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

Annaquite and Rafia were talking quietly.

The cat-man helped the drunk Raul up, while the elven girl carried the sleeping Elfie on her back. The two smiled at each other before heading off in different directions down the corridor.

The restaurant lights then went out.

The group members also turned off their bedroom lights one after another.

The Twilight Pavilion fell silent as everyone slept—except for one magic stone lamp that still shone.

It was the balcony of the regimental commander's office.

"Let's start over... for all the time we've spent up to this day..."

""cheers.""

The crisp sound of glasses clinking together rang out.

There is a small round table on the balcony.

Finn, Riveria, and Grace—no, "the three plus a goddess"—continue the story here.

"Hmm~ While laughing and drinking with all the band members is great, drinking with just the four of us at the table like this has a unique charm! Next up is some adult time focusing on dandy and moody!"

"Loki, keep your voice down, the other members are already in bed. Also, please use words we can all understand."

"Finn, how did you get rid of Tione?"

"The kind-hearted Ais and the others helped take Tione back to her room."

Rivera tried to dissuade Loki from drinking excitedly, but Grace, who had no idea that they would have another chance to drink, voiced the question that had been on her mind.

Finn shrugged and briefly explained how Ais, Tiona, and Bert had teamed up to knock Tione unconscious and drag her back to the room.

"By the way, how many times have you three seemingly planned to level up together?"

"Nowadays, whenever we go on an 'adventure,' we inevitably head to dangerous situations that require the three of us to work together to overcome, which naturally leads to us leveling up simultaneously."

"I actually wanted to get there first."

"Hehe, actually I'm quite anxious that Grace will really get ahead of me this time. After all, it's not just the 'Expedition,' but also the artificial labyrinth (Knossos) incident, I was covered for by you several times."

"But now, we've truly surpassed the former Freya Familia (laughs)! We have three Level 7s! Three! On the other hand, they only had Otto! Hehehe!!"

"But I always feel like it's about to [upgrade]..."

"Well, speaking of that young man, I was thinking that I had finally caught up with him, but he always manages to overtake me in the blink of an eye."

Loki grinned slyly, Finn responded with a wry smile, and Grace nodded in agreement.

Rivera, who hadn't drunk any alcohol, took a sip of "Orb Water" and let out a soft laugh.

As Navi and the others said, the Loki Familia has finally truly risen above the valiant warriors—that being said, the other side also survived the battle of the artificial labyrinth (Knossos), so Finn and the others believe that the Fighting Cat (Allen) and others, led by the Mighty One (Ota), will probably also bring good news in the near future, shaking the entire Orario.

After that, the four of them started chatting.

Despite Loki having already drunk a great deal at the banquet, she brought out several more bottles of her prized wine from the shrine and drank them all. Although Finn and the others were dumbfounded, the atmosphere this time was different from the one in the restaurant, and everyone enjoyed a moment of tranquility.

Although Loki's voice was sometimes quite loud, it was ultimately a pleasant chat, a kind of "drinking among adults."

The four comforted and blessed each other, and only during this period were they able to unload their burdens and show a side of themselves that the other members had never seen before.

What are your thoughts after reaching Level 7?

"What? I can't believe you'd ask that, Finn."

That's exactly what I meant.

Grace looked dumbfounded, while Riveria, standing beside her, smiled.

"In that case, you should answer this question first. After all, you made no secret of wanting fame back then, so you must be feeling a mix of emotions right now."

"Well, the gods (Zeus) and goddesses (Hera) are no longer alive. Level 7 is the pinnacle of the world. I believe that not only the dwarves, but the entire underworld is singing your praises."

The fact that a first-level adventurer can refresh "Great Achievements" is of this value.

This is because it represents another step towards fulfilling one's long-cherished wish in the lower realm—completing the "Three Great Adventurers' Requests."

Finn's reputation naturally rose accordingly.

Even if this is just one of the stepping stones for him to realize his ambitions, it can still be considered an achievement.

"To be honest, I feel like this period of time has been really long... yet it also feels like it has passed in the blink of an eye. In the plans I made before coming to Orario, I thought it would take at least thirty years to reach my current position."

"You were thinking that far ahead back then? What an arrogant little brat."

"I really miss the day I first stepped into Orario."

This statement left Grace dumbfounded and disgusted, while Riveria narrowed her eyes slightly and Finn lowered his voice.

"Moreover, there have been far too many sacrifices along the way."

“…………”

Riveria and the others fell silent.

The reason is that all three of them could fully understand that without these "sacrifices," they would never have been able to reach the peak known as Lv.7.

"From the 'Dark Ages' when the Evils were rampant until now... we have lost too many predecessors and successors."

"Well, even if you tear my mouth apart, I can't say this was a necessary sacrifice. After all, if anything had gone wrong, it wouldn't be surprising if we had all become martyrs by now."

"Although this statement may sound arrogant... after experiencing that great battle, Lao Tzu had to admit that it was all thanks to the sacrifices of our ancestors."

What came to mind for the three were the figures of the adventurer predecessors who had once guided them.

And Linne and others who died not long ago in the battle of the artificial labyrinth (Knossos).

Finn and his companions experienced countless turning points and crises, and in the process, they saved and sacrificed countless comrades.

"I crave 'perfection' rather than 'doing my best'... That's why I'm still very far from my 'dream'."

These are Finn's heartfelt words.

At the moment he finally reached Lv.7, he revealed his determination not to be a "manufactured hero" anymore, as well as the various struggles that were troubling him.

Loki remained silent.

Unlike before, she stopped joking and simply continued drinking silently, listening to Finn and the others' thoughts.

She neither affirmed nor denied, but simply accompanied the children as they immersed themselves in a vast ocean of mixed emotions.

Next—

A little while later.

"By the way, since we have this opportunity, why don't we reminisce about old times?"

Loki made this suggestion in a relaxed tone.

"What? That's so sudden."

"On such memorable days, people are bound to reminisce about their past, right? Just like at class reunions, everyone shares embarrassing or silly things they've done as fodder for drinks, causing everyone to burst into laughter!"

Grace looked dumbfounded and asked, "What's a class reunion?" Loki ignored her and continued to laugh heartily.

Riveria was not moved by Loki's suggestion, but unusually, she chimed in from the sidelines.

"So, I didn't know what happened when Loki and Finn were traveling together before I joined the Familia."

"Oh, I see. Okay, you tell me, Finn!"

"Hey, is it really absolutely necessary to tell us?"

"You'd better just admit defeat, Finn! Or I'll take charge of spilling the beans and telling you all those old stories of yours that were even more arrogant and infuriating than you are now!?"

"This is really a headache." Finn lowered his eyebrows and gave a wry smile.

Loki, who was originally playing the clown, immediately showed a calm smile.

"This is also my request. Whether it's regret or joy, why don't you try sharing your past experiences to return to your original intentions?"

This is an indispensable process for you who have now reached Lv.7.

This is the unspoken meaning of the Supreme God.

The three family members exchanged a glance and then relaxed.

"In that case..." Finn raised his hands as if surrendering.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to tell you everything that happened back then in great detail. But after I'm done, Rivera and Grace, you two have to share too, right?"

"Of course, I'll embarrass myself with you."

"What's the point of talking about shame among the four of us!"

The elf closed her eyes and smiled gently, while the dwarf laughed heartily.

Under the goddess's gaze, the little people, who also wore smiles, fell into memories and slowly recounted their past stories.

Side Story: Sword Oratoria 14 Chapter 1: The Adventure of the Little People

Dim is a bright child.

He remembers everything that happened after he was born, from being held in his mother's arms to his father's obsequious attitude toward villagers of other races.

Dimna are Lilliputians.

Compared to other races, they are shorter in stature and also less strong.

They are considered to be the demi-human race with the lowest potential abilities.

Therefore, they are often ridiculed and exploited.

In this village nestled in the mountains, where many different races live together, the little people are the weaker party. Since Dimna's birth, he has often witnessed other villagers making unreasonable demands on their fellow villagers.

Seeing his parents being despised but never fighting back, and even being bullied from time to time, the intelligent Dim felt utterly disgusted.

He despised his self-deprecating parents for giving up simply because he was a dwarf.

Why don't they know how to make good use of their wisdom?

Why should one give in simply because they are short?

Why isn't she as fearless of power as the fictional goddess (Fiana)?

Dimna was not only annoyed by his parents, but also by his other clansmen who only dared to live with their heads down.

Of all the dwarves, only Dimna did not fawn over villagers of other races, and he repeatedly sneaked into the village chief's house to peruse extremely precious books, greedily absorbing all kinds of knowledge.

The history of the lower realm, the world outside the village.

It was at this time that he learned about various hero biographies, headed by the "fictional goddess (Fiana)".

When the village chief happened to stumble upon Dim flipping through hundreds of books in his study, he couldn't help but remark, "This child is like a sage from somewhere."

Dimna's witty response nearly made the villagers' jaws drop. Although a few thought he was too arrogant and resorted to violence, Dimna arrogantly declared that he would never let the matter rest.

I am not like my pitiful parents.

They are also completely different from their compatriots.

The feeling of rejection mixed with dignity drove the boy to constantly rebel against the fate of his clan from a young age.

Dimna always looked unhappy.

His eyes often ached as if in response to the anger in his heart.

However, the situation may be quite the opposite.

Perhaps it was the fierce (something) driving his soul that caused him to always feel indignant, despite having eyes that still didn't recognize the color red.

Time has passed, and Dimna has now turned ten.

He almost died that year.

The monsters lurking in the mountains unleashed their fury in the dead of night, flames engulfing the village. Adults of other races fought desperately, while Dimna, battling his fear, ran about. Ignoring his parents' warnings, he went to help the bullies who always tormented him, as well as the elderly, women, and children, escape and help extinguish the fires. Like an ancient hero possessed by a goddess, he forced himself to face the situation bravely.

However, the actions of the young dwarfs cannot be called "courage" at all; they are not even worthy of being called recklessness.

Therefore, the monster's fangs were right in front of them.

Dimna's erudition fostered arrogance, which ultimately led to his downfall. He was led astray by his insignificant pride, failing to recognize his own limitations. Only then did he realize firsthand that even with vast knowledge, one could still be utterly destroyed by the violence of ignorance.

Moreover—

Just as Dimna was about to be torn apart by the gaping maw, it was his parents who stepped forward to protect him.

The parents, who were determined to protect their child, risked their lives and were ultimately pierced by the sharp teeth.