DIVERGING STRANDS, INTERSECTING PLANS
After saying good-bye to Syr, I head back alone toward the spot where I left the
goddess.
Here again, everyone I pass on the street is emanating hostility. Syr may have cheered
me up, but this just isn't the kind of thing you get used to.
I hurry along, my eyes on the ground.
"Bell Cranell."
Someone is calling my name. I've been mocked plenty, but so far no one has tried to
stop me on the street. I halt in my tracks, surprised.
When I turn around, I see…
"—!! Mr.…Finn?"
It's the golden-haired prum.
Wearing armor and carrying a long spear, Loki Familia's captain is staring at me.
"Only a knife for self-defense, eh…? That's pretty light weaponry you have there, given
your current predicament."
My heart skips a beat at his comment, which he delivers with a smile that crinkles his
blue eyes.
I am wearing no armor whatsoever, because I know the Xenos are not dangerous. But
the other adventurers wouldn't understand that. Given how careless I must appear to
everyone around me, I wonder what Finn is thinking.
It's not that I didn't have time to properly prepare—I was just being stupid. I'm
wincing at my blunder, but Finn continues as if nothing is wrong.
"You're by yourself, I see. I'm glad, because I wanted to talk to you in private about
something."
I, along with the demi-humans who have been watching our encounter, start in
surprise.
The next moment, they're giving me strange looks. Some even direct critical gazes at
Finn, but the upper-class adventurer just smiles at me.
But…is it wrong that I'm steeling myself against that outwardly friendly smile?
"What do you say?" he asks.
"…Oh, uh, okay," I answer in a voice that's stiffer than I intended.
The look in those blue eyes makes me feel like "no" isn't an option.
I follow the prum's small figure as he searches for a place free of passersby. Eventually
we arrive at a blind alley that seems to be some kind of storage area piled with wooden
boxes and barrels.
"…"
We've been in a similar situation before. Last time, the prum captain asked for my
advice about his marriage proposal. This time, things are completely different.
Why would he want to talk to someone like me who treated him like an enemy?
As if guessing my thoughts, Finn faces me and begins to speak.
"I intend to turn a blind eye to what you did that day. The priority now is resolving the
current situation. I want to have a productive conversation," he says, looking up into
my surprised face.
"A conversation…?"
"Yes. You know something about those armed monsters that we don't know, right? To
take it a bit further, I'd guess you know everything about the recent incident."
I feel like the point of his spear has skewered me through the heart.
Finn Deimne, Braver. Aside from his fighting ability, he is famous for his levelheaded
leadership abilities even when facing the Irregulars of the Dungeon's depths—in other
words, for his sharp mind.
Just how much of the truth has he discerned already? What does he know, and what
information does he want? Is he an enemy, or might he be an ally?
My wildly beating heart prevents me from thinking clearly. Flustered, I stare at him.
"I consider what happened the other day to have been a small misunderstanding. If
we'd been sharing information, things probably would have gone differently."
I rub my right hand over my chest. Finn is right that there might have been a wiser
way to approach that situation. If I had told the members of Loki Familia everything
during our encounter, the outcome might have been different.
But the instant I decided to rescue Wiene, my body moved of its own accord. Instinct
is the only word for it.
And no matter what anyone says, I'm certain Finn was the one who butchered her
during her rampage.
Mercilessly, deaf to any pleas.
When I saw those blue eyes looking down on us from the roof as he threw his long
spear, I immediately discarded the option of negotiating.
As a captain, Finn is a different breed. Even more of a realist than Lilly, he is able to
objectively assess any situation and arrive at a decision without letting his personal
feelings get in the way. He weighs his options neutrally, ruthlessly, and cruelly.
If it was in the interest of a greater cause, he'd discard me without a second thought.
"Plus, things are different now," Finn says.
He's right. Things are different now.
There is no out-of-control Wiene. No imminent threat to ordinary civilians. We have
no reason to oppose each other. Putting aside the rest of Loki Familia, if only Finn
would show me in some way that he understands the Xenos…
I'm beginning to realize that Finn holds complete control over our current
conversation. Still, I trust him, and I'm wavering over whether or not to open up about
the Xenos.
"Bell Cranell. If you know something, I want you to tell me."
"I, uh…"
If I can ask for his cooperation…wouldn't it be okay to tell him?
My lips that have been sealed shut begin to crack open…when we are suddenly
interrupted.
"Hey, Bell! What a coincidence!"
""!""
The cheerful voice echoes down the blind alley.
"Lord Hermes…?"
"Yes, yes indeed, it is I, Hermes. What are you up to back here? Lost, perhaps? Or
maybe young Bell is out collecting information in Daedalus Street as well?"
Wearing his winged traveling cap, Hermes approaches us with a sprightly step.
"Oh ho, Braver. Were you two in the middle of something?" he says, as if he's just
noticed Finn hiding in my shadow.
"…No, no, we're just finishing up, God Hermes," Finn answers, searching the god's
smiling face.
After a moment, he sighs as if he's given up on something and starts to walk away.
I feel flustered as he passes in front of me. As he leaves, he looks toward me.
"Bell Cranell. Do you have the key?"
"…?"
At first, I don't understand what Finn means. But an instant later, I shiver in surprise.
The key…Does he mean the Orb of Knossos?
An image of the magic item floats before my eyes. As I think of the ball inscribed with
the glyph D—which I don't have access to at the moment—my expression grows tense.
Finn smiles at me.
"Never mind if you don't know about it. Forget I said anything," he says, and walks out
of the alley.
I watch his small form disappear into the tangle of streets, then turn to Hermes.
"Lord Hermes, what are you doing he—?"
"Bell."
Before I can finish my question, he puts a hand on my shoulder and brings his face
close to mine.
"It would be best if you didn't tell Loki Familia about the Xenos."
"!"
I am doubly surprised, first by the word Xenos coming out of his mouth and second by
the nature of his advice. He continues in a low voice.
"Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say it won't make a difference even if you do
tell them. Even if they know the Xenos are intelligent, in the end Loki Familia will
inevitably choose to annihilate them."
"…!"
"And even if they ask for your cooperation, I suspect they'll just end up using you."
He continues with a firm voice and a serious face.
"On this one point, you will not see eye to eye with the Loki Familia Braver commands.
I'd be willing to bet on it."
I gulp at the god's declaration.
Having said what he needed to say, he steps back and smiles kindly if ambiguously.
"You know, I've been involved in the Xenos incident myself, at Ouranos's request,"
Hermes says.
"…! At Ouranos's request?"
"Yes. I'm trying to track down where the Xenos have gone."
My shock does not subside. Hermes seems to be showing all his cards.
"At the moment, Asfi and the others haven't been able to track them down—though
I've heard they were spotted in the sewers. The downfall of the Sage, I suppose you
could say."
The downfall of the Sage…How can I question Hermes when he even knows about
Fels? I decide that he must share my knowledge of the situation.
"But when…?"
"For quite a while. I think I knew about the Xenos before you did. We've been acting
quietly behind the scenes up until now."
"So, then…What did your familia do when they found out about the talking monsters?"
"As you might guess, some were quite shaken by it. But now, they consider it part of
their work. As long as they profess to be neutral, the word of the client is absolute.
More than anything, though, it's because their leader—me—is a certain type of guy."
As I stand before the foolishly grinning Hermes, I imagine Asfi letting out an exhausted
sigh. I can't help a tight-lipped smile myself.
"We're working independently, but you can consider us allies," says the still-smiling
god with a wink.
At the word allies, a sense of extreme relief washes over me. I suppose it's a sign of just
how far I've been backed into a corner…
"Oh, Beeeeell!"
The goddess is calling me.
"You're all the way back here, are you? You never came back, so I had to go looking for
you. Was everything all right?"
"Uh…Sorry, Goddess. I'm fine."
"Oh, what a relief. I was worried…but why is Hermes here?"
The relieved goddess, who has walked up to us, looks at Hermes quizzically.
"Ha-ha-ha! So sorry, Hestia, I was just borrowing young Bell for a moment to have a
conversation." He laughs as if he was just joking around. "Well, I'll let you take over the
role of guard. Hestia, keep him safe!" he says and walks off.
"…Bell, what were you talking with Hermes about?"
"Well…"
As I explain our conversation, the goddess strokes her chin.
"I'd heard that Hermes and his familia had received a request from Ouranos, but…"
"Oh really?"
"Yes. So I guess they've been working to help the Xenos…"
The goddess's words trail off, and she looks in the direction that Hermes disappeared.
She appears to be suspicious of the god for not even trying to have a proper discussion
with her. I follow her gaze, myself.
As we stand there, a single bead of water falls onto my shoulder.
An instant later, the blanket of clouds covering the city bursts into the sound of rain.
The droplets begin descending, each to its own destination, changing shape as it falls.
"Ugh, rain again…"
The werewolf Bete snorted and shook his head at the patter of raindrops.
"If only it hadn't rained after the commotion, the animal people might have been able
to use their noses to find the monsters by now," said the Amazon Tione.
"This damn rain has totally washed away the scent…Shit," Bete replied.
"Werewolves are always useless just when you need them most."
"We're better than Amazons, who just stand around doing nothing."
""What did you say?""
At their encampment in the Labyrinth District, members of Loki Familia paused for a
moment as the downpour began. The faction's leaders were gathered there for a
meeting.
The dwarf Gareth sighed at Tione and Bete, who were glaring at each other with
unveiled irritation. Next to them, Tione's sister, Tiona, was flopped down on the stone
pavement with arms and legs outstretched, soaking in the shower.
"What's with you, Tiona? Are you worn out or something?"
"I'm not worn out, but my hands and arms are killin' me from banging on that
adamantite wall for so long. Then, as soon as we dug through it, we got ordered to fill
it in again! Finn's a real slave driver."
"That's just the kind of situation we're in. Put up with it," Finn said. He had returned
to the encampment just as Tiona was waving around her red hands and complaining
about him.
"How did it go, Finn? Were you able to talk to Bell Cranell?" asked Riveria, who had
been waiting for him.
"Yeah. We met, but we were interrupted before we finished," he answered, walking
into one of the tents that had been set up.
"He wouldn't say anything…but I'm fairly certain he's hiding something. He knew
about Knossos, although he doesn't seem to have the key."
The question-and-answer session may have ended unsuccessfully, but Finn had been
watching Bell carefully, and now he spoke with confidence. Unlike the still-green
captain of Hestia Familia, the prum was able to make off with quite a bit of information
after even a short exchange.
"There's no question he's at the center of this mess," he declared, addressing the
faction leaders gathered in the tent.
"…"
The golden-haired, golden-eyed Sword Princess Aiz responded with stony silence to
the words of her leader.
"So…" Riveria said.
"Yes," Finn answered with a nod as the others looked on intently. "As we planned,
please watch Bell Cranell's movements."
"The Xenos, and then Knossos…"
Outside the windows, rain veiled the street. The Amazon Aisha glanced at the
unceasing downpour before returning her gaze to inside the room.
"So you're saying the mess with those two things forms the crux of the events that took
place four days ago?" the elf Lyu asked.
"Yes, exactly," answered the human Asfi, her aqua-blue hair shimmering as she
nodded.
The three women were alone in an outbuilding of The Benevolent Mistress that served
as Lyu's room. Asfi had arrived with Aisha in tow, saying she had something to talk to
Lyu about. Since Lyu didn't have any customers needing her attention at the moment,
she had asked permission of Mia, then led them to the room where they currently sat.
Asfi had begun by telling the other two about the events on the eighteenth floor that
instigated the disturbance.
"But what about those circles under your eyes…Are you okay?" Aisha asked her, noting
the impressively large, dark puffs.
"…I'm fine. It's just that our selfish deity is always driving me so hard. He's even doing
it right now! Don't worry, Aisha, you'll get used to it," Asfi replied, a nihilistic smile
momentarily spoiling her beautiful face. Uneasy at her exhausted appearance, Aisha
backed away slightly.
Lyu had been observing their exchange.
"So why are you telling us this now?" she asked in order to move the conversation
along, looking grave.
"Hermes is making unreasonable demands again…Ahem, in any case, he wants to calm
down the current situation, but he doesn't have enough people to do it. He wants your
help."
"Why didn't he tell us everything during the mission?" Aisha said with a mixture of
disgust and dissatisfaction. Asfi's reply was straightforward.
"With regards to the Xenos, he just decided that was extraneous information. At the
time, the monsters were wild with rage, and even the clients were unable to control
them or figure out what was going on. Even if a confrontation was inevitable, the
clients didn't want anyone to be killed because knowledge of the creatures had
distracted them. As for the latter…We only found out about it after the incident."
After all, the second entrance to the Dungeon was the product of Daedalus's obsessive
determination.
As Asfi discussed Knossos, Aisha and Lyu listened silently. They both seemed at the
very least shocked by this news of talking, intelligent monsters. Aisha, however,
frankly expressed her feelings—which were in line with the aversion to monsters
latent in all humans.
"…Those Xenos—is that what you called them? They may be able to talk and they may
be intelligent, but I still can't understand why someone would save a monster. They're
not the kind of creature a person wants to empathize with…especially ones like that
black minotaur," she spat out provocatively.
Aisha rubbed her left arm and her ribs. Although she was fully recovered now, the
bones in her arm had been pulverized in the incident, and her ribs had also been
broken. She narrowed her eyes sharply. They revealed no terror of the glossy black
creature that had dealt her a crushing defeat, only anger and humiliation.
"…It is the desire of the clients, who are also our source of information, that we aid the
Xenos. As long as you are a member of Lord Hermes's familia, please comply without
a fuss."
"I'm not a very quick study, you know, and if I don't like something, I just may throw a
fit. And by the way, who are these 'clients' you keep mentioning?"
"Let's just say they are part of the Guild," Asfi replied to the rebellious Aisha. She
squeezed one eye shut as she spoke, her head aching.
"By the way, these monsters that we're talking about…Bell Cranell has also taken pity
on them," she added.
"…Ah, I see," Aisha said, tugging at her long black hair as if Bell's name had led her to
a realization. The reason for his ejection from the mission team and his actions on
Daedalus Street all suddenly made sense.
"Understood. I'll do as you say," she said with a sigh. The Amazon still felt she had not
repaid her debt to the boy.
Asfi stepped closer to Lyu, who had been absorbed in silent thought.
"Leon, I have a bargain to make with you."
"…"
"If you cooperate with us, we will give you information on the remnants of the Evils."
"!"
"It seems the last dregs have been hiding out in Knossos. As soon as the current
situation is resolved, we'll search the Dungeon and collect the information you want."
"…Can you really do that?"
"Sooner or later, Lord Hermes will order a survey. I assure you we will do it," Asfi
answered, pushing her silver glasses up with one finger.
Lyu considered her offer, then nodded quietly. She believed Perseus.
Asfi looked hard at Lyu and Aisha.
"I will provide detailed instructions very soon. For the time being, please wait."
"—Yes indeed, I am Ganesha!"
The god in the elephant mask struck a bizarre heroic pose as he made this
announcement.
"I know that, Ganesha," replied Shakti Varma, sounding fully accustomed to her god's
eccentric behavior. The beautiful indigo-haired woman was sitting up in bed in a room
in Ganesha Familia's home, known as Iam Ganesha. She took the basket of fruit her
god was holding out to her in his chosen pose and placed it on the sideboard.
"How are you feeling, Shakti?! I've come to check on you!"
"I'm already fully recovered. I believe you know that, Ganesha."
Shakti had been spending her time in this room ever since the recent string of
incidents. She had been seriously injured during the mission to the eighteenth floor
and was still recuperating.
Or at least, that was what she had told the others.
"I can move just fine. Why don't you tell me why you're keeping me in this place for
days on end?" she continued.
"Because all you've been doing lately is working! I don't want people to think my
familia is some kind of labor camp. So this time, I thought you'd better do some
extreme recuperating—"
"Ganesha," Shakti said, interrupting her leader's peculiar words.
At the captain's quiet voice, Ganesha dropped his joking attitude.
"…I felt like you needed some time to sort things out. Especially after I told you about
the Xenos," he said.
Shakti was one of the few familia members he had told about the Xenos. When the
Guild ordered her to tame the monsters during the mission, too, she had obeyed only
after taking into consideration the divine will of her god.
Ganesha sat down on a chair and looked Shakti in the eye.
"I'm sorry."
He placed his hands on his knees and bowed deeply.
"I made an unreasonable request, and it's been a burden on you."
Shakti shook her head.
"Ganesha, don't apologize. We were the ones who fell short. We were unable to stop
the monsters when they were out of control."
Ganesha raised his head and looked at her from the depths of the elephant mask.
"What did you feel when you faced the Xenos?"
"…Fierce anger, and also sympathy," Shakti explained frankly, returning Ganesha's
gaze. "After I heard Ikelos Familia was capturing monsters and selling them off, I
understood it very clearly—the nature of that unfamiliar sympathy I had felt in the
midst of trying to tame them, I mean."
"…"
"Those monsters are capable of rage over what's done to their brethren…just like us,
like people."
Perhaps it was her long experience as a tamer that allowed her to understand the
monsters' feelings and sympathize with them.
Shakti looked out the window into the rain.
"Ganesha, you were right that I needed time to sort things out. I'm upset right now.
About the very existence of such monsters. And then the fact that when Ilta and her
group learned about it, too, they faltered over what to do…That moment of hesitation
cost our friends their lives…It scares me."
She accepted Ganesha's attitude of friendship toward the Xenos, but still, she was
frightened. She was right to be at a loss.
Should they abandon the Xenos or save them?
If she were forced to choose, she would of course pick the former. She was not a fool.
Ganesha had been quietly watching the faint reflection of his familia member in the
mirror as she lowered her eyes. Now he spoke.
"The road to Neo Ganesha, mastery of man and monster, is a difficult one."
"…What are you talking about?"
Her serious reflections were abruptly interrupted by an absurd phrase she'd never
heard before, Shakti turned toward Ganesha as if she had just woken from a dream.
His mind elsewhere, he continued in a solemn voice.
"I am still Ganesha, man of the people."
Shakti widened her eyes.
"I regret doing this to Ouranos, but at the moment, the safety of the children is the
absolute priority."
"Ganesha…"
"We will no longer participate in the search for the Xenos. Instead, if violence erupts
between them and the adventurers, we will protect the civilians. We will protect the
smiles of the children."
Ganesha rose from his chair, walked over to Shakti, and looked down at her as if to ask
whether she was ready to go. She nodded energetically and stood up from the bed.
"We'll increase the number of people working security to cover the whole city. I will
join them as well! I will dispel their worries with my happy-go-lucky appearance!"
Ganesha exclaimed.
"No, Ganesha, we'll be fine without you. Ilta and her group are still at home, right?"
"Yes. When I left them to their own devices, they very proudly announced they were
going out to chase the Xenos again! I told them, 'Since Shakti is resting, you guys rest,
too!' I said if they broke their promise, I'd magically remodel our home again!"
"So that's why they've been so quiet…"
Shakti and Ganesha left the room and walked around the home shaped like a giant,
peculiar elephant. As they checked to make sure the familia's core force were all
present, including the first-tier adventurer Ilta, they discussed their next moves.
Suddenly, Ganesha lifted his head and gazed out the window of the hallway they were
walking down.
"What concerns me is how the other gods and goddesses are taking the current
situation," he said.
"Do you think the other deities are aware of the Xenos?"
Miach turned his back to the rain outside the window as he addressed Hephaistos and
Takemikazuchi.
The three were in Hephaistos Familia's weaponry store on Northwest Main Street.
Leaving the information-collecting to their familia members, Miach and
Takemikazuchi had come to see Hephaistos in her third-floor office.
"Perhaps not clearly…I don't think they've realized yet that these are monsters with
intellect. But they do sense that they are out of the ordinary…"
"Or rather, they're expecting to find something different about them…"
The three gods had learned about Wiene, along with the main events of the past week,
from their friend Hestia. Now all three were frowning and speaking in concerned
voices to differing degrees.
"What if they do learn about the Xenos?"
"If you think about it in terms of who's currently in Orario…"
"Not many of the deities are as inflexible as Ares, but then again not many are
moderates like Hestia, either. I'm thinking twenty percent will call for expelling them,
ten percent for protecting them, and the other seventy will stir up trouble," Miach said.
Takemikazuchi and Hephaistos continued to frown.
"Who knows what they'll do in pursuit of their personal entertainment. There's a high
likelihood that things will spiral out of control. It may be best to conceal as much
information about the Xenos as we can…"
"I see…You're saying it would only invite unnecessary chaos."
The implication was that very few deities in Orario actually acted the part—although
these three didn't go so far as to claim they were model gods, either.
"Damn," Hephaistos grumbled as she rubbed her eye patch. Next to her, Takemikazuchi
slumped wearily, and Miach sighed.
"Bell is a source for worry these days, too. To have gone and acted that flagrantly…I'm
sure the other gods know he knows something, and they're watching him," Miach
fretted. The other two deities shared his concerned expression.
"Probably so…"
"It's a bad situation…"
The red-haired, red-eyed Hephaistos pushed aside her bangs.
"I'll be honest with you. I'm reluctant to come down on the side of saving the Xenos,"
she said, abruptly changing the mood in the room.
"Hey now, what are you saying?"
"Admit it, I'm right. Knowing Hestia's personality as I do, I can understand how she
couldn't leave that orphaned vouivre to die. But as long as they're on the surface, the
Xenos are a poison, plain and simple. At this very moment, they're doing nothing but
causing chaos, right?"
"That's—"
"Come on, Takemikazuchi, you haven't talked to your followers about the Xenos, have
you?"
Takemikazuchi had interrupted Hephaistos in a surprised voice, but now he pressed
his lips together.
Any movement to integrate the Xenos would ignite strife—even more so among the
children. Takemikazuchi knew that, and that was why he hadn't shared the truth with
Ouka or Chigusa.
On the other hand, Hestia's children—who had accepted the presence of the Xenos—
were mavericks, and that was precisely why they were on this precipice.
"Honestly, I don't even know if the Xenos are worth saving!" Hephaistos said, not
concealing her feelings about the irregular Dungeon monsters whose existence not
even the gods had foreseen.
Miach, who had been listening with eyes closed, spread his hands and looked at the
other two.
"…Hmmm. Well, let us come to some conclusion."
He shook his waist-length sea-blue hair, his voice melting into the sound of the rain.
"Our decision is—"
"So you've assigned it to Loki Familia, have you?"
The elderly god's stern voice echoed through the altar.
At the sound, the plump figure kneeling before him curled up like a piglet.
"Y-yes, sir, that is what I did! I took the liberty of determining that they were the best
suited to protecting Daedalus Street at the moment!"
The sound of the rain did not penetrate the underground temple built beneath Guild
Headquarters. In the Chamber of Prayers, illuminated by four torches, Ouranos sat still
as a statue while looking down on Royman, head of the Guild, who was dripping sweat
onto the stone floor.
"With regards to Knossos, I made him promise to not only prevent any leaks about its
existence but also provide us with information! Braver will keep his word! It is
practically as if he is under our control!"
"…What are you hiding from me, Royman?"
The elf gave a start at the words of the Guild's true master, who had so easily seen
through his deception.
"Is it the key?"
"…I—I forgot to mention it. I have ordered them to hand the key to Knossos over to the
Guild if they find it…"
Royman was drenched in a cold sweat, but Ouranos's voice did not change.
"Make sure they give you all the information about Knossos. Once we have the key, we
will find the right time and then organize a survey. It is the Guild, not individuals or
familias, that oversees the heritage of Daedalus."
"Yes, sir!"
"I will overlook the matter of Loki Familia. Now exit!"
The quivering Royman complied.
As he walked unsteadily out of the room, a god with hair the color of flames descended
the stairs leading from the surface. He patted Royman on the shoulder as they passed
each other.
"Royman is a shrewd one, eh?" Hermes said once he had entered the Chamber of
Prayers.
"He possesses twice the greed of anyone else. But he's capable, and his desire to see
to the city's development is sincere," Ouranos replied matter-of-factly with a slight
smile.
"So it seems Loki Familia will be remaining in Daedalus Street, eh? Well, as long as
Lady Freya is encamped in Babel, the obvious choice for Braver and his people is to
stay and wait for the Xenos on their only alternative path of retreat."
"Yes…And as long as things remain in this state, Ganesha will probably act to protect
the lives of the residents before all else," Ouranos said. Although he did not say it out
loud, he had accepted that it would be impossible at this point to rearrange the various
groups.
Because he was in a position of leadership, issuing too forceful an order for Loki
Familia to withdraw would undermine trust in him. His continued reign was a symbol
of peace in the city, so he needed to avoid such a situation.
Furthermore, if the monsters that had emerged onto the surface needed to be brought
down, no one was more suited for the job than Loki Familia.
"Well, for now I'd like you to report on the current situation, since you have taken on
the task of suppressing the disturbance."
Hermes proceeded to the center of the altar, where the deity of the Guild sat on a chair,
and removed his traveling hat.
"The Xenos are currently moving around in the sewers beneath the city. Reports of
sightings are increasing, but…thanks to the bounties, the adventurers are not
cooperating with one another. That may be our only bit of luck."
"What about the Xenos who were separated from Fels?"
"I haven't found out anything about them—not even how many were separated. Some
of them may have been captured already by adventurers or less scrupulous gods."
As long as no one came forward saying they had done so, it would be impossible to
know for sure.
"Well, a number of adventurers found the black minotaur and intended to kill it, only
to be attacked themselves…But even now that they've recovered, they're still
trembling as if they've had a terrible nightmare, and it seems they won't tell their full
story."
Sighing, Hermes held up two fingers.
"Options are limited for the Xenos."
Under the current circumstances, the runaways had two goals. First: meet up with
their brethren who had been separated from them. Second: get to the Dungeon
entrance. The latter was the most important. If the Xenos were to survive, they
somehow had to return to the Dungeon.
There were two possible routes to get there.
The first was through the center of the city to Babel, where they would use the large
pit leading to the Dungeon. The second was through Daedalus Street in the
southwestern part of the city, where Knossos was located.
"If they head for Central Park, there will inevitably be a battle with the
adventurers…and no one knows how Freya Familia will act. Fels probably won't let
them choose that option."
"I tried to negotiate with Freya myself in various ways, but as you'd suspect, she didn't
seem inclined to listen to what I had to say."
Hermes sighed and smiled bitterly at Ouranos's mention of the silver-haired queen
reigning over Babel.
"In that case, the Xenos will likely head for Daedalus Street, where they can use the
terrain to their advantage…"
"But Loki Familia will block their way to Knossos."
In other words, if they made use of the Labyrinth District—which was fully as
convoluted as the Dungeon—they perhaps would be able to avoid the watchful eyes
of the adventurers. But once they had passed through, the greatest difficulty would be
waiting.
"I knew it before, but this is a really tough situation," said Hermes with a detached
laugh.
"And what can you tell me about Knossos?" Ouranos said, directing Hermes back to his
report.
"According to adventurers in Rivira, the monsters who attacked on the eighteenth
floor joined up with the monsters who appeared on the surface. Many of the familias
have realized there is a second entrance to the Dungeon."
"And adventurers are gathering in Daedalus Street?"
"Yes. Some of them seem to be taking initiative to search for the entrance on their own,
but…Well, that area is Daedalus's creation, and so far only Loki Familia has found it."
"Hermes, what about your familia…?"
"We have already thoroughly investigated the matter."
"!"
As if to offer proof, he pulled out a book.
"It's called Daedalus's Notebook."
For the first time, the normally self-possessed Ouranos widened his eyes.
"Before I got Ikelos to let Loki Familia catch him, I had him give this to me. It has a
drawing of the layout of Knossos—including, of course, the location of the entrances."
"…"
"I had my children investigate to make sure the information in the drawing wasn't
incorrect. They had to use both the Hades Head and the stink bag…Asfi complained to
me that she was afraid for her life dodging Loki Familia to do the survey. She even hit
me."
It was Hermes who had sniffed out Ikelos from his hiding place. According to him, he
had cornered the other deity and compelled him to give in to a number of demands,
one of which included handing over Daedalus's Notebook. Over the four days since the
incident, his children had been surveying the area around Knossos on his orders,
keeping quiet and staying in the shadows so that Loki Familia wouldn't notice them.
Having explained matters up to this point, Hermes drew closer to the wizened god.
Then he held out the book.
"I'll leave this with you. You need it, don't you?"
"…"
Ouranos squeezed his eyes shut as Hermes narrowed his own yellow-orange ones.
The flames in the pine torches crackled fiercely. Surrounded by a swirl of sparks, the
wizened god reached out to accept the ancient volume, along with all the
consequences it entailed, and slipped it into his pocket.
Hermes flashed a smile and backed down from the altar.
"Hermes…What do you plan to do now?"
"Well. As I said before, my concern is with Bell."
Hermes had brought up the matter with Ouranos two days earlier in this very room.
At that time, he'd stated very clearly his divine will as a deity. He felt it would be wrong
for Bell to lose his name and honor and then withdraw from the action, and therefore
Hermes was betting everything on the boy. People's disappointment in Bell and their
labeling him an "enemy of the people" would only get in the way of his progress down
the noble path.
That was why Hermes was acting now behind the scenes.
"I've ordered Asfi and the others to do a number of things. Beyond that, it depends on
how the boy reacts…"
Hermes was certain Bell would be unable to sit by and do nothing. He laughed lightly,
as if he were watching the situation from afar.
"Let me ask you a question, Ouranos. The Xenos, and the ruined Sage who is leading
them…What do you think they will do next?"
"…"
Ouranos at first said nothing in response to the question about the assistant with
whom he had spent countless centuries. Finally, after a long pause, he answered.
"As for what Fels will most likely do next…"
"Lido, can I have some of your blood?" Fels asked.
Even in the subterranean dimness, the black-clad mage could hear the sound of the
rain.
"Blood?"
"Yes. If I were physically whole, I wouldn't need to ask you, but…"
"Well, you are a skeleton, after all."
"Don't say that," the mage responded with a sidelong glance. Lido scratched his arm
with his sharp claws.
Fels withdrew a feather pen from his pocket and dipped it in the red blood from the
ragged wound.
As the blood soaked in, the feather turned red, and a similarly colored liquid oozed
from the tip.
"Is that a magic item?" Lido asked, watching Fels's movements with interest.
"Yes, although I didn't invent it myself."
Fels began to write on a sheet of parchment with the item, which enabled blood to be
used in place of ink.
"Who was separated from us?"
"Aruru, Helga, Lett, Fia, and then Asterios…Fia was with us, but when things got too
intense, she fell from the sky…and Lett went after her," the siren Rei said, listing the
names of the al-miraj, hellhound, red-cap goblin, harpy, and minotaur.
She was sitting on the floor at a slight distance from Lido and Fels, talking to Wiene.
They were in a sewer tunnel. Beyond its crumbling walls, the tunnel connected to what
seemed to be a long-forgotten well, with broken barrels, buckets, and frayed ropes
scattered in a corner. A gentle rain fell through the hole that connected to the surface.
Other Xenos who had been wandering the city were resting nearby.
"So…you don't know where Fia and the others are?" the vouivre asked, concerned for
her brethren.
"No. We've walked this sewer from end to end, but there's no scent of them…They may
be hiding somewhere on the surface," the gargoyle Gros replied.
Wiene's stomach made a cute rumbling sound.
"I'm hungry…"
"It's only natural. We've hardly eaten anything for the past few days…"
Naturally, monsters became hungry, too. For the Xenos, who would never eat a human,
their current situation meant they hadn't been able to eat properly at all. Wrapped in
a robe that one of the fleeing adventurers had dropped, Wiene rubbed her slender
bluish-white stomach.
Gros turned toward the black-clad mage, worried over their fading strength and
missing brethren especially with no sign that they would be able to reunite.
"Fels. We're not getting anywhere running from place to place like this. We need
to…Hey, what are you doing?!" he exclaimed.
"I'm writing a letter," Fels replied without stopping the crimson pen.
The mage finished his work without further explanation. The moment it was
complete, a shadow rushed down the old well hole, just as if Fels had planned the
timing.
Lido and the others instantly took up defensive positions, but Fels reached out an arm
and restrained them.
"So you've finally managed to find us."
An owl with one false eye had landed on the mage's outstretched arm. It was a familiar
spirit.
"If only my oculus hadn't been destroyed in that battle, I would have summoned you
sooner…"
Expressing his regrets over the fierce combat with Ikelos Familia in Knossos, Fels tied
the completed letter around the owl's foot.
"Fels, is that letter perhaps…?"
Fels nodded in response to Lido's question and let go of the familiar. The owl stretched
its wings and took off into the rainy sky, scattering white down from its wings.
"Our last hope."
Like a late monsoon season, rain falls in unceasing sheets on Orario. But I doubt even
this rain can wash away the tangled and hopeless mood gripping the city.
I gaze out the window of my room at the streets stretched beneath an ashen sky.
"…"
Though I've returned home with the goddess, I still can't escape a certain feeling.
Like I'm being watched.
The moment I left home, I sensed many eyes on me. At first I thought it was the
townsfolk…but as I grew more sensitive to the gazes, another possibility began to
whisper into my ear.
Something far less organic than either anger or mockery…Could it be surveillance?
Am I being watched? If so, is it me they're interested in? Or Hestia Familia as a whole?
I've been standing by the side of the window in order to conceal myself, but now I lean
halfway out and scan the area around the building. Outside the iron fence enclosing
our home, I glimpse a figure darting around the street corner and out of sight.
"Agh."
I step away from the window and leave the room. I hope I'm mistaken. My heart
pounding unsteadily in my chest, I head for the place where the goddess and the
others are gathered to tell them what I've been feeling.
"…?"
After hurrying down the hallway, I'm greeted by an unexpected sight.
Outside a window facing onto the courtyard, drenched in rain but nevertheless
apparently waiting for someone, an owl is perched in the middle of the garden.
The owl looks up as I stop in the hallway, and I see its eye. I start at the glitter of the
quartz orb.
I turn on my heels and run down the stairs. As I step into the courtyard and walk up
to the owl, it flutters onto my arm.
"What in the world…?"
A letter is tied to the owl's leg.
"A secret message from the Xenos…"
The clock on the living-room wall shows an evening hour. The entire of Hestia Familia
has gathered here to look at the letter I received from Fels's familiar.
"The code is incredibly difficult to decipher, but…there's no mistaking it; this letter is
a call for help from Fels and the Xenos."
Lilly is holding a dictionary pulled from the library in one hand. As she says, the letter
is peppered with demi-human words, and at first glance, the sentences seem to be
incoherent. They can be deciphered only by rearranging and recombining words from
two different languages: the language of the prums, which includes the word irregular,
and the language of the renarts, which includes the word fool. Only someone who
knew the nature of the Xenos and Fels would be able to read the code.
With serious, tense expressions on their faces, the goddess, Lilly, Welf, Mikoto, and
Haruhime gather around the table and look down at the letter.
"'We will try to reach Daedalus Street tomorrow night.' It seems they've been driven
to take extremes…" says Welf, who has just emerged from the workshop, where he's
been holed up since the incident.
"And, well, I am quite certain that right now, Daedalus Street…" says Haruhime,
pressing her hand to her chest. Mikoto confirms her fears.
"Yes, Miss Haruhime. It's full of adventurers, not to mention it's Loki Familia's
encampment."
The letter, whose red handwriting has not bled despite the rain, begins with an
apology, then goes on to explain the situation that Fels and the Xenos are currently in
and their plan for returning to the Dungeon. It ends with a call for help. The final
sentence entreats us to somehow find a way to assist them again.
At first, Haruhime, Mikoto, and I are relieved to read that Wiene safely regained
consciousness…but now we are all silent.
We stare at the letter on the table.
"…It's like an invitation to destruction from some evil god," Lilly mumbles dramatically.
But it's no exaggeration.
Given the situation in Orario right now, saving the Xenos is synonymous with turning
every familia in the city against us.
I feel as if the momentary hush falling over the room is going to crush my heart.
The goddess breaks the silence.
"Let's come up with a clear response right now. Are we going to save the Xenos or
not?"
"…!"
She looks not at me but at Welf and the others. Before anyone else can open their
mouth, I fire my words at the goddess's averted face.
"Goddess!!…This is something for me alone to—"
"Bell, this isn't just your problem anymore. The moment you, our captain, took action,
it became the familia's problem as well. So that's enough double-talk from you."
I feel like my heart seizes up at her apparent criticism of my behavior as leader.
She shifts her gaze from my frozen form and poses her question to Lilly and the others
once again.
"Everyone, please make your choice. Will we be allies of the Xenos and live as outcasts?
Or will we abandon them and return to our ordinary lives?"
This is the same choice I was faced with as well. I was caught between Wiene and Loki
Familia, forced into a binary choice. Now the goddess is putting that choice to the
others.
I don't want them to choose either path. That is the true feeling in my deplorable heart.
I stand there like a criminal waiting for his verdict to be handed down, and my
memories of the Labyrinth District mix with guilt over acting immorally.
"Lady Hestia," Welf says, raising his hand. "Can I add one more option?"
"What would that be?"
"We move sneakily to bring those guys back to the Dungeon. That way we don't get
scolded or mocked."
At first, I'm so stunned by his words I don't comprehend them.
Welf is grinning, and the goddess, too, is smiling as if she's just grasped everything
fully.
"Look here."
Welf draws a dagger from the sheath at his waist, his flame-red hair bouncing.
"This is a magic blade. I have three more in the workshop."
"I thought that's what you were up to when you were holed up in there all that time…"
Lilly says, heaving a sigh. She looks at the deep-aqua blade as if she already knows all
about it.
"I knew what we'd have to do, and I knew we didn't have much time. In order to save
the Xenos…Yes, I had to put aside my foolish pride. If we don't have something like
this, we won't be able to get around the other adventurers."
I am still frozen in place—although now it's because of sheer surprise.
I can't believe that Welf has announced so clearly he intends to save the Xenos.
"What's with the strange face, Bell?" Welf says with a questioning look.
"Wh-what do you mean, what…?!" I can't help shouting. "I abandoned you and did all
that stuff without asking any of you!! And I caused our familia all kinds of trouble and
pain as a result!! I…was so sure that all of you detested me…"
All the feelings and doubts I've kept locked up inside until now spew out uncontrollably.
I'm sorry. It's not that I expect to be forgiven, but I'm sorry.
As I desperately try to get out those words, Welf beats me to it.
"Bell, I told you before. Don't apologize."
A memory springs to mind.
This is what familias do, right? Support one another.
Stir up all the trouble you want. I've got no room to complain.
That was what Welf said to me in this very room during the mission to escort Wiene
to the twentieth floor. As I recall them, I can't help but feel moved.
"But if you'll let me scold you a bit…Next time, don't leave us behind, okay?"
Welf grins. Next to him, Mikoto crinkles her blue-violet eyes.
"Sir Bell, there's nothing wrong with you. Because no matter how much we thought it
over, we definitely would have come to the same decision as you…All you did was get
a head start on the rest of us."
I have no response to that. Next, Haruhime sneaks up quietly beside me.
"You were suffering this whole time, weren't you? My deepest apologies. I should have
spoken with you sooner."
"Haruhime…"
"Thank you very much for rescuing Lady Wiene. I am truly happy," she says with wet
eyes, her smile and words unfolding like cherry blossoms.
Their expressions are a mirror image of the tearful smiles Lido and the others showed
me as they held the sleeping Wiene in their arms and thanked me.
Lilly has been watching as I talked with Welf and Mikoto and exchanged heartfelt looks
with Haruhime.
"—Geez, you are all so softhearted!! I'm not ashamed to say it—I feel differently than
you! I am still completely against rescuing the monsters!!" she screeches, as if she has
reached the limit of her tolerance.
Her face was turned away, but now she slowly widens her eyes and looks up at us.
"But…there's nothing to be done if the majority has decided otherwise."
"Lilly…"
A smile spreads over the prum girl's face like a sunflower.
"The idea of deserting Mr. Bell or of Mr. Bell deserting any of us…Well, I just don't like
it. Anyway, I'm used to being an outcast. I'm not afraid of a bunch of disappointed
stares," she says.
"…"
I haven't been able to look at them straight since the day I went behind their backs,
and I now slowly turn to each one. Lilly, Welf, Mikoto, Haruhime.
Syr was right.
I have lost some things, but other things remain.
A single tear slides from my eye.
How many times have they saved me? How many times have I felt this way?
I'm so happy I met them…and that we became a familia.
"I'm sorry…Thank you," I say in a hoarse voice, pressing my arm against the flushed
tip of my nose.
"…So it's decided. We will save the Xenos, all of us together!"
Our goddess, who has been watching us with kind eyes, brushes away the sentimental
atmosphere with her bright announcement. We all nod in unison and smile as she
gives voice to her divine will.
"I'll just say, though, that the situation isn't any better than it was before. Getting
around the other adventurers, not to mention Loki Familia…Well, it's going to be even
tougher than clearing a deep level in the Dungeon."
"So you're saying if we can do this, conquering the deep levels will be a piece of cake,
right?" says Welf with a grin.
"Don't get carried away now," Lilly responds, glaring at him.
And with that typical exchange, the old Hestia Familia is back.
"We've got ourselves some fine opponents, that much is certain…In fact, they may be
a bit too powerful," says Mikoto.
"Anything for the sake of Lady Wiene and the Xenos," replies Haruhime.
Both of them look resolute.
Everyone is already aligned toward the same goal.
"Okay, Bell, get us in the mood! Give us a few words, and speak up when you do!" Welf
says, turning to flash me a fearless smile.
Piggybacking on his mood, the goddess is suddenly excited.
"Yeah, Welf, good idea! Let's all get in a circle!"
"Uh, that kind of thing is embarrassing…" says Lilly.
"Ha-ha, Supporter. This is an order from your leader. You must obey!"
"Of course, now of all times…!"
Mikoto and Haruhime giggle at the sight of the smug goddess and the grumbling Lilly.
As for me, I'm well past my bout of crying. I wipe my face and rush over to join the
circle.
The goddess extends her arms into the middle, and everyone else does the same,
overlapping their hands in the center. I follow their lead.
"Okay, then…Go ahead."
I hesitate for just a second before deciding what I'll say, then nod at the smiling faces
turned my way. Under the eye of the owl perched on the back of a chair, my voice swells
along with my thoughts.
"Let's save Wiene and the Xenos!"
"Yeah!!"
The endless rain has lifted.
"We head for Knossos, where we'll move in accord with Bell Cranell and his familia."
Fels was addressing the Xenos, who were gathered in the crumbling sewer tunnel
leading to the well.
"The adventurers…and Loki Familia may well discover us, but the only possible route
is to infiltrate Daedalus's legacy. We could probably also take the underground route
that leads out of the city, but that is most likely a single road with no forks. Loki Familia
will unquestionably have strengthened their defenses, and if they are lying in wait for
us, we will be helpless."
"You say we'll move in accord with Bell, but will that really be possible? I don't think
we'll be able to just wing it…"
"If they agree with what I wrote in the letter, then sooner or later Bell Cranell and his
familia will link up with us. For now, I want you to trust in my decision and theirs."
"And what about those who were separated?"
"All we can do is send them a signal. The adventurers may have already guessed our
plans, but we will send out a message and all push toward Daedalus Street at once."
As the siren Rei, the gargoyle Gros, and the other Xenos questioned Fels about the plan
that would determine their collective fate, the mage responded to each without
hesitation.
During this exchange, Lido alone stood staring glumly at his feet.
"Lido…? What's wrong?" Wiene asked, noticing his dejected mood.
"It's nothing; I just feel bad because we're depending so heavily on Bellucchi and his
familia…We're causing them so much trouble," he said, then adding in a murmur
between his fangs, "I feel so ashamed."
"Lido. I understand how you're feeling, but so long as Ouranos is unable to act openly,
there are very few people we can go to for help. All we can do is cling to Hestia
Familia…" Fels said.
"I know, I know…but still."
"Lido."
Wiene stretched out a hand and stroked the lizardman's arm, her fingers gently
catching hold of the scarlet scales.
"You know what Haruhime told me? On the surface, there's a story called 'The Grateful
Snow Spirit.'"
"Grateful…?"
"Yes. To thank the people who saved her, the spirit brought them all sorts of things. So
one day, we, too…"
The garnet-like red stone in her forehead flashing, Wiene beamed with joy.
"…we, too, can give lots of help to Bell and the others who help us, right?"
Lido looked in surprise at the innocent eyes that smiled up at him. The girl who had
cried incessantly after being separated from Bell was nowhere to be seen.
"Wiene…you've changed."
"?"
Turning to ash and falling into the abyss of death seemed to have awakened her—
albeit unconsciously—to the cruelty of mankind and also to the equally powerful
beauty of their potential for kindness. She had been held and fulfilled by the humble
dream in the heart of the boy. She had been saved by the kindness—perhaps the
foolish kindness—of a single person. The vouivre had been pulled from the dream she
had held through many lives and found a new desire—a wish to take the kindness that
had enveloped her and give it back to someone other than herself.
Yes, she had changed since meeting the boy.
Standing before the puzzled Wiene, Lido squinted his brilliant yellow eyes as if blinded
by light.
"Yes, you're right…If we get through this, we'll have a lot of favors to return to Bellucchi
and his familia!"
"Yes!"
Rei, Gros, and the other Xenos watched gently as Lido and Wiene smiled at each other.
Even Fels's black robe shook, as if the skeleton within were laughing.
"…Let's get back to talking about how to get to Knossos," the mage said, withdrawing
a magic item engraved with a D from the dark robe's depths.
"Our only advantage is that we possess this key."
Fels held up the Orb of Knossos, embedded within the ingot and passed down through
the Daedalus lineage.
This orb would allow them to open and shut the orichalcum door.
"Is that the one I stole from the man I killed…?" Gros asked.
"If Asterios is alive, he should have the other one…" says Rei.
The key that Fels held was the one that had belonged to Glenn of Ikelos Familia. After
Glenn threw the cursed spear at Wiene during her rampage, Gros killed him and Fels
took the key from his hand. The other key—the one Bell had taken from Lyu's pouch—
had made its way back to the black minotaur.
"The hunting adventurers and Loki Familia have probably not been able to get their
hands on one of these."
"In other words…"
"Yes. As long as we know the location of the entrances, we can enter Knossos from any
of them. And once we close the door behind us, even Loki Familia will not be able to
follow us."
In other words, if Fels and the Xenos made it to Knossos, it would be their victory.
Illuminated by a dim ray of light that pierced the darkness, a lamia and a troll clapped
excitedly.
"All that remains is to do as I said at the beginning. Rely on Bell Cranell and his familia
to help us reach Knossos."
"When you say help us, do you mean they'll meet up with us?"
"No—Bell will act as our decoy."
The instant Fels said so, the Xenos—among whom Bell's popularity was currently skyhigh—raised their eyes toward the mage one after another. Lido, Rei, and even Gros
frowned, and tears came to Wiene's eyes.
"Fels. Do you plan to use Bell and his familia again…?"
"What scum."
"You dirty old bag of bones."
"I hate you, Fels!"
"Wait a minute, stop slandering me! My bones have nothing to do with it!! And, Wiene,
your tears are killing me, so will you please listen to everything I have to say first?!"
the living skeleton shrieked. The scorn of the siren, the harsh words of the gargoyle
and lizardman, and more than anything, the tearful glare of the vouivre were too much
to bear.
A more detailed explanation of decoy soon followed.
"Due to the recent string of events, Bell Cranell stands out too much. Even now he is
the target of criticism and envy throughout the city, and probably suspicion as well.
But we will use that to our advantage."
"…By creating a diversion?" Gros murmured.
"Yes. By acting independently of us, he'll draw away the attention of the adventurers."
The gods and some of the other forces in the city most likely had sensed that Bell
Cranell was at the center of the current affair, Fels explained. While their attention was
turned toward the young adventurer, Fels and the Xenos would move stealthily toward
Knossos.
Lido and the others seemed satisfied with this explanation, but Wiene looked sad.
"So does that mean we won't get to see Bell?"
"It does. Please find some way to accept that, Wiene," Fels urged her.
The mage in black then explained the core of the plan.
"We will shift the attention of Loki Familia to Bell Cranell."
"…And that's probably what our opponent is thinking."
Leaders and lower-level members of Loki Familia alike had gathered in their
encampment in a corner of the Labyrinth District, where Finn was conducting a
meeting.
"The armed monsters will probably use Bell Cranell as a diversion and attempt to
enter Knossos, so we'll pretend that we've fallen for their trick and lay a trap in a
different location. But the important thing will be to pay attention to what's happening
in the opposite direction of Bell Cranell."
Now that the rain had lifted, the curtain of night had fallen over Daedalus Street. The
faces of the adventurers were illuminated by phosphorescence from the magic-stone
lamps they had hung around the campsite. As Finn explained their next moves, a buzz
passed through their ranks.
"Hey, Finn, is that mangy rabbit really working with the monsters?" the werewolf Bete
asked with a sour look.
"In a bad mood, eh, Bete?" Riveria said.
"Shut your mouth!"
Finn watched Bete as he snapped back at the high elf. Though he was staring at him,
however, he worded his response with the silent Aiz in mind.
"At the very least, Bell Cranell is in a position to be used, whether of his own free will
or because they're fooling him. In any case, Bell Cranell cannot be our ally this
time…Please be aware of that."
Aiz and Tiona—both of whom had accompanied Bell during his special training for
the war games—appeared to believe that would be difficult. Sitting beside the mute
golden-eyed, golden-haired Sword Princess, the artless Amazonian girl locked her
hands behind her head.
"Uh, I didn't really get that, but basically you're saying that if we let the Argonaut
distract us, everything goes down the drain?"
"Yes. Of course, we can't just let him do whatever he wants, so right now Cruz and a
couple of the others are watching him."
"Better yet, Captain, why not capture him before he has a chance to do anything?"
Tione suggested with her typical Amazonian penchant for wild ideas.
Finn responded with a wry smile.
"Well, despite how everyone is treating Bell Cranell like a villain right now, there's no
definite proof against him. If we did something like that, I think we'd end up getting
criticized ourselves. The Guild already has its eye on us. It would be scary if we got on
the wrong side of the goddess Hephaistos, as she's friends with Hestia Familia."
Tione frowned before continuing undeterred.
"Seems like a complicated mess. But, Captain, one more question. I know the armed
monsters are highly intelligent, but are they really smart enough to come up with a
strategy like that…?"
"They've got a leader of some sort…Isn't that right, Gareth?"
"They do indeed. When the battle took place here, I watched from the top of a building.
I saw someone wearing a black robe. I'm not sure if it was a monster or a person…but
it seemed to be some kind of tamer," Gareth responded to Finn's question. This answer
satisfied Tione.
Suddenly, Tiona spoke up as if she had just remembered something.
"Speaking of which, are you sure we don't need to search the sewers? The other
adventurers have caught sight of the monsters down there a few times, you know."
"That would divide our forces. If our defenses here in Orario are too thin and the
monsters break through, it will all be over. They've probably been letting people see
them intentionally over the past few days with precisely that goal in mind."
The wise prum leading Loki Familia had correctly analyzed Fels's plans. For the
monsters, his power of intuition was a nightmare.
"More than anything, we must be wary of the black minotaur…Even if he has been
wounded, we cannot let our guard down," he continued. This was his deepest concern.
At the mention of the beast, the mood in the room grew tense. Bete and Tione raised
their eyebrows, and even Aiz stiffened.
"Well, if you hadn't lost your temper, Tione, we could have brought it down real quick,"
Tiona grumbled to her sister, who had gone into a frenzy during the battle, completely
undermining any attempt to work together.
"What?!" Tione barked.
"Its techniques are nothing to write home about. If we can just get close enough, we'll
have no problem fighting it. But…it is far and away more powerful than any monster
we've crushed in the past."
Bete ignored the bickering sisters and spoke with irritation.
He judged the minotaur's strategies and techniques as underdeveloped but admitted
that its wild latent power far exceeded theirs.
The monster hadn't cared one bit about their counterattacks; indeed, the more
desperately they fought, the more overwhelming its response had been.
"You're right. Its ability to withstand our offensive was incredible. No matter how hard
Tione and the others struck it, it showed no sign of being hurt. Only that direct hit
from Aiz's wind finally did something," Riveria said calmly.
"If we assume it's one of those black-rhino subspecies, then its skin will be tough, to
start with. And if it's been enhanced, well then, it's extraordinarily dangerous. I think
we should consider it a floor boss, not just an ordinary monster. But if we handle it
right, as Tione says, we can take it down," Gareth added in an equally calm and
objective tone.
Finn nodded his agreement.
"But…"
Aiz had finally spoken up.
"That monster…It's going to get even stronger."
Every member of Loki Familia's leadership clamped their mouth shut. Her words
expressed what all the first-tier adventurers had intuitively sensed: The black monster
was still in the midst of its development.
The other adventurers gulped audibly.
"We'll kill that black minotaur if it's the only thing we do. If it's still developing, then
it's quite dangerous. Sooner or later it will become a menace," Finn announced to the
group before licking the pad of his right thumb.
"Considering the route the enemy took, from the eighteenth floor to the surface,
there's no question that they have a key. We will defend to the death all entrances to
Knossos that we have discovered," he commanded, looking up.
"Familia members will be stationed throughout Daedalus Street. This is how we lay
our trap."
"…That's probably what Braver and his familia are thinking right about now."
In the torch-lit Chamber of Prayers beneath Guild Headquarters, Hermes was
addressing Ouranos, who sat on the dais in the underground altar.
"So if they make the standard moves, they won't be able to outfox Braver. He's just a
little too smart. If it were a question of experience, then the original Sage would
win…But unfortunately, they've fought different types of battles," he said.
"Fels is a civilian official, in a manner of speaking. The truth is, on the battlefield, the
Sage is a poor match for a military leader like Braver," Ouranos replied.
Hermes pulled the chair next to him over to the altar, sat down, and began whittling a
chunk of wood. In a manner of minutes, the skillful god had carved two chess pieces:
a prum with a spear in his hand and a robed mage. He placed them on a chessboard
that sat on a pedestal. He had taken the liberty of bringing the board with him from
his room at home.
As he talked with Ouranos, he carved one chess piece after the next.
"The Guild has collected the remains of the golems, but Braver probably realized they
weren't monsters," Ouranos said.
"When Braver develops his strategy, he will take into consideration the fact that the
mage is assisting the Xenos. Braver's intuition is so good it even gives us deities the
chills."
Next to the prum, Hermes set a fencer holding a sword, a fairy brandishing a long
wand, and berserkers raising scimitars and huge knives. Around the mage, he placed
a lizardman and a gargoyle.
Finally, the human and monster encampments on the chessboard were complete. As
if looking down on their children from the heavens, Hermes and Ouranos gazed at the
opposing forces and unerringly assessed the situation.
"The sage has a number of magic items that go beyond what Braver will be
expecting…If there's a way out for the Xenos, that's it."
"And if there's one unpredictable element…it's probably Freya, wouldn't you say?"
After thinking for a moment, Hermes ceremoniously carved a long-haired woman and
set her off to the side of the board.
"However…"
As the elderly god gazed at him, Hermes suddenly narrowed his yellow-orange eyes.
"In the end, the one who really matters is him," he said, beginning to carve a final piece.
"We've discussed many things, but in the end, it all rests on the boy."
In a corner of the sewer tunnel where even the darkness of night did not penetrate,
the jet-black robes of a fallen sage rustled.
"If anything is going to provoke Irregulars, it's him. Do not let down your guard, and
do not overlook him. That adventurer will leap far beyond our expectations. He's done
it in the past, and he'll do it again."
In the momentarily hushed Labyrinth District, the brave prum narrowed his blue eyes.
"Everyone is looking at you. So dance—cheerfully, humorously, just like they're all
expecting. I'll be there for you."
As sparks flew from the pine torches on the ancient altar, the god set down the carved
rabbit in the center of the chessboard.
—Yes, he held the key.
In different places but at the same moment, the fool, the hero, and the god raised their
voices in unison.
"""Bell Cranell."""