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

Not long after, despite not belonging to any clan, his nickname changed—becoming "The Fierce Wolf." People have called him that ever since.

Side Story: Sword Oratoria 8 Chapter 4: Lonely Night

Night falls over the city.

Darkness shrouded the deserted streets, the flickering, half-destroyed magic stone lamps, and the bloodstained back alleys. The rain continued relentlessly, pouring down on the city as if it wanted to pierce through everything.

Bert sat on the simple sofa, listening silently to the continuous sound of the rain.

"Bert..."

Ais stood beside him. Seeing the werewolf youth not wiping his soaking wet body and ignoring the bleeding from his "cursed" wound, she didn't know what to say.

In an empty room of the Deankat Familia clinic as night fell, after the assassins' attack, Bert silently let the rain soak him. It was Ais who brought him here. Not only because Ais couldn't bear to watch his wounds bleed, but also because even she worried about the young man's back as he endured the rain.

"...At least, I need to wipe myself down..."

Ais was unable to treat the wound that wouldn't heal and was about to use a cloth to dry it when, with a click, someone opened the door.

"Sorry I'm late."

Amed entered the room.

Her once clean and tidy [Family] uniform was now stained with blood. Most importantly, deep fatigue was evident under her eyes, and she was sweating profusely.

Ais saw it immediately.

She was just one step away from falling into a state of mental exhaustion.

"Amid...you've been using 'magic'...?"

"Because, as things stand, only my 'magic' can lift that 'curse'... I believe in your exceptional physical strength, therefore I have postponed your treatment. Please allow me to apologize, Bert Roca."

Hearing Ais's concerned tone, the girl's expression remained unchanged, and she answered as calmly as possible.

Until just now, Amid had been busy providing medical care to the Amazons who had been attacked and brought to the hospital. Perhaps out of pride as a therapist, Amid mustered her energy and immediately began treating Bert.

She placed her right palm over Bert's minor lacerations all over his body, as well as the lacerated cursed wound on his shoulder, and chanted a pure white magical light that shone upon them.

"...How are those Amazons doing?"

"I've saved every life I could. But there were a few people who were brought here already beyond saving, and then..."

Amid successfully saved the lives of all the critically injured patients brought to the clinic, but there were some she couldn't save. Analysis suggested the assassins' attack likely began last night, and even the city's top healer, the "Battlefield Saintess," couldn't save those who had already perished.

Amid's doll-like appearance remained unchanged, yet the way she tightly gripped her pale-skinned little hand revealed a range of emotions, including self-blame and regret.

"Is that dead brat (Amazon) here too?"

"...Regarding you Amazons, with all due respect, you have been sent to the 'First Cemetery' by our [Deankait Familia]."

Because there is no extra space in the hospital (here) to accommodate the deceased.

Instead of answering Bert's question directly, Amed responded with another answer.

Bert, seated in his chair, remained expressionless, his amber eyes fixed on the cold face of the girl kneeling before him. Water droplets dripped from his gray hair.

Ais looked down, alone.

"The true identity of the attackers has been confirmed as the dark forces of the continent... that criminal organization (the Sekhmet Familia)."

Amid somewhat reluctantly changed the subject, trying to lighten the mood.

Sweating from exhaustion, she softly parted her cherry-like lips to report the news:

"Since those attacked were all former members of the [Ishtar Familia], the governing body (guild) judged them to be gods (humans) who harbored resentment towards the goddess Ishtar... Some goddesses, driven by jealousy, hired them to assassinate the remaining members."

"..."

"That faction of assassins follows dogma, preferring suicide to revealing information about their employers... It seems the guild's higher-ups have given up on finding the mastermind."

She explained the current situation concisely and in a businesslike tone.

The daytime riots could no longer be concealed and had spread throughout the city, prompting the "Guild" to take action. They used "status thief" on the assassins' corpses, revealing the true name of the main god and the faction they belonged to, leaving them with a major headache.

Perhaps worthy of being adventurers from the labyrinthine city of Orario, the Battle Prostitute repelled numerous assassins. However, the enemies wielded "cursed tools," a single wound enough to be fatal. The assassins, disregarding their own lives, used their own lives as weapons in a devastating attack, killing the Battle Prostitute and causing such heavy casualties. Without exception, all the assassins who fought the Battle Prostitutes to a standstill ended their own lives. The Loki Familia, who arrived to provide assistance and captured some of them, did the same.

Before Ais, Bert remained frighteningly silent; Amid, having healed all of Bert's wounds, looked back at him:

"The treatment is complete, but... this kind of vicious 'curse' won't heal immediately even if the wounds are healed. Please don't push yourself."

Amed, acting as his therapist, ordered Bert to kneel and move away from him.

However, the moment she took a step, her petite body stumbled, and Ais quickly helped her up.

"Amid..."

"I'm very sorry... I seem to have overused 'magic' a bit..."

Ais bit her lip hard as she comforted her friend, whose breathing was disordered.

Ais judged that Amed needed to rest immediately and was about to take her to the lounge, but she stopped herself.

Because she had concerns and was worried about leaving Bert alone now.

"Take her away quickly, she's in the way."

Bert's arrogant attitude remained unchanged.

Aside from his expressionless face and unchanging demeanor.

Ais hesitated for a long time before finally opening the door with Amed in her arms.

"Please stay here... I'll be back soon."

The blonde, golden-eyed girl looked back one last time before leaving the room.

He visited the room in silence.

The only sound was the rain, which annoyed the wolf.

Bert, who had been motionless like a statue, slowly stood up after a while.

"..."

Amber eyes gaze towards Orario as night falls and raindrops scatter outside the window.

The "fangs" that had grazed his cheek were crooked. Bert's face was reflected in the windowpane, and he glared at that face as if it were an enemy, raising one arm above his head and smashing the window along with his own reflection.

★

"I'm sorry to have dragged you into this, [Lijie]."

This was the first thing Finn said to the injured Amazons.

In the heart of the city, the first floor of the towering skyscraper (Tower of Babel), leading to the underground city, was packed with people even late at night. This was because various stakeholders had been summoned here for the "hunting of Amazons" case.

Many are former Ishtar Familia adventurers at risk of being attacked a second time, or prostitutes who are not combatants. In addition to them, there are Loki Familia members who volunteer to serve as guards for the "Guild", and then there are members of the Ganesha Familia.

At this time, only the severely wounded remained in the [Deankait Familia]'s infirmary; all others at risk of assassination had gathered there; this was an order from the guild and the Ganesha faction. The management, unwilling to lose such valuable talent as combat prostitutes—high-level adventurers—acted swiftly.

In the vast building, the Amazons or prostitutes looked at each other uneasily; while Aisha, with her long black hair flowing down her back, faced Finn, who was leading the group including Tione and Tiona.

"Our search operation seems to have provoked the masterminds behind this incident. I really didn't expect them to take such drastic measures... but that's no excuse. Please allow me to apologize."

"What are you apologizing for, [Hero]? It's not your fault, even a child would know. It's all the fault of those who committed such heinous crimes."

Finn, armed with a spear, apologized to Aisha, but she refused to accept it.

Although she showed anger and hatred at the murder of her former colleagues, she did not blame the somber-looking Tiona and the others.

"Besides, even if you don't get involved... we, the followers of the goddess Ishtar, will be attacked sooner or later. Am I wrong?"

"..."

"Seriously, even though that goddess is no longer here, she still managed to make things so bad for us."

Aisha sighed deeply, perhaps taking Finn's silence as an affirmation.

She also knew about Ishtar's "key," which the Loki Familia had been inquiring about everywhere. Moreover, ever since the incident in the port city (Merlen), she had also guessed that the Supreme God might be secretly in contact with a "suspicious organization"—the remnants of the Dark Faction—using the man-eating plant (monster) for personal gain.

The beautiful Amazonian heroine didn't press Finn and the others for answers, but she seemed thoroughly annoyed, sighing at the scourge left behind by the former chief god. She glared at the sky where the goddess had returned, her long, narrow eyes fixed on the heavens.

"Don't say things like we didn't protect them or rescue them, don't wallow in self-pity with those excuses. That's what's humiliating for us female warriors. ... [Wolf] too, tell him what I said."

"Bert? Why are you mentioning him?"

"...Haven't you heard?"

When Finn asked this question, Aisha hesitated for a moment before beginning to explain.

She told Finn what had happened to Bert and Lina.

Finn couldn't hide the shock hidden in his blue eyes. Behind him, Tiona, Tione, and the other members of the band were all stunned by this unexpected news.

"I didn't expect that werewolf to have that kind of expression... No, it's nothing. Anyway, you don't need to worry about us too much. We also have some companions that you rescued, so we are very grateful."

After saying this, Aisha left Finn and the others. She went to speak to the prostitutes around them to ease their unease; Finn watched her retreating figure, lost in thought.

"Could the Amazon killed before Bert's eyes be the person Lefia mentioned on her date?"

"...That's probably it. I think that guy was probably looking for information about the 'key' before. Then he got caught up in it by those dark factions..."

The conversation between Tiona and Tione became the starting point, and the other members chimed in; at this moment, Finn licked his thumb.

He pondered for a long time.

Finally, Finn quietly raised his head and said:

"I'm going to use Bert as 'bait'."

「!?」

Finn's sudden judgment made Tiony and the others doubt their ears.

"The Burt Roca I know isn't docile enough to endure this kind of bullying in silence. I think he'll almost certainly lose control."

"...!"

"He'll probably be going off on his own to seek revenge on the dark faction... Valetta and the others, and he'll cause quite a ruckus. I'll use this as a diversionary tactic, cutting off their retreat while Bert distracts them."

To prevent those people from hiding back in the artificial labyrinth (Knossos), Valetta and the others must be isolated on the surface. This is what the leader of the Lilliputians said.

"Then, we need to take the 'key' from their hands."

Finn spoke eloquently, leaving the group members one after another in awe.

Even Tiona or Tione, and Raul or Anachiti, are examples of this. The [Hero] ruthlessly manipulates Bert's feelings, attempting to take the best course of action with a broad perspective; the young members of the [Loki Familia] gasp as they look at his cold, clear profile.

"Deploy surveillance personnel in Labyrinth Street (Daedalus Road). I will guard the old-style underground waterways connected to the man-made labyrinth (Knossos). Even if the enemy tries to use the second entrance to the underground city connected to the residence (secret base), they won't be able to go down into the labyrinth as long as members are left in the tower (here). Raul, go and deliver the message that this place is to be guarded by Grace—"

"Fin... Finn!?"

"Please wait a moment, Commander!"

Just as Finn was about to give the order, Tiona and Tione stopped him.

Finn's blue eyes looked at the women who had stepped forward.

"You want to stop me from doing this? Don't you also hate Bert, so much so that you don't want to see him?"

"This...but! Isn't this a bit wrong!?"

"Isn't the purpose of a [Family] to help each other?! Back in Port City (Merlen), you guys helped us too, Commander...! And that stupid wolf too!"

When faced with Finn wearing the leader's mask, Tiona and Tione refused to back down.

Finn was right. Even they couldn't understand why they, who had hated Bert so much before, were now so desperately protecting him.

Behind Tiona and the others, the group members looked at Finn with pleading eyes, feeling the same way.

"You can't accept that? Then let me put it another way."

Finn glanced at Tiona, Tione, and the other members' faces, then changed his tone and told them:

"I will entrust this matter entirely to Bert."

"!!"

This is the second time I've been shocked.

Standing before the astonished Tiona and her companions, Finn removed his leader's mask, a bitter smile mixed with sadness and desolation appearing on his face.

He shifted his gaze to the outside of the towering tower with its doors wide open, to the dark, rain-soaked expanse beneath.

"No matter what we say now, he won't give up."

"Finn... really, he actually pulled a move like that."