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

"Judging from the incident in the port city (Melen) alone, it's highly likely that the goddess Ishtar has connections with the remnants of the dark faction. It's quite possible that these remnants approached the ruler of the red-light district, asking for financial support. Given this, what do you think the goddess Ishtar would demand in return for her assistance?"

"...Defeat the Freya Familia?"

"After all, it's well-known that she harbors resentment towards the goddess Freya, so there's no doubt about that."

Finn then turned his gaze to Loki.

"Yeah, that's true~ Knowing Ishtar's personality, she would at least think of joining forces with Kali while luring Freya and the others into the artificial labyrinth (Knossos). Who told that goddess to be so willful~ To make things easier, she would at least try to steal a 'key' from the dark faction."

Grace listened to the chief god's words, humming in agreement, while stroking his beard.

"But such a formidable maze (secret base), those people probably wouldn't want anyone to know of its existence. Would they really give away the 'key' so easily...?"

"Just as Lefia asked the god Thanatos, if the dark faction, like the monsters and their underground forces, also attempts to destroy the labyrinth city (Orario), then sooner or later they will inevitably clash head-on with the Freya Familia. At the very least, the enemy should judge that the Freya Familia, like us, will become an obstacle."

"I see, that's how it is. If Ishtar could volunteer to defeat Freya and her group, or weaken their power, the dark faction wouldn't lose out... that's why they're so eager to help, right?"

Finn nodded.

He speculated that the "fairy clone" was probably Ishtar's ultimate trump card.

"As things have progressed to this point, the Ishtar Familia has been completely wiped out, which must be a major miscalculation for the Dark Faction."

"I was initially blaming Freya for causing all the trouble and ruining everything! But looking at it another way, maybe it's actually a good opportunity~"

"Yes, if the goddess Ishtar once possessed the 'key,' the dark faction should be frantically searching for it now, trying to reclaim it."

Finn echoed Loki's sentiments while offering his own perspective.

"Of course, we can't rule out the possibility that the item might have already been retrieved by the enemy," the dwarf added, but then licked his thumb, as if he already understood that this possibility was unfounded.

"Who will find the 'key' lost in the riots first, us or the dark faction... The current situation is a battle to secure the 'key'."

★

"Lady Valetta! The Loki Familia has appeared around the palace in the City of Shadows..."

"Tsk! They really came all this way?"

Inside the man-made labyrinth (Knossos), Valetta clicked her tongue as she heard her subordinates' report.

She wiggled the protective accessories she wore on her ears, her brows furrowing in disgust.

"What should I do, Valetta? Is there anything I can do? God (I) can also provide power, you know?"

Sanatos, sitting on the pedestal, asked while shaking his black robes.

As the blue phosphorescence emitted by the magic stone lamps shaped a mysterious and dim atmosphere in the corridors, Valetta fell silent for a moment, lost in thought.

"...The Loki Familia doesn't have a clue either, they know where to look, right?"

"Yes, yes. They've been searching everywhere since they started moving. According to non-combatants who have infiltrated the city, they're actively contacting former Amazons or prostitutes of the Ishtar Familia..."

Valetta stood still, her right hand pressed against her mouth.

After listening to her subordinate's report, she looked up and drew a conclusion from her thoughts:

"Gather all the hired assassins."

"yes!"

"Hey, Sanatos, go tell that idiot Baka... tell him to prepare as many 'cursed tools' as possible."

"Hey, you wouldn't be... planning to make a move? Outside the artificial labyrinth (Knossos)?"

Seeing Valetta give orders to the group members and then instruct him on how to do things, Sanatos smiled at her with wide eyes.

Valetta tossed her hair aside and said dismissively:

"I don't want to attract attention on the surface... but I have no choice. I can't hand over a single 'key' to Finn and his gang."

Then, the woman's lips formed a ferocious smile.

"—Let's get started."

Gaiden: Sword Oratoria 8 Chapter 3 Unending Tears

The slightly chilly air that brushed against my skin announced the arrival of morning.

"..."

Bert, who was sitting by the window, slowly opened his eyes.

He had been in the same position since last night. Trying to move his stiff body, he found a blanket covering him. Looking down, he saw the Amazonian girl lying on the carpet, breathing softly as she slept. On the velvet chair beside her were soup with vegetables of varying sizes floating on the surface, and meat sandwiches—presumably made last night.

Bert stared at the now-cold single-serving meal, then picked up his spoon and took a sip.

"It tastes awful..."

He muttered to himself as he took another bite of the bread, which had become as cold and hard as ice.

Bert ate his leftover dinner, chewing on bread as he kicked the girl at his feet.

The girl, wrapped in a blanket like a cat, let out a scream, "Aaaaaah!?"

Tell me what you know.

Behind the "secret dwelling" house facing the road, Bert asked as he poured a whole bucket of water over the top of the sparsely furnished backyard.

The werewolf was still wearing pants, only his battle jacket was off, exposing his upper body, which made Lina drool. When she heard this, she said, "Eh, ah! Uh, okay!?" Her face turned red as she regained her senses.

"Well... actually, I'm often ordered around by the first-level adventurer (Merini), so I'm always running errands in the palace. That day too, that toad was so ridiculous, it actually said something like: 'Go find out the weakness of the goddess Ishtar for me~'"

Bert roughly wiped the water droplets from his skin and ears: the girl still stared at his back, describing the situation in a completely inaccurate way.

"If I got caught, I would be subjected to vigilante justice, so I prepared myself and sneaked into the shrine (bedroom) while the goddess Ishtar was out. As a result... I discovered a half-open secret door."

"A hidden door?"

"Hmm, there are beautiful sheer dresses and golden crowns inside, lots and lots of amazing treasures. They're probably the secret collection of the goddess Ishtar... But I found a small box on the table containing spherical magical artifacts made of refined metal (ingots)..."

Bert's ears perked up suddenly, and he glanced at Lina.

"I don't know if there are any strange markings on it, but the magical item that Bert Roca is looking for is covered with a silvery-white metal outer layer, right? The one I saw was made of 'mithril,' so it should be this one."

"What did you do after you discovered that?"

"Later, I was captured by the young attendant (Tammuz)... the vice-captain of the [Family]. He told me with a fierce look, 'Forget everything you saw,' and then drove me away. However, as long as Tamuz doesn't directly get involved with the goddess Ishtar, he's generally quite gentle, so he probably let me go..."

Perhaps recalling what happened back then, Lina, who was sitting cross-legged on the wooden box, trembled.

"Where is that guy named Tamuz now?"

"I don't know. He's been missing ever since the attack by the Freya Familia... That human was so infatuated with the goddess Ishtar, it's possible... he might have jumped off a building and committed suicide after seeing the goddess being sent back."

"So... if the item is still there, then it will be..."

"Hmm, it should be in the hidden room of the goddess Ishtar, or perhaps in Tamuz's room."

After getting the clues Lina knew, Bert started thinking.

It cannot be denied that Ishtar or Tamuz may have carried the "key" with them or taken it elsewhere, but at present, these locations are all worth searching.

The cold water and morning air thoroughly invigorated Bert, who said, "Okay," and decided on their destination.

The target is the "Goddess Palace (Hall of the Goddess Prostitutes)" that stands tall in the distance.

"Hey! Bert Roca! Can I come with you? Well, you probably don't know the location of the secret door or anything like that if I don't come, right?"

"...Whatever you want."

"Yay!"

Ignoring Lina, who was standing up and spinning around, Bert dried himself off and put his combat gear back on.

Bert and she, who had come with him, set off together from the high-class brothel.

"After the [Family] was gone, you didn't go to that hidden room you mentioned?"

"The faction's assets... or rather, the treasures in the vault, were decided to be divided equally. But if you include the non-combatants in our [Family], there are so many of us! Aisha was in charge of distributing them, and we were so busy that I forgot about it until now... Ahaha."

The sky is covered with clouds today.

Grayish-white clouds completely blocked out the sunlight. Bert looked up at the thick, cloud-covered sky above Orario and thought it might rain.

Although it was away from the center of the battle, this back alley still bore the marks of destruction. The stone slabs were cracked, and magic lamps were overturned; part of the roof of the brothel had been blown off, possibly struck by "magic." There were even hooked swords stuck in the walls of some buildings. In addition, several half-broken weapons lay scattered on the road. It seemed that, under the will of the supreme god, the Freya Familia was determined not to let Ishtar go, and their encirclement had spread throughout the area.

The further you go, the more severe the damage to the streets becomes.

Seeing this scene, you might believe it if you were told it was a slum.

"Bert Roca, be careful. There seem to be very few patrols in the area, but there are still adventurers (guards) sent by the 'Guild'. And it's not even night yet, so you might be spotted from afar."

"Stop walking on the rubble and talking to me like that, are you a wild monkey?"

"Hehe—ooh—just kidding."

Lina stuck out her tongue as Bert glared at her.

"Well, I think if it's just guarding, there's nothing to worry about. But it would be so annoying if my identity were discovered and I got punished. Besides, sometimes the Ganesha Familia comes to be guards too."

"It'll be troublesome if they blow their sirens," Lina said, jumping off the rubble.

As soon as the street opened up, she led Bert and slipped into the gaps between the buildings. Perhaps because this had once been their territory, it was as familiar to her as her own backyard; she took detours time and time again via paths that would never be seen by anyone.

Bert admitted that bringing her along as a guide was the right thing to do.

(Are Finn and the others also investigating the reconstruction area...? Even if they are, they probably wouldn't choose to do it during the day. After all, if the entire faction acts together, it will be too conspicuous in every way.)

As the leader, Finn and his group had to consider the reputation of the Familia while conducting their investigation; Bert, recalling their faces, concluded that they wouldn't encounter them in broad daylight. The Familia likely also considered the "Goddess Palace (Her Majesty's Palace of Prostitutes)" a primary focus of their investigation, but Bert didn't believe they could investigate that massive headquarters in just a few days. Furthermore, they probably hadn't yet visited the secret door to the shrine that Rena mentioned, or the private rooms of specific members.

(More importantly, when should I rejoin my [Family]? Although he said I could take a break for a while... Ugh—damn it! It reminded me of yesterday. I really don't want to go back...)

Ais witnessed yesterday's scene, and his reputation within the Familia is undoubtedly plummeting. No, it's already hit rock bottom, but right now everyone's burning anger is focused on those Amazonian sisters. Hearing that naive girl's overly brief report, and knowing everyone would embellish it as they passed it on, only made Bert more depressed. He never wanted to see Loki again.

Bert maintained a cold expression, but inwardly he was cursing:

(I was supposed to just be ostracized... I've had such bad luck ever since I met this guy.)

Bert looked down at Lina, who was walking right next to him.

"Bert Roca, why did you go to bed first yesterday?! I even made dinner for you!"

"It's none of your business when I want to sleep."

"Werewolves are so capricious! But isn't it a little heartwarming to find someone covering you with a blanket? I feel like a newlywed wife, right!?"

"Just shut up."

Bert frowned, feeling that this habitual conversation was having a negative impact on him.

This "playing house" game will end today. At least once those places are investigated, Bert and Lina's relationship will be over. Bert won't be confused by her anymore. The Amazonian girl, brimming with the power of love, might still go to the Familia to look for someone, but Bert will definitely ignore her.

Being with her almost caused Bert to recall unwanted memories.

I recall all the memories hidden inside this "fang".

(...Let's finish this quickly. After it's over...)

Goodbye. Just as the voice in his heart was about to say that...

Bert's ears twitched! They stood up sharply.

"..."

"Bert Roca?"

That's a corner of the back alley after you pass through the path.

Surrounded by rows of brothels on both sides, Bert stopped in the middle of a wide street.

(Someone's fucking watching us...)

When Lina turned her head in confusion, Bert simply swept his sharp gaze around.

(A guild guard? No, impossible. If they were guards, there'd be no reason for them not to warn us. Besides, this gaze doesn't even convey any killing intent, let alone any emotion...)

Bert concluded that this was not the way an ordinary adventurer would look at someone.

Rather, it is a different kind of filthy stuff that has lived in darkness for a long time.

Not only that, the number of people looking at the camera is constantly increasing.

“What, what happened?”

Just as Lina was at a loss, frightened by the nervous appearance of the Level 1 adventurer...

"Hey, what are you doing there!"