It was the end of spring when Ray and the others returned to the city.
Before he realized it, summer was already drawing near. The sunlight had grown blazing and almost dazzling. Isagi and the girls, too, had only just returned to the Garden of Stars after their latest adventure when they heard Goddess Astrea bring up the matter.
The situation was dire.
The god Hermes had apparently been placed under "house arrest" over in the Empire—along with many of the Guild personnel who had accompanied him for the negotiations, including Guild Master Royman.
Originally, Ray and the others had been meant to stir up a certain conflict over in the Empire, but upon learning of this news, the great god Ouranos ultimately ordered them to withdraw.
As for the Empire and the Magic Kingdom, it was the great god Odin who sent the final ultimatum.
[If you want the weapon destroyed, then prove to us the strength of the [Hero].]
"Meaning—they want us to go rescue people?"
"Not only that, but to destroy the weapon over there as well."
In a sense, this was Orario's "war" against the Empire and the Magic Kingdom.
If that "weapon" could be destroyed, the negotiations would naturally conclude. If not, they would reserve the right to use it.
And the Guild's verdict was this.
[There's no other choice.]
The weapon the Magic Kingdom was now developing had to be destroyed, for it was something capable of killing off a third of all life on the continent. A thing like that must never exist in this world—it was far too dangerous.
But before that.
Goddess Astrea believed there was no need to rush over.
Because there was still time before the [Appointed Time] arrived, and because what was demanded was a display of strength sufficient to subjugate the [Black Dragon].
With the current power of Isagi and the girls, they were of course nowhere near capable of such a feat.
"Hermes and Royman won't come to any harm over there—"
In the end.
This was nothing more than a certain "wager" among the gods.
And right now, for the city, the most important matter was still to first deal with the "Tainted Spirit" lurking in the depths of the Dungeon—that was the top priority.
According to the Guild's plan:
Once Riveria and the others of the Loki Familia all leveled up to Lv. 7, and at the same time Ottar leveled up to Lv. 8, and Freya's other familia members leveled up to Lv. 7, with the addition of Lefiya and the others from the Astrea Familia—
that would be enough to set out and subjugate it.
"Of course, it would be best if Lefiya and the rest of you leveled up to Lv. 7 before going too."
Truth be told, they were nearly there already.
Lefiya, Ryuu-senpai, and Ais as they were now could all level up directly. Only Tiona's stats still fell a little short. Indeed, thanks to the adventures of this period, even Haruhime had advanced by leaps and bounds, already reaching Lv. 4 and nearly about to climb to Lv. 5.
He himself was about there too, but the Tainted Spirit was in the deep levels, so he certainly couldn't go.
As for the leveling up, the Loki and Freya Familia were pretty much ready already.
And so the plan going forward was, in fact, to keep adventuring in the Dungeon a few more times to let Lefiya, Ryuu-senpai, and the others level up, and then head into the depths of the Dungeon to subjugate the Tainted Spirit.
"The Loki and Freya Familia are already preparing for the deep-level expedition, so they won't be joining the next few adventures."
Traveling to the regions beyond Floor 60 was, of course, an exceedingly troublesome and difficult undertaking—mapping the routes, replenishing logistical supplies, and coordinating battle plans with the second-line forces.
The Astrea Familia had no experience with expeditions, so all these matters had been taken over entirely by the Loki and Freya Familia.
"So the next task is still adventuring, then."
"Mm."
And now that Ray and the others were back—did that mean the originally hazy lower-level storyline could finally begin?
Isagi shook his head.
In truth, his own thinking was pretty much the same as Gareth's and Ottar's.
Whatever faction the "hunters" and the "prey" belonged to, they could just fight their way through them all. As for the storyline and the like, in the adventures of the Dungeon it was merely a side dish.
And so—
Before him lay the mouth of the corridor leading from Floor 32 to Floor 33—in other words, the passage leading from the [Ancient Hunting Grounds] to the [Golden Desert] region.
Beneath the cover of leaves and foliage.
The downward slope was still lit by scattered points of deep-green phosphorescence, while from somewhere deep within came a kind of roasting, scorching heat.
On this adventure, neither Riveria nor Ottar and the others had come—only himself and the girls.
Most of the [Ancient Hunting Grounds] had basically been fully explored. Next, all that remained was this stretch of [Golden Desert] beyond it.
Everyone continued forward in formation as before.
The slope visibly shifted partway along into another aspect altogether, like a gradient of shifting colors.
The moist earth underfoot turned into coarse gravel, and buried within it began to appear stone pillars—ancient yet still pure white, carved with bizarre patterns—or the broken remnants of some structure.
The corridor seemed to have become some kind of buried underground ruin.
Until the very end.
A massive stone gate stood here, opened just a crack—wide enough exactly for a single person to slip through. Before it, towering and at least three meters tall, a stone statue stood motionless.
This thing had originally been the guardian boss. After being defeated, it had seemed to lose all vitality, turning into a true statue. That had been long ago—it happened during the retreat all the way back, after that thing had been dragged into the deep levels following the artificial labyrinth campaign.
Without his noticing, it had already become a thing of the distant past—seemed like it was last year, perhaps?
As Isagi mused over this.
Together with the girls he passed by the enormous statue, and then beyond it, he caught sight of the desert glittering so brilliantly beneath the "blazing sun" that it was almost blinding.
There was, of course, no sun in the Dungeon.
Therefore.
If one looked up now, all one could see was an immense, pure-white orb of light suspended at the far ceiling above. It never went out, ceaselessly roasting the sand below, leaving this place with almost nothing but sand.
As the "end" of the lower levels.
The [Golden Desert] was, for the overwhelming majority of adventurers, the most hateful place of all.
Easy to get lost in, with no supplies that could be gathered on the spot, and the monsters were basically all hidden beneath the sand—there was simply no telling when one might launch an attack on you.
Were it not for the sake of reaching the deep levels, most adventurers would never set foot here in their entire lives.
And his own special Dungeon was a little different.
Isagi remembered it clearly.
Ryuu remembered it clearly too.
Just a short way ahead of the corridor, after climbing a sand dune, an enormous pit appeared before everyone's eyes.
And below it lay ancient ruins.
Isagi had of course never forgotten the memories tied to it, and so—
"It's dangerous down there. Though last time I just ran straight out, so I don't know the specifics either, but..."
The youth weighed his words carefully.
"In any case—come on, let's head down."
____
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