It was thanks to the white-haired boy brought by Ais that his contemplations were severed.
"Bell!?"
"Yeah. Found him collapsed near the entrance. Along with his party."
"He was unconscious?"
"Yes."
Akumo first headed to the tent where Ais had moved Bell and his companions.
There, he found Bell, who had safely regained consciousness, conversing with Riveria, Gareth, and Ais.
"Bell! What happened to you!?"
"Ah...! Akumo-san...!"
'I almost called him Dad...!!'
"Ahaha... We were hit by a Pass Parade...."
"A Pass Parade?"
Upon hearing Bell's words, the expressions of Akumo and the other executives hardened considerably.
The act of a Pass Parade itself was an accident that could happen anytime in the Dungeon; even the Guild did not strictly treat it as a crime when lives were on the line. However, they had seen many precedents of individuals exploiting that loophole all too well, leading to a subtle, grim reaction.
"Regardless of what happened, you may stay as our guests until your stamina is fully recovered."
"Our own party is stalled here due to the poison anyway."
"Th-thank you very much!! Finn-san, Akumo-san!"
'To reach the 18th floor on the very first day you challenged the middle floors... that must have been grueling...'
Bell bowed his head in gratitude to Finn and Akumo, before following Ais out of the tent.
"A rank-up in just a month and a half...."
"His epithet was [Little Rookie], correct? It's a fittingly unremarkable name."
"There's clearly something more to this, isn't there? Akumo, you seem to know more."
"...I'll tell you eventually. For now, please just view that boy as someone extraordinary."
At Akumo's request, Finn and Riveria offered bright smiles, showing they hadn't intended to interrogate him—returning the same pure smile Akumo had shown them on the hill.
"...Thank you."
"Nonsense. Are we not comrades?"
"Riveria is right. We are comrades, are we not?"
As time passed, night fell over the Under Resort, and everyone gathered in one place for dinner.
"It's sweet!!!??"
"Right? I was shocked the first time I ate it too."
"It's so sweet my tongue is tingling..."
'Riveria and the other women seemed to enjoy it quite a bit, though...'
"Putting that aside, so you chose Welf as your companion for the middle floors~"
'So you were the one who bought that Little Rabbit back then...'
Akumo sat with Bell and Welf, engaging in friendly conversation. He praised Bell's growth with a proud, paternal air, playfully teasing him while offering more fruit from the Under Resort.
Welf was surprised to learn that Akumo already had a connection with Bell, while Bell was equally shocked that Akumo and Welf were already acquainted.
"So Welf made that dagger for you?"
"Yes, it's called Ushiwakamaru!"
"...And its original name?"
"...Little Ox...."
"What's wrong with Little Ox!? Bell, Akumo-san, you're both being too harsh!"
"It's certainly not a name you should say out loud, Welf..."
While they joked, Tione and Tiona appeared and began asking about the things that had piqued their curiosity.
"Argonaut-kun~ How do you get all-S for your abilities?"
"Argonaut...? Is that... referring to me?"
"Up until now, I've only ever seen S-ranks on Akumo. Care to tell us more?"
"Ahaha.... Well...."
"Oh! The way he gets flustered is just like Akumo!"
Akumo and Bell flinched simultaneously at Tiona's remark. Just as they were contemplating how to handle Tione and Tiona, who were relentlessly clinging to them for answers—
—UWAAAAAAH!!!!!!!
"...? What was that noise?"
"It sounded like a human scream...?"
"Let's go check it out!"
Hearing the scream, Akumo and Bell rushed to the entrance of the 18th floor. There, they found Hestia, who had reached the floor after seemingly rolling down the path.
"Hestia-sama...?"
"Goddess...?"
FLOP—!!
"Bell-kun! Akumo-kun!"
"Goddess!?"
"Bell-kun! Thank goodness... truly, thank goodness...!!"
Hestia lunged and embraced Bell, weeping with relief at his safety. Seeing her like this, Bell felt a lump in his throat as he realized how much emotional distress she must have endured.
In that moment, Welf and Ais arrived behind Akumo, while Hermes, Asfi, and Ryuu emerged from the entrance simultaneously.
"Hermes-sama? Even Asfi and Ryuu..."
"....Please keep the fact that the Gods have come here a secret."
'Hermes-sama acting on a whim again, I see.'
"It's been a while, Akumo. And is this boy beside you Bell Cranel?"
"Yes. He's the boy who became the new Record Holder."
"Akumo-san...! That's not really something to say so openly... haha..."
"By the way, the reason we're here is thanks to the children behind us."
As Hermes pointed behind him, the members of the Takemikazuchi Familia revealed themselves with dejected expressions. However, Akumo's attention was suddenly drawn elsewhere....
'Alfia...?'
Swoosh—!!!
"Shhh...."
"....."
Before Akumo could even fully turn his head, Alfia had moved at high speed to secretly relay a message.
"I will be waiting on the hill."
"....."
'When did she even get here....?'
Step, step—
"When did you enter the Dungeon?"
"As soon as I heard the news of Bell's disappearance."
'So she's been inside since this morning...?'
"I wanted to see the scenery of the Dungeon after a long time."
Standing beside Akumo, Alfia smiled as she looked out over the night of the Under Resort. Perhaps because the last time she had seen this view was during the final battle of the Great Feud, this quiet time gazing at the scenery with Akumo felt quite atmospheric.
"What about the 59th floor? Was it interesting?"
"....."
"Akumo?"
"Alfia. The time might be coming soon where we must reveal our identities."
"What do you mean...."
"The 59th floor was a jungle. A Corrupted Spirit threatened us, and that Spirit even looked at Ais and called her Aria."
Alfia was quite shocked by Akumo's words. The fact that the Dungeon's environment had changed was evidence that a powerful being with that level of influence was residing there.
Furthermore, the existence of a spirit capable of communication—especially one that recognized Ais Wallenstein, the girl she called 'The Woman of the Dungeon'—was definitive proof that someone was on the move.
"And so, Alfia..."
"It might not be right now."
Akumo did not view Alfia entering the Dungeon again favorably.
Eight years had passed since her terminal illness vanished, but her growth had stalled significantly since then. He was worried about when her body, which had endured solely on innate talent, might break down again.
However, the face of Silence only held a certain conviction.
Reach—
"Alfia?"
"What are you so worried about? You are here by my side."
"....."
"It is shameless of me, but I do not want to leave the being who showed me the light."
"Alfia..."
"I don't want to distance myself from you... or from Bell."
Her words reached Akumo. The man who had put an end to her life of guilt over Meteria and self-loathing for her own talent, granting her a new existence, and the child Meteria left behind had now become her whole world.
"So I will not leave."
"Do not leave either, Akumo."
The next day, Akumo stood at the entrance with Finn, waiting for Bete to return with specialized antidotes. Alfia had already departed, saying she was going to take a bath first.
"Phew... I brought every damn medicine they had!"
"Well done, Bete."
"Good work."
"Good grief, Akumo, Finn—don't send me on annoying errands like hauling antidotes, GAAAAH!?"
As he accepted their praise, Bete spotted the white-haired boy talking to Hermes at the camp. It was the boy he used to mock as 'Tomato.'
"What's wrong? See something?"
"No way!!! Why is that rabbit brat here!?"
"Ah~ Things just happened?"
"What do you mean things just happened!!!!!"
"Why are you so surprised~ He reached the middle floors because he hit Level 2, that's all."
Bete seemed incredibly shocked by Bell's presence on the middle floors, grabbing Akumo and Finn by the shoulders and shaking them violently. Was it amazement at Bell's impossibly fast growth? Or was he still bothered by the words he had once spat at the boy?
"...Urgh...!"
Pat.
"Bete? What are you so worried about?"
"Worried!? He's just an eyesore!"
'In a way, the fact that Bell grew like that... might be thanks to you?'
"Is that so? Then how about some training?"
"Fine by me! I was getting stiff just sitting around anyway, this is perfect!"
Eager to cool his complicated thoughts, Bete readily accepted Akumo's proposal for a training session and immediately followed him into the forest.
Neither of them knowing what they were about to see there....
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