Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatte Iru Darou ka Gaiden – Sword Oratoria - Volume 11 - Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2 THE DECISIVE BATTLE INTERMISSION 

The sun had cleared the horizon, peeking over the city wall. 
By the time the city began to rouse its heavy eyelids as it stirred awake and the morning bustle gradually started to spread, Aiz had reached Orario’s southern area in the Fifth District. 
Rising before her was a towering gate and four walls that were a bit too solid to call a fence. Despite being in the middle of Orario’s most lively and varied Shopping District, it boasted the appearance of a castle wall. There was no guard at the gate, just a tense atmosphere, like the calm before a storm. It was probably a warning to all not to approach. 
Which Aiz did not heed. She came to a halt, looking up and walking in front of the gate. With a completely serious look, demonstrating her resolve, she banged it with her fist as if knocking on a door. 
“…I’m coming for thee.” 
Bam! Bam! echoed a silly sound unbefitting a majestic gate. 
According to Loki, that was what people were supposed to say when announcing a martial arts challenge—er, knocking on the gate of someone else’s home. Well, it should be fine. That’s what she believed, standing there with a comically earnest look on her face. She did not realize that in this situation, it was the kind of fatal misunderstanding that would have scared the hell out of even Loki, who would have foamed at the mouth. 
Before long, the doors opened with a weighty creak. 
“…” 
Aiz sauntered forward and through the gate, where upon she found a green wilderness spreading before her eyes. Small white and golden rings of flowers rippled in a beautiful field that one would not expect to see in the middle of a city. The field was covered by flowers that could be crushed by a single step, and the land was lush. 
And in the middle of the field, at the heart of the estate, was a hill. Atop that was a giant manor that could be mistaken for a temple or palace. The magnificent sight carefully isolated from the complex cityscape around it could almost be a painting. 
Aiz was captivated as she stepped into a place that she had never been in before, while the gate groaned loudly again, shutting behind her. 
“!” 
In an instant, she was surrounded. A swarm of adventurers appeared all at once, from above and behind cover. Forming a ring around Aiz, they all held weapons, and every last one of those weapons was pointed at her. Their perfect encirclement was almost artistic, speaking volumes to their level of training. At the same time, a dangerous hostility was brewing beneath the surface. 
“—Marching in here by yourself, huh? You looking to start something?” 
Ringed by a multitude of weapons, Aiz was assailed by a rough voice that made no attempt to hide its malice. A single animal person emerged from the group surrounding her: a male cat person with black and silver fur, incredibly intimidating despite being considerably shorter than Aiz. 
Aiz remembered him. He was one of the assassins who had attacked under the cover of darkness after one of her training sessions on the wall with that boy. At the time, his face had been concealed by a visor and he’d been equipped with night-raid gear, but now he was wearing standard battle clothes, leaving his sharp eyes and features on display. 
His title was Vana Freya and his name was Allen Fromel. The very model of a first-tier adventurer. 
“What do you want, doll girl?” 
The name of that place was Folkvangr. 
Home of Freya Familia . 
 
“If you have something to say, you’ve got two seconds. If you just want to die, then keep standing there with your mouth shut.” 
She was curtly told that questions would not be tolerated. 
Allen’s sharp gaze pierced through Aiz, who was hemmed in by a thick curtain of tension that was completely at odds with the clear blue sky and sunlight streaming in from above. 
No, it certainly wasn’t just Allen. The other adventurers, the members of Freya Familia , were glaring at her with hostility, as if they were preparing to avenge a slain parent. From their point of view, one of the core members of a hostile faction had appeared without warning in the early morning, meaning their response was understandable, but— 
…That’s weird. I made sure to say “I’m coming for thee,” following the proper protocol when you visit someone…Then why…? 
Ever the airhead in these sorts of situations, Aiz was completely lost. 
I followed Loki’s instructions to a T, but I’m somehow a half step away from a fight to the death. Did I get something wrong? Or did you trick me, Loki? 
A cold sweat beaded on her cheek. The younger version of herself residing in her heart had grown distant following the incident with the dragon girl, but at the moment, her inner child was contorting herself in a weird pose, holding her hands together in prayer. 
Aiz had no idea what she should do even as her agitation mounted under the mask of a composed expression that hid her emotions. She wasn’t able to say anything in response. 
“All right. Death it is.” 
It had been exactly two seconds. 
Paying no heed to Aiz’s situation, Allen thrust his silver spear with blinding speed. He was about to skewer the defenseless girl before she could even draw her sword. 
“—What’s going on?” 
But just before he could stab her, a sonorous voice echoed across the field like the strumming of a harp. Aiz’s eyes focused on the source—directly ahead of her, atop the hill. She looked at the figure descending the white stairs extending from the manor. Though they were some distance away from each other, the owner of the voice exuded the gravitas of a queen as she approached them with a single attendant in tow. 
In an instant, all the adventurers surrounding Aiz assumed a reverent stance, like faithful retainers. But their caution toward Aiz did not waver in the slightest, which was to be expected. Allen was the only one who didn’t move, continuing to keep his spear right in front of Aiz’s eyes as the patron goddess of the city’s greatest familia, Freya, approached them. 
“I thought it seemed a bit noisy, but…hee-hee-hee, if a rare guest has paid us a visit, I suppose it’s only natural.” 
Freya’s robe covered everything except her face. She must have been planning to depart early in the morning, considering that if the Goddess of Beauty went out into the city without any disguise, it would cause a commotion. When Aiz glanced behind her, she could see a carriage waiting beside the gate. That might have been another reason why the response to her visit had been so dramatic. 
“I’m sorry for allowing you to see this eyesore, Lady Freya. I’ll have it cleaned up in no time.” 
“It’s fine, Allen. Lower your spear.” 
“There’s no need for that. I’ll just cut her throat right now.” 
“Allen.” 
“…” 
Freya smiled as she spoke his name. That was all it took for the rabid dog—er, cat to slowly lower his spear. Possessing incredible charisma, Freya was revered by her followers as though she were a queen—an idol that must be protected at all costs. Her orders were absolute. Freya turned her gaze to Aiz, ignoring the cat person who was clearly venting his displeasure, though he obediently lowered his spear. 
“And what do you want, Sword Princess?” 
“…I’d like…to ask a favor.” 
“You have a favor to ask? Of us? Oh-ho, that’s odd. And just what might that be?” 
Freya looked genuinely curious. The smile of a child crossed her face. At the goddess’s urging, Aiz looked away from Freya, fixing her eyes on someone behind her—at the solitary boaz standing back, attending to her. At the one who had desired the title of the city’s strongest while, at the same time, standing at its pinnacle. 
The Warlord, Ottar. As the warrior’s rust-colored eyes watched her intently, Aiz lowered her head. 
“Please train with me.” 
The wind whistled, an invisible breeze passing through the beautiful field. 
Ottar opened his eyes wide. Allen’s movements ground to a halt. Even Freya’s silver eyes flickered with surprise. Every other familia member was astonished. Blowing away all of Freya Familia , Aiz continued to gaze fixedly at the grass at her feet, keeping her head down. 
“Heh…hee-hee-hee!” Freya was the first to make a sound, of course. 
Though she covered her mouth, a giggle slipped past her fingers, sounding like a songbird’s chirps. The next to speak was Allen, who could not keep his annoyance under wraps anymore. 
“Just how stupid are you? Who the hell would be dumb enough to train an asshole from an enemy familia? Argh! Screw it all! Die!” 
His scathing response was entirely on point. 
Aiz raised her head. Rather than trying to explain herself, she was forthcoming, spilling the feelings in her heart—not to Allen or to Freya but to the warrior. 
“I…can’t lose anymore. No. I don’t want to lose. Not to that person, that creature…If I lose against them, I might lose everything.” 
“…” 
“That’s why…I want to become stronger.” 
But that wasn’t enough of an explanation for someone who did not know about the existence of Knossos or the creature she referred to. It could have been a complete non sequitur. 
But there was a tenacity in her voice permeating each word, and that was very real. 
“Even Finn and the others couldn’t win against them.” 
“…” 
“I don’t know anyone stronger than me—stronger than them…except you. That’s why I want to learn from you.” 
Allen’s cheek twitched. Even Aiz could tell he was itching to kill her. She knew full well that she was shamelessly asking for a huge favor. And that by doing this, she might be betraying Finn and the others. But when Aiz had heard Bell say that he wanted to become stronger, she decided to throw away all concern about appearances or obligations. 
In order to beat Knossos. In order to defeat the creature Levis. 
I want to become stronger, too… Lifting her head, she repeated that to herself. 
She had returned to her starting point, embracing the pure original intent she’d had when she first took up her sword. As expected, she could not tell what the city’s strongest adventurer was thinking as she looked at him. But unlike the other familia members, he accepted Aiz’s resolve with a tranquil face—as if he was the only person in the world who understood her. 
“—Very well. I’ll allow it.” 
But there was another one who acknowledged her: the goddess watching Aiz. 
“Lady Freya.” 
Allen’s eyes flashed, as did those of the other familia members. Of course they did. Their faction and Aiz’s were the two heads of the city, the most powerful familias and each other’s greatest rivals. And Freya was allowing them to train that rival. There was no reason to give Aiz that. 
Allen had raised his voice not in simple agitation—but in open anger. It was enough that Aiz started to feel extraordinarily embarrassed. But Freya paid his pointed glare no mind as she looked into Aiz’s eyes. 
“Sword Princess, just to confirm, your goal has to do with the assault on Knossos, right?” 
“…Yes.” She was flustered when she heard Freya say the word Knossos , but she managed to nod. 
The goddess could see in her eyes that Aiz wasn’t lying. Freya’s smile deepened before she looked back at Allen, who was the lone voice of dissent. 
“Like Loki said. If I act like everything’s fine, we might end up at a point that’s beyond salvation. There’s no sense regretting it all if I only do it after Orario disappears,” Freya capriciously continued. “Allen? I don’t want to become the kind of queen who would act the way Loki described. Or would you all rather fight alongside Loki’s children?” 
“…I’d rather die.” 
“Then wouldn’t it be easier to cooperate?” 
That shut him up, though he was visibly angry, showing the signs of an ill-tempered cat who might someday turn his claws on his master. 
However, in the end, Allen did not say anything. 
“Ottar, do you mind?” 
“If you allow it, Lady Freya, then…I’m willing to accept it as an adventurer.” 
Freya seemed satisfied by his response as she nodded. Aiz watched with bated breath as she waited to see how it would go. 
Just as she was nervously starting to think that she might have somehow succeeded, Freya suddenly leaned in. 
“But! I can’t just let this happen for free.” 
“…!” 
“Allen made a fair point. We have to be sufficiently compensated…” 
Aiz was shaken by the unexpected response as Freya’s face loomed closer to hers. The goddess’s eyes narrowed as she placed a finger on Aiz’s chin, lifting her head. 
“Let’s make a contract, Sword Princess.” 
“A…contract…?” 
“Yes. I’ll lend you Ottar and let him train you. In exchange, you’ll owe us a favor.” 
“…” 
“No need to eye me so suspiciously. The debt will be repaid whenever, however, and with whatever I decide. But I won’t demand anything unreasonable. Or at least nothing more unreasonable than what you are asking for now. I swear on my name,” Freya added sweetly into Aiz’s ear. 
With a gaze that could entrance even a deity, she trained her eyes on Aiz, who was transfixed. 
Aiz did not know what the goddess was thinking. And she couldn’t think of any way she could pay back a debt to someone who had everything. However, it was an acceptable trade. Or at least, it should have been. 
Aiz gritted her teeth as she returned Freya’s gaze, as if resisting her allure. 
“…As long as it’s only a personal debt…and does not involve my familia…” 
Aiz somehow managed to wring out that last condition. Freya smiled and nodded, her dainty finger letting go of Aiz’s chin, standing back up to meet her gaze. Aiz instinctively clasped her hand to her neck. For some reason, she felt like a collar had just been slipped around it, even though there was nothing there. 
Without realizing it, the girl with golden hair and golden eyes and the goddess with silver hair and silver eyes had finalized a contract. 
“Oh my, look at the time. I have to get going. Ottar, I’ll leave the rest to you.” 
“Yes, my lady. But…for your attendant…” 
“I’ll take Helen.” 
Accompanied by a single female familia member, Freya climbed into the waiting carriage. As though she’d already lost interest in Aiz, the goddess disappeared through the open gate without a single glance back. 
Once Freya had left and he was freed of his obligations as her attendant, Ottar walked up to Aiz and peered down at her. 
“…As you requested, I’ll cross swords with you. Are you ready?” 
“Yes.” With her beloved sword Desperate at her hip, Aiz nodded without a trace of doubt in her eyes. 
“All of you are forbidden to speak of this. This is a secret agreement forged between our lady and the Sword Princess. I will not tolerate it becoming fodder for vulgar rumors. What happens in Folkvangr stays in Folkvangr.” 
““Sir!”” 
With the air of a brusque commander, Ottar gave the familia members a strict order. Though they were in a disorderly array after their patron goddess had left, they all acknowledged his order as one. 
In the midst of that, only one, just Allen, turned his back to the others with visible rage. 
Ottar called out to him as he started to return to the manor. “Allen, you help, too.” 
“Don’t go ordering me around, asshole. You two can just do whatever the hell you want.” 
Ottar silently watched as the cat person made no attempt to hide his distaste, walking away. 
As for Aiz, it was brought to her attention again that she’d made an absurd request, which was making her feel slightly uncomfortable. 
“Nonetheless…” Ottar’s voice suddenly had a different tone to it. “I’m surprised Finn and his crew are letting you do this.” 
“………” 
Ottar was genuinely impressed. Aiz quietly averted her eyes as she struggled to control the sweat forming on her brow. 
—What do I do? I didn’t tell them anything. 
 
“Apparently, Aiz has started going off to train by herself,” Riveria said as she looked down at the unfurled scroll—a letter addressed to her. 
The location was Loki Familia ’s home, Twilight Manor. Two days had passed since the leaders had announced the deal they had made with the Xenos. Thanks to the work done by Raul, Anakity, and the other second-string team members, the familia was finally in the process of reaching a consensus when Aiz had suddenly disappeared without a trace. The letter in Riveria’s hands had just come in, providing an explanation. 
“She was in bad spirits, and I was starting to think we might have to leave her out of the plan as Riveria proposed, but…seems she was able to right herself,” Finn commented. 
“And training at this time means she must be back to herself. Ga-ha-ha-ha!” Gareth added. 
“That’s Mama Riveria for ya!” Loki chimed in. 
“I certainly did talk to her…but I’ve no idea how she got the idea of going to train into her mind.” 
Ignoring their responses, Riveria looked conflicted as she gazed down at the letter in her hands, which said: please don’t look for me i’m traning in secret , written in a very shaky hand. That misspelling. The scattered inkblots. It all spoke to the intensity of the special training, given the fact that she didn’t even have the energy to properly hold a quill. 
Riveria’s shapely brows furrowed, but…she had heard from the receptionist Misha Frot that Aiz had delivered it to Guild Headquarters herself. Plus, she’d added that “she looked super beat-up and uber-tired!” But Riveria imagined she was fine, taking that account as evidence of a vigorous training session. She decided the young adventurer had to be holed up somewhere in the Dungeon. 
“In any case, the last bit of concern has been cleared up,” Finn said as he looked down at the desk set up in the middle of the room. 
Riveria, Gareth, and Loki followed suit, directing their attention to the maps and a strategic document with an array of information enumerated on it sprawled across the desk. 
Since they had announced the deal with the Xenos, no one had withdrawn from the mission. Loki Familia had mustered the resolve to swallow that pill and take on the assault of Knossos. 
“It helps that we managed to get a map from Riveria’s surprise attack. You knocked out one of the monster plants, too, right?” 
“Still, the map only covers a small piece of the enormous labyrinth. And there’s no way that plant was the last of them. We should assume the enemy still has extant forces ready to fight and keep in mind that they hold a significant territorial advantage.” 
“You’re right, Riveria, but we also have information from when Gareth and I went in. I’ll summarize the basic outline of the plan, including all of that.” 
In the strategy meeting for the leadership, there was an energetic exchange of opinions and confirmation of information. But Finn was still the mainstay of the strategic efforts. 
“First of all, we have multiple keys in our possession. Counting the ones the Xenos have—which should be considered Ouranos’s side—we have five of them. We need to make the most of all five in order to advance the attack.” 
The first was the Daedalus Orb that Anakity had stolen with Lilly’s help. The second was the one Riveria had managed to capture inside Knossos. The third was the one that Hermes had exchanged with Cruz and his squad in the underground passage—the one that Freya had secretly been keeping. And the remaining two were the ones the Xenos had in their possession. 
With Loki looking on as an adviser, the prum leader put into words the strategy he had sketched out in his head. 
“In order to plan an assault, we need a complete map of the interior of Knossos,” he said as he tapped the map Rakuta had created, which was spread out across the desk. “All passages, as well as an escape route in the worst case. And most importantly, the optimal path to sneak in directly to our target. If we can’t get at least that much, then eradicating the demi-spirit will be very difficult.” 
Next to the map were rough sketches that Finn had drawn: the demi-spirit they had faced on the fifty-ninth floor of the Dungeon and the one Gareth had fought with the others during their first venture into Knossos. They were a plant-type monster and a bull-type monster. They looked just like what Riveria and Gareth remembered. Next to the pictures were means of attack, weak points, and other detailed characteristics. 
Their highest priority was killing the demi-spirit that could invoke the destruction of Orario. 

“Knossos has dangerous traps. If at all possible, I’d like to neutralize those, too.” 
“The more I hear, the more time and work it sounds like it’s going to take…” 
“Don’t forget people, too. Knossos reaches all the way down to the Dungeon’s middle levels. I thought I was ready for it, but…” 
Gareth and Riveria groaned at the scale of the enemy’s base, which precluded ordinary methods of assault. Based on what they had learned from Ouranos’s allies and from Ikelos, who had been cast out of the city, it was confirmed that Knossos reached all the way to the eighteenth floor. It would be impossible for Loki Familia to clear it by themselves. That was exactly why they were planning to fight alongside the Xenos. 
Ignoring their complaints, Finn touched upon the core of his strategy. “That’s why—I’ve split the operation into two stages.” 
Riveria and Gareth were thunderstruck. Loki whistled in amusement. 
“The first attack is to get a comprehensive understanding of the layout of Knossos. And the second is to eliminate our targets after determining the optimal route. You could call the former a reconnaissance in force, which would make the latter an all-out, decisive battle.” 
Finn laid out the theory behind the strategy and its objectives. The former would eliminate the enemy forces and any other impediments while concurrently mapping the lay of the land. The latter would be just as described: breaching the enemy’s bastion and destroying the demi-spirit using everything they had gleaned from the first probing attack. 
The dwarf and high elf felt the weight of their objectives. 
“A bold method you picked there. If the enemy can finish their preparations, or rather, if they can finish summoning the demi-spirit aboveground, then that’s basically it for us…Isn’t this a race against time?” 
“No. During the fight on Daedalus Street, Aki gathered some information from the enemy’s detached force when she took the key. They didn’t know details of the plan, but even in the worst case, it seems like the beginning of their plan for the demi-spirit won’t be ready for at least twenty days. Which means we still have a bit of leeway.” 
“I see…What ended up happening to the captured prisoners?” 
“Committed suicide. Apparently, one of them was a curse user…He sacrificed his body in exchange for creating a powerful curse that killed the others right in front of our familia members’ eyes. These enemies aren’t afraid of death…No, they’re true believers who trust in their covenant with Thanatos, completely willing to die…These are some extremely twisted people.” 
Riveria could not contain her disgust as she explained the fate of the prisoners who had been captured. Gareth grimaced as Finn decided to get the conversation back on track. 
“In any event, while we have some wiggle room, we don’t have time to take it easy. Depending on when we can complete the first assault, we need to be ready to quickly shift gears and launch the second.” 
“Fiiiinn? Are you sure you want the first attack to just be the initial setup and the second plan to be when we take care of the targets?” Loki drawled. 
“Yeah. If we get a chance to take out one of the targets during the first one, then we should try. We’ll play it by ear, but…if something equivalent to the demi-spirit on the fifty-ninth floor has already emerged, then normal adventurers won’t be able to deal with it. To be absolutely sure, I want to preserve as much of our forces as possible for the second attack,” Finn responded as he met Loki’s vermilion eyes. “Which is why, if at all possible, I’d like to use the Guild to recruit troops.” 
“Working together with other familias? Well, the situation and the whole ‘the fate of the city’s at stake’ shtick might sound kinda laughable, but there’s no good reason not to get help from other people.” 
Loki was forced to agree that, tragically, this was not something Loki Familia could handle alone. Riveria and Gareth both nodded in agreement. 
“My guess is that Fei-Fei and Ganesha might help after understanding the situation. And I’m forcing Hermes to join this time. That familia is light on their feet—the right fit for the mapping job.” 
“It sounded like he was pulling a lot of strings during the mess with the Xenos. Can we trust him?” 
“Not much farther than we can throw him, but there’s no way he would pull something to screw this up. Even he wouldn’t go that far.” 
“Freya Familia …There’s not much point in expecting anything there, huh?” 
“Yeah. Even if we told them about the danger to the city, they would never just obediently cooperate. They’ll only move according to Freya’s divine will or her whims.” 
“We should ditch that stupid pervert and make her a loner. The empress in new clothes. When it’s all said and done, we can make fun of her as much as we want.” 
“Ha-ha-ha…That reminds me, Loki. I want to ask Dian Cecht Familia for help, too. That one can be in the form of a quest, though.” 
Even after she left the administrative stuff to the Guild, Loki frequently ended up having to settle discussions with the patron gods in other familias, which was why she started making a list of all the potential familias for this job while the others talked. With this situation, they didn’t need to inform any more familias than necessary. If it leaked that the remnants of the Evils were planning something, the city would fall into a panic. The residents of Orario still remembered the Dark Ages of the city, when evil abounded. 
“…It was like this back when the Evils were running strong, too, but managing relations among familias are difficult. Even though a clear and present danger faces the city, it’s hard for everyone to work together to deal with it.” 
Riveria suddenly compared the current situation to the Dark Ages, which had lasted until five years ago. 
The problem was that the deities weren’t cut from the same cloth. Some factions, Freya Familia being the obvious example, would never work together without some sort of official reason, and they were frustratingly slow when they finally did move out. 
“No use in lamenting it now. We just have to do what needs to be done.” 
Switching topics, Finn focused back on the planning for the first strike. 
“I said I wanted to preserve forces for the second attack, but obviously our familia will have to participate in both parts. It’s our plan, after all. And we’re the only ones who have any experience with everything that Knossos can bring to bear.” 
He made it clear contextually that they would have to take the role of guides leading mixed squads as he explained the actual details of the operation. 
“We touched on it earlier, but we need numbers for the first attack, not quality—the manpower to be able to map a labyrinth rivaling the Dungeon.” 
“Dividing into multiple squads to attack…ultra-human-wave tactics.” 
“Yes. There’s no shortcut here. We’re going to use this attack to get ahold of the best route to clear out Knossos, just like all our predecessors who mapped the route through the Dungeon.” 
“The goal?” Gareth asked. 
“Eighty percent. Worst case, seventy,” Finn responded, dumbfounding Gareth. 
“Mapping over seventy percent of that giant maze…To be honest, I’m a bit dizzy just imagining doing it.” 
“In order to be able to finish things with the second assault, that’s what we’ll need to accomplish. Well, there is one other shortcut we could use…but that’s something we should leave to the likes of Hermes Familia .” 
Finn shrugged when Gareth winced. It was then that Riveria finally brought up the biggest point of concern. 
“And what will we do about the creature?” 
That still needed to be handled: the redheaded woman Levis. 
“In order to achieve your goals, it seems reasonable to think it will be a drawn-out fight…That’ll take time. And the more time we give that creature, the greater the risk for our forces.” 
“…” 
Of all the enemy pieces, Levis would undoubtedly be the queen. She was a powerful unit that could move in every direction. Her attack signaled death to all who encountered her. 
In order to finish the map, they would resort to the brute-force method of human-wave tactics, but precisely because they were spread out, any squad faced with Levis would be unable to deal with her. Choosing to disperse their forces greatly increased the odds of their attack ending in a defeat where each squad was crushed one by one. 
On top of that, there was currently no method of tracking Levis’s individual movements and mustering sufficient force to deal with her inside that giant labyrinth. The battle would turn into a stalemate, increasing the overall damage sustained by their forces. 
Finn pursed his lips. 
“…Are you planning to carry out this strategy while accepting the costs?” Riveria asked, lowering her voice. 
The implication was: Will you sacrifice our allies in order to achieve the objective? 
“I’ve no intention of abandoning anyone ,” he responded clearly. “I won’t accept the loss of people on this mission. If a squad gets wiped out, all the mapping they achieved will be wasted. To say nothing of problems with morale. If we allow the creature to run free, our allies will be crushed in the blink of an eye.” 
“…!” 
“I’m not planning a fight under the assumption that we’ll be taking any losses. We’re not going to sacrifice anyone to that creature.” 
Riveria and Gareth both gazed in wonder at his response. Loki stopped moving, her lips curling up. 
He didn’t say as much, but Finn made it clear he was searching for a solution that involved no losses at all, not just one that minimized them. 
The old Finn Deimne would have simply made the sacrifice without any doubt. To overcome the reality of the situation, he would never have chased after ideals in the first place. He would have made every effort to control the situation and keep losses to the lowest possible level. But Finn had abandoned that assumption. 
It wasn’t that he had suddenly become overly optimistic about their chances. It was simply an expression of his resolve to achieve his ideals. He had his eyes on a much more difficult path than simply accepting losses as a necessary cost of victory. 
As a realist, Finn now had the bravery to smash the scales. He was no longer someone who wanted to accept sacrificing his allies with a cold heart. 
Riveria and Gareth understood that it was the result of the answer he had come to during the incident with the Xenos. But it was also a dazzling thing to behold. 
When all was said and done, Finn was still the youngest member of the familia’s commanders. At times like this, Riveria and Gareth shared the sort of happiness that a parent might have watching their child growing up. Loki smiled in satisfaction, as if welcoming Finn’s transformation. 
“If Aiz can take part in the plan, then I have a plan for dealing with this creature. Can you leave that to me for the time being?” Finn asked with a resolute gaze. 
Riveria and Gareth both smiled, entrusting it to him. Finn appeared even more reliable than before as he continued explaining his strategy for the attack. Pointing to the map and rough sketches of the monsters on the desktop, he precisely covered the main points. 
“For the time being, there are some critical things that we have to gather. Without those, we can’t carry out the plan.” 
“The secret anti-curse medicine?” 
“Yeah. The fighting will be extremely intense starting with the very first assault. We’ll need to have resources to deal with the unhealable curse.” 
The soldiers inside Knossos were equipped with cursed weapons. Amid’s medicine was the only thing capable of dispelling the afflictions they caused, which made it indispensable. 
“If we mess this up and fail, we lose everything, so we will set aside enough time until the operation begins. But in the meantime, we’ll harass Knossos.” 
The enemy had shut themselves up inside Knossos, meaning they were essentially holing up to wait out the siege. It allowed Loki Familia ample opportunity to put the pressure on their enemy: for example, starving the enemy of supplies or launching intermittent attacks when they were least expecting them. There were likely more paths connected to the Dungeon that Loki Familia did not know about yet, but if they placed an inspection at Babel, then the Knossos forces would not be able to reach the surface. At best, they would only be able to scavenge for what little food could be found inside the Dungeon. Finn’s plan involved working with Ganesha Familia to create a tight net. 
“For the first attack, I’d like us and Hermes Familia to participate. And after that, I’d like to call on a familia with lots of members to help, but…” Trailing off, Finn suddenly looked to his patron goddess. “Loki, what about Dionysus Familia ?” 
The other member of their alliance was Dionysus Familia . The members of that familia were undeniably lacking in level and strength, but they boasted quantity. They were the ideal familia to help with the mapping. 
Loki paused for a few beats before responding. “…Let’s put that on hold for now.” 
“Why? This isn’t the time to be tripping one another up, trying to read one another’s motives. Now that the big thing that Ouranos was hiding has been cleared up, Dionysus should have no reason to be on guard against the Guild.” 
Loki did not respond to the question that Riveria hurled into the mix. 
Watching the silent goddess for a bit, Finn responded, “All right, I guess. We can leave this to Loki,” changing the topic. 
And then he revealed their critical partners for this mission. 
“I’m planning to have them, the Xenos, join the first attack.” 
 
“A double envelopment from Daedalus Street and the eighteenth floor, huh…?” Fels repeated to confirm. 
Ouranos responded “Yes” with a solemn nod. 
They were in the Chamber of Prayers beneath Guild Headquarters. 
Atop the altar, surrounded by four burning torches, Ouranos and Fels were looking at the document from Loki Familia . 
“The adventurers and the Xenos are to operate in separate groups without merging, huh…So the Xenos will attack from the eighteenth floor, and the adventurers will come in from aboveground…Braver sure is a fast worker. There’s not much more reassuring than having him as an ally.” 
Organizing the adventurers and Xenos in separate groups was ideal to avoid any mishaps due to the adventurers’ lingering hatred of monsters. While he was attempting to achieve the ideal outcome, Braver was by no means willing to blindly trust in ideals alone. In addition, the document indicated that Fels was to take command of the Xenos’s side. Finn was counting on the mage’s skill. A hint of a sigh leaked out from Fels’s jet-black robes at that. 
“I can accept this proposal. And you, Ouranos?” 
“No objection.” 
“Then I’ll offer them oculi. If we’re able to communicate inside Knossos, that will increase the precision of the mapping for this first stage.” 
The mage took out a crystal capable of conveying sight and sound that could fit in the palm of a hand. Entrusting them with such a valuable magic item was proof of Fels’s trust in them and expressed the mage’s resolve to defeat the people hiding away inside that labyrinth. 
“Fels, how much of the Xenos’s fighting force can take part?” 
“About thirty of them, including Lido, Rei, and Gros. However, it seems the minotaur could not be stopped and immediately went down to the deep levels. There is no telling when he will return, so we can’t count on him for this first attack.” 
The pitch-black minotaur had been officially categorized as Level 7 by the Guild. Though disappointed that they would not be able to make use of his strength for this mission, Fels changed gears without getting hung up on it. 
Even if it was just this once for the sake of the assault on Knossos, the fact that Finn had requested this secret pact meant there was no reason to hold back anymore. They would join hands with Loki Familia without hesitation in order to protect the city. 
As they were speaking, a new shadow approached the altar. 
“Yo, in the middle of strategizing? From the looks of it, you seem to be working together with Loki and them.” 
“God Hermes…” 
Ouranos glanced at the god who emerged, and Fels turned to face him. 
“Whew, that’s a load off my mind. It always felt like I was having to play the part of a double agent before.” 
“…” 
“Now Loki will stop being so suspicious of me, and this can end without me getting an ulcer,” the god announced with a hint of sarcasm as he removed his hat. That it did not sound unpleasant was perhaps because he genuinely was relieved. 
In truth, during the Xenos incident, he had essentially been acting as a double agent. But they valued his work chasing after the Evils’ Remnants, which was why they weren’t blaming him for forming an alliance with Loki and them. Other than the part where he had gone off on his own to try to cover up the Xenos. 
Fels recoiled a bit, as if not particularly pleased with Hermes for acting out of line during the struggle on Daedalus Street. But as would be expected, Ouranos showed no sign of agitation. 
“…There are a few things I’d like to say, but, God Hermes, might I inquire as to why you have an imprint of a foot on your face? It appears almost as if you got drop-kicked there. And with perfect form, no less…” Fels said, rather suspicious. 
“Ha-ha-ha. You should read the vibe and realize that’s not the sort of thing you should be asking. It’s neither here nor there, but let’s just call it taking responsibility for things with a certain young goddess.” The suave god with a distinct red mark on his face feigned a laugh. 
“What business do you have, Hermes?” 
“Hmm. I guess the god who created this city isn’t a fan of small talk. Okay, then allow me to get right to it.” Hermes’s mood suddenly turned serious. “I suspect the assault on Knossos will happen in the near future, but…I want to keep young Bell—Hestia Familia —far away from it.” 
Fels looked surprised, but Hermes paid the mage no heed as he continued. 
“He took another step forward during the fight in the Labyrinth District. One great enough to overcome my divine will and make a fool of me. I don’t want him to get wrapped up in this brutal fight right after he managed to reach a new stage of development. At the very least, not yet .” 
The Guild had already publicly announced that Bell Cranell had reached Level 4. Hermes’s proposal was out of respect for the boy’s lightning-fast progress, as if he didn’t want anything to dim his radiance. 
Fels and Ouranos had stopped moving. They did not reject Hermes. Instead, they seemed to agree with him, accepting his proposal. 
“Very well. We had no intention of forcing more of a load onto Bell Cranell after his assistance with the Xenos incident.” 
“But even if you want him distanced from it, how exactly would you suggest we do that, God Hermes?” 
“Give Hestia Familia a mission to go on an expedition. That should be sufficient. With his level-up, their familia rank should be a D, which means they now have a duty to help clear the Dungeon,” Hermes responded effortlessly. 
He was suggesting that they head into the Dungeon for the period of time when Ouranos’s and Loki’s forces were working together to take on Knossos in their large-scale operation. 
“I think it is a bit hasty, since they only just went up in rank, but…the Guild seems to have high expectations of Hestia Familia , too. It should be acceptable to outside observers. Very well. I’ll pull some strings.” 
“I’m counting on you.” 
Finishing the conversation about the boy, Ouranos returned to the main topic. “Hermes, what will you do about the plan to attack Knossos?” 
“My familia will be taking part, of course. Well, more like neither Loki nor you guys would let me hang back even if I tried to sit this one out.” 
Hermes shrugged, and then his orange eyes narrowed. 
“It’s been a roundabout path, but we’re finally reaching the end. We’re going to unmask whoever Enyo is with this battle.” 
Enyo. 
In the words of the gods, it meant the destroyer of cities : the mysterious person who had plotted the destruction of Orario and brought together the Evils’ Remnants, the corrupted spirit, and other underground forces. The instigator of the current situation and the one they suspected of being its mastermind. 
“I’ll leave the flashy parts of the attack plan to Loki Familia and the Xenos. Leave the skulking around in the shadows behind the scenes to my kids…in order to track down all the clues we can find.” 
Hermes pulled a chess piece from his cloak. A black king—Enyo. He rolled it around the palm of his hand before clenching his fist. With Knossos surrounded, they had their opponents in check. And they would keep moving forward until they reached checkmate. Hermes had lost some of his own children in the course of all this, and the intent of his divine will was blazing in his eyes. 
Ouranos and Fels responded with silent assent. 
“So when will the attack begin? There’s a lot to prepare for the final plan, right?” 
Returning to his aloof tone, he glanced over at the letter in Fels’s hands. Looking down at the document spelling out the key points of Finn’s plan, the black-robed mage responded. 
“The anticipated start date is—” 
 
“L-L-Level Four…! H-h-h-he caught up to me…?!” 
With her whole body trembling, Lefiya gripped the notice sheet declaring a certain adventurer’s level-up. Printed on the sheet was the white-haired boy’s likeness, along with an extensive report on the official announcement of his expedition mission. 
“What’s Lefiya on about?” 
“I think she’s just happy about Argonaut leveling up!” 
Tione looked puzzled as Lefiya held the paper in front of her face and quivered at high speed while Tiona laughed loudly. The elf had been worried about Aiz, and the Amazon was mistaking her current mood, assuming she was feeling less down. Ignoring the Amazon’s misunderstanding, she felt the shock as it made her quake. 
“—I see you are all here.” 
Suddenly, Riveria appeared. They were in the manor’s dining hall. 
There had been an announcement that there was important news to be shared, so almost everyone, from the elites down to the lowest-level members, was gathered there. Aiz was the only one absent. 
“We’ve ironed out all the pieces of the strategy for the attack on Knossos. Make sure you don’t miss anything I’m about to say.” 
Finn was busy gathering all the necessary pieces, which was why Riveria stood before everyone in his stead to share the details of the plan. The familia members listened closely with serious, almost menacing looks on their faces. 
“Riveria, when is it going to start?” 
Tiona raised her hand and asked without reading the vibe of the room. 
Riveria nodded. 
“The operation will begin—in ten days’ time.”