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

"Did your mother find you?"

When Ais asked, the little girl shook her head.

Then she received this answer:

"It was a white-haired older brother who helped me find it!"

Her eyes were wide open.

Ais stopped abruptly, and after a pause, she continued:

"White hair and red eyes?"

"Hmm, it looks like a rabbit!"

The little girl smiled and nodded happily.

“…I see.”

Ais said softly, then said goodbye to them.

Watching her mother, bowing her head in thanks, and the little girl waving goodbye as they left, she stood there, quietly gazing up at the sky.

Pure white clouds drifted across the sky.

She let her consciousness fly to that free-floating, beautiful white cloud.

The thought that person could so easily accomplish what she couldn't evoked an incredible feeling within her, and at the same time, her emotions became transparent.

Ais stood there, as the crowd left her behind and flowed away alone.

The sound of footsteps, knowing nothing, brushed past her and grew further and further away.

White clouds swayed in the fresh breeze.

The sky over Orario is still azure blue today.

Side Story: Sword Princess Oratoria Afterword

A couple of days ago, I had the opportunity to talk to Mr. Shichijo Tsuyoshi, who was in the same class as me at GA, about a certain SRPG.

"Actually, the heroine of my work was also influenced by the long-haired swordsman (Nabal).

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yes. Wielding a killer sword, cutting the enemy to pieces with a single, decisive blow."

"oh……"

I still haven't forgotten the look in Shichijo-sensei's eyes, as if she were saying: She really does look like she's holding a murder weapon.

As long as they are given a sword, they can use their unstoppable swordsmanship to quickly and cleanly defeat their opponents.

Conversely, because they used "deadly strike, deadly strike" so quickly that they defeated too many enemies, they attracted even more enemies, thus plunging them into danger—this is the kind of perilous impression I have of swordsmen.

I think the female protagonist in this work, who is a swordswoman, is a concrete representation of the author's one-sided impression of swordsmen.

Based on the overall direction of the story and the protagonist's goals, a female protagonist with unparalleled strength was created. However, she is simply too powerful, often causing the editor to groan, "Whether it's battles or incidents, she should handle them all by herself..." Once she unleashes her true abilities, she might steal all the showdown opportunities from the main story.

Because of this part of the inside story, I started this spin-off project where the female protagonist is the main character (the author still thinks so).

How far will the heroine, who can unleash her full potential without any regrets, ultimately go? Although the author himself is both looking forward to it and feeling fear (unease), he still hopes that all readers will continue to follow the development of this story's ending.

Now, please allow me to proceed to the acknowledgments section.

I would like to thank my editor, Kotaki, for her tremendous support in this spin-off work as well. Including the main story, I realize we still have a long way to go, and I look forward to your continued guidance. I would also like to thank editor Takahashi for assisting with the publication of the spin-off, Haimuraki Yotaka for her numerous character designs and illustrations, and everyone else involved. I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to everyone.

Also, thank you to Mr. Kurehito Misaki for illustrating the cover of the limited edition booklet. Including the limited edition of this booklet, I'm truly grateful for your help. Thank you so much.

Finally, I would like to sincerely thank all the readers who have taken the time to purchase this book.

See you next time.

大森藤ノ

illustrations for the side story, Sword Oratoria

Gaiden: Sword Oratoria Bonus: Pursue a unicorn

The Taiwanese version is from the Kingdom of Light

Input: QW1221781006

Proofreader: QW1221781006

"Hahahaha! Loki, I've brought you an adventurer's quest!"

"What gives this guy the right to act so high and mighty...?"

On a clear, sunny afternoon.

Just as Ais and the others were killing time in their own ways at headquarters, a guest arrived.

The person following behind the silver-haired girl Amid is her god—Diankat, who looks to be in his fifties.

"I heard that my [Family] was badly ripped off by your members the other day, so I'm here to vent my anger! Hahahaha! I don't think you'll refuse me!"

"...Tione."

When Ais, Tiona, and Lefia heard that Amed had come to visit, they all came to the courtyard in front of the main gate to see what was going on. At that moment, the three of them and Loki all looked at Tiona's face. Tiona, the one who started it all, shouted, "W-what's wrong! I didn't do anything wrong!" and then turned her face away, avoiding Ais and the others' gaze.

"...Alright, whether or not we accept the adventurers' request, let's hear what you have to say first. Since you've already come all this way..."

"Hmph, fine! Amid!"

Two celestial beings sat down at the white table, and Amid emerged from behind Dean Kate.

"Recently, rumors have circulated that a wild 'unicorn' has appeared on the outskirts of Orario."

Ais and the others were all surprised, even Loki, who had his hands crossed behind his head, widened one of his narrow eyes.

Although the "unicorn" is a monster, it is also known as a "sacred beast" and is a unicorn with pure white fur.

In the maze, unicorns are classified as rare monsters, and even high-level adventurers rarely have the chance to encounter them.

As you can imagine, unicorns are so rare even in underground cities, and it is even more difficult to witness them on the surface.

"In order to capture this rare species, some adventurers have already begun a hunting expedition. Their target, of course, is the 'unicorn's horn'... and so do we, the [Deankait Familia]."

Defeating a unicorn will yield the item "Unicorn Horn," which is said to purify any toxins. The Deankat Familia, which mainly deals in healing and medicine, is determined to possess this ingredient.

Even setting aside the business operations, the "unicorn horn" itself is extremely valuable.

"Furthermore, if possible, I hope you will not kill the unicorn and allow it to return to its original habitat."

"...This condition is too complicated."

Hearing Amid's last words, Tione, losing all motivation, said this. After the unicorns came to the surface from the labyrinth, their offspring formed a clan deep within the Spirit Peak. Amid's words might not have been related to any faction's intentions; it was probably her own desire to protect the unicorn and prevent them from becoming extinct on the surface.

"But it seems quite interesting too."

Tione was right; this adventurer's request was indeed difficult to handle. Ais and the others exchanged glances, while Loki spoke as if it were none of his business. Ignoring their surprised looks, Loki asked Amid:

"Since it's an adventurer's request, shouldn't we be able to get some benefit as a reward?"

"Of course. As long as we obtain the 'unicorn horn,' we will definitely share it with you."

"Alright, alright. We'll accept this adventurer's request."

"How could this happen?!" "Loki—!"

The lover, utterly powerless against the allure of the rare and exotic, readily agreed. Both Tiony and Tiona protested, but Loki seemed to consider it a divine prerogative and ignored them.

"Hahaha! It's a deal then!" Dean Kate laughed heartily.

"What's next? Specifically, how do we do it? The opponent is a unicorn; it'll be difficult to capture it alive."

"Yes. So, we will take advantage of the unicorn's attraction to purity."

"Pure nature... Oh, so you just like lying in the arms of young girls. Then we'll have to form a capture team of virgins."

"A virgin...a virgin!"

There's an ancient legend about a tribe of unicorns who came to the surface and played with beautiful fairy maidens in a forest, their hearts becoming one. It's said that from then on, unicorns were attracted to beings as pure and noble as fairies—or, in human terms, flawless virgins—and would fall asleep in their arms. Regardless of the legend's veracity, it has been confirmed that these unicorns do indeed possess this characteristic.

As Lefia moaned, her face flushed red, Loki, who was standing to the side, continued knowingly:

"Hmm—then we'll send these four girls. But these young ladies are even more ferocious than unicorns."

"Let's have Amid participate!"

Upon hearing the decision made by the gods, the group members couldn't help but sigh.

Tiony and the others had already given up hope, and immediately agreed to participate in the adventurer's request.

"Well, in short, the unicorn definitely has to be captured alive... But what about Miss Tione and Miss Tiona, um, regarding their chastity...?"

Perhaps due to a preconceived notion that women of the Amazonian race are inherently promiscuous, Lefia blushed and couldn't help but ask Tione and the others if they were chaste.

"My chastity belongs solely to the commander." "I've never been with a man—"

The Amazonian twins answered readily. Tiony, in particular, looked quite proud.

"Oh, I see," Lefia said, her face still flushed, finally relieved.

"Amid is my assistant, and she has a ton of things to handle when she gets back to headquarters. Therefore, the deadline for this adventurer's request is three days! Hahahaha!"

"Three days..."

In other words, one would often have to stay outside the city for up to three days. Ais thought that if she had that much time, she would rather explore the labyrinth or train diligently than participate in quests; however,

"Ais has to go too!" "Hmph, mandatory participation, Ais, my dear."

"..."

With Tiona hugging her from behind and Loki sporting a lewd smile, she couldn't refuse and had no choice but to participate.

◎

The unicorn sightings are concentrated in the grassland area directly north of the city, adjacent to the foothills and forests.

After accepting the adventurer's request, it was the next morning. After finally finishing the tedious guild procedures that had been going on since the day before, Ais and the others set off from the guild's north gate with Amid.

"By the way, Amid, why did you say there's no way to capture a unicorn alive?"

"Because unicorns are very proud monsters, trying to capture them would anger them and cause them to choose to commit suicide."

News of the city's strongest faction (Loki's Familia) deciding to capture a unicorn spread quickly. Along the way, many adventurers—hunters—attempted to stop Ais and her companions by any means necessary, but were all repelled. Since these hunters would become obstacles to completing the adventurers' quests, Ais and her friends used self-defense as a defense mechanism, chasing down and repelling their pursuers.

"Ah—look, everyone!"

The hunters had almost finished cleaning up, and the group continued their search, following the monster's tracks. After some time, Lefia climbed the low hill and pointed. Ais and the others looked in the direction she was pointing and gasped in unison.

The white horse's body shone with brilliance, its slender limbs and tail tip covered in pure white fur as white as fresh snow. A single long horn on its forehead traced gentle spiral lines from its base to its sharp tip.

It truly lives up to its reputation as a "sacred beast," its graceful and refined movements as it traverses the grasslands are nothing short of elegant and otherworldly.

That is the rare species – the unicorn.

"Wow! This is the first time I've ever seen this!"

"So beautiful, really... It's clearly a monster."

Tiona and Tione murmured to themselves, their voices filled with ecstasy. Ais also narrowed her eyes slightly, gazing at the unicorn in front of her.

Upon closer inspection, several scratches were visible on its snow-white fur, likely from repeated attacks by poachers or falling into traps. The unicorn repeatedly raised its head to survey its surroundings, seemingly neurotic about the presence of other creatures. Ais and the others observed this scene from atop the low hill, crouching to avoid being discovered by the unicorn while simultaneously holding a strategic meeting.

"So, who wants to go first?"

"Huh, are you going alone each time?"

"Of course! Lefia! If we all went at once, wouldn't the unicorns be overwhelmed and not know which one to choose?"

"...Leaving aside whether it will be a nuisance or not, perhaps you are right. Having several people approaching it at once might increase its wariness."

Amid agreed to Tiona's suggestion to try to approach the unicorns alone, one at a time.

Ais, Lefia, and Tione agreed upon hearing this.

"So it turns out we went first..."

"Let's see which one the unicorns like more, Tione!"

Tione was pulled along by her sister, who had volunteered first, and the Amazonian sisters became the first team to conquer the unicorn. Ais and the others quietly observed the two approaching the monster from atop the low hill.

"But then again, how...how can one capture the heart of a unicorn?"