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

"Could I ask you for a favor...?"

"Yes. Someone wants me to come and check on Bell's condition."

Takemikazuchi was also surprised that he had never returned from his travels so quickly; it turned out that he had been asked to do so by someone.

Hermes lowered his voice to avoid being overheard and confessed everything to her.

"Who is that person you're talking about?"

"Bell's foster parents, that's what he calls himself."

Hestia's eyes widened upon hearing Hermes's reply.

He appeared several times in conversations with Bell, but his appearance and voice were unknown; he was the boy's grandfather.

However, according to him, those who raised him should…

"...Wasn't Bell's grandfather already deceased?"

"Because of an unavoidable situation, he had no way to explain anything to his beloved grandson, so he could only pretend to be dead and hide."

Hearing Hermes shrug and say that, Hestia, knowing Bell's feelings for her grandfather, couldn't help but show a complicated expression.

"Well, anyway, he's been living a kind of secluded life since he and Bell separated. But... you know, during the last All-Gods Conference, didn't the reputation of the world's fastest white rabbit spread all over the world along with its nickname? When that person who claimed to be his foster parent heard about it, he was drinking tea at the time, and he suddenly spat out all his tea."

Hermes continued cheerfully:

"My adoptive parents have many questions they want to know, but they can't take any action, so they just happened to come to me. That is, me, who often visits Orario."

"Isn't that simple?" Hermes held up his long, thin fingers and shook them.

A group of monsters appeared ahead, and the masked adventurers immediately stepped forward to fight them. While the battle raged on, Asphie and her companions also prepared to deal with attacks from other sides, maintaining their vigilance.

When the entire squad stopped advancing, Hestia, who had been silent until now, asked in a suppressed tone:

"The god who can make you run errands wouldn't be......"

"I never said the person who commissioned me was a god, did I? Well, anyway, they told me to keep this a secret. If you misunderstand, I'll be even happier."

Hermes grinned slyly.

Seeing him deliberately change the subject, Hestia was anxious, but she believed he wasn't lying. Coincidentally, she and the "Goddess of Beauty" reached the same conclusion: Hermes had absolutely no intention of harming Bell.

Since Hermes was acting on someone else's behalf, he should be quite troubled if Bell dies.

"...I understand Hermes's hidden story. But logically speaking, would someone come all the way to a place like this just to investigate? There should be plenty of other good opportunities. I don't understand why you came to the dungeon."

Hermes, not wanting to offend Hestia or perhaps wanting to show her sincerity, told her the truth. However, he didn't reveal his true intentions.

What is God (he) thinking? Hestia looked up at his excessively handsome face.

"I was indeed asked to do this, but I'm also interested in Bell myself."

Hermes laughed.

It wasn't a forced smile of weakness, but a composed expression that revealed the demeanor of a god.

"I want to see it clearly with my own eyes, Hestia."

He opened his orange-yellow eyes wide and brought his face close to Hestia's.

Then he murmured it.

"Let's see if he is truly a hero worthy of his time."

◆

A series of explosions erupted amidst towering flames.

The pack of hellhounds, forced to self-destruct, collapsed amidst the sparks. Facing this scene for what seemed like the umpteenth time, Welf, who had activated anti-magic magic, found his outstretched right arm limply hanging in mid-air.

It breathed a faint, feeble breath into my ear.

“——”

"! Welf!"

Welf's neck suddenly bent down, and at the same time, his body lost all strength, putting all his weight on my shoulders. I quickly used my waist and legs to avoid falling to the ground.

He was sweating profusely and his eyelids were tightly closed. I quickly looked at Welf, only to see his completely unconscious profile.

(Mental exhaustion...!)

I've burdened Welf with too much. Overusing magic and expending too much mental energy has pushed his body to its limits. Seeing my companion lose consciousness, my eyes twisted pathetically.

I have no magic potions or dual-attribute potions on hand.

We have no way to restore Welf's spirit now.

"……ah……"

With a hoarse shout, a thud was heard behind him as something fell to the ground.

Looking back, Lily was also lying on the ground, her eyes closed, too weak to move.

"Lily!..."

I dragged myself down to my knees. Like Welf, Lily fainted.

It seems extreme tension and fatigue—the oppressive feeling of the "middle level," so different from that of the "upper level," has been eroding Lily's body. She didn't properly replenish her supplies, instead prioritizing giving them to us. Lily, with the worst [ability stats] in the squad, must have run out of stamina a long time ago.

"...!"

Suddenly, all around became silent, with only the sound of my own breathing remaining. In that instant, I felt as if the surroundings had suddenly darkened.

This is just an illusion. The dungeon has not changed at all.

So, this must be... my current state of mind.

In this situation, I can no longer rely on my companions. The unease and fear of being alone, and despair, are about to surface deep within me.

I heard my heart pounding. Startled, I opened my eyes wide, enveloped by a chilling aura of deceit.

"...!"

I gritted my teeth, almost biting it off.

I held Lily's little hand beside me and grabbed Welf's shoulder.

Along with the unease that nearly overwhelmed my fragile heart, I punched myself.

There's no time to be afraid. Move, walk, stand up!

We must work together to get back alive...!

"sorry……!"

I threw away Welf's big knife, Lily's backpack, and luggage.

Leaving only the bare minimum of weaponry, I dragged my companions forward. I carried Welf on my right shoulder and held petite Lily under my left armpit.

I left the team's entire equipment in the passage and began to move forward.

"Ugh, ooh...!"

Unconscious Welf and Lily's arms hung limply, swinging like pendulums.

The unconscious person was naturally quite heavy, but I could move him. Thanks to my [ability stat], although I am small in stature, I was still able to carry two people on my back.

I exhaled and moved my feet, pressing firmly into the ground.

The greaves on his feet, meticulously crafted by Welf, rubbed heavily with each footstep.

(Find the vertical cave before encountering the monster...!)

If we get attacked by a monster now, everything will be over.

I won't be able to fight properly, I'll be brutally humiliated, and I certainly won't be able to protect Lily and the others. I might not even be able to escape.

Sweat poured down my body, and my muscles groaned in pain. Ignoring everything else, I mustered every last ounce of strength to keep going.

"!"

found it.

At the right-hand side of the intersection, there's a one-way street that ends in less than ten meters. At the deepest part of the passage is a vertical cave, half-buried in the rock wall.

After turning around to make sure there were no monsters, I rushed toward the cave as if drawn by a magic spell.

He glanced down, placed his feet on the edge of the cave, and jumped down in one breath.

"--Well!"

After the sound of air being cut was followed by an impact.

I failed to land. I awkwardly fell to my knees and then collapsed, throwing Lily and Welf forward in the process.

I pulled away from the throbbing pain, forced my eyebrows up, and with trembling hands, got up from the cold ground and walked over to the two of them. The grit clinging to my damp cheeks fell with a sound.

I picked up Lily and the others, who had been thrown to the ground, and stepped out into the dark, domineering cave... on the 17th floor.

(My body is too weak to exert any strength...)

My consciousness turned to my heavy hands and feet, which felt as if they were bound with lead weights.

My physical condition is clearly different. My body has been telling me for a long time that I don't have much energy left, but it's only now that it's become clear.

I've thought of a possible reason.

【Hero's Wish (Argonauts)】

When facing the approaching Minotaur, I used the power of a "skill." After unleashing that charged attack, I felt a sense of weariness, as if something was being pulled away from my body. It was as if my physical and mental strength had been uprooted.

Such a powerful attack couldn't possibly come without a price. Dragging the recoil from my [Hero's Wish], I desperately spurred my body forward.

"Huff, huff...!"

How long have I been wandering in the dungeon? Time seems to have completely broken down; perhaps a whole day, or even longer. This is the first time I've ever longed for the sunlight so much.

The 17th floor seemed darker than the floors above. The monster still hadn't appeared. I let myself breathe heavily, clenching my jaw several times.

Just kneel down.

Every part of the body was shouting like that.

A sharp ringing sound echoed in my ears, and I longed to be freed from this foolish asceticism.

Alone in the deep darkness underground, walking endlessly towards an unseen exit, even if you reach it, you don't know if there is any hope (light) there.

I wish I could give up everything and collapse from exhaustion.

That impulse was so sweet, more alluring than anything else, that I wished I could agree immediately.

"What are you talking about?! You're kidding me...!"

I hugged my companion tightly again. It felt like Welf's catchphrase had somehow transferred to my lips.

I was all alone. If I fell, Lily and Welf would both be doomed, they would both die here. In my extreme condition, I relied on the only bond I had with my companions to shake off the immense pressure.

Slowly—the dark, murky air of the dungeon twisted and contorted with a sound, transforming into a grim reaper wielding a scythe. It gradually approached the back of my neck, reaching out several times to whisper in my ear.

After overcoming difficulties and being forced into even more challenging situations, I learned something.

If I succumb to this temptation, I'm afraid I'll lose my life.

Just like many adventurers who were unable to return from the labyrinth.

(Going in this direction is the right thing to do...)

The cave gradually expanded, eventually forming a spacious area large enough for dozens of people to pass through. The paths also became one-way streets with fewer branching points, like walking into the body of a giant serpent with its mouth wide open. The ceiling was also very high, and the phosphorescent light, which flickered like torches, appeared as tiny specks of light.

I headed in the direction where the road widened. This way I could reach the deepest hall on the 17th floor.

Following the instructions Lily gave me before we decided to head towards the 18th floor, I proceeded along the increasingly larger passageway.

The dungeon was quiet.

"……Why?"

The 17th floor was so quiet.

An uncontrollable question escaped his lips as a murmur, echoing into the distance. A pebble kicked by the greaves rolled and was swallowed by the silent darkness.

The monster did not appear.

I've sensed their presence all along, but they haven't attacked. The monsters have also stopped appearing; the situation is very strange.

It's like eagerly anticipating something—no, it's fearing the birth of something.