The "Sage" stepped out from the darkness behind the high platform of the Prayer Stone.
"Perseus was right. The people the Xenos have been watching have been hiding deep within the Dungeon, and the Evilus are frequently active in those same areas. What's more, the destruction of the Astrea Familia five years ago was due to an ambush carried out by the Evilus in the Dungeon. There are numerous clues and pieces of evidence pointing to this."
"The Xenos haven't contacted you recently?"
"...No. I think they don't want to trouble us too often. So when they run into problems, instead of turning to us for help, they try to resolve things on their own."
There was a trace of helplessness in Fels's voice.
In truth, the Guild hadn't done much to support the Xenos. Fels understood better than anyone how the Xenos were caught between monsters and Adventurers in the Dungeon. He often told them, "If something happens, don't keep it to yourselves."
Unfortunately, the Xenos didn't see it that way.
They had their own pride. They knew they couldn't always rely on others, so when they encountered trouble, their instinct wasn't to ask for help, but to solve the issue themselves.
To Fels, this was a troubling sign.
If the Xenos ran into serious danger and chose not to ask the Guild for help, the Guild would be left completely in the dark about their circumstances in the Dungeon.
The only reason they even knew about this situation now was because word of the Xenos' trouble had reached them through another channel.
"They still have their pride."
Ouranos didn't speak—he simply gave a slight nod.
"We've always taken a protective stance toward the Xenos. By encouraging them to help us more often, we hoped it would make it easier for them to seek our help when needed. But this approach still has its flaws.
...We continue to see the Xenos as Xenos, instead of treating them as beings equal to ourselves."
Fels understood how things had gotten to this point. In fact, she had long worried the Xenos might start feeling this way.
That's why, from the very beginning, he had discussed with Ouranos how to ensure the Xenos could maintain their dignity.
But clearly, that effort had fallen short.
"Instead, it's Bell Cranel who's become the one they turn to for help."
"Hmm…"
Fels hadn't expected Bell Cranel—who had barely interacted with the Xenos—to be the one they'd choose to rely on. He didn't even know how Bell had come into contact with them in the first place.
It left him with mixed feelings.
"Ouranos, while this situation came up suddenly, it might be a good opportunity for the Xenos."
"A place where they can survive in the Dungeon."
"That's right. Whatever Daedalus was doing down there, the fact remains that a brand-new space has been opened up in the Dungeon."
At this point, Fels's tone grew more animated.
"The Xenos are in desperate need of a safe place to rest and recover. They're rejected by both Adventurers and monsters, making it nearly impossible to find somewhere to settle. But now, this could be exactly what they need."
Ouranos felt the same.
Finding a refuge for the Xenos had always been a challenge. They needed to be kept away from Adventurers, or else they'd be hunted endlessly. At the same time, they had to avoid the monsters born within the Dungeon—monsters that reacted to the Xenos as if they were Adventurers themselves.
But now, Daedalus's secret construction deep in the Dungeon had brought an unexpected opportunity.
As long as they could secure control over that space, the Xenos' immediate survival problem could be solved—at least for now.
Ouranos had already made up his mind.
"Fels, when Loki arrives, go call Ganesha over too."
By the time Asfi returned to the Familia with the results of her investigation, dawn had already broken.
But the two gods seated within the Familia hadn't slept a wink all night.
They had both been waiting for the outcome of a certain suspicion.
And Asfi had brought them the confirmation they needed.
"Hermes-sama, Loki-sama, according to my investigation, the trouble the Xenos are facing is directly connected to Daedalus."
"So it really was that architect..."
"Yes. According to the Guild's records, Daedalus built Orario a thousand years ago. But the Guild only has the basic blueprints and notes on construction difficulties. The critical structural data is all missing. Royman said Daedalus requested that Ouranos-sama allow him to personally safeguard those materials."
"Then it's confirmed."
Hermes hadn't expected that Daedalus had taken such vital architectural records with him—and that he had even volunteered to keep them.
"I recall Daedalus going through a period of madness in his later years. Maybe it has something to do with this."
"Then, it's possible the current trouble in the Dungeon is the result of Daedalus's efforts."
To think preparations made a thousand years ago could be having consequences now... Hermes couldn't help but admire Daedalus's persistence, though he wondered what drove such determination.
"Hermes-sama, that part of the work is likely thanks to Daedalus's descendants. According to Royman, Daedalus passed away not long after safeguarding those records. His funeral was even held by the Guild."
"So he didn't rise from the dead... meaning the Dungeon construction must've been carried out by his descendants."
"Did his obsession pass on to them?"
Hermes speculated aloud, but Loki offered a darker thought.
"Maybe it wasn't just obsession—it was a curse. Daedalus's obsession became a curse that he left on his descendants."
"A curse? He cursed his own bloodline? Daedalus really must've lost it."
Loki's guess was bold, no doubt, but not without plausibility.
Obsession is hard to transfer—just like it's difficult for one person's beliefs to be accepted by others.
But a curse? That could be passed on with ease.
Not a transfer of obsession, but a deep and terrifying curse laid upon his descendants—one that turned his fixation into a generational burden.
"Most builders see themselves as artists. Many of them are after fame, not wealth. And that's exactly why so many of them are obsessives. It's not surprising when they go off the deep end like this."
To Loki, it was clear—Daedalus had gone completely mad by the end.
"So now, it's a matter of seeing what the Guild plans to do."
"...Let's see. But I have a pretty good idea of what Ouranos is thinking."
"Funny. So do I."