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

Lily almost collapsed to her knees.

They used Lily, who was still a member of the Soma Familia, as a pretext to participate in the attack on Bell and Hestia. They had long prepared a shield and loopholes to evade guild penalties.

The bonds and constraints of the [Family] are that strong. As long as the main god and factions claim that members who haven't left the guild are being exploited, resulting in losses for the [Family], the guild at least accepts this explanation. Lily is just a member; no matter how much she shouts, in the end, the guild will only listen to the organization's voice.

Lily became the cause of the trouble that drove Bell and his group to the brink of despair.

"I always thought you were dead... until a few days ago when I overheard some drunks talking in a bar."

"What did they say...?"

"They mentioned the 'rising star' who was very active on the 18th floor, and the dwarf supporters who followed him."

Lily cursed herself for her carelessness from the bottom of her heart.

On the surface, she always uses the "Cookware Woman" spell to disguise herself as an orc child, but she dispels the spell in the dungeon to conserve her mind. The events that occurred on the 18th floor, coupled with Bell's active performance, brought her considerable fame, and information about team member Lily began to circulate among some members.

Chanis probably guessed the relationship between Bell and the others and Lily from the rumors in the tavern. Coincidentally, the Apollo Familia also made a request and expressed their willingness to pay, which suited him perfectly, so he agreed.

"Don't worry, Erd. I will speak with Soma and prove your innocence, letting Soma know that the Hestia Familia is the root of all evil."

The revenge of the Soma Familia, which he had discussed with Bell and Hestia in the past, has actually come true.

"Dragging them into unnecessary trouble..." Lily said that back then. Completely wrong. It was Lily who stirred up the trouble, even unleashing the fire of malice that tormented them.

It's all my own fault.

"Those unscrupulous individuals who have deceived you, threatened you, and exploited you all along will receive their due punishment. The Apollo Familia will push them into the abyss of destruction."

A wave of dizziness washed over her. She felt lightheaded and unsteady. It was as if the whole world was shaking and distorting—the worst feeling imaginable.

Am I some kind of jinx? Lily wanted to tear her hair out in a fit of rage. The image of the kind elderly couple who ran the flower shop flashed through her mind. Their home had also been cruelly destroyed by the [Soma Familia]. A huge vortex of self-loathing, so intense it didn't fit her small chest, almost burst forth as a scream from her throat.

She remembered. Bell had looked like he was covered in injuries just now.

She looked around. All around her, countless battles raged.

Naza, who was driven off the clock tower, Mikoto and the others who were surrounded by members of the [Family], and Welf, who was locked in a stalemate with the enemy, were all put in danger by the members of the [Soma Familia].

It was my fault.

Lily shouldn't be staying with Bell and the others.

—I, with my filthy self, should never be around those kind and gentle people!

With tears welling up in her eyes and looking lost and bewildered, Lily sadly lowered her head.

"...Please."

"Um?"

"Please, please stop hurting Lord Bell and the others..."

Lily pleaded with Chanis in a trembling voice.

She raised her face, which looked like that of a dead person, and looked up at him.

"Lily is willing to return to Soma's side. So please...please stop attacking them."

This is a very simple calculation.

Since the reason the outside faction (the Soma Familia) came to their aid was because of Lily, she should choose to surrender and eliminate the legitimate reason given by Chanis. If Lily's departure alone could eliminate one of the factions that attacked Bell and his group, it would be a very worthwhile deal.

Bewitched by the "divine wine," the Soma Familia boasts a large number of members. If they retreat, the enemy will be unable to maintain their current encirclement, and Bell and the others might be rescued.

Lily knew that the chances of Chanis accepting her request were slim, but she still pleaded with him with a praying heart.

Chanis stared at her for a long time as she clutched at a straw for help, then nodded in a pretentious manner.

"Fine."

Lily was surprised and astonished to hear that the other party accepted so easily.

Chanis pushed up his glasses with his fingers.

"In fact, I know this is a risk. The Apollo Familia has already given me enough of a deposit (benefits), it's time to back down."

As he said this, he raised the corners of his mouth wide.

"Besides, I need you anyway."

Lily stared in disbelief upon hearing Chanis reveal the unexpected truth.

In other words, taking back Lily wasn't just an excuse; half of what Chanis was really thinking was true.

What value did he see in someone as weak as herself? Although Lily was puzzled, since the other party was willing to keep the agreement, Lily could only obediently obey him.

"Come over here. If you come over, I'll give the retreat signal."

Chanis pulled a small, cylindrical pistol from his pocket. He pulled the trigger, aiming it at the sky. A flashbang was fired into the air.

With a burst of light and sound in the air, the adventurers in the Seventh District stopped moving. Finally, just as Chanis had predicted, the members of the Soma Familia began their retreat.

"Hey, Riko!"

Perhaps because most of the enemies had abandoned their assigned areas, Welf's burden had been reduced, and he called out to Lily from the back alley below.

Standing on the rooftop, Lily gazed back at his face with a listless look.

"Let's go, Erd."

"Yes……"

Hearing Chanis call out with a distorted smile, Lily lowered her head.

As he turned to leave, Lily looked down at Welf, who was still trying to grasp the situation, and said:

"Lily is going back to the Soma Familia... and will no longer cause you any trouble. Please convey this message to Lord Bell and the others."

"What are you saying! I'm too ashamed to face Belle now! Come back here right now!"

"I'm sorry... goodbye."

After saying goodbye, Lily left with Chanis.

Welf stood in the back alley, looking up as the little girl disappeared from sight.

"What is that guy doing...!"

Welf wanted to pursue Lily, but unfortunately he was discovered by the adventurers of the Apollo Familia and had to go to war.

"Damn it!" he cursed. He was forced to give up chasing Lily.

◆

Bell and his men have been attacked for who knows how many times.

Hunters' arrows, mages' short incantations, and high-ranking adventurers wielding their best weapons rained down on the boy, giving him no time to catch his breath. The enemy forces, who had been cursing incessantly since earlier—the Apollo Familia—seemed to have lost their composure, launching an even more ferocious and relentless offensive against Bell and his companions.

After circling back to the vicinity of headquarters, the sounds of fierce fighting once again echoed from the completely deserted and silent residential area.

"!...[Flame and Lightning]!"

Bell used magic to shoot into the old, abandoned stone house.

The barrage of fiery lightning blasted through the stone, creating a thick cloud of smoke. He used this to block the astonished enemy adventurers' view and quickly escaped the scene.

"Huff, huff...!"

"...Bell, this way!"

Worried about Bell, who was panting heavily, Hestia took his hand.

She found the flowing waterway at her feet. The two ran up the stairs through a passageway in the back alley. Reaching the bottom, Bell and the others plunged into the tunnel-like aqueduct.

"Are you alright, Bell?"

"I'm sorry, God..."

Bell, leaning against the wall and plopped down on the ground, apologized to her. Hestia shook her head and looked around. The brick-built waterway was surprisingly spacious, like a space under a bridge. The water flowing through the center probably led to the city's underground sewers. From the exit on the opposite side, one could see the light outside.

Noisy footsteps echoed from outside the waterway, likely from people searching for Bell and his companions who had vanished into thin air. The two, hoping to avoid being discovered, spoke in hushed tones, holding their breath.

"Can you still move?"

"...No problem, it's fine."

To recover his strength from the repeated attacks, Bell used up all the remaining elixirs he and Lily had brought. Seeing him struggling to catch his breath, Hestia wore a bitter expression. Just then, loud shouts came from outside.

"Can you hear me, Bell Craney!"

It was Hyacinthus.

Hestia's shoulders trembled in fright, and Bell beside her also twisted his eyes.

"No matter where you hide, whether in the sky or the sea, we will chase you to the ends of the earth. You can hide for a while, but you can't escape forever!"

Perhaps he shouted from the high platform, his loud voice echoing throughout the surrounding area as he warned Bell.

"Whether it's above ground or underground, it's all the same! Let me tell you, you won't be living in peace from now on!!"

His words made Bell gasp.

Even if Bell escapes this commotion and hides in the guild or other faction's headquarters, Apollo and his allies will always be looking for him to kill. That's the point. Whether living on the surface or exploring the dungeons, he'll always be living in constant fear.

So this is what it means to be targeted by a powerful faction; Bale has experienced it firsthand.

Hyacintosh is right. Unless things are settled in some way, Bell and his crew will never have a peaceful day.

"..."

Beside the shaken Bell, Hestia remained silent for a while.

Then, a resolute expression appeared on her face.

"—Bell, listen to me."

Hestia moved in front of him, who was sitting on the ground, and squatted down, getting so close that they almost touched noses, and stared into Bell's eyes.

She spoke into those deep red eyes:

"Since Apollo is serious, we have no future if things continue like this. There are only two ways to break out of this predicament: either stand up and fight a war we can't win, or escape Orario."

"...!!"

The reality before him made Bell tremble, and Hestia continued to say to him:

"As long as you're here, I don't care where we go. Even if we're being chased, I'll run away with you for the rest of my life until they give up."

Hestia expressed her realization.

Although she was reluctant to leave this comfortable and livable land and her wonderful friends, she didn't care where she went or where she lived, as long as Belle was there. She spoke her mind honestly.

(Leaving Orario with the gods to live in a faraway place...?)

Bell stared intently at Hestia, who was pressing her hand to her chest.

In fact, this may be the only option left for Bell and Hestia.

Just like the [Familia] that has lost in the power struggle to this day... like the great god (Zeus) described by Hermes, perhaps only by escaping this city can they be saved.

Try to imagine it.

The scene of just the two of them traveling the vast world with Hestia.

In a simple village where windmills turn, on a hill under a clear blue sky, in a port city with a view of the sea.

The image shows a girl (Hestia) in a white dress and hat laughing together with a boy (herself) carrying a backpack.

What a gentle and leisurely scene that was!

What a delightful and heartwarming dream journey!

It might be possible. This is a future that the two of them could have.

(But……!)

Touched by the experience, Belle's mind was filled with images of the people she had met in the city, one after another, before disappearing from her thoughts.

The laughter shared with their arms around each other's shoulders, the many smiles of support from them.

He recalled those adventurous days, the countless encounters up to this day, everything.

(I--)

Then, the image of longing revived deep within my heart.

The encounter with the blond, golden-eyed swordsman must be the beginning.