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

"Um, this, I'm really... so sorry..."

"Miss Lily, it's understandable that you're angry. Please feel free to condemn us."

Ms. Chigusa, whose eyes were covered by her bangs and who looked timid, and Ms. Mei, who spoke without hesitation, both expressed their apologies.

It's said that passing monsters to others in dungeons is commonplace. Or rather, using this tactic skillfully is a survival technique in dungeons. Although it might happen to you tomorrow... no adventurer can guarantee they'll never become the perpetrator. Unless it's intentional framing, adventurers are supposedly expected to show some degree of understanding towards "monster deliveries."

However, since we were walking on the edge of life and death this time, almost losing our lives, the atmosphere remained quite tense. "Hmm..." The immortal seemed to be troubled as well, watching our conversation with his arms crossed.

"That was the instruction I gave. And even now, I don't think that instruction was wrong."

At this moment, the burly man, Mr. Sakura, came up in front of Miss Ming and the others and said this decisively.

I was speechless, but at the same time I felt his unwavering, almost religious, resolve.

I'm afraid... Mr. Sakura weighed the two matters carefully before placing them on the scales. On one side was his companion, and on the other was the life of a complete stranger.

He was already aware of the resentment that had been transferred to him, but he remained ruthless and heartless for the sake of his companions.

I don't know if it was the right thing to do, but... even so, this person made the decision as the squad leader.

"...You really have the nerve to say that in front of us, big guy?"

Welf raised the corners of his mouth and met Mr. Sakura's gaze head-on. His eyes could only be described as glaring.

The atmosphere was tense, like a fire could break out. Everyone's face was tense, except for me, who looked utterly pathetic, frantically glancing left and right.

This is going to be terrible! I desperately tried to come up with a solution, hoping to reach a compromise between the two sides, and just then—

"Hey, I'm back. I've spoken with the Loki Familia."

Hermes and Miss Asphy have returned, having sought permission from Mr. Finn and his companions to stay.

"Oh dear... what's going on, Hestia?"

"Hmm...that's how it is."

After Hestia gave a brief explanation, Hermes laughed exaggeratedly and cheerfully.

"Don't be so stubborn! Belle, just consider it as doing Little Life and the others a huge favor. Little Life, you also want to atone for your sins, right?"

"Of course..."

"She already said that, Lily, so when things go wrong, just let them do whatever they want for you, okay?"

"...Since you've already said that..."

Hermes tried to persuade Miss Fate and Lily, and finally looked at Welf and the others.

"Welf. Maybe Little Life and the others have caused you a lot of trouble, but they came here to save you voluntarily. It wasn't God's (our) command, nor was it out of guilt."

...After a period of silence.

At the urging of Hermes, Welf said to Mr. Cherry Blossom:

"...I'm willing to let it go. However, I don't agree with your idea."

"Hmm...that's enough."

Mr. Cherry Blossom nodded solemnly. Welf left him and returned to our side.

In the blink of an eye, the tense atmosphere had vanished. Truly, he's a god, perhaps a bit too casual... In any case, Hermes's skill in smoothing things over truly impressed me.

"Then let's talk about future bookings!"

Hermes smiled at everyone as if nothing had happened. We were all stunned, unsure how to react, but no one objected.

"Asphi," Hermes called to his kin, and made way for her.

"First, let's figure out how to get back to the surface... After the Loki Familia defeats the floor master (Goliath), we can start from the 18th floor. Let's avoid it if possible, and not take unnecessary risks."

We all agreed and nodded.

"Then, I heard that the Loki Familia won't be able to set off again for at least two days."

"That means I have a whole day free... It's a rare opportunity, so let's spend the whole day sightseeing on the 18th floor tomorrow!"

Hermes' proposal was supported by everyone.

Although it's a safe floor where monsters won't spawn, it's still an underground city. Everyone agreed to travel together, and since I already made plans with Miss Ais, I've decided to head to "Town" tomorrow.

The discussion went smoothly and a conclusion was reached quickly; all that was left was to go to bed.

"Oh, right. Welf."

"What is it, Goddess Hestia?"

Just as the female members had all gone into the tents and the male members were outside to keep watch and sleep outdoors, Welf was called to a stop.

The fairy summoned Miss Qiancao to come over and took from her an item wrapped in white cloth that looked like a weapon.

"This was given to me by your chief goddess (Hephaestus). She also had something for me to pass on to you. Let me think... it seems to be, 'Don't weigh your obsessions against those of your companions.'"

"..."

Welf took the white cloth weapon from the fairy and went outside without saying a word.

"Welf?"

"...It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

As Welf spoke, he kept looking down at the white cloth in his hands.

◆

The "night" on the 18th floor has ended, and the "morning" has arrived.

We also received breakfast this morning. As agreed, I asked Miss Ais to take me to visit the "town". Besides her, Miss Tiona and Miss Tione seemed to have nothing better to do, so they came along with us.

(...Miss Ryu still doesn't seem to be here.)

What's wrong with her? I thought about how she only spoke to me once yesterday. And she didn't come to the tent either... Although Hermes told me, "She has her reasons, don't worry about it." Despite my worries, I still set off from the campsite with Miss Ais and the others.

The "town" is said to be located in a swampy area... it's an "island" floating on the lake. We traverse the forest located to the south of the building, heading towards the western area with the lake.

"By the way, immortals..."

"Hmm? What's up, Bell?"

"I feel like you've been acting a little different than usual since yesterday..."

With Miss Ais and the others leading the way, I walked across the vast grassland, asking the gods beside me questions.

When I was at a loss for words and feeling anxious, the deity let out an "Oh!" as if he had thought of something and laughed.

"The gods (us) usually unleash their divine power, but I'm suppressing it now. That way, they won't discover I'm here."

Divine power… made those in the lower realms intuitively understand that the divine being before them possessed the aura of a celestial being. To put it bluntly, it was the aura emanating from the gods. It was said that the use of "divine power" inevitably emitted a certain amount of this aura, which would be leaked to other gods—meaning that a god who violated the rules would have their divine power detected by other gods and be forcibly banished back to the celestial realm.

"There is an unwritten rule that gods cannot enter the underground city."

"why?"

"Because it would be terrible if we got caught."

"By whom?" This sentence, lacking a subject, puzzled me greatly. I unconsciously sensed that the atmosphere wouldn't allow me to continue asking, so I didn't press the matter further.

"I already know we're going to that ridiculously big island... but how are we going to cross the lake?"

"There's a bridge made of cut-down trees; just cross it. See, that's it."

Welf asked without hesitation, and Miss Tiona answered him, pointing in a direction... "From here, you can also see a large log spanning the lake as a bridge."

The closer we got, the more imposing the giant rocky island appeared. I was awestruck as I crossed the natural wooden bridge, stripped of its branches and leaves. The bridge was only marked by natural footsteps, with no railings or anything like that, and the rough, uneven bark made it difficult to walk on. I hurriedly grabbed the fairy who had almost rolled into the lake and carefully made our way across the bridge.

It was "morning," after all, not as bright as yesterday's "daytime," but the light shining from the sky through the crystal was warm. The shimmering, deep blue lake reflected our figures as we crossed the bridge.

"By the way, since there's a 'town,' why don't you stay there, Miss Ais...?"

"They'll rip us off badly, no way."

I casually posed a question, and Miss Tiony immediately answered me. I didn't understand what she meant, but I still set foot on the island.

The town is located atop a mountain, and the journey is rugged and difficult. It's less like mountain climbing and more like scrambling up and down cliffs. Surrounded by vegetation and blue crystals growing in the crevices of rocks, we arrived at a high place with a wide view.

"Yes, the scenery is beautiful."

"Whoosh, whoosh... Oh, this is truly spectacular."

Compared to the energetic Hermes, Hestia was already panting heavily, but upon seeing the view, she expressed the same sentiment. We, too, were captivated by the entire panorama of the 18th floor.

The 18th floor has neither a maze nor dividing walls; it is a large, circular space. The steep rock walls that surround the entire floor extend all the way to the crystal-clear ceiling.

At the southern end is a cave leading to the 17th level, and the campsite is located nearby. The forest extends from the south to the east, with emerald streams and springs visible. To the north are sparsely wooded wetlands. Perhaps because, like the vast grasslands, there are no barriers, the shadowy figures of monsters roaming there are particularly conspicuous.

Bathed in the white light of the sky, the bird-like monsters took flight from the water's edge.

"Just like us, monsters also enter this floor..."

"The 18th floor is more like a monster's paradise than our amusement park."

Miss Ais explained first, and then Miss Asphie added, "Those monsters also come here seeking countless fruits and water."

To the west lies this rocky island nestled in the lake, while in the center are enormous trees with exceptionally thick trunks.

These natural landscapes form the entire view of the 18th floor.

"Lily has never been outside of Orario, but... this place is really beautiful."

"No, although the world is vast, it's hard to find another place with scenery that surpasses this one, even if you search the entire world."

"...It reminds me of the mountains in my hometown."

"Um……"

Lily and Miss Mei, Mr. Sakura and Miss Chigusa were all chatting animatedly. I, too, etched this beautiful scene deeply into my heart.

Soon, we left the highlands, climbed the remaining mountain path, and then arrived at our long-awaited destination.

"Wow……!"

The first thing that greeted us was an archway made of wooden pillars and flags.

The sign above reads in Common Language, "Welcome to Rivera Town!"

"I advise you not to be fooled by the appearance. They're just trying to please you and get you to spend more money."

Miss Thione offered me her advice again as we passed through the archway.

The building, situated at the highest point of the island, atop a cliff, is a beautiful village-style "town" adorned with white and blue crystals that grow on the ground.

The lodgings… no, the various shops with signs were all temporary structures made of wood and curtains. Many shops and inns resembled caves, built using natural horizontal caves or hollows in the rock. The town was built on a precipice in what was essentially a barren mountainside, with steep slopes everywhere and wooden staircases throughout. And from any angle, the streetscape offered beautiful views of the buildings against the backdrop of a deep blue lake.

Rivera, a town of inns surrounded by crystals and rocks.

"This town is run by adventurers. There are no complicated rules or lords here; everyone does business according to their own will."

I walked with Fairy, Lily, and Welf, frequently looking around while listening to Miss Asphyxi's introduction.

It is said that this town, located in a vast underground city, was originally intended as a guild outpost within the labyrinth, but the plan was abandoned midway, so the adventurers took over and built it without permission. The reason this location was chosen in the spacious 18th floor is because it is surrounded by lakes, and the geographical conditions are perfect for serving as a small fortress.

Apart from the south gate we traversed, the north gate which was in the opposite direction, and the cliff to the east bordering the lake, the entire town was surrounded by walls. Although the walls, built using the terrain, crystals, and rocks, couldn't compare to the thick city walls of Orario, they looked sturdy enough.

Adventurers often use this base (exploration base) when exploring floors below the 18th floor. As usual, they repeat the process of staying overnight, exploring, and staying overnight again... until their stamina and resources are exhausted.

"But won't this town be attacked by monsters?"

"Of course it will. Just a month ago, the monster did whatever it wanted to us, and it was almost completely destroyed."

"That was so dangerous! We were here too!"

When I heard Miss Thione and her sister answer me so casually, my lips began to twitch.

"But the adventurers in this town are incredibly fast at running away. They leave and then come back, rebuilding the town all over again."

"Construction, destruction, reconstruction... it's just a constant cycle."

They said that even though this is a safe floor, it's still within a labyrinth, so "Rivera Town" is constantly exposed to the threat of monster attacks. Although adventurers of level three or higher are stationed here at all times, the town always suffers devastating destruction whenever an irregularity occurs. Afterwards, the returning adventurers rebuild it themselves, bringing it back to life time and time again. The current Rivera Town is the 334th generation.

The town's name comes from Rivera Santilini, the great female adventurer who first founded the town.

"Um, Lady Asphie, this town also has many crystals..."

"Yes, once we get to the ground, all the crystals that grow on the 18th layer can be exchanged for money."

"Lord Bell! Before we go back, let's collect a whole bunch of crystals to take back with us!"

Seeing Lily's eyes sparkling, I smiled wryly as I led everyone to the spacious square.