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

It was as if it was implying to me that this was not over yet.

Volume 6, Chapter 3: Outbreak

One night after the "Feast of the Gods," the next morning.

In the hidden room of the church headquarters, Bell and Hestia, having completed the process of updating their [ability values], each prepared for their scheduled trips.

Bell Craney

Lv.2

力量：C635　耐久：D590→594　灵巧：C627　敏捷：B741　魔力：D529

Lucky: I

〖magic〗

【Flame Lightning】

·Quick attack magic.

〖Skill〗

【Hero's Wish (Argonauts)】

• Has the power to implement active actions.

(It went up a little...)

He stuffed the elixir into his leg pouch and held the record sheet the deity had given him in his free left hand.

Looking at the updated [Ability Values], the slightly increased "Durability" value left Bell with mixed feelings.

Returning to Earth from the 18th floor, the first update was five days before my physical condition fully recovered, and the second was today after the chaotic battle at "Flame Bee Pavilion." Enduring Hyacinthus's attack wasn't exactly a battle, just a skirmish, but it seems to have still become "experience points," reflected in Bell's ability stats.

Level 3 isn't a nice name. Remembering how easily he was defeated back then, Bell reached up and scratched the back of his head.

"Honestly, that Apollo guy! How dare he bring up some war game invitation..."

As for Hestia, who was preparing to work, she kept muttering complaints. She had been in a bad mood since last night, and said to Belle, who was sitting on the sofa:

"Bell, you need to be careful. I don't think he'll pull any tricks today, but Apollo and the others might come up with some excuse to cause you trouble."

"Uh, yes..."

Bell nodded seriously in response to Hestia's warning.

As the chief goddess, she harbored suspicion towards the Apollo Familia, who would stop at nothing to abduct the boy. Even though she hadn't explored the dungeon, she still updated his stats, worried about what tricks they might pull. However, the updated stats were pitifully small, hardly enough to warrant any preparation.

"Bell, if anything happens, run away immediately. When you move, stay in crowded places and avoid being alone."

"I see."

"It's best to go into the dungeon with Ming and the others these days; it might be safer that way. Ah Jian should understand our predicament and accept the team's request."

Bell kept the chief god's advice in mind. He had already witnessed assassinations by other factions and crimes within the dungeon while working with Ais and Lily, so he knew that caution was always the best policy.

He donned the rabbit armor (armor) that had been partially damaged during the battle on the 18th floor, replaced his completely destroyed greaves with his usual long boots, and then tucked the Hestia's Blade and the Ushiwakamaru into his waistband. Preparations for the dungeon exploration were complete, and Bell stood up.

"Bell, since we're going out anyway, why don't we walk to the Tower of Babel together?"

"Okay, sure."

Bell readily agreed, and Hestia smiled as well. Her job today was odd jobs at the Hephaestus branch. He emerged from the hidden underground room and climbed the stairs.

The small room up the stairs was dark, and the empty bookshelves were covered with a thin layer of dust. Hearing Hestia's footsteps up the stairs behind him, Bell left the cramped room first.

The spacious interior, resembling a chapel and equipped with an altar, remained unchanged, with weeds growing in the grout lines of the floor tiles. The ceiling—or rather, the roof—had a large hole, allowing one to look up at the blue sky. Looking around the ruined church interior, Bell wondered if he should do a little cleaning.

(……magic?)

Bell, who was walking through the room, suddenly looked up.

He could vaguely sense the aftershocks emanating from the chanting or the casting of magic. The sensation was quite subtle, and Bell, not being a professional mage, didn't understand what it meant.

Bell paused for a moment, glanced around briefly, and then turned away. Behind him, Hestia emerged from the small room, tilting her head in confusion.

Surprised, Bell left her behind and walked alone through the church's main entrance, which had no doors.

“——”

Then, the moment he stepped out of the half-ruined church and was bathed in the morning sun.

Countless figures standing on the rooftops and top floors of the surrounding buildings burst into his field of vision.

Countless pairs of eyes were looking down at them. These adventurers were positioned around the main gate, each equipped with a bow and arrow or a staff.

——[Apollo family].

Bell froze upon seeing the sun emblem engraved on the armor with the naked eye.

As soon as he emerged, the ambushing adventurers raised their weapons. The archers drew their bows in unison; the numerous mages had already finished their incantations and were poised to strike, a powerful wind of magic swirling around them.

An elf, who looked like a squad leader and covered his mouth with a scarf, raised a hand. In that instant, Bell turned around without hesitation.

He rushed toward Hestia, who was still inside the church, and pounced on her, almost shoving her as she rolled into the back of the chapel.

In the blink of an eye, the elf waved his hand downwards—and a huge explosion occurred.

◆

The Seventh District is located north of West Street.

A huge explosion was heard in a densely populated residential area between Northwest Avenue and West Avenue.

"What's wrong? What's wrong?"

"Fire? Meow!"

"You're already causing trouble for people first thing in the morning, meow..."

The employees of the tavern "The Abundant Mistress," the human Runova and the cat-people Anya and Chloe, ran out of the tavern and onto West Street. Ordinary people walking on the street also looked up in surprise in the direction of the explosion, and all they could see was billowing black smoke rising into the sky.

"...There's the sound of fighting (meow)."

Cloy's ears twitched. Just as she had said, intense explosions were coming from the direction where the black smoke was billowing, like someone was bombarding the area with magic. She stared intently and saw a black figure flash across the rooftops of buildings at high speed.

"Um, could it be...?"

(illustration)

"The [Familia] have started fighting, meow?"

"It's been a long time since that happened, meow."

Realizing the danger, the citizens walking on the main road turned pale and immediately began to seek refuge.

In Orario, a city with many [Familia], factional fighting is commonplace. The city's residents have experienced many such battles that break out in the streets regardless of the authorities (guilds), and they quickly realize what is happening and act swiftly.

The carriage speeding along the avenue abruptly turned around, causing a great commotion among the citizens. The staff of "The Abundant Mistress," including Seele, all rushed outside. The shop owner, Mia, also drew back the curtains and peered out of the window.

Thick smoke rose straight into the sky.

"A [familia] that uses this area as its base... could it be a white-haired cat?"

"Don't talk nonsense!"

Lunova stopped Anya from saying something unintentional.

The cat-girl then realized something was wrong, covered her mouth with her hands, and looked away, only to see Seele standing there blankly.

His pale gray eyes were fixed on the direction from which the thick smoke was rising. The lunch basket in his hand waited anxiously for the boy who hadn't yet appeared.

The explosion caused a tremor, making the basket shake.

"..."

Ryū, who arrived on the main road a step later, looked up at the direction of the artillery fire.

As he watched the magical dregs swirling in the air, his sky-blue eyes narrowed.

●

The shockwave was accompanied by a series of deafening roars.

Magic and arrows strapped with explosives hit their target, and the church was destroyed.

The half-destroyed goddess statue standing directly above the gate collapsed with a crashing sound.

「!?」

Meanwhile, at the back of the building, a wooden door was forcefully kicked open.

Bell, who had escaped through the back door of the church, was expelled along with the thick smoke. Holding Hestia in his arms, he rolled a few times on the ground before quickly regaining his balance.

When I looked up, all I saw was a cloud of dust, the front half of which had been reduced to rubble, and the church (headquarters) in a terrible state.

"Kill them!"

「!?」

Before he could even tremble, Bale was attacked by an assassin.

They seemed to have been waiting at the back door, and several orcs launched a surprise attack from above, wielding short swords. In desperation, Bell grabbed Hestia with his left arm and drew Hestia's Blade with his right hand to deflect the enemy's strikes.

He dodged and weaved, his armor taking a few shallow cuts—Bell deliberately charged into the sandstorm that filled the surroundings.

Leaving the enemy's hesitation behind, Bell escaped into a side path, relying on his familiarity with the environment.

"Pfft!?"

As Hestia passed through the sandstorm, she took a deep breath of fresh air.

Dusty and disheveled, Bell scooped her up in his arms and fled from the pursuers.

(—They made their move!)

In broad daylight on the street!

The Apollo Familia launched a relentless offensive, leaving Bell in a sorry state.

There was no assassination or labyrinthine attack. The enemy was openly and without hesitation attacking Bell and his companions on the surface.

Because we don't accept war games, we resort to force?

Does the Apollo Familia completely consider the Hestia Familia as their enemy?

Ignoring external backlash and not even afraid of being banned by the guild?

Just as Bell was still unsettled and filled with questions, suddenly—"The struggle between [Familia] could turn the entire city into a battlefield," Eina's words came back to mind.

Bell now understood that he had become a party to what was called a factional struggle.

"Bell, those children who attacked us were...?"

"It's the Apollo Familia!"

Bell roared as he ran wildly through the narrow back alley, which was only a little over three meters wide, in response to Hestia in his arms.

She peeked over Bell's shoulder, staring at the collapsed church, now far behind and filled with smoke.

"Damn it...! How dare they take my and Bell's love nest...!"

“Eh!?”

Although Bell was bothered by Hestia's words when she was trembling with anger, something else hit him even harder.

Looking back and up to see the ruins of the church—the fact that he had lost his home deeply affected Bell.

"Bell, here we come!"

Looking at the collapsed headquarters, Bell was wearing the expression of a lost child when a warning rang in his ears.

Startled, he turned to look ahead and saw about five adventurers appearing in the distance from where he had been heading. Faced with his armed opponents charging towards him, Bell immediately turned right and ran into another path.

Countless footsteps echoed through the crisscrossing back alleys, followed by shouts of search for Bell—"He's gone!" "Over there!"—the adventurers' voices. From the right, from the left, from behind, from the front, the aura of attack never ceased.

Bell's face was contorted with anxiety. Holding Hestia, he was unable to fight.

He needed to escape as quickly as possible and get to the edge of the war zone where there were no enemies. Just as his pace quickened and he couldn't help but run into a straight passage...

Ten archers appeared on the roofs of the houses lining both sides of the road.

「!?」

Five archers, one on each side, both orcs and elves, aimed their arrows, which gleamed with a dark light, at Bell below.

Hearing Hestia stop breathing, Bell frowned and glared.