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

"...?"

"Could you please take me to a place where there might be humans?"

My eyes met hers, and I began to speak to her.

Wandering aimlessly in the dungeon makes it impossible to rejoin Lily and the others. I was dragged into the water and separated from everyone, and now without a map, I can't get back to that cave. Marie should be very familiar with this floor; I desperately want to ask her for help.

Upon hearing my wish, Marie's eyebrows drooped sadly, and she shook her head.

"You can't go."

“Eh…?”

"Now, there are terrible 'things' in Water City (here)."

I stopped what I was doing and was startled by her words.

"Mari, do you know that 'enhanced species'? Uh, it's that big green one with yellow eyes...!"

"……Um."

To confirm that we both knew about the same monster, I listed all the characteristics that came to mind, and the mermaid nodded.

Marie knew about that moss giant!

"It ate so many of Bell's fellow creatures (friends)... It's horrible."

"...! I want to find a way to deal with that monster! Do you know where it is!?"

"No, no, Belle, you mustn't go."

"Mari...!"

Despite my desperate pleas, Marlene kept shaking her head.

Not only that, she also tried to persuade me to stay, even though I wasn't going to listen to her advice. She gripped the hem of the "crystal protective cloth" tightly with her slender fingers.

"Bell, and I, we'll be eaten... How terrifying. Everything is so terrifying...!"

Seeing Marie cry out in grief and hug me, I bit my lip tightly.

*

Drip, drip, water droplets flowed from the soaked body.

As the water droplets dripped down, his rough footsteps cracked the crystal floor. He made no attempt to hide his frustration as he made his way through a corner of the maze.

His thick, fleshy fingers traced patterns on his body. The scorched moss tormented him with pain. It was the flames unleashed by that human, that white-haired youth. He, the "hunter," had been outmaneuvered by a mere "rabbit" and wounded as a result. His body, returning from the water, trembled with rage.

But he thought to himself: Oh well.

The white-haired boy had fallen into the waterfall. He knew perfectly well that once someone fell in, no human could survive. The boy was probably smashed to pieces, his brains splattered on the water. Thinking of this, he calmed down a little. He wouldn't be burned by that strange and troublesome flame again.

However, caution was still paramount. He thought to himself. He advanced through the passage for a while, then destroyed the crystal pillar again, allowing himself to slide into a nest set up within the maze.

The ground was littered with the stench of human remains. These were his emergency rations. He roughly knocked the remains down, stripping off their clothing. He had long been interested in the same kind of armor worn by humans. He had seen it before; this armor had even withstood attacks from the aura of his own kind. He clumsily wrapped or pressed the armor around his body with his thick, fleshy fingers, covering it with slowly growing, lush moss, forcing it under his skin. Then, to eat his fill before working, he cleanly and efficiently chewed up the remains that served as his emergency rations. Next, it was the humans' turn.

The "seed" told him that the humans were moving in a group. They could be easily dispersed one by one, but their numbers were a problem. Although the "seed" had been planted, they were still outnumbered. The brown-haired mother human, whose presence was equal to that of the white-haired youth, was also unharmed. Furthermore, their intuition had been strangely sharp, having noticed the "trap" at the last moment. He had to use a truly feasible method; he couldn't let them escape again this time.

—I've got it! Let's use that trick we haven't used in ages.

He, who had been standing silently, began to move.

Without seeking weapons from the motherly labyrinth, he simply left the lair, his eerie shadow swaying as he wandered through the crystal cave.

Then, he launched a ruthless attack on "a certain group".

*

"...?"

Aisha was the first to notice the anomaly.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"...That's strange, the dungeon is very restless."

Welf, who had been cautiously on guard around him, looked up and asked the woman standing in front of him.

The Amazonian woman tucked her hair behind her ear as she listened intently.

Currently located in the northwest part of the building, inside the cliff, which is a relatively high position.

Aisha, at level 4, keenly sensed a silent "vibration" coming from the labyrinth constructed of deep blue crystal, as well as from several intersecting, wide, regular routes.

"Could it be a water trap?"

"No, that's not it. This is..."

If you sense anything amiss, run away immediately. Even if you can't determine what's going on, keep your distance. This is an adventurer's golden rule.

A sharp pain shot through her intuition, causing Aisha to furrow her brow. Just as she was about to urge someone to give instructions, something happened in the blink of an eye…

"—! The monster is coming!"

He shouted loudly, trying to be the first to act.

The detection-type "skill" detected the monsters early, and as its effect indicated, a large number of monsters appeared from the passage ahead.

"A whole horde of monsters...! And at a time like this!"

"There's no other way, I'll have to use the 'Demon Sword'!"

Sakura cried out, and Welf, who was beside her, grabbed the hilt of the crimson longsword and leaped out.

He even chased after Aisha, who was at the front of the squad, intending to pull out the "demon sword" from her back.

"──"

Ignoring their actions, fate reacted once again.

This time, her beautiful appearance was frozen in time.

"My lord?"

"...There's a monster behind us too—"

Seeing her reaction, Lily, who was puzzled, also froze.

Turning around abruptly, they saw that the number of monsters was no less than that in front of them, roaring and swarming towards them with countless footsteps.

"Varied……!?"

"Wait, wait a minute, wait a minute!? They're coming from the right side too!?"

"They're here from the opposite side too!?"

The sound of attacking, like a nightmare bursting into laughter, echoed all around, causing Daphne and Haruhime's screams to reverberate.

Welf was about to unleash the "Demon Sword" when he saw this situation and turned around in shock, freezing in place. Ruvis, Dorumur, and the others, who were being tormented by the "Parasitic Tree," as well as the elves and dwarves, all turned pale.

"You damn bastard, what's going on now?!"

Aisha cursed as she faced an army of monsters coming from all directions, attempting to invade the regular routes.

As she raised her broadsword and looked around, her eyes unfortunately caught sight of that.

"What—"

Deep inside the passage.

Far behind the swarming monsters, a hideous, dark green giant slowly emerged from the cave.

Its hands were stained blood-red. Not from the adventurer, but from "the monster's blood."

Aisha unfortunately noticed. The cries of the swarming monsters were not threatening—they were screams of agony. Some of the monsters even had "parasitic trees" planted on them, and they rushed into the main route as if being chased from behind.

"...Don't joke with me."

The moss giant's yellow eyes met Aisha's eyes.

Facing the monstrous, emotionless eyes that pierced through her, she finally let out a furious curse:

"The monster actually used the 'Monster Gift (pass parade)' trick!!"

*

The underground city rumbled and roared.

Was that the roar of monsters charging forward one after another, or the march of monsters?

Although we could only feel a slight vibration in the cave, we did hear a clattering sound. Marlene and I looked up at the ceiling in astonishment.

The crystal shards turned into glittering grains of sand and fell into the spring water with a soft patter, creating several small ripples.

"...Mari, listen to me."

The mermaid hugged me and pressed against my chest; I placed my hands on her shoulders and gently pulled her away from me.

She looked up at me uneasily, and I said firmly:

"I will beat that guy, I absolutely will."

The mermaid's eyes widened.

I pleaded with the monster girl as if I were guiding a child, as if I were sincerely begging a "fairy spirit".

"I will no longer let Marie worry and live in fear. I will take care of all the terrible things. So—take me there."

That was such a cheesy statement. If it were me normally, I'd probably be blushing and stammering.

But only now can I say it fluently.

To rescue their adventurous companions, and to put their fears at ease on these small shoulders.

I gazed at the swaying emerald eyes before me.

"...Would you protect me?"

The mermaid girl tilted her head and slowly asked me back.

"Yes, I will protect you."

"Would you be willing to help me?"

"Yes, I'll help you!"

This is the only thing I'll do.

Just as I made a promise with Winnie, I also made a vow to this fellow countrywoman.

Seeing my firm and resolute nod, a radiant smile bloomed on Marlene's face.

"Okay! I'll tell Belle! I'll take Belle with me!"

Marie smiled broadly, raised her head, and stared intently at the ceiling.

Then she closed her eyes, placed her hands on her chest, and began to weave a "song".

"Ah ...

「!?」

Upon hearing this singing, I couldn't help but quickly cover my ears.

To the ears of humans, it was a jarring discordant sound. The volume was so loud that one might suspect it echoed throughout every corner of the dungeon.

It's different from the strange sound waves of "Silen," the song of destruction of "Mermaid," or the beautiful song that guided me just now.

Ignoring my astonishment, soon, the distant howls of monsters echoing from the depths of the underground city began to reverberate from all around.

"This is……"

"—Found it."

Marie stopped singing and opened her eyes.

"They said it's over there."

When I saw her smile at me, I understood the situation and was also taken aback.

—She "bewitched" the monster!?

I can't believe it. But this is the only possibility.

The song just now wasn't meant to confuse adventurers, but rather it was a "howling song" used to bewitch monsters.

"Children who are more well-behaved than me will tell me."