With the Lesser Water Dragons defeated, the dungeon fell into silence. Amid the sound of the waterfall, the ringing of a hammer echoed. Safi is repairing the waterwheel.
The rogue party that had caused the commotion had been knocked unconscious and tied up in the corner of the room. Nearly fifty adventurers were now staring, switching their gaze between Safi and us.
The large number was because another party, which had split off from us to explore after the battle, had finally arrived here. The preliminary map predictions had been correct after all. The hidden area circled the fourth layer. The two groups had apparently converged in this large central room, the midpoint of their separate routes.
The other group had also made progress. In addition to rescuing the captured adventurers, they had discovered stairs leading to the lower levels.
Clang, clang.
The hammer rang out, and each strike sent pale blue sparks scattering from the base of the waterwheel.
“Now, then.”
Felix-san cleared his throat.
While Safi continued the repairs, we had something we had to tell the adventurers—something about the dwarves.
“…Huh?”
The adventurers’ eyes widened.
“Dwarves… in the depths of Alvis?”
“Aren’t there supposed to be only monsters down there?”
“…So they’re an ancient race from the Great Sealing Era?”
Exclamations of surprise erupted all around.
Felix-san did the explaining, while I, Mia-san, and Nils-san stood slightly behind him.
Nils-san said nothing, but his brows furrowed slightly, as if he were troubled or unsure about what he was seeing.
“This is the first I’ve heard of it…”
“Are there any other secrets in the dungeon?”
“Now’s the time—just tell us!”
Depending on the situation, I might have to reveal the power of Wake-Up or even the truth about the gods.
But—
『…These people… they’ve believed in Odis all this time, haven’t they?』
Solana’s words made me lower my chin. The conversation fell silent, probably because both I and the gods shared the same feeling.
“Yeah…”
The myth that had ended in the gods’ victory was actually a story of defeat.
Ancient gods were awakening one after another.
If any of this were revealed, it would surely cause a bigger uproar than even discovering the hidden area. It was precisely because the gods had subdued the monsters—that was the myth—that the Kingdom of Asgard remained at peace.
Images of farmland and villages without walls from our sea journey flashed through my mind.
The reason people could tend their fields without fearing monsters, the reason they could live near the dungeon safely—it all rested on their trust in the chief god, Odis.
The dungeon’s blessing, the magic stones, were used for countless purposes: lighting, furnaces, and more. Myths were the very foundation of that security.
If the truth were to spread, doubts about the temples would arise. And since even the Raven Warrior Corps belonged to the temple’s organization, any mistrust and chaos would reach us as well. At worst, the cooperation of the adventurers here might vanish entirely.
Whether they would believe me was uncertain.
Even if the adventurers accepted it, the nobles and royalty might not. And if that were the case, the Warrior Corps that had declared “there are lies in the myths” would find itself in an extremely precarious position within the kingdom.
How wonderful it would be if I could tell them everything I knew and truly earn their trust.
But—this time, I wasn’t sure that honesty was the right choice.
Before entering the dungeon, I had revealed only the secrets of the hidden area and the ashes of the titan. That had been the absolute limit, the line Felix-san and Pauline-san had decided: “This is all for now!”
The gold coin in my pocket trembled, and the voices of the gods came one after another.
『See? This is getting messy. Let’s just go out and say it already.』
『Hold on, Thor… the Warrior Corps has its position to consider.』
『Uru is right, but politics… all the way here in the dungeon? I have to say… it’s a bit of a buzzkill.』
My cheeks grew hot. I wanted to speak up, to say something. After all, none of this distrust would have existed if Safi hadn’t been put in danger in the first place.
“Um…!”
“Wait, wait, you two.”
Two people stepped forward from the line of adventurers.
One was large, like a gray grizzly bear, carrying a stone hammer. The other wielded a greatsword.
They scanned the adventurers around them.
The hammer-wielder looked at me and smiled. He was the one who had come to our aid during the pre-entry briefing.
“Let me guess—you weren’t just keeping secrets for no reason. It’s that the truth was too big to explain, right?”
He was looking directly at me.
Should I just nod honestly…?
As I hesitated, he stroked his rough red beard.
“So? For now, why don’t you leave the questions to us?”
A voice of protest started to rise, but the greatsword-wielder silenced it with a hand. His sunburned brown hair and battle scars etched across his face marked him as a seasoned veteran.
“I agree. If we start asking questions, there’s no turning back. After a message broadcast to everyone, I understand how you feel—but at least the Warrior Corps never lied. Let’s try trusting them a little more.”
Our eyes met. I planted my feet firmly, standing my ground, and nodded in agreement.
“I’m sorry. But right now, please prioritize our objective—exploring the dungeon and rescuing people.”
The two of them seemed to show consideration for us. As adventurers and contractors on this quest, providing the necessary information was enough. They drew that line clearly.
The tension in the room eased. Just then, the waterwheel sparkled brilliantly. Raising her hand was the small blacksmith—Safi.
“Finish it… Blessing, Bless!”
The hammer came down on the magic stone at the base. A clear metallic chime echoed through the room.
“Whoa…!”
The adventurers murmured in awe.
Bathed in the stone’s light, the ancient mechanism seemed to awaken. Surely, it hadn’t worked in a thousand years. Creaking and groaning, it shook loose clumps of moss-covered soil as the waterwheel’s base shifted. Sliding along its rails, it pushed the wheel toward the waterfall.
An inverted cascade rose from the bottom to the top. The waterwheel began to turn, catching the reversed flow. The engraved patterns on the base glowed. The light spread outward along the floor in a perfect circle, like ripples on water.
A little behind us, along the back wall, the floor shimmered. Columns about waist-high circled the glowing area, marking its boundaries.
“The lift’s over there.”
Safi headed toward the glowing floor, peering down at the central platform.
“The magic stone on the control panel is huge. It’s probably a direct line to the lowest level… feels like it’s meant for hauling supplies, though.”
She puffed out her chest and called back to us with a cheerful laugh.
“So? Are you done with your little meeting?”
Her bright voice made us exchange glances.
“…Yeah, for now, at least.”
The adventurers let out wry smiles.
“Alright, we’ll leave it to you then.”
“Seems like they weren’t as bad as we thought, anyway.”
A few of the adventurers shot us knowing glances, and I found myself smiling a little.
But from now on, we had to stay alert.
We would part ways with them and take the lift down to the lowest level. There was a high chance that the ashes of the titan, which loosened the monsters’ seals, had been scattered there.
“Alright, everyone—let’s go.”
We moved toward the activated lift.
“…It’s safe to ride it, right?”
Mia-san bit her mouth nervously and poked the lift floor with the tip of her axe.
Safi pouted, inspecting the central platform.
“What’s that supposed to mean? You don’t trust me?”
“It’s not that… it’s just that dungeon lifts aren’t always safe at the bottom.”
Felix-san leaned on his staff, adjusting his small coronet.
“…That said, we don’t have much time. We’ll head straight to the lowest level. The others, take the stairs down and continue the rescue operation.”
Felix-san beckoned to the Warrior Corps.
I tried to clear my head for a moment.
Eight parties were participating in the rescue. Of those, three parties—about twenty people—were members of the Raven Warrior Corps. Some remained outside the dungeon or stayed behind to guard the city. That meant only a limited number of warrior corps could enter the hidden area.
Felix-san called over one of them and gave detailed instructions.
“If you find walls that respond to magic keys, create a passage to connect with areas outside the hidden section. Adventurers are continuing to clear the normal sections on the fifth floor below. If we can link the paths, the rescue will proceed faster. One labyrinth engineer will stay here; the rest will go with you.”
“Understood.”
Felix-san raised a finger toward the Warrior Corps, who nodded seriously.
“If you’re short on hands, feel free to call for reinforcements. If their levels match, those who went off on their own earlier may also join the rescue team.”
“…Understood.”
“If I do not return, I’ll leave the rest to Sugin.”
The Warrior Corps bowed deeply.
This was clearly a transfer of command.
The reality hit me—we were about to challenge the lowest level, recommended for level 30 adventurers.
I slapped my face with both of my hands, trying to push the anxiety out of my chest.
Two adventurers stepped forward from the group—the hammer wielder and the greatsword user from before.
“May the blessing of the chief god be with you.”
The greatsword-wielder prayed for me. Then, the larger hammer-wielder bent slightly at the waist toward me, showing his support.
“…To be honest, I didn’t believe in hidden areas or the ashes of the titan at first. But after seeing this… there’s no way to doubt it.”
The hammer-wielder stood tall, pointing to his face with his thumb.
“Let me properly introduce myself. I’m Loyd, of the Stone Hammer.”
“And I’m Melissa, wielder of the Azure Greatsword.”
“I’m Rion.”
I shook hands with the two of them.
Loyd-san stroked his chin thoughtfully, a look of deep admiration in his eyes.
“…So you’ve been fighting while carrying such secrets all this time, huh.”
Safi, who had been inspecting the platform, raised her head.
“Alright, check’s done. Shall we go?”
The party heading to the deepest level would be only us.
Mia-san, Felix-san, Nils-san, Safi, and three Warrior Corps members assigned as transport support.
The rest would take separate routes—moving on their own.
“One more thing, if I may?”
I spoke up.
In the area the slave traders had used, the chances of finding it were low. We’d been careful on the surface, too.
But still, even a little…
“If you find a monster encased in ice, be careful.”
Loyd-san and Melissa-san narrowed their eyes.
“…I see. So the sealed things aren’t…”
“…all ‘good’ things.”
The adventurers seemed to sense the danger. After all, they likely knew about the giant monsters reported in the global message and those that had appeared in Alvis.
Loyd-san raised his hand.
“Thanks for the warning!”
He turned back to his party.
“Let’s go!”
Safi nodded, and the magic stone at the base of the platform glowed.
The softly shining floor began to descend slowly—heading down to the lowest level.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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