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

"It has nothing to do with the 'bewitching' curse," the magician praised sincerely.

Seeing Fels, who was sure to be smiling from inside his black coat, Ais's face also showed a faint look of joy.

A warm embrace enveloped my chest, and like a flower blooming on a high mountain, a smile blossomed within me.

"Me too."

Fels did not reprimand Ais for her unintentional actions, but he did remind her to properly contact the authorities before visiting man-made mazes in the future, and then let her off the hook.

Ais listlessly apologized and intended to retrace her steps, but then she remembered the 'mysterious watcher' frantically trying to reach the hardest metal door. For the slightly childish reason that "I might get yelled at again..." she abandoned her return journey and instead traveled through the dungeon instead of 'Daedalus Street,' arriving back at the Loki Familia's base. The Sword Maiden's whereabouts were unknown! This caused an uproar within a certain goddess faction (familia), but Ais, oblivious to her surroundings, remained completely unaware of all this.

Ais, who had returned to her usual life, went out with Tiona and the others the next day, but found it difficult to deal with the slightly different thoughts in her mind.

(White, white, white... white wind... bell tolls... indeed, pure white...)

Ever since I uttered that "white wind," I've been repeatedly connecting meaningless words and thinking about them.

She felt as if she was about to touch something. It was as if she wanted to reach out and touch someone important. But the moment she reached them, Ais forgot everything.

Therefore, Ais is currently in a 'perfect position'.

Standing on an "unprecedented dividing line".

With an emotionless expression, he was troubled deep inside, his thoughts a jumble of contradictions, a mixture of what he could reach yet could never truly arrive, as he headed toward the city wall in the northwest of the city.

"Ugh—Miss Ais!!!"

I heard the voice of a boy (who) calling my (Ais's) name, and that boy (someone) came into view.

A high-spirited heartbeat resounded.

Puff puff puff, puff puff puff—it's still a little while before the swift foot catches the white rabbit.

Volume 20 Prologue: The Last Glimmer of Heroism

The online translation is from the Kingdom of Light

Translation: The Seven-Stringed Harp of Orpheus

Proofread by: 1cho

Polishing: Luo Yuchen, 1cho

I saw a 'hero'.

On that dark horizon where the sky and the sea meet, as if at the end of the world.

Amidst the vast ocean of despair and impending doom.

They saw the "light of heroes," a light that tore apart the darkness that devoured everything and cut off the roaring cries of the aliens.

"【The root of blessing, the curse of birth. The original sin that devoured half of my body】"

The word "raging waves" is far from sufficient to describe the impact of the sea, which crushes and shatters everything, with water droplets flying everywhere as sharp as bullets.

The arrogance of trying to stand on water with just a human body is no longer tolerated.

In the distant future, the massive "sea fortress" known as the "Academy" has been severely damaged, and the remaining foothold is as pitiful as a raft riddled with holes.

Even in such an apocalyptic world of the ocean, the light of the 'hero' will never be extinguished.

Aside from clinging to the deck and staring blankly upwards, there was nothing else he could do, yet he had already deeply imprinted that light into the depths of his pupils.

"[Unexorcised, unpurified, beyond redemption. The sound that echoes through the heavens is my sin.]"

A long chant.

Immense magical power.

The gray-haired witch who drove away all the torrential rain and gale-force winds.

The laws were distorted by the rampant magic vortex, and she, floating in the air, sang loudly even though her lips were already adorned with crimson.

After turning several battle-hardened warriors into dust in the sea, the sea tyrant, continuing its slaughter, let out a cry.

It is a roar called fear.

This behemoth is so large that it can devour the entire world, and can cause tsunamis with just a slight sway.

I developed a fear of the hero's poetry.

"[The trumpets of the gods, the harps of the fairies, the melodies of light—this is the mark of sin.]"

A colossal wave crashed in.

The surging waves that would engulf and shatter everything were stopped by other heroes who roared in anger.

The thousands upon thousands of flashes of light were all extinguished with a gentle wave of the heroine's hand.

As for the terrifying charge of the overlord, powerful enough to shatter the world, it was cut down into the sea by a lone hero with only a greatsword.

The magic released by the creatures clinging tightly to the raft shattered its scales.

The warriors of the ocean leaped into the vast ocean, a place akin to death, and hurled their harpoons at the colossal form, piercing it through.

"【My fate, beloved by the little garden—shatter into ashes. I hate you so much!】"

The bleeding never stopped.

The mournful cries echoed tirelessly.

The flowing, echoing chants have somehow degenerated into funeral dirges.

But even so.

The poignant melody still yearns to become a triumphant anthem.

This body, which was clearly unable to move even a single finger, trembled.

The 'hero's light,' piercing through the darkness and bursting forth, fiercely burned into those pupils and that heart.

"The price has been paid here; with the evidence of sin, all things will be annihilated." — "Weep, Holy Bell Tower!"

The magic that had reached its critical point was so easily thrown away.

Facing the final symbol of the world's destruction, the divine blessing of destruction was fully unleashed.

The already dark world was turned completely white. An extremely loud and aesthetically pleasing blast enveloped everything.

In the instant before consciousness was cut off, I heard the final sound in the pure white world.

That was the roar of the 'heroes' as they shattered the behemoth.

Those were people who wove miracles and hope, and overturned the impossible.

Is that it...?

So that's what it was...

To light up this shitty world.

To save this utterly disgusting world.

Is that 'light' essential?

He witnessed a 'hero'.

That light called hope must be passed on, and it must never be extinguished in the future.

Even when it is our turn to take on the heavy responsibility, we must make this scene reappear.

The world thirsts for heroes.

exactly.

Just as the world itself yearns for heroes, so too do these eyes and this heart that etch that heroic image into their being.

They will inevitably keep chasing and yearning for that figure.

It yearns for a new 'hero' to stir in its womb.

They yearn for as many heroes as possible to be born.

We yearn for that standard-bearer who will guide us to hope.

"Leon."

The azure sky was quite clear.

As if I had never been able to see the dark ocean etched in my eyes, the soda lake that I saw was sparkling and shimmering today.

Leon, who was looking out over the "school district" from the bridge "Temple Tower (Bredabrik)" in the center of the super-giant ship (Herlinghori) while listening to the cries of seagulls echoing in his ears, turned around after hearing the call of the gods.

"What's wrong, Lord Bader?"

"News has come from the Great Barrier: a 'snoring' sound is said to have been heard coming from the valley."

The winter air, which flowed peacefully through the harbor, froze instantly around Leon.

Which individual escaped?

"It's probably a large one. Although it's currently entangled by our school district's barrier, it's only a matter of time before it breaks free."

The news brought by Baldr, who was both the principal of the "school district" and his own god, made Leon fall silent.

After spending a moment lost in thought, he turned his gaze over there.

In contrast to the view of the soda lake and the vast ocean, the direction is the "north" where mountains and ridges intertwine.

"I would like to ask the divine, with insights beyond human understanding, how much time do you think we have left?"

"The twelfth day, but this is just a gut feeling."

The deity's response to the child's question was very concise.

Leon did not question this, but instead nodded slightly in response.

"In that case, I will go. Also, if possible, I would like to bring some companions with me."

"Do you mean 'him'?"

"Exactly."

The deity's always-closed eyelids curved into an arc, like a gentle smile.

Leon returned the smile, and finally looked at the other one.

That was the "City of Heroes," with its towering white chalk towers and surrounded by massive city walls.

"Let's fulfill the adventure we promised each other. I hope to take this opportunity to dream of the birth of a new 'hero'."

Volume 20, Chapter 1: Orario Rumble

"I'm Nina Zul, a student in the Badrban school district! I'm here today for a faction experience, so please bear with me!"

Brown hair, with a strand of bangs dyed emerald green.

The half-elf girl suddenly bowed her head, causing her wine-red tie to sway.

The location was in front of Bell and Hestia, in the living room of the "Hall of Hearthfire".

"I didn't expect there would actually be students from the 'school district' here..."

"To be able to even handle something as simple as recruitment, as expected of Lord Bell!"

"I didn't do anything particularly remarkable... to be honest..."

When faced with Nina, a female student from a school district known for its high-quality students, Ming exclaimed in amazement, while Haruhime clasped her hands together and praised the boy.

Upon hearing the praise, Bell scratched the back of his head with his right hand, somewhat bewildered.

Three days have passed since the disguised enrollment in the 'school district' ended.

After transforming from the rabbit-person student 'Lapi Flamang' back into the first-class adventurer 'White Rabbit Swiftfoot', Bell first returned to the 'Hestia Familia'.

Although Principal God (Baldr) and the others said that "it's fine to stay in the 'school district'," Hestia ordered that "it's about time to come back." In addition, the "special (dungeon) internship," a part of the 'school district's' education system, had already ended, so Bell returned to the base first.

Bell was able to attend the "school district" as an exception because of a condition: "taking care of the worst squad in history, the 'Third Squad'." Now, the problems of the boys and girls have improved through the "Special Internship," and the principal and the others' requests have been successfully fulfilled. It can be considered a proper conclusion.

(Also, Iglin and his group have discovered my true identity...)

This is the most crucial point. Even if it was based on an agreement with Principal Shen and the others, he still concealed his identity and contacted the "Third Squad." Now that his identity has been exposed, Bell feels extremely embarrassed.

Including the dwarf Iglin, everyone in the "Third Squad" now knows the secret of "Lapi Flem," leaving them unsure how to deal with Bell. Therefore, he decided to create some distance for a while to give them some breathing room, which was also for their own good.

(Well, I've decided to do it this way...)

But as you can see, Nina herself rushed to the Hestia Familia's base. And she even got permission from Principal Shin and the others to come in the form of a "factional experience."