—
New chapter!, the voting is over. The result was that there will be a Harem, and it's worth noting that Riveria will remain as one of the three members of the Harem (a second vote on Discord to see who the other two will be).
—
The southwest market was already bustling with activity. The voices of a few merchants mingled with the pulling of carts and the clinking of coins, as the sun slowly rose over the rooftops of Orario, bathing the city in warm hues.
Mikoto walked briskly between the stalls, the hem of her uniform swaying with every movement. Her face, as always, was a mask of seriousness, but her thoughts were far from routine.
Beside her, Chigusa walked silently. She held the long sleeves of her robe in front of her, occasionally glancing at her companion. They had been walking like that for some time, without speaking.
In front of a potion stand, Mikoto stopped. She quickly scanned the labels lined up: resistance potions, antidotes, healing. She carefully picked up three bottles, examined them briefly, and placed the coins on the counter without another word.
As she put them in her bag, she felt Chigusa's insistent gaze.
"…Mikoto," she finally said, her voice soft. "Is… something wrong?"
Mikoto didn't respond immediately. She tied her bag with a neat knot before turning to her companion. Her expression didn't soften, but her gaze shifted.
"…Is it that noticeable?"
Chigusa nodded slightly, not daring to hold his gaze for too long. "Yes. Since we left home… you seemed quieter than usual. More tense."
Mikoto remained silent for a few seconds, then murmured:
"I still have trouble looking him in the eyes."
Chigusa watched her, not quite understanding.
"The day of the monster party," Mikoto continued, her voice strained, "when we ran away… and left him behind." She clenched her fists. "It wasn't just a cowardly decision. It was a disgrace. Bell-dono was there. Alone. Surrounded. And we… just kept running."
Chigusa lowered her gaze. Her voice barely escaped a whisper.
"But… he doesn't hold a grudge against us."
"That doesn't change what we did," Mikoto replied harshly. "He survived… when he could have died because of us. Not because of a strategic failure, not because of ignorance… but because of our lack of courage."
Chigusa tightened her sleeves, her face slightly flushed.
"I felt embarrassed too," she said in a small voice. "When we saw him again… and he greeted us as if nothing had happened… as if… he trusted us." She swallowed. "I wanted to apologize to him separately. But I couldn't bring myself to go up to him and say anything…"
Mikoto glanced at her. Her lips tightened, but then she relaxed her posture slightly.
"I didn't do it either."
Both remained silent, allowing themselves to be enveloped by the murmur of the market.
Finally, Mikoto straightened her shoulders.
"The least we can do now… is not let him down again. Not us, not us."
Chigusa nodded. "Yes."
With renewed stride, they resumed their walk. There was still a long way to go, but the burden on Mikoto's chest felt a little lighter.
And while she couldn't erase the past, she could fight to make the next encounter in the Dungeon different.
"Anyway…" Chigusa muttered after a few seconds, her voice barely audible. "It was my fault we had to run away."
Mikoto stopped. She turned to her, frowning, not in anger, but in ill-contained frustration.
"Don't say that!" he blurted out, louder than he intended.
Chigusa was startled, taking a step back.
"It wasn't your fault. You were hurt. Yes. What were we supposed to do? Leave you behind? Drag you to the point of collapse?" Mikoto took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "We all failed that day. Don't bear the burden of something that was everyone's responsibility on your own."
Chigusa looked down, her fingers trembling as she held the flask of potions.
"But it was you… you who wanted to stay and help him," she said in a muffled voice. "You were the one who turned to Bell-san when the monsters surrounded him. And it was us who… who didn't let you."
The memory hit Mikoto with a bitter mix of helplessness and suppressed rage.
It was she who had stopped, sword in hand, ready to cover Bell for at least a few seconds.
And it was Ouka who called out his name for him to join them.
And she gave in. She ran.
"Yes… I wanted to stay."
Mikoto stared at the ground for a moment. Then she raised her face, firm. "But I didn't. I wasn't strong enough to disobey."
Chigusa didn't respond immediately. Her breathing was slow and heavy.
"So… what are we going to do?" he finally asked, his tone soft but sincere.
Mikoto stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Next time, we won't fail. We won't leave anyone behind. I won't do it. And neither will you."
As their footsteps echoed through the still-quiet streets of dawn, Mikoto and Chigusa continued forward, passing a couple of closed stalls that hadn't yet opened their shutters. The breeze was cool, and the sky was beginning to turn a light blue.
Chigusa was the first to speak.
"Do you think this expedition could be a way to make up for it?"
Mikoto didn't respond immediately. Her eyes remained forward, steady, but her expression was softer than before.
"Yes," he finally said. "I don't think he expected it. He didn't even seem upset that time. But… that doesn't change how we feel."
Chigusa nodded slowly.
"He was very kind. Even after what happened. He didn't blame us for anything. He just… looked at us with those eyes. As if he understood why we ran."
The silence that followed wasn't awkward, but heavy. As if each word hung between them, needing no further explanation.
"This expedition is our chance," Mikoto said more forcefully. "To prove that we won't fail him again. Not ourselves."
Chigusa smiled faintly, a weak but sincere gesture.
"What if we fail again?"
Mikoto stopped for a second, only to turn to her.
"So, this time, I won't run."
Chigusa looked at her in astonishment. Then she lowered her head and said in a low voice:
"Me neither… if I can help it."
Mikoto reached out and gave his arm a gentle squeeze.
…
The morning air was crisp, and a faint golden glow was beginning to filter between the rooftops of Orario. Bell walked steadily through the still-sleeping streets, his pack strapped firmly to his back. He felt the familiar weight of his sword at his hip and Artemis's spear on his shoulders, balanced and secure.
They were going to descend on the expedition today. It was a long journey, at least as far as Rivira, and he wanted everything to go well. Bell mentally reviewed the preparations as he went: potions, rations… nothing had been left to chance. He had honed his reflexes, trained his spear movements, reviewed routes and monster spawn patterns.
But what was most on his mind was his new companions.
The Takemikazuchi Family.
It was their first time fighting together. Ouka looked strong and reliable (at least he knew he looked out for his comrades), Mikoto seemed experienced, and Asuka and Chigusa formed a solid rear guard. They were a functional unit, with a good combat rhythm and knowledge of the dungeon. And yet, Bell couldn't help but wonder what the dynamic would be like.
Would they see him as a companion? Or just someone to temporarily shadow? He didn't care, but he did want to prevent them from repeating the same mistakes.
His expression darkened slightly as he turned a corner. Not out of anger. Not out of hurt pride.
I remembered that time.
The monster party.
Bell had run into them as they fled. Without stopping, they left him behind.
They left him alone against a horde.
And even though he understood them—it was a desperate situation, Chigusa was hurt, they couldn't fight properly—the memory still hurt. Not because of what they did, but because of what it almost caused.
But he never held a grudge against them.
"That's also part of being adventurous," he thought.
Deep down, he knew the guilt they carried out far outweighed any reproaches he could have leveled against them. Especially Mikoto…
He saw her afterward. The face of someone who felt they had failed beyond the tactical level.
Bell took a deep breath.
I was almost reaching the square in front of the Tower of Babel.
Today would be different. Today they would go together, prepared. And he hoped that, at the end of this expedition, they would all be able to put that past behind them.
He adjusted his grip on the spear and quickened his pace.
"Let's go there."
Just a few steps further a message conveyed by his divine Blessing of the context appeared in his mind.
[Goddess Freya is cheering you on while watching you]
Bell paused for a second, closing his eyes with a tired sigh.
"Again..." he thought, unable to avoid a mixture of irritation and resignation.
He understood, or at least tried to understand, what Freya felt for him.
But the fact that I was watching it right now, like a constant, tireless spectator… was still chilling.
"No matter how much I rationalize it, it still feels like there are eyes on the back of my head."
He quickened his pace, wanting to leave behind the feeling of being watched.
And at least—he thought with a hint of bitter humor—today's message had been more… subdued.
Nothing like what happened a few days ago.
His expression twisted with an involuntary shudder at the memory.
[Goddess Freya got aroused while watching you]
"Ugh!" He shook his head violently, as if that would erase his memory.
Definitely better not to think about that. Never. Never.
The world was complicated enough without having to deal with comments coming from the mind of a lovesick, obsessive goddess.
He returned his attention to the path. The Tower of Babel now rose in the distance, majestic and firm, and his group was waiting for him in front of it.
What I had to do today was clear.
Fight. Protect. Guide.
And, if I was lucky, forget that damn message forever.
Meanwhile, Freya watched Bell from her enchanted mirror, her face reddening slightly as she watched him make grimaces and strange faces as he walked.
"What's going on in your pretty little head, Bell?" she murmured softly to herself, a mischievous smile curving her lips. The way her expression changed, as if she were trying to shake off some uncomfortable thought, was incredibly amusing.
Bell shook his head vigorously, and Freya, watching the scene, giggled softly. Her face flushed even deeper at the young man's reaction, finding the situation both comical and... charming.
"How adorable," Freya thought, her smile widening as her heart began to race. "He's so cute when he's like this."
A small laugh escaped her, almost like a schoolgirl watching her crush do something clumsy but adorable. Though Bell couldn't see her, Freya felt a warm feeling at his genuine, unpretentious gestures.
"I can't help it, Bell... you really are too charming," she whispered to herself, letting a rapturous expression float across her face as she continued to watch, completely captivated by his humane and sincere gestures.
Returning to Bell, he found himself standing in front of the Tower of Babel plaza, his eyes fixed on the entrance to the Dungeon. The sun was beginning to rise, dyeing the sky a soft orange. The familiarity of the place and the constant bustle of Orario helped calm his nerves. In the distance, the Takemikazuchi family was already waiting for him.
Ouka, always so serious, gave her a slight nod of greeting. "Just in time," he said in a firm, controlled voice.
"Thanks for waiting," Bell replied, adjusting his backpack and taking a step toward them. "Everything okay?"
Mikoto, who always maintained a resolute stance, spoke seriously. "Equipped and ready," she confirmed, while Chigusa and Asuka nodded behind her, displaying a similar expression of concentration.
Bell nodded, taking a moment to check that everything was in order with his equipment. Artemis's spear was securely fastened, and his sword, which he always carried at his hip, seemed ready for any challenge that might arise.
"Then let's begin," Bell said bluntly, with the tone of someone determined. The group, with impeccable coordination, began moving toward the dungeon. The fresh morning air felt like a last chance at peace before venturing into the unknown.
As they descended the lower floors, Bell took the lead without hesitation, using his spear at times to keep the smaller monsters at bay. When situations became more difficult and complicated, he quickly switched to his sword, demonstrating his adaptability in combat. The Takemikazuchi family, with their impressive coordination, closely supported him. Mikoto and Ouka covered the flanks, while Asuka and Chigusa dealt with the lighter threats.
"Look out!" Mikoto shouted, just as a pair of Dungeon Lizards leaped toward them. Bell quickly neutralized them with a precise stab. The situation was routine, but every member of the group was on alert. Even though there were no particularly dangerous monsters so far, the tension was still present, like a silent weight in the air.
The next floor offered them a brief respite, where they stopped near a wall, gathering their strength and checking their gear. Bell leaned briefly on his spear, surveying the path ahead.
"No injuries," Mikoto commented, looking at everyone with a look that showed satisfaction at the good progress.
"We're doing well," Bell said, quickly checking his spear before placing it back on his back. "If we keep up this pace, we could reach Rivira before the end of the day."
Asuka, always relaxed, made a casual observation as she adjusted the cloth on her forehead. "It would be a good day to collect some rewards."
Bell nodded, smiling briefly. "That's what we're looking for." With a last glance at his companions, the expedition continued its descent. The momentary tranquility they had enjoyed on the ground seemed increasingly distant, but everyone's concentration remained firm.
The following floors of the dungeon didn't offer the same tranquility as the previous levels. From the ninth floor onward, the atmosphere changed; the air became denser, the light from the magic stones dimmer, and the roars of monsters grew deeper and more guttural in the distance.
The group advanced in close formation. Bell held the lead, alert to every corner and sound. His spear, already stained with dried blood from previous monsters, felt firm in his hand. Mikoto and Ouka flanked him, with Asuka and Chigusa slightly behind, keeping watch on the flanks.
It was on the 10th Floor that the first orc appeared. A beastly roar shook the corridor before it emerged from the shadows. It stood over three meters tall, and its improvised stone club slammed into the floor with brute force.
"Spread out!" Bell shouted.
Ouka charged from the left side, drawing the orc's attention with a powerful slash of her sword. Mikoto went to the right, slashing at the creature's calf to destabilize it. Bell advanced from the front and, after a moment's wait, drove his spear directly into the orc's chest with a swift twist. The creature grunted and fell, collapsing with a thud before disintegrating.
Chigusa sighed with relief. "That was fast…"
"Don't let your guard down," Mikoto said. "The next floor is even more treacherous."
Then the Imps began to appear. Small demons with bat-like wings and glowing eyes sped through the halls. They attacked in groups, slashing with their claws or ambushing from above.
Bell spun around, knocking one down with an uppercut. Mikoto blocked another with her katana while Ouka covered Chigusa and Asuka.
"They're annoying as flies," Asuka muttered. "But they can't resist anything."
The danger, however, escalated on the 11th Floor. Bad Bats slithered through the shadows, attacking with high-pitched screeches that rattled the air.
One of them launched a sonic wave that disoriented Chigusa, causing her to fall to her knees. Mikoto immediately jumped in front of her, blocking a second bat from swooping down.
"Bell-dono, cover up!"
"I have it!"
Bell threw his spear hard, impaling the Bad Bat in mid-flight. It fell like a stone. Quickly retrieving the spear, he looked at his team. "Everyone okay?" "Just stunned," Chigusa replied with a tight smile.
Finally, on the 12th Floor, the atmosphere became drier and the walls took on a more reddish hue. It was there that they encountered the Hard Armored.
The monsters resembled large stone armadillos, with shells so tough that weapons bounced off upon contact. One of them spun like a ball, slamming into the wall with force, leaving a visible crack.
"Their bellies are the weak point!" Mikoto shouted, narrowly avoiding one of them.
Bell waited for just the right moment. As one of the monsters finished its spin and was exposed, he slid under it and drove his sword straight into its soft abdomen. The creature squealed before disintegrating.
"They have strength but no brains!" Ouka snarled, crushing another with a blow of his two-handed axe on one of its hind legs, causing it to topple over.
With effort and coordination, they managed to eliminate the rest of the Hard Armored. Sweat was already running down their foreheads, but no one was seriously injured.
Meeting briefly at a bend in the road, Bell took a deep breath. "We're almost at Rivira. Let's rest for a minute, then we'll continue."
"Yes," the others said in unison, taking turns sitting down, taking advantage of that brief moment of calm before continuing into the even deeper dangers of the Dungeon.
Sitting in a large corner of the hallway, the group took advantage of the respite. Chigusa sipped slowly from a canteen while Ouka checked the edges of her weapon. Bell removed the spear from his back to clean it, deep in thought… until Mikoto broke the silence.
"It's weird… there are fewer monsters than usual."
Bell looked up. "Really?" He blinked, confused. "I don't have that much experience on these floors. The lowest I've ever reached was thirteen."
Mikoto nodded gravely. "Yes. We should have had at least twice as many encounters on this stretch. Not that I'm complaining about moving fast, but…" she crossed her arms, staring into the distance, "it worries me. It's not normal."
Ouka leaned his sword against the wall. "It could be a simple fluctuation… but it could also mean something is building up further down."
Asuka, with her eyes closed and her head resting on her backpack, muttered without opening her eyes: "Or someone else cleared the path before us."
"Or is there something bigger waiting for us ahead?" Chigusa added in a low, uneasy voice.
Bell frowned. He didn't like those possibilities. But Mikoto was right. Since they'd descended to the ninth floor, everything had been going too well.
"In any case," Bell said, slinging his spear back onto his back, "let's stay alert. If this is the calm before the storm, we'd better be prepared."
The group nodded almost in unison, their brief respite now tinged with uncertainty. The silence in the dungeon was thicker than usual… and that was never a good sign.
The group rose from their rest with renewed tension in their muscles. Mikoto's words still hung in the air like an omen. Bell was the first to advance, Artemis's spear on his back and his sword already in hand as a precaution. Mikoto followed him on his left, while Ouka covered the right flank. Asuka and Chigusa brought up the rear, alert for any strange sounds.
As they descended the stairs leading to the fourteenth floor, a subtle detail began to become noticeable: the tone of the walls was changing. The stone of the dungeon was beginning to take on a lighter, almost whitish hue, with pale blue veins running across its surfaces. It was a change that marked the transition to floors 14– 17, where the environment became more expansive and labyrinthine.
"The color of the walls…" Bell murmured, briefly touching one of the stones. "Is this the fourteenth floor yet?"
"Yes," Mikoto confirmed, nodding seriously. "The environment changes here. The structure is more open, but that also means monsters can appear from more angles."
The group adjusted their formation, making it less linear and more adaptable. The galleries widened, and higher ceilings gave way to rock formations that hung like teeth. Distorted echoes drifted through the room, making it difficult to pinpoint the source of the noises.
It didn't take long for them to encounter the first obstacle.
A dull rumble brought everyone to a screeching halt. From a side corridor, an orc emerged, its bulk blocking almost all access. Standing three meters tall, with thick, grayish fur and carrying a massive, makeshift mace made of stone and bone, it roared furiously at the sight.
"Bell, left flank!" Ouka shouted, already running to the right.
Bell nodded, charging forward with his sword drawn. The creature was slow, but powerful. A direct blow would have cut anyone in two. The young adventurer distracted it with quick feints, forcing the Orc to spin. Mikoto appeared behind him with a precise thrust that staggered him, and Ouka finished him off with a downward blow to the neck. The monster disintegrated into black particles with one last growl of rage.
"Quick and clean," Asuka commented with a small smile. "I like this pace."
But it wasn't long before more arrived.
From an upper corridor descended two Imps, winged, demonic-looking creatures barely a meter tall but swift and vicious. One of them shrieked loudly, launching itself at the group.
Chigusa rolled on the ground, dodging by inches, then fired an arrow that pierced the first one's chest. Bell intercepted the second in midair, severing one of its wings before it could attack.
"Those were more annoying than expected…" Mikoto muttered, breathing a little more heavily.
They moved forward without stopping.
At one particularly narrow fork, a dark cloud descended from the ceiling. It was a Bad Bat, a colossal bat with dark fur and leathery wings. Its screeches echoed throughout the corridor, creating sound waves that forced Bell and Asuka to cover their ears.
"Break the rhythm!" Ouka shouted, launching herself at the monster. But her leap was interfered with by the vibrations. The Bad Bat shrieked again, unleashing a pulse that shattered one of the magic lanterns on the wall.
Chigusa, trembling, aimed her bow. Despite the noise, she managed to fire an arrow that pierced the creature's eye. It fell to the ground with a spasm, disappearing into black specks.
And then, the floor's final obstacle appeared as they crossed a wider corridor: a Hard Armored. The monster looked like a giant armadillo, with a segmented carapace so thick that most weapons bounced off it without damaging it. It rolled toward them like a living metal ball, vibrating the floor with its weight.
"Attack when it stops!" Mikoto shouted.
The Hard Armored slammed into the wall, stunned by its own momentum. Bell dashed toward it, but his sword barely left a scratch on the shell.
"Underneath!" Chigusa shouted, remembering the lesson.
Bell understood instantly. He rolled underneath the monster just as it tried to right itself, and from its belly, he drove his sword down with all his might. The Hard Armored One screeched with a metallic sound before vanishing.
The corridor returned to silence, barely disturbed by the gasps of the five adventurers. Bell wiped the blood from his sword as they gathered by a broad rock.
"They're appearing more often now," Asuka commented, wiping her forehead.
"Yes," Mikoto said, looking down the corridor with a frown. "And stronger."
Bell said nothing, but his hand tightened on the hilt of his spear. The initial calm was gone. The Dungeon was watching them… and it seemed to be preparing something for them.
They continued through the corridors of the fifteenth floor, then the sixteenth. The change in the atmosphere was evident, not because of the usual pressure or danger… but because of the strange lack of them.
The monsters had begun to thin out. At first, they simply took longer to appear. Then, entire sections of the dungeon began to be empty. No sound, no ambushes, no sign of enemies. Only silence, distant echoes, and the crunch of their own footsteps on the whitish stone floor.
"This isn't normal," Mikoto murmured, listening for the slightest noise.
Bell nodded silently, spear in hand. His body was tense, not from fatigue, but from the anticipation of an attack that never came. The lack of enemies didn't reassure him; quite the opposite. The Dungeon was never kind without reason.
Finally, after descending a final stone ramp, the passageway opened into a huge natural chamber: the Wailing Wall.
A great wall of rock rose like a cathedral within the Dungeon. In the center, where the Goliath normally stood, there was now only a void. A large hole tore through the wall like an open wound, its jagged edges leading to the entrance to Rivira, the resting city in the middle of the Dungeon.
The group paused for a moment. Bell stared into the empty space.
"So there was the Goliath," he muttered with a hint of disappointment.
Ouka noticed, and let out a small laugh. "Were you hoping to confront him?"
Bell shook his head with a wry smile. "No, but… at least see him."
"Bah, we probably wouldn't have touched him with a blessed spear," Asuka chimed in, rolling her eyes.
"What is surprising," Ouka added, "is how quickly we got here. Honestly, even on our best expeditions, we didn't arrive so easily."
"Yes," Mikoto nodded. "Normally, getting to Rivira would have taken us more than twice as long. And a lot more effort."
"Maybe it was luck," Chigusa said, though her tone was more of a question than a statement.
"Or is something going on down there?" Mikoto muttered, frowning.
Bell silently watched the entrance to Rivira for a few more seconds, his expression serious but serene. They had arrived. Perhaps too easily…too quickly. And that didn't stop bothering him.
He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. Then he turned to the rest of the group.
"We're here. We've met our objective. Let's go down."
Ouka nodded slightly, resting the axe on her shoulder. "Gladly. I was starting to get bored with how easy it was."
Asuka snorted, nudging Chigusa. "See? Even the captain admits it."
"That's not good…" Mikoto muttered, frowning, her hand caressing the hilt of her katana. "The Dungeon is never generous without reason."
Bell took one last look at the unnatural stillness of the floor, at the gaping hole that led to Rivira and, farther down, to the next stretch of the descent. Then he sighed.
"What could go wrong?" he asked the air, almost with resignation.
And the echo of her voice was the only response he received. For now.