Upon entering the Adventurers’ Guild, Liesel exchanged brief greetings with the armed branch leader, who had been waiting inside. The branch leader then joined them as they headed straight underground.

The staircase leading to the second basement floor, where the dungeon was located, had not originally been connected to the entrance hall, but construction had been partially completed.

The finished staircase was about ten meters wide, providing ample space.

Armed adventurers could pass each other comfortably without bumping into one another.

Descending two floors down the staircase…

“This is quite… a comfortable setup, isn’t it?”

“It’s Seria’s taste. It has a different atmosphere compared to other dungeons, doesn’t it?”

Yusef, who emerged into the hall before the dungeon entrance, raised his voice in admiration as he took in the interior.

In most places, the space before a dungeon entrance is designed sparsely, with minimal furnishings, ensuring that those about to enter and those returning don’t get too mixed up and cause trouble.

This area is primarily meant for final discussions before heading back to the surface.

However, in our case, while the flooring was wooden like elsewhere, various features such as bar counter-like structures, tables, and benches were installed throughout.

The design was a mix of a lounge and an open café. While there was no alcohol, simple drinks were available.

There were no paintings or flowers, but with the faint scent of aroma lingering in the air… was this meant to encourage a more refined atmosphere?

I hadn’t been here since the “Burning Orb” experiment.

I had heard that they were making changes like this, but back then, the tables hadn’t been brought in yet.

It felt fresh to see it now.

“The special observation rooms and other basic facilities remain unchanged, but this design is unique. We, too, wanted to strengthen the sense of camaraderie among adventurers, so we adopted Seriana-sama’s proposal.”

The branch leader finished his explanation with that statement.

Everyone nodded in understanding.

Generally, dungeons are more difficult than the outside world, but in our case, it’s the opposite.

That means the roles we’re expected to play differ as well.

Well, we’ve already finished our pre-mission briefing.

It’s a shame, but it looks like we won’t be the first to use this new space.

As the branch leader stepped forward toward the corridor leading to the dungeon, he turned back and asked if we were ready.

“Of course. Everyone, are you good to go?”

“Yeah!”

Liesel spoke, and though I was the only one who responded… that’s fine, right?

There wasn’t some unspoken rule about staying silent in response, was there?

As I glanced around, I met Liesel’s gaze, and he chuckled quietly.

I didn’t know what he found amusing, but it didn’t seem like a problem.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Clapping his hands once as if to reset the mood, Liesel started walking toward the corridor.

We followed behind him.

At the front was Liesel, just behind him were Yusef and his group, and we trailed after them.

“Sera, it’s about time.”

As we neared the exit of the corridor, Alec called for 【Prayer】.

At his signal, everyone stopped walking and turned their eyes to me.

I had given a brief explanation beforehand, but everyone still needed some time to get used to the sensation.

“Got it… Hup!”

I activated 【Prayer】.

Looking around at everyone… it seemed to have worked on all of them.

Good, good… messing up while being watched would be embarrassing.

◇

The dungeon’s shallow zone still maintained its forest-like atmosphere.

Liesel, leading the way, was the first to step inside.

Without a hint of sentimentality…

Well, officially, Liesel was the first to enter, but in reality, it had been Alec.

The central forces didn’t know that, but we and Liesel certainly did.

If there were any spectators, it might have been a different story, but with this group, it was what it was.

“There aren’t any monsters yet… Sera, what do you think?”

“Hmm… They’re gathered further ahead, but it’ll still be a while before we run into them.”

Once inside the dungeon, Alec took the lead.

As expected of our shield.

However, he hadn’t had a chance to do his job yet.

Even looking from above, the monsters had withdrawn to the point where they were hard to spot.

The ones up front must have been startled by our sudden appearance and backed off.

From Riana’s group, there were seven people, including Liesel and the branch leader.

From the Central Knight Order, Yusef and two squad leaders made three, bringing our total to ten.

As we continued forward, we would eventually have to fight, but even monsters in dungeons known for aggression wouldn’t attack recklessly.

Below, Yusef was discussing the dungeon’s public opening schedule with the branch leader.

Just setting foot inside was enough to tell that this dungeon was going to be troublesome.

The investigation had already been completed, but that didn’t mean it would be opened immediately.

There would be a short delay before that happened.

Meanwhile, aside from Yusef and the branch leader, everyone else was chatting casually as they advanced—but that didn’t mean they were letting their guard down.

“Oh? Alec, hold on.”

In response to my words, everyone instantly took their combat stances.

“They’re here?”

“Yeah. Five of them past that big tree… goblins, I think?”

They were hiding behind trees and thick foliage, still out of sight.

About twenty meters ahead, five small shadows lurked.

It seemed the monsters had finally decided to make a move.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Sera・【Hideout】+1【Prayer】【Mira’s Blessing】【Wind Cloak】・【Floating Orb】+1【Shadow Sword】【Scarlet Bee Needle】【Fairy’s Eye】【Dragon’s Lung】【Amber Sword】【Danrem’s Thread】【Serpent’s Tail】【Ankle Bracelet】【Amber Shield】【Purple Wings】・15 cards

Seriana・【Area Identification】・【】・28 cards

Elena・【】・【Green Fang】【Amber Sword】・4 cards

Alec・【Strong Strike】・【Red Shield】【Fierce Horned Trumpet】・8 cards