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

Bert became the last survivor of the tribe, abandoning his homeland on the plains.

He defied the teachings of the "Plains Beastmen" and went to places where people gathered. Reviving weak tribes was meaningless; a group of weaklings forming cliques would only lead to further exploitation and natural elimination. So he abandoned all attachments.

Bert sought "power," "fangs" that would never break. He vowed to shave off the flesh and blood of the weak, bite back at the strong, and defeat the "master of the plains."

Bert had heard from traveling merchants from passing tribes that, at the westernmost edge of the continent, there was a labyrinthine city containing one of the world's three great secret realms, the "Underground City." It was said to be the center of the world, a gathering place for numerous gods and the most powerful "adventurers."

Bert embarked on a journey in pursuit of great power.

Even though the scar on his left cheek could be erased or smoothed out with "magic" or "tools," Bert kept it and even tattooed it on.

This was a lesson in his own weakness. He etched the symbolism of his period of weakness onto his face, never to forget it.

This also awakens the hunger for power in those who are unwilling to lose everything again.

Bert couldn't help but laugh when he saw the tattoo artist's own hand-carved tattoo, which looked like a lightning bolt striking from his eyes to his cheeks.

Because it was just like the "fangs" he had been longing for.

The wolf's "fangs" are a perfect blend of fierce hunger and a symbol of weakness.

★

"...Tsk!"

Bert's first action after waking up was to smack his lips.

He shook off the phantom pain emanating from the tattoo on his face, along with the dregs of the past, and frowned deeply.

At this time...

"--ah."

Seemingly misunderstanding the smacking sound, the Amazonian girl, who had been quietly approaching the lying Bert, froze on the spot upon hearing it. Incidentally, she was completely naked.

"...What the hell are you doing?"

"Uh, hehehe, changing the night raid to a morning raid?"

Before the disheveled Lina could answer, Bert kicked her. "Whoa—!?" The girl flew violently into the corner of the room, while Bert clicked his tongue repeatedly and got up at the same time.

Outside the window, the sky was dark before dawn. The pale light of the sky peeked out from behind the massive city wall behind this "secret residence," illuminating the red-light district. Bert cursed the "dream" in his heart for letting him get so deep that he didn't notice Lina's approach, while gazing at the red-light district in the early morning.

(Although I can't go back to headquarters for a while, I can't just sit around and wait to die. First, I'll go to the dungeon to earn some money, but... Finn and the others will probably be searching for "that" somewhere.)

Bert's sharp eyes fixed on the enormous palace towering in the distance—a castle that was once the abode of the goddess of beauty.

Bert turned his head and looked at Lina, who was writhing in pain in the corner of the room.

"Hey, you brat."

"What's up?"

The girl looked back with tears in her eyes, and Bert told her:

"Do you know about that red 'key' with strange markings engraved on it?"

★

Cold air flowed through the stone-paved passageway.

That place is an underground labyrinth where sunlight never shines.

Excited shouts echoed from the depths of the labyrinth as many water strider monsters swaggered past, making disgusting noises.

"That idiotic, smelly goddess!"

The person who spoke in a gruff voice was a woman wearing a long overcoat with fur trim.

The location is deep within the "artificial labyrinth of Knossos," a corridor adorned with colorful murals, resembling an ancient ruin.

Valetta Greider, a member of the remnants of the Dark Faction, is yelling and screaming.

"I helped her for ages, and she got wiped out by the Freya Familia in no time!"

"I really didn't expect Freya to act like that~ If everything goes according to plan, I think we have a pretty good chance of winning."

Thanatos, the god of death, with a frivolous smile on his face, endured her roar.

With the surrounding high-ranking members watching, Valetta threw a tantrum in front of the chief god.

"What's the point of talking nonsense now! The worst part is, the 'key' we entrusted to that goddess (woman) is nowhere to be found!"

The remnants of the Dark Faction gifted an item to Ishtar, the sponsor, in order to expand the artificial labyrinth (Knossos).

That is the "key".

Its official name is "Daedalus Jewel".

This magic item is used to open the "doors" made of the hardest metal (ostrichite) placed throughout the maze.

Its whereabouts are currently unknown.

"This is indeed terrible, but didn't you already send people to search the area centered around the ruins of Fengyue Street?"

"We can't find it! There's not a trace of it! If that thing falls into Finn's hands, we'll see how terrible things will be...!"

Indestructibility and inescapability are the greatest weapons of the man-made labyrinth. However, once the "key" falls into the enemy's hands, this overwhelming advantage disappears. Valetta bit her nails so hard they smacked, her heart filled with hatred as she thought of the face of her lingering enemy (Finn).

There are no other main characters here besides Valetta. Neither is Barca, the descendant of the master craftsman (Daedalus), nor is the eccentric Revis. These people leave all the trouble to Valetta and the others, preoccupied with their own tasks. The former is probably repairing the damaged labyrinth or digging tunnels, while the latter is likely still babysitting the "fairies."

"A bunch of good-for-nothings!" she cursed disdainfully, her anger escalating.

"Where the hell is that bastard Tamuz...!"

Valetta growled as she recalled the face of the young attendant of the goddess Ishtar. Trusted as the goddess's loyal right-hand man, he had been brought to this man-made labyrinth several times. He had been out of contact since the night of his battle with the Freya Familia.

"What should we do, Valetta?"

"...I'm going to search for the 'key' centered around that goddess's (woman's) stronghold! We can't let the Loki Familia get there first! Go now!"

"Yes!" With this shout, the members of the [Sanatos Familia] rushed out.

Valetta clicked her tongue in exasperation at the male god who seemed to be enjoying the situation and was squinting his eyes.

Side Story: Sword Oratoria 8, Chapter 2: Would you like some wolves today?

"We need to find the whereabouts of the 'key' to the man-made labyrinth (Knossos)."

We had a meeting this morning.

In the Loki Familia's grand dining room, Finn made the announcement to his crew.

"First of all, it is certain that all the keys are probably in the hands of the remnants of the dark faction, but... there is only one that we have a chance of getting our hands on."

"You mean the Ishtar Familia who transported the carnivorous plants to the port city (Melon), right?"

"Yes. The goddess Ishtar must have had a close relationship with those people; she may have once possessed the 'key'."

Finn affirmed Tiony's words and then loudly proclaimed:

"Under the lightning attack of the Freya Familia, the goddess Ishtar should have been unable to contact the dark faction. It may have been lost in the chaos, or perhaps her family members know where it is... We can only gamble on that possibility. Starting today, I hope everyone can work together to find the 'key'."

Upon hearing these words, the group members became solemn.

"While you're searching the streets of pleasure, I want you to make contact with former members of the Ishtar Familia who have scattered to other factions and gather intelligence. Of course, this must be done in secrecy. Okay, do you have any questions?"

"Yes, yes, yes~ It's not about the content, but where's Rivera~? I haven't seen her anywhere."

As usual, Tiona raised her hand and voiced the question that had come to mind.

"I asked Rivera to do something for me, so early in the morning. I'm really sorry."

"Oh...and what about that werewolf guy?"

"Heh, do you care that much, Tiona?"

"No, I'm just annoyed that he's slacking off."

Tiona clearly had a sour look on her face. Including her, none of the other members knew that Finn had given Bert a break. Seeing Tiona's mixed feelings of concern for the werewolf youth, Finn smiled, deciding to remain ambiguous for now:

"Bert should be using his sense of smell to find something now, right? Alright, if there are no other questions, I'm going to divide everyone into search and investigation teams... So, Loki, next up..."

"Okay, I've got your back!"

Before giving instructions to his bandmates, Finn leaned close to Loki's ear.

The members stood up and formed their own teams. Amidst the commotion, Loki slipped through the noisy crowd and stealthily approached Ais.

"Miss Ais, can I ask you for a favor?"

"Loki...? What is it?"

"Just handle it while you're busy. Could you please keep an eye on Bert's situation without making a scene?"

Hearing Loki say this, Ais widened her eyes slightly.

"On one hand, I felt a little sorry for him because he was being ostracized, but then again, Bert is Bert, right? He's so sarcastic in front of everyone, but he'll probably still investigate the clues."

Those crimson eyes held a deep trust in her family.

Unlike the feelings that Ais and others have for their companions, this is a trust unique to the gods (parents).

"The enemy probably won't make their move on the surface, and I don't think Bert would bother to storm into Maze Street (Daedalus Road), but they might have other plans. Please go and find out."

"...But I..."

"Hmm? What's wrong, Ais?"

"I accidentally told Bert... I hate him."

She murmured this as she lowered her head.

Loki gleaned information about last night's events from her brief conversation and then burst into laughter.

"Hahaha—! That's terrible, Bert isn't breathing, really—!"

"So, um... I think it's probably not a good idea for me to go see him..."

Seeing the dejected Ais, Loki stopped laughing and asked as if talking to a child:

"Ais, what are your thoughts on Bert and the current Familia?"

"...Although I accidentally told Bert I hated him, but..."

Facing Loki's steady and kind gaze, Ais re-examined her own heart and uttered the words she had found.

"I still want to watch Tiona and the others argue with Bert, just like before... and Raul or Lefia rushing to break it up... everyone watching and laughing together, like that..."

"Um."

"...I wish I could go back to how things were before, the [familia]..."

Golden Eyes stole a glance at Tiona and Tione. What she was watching was the awkward and stiff atmosphere of the [Familia], including Raul and the others, which seemed to be missing something.

Seeing Ais look up and clearly state her feelings, Loki grinned and ruffled her blonde hair as if telling a child "you got a hundred points." Ais closed one eye, seemingly embarrassed, but didn't seem to resist.

"I feel the same way. And I think that since Tiona and the others are having a disagreement right now, the only one who can do this is Ais. Finn and the others have a lot of things to consider."

"If you have any doubts, you can ask Lefia or someone else for help. So, would you be willing to do me this favor?"

"...Okay, I understand."

Seeing Ais's brief reply, Loki smiled again and patted her on the shoulder.

As the group members gradually left the room, Ais turned her gaze to the clear view outside the window.

★

"A magical artifact with strange markings engraved on it..."

This is a corner of the red-light district, covered by the shadow of the huge city wall on the east side, and is "Lina's Secret Residence," a high-class brothel.

In the first-floor living room, which was originally intended as living space for prostitutes, Lina ate bites of the grain bread that had been brought in and stored away, while looking down at the parchment in her hand.

The paper contains Bert's sketch; although hastily drawn, the key features are captured.

"Bert Roca is looking for this magical artifact? Speaking of which... why isn't Bert Roca eating?"

"If I continue to owe you favors, it will cause a lot of trouble later."

"Oh, no way—this is a dish I made myself!"

"That's what makes it so troublesome, isn't it?" Bert muttered to himself, not letting her hear.

Bert and Lina were separated by a table, and in front of him was a table full of simple and straightforward Amazonian dishes that were "cut, grilled, and served".

He glanced at the thinly sliced ​​jerky and bread, as well as the cheese and bottled honey, and then looked up: