A dangerous air hung over the streets of Rivira Town.
"Mm… the rogue city is still the same as ever…"
Lefiya hugged her staff to her chest, trudging back toward the meeting point in low spirits.
The deeper one went into the Dungeon, the wider and more expansive each floor became.
The letter Ais sent to Loki only stated that she had accepted the commission and headed alone for the Twenty-Fourth Floor.
Without knowing her exact destination, trying to track her down based solely on traces of battle would likely take an enormous amount of time.
So, aside from Ryuu, whose status made things complicated, the others took advantage of the time Bell and Filvis were speaking privately and split up to gather information around Rivira Town.
"Did you find anything?"
Seeing the irritated looks on Cassandra and the others, Lefiya already knew the answer.
"No… They actually said information costs money…"
Cassandra complained bitterly.
Rivira Town followed absolute strength-based rule.
If Finn and the others from Loki Familia had been present, the locals would have answered obediently.
But timid girls like Lefiya and Cassandra naturally became easy targets, treated as walking money bags by the thugs.
"This makes me so mad! Those jerks are taking advantage of us! They wouldn't even lower the price!"
Lefiya clenched her staff tightly.
"Lefiya-sama, you're way too easy to fool… Don't tell me you were actually planning to pay them?"
Lili said bluntly.
To think that even the top-tier Loki Familia could have someone this naive.
Lili suddenly understood why Lefiya's relationship with the boy had ended up the way it did.
"Um… I didn't bring enough money…"
Lefiya replied weakly.
In truth, if she hadn't left in such a rush and forgotten her money, she would have paid without hesitation just to get information about Ais.
"..."
Lili gave her a look usually reserved for fools.
With a soft sigh, she said, "Why don't you hand your money over to Bell-sama and let him manage it for you, Lefiya-sama?"
"Huh? W-why are you bringing up Bell Cranel-san?!"
Lefiya frowned in panic.
"It's nothing. Lili's just jealous…"
Seeing Mikoto and the others approaching, Lili quickly changed the subject.
"How about the rest of you? Any luck?"
"Nope. They saw we were new and thought we'd be easy marks…"
Welf came back looking disgruntled.
Daphne also shook her head helplessly.
"You're not thinking of paying your way through like Lefiya-sama, are you?"
Lili raised her head and looked each of them in the eye.
Cassandra and Mikoto both turned their gazes aside, unable to answer.
So it wasn't just one idiot…
Lili let out a long sigh before speaking.
"I managed to get some information."
Lili had found an Amazon shop owner who bought Drop Items.
After an intense round of haggling, she sold some lower-quality drops at a cheap price and managed to extract information about Ais.
According to the shop owner, Ais had visited Rivira Town earlier.
After buying supplies at the largest store in town, she had left in a hurry.
In addition to that, Lili also gathered information about the Twenty-Fourth Floor.
"Lili heard that the official route down there is already packed with monsters."
"W-what…?!"
A terrible premonition flashed through Lefiya's mind.
The [disaster] Filvis spoke of seemed to have already bared its fangs.
"If a monster surge really has occurred, the traces of battle will be buried by new ones. Even if the Captain goes along, it would still be very hard to find the Sword Princess," Daphne said calmly.
"Mm… let's try asking at the town's largest collection station. There might be some new information."
Lili knew that no matter what, Bell wouldn't change his mind.
She tucked away her worries and followed the others down another street.
...
"That's right. The Sword Princess did come to this old man's shop."
Bors wore an eyepatch, his features fierce and intimidating.
The few others lingering inside the shop were wrapped in the same ruffian-like air.
"That's great! May I ask… did Ais-san mention where she planned to go, or what exactly she bought?"
Lefiya got straight to the point.
Lili, meanwhile, clicked her tongue silently in complaint.
This idiot. Revealing her intentions the moment she opens her mouth. She's basically begging to be ripped off.
Just as Lili expected, Bors rubbed his chin and spoke slowly, as if thinking hard.
"Seems like she did say something… what did she buy again… My memory's not so good. If I heard the jingle of some coins, maybe it'd come back to me."
"Um… how much do you want?"
Lefiya understood immediately. Like everyone else, he was asking for a fee in exchange for information.
Her eyebrow twitched as she asked for a concrete price.
"Lefiya-sama?! Don't fall for it that easily!"
Lili couldn't help blurting it out.
"What's this…? You new around here? I'm doing business with this lady. Don't interfere."
Bors shot the group a vicious glare.
"Eek…?"
Cassandra staggered back a step.
Mikoto was startled as well, but she still moved in front of the others, taking a stance as if to draw her blade.
"What, you looking for a fight? Hey, Mord! Come give this old man a hand!"
Bors grinned like a true thug.
From the back of the shop, several adventurers who had been browsing stepped forward, cracking their knuckles and muttering about compensation.
The burly adventurer leading them was named Mord. Just as he was about to spit out a threat, he blinked in surprise.
"Hey, wait a second. Aren't you Bell Cranel's party members?!"
Recognizing Daphne from the War Game, Mord immediately understood who they were.
"Looks like it…"
Bors thought for a moment, then spoke with complete indifference.
"That's got nothing to do with me. An information fee doesn't even come close to repaying a favor. I can't go breaking the rules around here."
Bell and Loki Familia had once helped out during the Viola incident.
Bors made it clear that favors could be repaid when the time came, but money was a separate matter entirely.
"Um… what exactly do you mean by 'rules'?"
Faced with such thug logic, Lefiya was completely confused.
"Ah… guess I forgot to mention it. I'm the rule around here."
Bors went back to polishing his goods.
It was as if he were saying that if they didn't have money, they should stop bothering him.
"Hey, it's just a bit of information. Is this really necessary?"
Mord turned around, directing his anger at the so-called master of Rogue Street.
"Hah? Got a death wish, talking to me like that?!"
Bors stood up, roughly knocking over the chair behind him.
"You bastard! Since you already know who they are, hurry up and spill the information!"
Mord shot back without backing down.
"Tch. What are you, some kind of dog? Taking a small-time rookie as your master?"
"What did you say?! I—I was planning to take that kid under my wing and make him my subordinate!"
"..."
Amid the back-and-forth exchange of insults, Lefiya and the others couldn't get a word in edgewise.
Just as the situation was about to boil over, Bell's voice drifted in from outside the shop.
"I heard your conversation from the street corner. It sounded pretty interesting."
Bell stepped inside, holding hands with the slightly bashful Filvis.
With a light smile, he crossed the threshold into the shop.