In front of a bar located on the eighteenth floor of the Dungeon...
"This is the place they told us to meet up, huh?"
Alise muttered, her hands resting behind her head.
"Hm... Alise, I sense multiple presences inside. Quite a few of them feel as strong as Level 4."
Kaguya said as she walked beside her.
Given how dangerous this mission seemed, Alise had requested the support of her vice-captain.
"Hehe... then let's go greet our companions for this little adventure."
Alise said before bursting through the door.
"Hey, everyone! The most beautiful Scarlet Harnel has arrived!"
She exclaimed, prompting everyone inside the bar to turn their heads toward her all at once.
"The famous Scarlet Harnel of the Astraea Familia?"
"Yamato Rindou is here as well."
"Oh... looks like we've got ourselves some reliable allies."
Murmurs rippled through the bar at their arrival.
"Alise, I see you're still lou— I mean, just as free-spirited as ever."
A woman with short blue hair and glasses stepped forward, wearing a wry smile.
"Ah, Asfi, so it's you. How've you been?"
Alise greeted her cheerfully, completely ignoring the near-slip about her being loud.
"Heh... well, aside from my sleep schedule being completely wrecked, I'd say things are fine."
Asfi replied with a tired sigh.
"Has the entire Hermes Familia been deployed for this mission?"
Kaguya asked as her gaze swept over the people gathered inside.
"Ah, not all of them... but you're not far off the mark."
Asfi replied before turning back and gesturing toward the others.
"It's a pleasure to be working alongside the knights of justice."
She said, extending her hand for a handshake.
Seeing this, Alise accepted it without hesitation.
"Don't worry. If things get chaotic, you can count on me."
...
Somewhere within the Dungeon, four figures could be seen dashing through floor after floor.
'Is this team really going to be alright?'
Judas, who kept to the rear of the formation, couldn't help but question the party's overall dynamic as he observed them.
Bete... the perpetually grumpy werewolf... ran ahead with his hands shoved into his pockets, refusing to speak to anyone as he radiated a clear 'don't-talk-to-me' aura.
Meanwhile, Filvis played the role of a distant and aloof beauty, her expression so consistently unreadable that it was nearly impossible to tell what she was thinking.
Then there was Lefiya, who did her best to smooth things over by striking up small talk, only to be ignored each time... or worse, snapped at by Bete.
"Huuu... Judas, I really tried, but these guys are just too difficult to work with..."
Lefiya said, her shoulders slumping as she looked thoroughly dejected.
Seeing her like that, Judas couldn't help but reach out and pat her head in an effort to cheer her up.
"That's fine. It's not like everyone can be a bundle of energy like Tiona."
At the warmth of his palm, heat rushed to Lefiya's face.
'Ah... so good...'
'As expected... even with a party this uncomfortable, as long as Judas is here...'
She shuffled a little closer to him, her earlier gloom completely washed away and replaced by an unmistakable look of bliss.
Filvis, the black-haired elf, found herself glancing over at the scene.
Sensing her gaze, Judas turned toward her... only for Filvis to look away immediately, as though afraid of being caught watching.
"..."
Judas blinked, but didn't dwell on it as the group continued onward.
When they finally reached the eighteenth floor, the party came to a halt as Bete turned around and spoke for the first time in a while.
"We'll head to Rivira and gather information first. Try not to slack off and become dead weight."
With that, he rushed ahead.
Since Judas couldn't be bothered to argue with the stubborn werewolf, he simply allowed Bete to assume the role of acting leader.
Judas shrugged, offering no objection.
While Bete's personality left much to be desired, when it came to his duties, he was surprisingly diligent.
Aside from his attitude, Judas found little fault with him so far.
"Let's go."
Judas said as they followed after him.
...
After half an hour of asking around...
"So there's increased monster activity in the pantry area of the twenty-fourth floor, huh?"
Judas muttered as the group reviewed the information they had gathered.
"I also heard from others that they spotted Scarlet Harnel and Yamato Rindou heading there as well..."
Lefiya added.
"It seems we're not the only ones investigating this issue."
"By the way, where's Bete? I haven't seen him anywhere."
Judas asked, glancing around.
"Ah... I think I saw him inside one of the bars. There were loud noises and an argument going on, so I ran off."
Lefiya replied nervously.
Hearing that, Judas shook his head and stepped forward.
"Wait here. I'll go get him."
Lefiya nodded.
"Alright."
As Judas walked off, Filvis... who had been standing silently in a corner... approached Lefiya.
"Lefiya, was it? That boy named Judas Spade... do you like him?"
Filvis asked, meeting her eyes directly.
"Eh!? M-Miss Filvis... y-you're talking to me?"
Lefiya visibly flinched, startled enough to take a step back.
"I am looking at you directly and called out your name. Who else would I be speaking to?"
Filvis blinked once before repeating her question.
At that, a blush crept up Lefiya's face, spreading from her neck all the way to her pointed ears.
"W-what are you t-t-talking about!? L-like him!? Y-you've got the wrong idea!"
"I just admire him, that's all!"
Lefiya stammered, flailing her arms as she tried to explain herself.
'Such a pure, untainted affection...'
Watching her reaction, Filvis blinked again, the corners of her lips slowly curling upward.
"I see."
At that moment, her face... illuminated by the soft natural glow of the crystals on the eighteenth floor... paired with her elven beauty, was enough to leave even Lefiya momentarily stunned.
'The cold and aloof Filvis can actually smile like this?'
Her eyes widened slightly before a sudden realization struck her.
'Ah... this is my chance to get closer. For the sake of working together, I need to befriend Miss Filvis.'
"Um... Miss Filvis, the way you fought those monsters earlier... are you a magic swordsman, by any chance?"
Lefiya asked with a hopeful smile, waiting for a response.
Instead of being ignored, Filvis actually opened her mouth to reply.
That alone made Lefiya beam, and the two of them continued talking quietly until Judas returned with Bete in tow.
"Let's not waste any more time. We're heading to the pantry area of the twenty-fourth floor."
Bete said as he moved to the front.
Lefiya and Filvis exchanged a glance... and smiled.
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(A/N: Damn, 200 chapters already and 200+ days of writing. Let's go!)