"What? Did you say you took in one of those Xenos?"
"Yes. I found him near the slums. He was injured, so I provided the necessary treatment."
In a corner of the abandoned slums, inside a dilapidated house hidden from public view, Al Cranel spoke to an unknown person through a magical communication tool called an Oculus.
He was alone. The wind, carrying the distinct foul odors of the slums, whistled through the shattered windows of the crumbling building. Inside, the house was stripped of furniture, creating a bleak atmosphere—except for the center of the room, which looked different.
Al had laid out two mats where a massive, large-grade monster now rested. That giant body, which had been covered in wounds just a short while ago, was now fully healed. The monster's breathing, once ragged with pain, had steadied into a calm rhythm.
"How did he manage to leave the Dungeon..."
Silence followed from the other end of the magic tool. The speaker possessed a neutral voice that betrayed neither age nor gender, appearing lost in thought.
"Now, what should we do? He stands nearly two meters tall. It will be difficult to hide him and return him to the Dungeon without drawing attention."
Currently, Al remained in this abandoned house. Because the area was deserted, he had managed to protect this outcast monster, but this situation could not last forever. As Al noted, the creature's size made a stealthy return to the Dungeon nearly impossible; one could easily imagine the chaos if a civilian spotted him.
"Using the Babel entrance will be difficult with so many eyes watching..."
"I see... Very well. I will have the Guild issue a temporary restriction on Dungeon entry shortly. When that happens, move him carefully. Watch out for any adventurers who might already be inside."
"Understood. I'll handle it."
The voice belonged to Fels, who acted as the right hand of the god Ouranos. Fels relayed secret, specialized requests to Al through the magic tool. After praising Al's expected success, Fels cut the connection.
●○●○●
"Please, calm down. First, Lady Riveria has something to explain to both of you."
The other figure was a masked Elf dressed in predominantly green attire. She addressed Filvis, who was attempting to flee from Riveria for some reason, and Lefiya, who was struggling to pull Filvis back. Judging by her stance and presence, she was likely a swordswoman.
At first glance, her frame seemed slender, yet it radiated a functional beauty devoid of any excess. Her fluid movements reflected the skill of a seasoned warrior who left no openings. A cloth completely covered her face, obscuring her expressions, but her voice was calm and steady, indicating a composed personality.
However, it was the magical aura radiating naturally from her that made Lefiya catch her breath in awe. She was clearly a first-rate mage.
"Are you... the masked Elf we met on the twenty-fourth and eighteenth floors?"
Lefiya whispered to herself in surprise. She hadn't doubted the Elf's strength before, but her skills then seemed to be at the level of a second-tier adventurer—not comparable to the leaders of the Loki Familia.
Yet, the aura this Elf emitted now was entirely different. It was dense, refined, and focused—so much so that Lefiya, despite being a back-line mage, could feel it clearly against her skin.
She was undoubtedly Level 5 or higher. She couldn't be anything less. Perhaps even...
"Her aura is just like Lady Ais's..."
"She is an Elf, just like you two, who successfully completed the quest."
"Successfully... completed it?"
To Lefiya and her companion, this Elf was an ally who had once fought by their side. After speaking, the masked Elf turned toward Riveria, as if waiting for her to speak.
"I will get straight to the point. While I appreciate you coming, I have news that may not please you."
Lefiya tilted her head in confusion as she saw Riveria clutching her head as if nursing a headache. Riveria took a deep breath and continued.
"First, I want you to forget I am here and forget the quest entirely... though that seems impossible now. Royman issued that request on his own when he learned I was heading to the Spirit Home."
"The Spirit Home? The place from legends and folk tales? I thought it was just a myth..."
Filvis said this while still trying to escape, even as Lefiya dragged her back. The story of "The Tale of the Sacred Tree" took place in the Spirit Home, where Elves lived alongside Spirits, but no one had ever heard of the place actually existing. Everyone believed it was mere fiction, but Riveria shook her head.
"No, the Spirit Home is real. I am going there on a special mission... however, that man, Royman, objected to a first-class adventurer leaving Orario alone. That is why he issued the request on his own initiative."
"Ah, so he wants to hire Elven escorts?"
"That's part of it. But the more important reason is that Royman cares deeply about appearances. At this time of year, many Elves from high-ranking tribes visit the Spirit Home."
"I understand now. If a High Elf traveled alone, it would call the city's etiquette and protocols into question. People might think she lacked the funds to hire servants, which could lead them to look down on us."
"Exactly."
Elves, as a race, are characterized by noble pride and aloofness, for better or worse. Because of this, many possess exaggerated egos and exclusionary tendencies; some even go as far as despising other races. If a High Elf—who is higher than the gods in their eyes—were treated poorly, they would take it as a grave insult, even if no slight were intended. It could even lead them to become hostile toward Orario as a whole.
"That man spares no effort in advertising Orario's superiority. I suspect his primary motive is to maintain the prestige of the Labyrinth City. This quest was nothing more than a test to select cultured individuals who would look proper in the eyes of our kin gathered at the Spirit Home."
Riveria shrugged wearily and followed with a sigh.
"I acknowledged the quest, so I have fulfilled my duty to Royman. There is no need to follow his whims any further. Out of courtesy, I felt it necessary to explain things to those who passed the test and pay the reward directly... but please, keep the existence of the Spirit Home and my journey there strictly confidential. I am sorry for dragging you into this."
"Please, wait! Are you going alone?!"
"That's dangerous. We don't know what you might face on the road."
While Riveria bowed her head slightly in apology, Lefiya and Filvis rushed to protest her going alone—even though Filvis was still trying to stay outside the tavern so Riveria wouldn't see her.
"It's fine. There is no problem. Although I am a mage, I am Level 6. If the opponents are monsters outside the city, I will never be defeated."
"I... I want to go too! Since the quest proved my eligibility, please take me with you!"
"If you allow me, I will do my utmost to protect you as much as I can."
"Lady Filvis, you're coming too, right?! Leaving a High Elf lady to travel alone would be a stain on our honor as Elves!"
The masked Elf lowered her head quietly like a loyal servant, while Lefiya, gripping Filvis's hand tightly, demanded her agreement as she pulled her toward the tavern.
"Kgh...!! F-Fine!! I cannot let Lady Riveria go alone!"
"The voice is coming from outside...? And wait, when did you even go out there?"
"Even if my body is tainted, I will do anything you ask of me. Command me as you wish!"
Filvis's strained voice drifted in from outside as she agreed to join, causing the masked Elf to make a sound of either shock or perhaps admiration.
"Sigh... Very well, then."
"Yahoo!!"
"Thank you for allowing us to accompany you."
"I am so happy!"
"Since you are coming with me, that strange Elf outside—whether she is 'tainted' or whatever else she claims—will have to get used to my presence."
●○●○●
"What did you say?! That brat was kidnapped?!"
Several days had passed since the Rakia Kingdom's attack was repelled and their plot to seize the Crozzo Magic Swords was foiled. It was clear from the start that Rakia had no chance of victory given the vast power gap.
Precisely because of that, the report that Hestia had been kidnapped by the Rakia army was entirely unexpected. Loki shouted, trying to suppress the urge to clutch her head from a sudden migraine after receiving the emergency summons from the Guild.
"That big-breasted brat always brings us trouble at the worst possible times..."
At the Northern Gate of Orario's city walls, adventurers and merchants moved with frantic energy. The leaders of the major Familias and high-ranking adventurers had been notified of Hestia's abduction, and rescue preparations had begun. Loki's frustration grew because this incident occurred at a critical moment, while they were busy purging the remnants of the Evils and preparing to storm Knossos.
"The Kingdom's goal in kidnapping Goddess Hestia is definitely the Crozzo Magic Swords. They likely plan to use her as a divine hostage to force negotiations in their favor."
"Most likely."
────── The Crozzo Magic Swords.
These were magic swords carrying the power of Spirits, forged by a smith in ancient times after he saved a Spirit from a monster. Those legendary blades were being forged once again thanks to the bloodline inheritance in the Crozzo family and their receipt of the Falna.
Normally, magic swords do not require a chant; they release magic weaker than the original spell. However, the Crozzo swords contain the power of Spirits, making their strength equal to or greater than real magic. Their performance far exceeds ordinary magic swords.
In the past, a family member sold those swords to the Rakia Kingdom, giving its army overwhelming firepower that allowed them to win every war and build the legend of an invincible army. However, during those wars, they burned forests, leveled mountains, diverted rivers, and parched the land, inciting the wrath of the Spirits due to the environmental destruction. As a result, every magic sword in the kingdom shattered, and the family members lost their ability to forge them. With the loss of the Crozzo Magic Swords, the legend of the Rakia Kingdom collapsed.
However...
"His name was Welf Crozzo, right? I remember he was a member of the Hephaestus Familia."
For some reason, a boy from that lost bloodline appeared and could forge magic swords rivaling those from before the Spirits' wrath. That boy was Welf Crozzo, one of the kidnapped Hestia's followers. He had fulfilled his family's wish to revive the swords without wanting to, and the Rakia Kingdom, coveting his power, kidnapped Hestia to use as a hostage.
"We must rescue Goddess Hestia quickly, or things will get worse."
Whether the Guild responded to their demands or not, holding Hestia hostage gave them the upper hand in negotiations. If the demands weren't met, it could spark resentment among the Familias associated with Hestia—including the powerful blacksmithing Hephaestus Familia—which could, in the worst-case scenario, split the alliance.
"Loki, Finn."
"Lord Ganesha didn't mean any harm when he opened the gate, but..."
"Oh, Ais, Al. You've arrived. Where are Tiona and the others?"
"Only the two of us could make it right now."
While the leaders were busy searching for the Knossos "Keys," Al and Ais, who were nearby, reached the gate where many adventurers had already gathered.
"E-Excuse me, was the Goddess really kidnapped?!"
"Yeah, that idiot Ares took her."
"I can't believe it..."
Among the crowd was Bell, one of Hestia's followers, his face pale with shock after hearing Loki's words.
"Where is the Goddess now?!"
"We don't know. Rakia's followers seem to have split into the four cardinal directions—East, West, North, and South. They definitely scattered to mislead any pursuers."
"Then... if this continues..."
The Rakia Kingdom's army had divided its forces into four sections, fleeing in different directions to confuse anyone trying to track the unit carrying Hestia. Having lost six times before, they knew the escape routes from Orario to their country well and were using the terrain cleverly to hide, making them difficult to find.
In fact, the fleeing Rakia army might be more familiar with the geography surrounding Orario than the adventurers confined within the walls, meaning an expanded search could be in vain.
"I'll go search. Ais, what will you do?"
"I'm coming too."
Al stepped forward and patted Bell's shoulder to calm him, and Ais followed.
"I'll be the fastest to arrive. And with my skills, I won't miss a single trace."
No one could match Al's speed. Especially in this situation where the other side held the home-field advantage, his Intuition skill—which allowed for a wide-range search—would be decisive.
"P-Please, let me go too! I'll hunt for the Goddess!"
●○●○●
"That appearance... Could you be the 'Gale'?"
"And you are the 'White Priestess.' I remember you used to team up with Al."
"Yes. I also heard about you from Al Cranel."
" ... "
(The atmosphere is so heavy and tense!!)
The "Gale," Ryuu Lion, and the "White Priestess," Filvis Shallia. One was a first-class adventurer and the other second-class; both possessed exceptional combat skills and a supreme beauty befitting Elves.
However, the atmosphere between them was incredibly heavy and solemn. Perhaps it was because both were Elves—known for being stern and serious—or because both lacked social skills... or maybe they were simply a bit "awkward" at dealing with others.
Their conversation was fragmented and dry, and the general mood was clouded by intense confusion and embarrassment. This likely stemmed from the fact that both carried painful pasts; they had lost their comrades to the Evils and were the sole survivors.
A sort of "attraction of opposites" existed between them, or perhaps their mutual connection to Al was the cause. The air was charged despite the lack of any explicit hostility.
(Save me... Tiona-san...)
Lefiya, witnessing this silent clash, screamed internally just as she had before, desperately wishing for Tiona's presence—the social genius who could open anyone's heart, no matter how difficult they were.
"Stop messing around. Let's go; we're moving now."
──────────────────────────────────────────────────
Al established a connection with Fels and the others after becoming a first-class adventurer. Ryuu is currently at Level 6 (Lv.6).
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