Everyone who had gathered instinctively avoided asking "why," likely because they sensed it had something to do with Finn's sudden departure.
It all clicked together.
"It's about Loki's follow-up issue."
Loki's follow-up issue?
That phrase threw everyone off—it was too vague, too abrupt to grasp at first.
"The Guild's operations in the Dungeon. The existence of rational monsters."
"!?"
Only after that reminder did people start piecing it together—what Loki's so-called follow-up issue really meant.
Back when Loki wanted Haruhime to join her Familia, she had made a decisive move to force Ishtar's return to Tenkai. In exchange, she struck a deal with the Guild's god, Ouranos.
That was a major favor—one Loki was now bound to repay.
Agreements between gods weren't like casual negotiations with room for denial or renegotiation.
Such pacts were overseen by beings even more mysterious than the gods themselves—the very source from which all gods were born. Divine agreements were absolute. Irrefutable.
"Finn, did you run into it?"
Riveria's brows furrowed in confusion. Finn had barely stepped away for a short while—how could he have encountered one of those rational monsters?
"It wasn't me. Bell-kun found it."
With that explanation, Riveria immediately understood. That brief moment when Finn stepped out... that was when he met with Bell—and that was who he'd been talking to.
"And Loki, Goddess Hestia, and Goddess Hephaestus all witnessed it."
At that, Riveria reflexively pressed a hand to her temple, veins pulsing. She could already feel her blood pressure spiking.
Great. This was a headache they absolutely couldn't avoid now.
Their Familia had clearly sided with the Guild. And with Loki already neck-deep in this mess, there was no way they could pull out without leaving something behind.
"Also, this is an order from Loki—no one is to touch that Vouivre."
"This ties directly into our relationship with the Guild. It also affects our collaborative ties with Hestia Familia and Hephaestus Familia."
It was a matter of interest, trust, and reputation. The situation had escalated to the point where Loki Familia had no choice but to confront the fallout head-on.
Finn knew the risks. If word got out, the whole thing would explode across Orario. They could act—but they had to do so in absolute secrecy.
Just like how the Guild had quietly maintained ties with those self-aware monsters in the Dungeon for years—who knew about that?
It had taken Bell gathering and analyzing numerous pieces of intel to even uncover the link between the Guild and those monsters. Would anyone else have pieced it together so easily?
Even Evilus probably didn't know the full story.
So yes, this was something they could do—but once they did, the only question that remained was whether they could keep it buried.
"Riveria, what do you think?"
Finn turned his gaze toward Riveria.
Was there even a need to ask?
Riveria knew this was a massive trap. Even the Guild—an organization that had always steered clear of any direct ties to the Dungeon—would plunge into chaos if any connection to Dungeon monsters were exposed. Even Ouranos, as the Familia God, might be forced to send himself back to Tenkai.
"It's a serious issue."
"The Guild has to tread carefully with something like this. If we're going to be involved, we need to be fully prepared. Right now, the most pressing issue is keeping the Vouivre's identity hidden."
If they had no choice but to step into this mess, then total preparedness was a must.
Hiding the dragon girl's identity was no small matter.
This expedition might allow them to keep her hidden, but bringing her into Orario would require masking all of her monster traits. Otherwise, things would spiral out of control.
"So, the top priority is to talk with Bell-kun."
"Mm."
With the direction set, Finn didn't hesitate. He adjusted his voice and called out:
"Bell-kun."
About five seconds later, space tore open. In full view of everyone, Bell stepped through with the dragon girl following behind him.
Bell scanned the room, his gaze finally landing on Finn.
"Captain Finn, what did you need me for? If it's about hiding the dragon girl's identity, I do have a way. It just costs money."
Finn's face twitched. Spending money was a perfectly valid solution, but he was hoping for something else.
"Bell-kun, we can talk about the cost later. For now, I want to know if there's any other way to...handle her accommodation."
Bell thought for a moment, then his eyes settled on the Sword Princess.
"Well, actually, there is a way, and it's not that complicated."
"She's probably a newly born lifeform from the Dungeon, hasn't encountered the Guild or any parties yet, so she's in a rather awkward position down there."
"Adventurers eye her, hoping for valuable drop items, while monsters reject her for being an anomaly. In the Dungeon, monsters with human-level intellect are treated as outliers. Maybe the Dungeon itself labels them as 'invaders'—which is why they get targeted by other monsters."
"After all, the only ones the Dungeon shows true hostility toward are 'invaders'."
"Heh... thinking about it now, that's probably why the Guild chose to protect them."
...Is that really the reason?
Everyone fell into silence at Bell's words.
Seeing the silence, Bell gave a faint smile and continued.
"Only beings with intellect, reason, and emotion are called 'humans'. The Dungeon is alive. Its definition of 'human' is the most impartial—because it targets only them with such hostility."
"And when monsters gain those same traits, they stop being monsters. They become a new kind of human—though with a unique biological makeup that people can't understand or accept."
"That's why I said half of Orario should be destroyed. It's only when those ignorant humans are pushed to the brink that they'll abandon their narrow-minded ways. Only when facing a shared threat will they finally acknowledge these new beings born from the Dungeon."
Bell's method was extreme, but it truly was one of the most effective ways to deal with the problem.
Unfortunately, it was far too radical for any god to ever allow it to happen.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake