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

Page 484

There were no faces there.

What crashed into Bell and the others' field of vision was a skeleton.

"Skeleton... skeleton!?"

"Hey hey hey...!?"

"Earth-born people!?"

The three of them shouted in unison.

What lay before me was a skull reduced to white bones. No eyes, no nose, no ears, no hair. That nauseating symbol of death was, without a doubt, proof of something inhuman and monstrous.

Bell screamed as he uttered the name of the skeletal monster "Earthborn" that dwelled in the "deep layers," and the skeleton Fels in front of him shook his head slowly.

"Unfortunately, I'm not a monster. Didn't I say? I used to be human."

"I...I was once a human...!"

"What does that mean...!?"

Lily and Belle's mouths opened and closed. Welf gritted his teeth, trying desperately to remain calm, but couldn't hide the tremor on his face. Needless to say, there was no flesh or throat in the head or neck, but sounds could be heard deep within the jawbone, sending chills down one's spine.

Reed, standing beside Bell, answered their panicked questions once again.

"Fels is a 'sage,' an exceptionally powerful magician (magus)."

Hear this.

Bell and the others fell silent.

Not long after—Lily screamed.

"The 'Sage'!? You mean the 'Sage'? The one who successfully created the 'Philosopher's Stone'—the one that grants eternal life—in the great magical nation!?"

"Oh, oh... it should be that 'Sage' one, right...?"

The lizardman warrior, whose face was flushed red from being interrogated, was stunned by the questioning of the little girl. He lacked common sense about the surface world. Beside him, a scene unfolded where a monster was frightened by the power of a demi-human smaller than itself. Bell stared in disbelief, recalling the story about the "sage" that Eina had once told him.

As Lily said, the "Sage" is the creator of the "Philosopher's Stone," a magical artifact that can manifest eternal life.

The highest-ranking magician in history who has explored the "mysterious" ability to its fullest extent.

It is said that he went to the Supreme God to report the successful creation of the Philosopher's Stone, only to watch helplessly as the magical artifact smashed on the floor... If this is true, then he is a legendary figure who can stand alongside the heroes of fairy tales. Bell's eyes widened as much as they could.

"To be precise, it is the fate of those who were once called 'sages'."

Bell and the others grew increasingly panicked. The skeletal magician said to them with a self-deprecating tone:

"As the modern stories passed down through the ages say, that 'stone' was smashed by the hateful supreme god, which made me obsessed. I was too eager to pursue infinite knowledge and obsessed with eternal life. Although I researched the secret of immortality... I ended up in this state."

That was my stain (psychological trauma). The skeleton described what happened between him and the Supreme God, and the black gloves stroked the black clothes covering his body from top to bottom.

"The backlash of the arcane art caused my skin and flesh to rot and fall off, making me a creature more hideous than a monster. I can no longer feel hunger or thirst... I am a living dead."

He said that the secret method (thing) he had researched could be described as a "curse".

Hearing about the untold side of history and the sage's downfall, Bell and the others gasped.

At the same time, they felt that the gods were too cruel and were afraid of the transcendent being who had ruined the life of a member of their family.

"Now I call myself 'The Fool (Fels)'."

Fool. The "wise man" has degenerated into the name of a ridiculous fool.

The skeletal magician, who can no longer express joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness with facial expressions, and who can no longer smile, calls himself by this name.

"...So, how did you, the 'sage,' end up here?"

"Well, for some reasons. When I ended up in the city (Orario) in this state, Uranus took me in."

Seeing that Welf had a stern face but was already fearless in asking him the question, Fels seemed to like him and changed his tone, saying:

"Now I am fortunate to be in the 'center of the world' and observe the trends of the times."

The man in black put his hoodie back on, as if he were satisfied with his current position.

Bell had been frozen in place for a while, thinking that after encountering the "heretics," nothing could surprise him anymore, but he never expected to be hit with such a huge bombshell.

"I never expected even a 'Sage' to appear... I know that name too. So, that child from earlier was your right-hand man, Uranus?"

"I don't deny that, apart from the 'heretics' with whom I maintain a cooperative relationship, Fels is the only pawn I can freely use... my private army."

Ouranos nodded in response to Hestia's question.

He said that on the one hand, he employed factions allied with the guild, such as the Ganesha Familia, and on the other hand, he secretly had Fels, a professional who was proficient in "magic"-related knowledge, who took on secret missions and dirty work, and was active in the shadows.

"So, that child deserves a lot of credit for keeping the true identity of the 'heretic' a secret until today."

"Indeed, we have been exchanging visits for more than a few hundred years."

In addition to the aforementioned duties, the black-clad man was also responsible for protecting Uranus. He was spotted by staff members while moving around the guild headquarters, and thus acquired a name that remained largely the same across different eras, becoming the elusive "Ghost" in the rumors.

"A monster with reason... Reed and the others came into contact with me fifteen years ago... no, about sixteen years ago." The cheerful song of the singing bird continued, and Fels continued.

At the time, adventurers from the [Familia], who were closely associated with Uranus, captured them. A strict gag order was placed within the faction to prevent information about Reed and his companions from reaching Orario. That [Familia] has long since been wiped out and no longer exists.

Then Fels obeyed Uranus's will and then acted as their messenger to maintain relations with them.

This was their first contact with the people on the surface.

"After hearing what Reed and the others said, we called them 'heretics' and established a community with the same name."

"community?"

"That's right, their mission is to protect the 'heretics' born in the underground city, an organization composed of their so-called compatriots."

Fels answered Bell, and Reed continued:

"Kid, sometimes we stay in these uncharted territories, sometimes we move around, looking for new fellow countrymen."

When Reed mentioned that most of the activities were centered around the lower areas, Lily, who had been thinking about something, interrupted and asked:

"...Lily has always been curious, won't monsters spawn in this cave?"

"Oh, you noticed, little Lily."

"Little, little Lily..."

As Lily realized that the distance between her and the other person was gradually disappearing, her feelings were complicated. Reed looked around the cave filled with dark green quartz.

"There are a few other places like this besides the ones you call the safe floors, little Bell."

“Eh!?”

"Of course, the adventurers haven't discovered it yet. Kid, we call this kind of place a 'secret place'."

Reed ignored Bell and Welf's surprise and continued explaining.

He said they used the "unexplored territory" known only to them—"Heretical Secrets"—as their base, traveling from the middle to the deepest regions in search of their compatriots.

It's practically a community of monsters—the "Phantom Troupe".

"Currently, there are about forty 'Heretics' in total... The number has increased and decreased, among which Reid, Rey, and Gross are the earliest members of 'Heretics'."

"Kid, we're old friends now."

Fels glanced at the singing bird and the gargoyle, and the lizardman smiled at him.

"...So, you're the leader?"

Like Lily, Welf only asked the same question at this point.

"Yes, the familiar face, Shulong (Kuru), is too big to move around freely, so I'll be leading everyone."

"So, the strongest weld is..."

"Of course it's me!!"

Reed proudly puffed out his chest, which was covered by a breastplate.

Bell, who had fought him before, had also thought it must be like this. However, since the opponent seemed to have held back, the details were unclear.

But he sensed from this lizardman warrior a potential equal to, or even greater than, that of a first-class adventurer (Friline) from that major faction (Ishtar Familia).

"...That's exactly what I wanted to say."

—But Reed’s lizard head immediately drooped, looking dejected.

"The new recruits have already surpassed me in no time..."

“Yes, yes…”

Welf was at a loss for how to react to the frustrated monster, while Bell, standing nearby, was taken aback.

He couldn't help but continue asking:

"Uh—so, who is that newcomer?"

"He's not here now. That guy's a weirdo; he went to train as a martial artist in the 'deep layers' all by himself."

"Deep... 'Deep'... Won't anything happen?"

"I don't think there's any need to worry. Take that guy for example."

Reed seemed very tired and gave a wry smile.

"...Lord Fels."

"What is it, Lilyluka Erd?"

Some time later...

After singing and dancing until they were exhausted, Monster, Fate, and Winnie finally sat down on the ground.

Lily, who had been lost in thought and hadn't spoken, looked up at Fels.

"Songstress Rei... I've said before that our relationship is 'reciprocal'."

"Yes, you're right."

"While Lord Fels was aiding them, you 'heretics' were searching for your own kind while working tirelessly for you... Is that really all there is to it?"

Watched by chestnut-colored eyes, the black-clad magician's hooded coat exuded a silent darkness.

"Lily feels that your positions and relationships seem unbalanced. Most importantly, the heretics' words and actions give Lily a sense of...urgency."

The stronghold known as "Secret Realm" also has personnel capable of venturing into the "Deep Layer" alone. The monster brigade called "Heretics" might be able to survive without the assistance of Fels and his companions.

As the managers of cities and labyrinths, it may indeed be necessary to have informants to monitor them in order to prevent chaos among humans, but that is a one-sided issue for the guild, and it seems that the relationship between them is not fair.

Does the "heretic" harbor some greater ambition?

Lily made this criticism.

"If you say it's a charity event, Lily can't say anything... but..."

After shifting her gaze and hesitating for a moment, Lily went straight to the point.

"Do they have some grand ambition that they need your help with?"

Lily revealed the question she had been feeling ever since she visited this "secret place".

Bell and Welf didn't speak, they just listened.

A calm expression appeared on Reed's face.

They stood there, while the laughter of Winnie and the others drifted from the surrounding area.

"—Step onto the ground."

At this time.

A clear sound reached Bell and his group.