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

She really dared to say it; the blue eyes beneath Asif's glasses suddenly became sharp.

It was a seed sown by Hermes.

He only told Ishtar about Bell's information because he was forced to be interrogated and had no other choice.

He leaked the information that Bell was being targeted to Freya purely to save his own life.

That's all there is to it; it's just sowing a tiny seed.

Hermes turned to face the scene again, gazing at the bustling nightlife street where the fight had broken out.

"I don't mean to say that everything is in God's (my) hands. Yes, all of this is beyond my expectations. It's just that Ishtar's jealousy is far greater and more terrible than I expected, and Miss Freya's love is also far beyond my expectations. She is captivated by him."

Everything was beyond my expectations; things went wrong so quickly.

Despite his words, the handsome man smiled and continued.

"Oh dear, this is really disappointing. The goddess's jealousy is terrifying, isn't it, Asphie?"

"..."

Hearing his genuinely laughable tone, Asphi simply stared at the back of the main god who was not turning around, and did not reply.

"And most importantly... Little Bell is kinder than I thought."

Hermes narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the enormous palace built in the Third District.

Hermes only revealed information about the "Killing Stone" to the boy.

He didn't offer any specific advice, leaving everything to the boy to decide for himself.

If Bell escapes Ishtar's grasp, Freya certainly won't intervene. Based on Bell's actions—the situation should change repeatedly in places unrelated to him, not like this.

However, he stepped forward, unable to abandon a fox-woman, and acted to save her.

It wasn't that they were brave but reckless, but rather that they were determined never to lose anything.

After listening to Hermes's words, Asphie asked after a while:

"Is your goal to destroy the dangerous elements (Ishtar Familia)? Or is it for entertainment? Or... as a trial?"

Regarding the issue of family members.

Hermes smiled but did not answer.

"Whether it's humans or gods... even a girl like that yearns for it; we're all the same."

Below the city wall.

Hearing the commotion, countless humans and demi-humans came from the bustling area to the road.

Many gods are watching the movements of Fengyue Street closely.

The fox-girl was still unconscious in the sky garden.

Hermes opened his arms and gazed at the scenery—finally fixing his gaze on the boy engaged in fierce combat with the giantess on the palace roof, and said something that went straight to the heart of the matter.

"The world wants 'heroes'."

One of the remaining "Three Great Adventurers' Requests": The One-Eyed Black Dragon.

Darkness stirs within the city.

Then there's the root cause of everything: the dungeons.

Hidden within the peaceful routines of daily life are bombs of calamity and destruction.

Hermes asserted that the world is now yearning for the birth of a "hero," and that this is of utmost urgency.

"For the world's long-cherished wish... I choose Little Bear."

"Neither the Loki Familia nor the Freya Familia?"

"That's right."

Enveloped in the darkness of the moonlit night, Hermes, with his back to Asphie, confirmed her question.

Finally, as if speaking to himself, he began to speak in detail:

"Great God (Zeus), the mission you could not accomplish, I, Hermes... no, I will accomplish it here (Oario).

With a smile playing on his lips, the heartthrob loudly announced:

"We will definitely help him become the ultimate hero."

then.

Hermes pushed up the brim of his hat with one hand, looked down at the scene below, and squinted.

"Therefore... Goddess (Ishtar) and her retinue, you shall be the foundation. Do not worry, it will not be a matter of life and death."

For the heroes.

Hermes could even exploit the jealousy and disputes of the goddess of beauty.

He stared intently at the brothel street, now a battlefield turned into chaos by the fight for the boy, a cruel and ruthless smile spreading across his face.

"Oh dear... she saw right through me. I'd better take my leave before I really anger her."

In the distance, the silver-haired goddess turned her head to look at this side from the front of the palace.

The goddess's silver eyes were indeed fixed on him, but Hermes pulled his hat down low to block her view.

How scary! He smiled and took a step back.

"...Zeus, I will stake everything on that white light."

The pure white aurora, the young man's radiant soul, successfully defeated the floor master.

The myth of the young Familia gave Hermes a premonition.

As God departed, He left these words behind and turned His back on the battlefield.

The flames of war, staining the city sky crimson, burn fiercely.

Book VII, Chapter VII: Goddess War

The red-light district gradually became like a living hell.

On the exotic streets, many buildings were damaged or destroyed, and the arcades, filled with magical remnants, were marked with claw marks of destruction. Cherry blossoms standing by the roadside swayed in the sparks, and the surrounding streets were deserted, with only the silent, brutally broken weapons of shrewish women left unattended.

The prostitutes, still fleeing in all directions, screamed, and the shouts of the resisters rang out. The sounds of battle emanating from the red-light district gradually shifted towards the Goddess of Prostitution in the center of the third district.

"W-What happened...?"

Hestia and the others finally arrived at the main hall of the palace, and when they saw the scene, they all gasped in shock.

The surroundings were littered with shattered white marble floors, walls, and pillars, and Amazons who appeared to have been instantly killed and were severely wounded lay on the ground like corpses. The sounds of clashing swords still echoed around the palace, and Lily, in place of the disheveled Chigusa and the others, murmured blankly.

"It seems a struggle has broken out. A faction with a long-standing grudge against Ishtar..."

Hearing Lily's murmur, the goddess (Hestia) frowned and looked up at the god beside her, who nodded stiffly.

Recalling the badges engraved on the weapons of the attackers she had witnessed along the way, she said:

"Freya, take action...!"

The palace was filled with the sounds of hacking and slashing, and the splashing of blood.

"Spare me...!?"

Isolated and alone after losing her companions, the battle prostitute pleaded desperately, but the black sword felled her along with her pleas. The dark elf warriors ignored their pleas for mercy, silently creating an even larger pool of blood.

"Hegni, don't kill them," the white elf cried out, while he himself was unilaterally ravaging them. He showed no mercy, attacking the screaming female warriors (Amazons) with supershort spells, burning them and the passageway to ashes with lightning speed, creating ventilation holes for the palace.

"Flame, [Bringar]...!?"

On another floor, the Amazonian had barely expressed his shock when he was struck by four javelins.

In an instant, she was struck by the butts of four guns, and the Lv. 3 Battle Prostitute fell to the floor. Four dwarfs, armed with helmets and armor, rushed past her, instantly driving away the enemy members who came to her rescue.

Upon discovering the staircase leading outside, one of them wielded an enormous, oversized warhammer and smashed it to pieces with a deafening roar.

"The staircase at the back of the palace, up to the twentieth floor, was all destroyed."

"Next, deal with the group members; don't let them take the goddess Ishtar out."

The quadruplets spoke calmly, then scattered in four different directions like arrows.

The remaining fighting prostitutes and goddess elites in the vast palace were powerless to resist and kept screaming in agony.

"Hey, big guy!? Is this the right way to go!?"

"I don't know! Didn't you see the stairs were all destroyed!?"

On another floor, Welf and Sakura, carrying a large sword and an axe, sped down the corridor.

Witnessing the devastation of the brothel and palace, and fearing for Bell and his companions' safety, the two left first, followed by the goddess (Hestia) and the others. Fortunately, the mysterious attackers paid no heed to Welf and his group, and taking advantage of the surrounding chaos, the two rushed from the brothel into the palace.

「!?」

"A fighting whore!?"

Welf and Sakura, who had been lucky enough to avoid any enemies along the way, were confronted by a shrew.

Covered in blood and lacerations, she was breathing erratically, holding a stick in her left hand and pressing her right hand against her side.

"Wa ...

Her eyes were bloodshot, and she charged at the two of them as if she were in a panic.

Sakura managed to block the wildly swinging sticks, her massive body swaying as she was forced to retreat significantly.

"A big guy!?"

"This guy is Level 3!"

Sakura's hand went numb from the shock, and she almost dropped the axe. Welf was just as overwhelmed by his opponent's imposing aura.

The war game had just ended, the forge was still unfinished, and there wasn't even a single "magic sword" at hand. Seeing that his opponents were already injured, yet he was still no match for them, Welf cursed the gap in Lv., "Bastard, what a joke!"—Suddenly, the walls of the passage shattered.

「!?」

Welf, Sakura, and the enemy were all taken aback, watching helplessly as a large hole appeared in the wall.

Rolling down the passageway along with countless rubble was a battered Amazonian.

"Don't make me waste my time, you whore."

Following the dying woman, a cat-man youth emerged from the shattered hole.

The diminutive adventurer, wielding a bloodstained spear, stared coldly at the wounded battle prostitute.

"Eek, eek ...

Seeing her drop the stick and try to escape, the young man moved with lightning speed.

With a speed unseen by Welf and the others, the young man swung his spear behind the enemy, striking her shoulder with the butt of the gun. The woman, struck from the side, slammed violently into the wall, shattering it and creating a large hole, as if recreating the scene from before.

Seeing their hard-fought opponent killed instantly, Welf and Sakura stood frozen in place.

The cat-man youth glanced at the two of them.

What are you doing here?

Faced with a sharp, piercing gaze, the two were speechless. The young man, seemingly seeing through Welf's craftsman's nature, said disdainfully:

"A mere blacksmith... go play with your iron blocks, you loser."

"What...you, you bastard!?"

The blacksmith's pride was severely wounded, and Welf roared back, but the young man ignored him and walked away.

As the figure disappeared into the large hole with the sound of light footsteps, the cherry blossoms trembled and whispered:

"Lv. 6, [Vana Freia]... Alan Fromo."

After whispering the nickname of the first-level adventurer Allen, he added, "【Freya Familia】".

Sakura gasped. Welf, standing beside her, was overwhelmed by humiliation and powerlessness, and punched the wall hard.

■

"No, no way...it's impossible."

The bewildered goddess (Ishtar) remained motionless on the balcony for a long time before anxiously returning to the palace.

She yelled at the wavering group members around her: