Morning was drawing to a close, with noon fast approaching. The number of adventurers in the guild hall had thinned out significantly compared to the frantic rush of the morning or the evening.
The receptionists and staff were just beginning to look forward to their lunch break when the guild doors swung open and two male adventurers walked in.
Under normal circumstances, this wouldn't have been unusual. There were always a few who only dived into the dungeon in the afternoons, and others who arrived at odd hours to collect rewards for completed commissions.
However, when the receptionist saw the grim, hardened expressions on the faces of the two men approaching her counter, a bad premonition took hold in her chest.
With her break so close, she didn't want any trouble; she hoped they would choose someone else's counter. Unfortunately, the two men headed straight for her.
"Sorry to bother you, but we have something to report regarding the dungeon," the male adventurer with a hammer on his back announced.
The man beside him, who carried a bow and quiver, added with a sharp gaze, "It’s an urgent matter. We’d like to speak with a superior if possible."
"I-I am terribly sorry, but protocol dictates that I listen to the details myself before deciding whether to escalate the matter. Otherwise, my superiors would be completely overwhelmed..."
Years prior, an incident had occurred at the Exil guild where a receptionist failed to escalate a report simply because they disliked the adventurer involved, leading to a catastrophe. In response, they had implemented a system where all reports went straight to the top, but that caused the staff to collapse from overwork over trivial matters—like someone dropping a potion in the dungeon. Eventually, they settled on the current system, where the receptionists acted as a filter.
The receptionist responsible for the original oversight had been sentenced to twenty years' imprisonment—a fitting punishment considering the damage Exil suffered when monsters poured out of the dungeon due to her negligence.
Energeia and Menos seemed to understand the procedure. They exchanged a brief look and a small nod before Energeia, the party leader, spoke up.
"We headed to B6F today. We ran into a monster there that was incomparably stronger than a normal Stone Puppet. At the very least, it wasn't the kind of thing that belongs on the sixth floor."
"You say 'at the very least'... Does that mean you heard this from someone else?"
"Yeah."
"...I see. For the time being, could you present your dungeon cards?"
"Understood."
Energeia and Menos placed their cards on the counter.
Upon seeing them, the receptionist decided to take the report with a grain of salt. It was common for parties with little experience to assume a monster they couldn't handle was an "anomaly" rather than admitting their own lack of skill.
Looking at the cards, these two were newcomers who had only recently registered in Exil. Their guild rank was D—respectable, but in her eyes, it was exactly the kind of middling rank where adventurers struggled to face their own limitations. However, Energeia’s next words forced her to immediately revise that judgment.
"Just so you know, this isn't just our take. We ran into the party led by Crimson, and one of his female members pointed this out."
Seeing the receptionist's skeptical look, Energeia cut to the chase. The receptionist let out a sharp gasp.
A female member of the party led by Crimson. To her, that could only mean one person: Elena, the Princess General.
It was a natural misunderstanding. The receptionist believed Rei and Elena were the only ones in the party, and Energeia had no way of knowing that Vihera and Byune were merely temporary companions.
Regardless, the receptionist could not ignore the assessment of someone as famous as the Princess General. She made eye contact with another staff member nearby and gave a small nod.
"I understand. I will fetch a superior immediately. Please wait just a moment."
After the report was escalated, the guild began an investigation. When they interviewed other adventurers, they discovered several more accounts of encounters with monsters far more powerful than they should have been for their respective floors. The guild would soon be consumed by the task of addressing this phenomenon.
Unaware of the stir they had caused on the surface, Rei's group continued through B6F.
"Haaaah!"
Elena’s battle cry echoed as she swung her whip-sword. The blade extended like a lash, coiling around a Stone Puppet’s limbs. A moment later, she channeled her magic power through the edge, severing the golem's arms and legs in one stroke.
With its limbs gone, the Stone Puppet was helpless. A rapid succession of thrusts followed, shattering the stone body and ending its life.
"...It certainly feels weak compared to the one Vihera fought earlier."
"Doesn't it? But the one from before was an anomaly; this is what a normal Stone Puppet is like."
Vihera muttered the response while watching Rei extract the magic stone.
Her expression wasn't one of frustration at the lack of a challenge, but rather concern over the state of the dungeon. She feared that this wasn't an isolated incident on B6F, but a sign of a larger dungeon anomaly.
Of course, in typical Vihera fashion, her primary worry was that if the anomaly worsened and the dungeon was closed, she would lose her chance to fight strong monsters.
"In any case, we're descending to B7F, right?"
"Yes, that’s for the best," Vihera replied. "Even for you and Elena, it’s better to register more floors with the teleportation device just in case, right?"
"...I suppose so," Elena replied with a sigh.
"What's wrong?" Rei asked.
"Nothing. I simply realized once again that she is not to be underestimated."
Rei tilted his head at Elena's cryptic remark but didn't press further. He finished storing the Stone Puppet remains in his Misty Ring.
(She’s pushing Rei and me to fight stronger monsters, gauging our limits while forcing us to grow,) Elena thought. (Right now she’s an ally, but she’s going to be dangerous as time goes on. I need to keep a close eye on her.)
Elena cast a sidelong glance at Vihera and felt an involuntary chill.
Vihera was smiling. She knew exactly what Elena was thinking, and she found it amusing. It wasn't a smile of malice or anger, but one of absolute confidence—a smile so full of affection it was almost unsettling.
Elena maintained her composure, but her internal guard was at an all-time high. There was something slumbering within Vihera that was far more intense than mere combat instinct.
"What’s the hold-up? Let’s keep moving," Rei called out.
The boy was notoriously sensitive to the malice of others, yet even with Vihera directing that smile at him, he remained entirely unperturbed.
(I can't tell him now, but maybe tonight... No, Rei is terrible at keeping secrets. If I say something, Vihera will sniff it out and make a move before I can react.)
Elena nodded and began walking. The formation remained the same: Byune and Vihera in the lead, Rei and Elena in the middle, and Set and Iero bringing up the rear.
As they moved, Byune kept glancing back at Rei.
For Byune, who was constantly strapped for cash, Rei’s Misty Ring was an object of pure envy. Only Vihera, who had known her for years, truly understood the look in her eyes. Since the stone of a Stone Puppet could be used for alchemy, armor-smithing, or even as construction materials, the remains were quite valuable. Provided one had an Item Box to ignore the massive weight, they were a gold mine.
"Hmm? Is something the matter?" Rei asked, noticing her gaze.
Byune immediately looked away and resumed her scouting.
"Does she hate me?" Rei wondered aloud.
"Fufu, it's nothing like that," Vihera said with an alluring smile. "Byune has a lot of expenses, so she's just jealous of your Item Box, Rei."
Elena’s expression tightened at the sight of Vihera’s smile, but she said nothing, focusing on the path ahead.
"Mmm..." Byune looked up at Rei again. Her face was as expressionless as ever, but there was a faint plea in her eyes.
"I can't exactly give you an Item Box like I did with those proofs of subjugation," Rei said flatly.
He had given her the Orc ears earlier, but the Misty Ring was his most vital tool—more important to his life as an adventurer than even his own immense magic power. He wasn't about to give it away.
"Oh, what a shame," Vihera teased. "Still, if you had a little more money, you might be able to afford a Magic Pouch, couldn't you? You've earned a fair bit lately, right?"
"...Nn," Byune shook her head slightly.
With her talent and Vihera's help, Byune had earned a staggering amount for a Rank D adventurer—equivalent to a Rank B's income. However, most of it vanished into mansion maintenance and debt repayments. What little was left went toward consumables and gear repairs. A Magic Pouch—though far more common than an Item Box—was still a high-priced luxury well beyond her reach.
"Well, let's get to B7F," Vihera said, changing the subject. "We need to get back to the surface and check in with the guild eventually."
The group continued their descent. They swept aside the few monsters they encountered with ease and finally reached B7F. After registering their location, they shared a late lunch inside the magic tent. Finally, they stepped onto the magic circle and vanished, teleporting back to the surface.