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

"Um, I'm not good at hand-to-hand combat...!"

"You can at least kill them with brute force (using your staff)! Just kill them as I tell you to!"

"I-I understand...!"

Tiony looked like she was suffering in silence, while Bert reprimanded Rafia. Everyone's expression was grim.

Besides Ais and her group, there were other adventurers in the dungeon. Those whose abilities met the requirements for mid-level exploration and were exploring the labyrinth would find it a nightmare to encounter such a large horde of Minotaur. If they failed to defeat the monsters and many adventurers perished, the governing body (guild) or other factions would certainly condemn their failure, and more importantly, they would have trouble sleeping at night.

"Wait a minute, that's over there!"

The Minotaur rushed up the stairs leading to the 16th floor. Tiona screamed, and a group of monsters disappeared into the upper floors.

"Even I can guess how troublesome this is...!"

The group made a chaotic sound as they jumped up and down the stairs, rushing forward without thinking twice, hoping not to cause any casualties.

Ais and the others frantically chased after the Minotaur.

One floor, one floor, and another floor—

The Minotaur monsters charged relentlessly, unstoppable. They ran rampant across the various floors, and some even strayed from the group, disrupting Ais and the others' pursuit. Their worst luck was that the monsters always managed to find a way to connect to the upper floors, advancing layer by layer. Bert had been absolutely right.

To deal with the Minotaur scattered across the various floors, the members disappeared one by one from the pursuit. When they crossed the middle level and rushed into the "upper level"—the 1st to 12th levels directly connected to the surface—and reached the 6th level, only Ais and Bert remained in the group.

"Hey!"

"Get out of the way!"

Bert managed to defeat the Minotaur just as it was about to attack the adventurers.

The "Upper Level" is the area closest to the surface. Only low-level monsters, mostly weak races, appear here, making it the area of ​​activity for novice adventurers. If they were to encounter the Minotaur, they would be utterly helpless and instantly slaughtered.

In the current situation, it's no longer surprising when casualties will occur.

(Lost them...!)

Ais also successfully defeated another Minotaur, but let the last one escape.

In the labyrinth of countless options (routes), her unchanging expression concealed anxiety.

"Come here, Ais!"

Bert sniffed the air and ran forward without hesitation. His orcish heritage gave him an exceptionally keen sense of smell; he must have found the scent left by the Minotaur.

Ais followed him through the corridor and soon saw his muscular, bronze back. They tried to finish him off and sped up, but he escaped upstairs anyway.

"...!"

Level 5.

The steps leading up to the center of the cavern were a labyrinth of pale green walls, calm before a storm. Four passageways extended from each of the four sides of the square hall. No one else was in sight.

The two listened intently, then quickly glanced around. Just then…

"Bubu ooh ...

"Oooooooo!"

They heard it.

That voice.

"!"

She rushed out in one breath.

Eisbebert rushed ahead, heading towards the direction where the shouts and roars merged into one.

She immediately spotted the Minotaur and the figure.

His hair is pure white, reminiscent of the first snow. His eyes are deep red, as if they might well up with tears at any moment. He has an appearance that, at first glance, resembles a rabbit, but he is a human boy.

He turned his back to the pursuing red bull and ran for his life.

"He's a complete novice!"

The poor-quality armor was clearly a ration from the management organization (guild). Even a simple escape move revealed the clumsiness of someone who had learned to use it on their own.

A complete newbie.

To the Minotaur, they were more than prey; they were merely fodder.

They sprinted forward, trying to shorten the distance between them.

Ais chases after the white rabbit (the boy).

"Pumu!"

"Eh?"

The Minotaur's hoof.

The blow from behind missed the slender body—no, it was dodged at the last second—but the impact on the muddy ground caught the boy's footing.

The boy tripped and fell, tumbling and landing on the ground of the dungeon.

“——”

Ais's figure blurred.

She left Bert behind and sped effortlessly toward the scene before her.

The boy, chased to a corner of the cave, looked up at the Minotaur's enormous body, his mouth twisted into a twitching smile.

White hair covered in dust, red eyes brimming with tears. A pitiful little rabbit, left only to wait for the raised iron arm to smash down on it.

That gave her a strong sense of déjà vu—Ais caught up with that scene and flashed her sword.

"what?"

"Bring it in?"

The boy and the Minotaur made dull, clumsy sounds.

She unleashed a sonic slash at the monster's body from behind, her hands relentlessly carving countless lines across its entire surface.

The final sword flashed with a silver light.

"Gubu! Bu, bu moo ooh ...

The enormous body, still retaining its original shape, slid down along the trajectory of the slash, as if it had only just realized it.

With a death scream and spitting out blood, the Minotaur disintegrated into several pieces of flesh, collapsing to the ground.

Then, their eyes met.

His deep red eyes were wide and dull, while his clear, bright golden eyes were equally striking.

The boy met Ais in front of the overturned Minotaur.

Facing the boy who had collapsed to the ground, his body stiff, Ais gently said to him:

"……How are you?"

When Ais asked him this question from above, the boy didn't move.

He seemed to have become speechless, silently looking up at Ais.

Somewhat confused, she asked again:

"Um...are you alright?"

no response.

Ais's expression remained unchanged, but she was inwardly agonizing. She took another look at the boy sitting on the ground.

He was sprayed with blood by the Minotaur, his body covered in blood, which made her feel extremely guilty. Her eyes, which had been holding back tears, became moist again, and she stared up at Ais's face, which was flushed red as if she had a fever.

Seeing that the boy seemed to be getting a fever, Ais felt worried, she sheathed her sword, and reached out her hand.

"Can you stand up?"

The boy's lips, which were about to say something, suddenly froze.

His gaze lingered for a moment on the outstretched hand, then he looked up at Ais's dignified features again.

In the blink of an eye, every inch of his skin, including his ears and neck, turned red.

"Wow--"

"Wow?"

Before Ais could have a moment to wonder, the boy suddenly jumped up.

The next moment.

"Wa ...

He mustered all his strength to escape from Ais.

"..."

Ais stood there, stunned, her eyes wide open.

The echo of the boy's strange cry came from the depths of the passage where he had escaped, and she revealed a stunned expression that she had never shown to anyone before.

"...!...!...Hehe!"

Looking back, Bert was trembling and clutching his stomach, desperately trying to hold back his laughter.

He bent over, exposing the back of his head, and made strange "ee-ee-ee" noises, panting heavily.

"..."

Ais blushed, just like a young girl should.

He glared at the orc youth with fierce eyes.

Although it went through a roundabout and tortuous process.

Thus came to an end the long expedition of Ais and the others.

■

The labyrinth city of Orario.

A circular city that prides itself on its vast area, surrounded by sturdy city walls.

The signs of repair reveal that its design did not include defense against external enemies, proving that contrary to the original purpose of the fortress, this barrier was used to block monsters emerging from within. The silent, ancient rock walls still retain the shadow of the "ancient" underground fortress.

Inside the city walls, which isolate the city from the outside world, stand buildings of all sizes and colors, while in the center of the city stands a white-walled giant tower that reaches the sky.

This is the Tower of Babel, a skyscraper built as a "lid" to block the entrance to the underground city—a massive underground hole.

Centered around the Tower of Babel, or the underground city, Orario continues to thrive to this day.

As dusk approached, the streets were teeming with adventurers returning from the labyrinth, and the sounds of celebration echoed throughout the taverns that had hosted their survivors. Many humans and demi-humans drank and chatted, while a group of smug gods, beer mug in hand, burst into the crowd. Forgetting racial barriers and respect, their laughter was a microcosm of this city—this world.

One by one, the streetlights began to light up, and the glow of the "Magic Stone Lamps" gradually adorned this bustling city.

"Finally back..."

In the northern part of the city, beside the road outside the bustling main street to the north.

A long and large mansion, much taller than the surrounding buildings, sits here.

The mansion, composed of several overlapping high-rise towers, resembled a mountain of swords, its bronze exterior giving it the appearance of a blazing fire. The central tower, the tallest of the group, was adorned with a clown's flag, now tinged with maroon.

This is the headquarters of the Loki Familia, the Twilight Mansion.

"Ugh—I'm exhausted—I really want to eat a ton of meat—"

"I'd rather take a shower sooner."

“Ahahaha…”

After hearing what the Tiona sisters said, Lefia gave a wry smile.

Having returned to the surface from the dungeon, Ais and the others arrived in front of the headquarters. The thirty-person adventure party, each carrying or dragging supplies, reached the main entrance.

The two group members, a man and a woman, who were also the gatekeepers, saluted the crowd.

"We're back. Please open the door for us."

At Finn's command, the door opened.

The headquarters, built on a small plot of land, seemed to have decided that since it couldn't extend sideways, it would extend upwards. Therefore, the garden in front of the main gate is naturally not very spacious. Utilizing the space between the gate and the residence, only a small garden was created. A few plants and various flowers swayed gracefully in the gentle breeze.