The sun rose and the moon set.
Bell stood at the center of the square, quietly waiting for his teammate to arrive.
"Bell-sama!"
Lili waved excitedly, a huge pack strapped to her back.
Thanks to the efforts of the God Soma, everyone who had been harassing Lili had been brought to justice. The other members of the Soma Familia had also received their appropriate punishments.
"Lili, why are you so happy today?"
Bell wasn't heading to the dungeon yet; he remained where he stood.
"Soma-sama sealed away all the completed Divine Wine."
In Soma's room, all the intoxicating Divine Wine had disappeared, replaced instead by rows of empty cups. Combined with Zanis being sanctioned by the Guild, the dark atmosphere that had hung over the familia was completely overturned overnight.
"It's all thanks to Bell-sama!"
Lili beamed with joy. She took a few steps, then suddenly noticed something odd.
"Wait… we're not going to the dungeon today?"
"Hold on. There's one more person coming," Bell-sama explained.
"Mm… don't tell me it's a girl?"
Lili still remembered him saying last night that he had two girlfriends.
"Probably not, since he's a blacksmith."
Bell wasn't too clear on the details either. He only knew the newcomer was an Lv1 blacksmith from the Hephaestus Familia—competent enough as a rear guard, and apparently talented enough at forging to catch the Familia God's eye.
Of course, all of this came from Hestia.
"Hephaestus seems to care a lot about that kid. He's not really accepted in his familia. Bell, please look after him! Hephaestus said to consider it repayment for that dagger."
With that kind of request, Bell couldn't possibly refuse. Besides, he happened to need someone to cover Lili.
Bell could clear the dungeon alone, but if he wanted to make money, he needed to gather every Magic Stone and drop item. With two extra people, their efficiency would jump significantly.
"You're Bell Cranel, right?"
A young man with a craftsman's air approached.
"I'm Welf Crozzo. Looking forward to working with you."
"Crozzo-san, hello."
"I'd rather you didn't call me by my surname, and there's no need to be so formal," Welf said with a hearty laugh, the large blade at his waist swaying as he moved.
His gaze fell on Bell's armor, and he leaned in.
"Hey, isn't this the Rabbit Armor I made?! What are the odds!"
Bell suddenly remembered the vendor who sold him the lightweight gear. No wonder the name Welf had sounded familiar.
Calling it something he "bought" was generous—"rescued from a corner of the shop" was more accurate. Despite the questionable naming sense, Bell wasn't about to pass it up. Cheap, practical, and perfect for someone who prized speed, the value had been too good to ignore.
"What a coincidence! Welf's forging skills are truly impressive," Bell praised.
"Haha, you're just flattering me. I'm just an obscure blacksmith. But hearing you say that really makes me happy. Those rotten merchants always treat my stuff like junk and toss it into the corner."
Welf knew his skills were limited. Even after pouring himself into improving, this was the first time he'd ever seen someone actually wearing armor he had forged. Before coming here, he'd assumed Hephaestus had dumped a thankless task on him. But after meeting Bell, Welf's blacksmith soul burned hotter than ever.
Lili watched the two men bond instantly and could only feel speechless. Becoming friends over a single piece of gear… were men always this simple? It almost felt like they'd been through some big event together—more so than she had with Bell.
Lili shook off the unnecessary thoughts and asked:
"Welf-san, the reason you were ostracized… it really was because of that surname, wasn't it?"
"...And who's this little one?"
"Liliruca Arde. I'm a Supporter. Don't call me little one!" Liliruca shot back, eyes narrowed sharply.
"Is that so? Well, you're right, Lilisqueak. Everyone does have a prejudice against Crozzo."
Welf said it lightly, as if the matter didn't concern him at all.
"Lili... squeak…"
Lili's cheek twitched. She had been looking forward to having some alone time with Bell in the dungeon, only for an outsider to ruin her plans. She was already unhappy—and Welf's attitude only stoked her competitive fire.
"Crozzo is the cursed surname of cursed sword smiths. It's completely extinct now…"
Lili didn't hold back when bringing up the topic. Acting alongside Welf might end up affecting Bell's reputation too.
"You seem to know quite a bit. I didn't plan to talk about this, but since it's Bell, I'll explain the details."
Welf walked toward the dungeon, signaling that the rest would be told on the way.
The three of them advanced smoothly. It didn't take long before they reached the tenth floor.
According to Welf, the first ancestor of their clan once risked his life to save a Spirit attacked by monsters. The rescued Spirit, in turn, saved the dying ancestor by letting him drink Spirit blood. With that blessing in their bloodline, the Crozzo clan manifested the ability to forge magic swords once they received the Gods' Falna.
Afterward, they began selling these powerful magic swords to the royal court. War spread across the kingdom—burning elven villages, destroying forests, and drying up lakes. The Crozzo clan became enemies of the Elves and a symbol of betrayal to the nature-loving Spirits.
Then came the infamous curse.
"No one can forge magic swords anymore… but for some reason, I still can."
Welf's voice sank into a deep gloom as he said this.
"They tried to force me to forge magic swords—to restore the clan's honor and our former glory. So I ran away from home."
Welf left his birthplace and wandered alone until the Goddess Hephaestus took him in.
"Everyone keeps going on about magic swords, magic swords... but that's not what I want to forge at all..."
With Welf's muttering, the topic came to an end.
Bell could feel that Welf was very similar to him. One wanted to become a hero, the other a blacksmith. Both were fighting their way forward on their own paths.
"Welf, would you like to sign a contract with me?"
Bell made his offer.
"...Make me your personal blacksmith?! I'd kill for that!"
Without them noticing, the three had already made it down to the twelfth floor. For new adventurers, this was a pace most wouldn't even dare imagine.
Welf was sure that the boy in front of him would one day shake all of Orario as a rising star. Once Bell leveled up and the news spread, blacksmiths all over Orario would probably fall over each other to offer him contracts.
For someone like that to place his trust in him, Welf had no reason to refuse.
"Then it's settled. I have really high standards when it comes to equipment," Bell said with a light chuckle.
"Oh!"
Welf agreed without a second thought.
From beginning to end, Bell had never once asked him to forge a magic sword. He treated him as both a friend and a blacksmith.
Welf could feel that his bumpy career as a smith was about to turn a corner thanks to this boy. What he never imagined was that this Dungeon expedition would become unforgettable in a completely different way.
"Hey... look, what is that?!"
At the startled shout, all of them turned to the scene ahead.
A dense, rolling wave of monsters. Roars and howls crashed over them as four adventurers ran past, screaming.
"Wh-what..."
Welf was so angry he could barely get a word out.
"Run... run!"
Lili spun around to flee, only to have the boy block her.
Monster ambush. In the Dungeon, it was one of the most despicable tactics.
Faced with this abnormal situation, Bell gave a crisp order.
"There are monsters with ranged attacks. We won't get away like this. Head for the pitfall on the thirteenth floor!"
In that instant, both Lili and Welf trusted his judgment. They followed him into a side passage, went down the stairs, and charged straight toward the opening to the thirteenth floor.
Then they saw a terrifying scene.
A blonde elf was surrounded, under fierce attack from monsters.
"Tch, she got ditched by her party?!" Welf clicked his tongue, irritated by how troublesome this had just become.
The monsters were already bearing down on them; they had no leeway to go and save her.
"Bell-sama..."
Lili stared at the elf, who was desperately swinging her slender sword, her face gone pale.
"Jump down, both of you. About ten meters forward to the left from this pit, there's a small chamber with no monster attacks. Hold out there and wait for me. Welf, I'm leaving LilI to you!"
Bell quickly explained the details about the fourteenth level.
From the situation, that blonde elf looked far more like someone who had been set up than the one who started this monster ambush. If she could hold out this long against Middle Floors monsters, she had to be at least Lv2.
That kind of fighting strength was invaluable if they wanted to get out of this alive.
In the span of a heartbeat, Bell's thoughts raced. Whether by reason or emotion, he had to step forward.
"I understand! Be extremely careful!"
Welf lifted Lili onto his back and slid down the vertical shaft.
"Bell-sama!"
Lili shouted in panic.
The last thing she saw was the boy rushing straight into the sea of monsters.
A moment later, fire and thunder roared.