginable heights. If you don't mind, I hope you'll continue to follow her.

As this marks the beginning of a completely new chapter, a brand new stage—the "school district"—has also made its grand debut. Information about it has been gradually revealed, so I'm really looking forward to seeing it finally.

The design drafts drawn by Haimura-sensei are truly amazing.

It's so amazing that I really want to find an opportunity to show it to all of you readers!

When I first saw the design drafts, I was incredibly excited. It's filled with novel elements that rival those of the labyrinth city, including the students, mentors, and gods of the "school district." To convey this sense of wonder to everyone, I will work hard to write both the side stories and the main story. And I won't let the sword-wielding heroine and others, who didn't get much screen time this time, remain sidelined!

The following is a thank you speech.

I am truly grateful to Editor Takahashi and Editor-in-Chief Usami, who replaced Mr. Kitamura as editor-in-chief, for their great help this time. I apologize for the numerous revisions required during the process of adapting the main story to fit the narrative. I am also very grateful to Ms. Kaimura Kiyotaka, who is adept at designing even the vast world-building of the "School District." After reviewing various design drafts, including those for the "School District," I am once again deeply grateful to have Ms. Kaimura handle the illustrations for this side story.

The design for the new Lefia is absolutely fantastic. When I saw the blue rose added to her chest, I was completely blown away! Also, the number of character and design sketches you drew this time is the largest ever, and I truly feel incredibly apologetic…!

Also, Ms. Juri Kimura, who voices Lefia in the anime and games, thank you for taking the time to discuss things with me. Thanks to your support, the awakened short-haired Lefia was born. Please continue to guide Lefia in the future.

I am also very grateful to everyone who participated in the production of this book. You may be surprised after reading it, but it would be my greatest honor if you could continue to support this elven girl who fought bravely with the will of her compatriots.

Although it was mentioned earlier that the relationship between the spin-off and the main story is "two sides of the same coin," the following spin-off episode fourteen immediately deviates slightly from the above structure. Specifically, it is about the past of the three founding elders who supported the Loki Familia, namely the leader and others.

Just as this episode mentions the past of the elf heroine, this episode, apart from the sword heroine, should be the last time to mention the past stories of the main characters. I hope everyone will continue to support it when it is released.

Thank you very much for reading this far.

See you next time.

大森藤ノ

Side Story: Sword Oratoria 13 - A Special Short Story: A Tale of a Mortal and a Cat

"Lv.5... Angel, you've finally surpassed me..."

"It's just that the stage for 'adventure' came knocking on your door. Raul is the same; when the time comes, you'll immediately seize it."

Raul gave a self-deprecating wry smile in the headquarters restaurant, where there was no one else but them.

To comfort Raul, Annaqiti made him a cup of hot black tea, but her cat tail wagging happily did not escape Raul's eyes.

It was already late at night, and Raul and his team, who had been busy helping Finn with the documents, decided to sit down at the headquarters dining hall before going back to their rooms to rest. As the two decided to treat themselves to a cup of tea, Raul suddenly brought up what had happened earlier.

Anaquiti successfully leveled up to Lv.5 after overcoming the final battle in the artificial labyrinth (Knossos).

"We've been upgrading almost simultaneously so far..."

"After all, we joined the group at the same time and always fought side by side, so it's only natural that this would happen."

Among the exploration (dungeon) factions, the Loki Familia truly deserves the top spot—compared to the Freya Familia, which focuses on improving individual strength and thus has a lower frequency of expeditions, their achievements and evaluations in dungeon exploration are far inferior. Due to their strict schedules and frequent expeditions, members often level up simultaneously. This is because, accompanied by great predecessors like Finn, members can embark on adventures relatively safely, and trials are regularly arranged for everyone. Although the positions of forwards and rearguards also have an impact, the growth rate of junior members easily becomes synchronized.