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

Unless one is a blacksmith or a high-level adventurer, there is no way to identify such rare metals. This casino owner, who has always been wealthy and powerful, has long been the subject of resentment among businessmen, which is why he was "retaliated against" in such an inconspicuous way.

Faced with this unexpected miscalculation and Ryu's figure gradually approaching him, Ted was so terrified that his face began to spasm.

"Li, Li'ang..."

Ted, whose clothes were tattered, turned his gaze aside, his tongue tied in knots.

The first thing that catches the eye is a girl who has not yet gotten up from the ground.

Ted immediately took a big step and reached out his hand to Anna, who looked terrified.

But before the dwarf could reach out and grab the hostage, the elf had already wrapped his arm around the girl's body.

"...!?"

"I'll give you some time to grit your teeth."

Ryu looked down at the pale-faced Ted and announced this in a calm tone.

As Anna's slender waist was embraced by one hand and she leaned against the other's chest, her cheeks flushed with shyness. The beautiful elf had already shielded the girl behind her and was putting on her white suit gloves with one hand.

"Damn it...damn it ahh ...

Seeing Ted charging towards her with a fierce look in his eyes, Ryu clenched her white-gloved hand into a fist.

"Let me make this clear first—I won't hold back."

Then, a swift, blinding blow exploded on Ted's cheek.

"Ugh!!"

The dwarf, sent flying by Ryu's punch, flew backward with astonishing force, crashing headfirst into the collapsing mountain of gold coins.

A large number of gold coins flew into the air again. The dwarf villain was half-buried in the pile of coins, his whole body convulsing. The elf, who could not have skin contact with anyone other than those he trusted, finally threw his gloves in front of Ted.

"let's go."

"Huh? But, but..."

"The rest can be left to the Ganesha Familia. If the beauties who heard me say those words can testify, this person will definitely have to be interrogated."

With her back to Ted, Ryu gently urged the bewildered Anna on.

The beautiful girl with flaxen hair followed behind Ryu for a few steps, then slowly stopped.

"that……"

"?"

"……Thank you."

Liu turned around and saw the girl in a pure white dress swaying gently, her hands clasped over her chest.

"You've done so much for someone I've never met... I'm so grateful to you."

"...Are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh... I, I'm fine."

"That's good."

Ryu smiled slightly at the girl whose shoulders were still trembling, trying to comfort her.

Anna, gazing at Ryu with tender affection, took a while to come to her senses before shyly lowering her head.

Faced with this incredible reaction, Ryu turned his head away in bewilderment.

"Ryu!"

"Xi'er?"

Seele, who had just run with her skirt slightly lifted, appeared in the underground vault.

"How did you get here?"

"I followed the people who had collapsed in the corridor... hoping I could catch up with you."

"...I already told you to stay where you are and not wander off."

Liu couldn't help but sigh, while Xi'er playfully stuck out her tongue slightly.

Anna, caught between the two, could only awkwardly twist her body.

"—Rion!!

At this moment──

A hoarse roar erupted.

It was Ted's voice. The dwarf, regaining consciousness, propped himself up as Ryu and the others turned to look at him, and cried out:

"I won't go to hell alone! I'll drag you down with me into destruction!"

"..."

"While I'm in custody, I'll order my men to spread the word! Let everyone know you're still in this city! Ha, ha, ha, ha!! Then all those who have grudges against you will mobilize to search for you, and you can forget about ever having a peaceful day again!"

Ted's cheeks were dented, and blood from his mouth stained his clothes, but hatred still burned in his eyes.

He knelt on the ground, his eyes wide open, and declared that he would drag Ryuya down with him, vowing to avenge the arrow wound.

The person who responded instead of the silent Ryu was a girl with light silver hair.

Seele, who had been listening silently, slowly walked toward Ted.

"W-What? What do you want to do?!"

Ted suddenly remembered how unfathomable the man before him had been when gambling, which made him waver. Seele, on the other hand, remained silent, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Seeing Ted's legs trembling with fear, Seele leaned closer and whispered in his ear.

"──"

Before long, Ted tensed up unnaturally, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly as if he were panting heavily.

The male dwarf looked up blankly, and Seele smiled back at him.

Ted seemed to have no strength left and collapsed to the ground.

"Let's go, Ryu."

"..."

Ryu really wanted to ask Seele what she had said, but unfortunately there was no time left.

If we stay here any longer, the Ganesha Familia will be on their way.

The group decided to leave Ted there and quickly left the underground vault.

"Seele... what were your last words to Ted?"

As Ryu ran up the stairs to escape the basement and through the corridor to avoid bumping into others, she asked Hime this question.

The girl with light silver hair chuckled like a child caught playing a prank, and said:

"I told him directly the name of the [family] to which Mia, the mother who takes care of us, belongs."

Ryu was quite dumbfounded after hearing the answer.

At the same time, I also feel a little sympathy for Ted.

The reason is that the owner of the bar "The Abundant Mistress" that took in Ryu and the others is the female dwarf Mia Grande.

Even though she's practically retired, the [familia] she still belongs to is called—

Inside the completely destroyed underground vault.

As the chaotic footsteps echoed, when the Ganesha Familia finally arrived, Teid was still slumped on the ground, utterly dejected.

He stood amidst the astonished gazes of his fellow members, uttering a single word in a low, almost groaning voice.

"Freya Familia..."

●

Ryu and the others weaved through the bustling casino staff and headed straight for the back door of the main casino.

Due to the numerous unexpected events, many people left their original work positions in the staff area, making it easier for Ryu and the others to move around.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Ryu and her friends successfully reached the back door of the casino.

"I heard that the guy causing trouble in the VIP room was actually someone who sneaked in disguised as a nobleman!"

"It's an elf and a human, don't let them escape!"

"!"

But when they rushed out the back door, a group of adventurers were already lying in ambush.

The Ganesha Familia were indeed excellent, and their actions were remarkably swift. While assessing the situation, they also dispatched men to surround the entire casino. At this moment, an impenetrable encirclement was complete.

Behind the back gate where Ryu and the others were, there was a giant swimming pool that could only be seen in the casino area. The bright moon was reflected on the azure water, shimmering and reflecting the glow of the magic stone lamps.

Ryu, who had Seele and Anna hide in the shadows, secretly observed the heavily guarded situation of the Ganesha Familia members with his right eye.

"Have you spotted any intruders?"

"Commander Shakti!"

—For Ryu, this was the second time she had faced an unexpected situation.

That is the title bestowed upon them by the gods, the Staff of Ganesha, and the strongest top adventurer of the Ganesha Familia has appeared here.

This person has short blue hair that falls to the nape of her neck and long limbs. Even Liu, who is the same gender, thinks she is quite tall, with a height clearly exceeding 170C (Selchi). Although she is human, her appearance is both intelligent and dignified, making her look like a learned elf.

The beautiful woman, dressed in a casino security uniform that resembled that of a dealer, gave instructions to the group members who rushed over.

"Leave this to me."

"Huh, but..."

"It seems the store is short-staffed; you can go and help out."

"As you command!"

It must have been based on trust that the senior adventurers frankly obeyed the deployment change orders issued by the guild leader.

As the group members hurried away amidst Seele and Anna's surprised gazes, Shakti, left alone, turned her gaze toward the shadows where Ryu and the others were.

"Come out."

Ryu complied with her request and stepped forward.

"Shakti..."

"I heard it was an invasion by elven thieves... It really was you."

Shakti Bama, the leader of the Ganesha Familia, sighed as expected after seeing Ryu emerge from the shadows.

Ryu and Shakti know each other. During Orario's dark period, when "evil" was rampant, the righteous faction (Asteria Familia) and the Ganesha Familia, who were also maintaining peace and order in the city, cooperated with each other, and the two became friends during that time. Shakti is one of the few people who know about Ryu's past and understand that she still lives in Orario.

This heroine, now one of the strongest in Orario, sighed once again after witnessing Anna timidly emerge from the shadows.

"My hard work secretly planning how to expose the casino's evil deeds has all gone down the drain..."

Shakti looked down at the ripples on the surface of the swimming pool.

After a while, she looked at Ryu and the others and closed her eyes.

"I didn't see anything. Neither the wanted bounty target nor the righteous thief who rescued the kidnapped girl... I know nothing about them."

Upon hearing this, Liu opened her eyes in surprise.

After taking a deep breath, she led Seele and Anna across the deserted perimeter of the swimming pool.

"Thank you, Shakti."

"Stop talking, let's go."

As Ryu walked past his friend, he not only expressed his gratitude but also secretly handed him a small bottle. This was actually a "lock-picking drug." Shakti, understanding the situation from this simple gesture, tucked the bottle into his pocket and headed towards the casino.

"She's such a good person."

"That's right, she is one of the people I respect most."

Ryu responded to Seele's smiling face with respectful words and left the perimeter of the swimming pool.

Thanks to Shakti, the Ganesha Familia's vigilance had become more relaxed, allowing the three to escape the encirclement. Hearing of the shocking incident at the largest casino, "Golden City Paradise," guests from other large casinos flocked to the oval plaza, discussing the matter animatedly. Ryu and the others glanced at the giant fountain in the center of the plaza before quickly leaving the noisy casino area.