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

Belle, Lily, and Welf were speechless at the sight of this dreamlike scene, and then they all smiled without realizing it.

The songs of the songbirds and the lively, joyful voices of the crowd soothed the ears.

"Mr. Reed, you just said you were looking forward to it..."

"Hmm? Oh..."

Bell, gazing at Winnie and the others, slowly asked a question about what Reed had just said.

The lizardman warrior looked at his companions, who were still dancing with jubilation, and replied:

"I'm hoping this will bring about some change..."

"The coexistence of humans and... monsters (beasts)...!?"

Hestia was astonished for the umpteenth time after hearing what Uranus said.

The old man's expression remained unchanged as he endured the goddess's gaze.

"Do you know what you're saying, Uranus...!!"

"certainly."

Humans and monsters (monsters) can never coexist.

Upon hearing Hestia's assertion, Uranus nodded readily, indicating that he understood.

Monsters are the common enemy of humanity; humans kill monsters, and monsters kill humans. Humans and "monsters" harbor intense hatred and repulsion towards each other, and are irreconcilable enemies.

The inhabitants of the lower realm are destined to be mortal enemies with monsters.

This fate was sealed the moment the "ancient" monsters overflowed from the "great hole".

They were destined to fight each other forever.

Hearing the words of a divine will that attempted to overturn this unchanging truth—words that the guild master should never have uttered—Hestia's expression turned sinister.

"However, these 'heretics' do not attack humans out of instinct, but rather hope to communicate with them."

"!!"

"They did not come to the surface with sharp teeth and claws, but with words and reason, demanding to know the children... to know humanity."

Winnie's face flashed through Hestia's mind.

"Rational 'heretics' are even attacked by ordinary monsters, and suffer alienation and rejection. They have nowhere to go, whether on the surface or in the labyrinth."

"..."

"It would be much easier to ignore their words and destroy them simply because they are monsters. However, they have a will and a way of communicating, just like our children."

He said: Unfortunately, I already know them.

Uranus's eyes were slightly lowered.

"As someone who offers 'prayer' to the dungeon... I can no longer refuse their cries of anguish, and I must destroy them."

"You're taking this too seriously," Hestia tried to force a joke, but she couldn't.

Unfortunately, I've already met Winnie myself.

Can I really let go of that dragon girl now?

Can she truly become a cruel and deceitful goddess for the sake of her kin?

Caught in a whirlpool of frustration and choices, Hestia remained silent for a long while before raising her head and asking Uranus again:

"Are you serious about finding a way for children to coexist peacefully with monsters?"

"My will is made, but this is a great problem. In fact, I really don't know how to solve it."

Uranus answered Hestia's question without hesitation.

"If we hope to coexist with children, we must explore the meaning of monsters' (their) existence."

—The "monster" must prove its existence.

"Monsters" have been branded with negative connotations since birth because of their unusual appearance that deviates from that of ordinary people.

A body that intimidates others, claws that symbolize bloodshed, flames that bring death, and a beastly voice.

Forged by the marks of ravage and slaughter, they have no choice but to prove their usefulness if they wish to overturn this negative image and coexist peacefully with the inhabitants of the lower realm. To bask in the light of the surface world, proving their existence and overcoming the latent aversion and fear of humanity is essential.

The human race's method of subjugation, "training," can be seen as a thorny collar that forces the world to accept the existence of "monsters." However, even this method is far from achieving harmony.

"...In other words, what possibility of proof of existence do you see in the medium (bridge) like Bell and his colleagues?"

"exactly."

At this critical juncture, the old god had already confessed all the secrets, which made Hestia shake her head helplessly.

She understood Uranus's intentions. Now that she knew the girl, she wanted to show her kindness if she could.

However, the destruction of Bell and others will forever accompany the road on both sides.

This is the alienation and rejection that Uranus himself just mentioned. Once the fact that he is protecting the "monster" is made public, Bell and the others will lose their home in Orario... and even in the whole world, just like "heretics".

She really didn't want to do anything that would upset Libra.

Even if this is just an escape, Hestia thought.

"...Is what I'm hearing now the opinion of the entire guild?"

"This is currently my sole decision."

Can be imagined.

The moment someone proclaims that they can live in harmony with monsters, the lower realm will be in uproar.

Its power was so great that even Uranus, revered as the "creator god of Orario," experienced cracks in his power base.

"Even the guild's higher-ups, such as Loiman, were completely unaware of this matter."

He only instructed Lloyd to give the mandatory mission request to Hestia and the others. Lloyd probably thought that the main god (Uranus) had finally noticed the rapidly growing new adventurer (the rising star) and therefore gave him a mandatory mission to test his strength.

Uranus explained it this way.

"So, those who know about this..."

"Among the gods, besides myself, there is only Hermes, who accepted our commission... and then Ganesha."

"Ganesha!?"

The unexpected name of the divine object startled Hestia.

No way! She opened her eyes wide.

However, she was startled and her shoulders swayed.

"Could it be that the 'Monster Festival' is...?"

"That's right. We started holding the festival five years ago to try to ease public resistance to the monster."

A monster festival where monsters are trained to perform.

It was initiated by the guild, not a sudden whim of the gods. The history of this festival is actually quite short, and it's said that the guild didn't offer much explanation regarding the gathering of the gods…

Now she understood everything.

In other words, it was Uranus himself who arranged for the monster to be brought out of the dungeon at great risk, and resolutely put on a show.

By having handsome animal trainers cuddle with "monsters," the public's perception of monsters as a threat is softened, making them more relatable and achieving a buffering effect.

This was a setup made so that perhaps one day the "heretics" could bask in the sunlight.

It's not "Monster Philia," but "Monster Philia" (friendship with monsters).

The intention is to emphasize the friendly relationship with monsters through the festival.

However, it was ultimately just a plan, and it clearly didn't achieve much.

"In order to get help, I told Ganesha everything."

Although the Monster Festival is organized by the guild, the main content, including the performances, is handled by the Ganesha Familia, which has many beast tamers.

In order to avoid unnecessary suspicion and obtain full assistance, it is unavoidable to inform the chief god (Ganesha) of divine will.

(I never expected Ganesha to do this...)

"This is the most surprising thing I've heard so far." Hestia thought of the heroic god wearing the strange mask and wiped the sweat from her neck.

She thought for a moment and decided to talk to him about it.

"Are these the only ones providing assistance?"

Upon hearing Hestia's voice, Uranus replied, "No."

He looked down at the underground labyrinth stretching out far below him and continued:

"And Fels."

"This is truly... a development that far exceeds our expectations."

A mixture of surprise and wry laughter spread to the lively banquet where singing and dancing were in full swing.

The neutral voice emanating from the entrance to the cave caused Bell and the others to turn their heads.

"Fels, you're here!"

The figure was dressed in black, seemingly mimicking a shadow, and wore patterned, jet-black gloves. Upon seeing the sinister, enigmatic figure concealing his true face, Bell and the others cautiously prepared to stand up, but Reed waved his arm affectionately.

Fels. The name was mentioned several times in Rey and Reed's conversation.

As Bell and the others widened their eyes slightly, the man in black, seeing Winnie and the others dancing incessantly to the side, walked over.

"We arrived earlier than you said."

"I've been on a long journey here. But let's not talk about that now, Reed. Could you please explain what happened? To be honest, I was a little shocked."

The lizardman warrior stood up and exchanged pleasantries, then asked Fels to explain.

Bell and the others stood together, and the man in black, who had grasped the situation, chuckled.

"It seems you are much more capable than we thought."

Looking down at Bell and the others, Fels uttered a line that was hard to tell whether it was a compliment or a joke.

He was slightly shorter than Welf. He looked at the three faces in turn and then said:

"First, allow me to say 'nice to meet you.' My name is Fels, and I am the liaison for Uranus and Reed, the 'heretics'... My main role is that of a messenger, and I also do odd jobs."

"You...you mean doing odd jobs?"

"Hmm, well... would it be easier to understand if we said they were people monitoring you and the dragon girl?"

"!"

Bell, Lily, and Welf were all taken aback.

Fels smiled from beneath the darkness of his hood and raised his gloves.

"Bell Crane, Lilyluka Erd, Welf Crozzo... and Wa Mikoto and Sanjono Haruhime. For the past seven days, I have been observing your actions."

Upon hearing this, Bell and the others immediately understood everything.

This man in black was the guild's "informant," and he knew everything about their inner workings up to this day.

"Are you... are you a monster too?"

Seeing that this strange person's aura was different from her own or her companions, Lily asked in confusion.

"No, Fels is human."

Reed answered her question, and Fells shook his hood up and down.

"Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that they were once human."

Bell didn't even have time to "sniff" it.

"Let me show you."

The man in black grabbed the hoodie he was wearing with his gloves and ripped it off.

Belle, Lily, and Welf were all frozen in place.

There were no pupils there, only dark, empty holes and hollow eye sockets.

There was no skin there; rows of teeth and bones were exposed.