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

“Eh…?”

"Today, I will see your true character," this is the promise I made to God Baldr.

Before I could even understand what he was saying, Mr. Leon gave me a smile that resembled that of a knight, as if he had already approved of me.

"As you said, let's prepare together for the inevitable apocalypse we'll have to face in the future."

I accepted the parchment that was handed back to me, dumbfounded.

We in the lower realm will inevitably face the inevitable end of the world.

Even if the brain cannot understand what the sentence means, the mind still subconsciously draws a conclusion.

Mr. Lyon looked down at me, who was sitting in the chair, and then the smile of a "teacher" reappeared on his face.

"Rabbi, although the official announcement will be made later, I would like to invite you to join a certain 'team'."

"A 'squad'...?"

"That's right, this part is just as Baldr said... I would also like to entrust them to you."

Those brown eyes, the same color as her hair, were filled with expectation, and then she said the following to me.

"It's Nina's 'Third Squad,' and I hope you can guide them."

Volume 19, Chapter 4: Learning, Reviewing, Trying, Moving Forward

"This year, the school district's production of the hardest metal (Orichalco) has increased by 40% compared to last year! A truly fruitful year!"

"Lord Lloyd's plan has suddenly become quite feasible!"

"Although the 'school district' is reluctant, the original contract still stands! Therefore, they can't defy us at all!"

This chat, ostensibly a meeting, was filled with excited and loud conversation.

A pair of emerald green eyes were gazing intently at the group of "guild officers" whose faces could only be described as beaming with joy.

(Am I really suited to be here...?)

Eina sat in the luxurious chair that only made her feel ashamed, and she straightened her posture as if trying to shrink back.

This is the second floor of the "Guild Headquarters".

It was a spacious "decision-making room" that only "high-level" figures, led by Guild Master Loiman, were allowed to enter.

"...Um, Sergeant Remo, why did you bring someone like me, a low-ranking officer, to the 'second floor'? My seniority isn't high enough to sit here with the sergeants and 'higher-ups'..."

"Because you trained a Level 1 adventurer in a short period of time, isn't that an achievement enough to qualify you for a leadership position?"

"Huh... Class monitor~"

Eina lowered her voice to ask the question, and her usually stern orc boss chuckled and teased her, making her gasp in dismay, just like one of the adventurers she was responsible for taking care of.

The term "second floor" carries special significance for the "guild headquarters," which is so magnificent and imposing that it rivals the Pantheon.

Ordinary guild employees like Eina usually work on the first floor of the "Guild Headquarters".

As for the floors above the second floor, no one is allowed to enter except for the "high-level" staff and the team leader in charge of the staff on the first floor. The only exception is when someone is summoned by Lloydman and others to go upstairs.

In other words, there is a very strict boundary between the first and second floors of the "Guild Headquarters" to clearly define the hierarchy.

At least for a sales clerk, the second floor was indeed a place not to be easily entered.

"This meeting is a major turning point for the city (Orario), so we think it would be best to have an employee who frequently interacts with adventurers and has a similar perspective to them participate. The key point is that the topic is also related to the 'school district'."

Although his orc superior, Remo, kept his eyes focused on the ongoing meeting, he continued speaking in a volume that only Eina could hear.

"And since you are a graduate of the 'school district,' we can take your opinion as a reference."

"In that case, there are other colleagues (Misia) who, like me, come from the 'school district'..."

"That girl Flott is no good; there's no guarantee she won't cause trouble in this meeting."

Eina stubbornly offered her opinion, only to be rendered speechless by a somewhat harsh counterargument.

The curved chair legs creaked softly, as if reflecting Eina's current state of mind.

(Even though I was approved to attend this event... the guild leader kept glaring at me with a "shut up" look...)

Feeling increasingly exhausted, Eina began to observe her surroundings.

The long ebony table could seat ten people on each side. Leuman, seated at the head of the table, spoke with a smug look on his face:

"Now there shouldn't be any problems! We can finally begin implementing the 'Shaft Project,' which connects the surface to the depths of the underground city!"

Eina temporarily ignored the lively discussion at the meeting and looked back at the documents at hand.

In short, the extensive content here is about opening a vertical shaft in the underground city and installing a large elevator in the shaft.

In other words, it's a construction plan that creates a "shortcut" for adventurers.

"From the moment the 'Pit Construction Project' is completed, the adventurers' exploration efficiency will skyrocket. Furthermore, the Loki Familia will also greatly benefit from their 'Expeditions,' not only making it easier to collect valuable dungeon resources, but also providing numerous advantages for the growth of Finn and the others!"

Leuman's smug statement was not wrong.

When it comes to exploring dungeons, especially for advanced adventurers, each expedition must start from the first floor and take a lot of time and effort until they reach the target floor. The most significant expense is undoubtedly money.

For example, even if you want to explore the 51st floor of the Deep Realm, you might need to consume a lot of resources along the way before reaching the 50th floor, and your troops will be too exhausted to go all out. Even the largest faction in the city (Loki's Familia) might encounter these situations. Nowadays, "expeditions" are like a gamble for all Familias. A single "abnormal event" could affect the success or failure, making them extremely inefficient.

However, if this plan is successfully implemented, it will significantly reduce the costs that adventurers have had to bear until now.

When adventurers' exploration becomes more efficient, it means that the economy of the labyrinth city will grow.

Transform high-risk, high-reward bets into high-return bets (low-risk, high-reward).

For the guild leaders, including Loiman, who were in charge of city operations, this was an issue they absolutely wanted to pass.

"The building materials for the 'Giant Pit' all come from the hardest metal (orientalite) produced by alchemy in the 'School District'! And the production is sufficient to completely eliminate the need for inferior materials such as super-hard metals (hard steel) to compensate! This way, there is no need to worry about it being destroyed by monsters! As long as we avoid the areas where the floor lord appears during construction, it will be absolutely safe!"

This part will involve "school districts".

The Alchemy Department of the "Academy District" is an alchemical institution possessing the world's most advanced knowledge and technology, capable of refining rare metals, including the hardest metal (Orichalcum). This behemoth, which travels to various places to gather resources and talent, has maintained its unshakeable position in the refining of precious metals thanks to continuous technological innovation. Even the hardest metal (Orichalcum), renowned for its master-grade ingots, is produced in fixed quantities by the "Academy District" annually, making it the world's leading producer. This is one of the main reasons why Orario continues to invest heavily in supporting the "Academy District."

Without the hardest metal (ostrichite) provided by the "school district," it would have been absolutely impossible to complete the "giant vertical shaft" that would not be destroyed by the underground city.

Thanks to the return of the "school district" this time, the total amount of the hardest metal (ostrichite) has reached the standard predicted by the association.

"If this plan succeeds, we will accomplish a feat worthy of being called the Tower of Babel! By fostering the growth of our adventurers, we will surely fulfill Orario's long-cherished wish! Everyone, then we will usher in a new era!"

"Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh!"

The decision-making room was bustling with activity.

It was as if the immense wealth and fame they had imagined were already within their grasp.

Leumann's argument is valid to some extent.

Some high-level adventurers might agree with this plan after hearing about it.

But this is also the terrifying aspect of the phrase "armchair strategist".

Eina glanced at Remo beside her, only to see him remain silent as if it were none of her business.

Eina interpreted this attitude as "whatever makes you happy".

"Now, let's begin the vote on this plan—"

"Excuse me, may I say a few words?"

Eina finally couldn't hold back any longer and mustered up the courage to raise her hand and speak.

Loyman, whose momentum had been interrupted, glared at him with a look that was both suspicious and annoyed by the trouble.

"Is there something you need, Zul?"

"The plan to build pits, allowing adventurers to take a shortcut, is indeed a very attractive and groundbreaking proposal. However, shouldn't we all reconsider the safety aspects?"

"What exactly are you trying to say? Stop beating around the bush."

"...The dungeons have harmed countless adventurers to this day. The 'lower level' and 'deeper level' are especially prone to abnormal situations that even high-level adventurers cannot handle. I think it would be a terrible thing to open a road from such a place directly to the surface."

The reason why the "guild" is able to barely manage and operate the dungeon is all thanks to the "Tower of Babel," also known as the "Labyrinth Top," and the "prayer" of the city's creation god (Uranus).

Even if the pit is made of the hardest metal (ostrichite)—creating an indestructible "giant pillar"—the consequences could be "utterly disastrous" if the pit were to be occupied by a monster.

The so-called construction of the pit is inextricably linked to the risk of monsters surging to the surface.

"Inserting such a 'foreign object' into the dungeon, I think, could very well trigger a frightening situation."

"We've discussed this countless times! The conclusion is that there won't be any problems! We've also consulted with Uranus, the god in charge of 'prayer'! Furthermore, you might not know this, but we have enough evidence (artificial labyrinths) to prove that the dungeon won't go out of control!"

Because the guild also has internal intelligence control, Eina, as a junior member, was unaware of it. However, the existence of the artificial labyrinth (Knossos) became one of the driving forces behind the "Pit Project".

Despite being adjacent to such a massive man-made labyrinth and having access to all levels, the underground city remained silent. The higher-ups concluded that inserting other "artificial objects" within it wouldn't cause any accidents—the hardest metal (orogen) doors scattered throughout the man-made labyrinth (Knossos), with the assistance of the [Guberneu Familia], were planned to be completely dismantled for use in the excavation. It was precisely because they anticipated obtaining a large amount of building materials from the man-made labyrinth (Knossos) that this plan suddenly became a reality, no longer a pipe dream.

(Although I don't know exactly what the man-made labyrinth (Knossos) that the guild leader just mentioned is, anyway...)

Since the "Armed Monster" incident, Eina has heard from adventurers that there is something (an artificial labyrinth) on Daedalus Road that leads directly to the underground city. She vaguely guesses the truth from this and can't help but frown, deciding to refute it in another way.

"Building a pit might deprive adventurers of the opportunity to travel between floors. Once a shortcut is created, it could indirectly reduce adventurers' exploration experience..."

"Here, we just need to set usage restrictions for the pits according to the [Family] class! Dividing them for mandatory 'Expeditions' and regular exploration will be fine! Our ultimate goal is to break the record for the deepest floor reached, which is to send people to floors below the 71st floor, where the gods (Zeus) and goddesses (Hera) stopped!"

The experienced Leumann was naturally accustomed to debating, and unlike Eina, who was attending the meeting for the first time, he had likely discussed these topics with others many times before. Faced with Eina's questions, Leumann responded eloquently.

"Furthermore, we don't plan to immediately connect the vertical shaft to the 'lower level' or the 'deeper level'! First, we'll connect to the 'upper level,' then the 'middle level,' followed by the 18th level, the 'Under Resort'! The project will be very carefully divided into several phases, with the construction process monitored at all times!"

“…………”

"It is planned that the Ganesha Familia will provide 24/7 protection for the pit and elevator! To avoid affecting the city's security, we are also working diligently to select Familia members to join the military police! Zul, you will continue to be responsible for training adventurers to expand the city's combat strength!"

In fact, from the moment the decision was made to build the pit, the word "caution" had nothing to do with it, and the other party even took the opportunity to shift the focus.

Lloyd seemed to sense the words in the emerald green eyes that were silently watching him, and his face turned red with anger. Eina, on the other hand, decided to offer her perspective not as a guild employee, but as a "school district graduate."

"According to the information, you seem to be planning to take all the hardest metal (Orichalcum) and start construction immediately. But the hardest refined metal (Master-grade Ingots) is not only an asset used by the 'School District' to reinforce the armor of their giant ships (Spirit Ships), but also their pride... Even if the guild invests, taking it too forcefully will definitely trigger a backlash from the 'School District,' especially from the sensitive students—"

"Enough!! Shut up! Zul! This project is the grandest undertaking of this century! You, attending this meeting for the first time today, have no right to offer any opinions!"

Loyman had lost patience and started hurling insults at Eina.

Even the others started to scold, "You newbie, shut up!" After Eina shut her mouth, only Remo beside her sighed as if he regretted that the pit-laying plan was inevitable, which made Eina feel that he was apologizing to her.

"Moreover, this is the will of the god Uranus! Therefore, it cannot be changed!!"

That's right.

That's the most crucial issue.

In the end, no matter how many issues and problems Eina, as a grassroots member, raised, once the strongest backing of "the guild god has agreed" was secured, this project could never be stopped.

(Since the omniscient god has already agreed, it means I'm just worrying unnecessarily, and the problems I've pointed out might not even happen. But after the dungeon is pierced through by a giant vertical pit, will there really be no reaction?)

Eina's unease did not disappear. The reason was that the dungeon had taken away and devoured many of the adventurers she was responsible for caring for, and to her it was a symbol of fear.

In short, the decision to start construction on the pit has been finalized.

Just as Leuman was looking at Eina triumphantly, the seal of approval was stamped on the parchment, and the cadres cheered and shook hands in celebration.

Is this decision a path to wealth and glory, or a one-way road to the underworld?

With this moment marking the millennium since the founding of Orario, we have now entered the next phase.

(Why would the god Uranus agree to this plan...?)

"Uranus, is it really alright to agree to the pit-building plan?"

The crystal placed on the armrest of the seat—the "oculus"—made a sound.

This is the underground altar of the guild headquarters, the "Prayer Hall".

Uranus, seated on his throne, listened to the advice-like message from his trusted aide (Fels).

This incident will inevitably embolden Leuman, and more importantly, it will spark suspicion and discontent from various sectors, and will certainly provoke a backlash from the school district.

Fels's seemingly prescient and truthful statement also implied, "This is really not like you." At the same moment, Eina, in the decision-making room, had the same thought.

Uranus, maintaining his usual attitude of suppressing all emotions, answered.

"Compared to the potential drawbacks... I've decided to prepare for the 'trial' I'm about to face."

"Yeah?"

"No matter how many solutions you have, they are never enough."

"Hearing you say that, you're like a god, only makes my worries seem to increase."

A mournful sigh came from the other end of the crystal.