CHAPTER 3 THE MELANCHOLY OF A HERO. THE ANGUISH OF THE SWORD PRINCESS.
“Lord Ikelos, we don’t have time to go back and forth here. Just answer our questions,” demanded Finn, face-to-face with the god.
The location was a run-down, deserted house. The red sunset was visible through a hole in the wall, lighting the rubble on the floor. It was evening, immediately after the battle with the armed monsters.
The black minotaur and all the other monsters managed to escape by using clever ploys. Loki Familia was dealing with the cleanup—repairing the destroyed street, keeping watch for monsters, assisting and guiding the residents.
The vouivre had been killed at the hands of adventurers. The ashes from its corpse had been found in a secret underground path. A more detailed investigation was ongoing.
While the familia members were carrying out their duties, Finn had Loki with him as he questioned one of the persons of interest connected to the incident.
“You say that, but you guys already know about Knossos, right? That means there’s not much for me to talk about.” The god chuckled, which echoed through the dilapidated house.
He had navy hair, dark skin, and was wearing mostly black clothes. His face was well proportioned—a clear indicator that he was a god—with an insincere, superficial grin etched onto it. It was the smile of a hedonistic, ephemeral, destructive, stubborn god.
He was Ikelos, the patron god of Ikelos Familia, captured in the dragnet that Finn had asked Gareth to set up.
“When the folks from the Guild get here, they’ll arrest ya. Once they do, we can’t twist your arm anymore, so cough up what we want now.”
“Don’t glare at me, Loki. And twisting my arm? I’d never have guessed you to act that way.”
As Loki glared down at him, Ikelos responded playfully, perched on an uncomfortable-looking piece of rubble. He locked eyes with Finn, who was sitting in an ancient-looking chair in front of him.
“Do you have a key to Knossos?”
“I don’t. Come on, I swear. After the thing with Ishtar, the Evils took it when we went outside.”
As a key witness to this event, Ikelos would undoubtedly be taken away by the Guild. And he would be dealt with: sent back to the heavens or banished from the city for eternity. Either way, if Loki Familia let this opportunity slip by, they would not see him again.
Finn intended to get information out of him before they handed him over to the Guild.
“What’s the size of the remnants of the Evils? How many familias are there?”
“No clue. It’s just the odds and ends that Thanatos managed to draw to himself. I was just using them to get a place to sleep, so I didn’t have much interest in them at all. It was just in passing. But if you’re thinkin’ about them in terms of familias, then it’s really just Thanatos’s people.”
“‘Enyo’…Do you know a god going by that name?”
“Oh, the city destroyer? I don’t remember any god going by such a stupid name,” Ikelos answered Finn and Loki.
His responses were all along the lines of I don’t know. He apparently amused himself by watching over his own familia—making them put on interesting performances—and was not at all connected to the plot to destroy Orario. At the very least, Loki could vouch for the fact that he wasn’t lying.
“Why’d you join up with the Evils?” Loki spat.
“Just the way the cookie crumbled,” he responded with a shameless grin.
Ikelos Familia spearheaded the plans to smuggle through Meren as a way to fund the construction of Knossos. When asked why they were smuggling monsters, his answer was that they sold for a high price to aristocrats with an interest in monsters.
They ended up with information about things they already knew, and they made paltry progress on the parts they didn’t know. But—they did learn the origin of that strange man-made labyrinth.
It was a monument to human tenacity, dreamed up by the great craftsman Daedalus and built by his descendants.
Loki visibly grimaced while Finn managed to hold in his astonishment when they heard that Knossos had been built over a span of a thousand years to reach its current scale.
On that fateful day when Knossos first beat them, they realized it was extraordinary the moment they set foot in the area. And it was apparently connected to a deep-rooted delusion far greater than they’d imagined.
“That’s how that den of devils originated…Then, where is the notebook that fascinated Daedalus’s family and compelled that madness? Is there a blueprint mapping Knossos?”
“Heh-heh…Braver, do you really intend to clear that absurd labyrinth?”
“Just answer Finn’s question already, dumbass.”
“I don’t have it. Really. Dix had it. But if there aren’t any traces of his Blessing anymore, he must already be dead.”
“…”
“Maybe someone took it. Or maybe it just fell somewhere in Knossos.”
Finding a single notebook in the middle of that complicated and mysterious labyrinth…It was a dizzying prospect. A metaphorical needle in a haystack.
“But if it’s been burned into the heads of the other descendants of Daedalus, you might find it if you pry open their skulls,” Ikelos joked, earning a kick from Loki.
“…Lord Ikelos, final question.”
The sun was sinking, and the sound of footsteps was getting louder outside the deserted house. Guessing that people from the Guild had arrived, Finn narrowed his blue eyes as he broached the subject.
“The armed monsters…Just what are they?”
“…Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh. What do you mean by that, Braver? What are you tryin’ to ask?”
Ikelos’s smile broadened, and he seemed to enjoy himself from the bottom of his heart as he peered into Finn’s face.
“Do they have emotions? Do they possess not only cognition but some kind of higher reasoning? Have they formed a community of sorts?” Finn continued probing, approaching the crux of the matter.
They were speculations that an ordinary adventurer—no, that anyone living in this world would laugh off. He was assigning savage monsters traits that should never describe them. But that was exactly what Finn was suggesting in all sincerity and earnestness.
Aiz had sensed that the monsters were cooperating, too. Despite the fact that they were all different species, they were supporting one another in a way comparable to humans, fighting to achieve a goal that went beyond simple slaughter. Specifically, they were fighting in order to buy time for the vouivre to get away.
Finn was the only one who had fought them in the Labyrinth District, observed them in detail, and still attempted to broach this topic.
“Is it possible for people and monsters to come to a mutual understanding?”
The dilapidated building was silent. Loki watched Finn silently. Ikelos smirked, his lips curling into a crescent.
“No clue.”
“…”
“When I tried to hold a conversation or wave at the monsters locked up in the cages, they wouldn’t respond at all.”
He wasn’t lying.
Certainly, he wasn’t lying, but he wasn’t being honest, either.
It was as if he was saying, Why don’t you see for yourself? His navy eyes narrowed, and he looked back at Finn with a smug grin. Finn’s face became expressionless, and he was silent for a moment.
“Is Hestia Familia…Is Bell Cranell connected to them?” Finn spilled out unconsciously, asking the question before he realized it.
“Who knows?” Ikelos played dumb, blowing smoke as before. “Maybe he’s friends with that vouivre?”
“Isn’t that the magic blade you made?”
Tsubaki’s mouth curled down in distaste. Her visitor was Riveria, the jade-haired high elf. They were in the workshop in Hephaistos Familia’s branch store on Northwest Main Street.
Riveria placed a certain item on the workbench between the two of them: a bloodstained battle-ax with gold ornamentation—an ax-style magic blade.
“…Where did you find this?” Tsubaki responded slowly.
“I’m sure you’ve heard about the incident the other day on Daedalus Street. We recovered it there,” Riveria answered smoothly.
She closed an eye, peering with the other at the face of the master smith trying to conceal her agitation.
“I know Gareth has a direct contract with you, and he said it was one of your works without a doubt.”
“Hmm, I see…And what of the dwarf?”
“Right now, he’s completing a high-priority construction project— in the middle of it and unable to leave. Hence why I came.”
One day had passed since the armed monsters had emerged aboveground. The city was on edge, and the residents had been calling for the Guild to hold a question-and-answer session and present a response plan. The monsters had not yet been apprehended, either. The disturbance in Orario was ongoing.
“And this magic blade is one of yours, correct?”
“Yes…It’s from my smithy. There’s no way I could mistake one of my own creations. Its name is Kaminari-Ikazuchi-Maru. I started by attempting to copy an impertinent magic blade smith to surpass him. For starters, I studied that unintelligible naming sense of his, but good grief, now I just regret—”
“Tsubaki.” Riveria softly cut her off, silencing the smith. “This was used by the armed monsters…by a black minotaur. Because of it, several in our familia were more than a little injured.”
Her tone of voice was vaguely accusatory.
Or was it just Tsubaki’s imagination hearing it that way?
“Can you explain why a monster would be using this?”
“…And you suspect me, Riveria?” Tsubaki asked nervously, rooted in a fear of being suspected of associating with the monsters.
“What is there to suspect you for? I’m merely asking if you have any idea why a monster was holding your magic blade. Nothing more, nothing less.” Riveria responded without missing a beat or displaying any trace of emotion.
Her jade eyes watched Tsubaki and certainly didn’t seem accusatory. They were only looking to acquire information. But it was clear they wouldn’t forgive lies.
With a noble presence, the fastidious high elf pressed the question.
“…Gaaaaaaaaaaaaah.” Tsubaki let out a full-bodied sigh.
“The transaction was supposed to be handled in utmost secrecy, but I guess there’s no point in holding back if it’s come to this. I’ve no interest in keeping my silence and being suspected by you all…And the buyer has already passed on.”
“…? What do you mean?”
“I sold this magic blade to Ganesha Familia…to Hashana Dorlia.”
“!”
Riveria could not contain her shock.
“That Hashana? The one killed in Rivira…?”
“That’s the guy. At the time, he mentioned getting a quest that required absolute secrecy. He couldn’t reveal it to anyone and needed to descend to the lower levels solo.”
“And he came by to commission a strong magic blade?”
“That’s right. If there was no rearguard, he’d have to cover it himself. And because it required absolute secrecy, I kept my promise not to reveal it to anyone. Until today, at least.
“I was shocked when I heard what happened to Hashana, but…” Tsubaki added with a frown.
“That’s all I know. Of course, I’ve got no guess as to why a monster was using it, either.”
There was no lie in what she said. After observing Tsubaki’s face, Riveria covered her mouth with one hand as she pondered what she’d heard.
Hashana Dorlia had been sent to recover the crystal orb fetus from the thirtieth floor.
Did the magic blade cross the Dungeon by some means before making its way to the armed monsters…? If Finn’s supposition is correct, does that mean the armed monsters have a connection not just to the Guild but to Ganesha Familia, too?
Did Hashana know something about those armed monsters? Riveria decided to limit the scope of her musings for the moment.
In any case, her suspicions had more or less been answered.
Given it was a magic blade crafted by one of Orario’s master smiths, it wasn’t surprising that Bete and the others had been hurt by it.
After careful deliberation, Riveria looked up again at Tsubaki.
“Is there anything else you haven’t told me?”
“Hey, quit the cross-examination already! That’s everything! I’ve got nothing to be guilty about!”
Tsubaki placed both hands on her hips, puffing up her chest, emphasizing her voluptuous bosom covered by a bleached white cloth. It was as if she was saying, Dig all you want; I’ve got nothing to hide. No matter how much you feel around—or search. Her unpatched right eye glared sharply.
…I can see she doesn’t feel troubled about anything else. After taking in her childish pose, Riveria sighed.
“Very well. I’m sorry for taking up your time. As for this magic blade…should I return it to you?”
“Ah…yes, if it’s lost its user, I’ll take it.”
After handing over the magic blade, Riveria left the room, exiting the shop to report her findings to Finn and the others deployed in the Labyrinth District.
“…Good grief. That was a bit tense.”
As she looked out the window at the high elf walking away down Main Street, Tsubaki felt drained.
“It did seem like my goddess knew something about those monsters…Should I ask her about them?”
All things considered, it’s good I don’t know anything yet, she thought to herself as she massaged her neck. If I’d known, those green eyes would have seen right through me trying to hide it just now.
“………”
Lefiya was sullen.
Her mood was so dark that the other familia members nearby averted their eyes, trying not to broach the topic.
“…Lefiya. We’re monitoring Hestia Familia right now. Keep it together, please.”
“I’m properly keeping watch.”
“Er…That’s not what I meant…Your mood…” trailed off the Level-4 chienthrope Cruz as he tried to work himself up to say something.
Lefiya didn’t even glance at him, remaining focused solely on a certain manor.
They were in the sixth district, the southwest quarter of the city, and inside a building constructed in one part of that district, located on a block filled with high-class residences on large lots.
Loki Familia was monitoring Hestia Familia’s home, Hearthstone Manor. This was because Finn had concluded that Bell and the others had been involved in the incident where the armed monsters appeared aboveground.
Report any moves that Hestia’s followers make, the prum leader had ordered.
The surveillance squad led by Cruz had borrowed an abandoned building diagonally opposite the manor to observe their movements. And Lefiya had personally volunteered to be on that squad.
“Hey, Elfie…What’s up with Lefiya? She’s been kind of off since that incident, hasn’t she?”
“That’s what I want to ask, Cruuuuuuz! I’m her roommate, but she won’t talk to me at all! Which means I’ve got no clue what’s going on!”
“Just say that to begin with…”
Ignoring their idiotic banter, Lefiya continued to peer out from the slatted window blinds. As she scanned their surroundings, she could see other adventurers hiding around street corners and in other buildings. It wasn’t only Loki Familia that was watching Hestia Familia. They probably suspected Bell Cranell of knowing something, as did Finn. But Lefiya couldn’t care one way or the other.
She glared at the manor. It showed no signs of movement—or rather, she glared at the boy she was certain was somewhere inside it.
“Hey, what are you so mad about, Lefiya? Just tell me already!”
“…I’m not particularly angry about anything.”
“You are, though! Like, it’s so obvious! Look at your face! It’s scary!”
Elfie’s comments elicited only a surly response from Lefiya, since she hadn’t been able to figure it out herself, either.
Why was she irritated? When she thought about it and asked herself…her answer was foolish.
Doesn’t that mean I’m…I mean, Loki Familia are the bad guys?!
At the present moment, Loki Familia had the support of the public for protecting the Labyrinth District, and the populace was speaking ill of Little Rookie for protecting the monster.
Lefiya couldn’t resolve the suspicion bothering her.
They needed to prevent the plan that would pulverize the town, to eliminate the armed monsters roaming aboveground—all in service of supporting the Labyrinth City. They were on a mission, a noble cause. Or at the very least, that’s what Lefiya thought as an elf. Loki Familia was delivering justice.
If we’re doing the right thing, why do I have to feel this bad?
Lefiya saw that scene: The boy had thrust himself into danger to protect the vouivre. And for some reason, that action had felt justified when she saw it—as if the scorned act of protecting a monster wasn’t wrong.
That was how desperate and earnest he appeared in his endeavor.
And because that human won’t explain himself, I can’t understand why he did any of it!
In the end, that was the source of her anger.
Lefiya was upset with Bell Cranell for not talking to her, despite obviously having some kind of reason for his actions. At least she was honest about considering his situation from his point of view and counterintuitively begging him—“I can’t understand if you don’t talk to me”—at the same time.
After considering everything that had transpired, she set aside slower options and decided on the simplest method available to her.
“L-Lefiya?”
“Oy! Where are you going?”
Lefiya left the room without saying a word in response to Elfie or Cruz, walking briskly and hastily out the building before making her way to Hearthstone Manor.
“Wai—!”
She could hear Elfie’s voice from the building behind her but chose to ignore it. Using the leaping ability of a Level 3, she cleared the main gate and metal fence, eliciting a groaned “Oyyy?!” from Cruz.
But she paid no heed to that, either.
Beneath the cloudy sky, she cut through the estate with long strides, climbed the steps, and rang the bell at the front door.
Clang, clang! No response. No one came out.
Clang, clang! again. No trace of a response. Ignored.
Lefiya silently and blankly continued ringing the bell progressively louder and louder.
As time passed, the clang, clang! had taken on tremendous strength and turned into CLANG, CLANG! at which point there was finally a response on the other side. Someone walked up to the door. Lefiya released the calling bell.
With a click, the door slowly opened.
“M-may I ask who’s here…?” stammered a cute, reserved renart girl peeking out from behind the cracked door.
She was wearing a maid uniform, and her long blond hair resembled Aiz’s. Her face wasn’t elven but was extremely beautiful nonetheless.
Is this someone working for Hestia Familia?
More than anything, she seemed ephemeral. There’s no way you could be violent with such a frail girl, right? Just withdraw and end things peacefully—that’s what the beautiful girl seemed to emanate.
This sort of person makes people want to protect her. Are you trying to damage my conscience?!
Coward! You’re unforgiveable, Bell Cranell!
Lefiya screamed at the boy in her heart, entirely misunderstanding the situation.
She managed with great difficulty to respond quietly. “Please bring Bell Cranell. I know he’s here.”
“Uh, ummm…Master Bell is not in the best condition…If you have some business, I would be glad to assist you…” replied the renart girl, appearing a little scared as she tried to accommodate Lefiya, who had skipped right past greetings and pleasantries and straight to her demand.
Lefiya could sense several people skulking around behind the girl. It appeared they were on guard against the sudden inquisitor, impertinent.
When she looked closer, she noticed there was a strong chain between the door and the wall that locked to prevent Lefiya from entering.
The question of Could you come back some other time…? was practically written on the trembling renart girl’s face.
Lefiya sighed audibly, recognizing that she wouldn’t be welcomed there.
The next instant, she grabbed the slightly ajar door and yanked it open as she stuck her face in.
“BELL CRANELLLLLLLLLLLLLL! Meet me face-to-face and explain yourself!”
“Hwhat?!”
The elf lost herself in frustration and resorted to more hardball tactics. The piteous renart’s face froze in shock. Lefiya had blown past several limits on her self-control and resorted to pure force, causing Hestia Familia to panic.
“Lady Haruhime?! Please run away!”
“She just resorted to force. There’s no use trying to reason with her! Lilly’s instinct was right! This is why you can’t trust adventurers!”
“This isn’t the time or place for that! Hurry up and close the door! We have to protect Bell!”
When Lefiya scanned around, she saw a panicking girl of Far Eastern descent and heard the voice of a sulking prum and the shouts of a goddess. She was pushed out of the doorway by the Far Eastern girl, and as Lefiya staggered back, the door slammed shut in her face.
Bam! Ca-chink!
“Huh?!”
Just as she noticed the renart girl had withdrawn, the door closed and locked in a second.
“Heeeeeeeeeeey! Bell Cranell, you coward! Come out this instant! Explain yourself!”
“You guys, stop Lefiya!”
“What are you doing, Lefiya?!”
She was banging on the door with both hands with enough force to break it down when the other members of Loki Familia surrounded her. Cruz and Elfie snatched Lefiya and shouted wildly as they tried to restrain her while she struggled against them with a strength that seemed out of place for her slender body.
In the end, it took every member of the surveillance squad, but they managed to drag Lefiya away from the door. The other factions watching Hestia Familia saw the commotion from start to finish and were left shuddering.
“Loki Familia is crazy scary…”
“Thousand Elf’s insane…”
After that, Lefiya was removed from the surveillance squad— obviously.
“Heeeeeeave-ho!”
The sounds of excessive destruction resounded along with a loud voice as a hole in the wall opened up. Stone slabs clattered to the ground, and a lump of adamantite fell to the floor. When they finished carving out a hole large enough for the passage of a single person, Gareth stepped through the opening, followed by Tiona.
“There’s no mistaking it…this is Knossos.”
“Owwwwie, my hands huuuurt. Digging through an adamantite wall is hard.”
Loki Familia had followed the path where the vouivre had emerged aboveground and found a secret passage below Daedalus Street and an orichalcum door leading to Knossos.
At Finn’s direction, they’d dug through the adamantite wall and broken into the area in question. It was a brute-force method that they resorted to solely for the purpose of obtaining any clue they could find about the armed monsters. Gareth and Tiona, the two strongest members of the familia, were assigned to the demolition work.
In order to protect against intruders, the walls near the entrance were thicker than the rest of the labyrinth’s walls. It took a lot of time and effort, and they had broken countless tools made of Valmars, but they were finally able to break through. Tiona tossed down a pickax that was no longer usable now that the tip was ruined before looking around.
“It’s huge…and this ain’t the maze we wandered around in. We’re in an actual room. And we walked down a tooooon of stairs to get here. Do you think we’re in the mid-levels?”
“Hmm, it’s very possible. The atmosphere resembles the Great Wall of Sorrows on the seventeenth floor.”
A squad led by Raul was waiting just outside the labyrinth on guard for an attack by the enemy. Tiona and Gareth turned back to examine the hole they’d carved out.
Based on what Finn had learned from questioning Ikelos, Knossos was dreamed up by Daedalus, who had been influenced by the original Dungeon. If his creation’s design was based on the original’s layout, it would explain Gareth’s sense of déjà vu.
“Ugh…dead bodies…”
“It looks like they were killed by monsters…No emblems to identify them, but from recent events, I’m guessing it’s Ikelos Familia?”
As they slunk cautiously through the stone structure comparable to a large hall, they came across several corpses—more than ten. Ripped to shreds by claws and fangs, all of them died with their eyes wide open. Dried pools of blood were scattered across the stone-paved floor.
Tiona grimaced at the strong stench, but if evil people were going to die, this was the most fitting scene for it.
“Looking back on it, the stairs led straight here, which means this is probably a warehouse for holding the monsters they were smuggling. Or a checkpoint between the Dungeon and the surface. Like maybe a system of multiple routes leading to the surface with this serving as a base of operations…”
As if confirming Gareth’s prediction, there were several black cages, big and small, in the dimly lit hall. The majority of them had been broken, and the chains holding them down had been snapped in two.
“…I’m guessing the captured monsters got angry…and rebelled, maybe?”
“…”
“Mm, in other words…we fought the monsters in Daedalus Street that broke out of these cages…and escaped?”
“It’s possible. That would be the simplest explanation…”
Tiona leaned over a broken cage, staring intently at it as her empty head struggled to work. Gareth’s response was muddled, as if he was considering other possibilities. They split up and started examining the surroundings to see if there was anything more to be found.
Fortunately, they were on guard for an enemy attack that never came. At the same time, there were no living creatures there, save them.
“Gareth, there’s a door this way, too. I can’t get any farther. If we try, we can break the wall, but…”
“Hold up, lass. It seems they’ve already given up on this place and abandoned it, but…provoking the enemy will cause problems. Let’s ask Finn for directions first.”
There were several doors in the hall itself and several narrow paths extending off it, but in order to go farther, they needed a key. Gareth forbade Tiona from going any deeper in her search of the surroundings before ordering Raul standing by outside to send word aboveground. Then he called the others into the hall to carry out the corpses of Ikelos Familia.
“Ah, Gareth, sir…instructions from the captain: We should withdraw. It would be bad if violas or other monsters are on the loose. Make sure to block up the hole…”
“…Finn, you arse…making it sound easy.”
“What?! After we went to so much effort to break it open! And how are we supposed to plug it up?!”
Finn wanted to avoid any further complications making their way to the surface. Gareth recognized his intentions, but as the one charged with actually making it happen, he couldn’t help grumbling at the time and effort it would require.
Tiona moaned, as expected.
“Give it up, Tiona. If it’s just this level of dirt- and woodwork, then a dwarf can just suck it up and do it.”
“I’m not a dwarf, though! Fiiiiinn, just do it yourself!”
As the Amazon kept complaining, Gareth sighed and quietly started the work of pulling out. He was of the mind that the prum was in a far more troublesome position than mere manual labor.
“Every unit must maintain a strict guard while you gather information. The armed monsters will appear in Daedalus Street for sure. Watch out for hidden passages in particular.”
It was the fourth morning after the armed monsters had appeared. Finn had deployed almost the entire familia on Daedalus Street. They were based a short distance away from the center of the Labyrinth District, near the spot they had let the black minotaur escape.
Many of the buildings had been destroyed, burned down, or turned to ruins, and a swarm of Guild workers was working on repairs, mingling with Loki Familia members rushing around.
And along the street, there were adventurers from other familias out and about. Everyone was on pins and needles, observing everything and intently gathering information from the residents.
“I guess it’s to be expected, since the other adventurers have noticed there’s something in Daedalus Street…” Riveria noted as she walked up.
“Or they were instructed by their gods to come,” Finn responded without looking at her.
“Is it okay to let them be?”
“Yes. They definitely haven’t discovered the existence of Knossos. It’s fine to ignore them.”
“…And the evacuation of the residents? With all of us gathering here, their tension is mounting.”
“If my theory is correct, this area will turn into a battlefield again. Leave the evacuation to the Guild and continue working to de-escalate the situation. It’s too inefficient to do otherwise.”
“…” Riveria remained silent.
Finn was correct, but his response was rather indifferent. Loki Familia’s pretext for deploying in this area was the reconstruction and defense of the Labyrinth District. Their real reason was to steal the Daedalus Orb that was in the possession of the armed monsters.
“After the monsters were seen on the eighteenth floor, they suddenly appeared in Daedalus Street. They crossed through Knossos. It’s indisputable. With Ikelos Familia defeated, there’s no doubt that the monsters are now in possession of their key. We have to get our hands on it.”
Without the key, they couldn’t take on Knossos. Finn was doing everything in his power to obtain it. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity had dropped into their laps. And he wasn’t so good-natured that he could let it go.
He was mobilizing the familia with the justification that they were working to prevent the destruction of Orario.
“Captain, there have been reports of monsters in the city’s sewers to the north and northwest! And that the adventurers who spotted them were all pushed back…What should we do?”
“Those are decoys. It’s the opposite end of the city from us in Daedalus Street…They’re waiting for us to fall for it and move out. Don’t worry about it. Alicia, where are the doors located?”
“Sir! The vouivre emerged from a hidden passage, which is being investigated as we speak! And we just found a third door!”
“Keep it up. The Evils won’t blunder and come out of the doors, but in the event that a fight with them breaks out, getting a key is the top priority. Rakuta, I want you to map the hidden passages in the area around the newly discovered door as soon as possible.”
“U-understood!”
The familia members appeared before Finn one after another, reporting their finds.
He ordered Narfi, who reported an enemy sighting elsewhere, to ignore it; he acknowledged Alicia’s report; and he had Rakuta continue her mapping of the area.
The image of their reliable leader handing out orders without hesitation comforted the familia members. In the midst of all this uncertainty, a normal person would not be able to determine the correct goal and work toward it, but Finn was different. As long as they had Finn as a guide, Loki Familia would never lose track of their path.
Everyone trusted Finn, who never changed.
Everyone commended him, “as expected of Braver.”
No one noticed his internal conflict.
“…Finn.”
If anyone might have been able to, it would only be the high elf standing beside him—or the dwarf who wasn’t there at the moment.
“Riveria, what are you doing? We don’t have enough manpower. Head to the sewers and take command there for me.”
“Finn.”
“It’s inefficient for the two of us to stick together. I need to get instructions to Gare—”
“Finn.”
Riveria’s tone hardened as the prum continued to bark orders without looking at her.
She cut him off. “You’re getting too impatient.”
“…” He closed his mouth.
“I realize that we can’t let this opportunity pass us by. But why are you rushing? It isn’t like you.”
“…”
“I can understand maintaining appearances for the familia. But do not put up a front with me.”
“…”
“When was the last time you slept? I haven’t seen you leave the command center once in the past four days.”
“I can just—”
“‘Make do with my skills’? Were you really about to give me an excuse?”
“……” Finn was silenced by the tone of her voice and her sharp gaze.
He’d intended to keep up his usual calm appearance, but he couldn’t pull the wool over her eyes. She’d been with him too long to fall for that.
Gareth and Loki had noticed it, too.
“Take a break. Raul and the others can hear your gruffness in your orders. It’s rippling outward.”
If it became an issue involving the morale of the familia, then Finn didn’t have any room left to argue as a commander entrusted with its care.
He shut his eyes, breathing in—and then out. Finn turned to Riveria and smiled wryly.
“…I got it, Riveria. Once they carry out the instructions I just gave, I’ll take a nap. Is that okay?”
“Yes, that’s fine.” Riveria nodded magnanimously. “I should warn you, though—I’ll be standing watch beside your bed until you go to sleep.”
“And sing me a lullaby? I’m honored, but I think Alicia and the other elves might resent me for it.”
“No, I won’t be the one singing. That’ll be Gareth.”
“…Kh—ha-ha-ha! That might be a problem. I think his singing would drive me up the wall, and I’d never fall asleep.”
For a moment, Finn stared in complete bafflement before responding, as his reflexive sarcastic quip elicited a sudden, unexpected joke. And then he suddenly burst into laughter.
His laughter was rare enough that all familia members working nearby were shocked. Riveria noticed that Finn had finally loosened up a bit. She wasn’t one for jokes normally.
Her eyes relaxed as she smiled.
I’ve really done it now…I screwed up and made the others worry about me…Finn derisively laughed at himself.
I’m in a position where I need to make sure everyone else is okay, but I ended up making someone worry about me instead—a failure as a captain.
That’s not like me. That’s not like me at all.
He’d intended to hide it behind the outward facade of a leader, but someone had managed to peer into his heart.
“Captain.”
He pulled himself out of his thoughts when he heard someone calling him.
Anakity was standing in front of him. “A messenger from the Guild has come…It’s the head of the Guild himself.”
Upon hearing that, Finn turned back to Riveria.
I’ll hold off on my orders of sending you to bed. She gave her permission with a nod.
Finn shrugged, leaving various matters that needed to be dealt with to his second-in-command, and stood up.
“Got it. Bring him here.”
“—All right, then, I’ll accept your conditions. I’ll inform Ouranos…But! Don’t even think of trying to get the jump on us! If you try anything funny, I’ll wash my hands of you in an instant!”
The Guild’s head, Royman Mardeel, gave his warning, spittle flying as he breathed heavily through his nose. His rotund belly quivered up and down in sync with his raised voice.
“I promise.”
Finn smiled back sweetly, closing the deal in the guise of a conversation. As he watched Royman leave with his aide, Riveria came in to take his place.
“Good grief…That man hasn’t changed, I see.”
“Ha-ha. I don’t trust Royman, but he’s predictable. As long as our interests intersect, we can negotiate with him. In that regard, he’s easy to understand.”
Royman had come to lay down his complaints: to demand that Loki Familia withdraw from Daedalus Street, likely in accordance with Ouranos’s will.
“Is this okay? Intel on Knossos aside, you even promised to turn over the key.”
“We know there are multiple keys after talking with Ikelos. As long as we can keep one for ourselves, it’s fine.”
As part of the deal with Royman, Finn had promised to hand over the key to coax Royman into convincing the Guild to formally station Loki Familia in Daedalus Street. If their presence was officially sanctioned by the Guild, it wouldn’t antagonize the residents or any other adventurers.
Finn wanted to avoid any needless disputes, predicting the possibility of fighting an enemy on top of the ongoing hunt for the armed monsters. Giving up one key was a small price to pay.
“Even if it’s a calculated move, is it a good thing to collaborate with the Guild?”
“At the very least, I’d say it’s fine to work with Royman. But what happened with the announcement of the mission is fishy. There isn’t enough evidence for us to trust the Guild as a whole, at least when it comes to this incident.”
While Finn and Riveria were discussing the situation, the girl with golden hair and golden eyes made her appearance.
“Ah, thanks for patrolling, Aiz.”
“Mm-hmm…”
“Did you notice anything unusual?”
“…That boy, Bell. He came to Daedalus Street.”
Finn’s blue eyes narrowed. “He’s on the move, huh?”
“Finn…Are you suspicious of Bell Cranell?” Riveria asked in Aiz’s stead, upon seeing her attitude.
“I’m sure he’s a key witness to the incident. The adventurer who squared off against us is not the Bell Cranell I know.”
Yes, Finn didn’t know the Bell Cranell they’d encountered on that day—the fool who’d planted a seed of disturbance in Finn’s mind.
To prevent others from noticing his internal discord, Finn did his best to speak dispassionately.
“If there’s more to those armed monsters than first meets the eye…and if Bell Cranell was aware of that when he acted the way he did, that might explain what happened that day—meaning something forced him to stand against us.”
Finn chose his words carefully so as to not agitate Aiz, who watched him in silence. Noticing that she was quietly focused on him, he flashed a wry smile.
“Aiz, I’m not going to treat Bell Cranell as an enemy without giving him a chance to explain himself. Despite all this, I still believe in him. As an individual and as an adventurer.”
“…”
“But for the purposes of handling this incident, it’s a different story. Is he our ally? Or is there a chance he might become our enemy? That’s what I want to determine.”
That was his honest opinion. He managed to skillfully hide the doubt in his heart, even as he spoke the truth. As he looked toward the clusters of tall towers and buildings, he spoke again.
“Riveria, I’m leaving this area to you. I’m going off by myself for a bit.”
“What?”
“I don’t want to stand out or put him on guard. Aiz, did he come to Daedalus Street by himself?”
“…He was with his goddess.”
“Hmm, got it. Tell me where you saw them.” Finn announced without hesitation, “I’m off to meet Bell Cranell.”
With a smile plastered on his face, Finn looked up at Riveria, who met his eyes. The high elf nodded back after a while.
“…Very well. I’ll take charge here for a bit.”
Aiz was shocked to see Riveria accept him heading out as Finn said his thanks and left the headquarters.
I made her worry about me again, he murmured to himself as he walked away.
Finn followed Aiz’s directions to make contact with Bell Cranell. There was no trace of anyone on the intricate web of roads. Finn was equipped with his spear and armor, and his footsteps echoed against the gray sky covered in clouds.
Along the way, Finn tried to look at himself again from a disinterested observer’s point of view. His thoughts had been lacking composure—enough to warrant a talking-to from Riveria.
Why was that?
Was it because he had to do whatever it took to get his hands on the key?
Or because the city was on the brink of destruction?
Or because his comrades in the familia…Because Leene and the others had been killed?
There had to be a bit of that, too.
But the main reason was…
“Bell Cranell…”
That boy.
Finn couldn’t get the image from four days ago—Bell turning his back to the vouivre and standing in their way—out of his mind.
That image introduced static into Finn’s mind, which should have been more composed than anyone else’s, and created a disturbance in his heart.
“Hey, look…”
“Bell Cranell…Did he come back? To hunt monsters?”
“Just like ya’d expect of a top-tier adventurer. He wants that Guild reward money for himself, apparently.”
The chattering residents of Daedalus Street cut off his thoughts. Their gloomy voices led him in a certain direction. Finn eventually found the white-haired boy standing at the focal point of people’s glares. He was looking at the ground as he walked, as if desperately trying to flee from the scornful whispers and disdainful gazes of the crowd.
The Little Rookie’s reputation had plummeted—for no other reason than Bell Cranell’s own actions. In the eyes of the public, he had been utterly idiotic choosing to protect the vouivre and claiming it as his own prey as justification to attack adventurers attempting to take out the monster.
Some called him an adventurer who cared only for his own selfish desires; others said he exposed the city to danger to advance his own standing. Orario was filled with voices criticizing and denouncing him. The fact that the Little Rookie had been the talk of the town before only intensified the disappointment of the city’s inhabitants, which verged on hostility and malice.
How pitiful. How foolish.
There was no room for sympathy after he took things that far.
It would be so much easier if I could think like that.
“Bell Cranell,” Finn called out, stepping away from the people spewing bitter remarks.
The boy froze in place, his rubellite eyes filled with an intense shock when he turned to see who called him.
“Mr.…Finn…?”
Finn gave Bell a once-over, his eyes narrowing.
“Only a knife for self-defense, huh…? That’s a light load out in this situation.”
“!” Bell clearly winced at Finn’s observation.
Every adventurer in the Labyrinth District was fully equipped for self-defense purposes at the very least. Even Finn had weapons and armor to deal with the impending attack of armed monsters.
And amid all that, the young boy before his eyes wasn’t in battle clothes, let alone armor. It was as if he was absolutely sure there was no danger in the city—that the armed monsters wouldn’t inflict any further harm.
As the boy displayed a level of agitation that Finn found almost humorous, Finn spoke in a voice that bore no hostility.
“Are you by yourself? Perfect. I’d like to have a conversation with just the two of us.”
The neighborhood had been on edge from the moment they started talking. Everyone was focused on them: the captain of Loki Familia, whose members were putting all their effort into protecting the city, and the captain of Hestia Familia, who had insisted on acting selfishly. On one side, an ally of justice; on the other, the villain who single-handedly earned the derision of everyone in the city. There were even some glares condemning Finn for trying to have a chat with him.
I want to have a private conversation where no one can interrupt us, Finn implied as he asked again with a friendly smile.
“What do you say?”
“…Oh, uh, okay,” Bell responded stiffly as he nodded awkwardly.
They headed toward a back alley, walking for a while before arriving at a cul-de-sac that seemed like it was being used as storage. Casks and wooden boxes of all shapes were haphazardly placed around the scene. There was no trace of anyone nearby. Perfect for his purposes.
Bell looked as though he had something to say as he trailed behind Finn. To not give Bell enough time to regain his composure, Finn began to talk as he spun around.
“I intend to turn a blind eye to what you did that day. The priority is resolving the current situation. I want to have a productive conversation with you.”
Finn was looking up due to their height difference. Bell looked down, shocked by his suggestion.
“A conversation…?”
“Yes. You know something we don’t about those armed monsters, right? To take it further, I’d venture a guess that you know the whole truth behind the recent incident.”
To put it even more precisely, Finn had a decent grasp of the full story, though it was only conjecture. That line was a calculated move to lower Bell Cranell’s guard and create an opening in his mental defenses—a tactic to drag more information out of him.
“I consider the events of the other day a small misunderstanding. If we’d been sharing information, things would have gone differently.”
If Bell had made that choice, the current situation would have been different. The end results would have changed as well: Finn would have undoubtedly killed the vouivre in front of the boy as he screamed and cried.
After extracting all the useful information out of it, of course. As was fitting for the Braver.
Because Bell had realized that subconsciously, his face became taut as he frantically tried to read into Finn’s words. Bell Cranell was a fool, but he wasn’t stupid.
“Plus, things are different now.”
“…!”
But Bell was still inexperienced.
His heart wavered visibly at Finn’s offer. If he was to stand by his goal, he should have ignored Finn when they ran into each other and just walked away.
But the boy’s true nature was innately good. He had the virtue of believing in people.
He’s the exact opposite of me. Finn mockingly laughed at himself.
“Bell Cranell. If you know something, I want you to tell me.”
“I, uh…”
He stepped right up to the boy—to get conclusive proof of his connection to the monsters and hear his true motives.
Bell wavered in indecision but started to open his mouth.
“Hey, Bell! What a coincidence!”
““!””
The voice of a cheerful god resounded in the cul-de-sac.
“Lord Hermes…?”
“Yep, yep, it’s me, Hermes. What are you doing back here? Are you lost, perhaps? Or maybe young Bell is out gathering information in Daedalus Street, too?”
A dandy god appeared from behind Bell’s back, wearing a winged travel hat and acting as if he just so happened to be passing through at that moment.
“Oh-ho, Braver. Were you two in the middle of something?” Hermes smiled and squinted at Finn, whose eyes tensed in response.
That’s settled.
Ouranos, Hermes Familia, and Bell Cranell are all connected in their involvement with the armed monsters.
“…No, I’m done here, Hermes.”
Finn didn’t get any proof per se, but he’d gotten enough to make his decision.
In which case, there was nothing left to do here. Getting greedy would only increase the risk of the smooth talker of a god gleaning some information from him. More than anything, he didn’t want a god getting a glimpse into his mind—into his heart.
“Bell Cranell, do you have a key?” Finn lobbed one last question, passing right by the flustered Bell, as he was about to leave the cul-de-sac.
First, suspicion crossed the boy’s face, followed immediately by apprehension.
He apparently recognized that the question was referring to the Daedalus Orb. And judging by his face, he doesn’t have it on him now.
“Never mind. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, forget I said anything.” With a harmless smile, Finn finally left with that, proceeding down the complicated tangle of streets. Finn didn’t immediately return to the operation headquarters, instead picking his path at random, roaming around the Labyrinth District looking for a place to be alone.
On one street, he came across a broken fountain with no water coming out and sat there.
“…Haaaah,” he sighed.
His exhalation was full of various emotions that Finn would never reveal in front of other people. Finn had been behaving in a manner befitting a commander ever since the armed monsters appeared, acting to protect Orario as it fell into a state of upheaval. And all the while, he didn’t know what to do with himself.
That was why he wanted to take a little time to be alone, even though he felt bad for leaving the familia members to their own devices. Only when he was alone could he step out of his role as captain, and he needed time to reexamine himself.
“…I came with the intention of scoping out Bell Cranell, but I guess I’m not fully composed myself, either, huh?” he murmured.
Finn’s heart was wavering.
It wasn’t just because of the boy’s actions four days ago. And if he’d heard only Ikelos’s story, he would still have been fine.
But when he came up with a single hypothesis that tied those two points together, Finn’s heart became uncertain.
He had arrived at a dangerous speculation that he’d become convinced was not wrong.
It was the theory that the armed monsters might be intelligent life-forms, like humans.
They had emotions—not just simple cognition but a higher reasoning. They’d formed a community. Finn had a suspicion that they might be intelligent, self-aware organisms capable of reaching a mutual understanding with humanity.
With this hypothesis, all the oddities came together in an instant: the monsters who covered for one another in the battle and Bell Cranell protecting the vouivre in a supremely eccentric display.
It could be explained under the assumption that the monsters had hearts and minds comparable to people.
If my theory is correct…that’s an insane Irregular.
He couldn’t talk about it with Aiz—not when she was more unstable than he was at the moment.
He couldn’t talk about it with the familia members. That would just invite chaos that couldn’t be resolved.
Finn had arrived at a grim reality.
I can understand why those on Ouranos’s side were trying to keep this hidden. If it came out, the truth would shake the world to its core. Orario would cease to function.
If they found out that monsters and people didn’t have to kill each other but could talk things out, the city’s residents would either be filled with doubt—or fully embrace their hatred.
The adventurers who were supposed to exterminate monsters would lose their edge.
And there would be those out for revenge that get killed by monsters acting in self-defense. Casualties were inevitable.
This affair was an earthquake that would rock the world.
But I don’t give a damn about that.
Even if they could learn Koine, or if it truly is possible to reach a mutual understanding.
All of that was trivial to Finn.
Monsters had to be eliminated.
He didn’t have the slightest bit of doubt on that one point.
Same as Aiz, Finn would kill monsters without hesitation.
It didn’t matter if the monsters were different. He knew their very existence was a poison afflicting the people of the surface.
As Braver, as the object of admiration and envy of an untold number of people, he understood that defeating monsters was the only choice.
INTERLUDE
A PRIVATE CONVERSATION BETWEEN GODS
“Intelligent monsters, huh…?”
“That’s right. They’re the root of our current problem and what Ouranos has been hiding.”
In the highest location of the city, a secret discussion was taking place where no one could overhear them.
On Babel’s highest floor, a certain god was visiting the castle where Freya held court.
Hermes stood there, his hat removed and his orange hair swaying.
“And what of it? What’s your goal in sharing that information with me?”
It was nighttime.
Hermes had recounted to Freya the full story of the incident that dragged the city into chaos—as well as the true nature of the armed monsters. Plus, Ouranos’s will. And the existence of Knossos and the evil hidden away in it and, on top of all that, its relation to Loki Familia.
Everything.
In response, Freya mustered a “humph.” There were some surprises, but she already knew much of what he had shared. And none of it particularly interested her.
The Goddess of Beauty was fixated on a single boy.
To the point that the fate of the armed monsters and Ouranos’s intentions were trivial compared to him.
“Lady Freya, I’m anxious for Bell.”
Bell Cranell was falling into ruin. His accomplishments were undoubtedly crumbling, tumbling down the staircase he’d managed to climb. He was on the verge of losing everything after betraying the hearts of the people, just as a certain hero elsewhere feared would happen to him.
That wasn’t the end the god had wanted.
“I have a few plans myself, of course, but I’d like to ask for your assistance.”
“…”
“You don’t want that white light to collapse over something as meaningless as disappointment, right?”
It wasn’t a development she’d desired, either.
Upon emphasizing their shared goals, the dandy god made his courteous request.
Freya’s response: “Have you forgotten what you did to me during the dispute with Ishtar?”
She wore a smile that could charm the hearts of a thousand men. But the divine intention hidden behind it was entwined with wrath.
In destroying Ishtar Familia, which had been connected to the Evils’ Remnants, the Goddess of Beauty had been forced to dance to Hermes’s tune, and she still hadn’t forgiven him for that incident.
Freya was the type to smile modestly, and Hermes’s face twitched visibly when he saw her grinning from ear to ear. He quickly raised his hands, indicating his surrender and recoiling.
He didn’t apologize, or explain himself, or acknowledge his sin. But he did make a simple request.
“Then, I hope you will find a way to watch over us.”
Look after the fate of that boy. And witness what I’ve prepared to flip everything on its head. Hermes left it implied, unspoken.
“Which means you’d like me to do nothing.”
“Yes.”
He returned her gaze, and the silver eyes of the goddess bored into his orange ones.
Hermes deliberately bowed deeply.
“If you believe me and if you’re willing to entrust it to me…I’d like you to give me the key.”
For the first time in their conversation, Freya flinched. She raised a single eyebrow.
“With the key to Knossos…I’ll take care of the intelligent monsters. And bring that boy back once more to the role of a hero.”
“What do you intend to do?”
“I’ll set a stage, one where the hero can return.”
Freya contemplated this as Hermes continued to remain bent over before her.
When Ishtar was sent back, Freya had protected one of the exiled goddess’s followers, Tammuz. He’d held the key to Knossos, which was now under Freya’s control.
To hand it over to Hermes when I didn’t give it to Loki…If I’m being honest, I don’t trust him…But if that child can overcome it, then this side might be…
A stage for the return of a hero.
A dramatic play prepared by a god—or a farce.
With a firm grip on Hermes’s divine will, Freya decided it had the potential to be a sufficient trial.
And setting aside the wishes of the god before her, this would satisfy her own desire: It might be possible for her to witness the great scene. It wasn’t her divine will but the boy’s fervent wish to overcome.
In that case, I…Freya realized that her instincts had been correct when she had refused to yield to Loki and kept the key to herself.
“Ottar. The key.”
“My lady,” echoed a curt response from a dark corner of the room.
After the briefest of pauses, the boaz attendant approached Freya, respectfully holding out a magic item with the symbol D engraved into it.
“Very well. I shall give it to you.”
That was the goddess’s decision—or whim. Its effects would greatly surpass her intentions, eventually going on to sharpen everyone’s branching paths.
“Thank you, Lady Freya.”
Hermes smiled as Freya handed him the Daedalus Orb and then hurried toward the door to the goddess’s room, as if not wanting to waste any more time.
“Pardon me,” he said as he left the room.
“…Hermes? You believe you know everything, but you should be careful. Don’t get tripped up, all right?”
The door closed behind him. The god disappeared, and Freya grinned upon giving him a warning that didn’t reach his ears.
Standing by her side, Ottar offered a response instead.
“By you, my lady?”
“Not by me…By that child,” she responded as she approached the window.
Outside the gigantic, seamless window was a gray and black sky filled with thick clouds.
She stared out at it.
“I have no need for a god-made hero. I’m tired of them.”
Ironically, it had the same ring to it as the “man-made hero” a certain Braver had spoken about before.
“I want to see…No, the world itself desires a hero who’s never been seen before.”
The goddess smiled sweetly, and her eyes narrowed, as if looking at something elsewhere in the distance, as she hooked her hair behind her ear.
“To break the stagnation of the mortal realm, we need…a heretical hero who betrays the gods.”
Her murmur was swallowed up by the darkness.
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