Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatte Iru Darou ka Gaiden – Sword Oratoria - Volume 3 - Chapter Ep

EPILOGUE CATCHING THE WHITE RABBIT 

On the morning three days after the events on the twenty-fourth floor… 
Aiz walked down Northwest Main Street. 
The street was lined with a vast array of shops that adventurers frequented, including an accessory shop constructed from bricks, a small stone fortress that was actually an item shop, a particularly powerful familia’s weapon shop—a red billboard marking its location—and many others. Aiz joined her fellow adventurers flowing past the series of buildings that naturally blended together. 
Brushing shoulders with humans and demi-humans alike, Aiz reflected on the past few days. 
The red-haired woman—Levis. 
A human-monster hybrid, creature, enhanced species…She looked into all these terms after the battle and still had difficulty believing what she saw. Aiz had stumbled onto an Irregular that humanity—or even the gods—had yet to identify. 
“Destroying Orario.” 
The city around her appeared peaceful on the surface, but learning what this mysterious enemy intended to do cast a dark, ominous shadow over it. 
What’s happening? What’s going to happen? She wanted to know everything. 
Her mind was filled with questions about Levis as well as the things Aiz and her allies had discussed. 
That person in the black robe might be looking for answers as well… 
Apparently, the one who had given her the quest in the first place, Black Robe, visited Lulune after they all returned. 
Receiving a full report on the incident from her and remaining silent for several moments, the mysterious figure gave Lulune two keys before disappearing once again. 
Aiz clearly remembered Lulune’s confused face when the girl arrived to give her one of the two keys in person. “I’m not sure, but I think they open gnome storage units.” With that, the two girls had traveled to the Eastern Ward to test Lulune’s theory. As it turned out, the numbers on the keys had matched boxes among the many different containers within the safety vault. 
Numbers 687 and 688. The two girls had inserted their keys and opened the boxes to find…the vaults stuffed full of piles of red, blue, green, and purple jewels; gold and silver rings; decorative unicorn horns; as well as several grimoires ready for use. Aiz and Lulune had stared numbly at the sparkling treasure inside. 
They could only guess at the contents’ value. It was mind-boggling. Aiz had decided to contribute all of it to her familia’s preparation for the next expedition, as their funds were starting to run low. The largest amount of money Aiz had ever possessed until now had been obtained when she sold the Udaeus’s Black Sword drop item to pay for a broken rapier’s cost. The thought of having so many valuable items at once frightened her. 
A new question bubbled to the surface of her mind. Just who was this shadowy robed person who could prepare this many rare items as a quest reward? 
At the very least, she didn’t think this person was an enemy. 
The next expedition is set… 
After she, Bete, and Lefiya had explained to their superiors everything that happened on the twenty-fourth floor, Aiz had stayed behind to recount everything that Levis told her. 
She finished her statement by expressing her desire to go to the fifty-ninth floor. 
Finn had considered the proposal for several moments before breaking the silence with “All right, it’s settled” and agreed to go. Loki Familia officially began preparations for the next expedition. 
She had no hope of reaching that floor on her own. Thoughts of new discoveries waiting for her filled her mind as Aiz quietly bided her time until their departure. 
“…Such nice weather.” 
Returning to the present, she whispered to herself as she looked up at the clear blue sky above. 
She said nothing else even as she turned from the bright sun shining in her eyes. Making her way through the main street at a brisk pace, Aiz finally arrived at her destination: Guild Headquarters. 
She came to a stop halfway through the front garden and glanced down at the parcel she held carefully in her arms: a vambrace. 
The one she had picked up on the tenth floor, a piece of armor that belonged to the white rabbit, Bell Cranell. Aiz came here today to return it to the boy’s Guild adviser. 
She nodded to herself as she summoned up her courage while adventurers around her recognized her and gawked as she walked by. 
The top-class adventurer’s spirit was alight—determined to return the vambrace and apologize once and for all. 
Aiz’s inner child rooted for her, cheering as she took her first step into the Guild lobby. 
“…Ms. Wallenstein?” 
“Good…morning.” 
She found who she was looking for right away. 
The half-elf receptionist behind the counter—Eina Tulle. Aiz walked directly toward her. 
Eina wasn’t sure what to make of her unexpected visitor at first, but Aiz explained the events surrounding the vambrace in her arms. 
“Okay, I understand,” Eina answered with a smile. 
“I will talk to Bell…Bell Cranell and give him the vambrace myself. Rest assured, I will pass on all the information at that time.” 
Aiz couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous as she tried to find the words to tell Eina, who smiled warmly back at her, what she wanted to do. 
“I, um…” 
“?” 
“…I want to be the one to give it to him.” 
Aiz knew she was making this more complicated than necessary as she spoke. 
The boy was an adventurer. Surely he wanted the vambrace back as soon as possible, and her actions would delay the process. But even so, as selfish as it was, Aiz wanted to be the one to return it to him. 
Then she could apologize for all the mental and physical anguish he’d gone through because of her. 
This time…she wouldn’t let him run. 
Aiz maintained contact with Eina’s emerald eyes while expressing her wishes. Despite mumbling and pausing more than a few times, the half-elf donned a more serious expression and nodded. 
“Understood. I would like to offer my assistance.” 
“?” 
“I will create a situation that he will not, cannot, escape from. You will have a chance to speak with him face-to-face.” She spoke like a parent, or perhaps a protective older sister, as she proposed her plan. “The nerve of him!” Her voice grew louder as though she were scolding the boy at the same time. 
Aiz smiled gently without realizing. The two young women then began to discuss the specifics of their plan like two hunters trying to lure a rabbit from its den with a carrot. 
Their discussion took place at the reception counter. Many adventurers came and went, each hoping to acquire information about delving into the Dungeon, only to witness a conversation between a beautiful half-elf and a blond, golden-eyed knight. 
Their plan began to take shape. Eina would call Bell into the consultation box before Loki Familia’s expedition, and Aiz would corner him once he was inside. They were discussing the specifics for the timing when… 
Suddenly—Eina happened to catch a glimpse of someone walking straight toward her and reacted with shock. 
Tilting her head in confusion, Aiz followed her gaze and turned around. 
—Huh? 
Hair as white as virgin snow framed rubellite eyes. 
He must not have planned to enter the Dungeon today because the boy wasn’t wearing any armor over his street clothes. 
Aiz was startled at seeing the boy—just a boy—when her shoulders turned to face the new arrival. 
…It’s…him. 
The three were so stunned staring at one another, they forgot to speak. They stood like statues. 
“…” 
“…” 
“…” 
The adviser trembled in the face of this aboveground Irregular. 
Aiz wasn’t prepared, and her mind went blank when their gazes connected. 
The boy stiffly turned away. 
“Huh?” 
Aiz made a tiny surprised gasp just as the white rabbit took off at full speed. 
“B-Bell! Wait!” 
The boy didn’t heed his adviser’s words as he tore through the lobby. 
Not again…Aiz slumped as dismay hit her like a ton of bricks, but the adviser wasn’t about to give up. 
“After him, Ms. Wallenstein!!” 
Eina yelled that they couldn’t let him escape, and Aiz came to. 
That’s right. The blond girl tightened her grip on the item in her hands. 
She clearly saw him the moment the white rabbit dashed out the Guild exit. 
I—I won’t let him! 

Aiz raced after him. 
She held nothing back. 
Passing through the lobby in the blink of an eye, she was out the door and directly behind the white rabbit. 
Riding the wind at full speed, she passed him. 
“—Gahh!” 
She came to an abrupt halt in the boy’s path. He couldn’t stop in time and plowed right into her. 
Arms open, she caught him with ease. 
 
Finally, they were face-to-face. 
The boy stood in front of Aiz, appearing to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown. 
Eina arrived and explained the situation, but that did little to alleviate the boy’s stress. Leaving the two of them to talk it out, the half-elf returned to the Guild lobby. The boy watched her go like a small animal abandoned by its owner, trembling. 
The turbulent swishing of his snow-white hair perfectly reflected his state of mind. 
“…Um, here.” 
“!” 
Aiz built up her courage and thrust the vambrace forward as she spoke. 
The boy took it from her like a defensive reflex. However, he froze the moment he realized what he’d received. 
Aiz watched as the boy’s face turned bright red. Seeing his reaction made her even more nervous and sparked a flurry of other emotions before—she made her apology. 
“I’m sorry.” 
“Huh…?” 
“It was my fault that Minotaur survived and got away, causing you so much trouble and hurt…I’ve wanted a chance to apologize since then. I’m very sorry.” 
Aiz was so remorseful that she couldn’t maintain eye contact as the atmosphere grew heavier around them. 
When she finally looked up, the boy’s trembling was nowhere to be seen, and he offered his own mea culpa in a rapid-fire stream. 
“N-no, no! It was my fault for going down to the fifth level in the first place! You’ve done nothing wrong, Ms. Wallenstein! Actually, you’re my savior! I’m the one who should be apologizing, never saying sorry and always giving you the runaround…S-SORRY!” 
His apology flooded out like a dam had broken. The sudden reversal caught Aiz off guard. 
“So, um, well…” The boy flushed even redder as he desperately searched for the right words. At the same time, a strange feeling welled within Aiz. She didn’t know what to say, either. 
So this is how…he speaks… 
Having heard his voice only a few times up until that moment, it was surprising how much he spoke. 
She envisioned him being a lot quieter, more reserved. Struggling to convey his thoughts but then talking anyway might have been a little childish, but it was pleasant. 
Aiz couldn’t help but feel that a character from the stories she’d read as a child had leaped from the page to stand in front of her now. With that voice, the boy expressed himself in so many ways she had never known he could. 
Warmth spread from her heart, and Aiz lost herself for a moment as she basked in it. 
The boy was still speaking when he suddenly bowed deeply. 
“For all the times you rescued me…THANK YOU SO MUCH!!” 
His appreciation reached her ears. 
The boy kept his head down for several moments before slowly, cautiously standing up. 
Aiz could almost hear the misunderstandings clearing. At the very least, she knew the boy wasn’t afraid of her and that he had wanted to tell her how he felt as well. 
…Do I feel…happy? 
Her eyes opened wider, and her face relaxed. 
Now that the confusion had been cleared, comforting happiness bubbled within her as a small smile appeared on her lips. 
For whatever reason, the boy focused on her smile and turned an even deeper crimson. 
“…” 
“…” 
What needed to be done was done, and everything had been said. The conversation was over. 
Standing an arm’s length from each other, Aiz lingered in front of the boy. Only time quietly moved beneath the clear blue sky. 
He just stood there as well, jerking back into the moment only when he realized where he was. The two made eye contact for a moment before the boy looked away with a start. 
Aiz wanted to keep talking, to learn more about him and hear his voice again. However, she knew her tendency to use as few words as possible was a problem. The two of them wouldn’t be able to talk without a common topic. Aiz couldn’t chat like Tiona or her other friends. 
That’s it! She happened upon an idea. 
“Are you working hard…in the Dungeon?” 
“Y-yes!!” 
The boy’s response drowned out her voice. 
Aiz had found a way to bring up something that had been on her mind for some time now. 
“You can make it down to the tenth floor now…That’s impressive.” 
Something had felt off the other day when she agreed to look for him and searched the Dungeon. It piqued her interest. 
Aiz wanted to know how a rookie adventurer had grown to the point he could hold his ground on the tenth floor in such a short amount of time. 
“No, not at all! I’ve only gotten that far because I have help! I-I still have a long way to go!! I’m nowhere near my goal yet…!” 
Aiz watched the boy desperately try to hide his nervousness with another verbal deluge. 
What if this boy has a secret that helps him grow? 
As I am now… 
Visions of the red-haired woman—her battle with Levis—replayed in the back of her mind. 
She thought about the journey to the yet unexplored fifty-ninth floor. 
There was no way to know what awaited her, only that she would face a slew of new challenges. It wasn’t a hunch but a guarantee. 
Most likely, Aiz would have to draw her friends and familia into fierce, steadily escalating battles. She would need to be stronger than ever. 
The only thing she didn’t want was regret. 
She wanted to lose nothing. 
And to reach even higher. 
Even after achieving Level Six, her experiences on the twenty-fourth floor only reinforced those wishes. 
“I mean, when I fight monsters in the Dungeon, I’m just winging it like a total amateur. I don’t know how many times I did something stupid and a monster almost got me. I know I have to get stronger, but I’m still so weak and I feel like I’m not getting any better at all. Well, um…?” 
That’s why she wanted to know— 
The secret to his growth. 
His potential. 
The true strength of this boy who has improved drastically in almost no time at all. 
Aiz’s train of thought ran wild as she watched the blushing adventurer struggle to stop his blabbering. 
She worried, and worried, and worried some more, thoroughly weighing various things on a scale, then reexamining her own feelings. 
Eventually, timidly, Aiz decided to make the boy an offer. 
“Shall I…teach you how?” 
“…Huh?” 
“—How to fight.” 
And so… 
Aiz became the boy’s teacher.