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

I gratefully took the pot and asked her to scoop the contents into a bowl for me.

"Seriously! This is so idiotic! This isn't a safe floor, yet they're drinking in the underground city."

"We're on an expedition right now, and I actually think we shouldn't be too indulgent, but..."

"What if the monster hears us making such a racket!"

That makes sense... I couldn't argue back, so I shrank back and took another bite of the mixed porridge.

However, I have no intention of stopping Welf and the others.

The cave evoked images of a forest at night. The bluish-green moss collected at the bottom of the transparent container emitted a unique, warm, and mysterious aura, unlike that of an oil lamp. Under the soft light, Welf and his companions cast faint shadows that danced on the walls and floor, causing the plants growing on the ground to sway in unison.

Camping is the essence of adventure.

I learned this from the tales of heroes, and the scene before me makes me very happy.

"...Are you happy, Lord Bell? You're smiling."

Lily leaned closer, puzzled, and peered at my profile.

"Ah, sorry... how should I put it, I really long to be able to go camping with everyone like this."

"Wasn't it like this when I was rescued by the Loki Familia on the 18th floor?"

"That's true, but... I still think it's pretty good."

I scratched my cheek, feeling shy and embarrassed, and forced a wry smile to cover it up.

Lily didn't say anything, just stared at me like that.

As I was tilting my head in response to her reaction...

"……Very good."

Lily murmured something, her facial lines softening slightly.

"Lord Bell, Lily has to confess to you... actually, Lily was a little scared at first."

"what?"

"Since that day, Lord Bell has been looking up at lofty goals for the sake of Lady Winnie and the others... Lily thought you had changed."

She was embarrassed and somewhat frightened by this.

I felt my gaze was fixed on the distance, and my figure was getting further and further away from her.

As I stared wide-eyed at Lily's candid words, her cheeks flushed red, and she smiled, revealing her dimples.

"However, Lord Bell is still Lord Bell."

Seeing Lily's joyful smile, I couldn't help but feel that she was very endearing.

It's not the kind of feeling between a man and a woman, but rather a gentler, more intimate feeling, like that of someone who would treat a younger sister.

When I came to my senses, I realized that my right hand was already reaching towards Lily's head.

Lily was taken aback. "Hmm..." she accepted my hand and snuggled closer to me as my fingers clumsily stroked her.

"I'm sorry for making you worry."

Just like I had done to the dragon girl (Winnie), I smiled at her, trying to reassure her...

"...Perhaps Lord Bell has changed. How should I put it...he's become better at charming girls..."

"Huh!?"

Who knew they would be shot?

She seemed angry; her puffed-up cheeks were flushed red, and her chestnut eyes were half-open as she glared at me.

Is touching someone's head such an impolite thing to do? I apologized repeatedly, flustered and at a loss; not long after, "Hehehe!" Lily giggled.

I was taken aback for a moment, but I couldn't help but smile at her.

"Lord Bel, would you like a drink? But not alcohol, just water!"

"Wait... Lady Haruhime, what are you doing here! Behave yourself!"

"Sister Aisha has finally let me go, so I also want to... well, to whisper sweet nothings to you both...!"

"I told you!! Your vocabulary is always so lewd! Are you doing it on purpose?!"

"Uh, why are you two arguing...?"

I broke out in a cold sweat when I heard Lily's one-sided complaints about the second refugee.

The monster couldn't possibly have missed such a commotion, and for a while, we had to fend off a group of "metal rabbits" that appeared near the entrance on our own.

And so the first night of the expedition passed.

*

After the small banquet, a tranquil and secluded atmosphere, like that of a forest, descended upon the cave.

Listen closely, and you can hear the soft breathing of Lily and the other girls coming from inside the tent. Welf and Mr. Cherry Blossom are considerately asleep against the grassy wall, still clutching their large sword and axe.

A distant howl could be heard from deep within the passage. It was probably the cry of a beast-like monster, as it seemed to echo from a distance. I judged it to be nothing to worry about.

After what just happened, I continued working as a guard.

The bottle containing the blue moss sat at my feet, used to illuminate the dimly lit entrance.

Looking around, the cave was slowly and steadily being restored to its original state. To be on the safe side, in addition to keeping watch, I continued to use my dagger to damage the labyrinth walls.

I sat down on the withered tree stump, opened the pocket watch I had borrowed from Lily, and it was nearly two in the morning.

It will be shift change time in a little while.

"...?"

Hearing the rustling of fabric, I turned around and looked behind me.

I saw a woman emerge from the tent and walk towards me.

Her long hair, sexy and alluring leg lines, thin combat clothing resembling a dancer, and the bluish-green moss remaining on the ceiling like starlight complemented her tender brown skin.

It's Miss Aisha.

"Miss Aisha...? Aren't Welf and Mr. Sakura supposed to be next on shift?"

"I know about that, I just had my turn."

"Then why...?"

"What if I told you I was coming for a night raid?"

I immediately stood up from the broken tree and kept my distance from her without saying a word.

"Just kidding, just teasing you." Miss Aisha smiled, but it was hard to tell whether she was serious or lying.

...I think she is indeed an exceptionally beautiful woman.

I thought this as I stood within arm's reach, facing an Amazon with a somewhat alluring smile.

She was stunningly beautiful, yet her alluring and seductive beauty also intimidated me. And the way her narrowed eyes gazed at me... that too.

I couldn't stand the silence, so I started a conversation:

"Uh... it's a bit late to say this now, but Miss Aisha, thank you for joining us on this 'expedition'..."

"It's okay, I was planning to go on my own 'expedition' and you would accompany me anyway, so this is perfect for me."

She said it was in return for providing support in the "heretic" incident, and I couldn't argue with her. Besides, although that's what she said, there was probably another reason: she cared about Miss Haruhime.

I could only offer a wry smile to the shrew who disliked formalities and polite conversation. Just then, Miss Aisha lifted her bangs.

"I was wondering if you were scared."

"what?"

"I'm saying why I came to see you."

Miss Aisha averted her gaze from me and looked into the depths of the dimly lit passage.

"Go this way, and the passageway leading downstairs will be right in front of you. Tomorrow we'll be attacking our destination—the 25th floor."

"...!"

"I think you've probably already heard, but the next floor... starting from the 'lower floor,' the whole thing will be completely different."

Level 25.

That was an unreached floor for us—the “lower floor” we were venturing into for the first time.

Even among high-level adventurers, only those selected can reach that realm.

This is the second death line, second only to the "middle level" first death line.

"Do you know what adventurers call those below the 25th floor?"

"...I don't know."

"I heard that's what it's been called since the early days of the labyrinth's development... We still follow the example of our predecessors and call it the 'New World'."

..."The New World".

The word "unknown" stirred something within me.

As the Amazon heroine finished speaking, she glanced at the tent.

"If you fall, the whole squad falls. That's the nature of this squad."

"..."

"So, I'll ask you one more time...Are you afraid?"

Some moss peeled off from the ceiling, and fragments of light fell among us.

The rich, vibrant green scent wafting around us almost created the illusion, if one closed their eyes, that this wasn't an underground city, but a surface forest. It was as if I were in a forest, having a private conversation with Miss Aisha.

I'm having auditory hallucinations, hearing the impossible sound of a forest breeze.

After taking a quiet breath, I slowly answered Miss Aisha:

"It would be a lie to say I felt nothing... But..."

I turned my consciousness inward.

The words I just heard are still ringing in my ears, and I recall their content.

—Rumor has it that dragons can fly over the building?

—And their strength is equivalent to that of the floor master, and their numbers are ridiculously large.

Those people, my "aspirations" lie in a realm I can no longer imagine.

In a realm even further than the "new world" we are about to enter.

It must be on the front line of the dungeon known as "Hell".

Even so, I still want to move forward.

I raised my hands to chest height and gently clenched them.

That's right, it would be a lie to say I wasn't afraid. No matter how hard I tried to be brave, I couldn't stop my body from trembling.

But an even stronger thought was—I want to get there.

I thought so.

There's no time for me to back down.

"...Your expression is great, even better than before."

Upon hearing my answer, Miss Aisha narrowed her eyes and whispered, "They're truly like two different people."

She swayed her blue-purple dance dress and, taking advantage of my inattention, leaned closer, almost touching my skin.

"When you are burning with desire and cannot calm down, call me. My body is always at your disposal."

The whispered words in his ear sent shivers down the man's spine.

Leaving a delicate sigh near her neck, Miss Aisha smiled and went back into her tent.

After watching her leave, I used the air in the maze to cool my cheeks, which had been burning for a moment.

I cleared my mind of distractions and looked down at my fist once more.