Chapter 255: Another Earth-Shattering Revelation

Three days had passed since the incident in the City of Rivira, and only then did Bell return to Orario from the Dungeon.

As soon as he left the Dungeon, he rushed straight back.

When no one was watching, Bell quietly returned to the Hestia Familia.

But once he entered the Great Barrier, he noticed two unfamiliar gods and two adventurers.

'Besides Hermes-sama, even Loki-sama is here?'

Realizing this, Bell quickly headed into the Great Tree House.

The moment he stepped inside, he saw the two gods seated opposite Hestia and Hephaestus—it was Hermes and Loki.

Standing behind them were three guardians:

Muddle, a Level 3; Perseus, a Level 4; and Vanargand, a Level 5.

Bell's sudden entrance immediately drew everyone's attention.

Hermes looked at Bell with interest.

Loki, on the other hand, eyed him with a hint of scrutiny.

Their stares left Bell somewhat puzzled.

"Goddess-sama, I'm back."

"Mm! Bell-kun, I missed you so much!"

Hestia, completely unconcerned with her image as a goddess, immediately leapt into Bell's arms the moment he said "I'm back."

She had been doing nothing at home for days while Bell was out exploring the Middle Floors.

On top of that, with the recent incident in the safety zone on the 18th Floor, Hestia had been restraining the urge to call him back for some time.

Though getting smothered by Goddess-sama's chest was thrilling, now wasn't exactly the time for that.

With a bit of regret, he gently pulled her off and asked, somewhat confused:

"Goddess-sama, why is Loki-sama here today?"

"Ah, Loki came to ask you for clues. It's about one of her Familia's adventurers."

'Clues?'

'I see, it's about the ace of the Loki Familia—Ais Wallenstein, the Sword Princess.'

Bell thought for a moment, then grew curious.

"Loki-sama, why are you asking me about the Sword Princess? I only know what's common knowledge."

Loki didn't beat around the bush and got straight to the point.

"It's about what happened in the City of Rivira. Ever since Ais-tan got back, she's been acting weird. So I wanted to ask—besides that mysterious guy who messed with her, did anything else happen?"

Now Bell understood why Loki had come.

'If that's the case, then it must be connected to the matter I've been researching and investigating recently.'

With that, he turned to Lulune, who stood beside Hermes.

"Of course, the root of it all lies with the young lady from the Hermes Familia who took on the delivery request."

"Me?"

Lulune pointed at herself innocently, cold sweat pouring down as Loki's gaze swept over her. She quickly waved her hands.

"I don't know! I really don't know anything!"

"I just heard the reward was high, so I took the job. I don't know anything else."

Bell nodded in agreement with her words.

"You really don't know anything. If you did, you'd probably be dead."

The first part made Lulune breathe a sigh of relief—but the second half sent a chill down her spine.

Bell continued.

"The origin of everything lies in the truth hidden behind the mission you accepted."

The Sword Princess had been thoroughly beaten on the 18th floor. The assailant clearly had the power to kill her, yet chose only to forcibly take her away.

"The Violas hidden in Orario's underground sewers.

The source of it all lies there."

With a snap of his fingers, the green gem-like embryo stored in four-dimensional space appeared in Bell's hand.

"This is the root of everything—and also the third force within the Dungeon I've been investigating, beyond the Adventurers and Evilus."

That barrage of revelations made Hermes' smile falter.

'...Zeus, you bastard, just what did you teach this kid?'

He couldn't understand how a child who'd only recently become an adventurer could be talking about a "third force in the Dungeon."

Loki was completely frozen.

She had only come here to test the waters, to see if Bell knew anything—but she never expected him to drop such explosive information.

"A third force? What exactly have you been investigating?"

Bell truly looked innocent.

He hadn't deliberately pursued that line of inquiry. It was just that, in the process of searching for answers, he'd uncovered a few things—things he could explain, and even prove.

"I didn't intentionally investigate anything. I just learned a few things while researching and looking for a solution."

"I know it's troublesome, but given what's happened recently, I believe this could be the key to future problems."

"Goddess-sama, please return to your seat. I'll explain everything carefully."

Hestia obediently returned to her seat, and Bell began his explanation.

"Three days ago, a murder occurred on the 18th floor. The victim was confirmed to be Level 4. I didn't identify them personally, but I heard they were a member of the Ganesha Familia."

"Hard Fist Fighter Hashana Dorlia."

"Thanks for the clarification."

After thanking Perseus for the correction, Bell continued.

"Clearly, the person who commissioned a Level 4 adventurer from the Ganesha Familia to retrieve something from the lower floors wasn't ordinary. That individual knew the Dungeon had recently undergone major upheaval, knew something existed on a specific floor, and had the means to issue a secret request."

"So, I initially suspected they were either from Evilus or the Guild."

"But after some analysis, I'm now confident they're from the Guild."

Asfi pushed up her glasses and raised her hand.

"Why are you sure they're not from Evilus?"

"That's simple—there's no need for them to be."

"Back during the Monsterphilia, it was already revealed that Violas were hiding in the underground sewers. The gods and organizations affiliated with Evilus wouldn't bother being so secretive or outsourcing the job."

"Besides, I believe Evilus and the Dungeon's third force are currently in a mutually beneficial relationship, which led me to this conclusion."

"The mysterious client isn't with Evilus—they're from the Guild."

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

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