"Drake's Clue"
Drake was, of course, unaware of Hephaestus's high expectations; his immediate concerns lay elsewhere.
Pulling his bag closer, Drake said to Hephaestus, "Since we've decided to temporarily conceal my level, I'll need your help processing these items."
Hephaestus already knew Drake had ventured into the lower levels and understood he couldn't handle the loot himself.
A Level 1 adventurer appearing with a large quantity of Level 3 and 4 magic stones at the exchange would be highly improbable.
Even so, Hephaestus was still startled at first glance, then her keen senses detected something amiss.
"You have far too many strengthened monster materials! Did you encounter that many rare monsters along the way?"
Drake replied, "Um… I forgot to mention, I encountered Revis of the Alecto Familia on the 27th floor. These magic stones and materials are from the monsters he brought."
Hephaestus frowned. "The Alecto Familia? You encountered the Dark Faction?"
Drake recounted his encounter with Revis and everything that followed.
After hearing Drake's account, Hephaestus fell into deep thought. Since Ryuu Lion's rampage five years prior, the Dark Faction had been completely dormant.
Hephaestus hadn't expected to hear news of those fanatics again, especially from Drake and in such a place as the Dungeon.
Hephaestus sensed something was profoundly amiss.
She didn't doubt Drake's words; gods have unwavering trust in their own children.
Furthermore, she believed that even Revis, encountering Drake and attacking him, would have faced only one outcome.
Her unease stemmed from Revis's presence in the Dungeon.
It's common knowledge that the only way to enter the Dungeon is through Babel Tower, which is under the Guild's strict control.
Since the "Nightmare of the 27th Floor" six years prior and the "Calamity's Revival" five years ago, the Guild had become even more vigilant about Dark Faction infiltration.
The former resulted in the deaths of numerous elite adventurers; the latter led to the Astrea Familia's annihilation.
The Guild is responsible for maintaining Orario's stability and cannot afford to endure repeated losses of this magnitude.
Logically, a notorious Dark Faction member like Revis should have been unable to pass through Babel Tower.
His presence in the Dungeon implied he had been living there for the five years since their supposed disappearance.
While survival in the safer upper floors is possible, Hephaestus knew the Dark Faction well. Those fanatics wouldn't quietly hide away; they must be planning something.
Any significant operation would require substantial manpower and resources.
Even for resource gathering, they wouldn't remain in the Dungeon indefinitely. It would be difficult to maintain secrecy, and it would hinder the progress of their plans.
For a moment, Hephaestus felt her thoughts were a tangled mess, offering no clear path forward.
Drake, understanding Hephaestus's unspoken concerns, stated, "Perhaps the Dungeon has other entrances."
"Impossible!" Hephaestus retorted, then looked at Drake with a questioning gaze. "You haven't discovered something, have you?"
Drake nodded, retrieving Revis's whip from his bag.
"This is a magical device Revis carried. Few in all of Orario can create such items!
I've heard that a descendant of Daedalus possesses the "Mystery" ability."
Hephaestus's insight and wisdom were exceptional; the moment Drake finished speaking, she connected all the pieces.
The Underground Labyrinth! That was the answer that came to Hephaestus after Drake's hint.
To be precise, the Underground Labyrinth should be referred to as the artificial labyrinth Knossos.
A millennium ago, the gods descended to the lower world, bestowing blessings upon humanity and constructing the miraculous Babel Tower.
Daedalus's Familia was responsible for its design and construction.
Not only Babel Tower, but Orario's city planning and even the sewer system were all designed by this master architect. Orario even has a labyrinthine Daedalus Street, a testament to this architectural genius.
But this master architect went mad; he had witnessed a true miracle—the Dungeon itself.
Therefore, Daedalus sought to construct a building identical to the Dungeon.
Due to the Dungeon's cone-shaped structure, Daedalus planned to build a lid-like labyrinth connected to the Dungeon, effectively removing the floor limitations.
Unlike the self-repairing Dungeon, however, an artificial structure would eventually collapse due to the passage of time.
To construct a labyrinth comparable to the Dungeon, materials possessing the "indestructible" attribute were required—Orichalcum.
In fantasy literature, this material is known by a more famous name: Mountain Copper, a precious metal on par with Adamantine and Mithril.
Ais's Despair's Blade is crafted from this material; a single slender blade is worth 96,000,000 Valis.
The idea of Daedalus using this material to construct an entire labyrinth is simply inconceivable.
However, with Drake's clue, Hephaestus recalled that impossible artificial labyrinth.
When Daedalus initially proposed this plan, the gods marveled at its grandeur but simultaneously dismissed it as impossible.
While completing Daedalus's original plan is impossible, creating a connection to the Dungeon to form additional entrances is not beyond the realm of possibility.
However, the only Daedalus descendant known to Hephaestus is Ikelos Familia's "Hazer", and she was unaware of his possession of the "Mystery" ability.
She was, of course, unaware that Drake was referring to a different Daedalus descendant and the source of his information. However, mortals cannot lie to gods; she trusted the accuracy of Drake's information.
Regardless, Hephaestus began to suspect Ikelos allegiances.
As previously mentioned, not all of the Dark Faction's main gods are evil gods, and Ikelos behavior is highly suspicious.
The Dark Faction lacks legitimate channels for raising funds and must therefore be collaborating with certain Familias or trading companies.
Ikelos Familia is a strong possibility; considering this, Familias involved in illicit businesses, such as Ishtar Familia in the pleasure district, might also be implicated.
The hidden truth was far more intricate than she initially believed.
Hephaestus sighed; the Hephaestus Familia's work is simply crafting equipment for adventurers; why were they entangled in such troublesome affairs?
Glancing at Drake, Hephaestus knew he wasn't to blame.
Should she pretend nothing happened? That would minimize the ensuing complications.
However, the thought of the Dark Faction's potential actions prevented Hephaestus from remaining passive.
Reaching this conclusion, Hephaestus stood abruptly. "This isn't something we should be worrying about; let those who should be worried handle it!
I'll take charge of negotiating with the other Familias. You focus on preparing your workshop.
Oh, and your short sword and scimitar have been sold. Prepare the remaining items you wish to sell; I'll have someone from the Familia take them to the exchange. I'll give you the money then."
With that, Hephaestus turned and left, clearly intending to discuss this matter with other gods.
Drake offered no objections to Hephaestus's decision; this goddess had thoughtfully arranged everything.
Drake tidied up briefly, then sat at his desk to refine the blueprints for his forge workshop.
Judging by his demeanor, the revelation of the Dark Faction's involvement and the potential implication of the Ikelos Familia seemed to hold little concern for him.
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