From the short cape draped over her shoulders down to her full-body attire, everything was pure white. The long collar concealed her slender neck, revealing minimal skin—a perfect embodiment of the elves' fastidious aversion to exposing their flesh.
Her straight black hair cascaded down to her waist, and combined with her immaculate white outfit, she gave off the impression of a pure shrine maiden.
Truly, a pristine elf.
Anyone seeing her would form such a first impression.
"White Priestess Filvis, Lefiya-chan's bestie, huh!"
Loki clicked her tongue as she examined the pure-white elf, still utterly defenseless against beautiful women.
The white-clad elf girl awkwardly averted her gaze.
Ah, that one.
The elf who taught Lefiya the barrier magic known as [Divine·Holy Grail of Salvation]. Eiji had heard about her a few times—they seemed quite close.
"This here is Eiji, who recently earned the alias 'Handsome Aurora.'"
At Loki's prompting, Eiji removed the hood covering his head, revealing his identity.
A wave of breathlessness swept through the bar's occupants.
"...I see. Truly worthy of the name. Even I would be overshadowed in the presence of such a beautiful boy."
Dionysus let out a self-deprecating chuckle.
Meanwhile, Filvis behind him merely blinked in surprise before quickly regaining her composure, her eyes clear and steady—earning a bit of Eiji's admiration.
"Loki, what's this about allies?"
Eiji pulled his hood back up and whispered to Loki.
"Allow me to explain."
Dionysus smiled gently, his expression devoid of any pretentious authority.
"I heard you recently became an executive, so you might not know, but Loki and I formed an alliance some time ago."
According to Dionysus, his Familia members had been murdered two months prior—three of them killed within just a few days.
All signs pointed to the culprit being connected to the new species of monster, the man-eating flower. Perhaps they had discovered something and were silenced for it.
"While investigating the man-eating flower monsters, Loki and I happened to cross paths. Since our goals aligned, we temporarily decided to join forces."
This had happened about a month ago, right around the time Eiji had left.
"Alright, let's exchange intel!"
Loki snapped her fingers and shared her Familia's experiences during their expedition with Dionysus.
"A fragment of the corrupted spirit...? Could the enemy's goal be to complete the terrestrial summoning of the corrupted spirit?"
Dionysus's expression immediately darkened.
"Exactly. My children came to the same conclusion."
"Given the Evilus's methods, they're aiming to destroy Orario!"
Dionysus's mind worked quickly—he realized the severity of the situation.
Behind him, Filvis's face also turned grave.
"So, my Familia members were killed because they might have stumbled upon this secret?"
"Possibly."
Loki neither confirmed nor denied it.
Given the modus operandi of the Evils, they wouldn't actively come out to kill unless their preparations were complete. If Dionysus Familia's children were truly killed by the Evils, they must have had some interaction that led to their silencing.
"What about Ganesha Familia?"
Loki countered with a question. "If we're talking about beast tamers, Ganesha Familia would be the first to come to mind. Investigating that Familia should have been your task recently."
"Correct, but the likelihood is low."
Dionysus pondered before replying, "Given Ganesha's character, he would never allow something that endangers the city to happen."
"True."
Loki tried to imagine that fool of a god who constantly proclaimed "I am Ganesha" as the mastermind behind this but couldn't. She couldn't help but laugh.
"The possibility of a mole within Ganesha Familia is also slim. After all, the man-eating flower monsters are enormous. Transporting them to the surface would surely be noticed, yet no one saw them during the Monster Festival. The Guild has no records of it either."
Dionysus's reasoning was clear.
The Guild cared most about Orario's survival. If Ganesha Familia had transported the man-eating flower monsters to the surface during the Monster Festival, there would be records in the Guild. The absence of such records meant the beast tamer couldn't be from Ganesha Familia.
The Dungeon's entrance and exit points are limited in size—there's no way to hide something like that.
"Then things just got a lot more complicated."
Loki clicked her tongue, unconsciously tapping the table with her fingers.
"If they weren't transported through the Tower of Babel's entrance... does that mean there's a second entrance to the Dungeon?"
Huh?
"Wasn't it said the Dungeon only has one entrance?"
Eiji couldn't help but interject. "And given the Dungeon's self-repairing nature, isn't it impossible to create a second entrance?"
Exactly.
Even if a hole were made in the Dungeon's walls, it would repair itself. This meant a second entrance couldn't exist unless it was a previously undiscovered natural one.
Over countless years, no one had ever found a second natural entrance. Had the Evils discovered it now?
"Regardless, we have to consider this hypothesis plausible for now. If true, many things would make sense."
Dionysus mused thoughtfully.
Not just the man-eating flowers, but also the Evils' hiding place—everything would have a logical explanation.
"Loki, what about Kali Familia?"
Eiji suddenly thought of something and turned to Loki.
"Right! Yesterday, they charged straight into the Dungeon and never came back! Bete went to the 18th floor to look for them but found no trace!"
Loki's eyes widened in realization.
Could they know about the Dungeon's second entrance?
And had they already returned to Orario through it?
If this speculation held, it would be definitive proof of Kali Familia's collusion with the Evils!
"That nasty little runt wouldn't care about Orario's survival! In fact, her love for slaughter and bloodshed would make her an easy target for recruitment!"
Loki bared her teeth, snarling viciously. "But where exactly is this second entrance?"
"If there's a second entrance, it should be there, right?"
Dionysus voiced his opinion at this point.
"Beneath the great waterfall spanning the 25th to 27th floors of the Dungeon lies a massive lake. I recall there's a passage at the bottom of the lake connecting to that Lake Lolog outside Orario?"
"But wasn't that sealed by Poseidon's Familia over a decade ago?"
"Perhaps the seal has been broken?"
Dionysus made an uncertain guess.
"Here's what we'll do, Loki. We'll continue splitting our forces. Your Familia will investigate Lake Lolog—if you encounter any Evils, wipe them out completely. My Familia will investigate suspicious locations within Orario. I'll notify you immediately if we find anything."
"You certainly know how to pick the easier task."
Loki gave him an inscrutable look.
"Fine, it's settled then!"