I love time travel the most!

That's so funny.

Members of the same clan would actually help outsiders.

Lily had lost all hope, and her will to live had been extinguished by the subsequent actions of her fellow clan members.

"Boss, could you please leave the stolen goods behind?"

"……What?!"

The evil man's smile froze instantly. Before he could even ask for clarification, the Soma Familia members threw out the bags on their backs. The objects rolling on the ground with a thud sent a chill down Lily's spine.

"Killer ants...!"

It was a killer ant that had been cut in half but was still alive.

The dungeon rules clearly state that even novice adventurers can easily defeat a single killer ant, but when it is near death, it emits a special pheromone, which is a special signal that allows it to call for help from its companions.

An ant that is still alive is like a time bomb that can summon an army of ants!

"Are you all crazy?!"

The evil man finally couldn't hold back anymore.

Screams echoed in the cramped space, but the Soma Familia members remained indifferent, even as ants crawled out of the tunnel and nearly filled it completely.

What an irony.

Monsters know to come to the rescue when their companions are on the verge of death, but the members of the Soma Familia are the culprits who put their companions in danger.

The ant army surrounded Lily.

"Oh no, we have to save her!"

"and many more."

Swordswoman Ais drew her sword and was about to charge forward, but Kobayashi grabbed her wrist.

As mentioned earlier, there are several routes leading to the lower levels. Kobayashi and Ais quickly caught up, but it seems they missed Bell, the cowardly rabbit. He also hadn't expected that the rabbit, who specialized in escaping (agility), would be so much slower than them.

As a result, Kobayashi and Ais watched the whole thing, but Bell still didn't arrive.

but……

Ais asked in confusion, "Why won't you let me go and help?"

"Because the hero has appeared." Kobayashi gestured for her to look down.

In the passage below, a small, thin white figure gradually appeared.

It's only a 3-floor distance from the 10th floor to the 7th floor, but you're taking so long, Bell.

“Lily————”

The voice calling to the girl tore apart the ant army, but it also gave the girl hope to survive.

The explosions then created a barrage of explosions, a series of explosions that terrified the ants, who tried to change direction but were blocked by their companions.

The white-haired youth wielding a short sword, like a hero, forcefully repelled the ant group and arrived at the side of the girl who was unable to move.

"Lily! Are you alright? Answer me!"

"Lord Bell...?"

"Yes, are you alright?"

"why why……"

Her chest ached and swelled, and an inexplicable emotion welled up inside her. Warm tears welled in her eyes, and her slender arms tightened around his body.

The girl was completely baffled.

"Wait for me, it'll be over soon."

Bell drank the potion and roared as he charged into the ant army.

To be honest, this was a completely reckless and foolish approach, but in order to keep him looking handsome until the end, Kobayashi secretly put in a lot of effort using the silk threads.

A white figure flashed continuously among the monsters, sharp, powerful, and decisive.

The girl's gaze never left her.

The hero, who was expected to be there, finally rescued the girl, and the encounter he had been hoping for went smoothly.

Once upon a time, the ant army was gone, leaving only the boy standing alone in the cave.

Instead of the warmth of a reunion, there was doubt and argument.

But soon, the kind-hearted Bell melted Lily's cold heart.

The two, having expressed their feelings, left together, silently leaving behind a heroic tale known only to a select few.

Kobayashi remained silent for a moment, then said softly, "The pitiful must have something hateful about them, and the hateful must have something pitiful about them."

“…What?” Ais was slightly taken aback.

Seeing her confusion, he explained, "It means that a person's misfortunes must be caused by previous mistakes or self-inflicted harm. The hateful thing about such people is that they know they are wrong but still refuse to correct their mistakes and bring harm upon themselves. A person who goes too far is certainly hateful, but upon reflection, there must be some reasons that made them have to do it. This is why hateful people often have tragic suffering."

"Well……"

The innocent princess frowned.

She understands combat matters perfectly well, but she's completely clueless when it comes to philosophical matters.

"You don't need to think so much, just follow your heart."

"Intention...?"

"Yes, it's my true nature. But that's what makes us different. Honest, kind, brave, and forgiving, I'm out of step with this world. He's the real hero."

Kobayashi gently tapped her forehead.

Ais reached up and touched her forehead, puzzled, and said, "But a hero is a hero."

"what?"

Even if someone isn't famous, they can still be anticipated, blessed, and respected. Although the methods and meanings of their existence may differ, isn't that what makes a hero?

"........."

He was rendered speechless.

That's right!

Despite the differences in methods and the meaning of their existence, a hero is a hero!

Xiao Lin immediately felt refreshed.

In more poetic terms, it's like gaining enlightenment, understanding, breaking through barriers, and experiencing a complete spiritual elevation.

...That's impossible.

At most, it confirms what one thinks in one's heart and makes one more determined on the road ahead.

"But I never expected Miss Ais to say something so philosophical. It's truly an eye-opener."

“Hmm… humph!”

Kobayashi's teasing made Ais pout and pretend to be angry, turning her head away from him.

It's quite rare to see such an expression on Fiora's face, who rarely shows any emotion.

...and kind of cute.

Chapter 241 Be greedy when others are fearful

The Adventurers' Guild Underground Space.

In the dimly lit square illuminated by torches, a man below was giving a vivid and loud speech to the deity on the high seat.

"That's how it is. Thanks to my secret help, that cowardly rabbit was able to show his courage and survive in the ant army, and even win the heart of a beauty in the end... Wait, is that little human girl considered a beauty? Her looks aren't quite there yet, she doesn't have the aura of a female protagonist at all."

He's been talking for half an hour.

Despite the lengthy narrative, the hero's heroic deeds are only briefly mentioned, while he, who remains behind the scenes from beginning to end, occupies eight or nine tenths of the space.

Even the dumbest person would understand that this was an attempt to curry favor.

Uranus, his face still expressionless, said, "Why are you telling me all this?"

"It's nothing, I just felt you'd be interested."

"I'm not interested in such trivial matters."

"Is it because I've seen it too many times? Okay, I won't say it again next time."

Xiaolin shrugged, looking helpless.

It wasn't that he felt helpless because Uranus didn't understand youthful romance, but rather that he felt helpless because he couldn't take advantage of the situation.

Why pretend to be unaware? Is it because you want to observe from the sidelines without getting involved, or to let it grow before intervening later?

However, Uranus will never admit to having a relationship with Bell, and probing further would only make him a suspect, which would be counterproductive.

"So, what is the purpose of Your Excellency summoning me here this time?"

"I have a task for you."

"I reject."

"........."

Kobayashi's refusal was so decisive that even the experienced Sky God was slightly taken aback, but his habitual stoic expression prevented him from showing it.

The man and the god stared at each other for a moment.

The atmosphere was somewhat subdued.

Uranus asked, "Why?"

"Why... that's a really strange question." Kobayashi shrugged and said, "My Lord, have you forgotten our agreement to accompany Loki's Familia on their expedition and secretly monitor them to see if they are connected to the recent anomalies in the dungeon? And now you've assigned other tasks, isn't that a bit..."

"Your task is to monitor part of the Loki Familia, and not to accompany them on the expedition, but to monitor their unusual activities in the dungeons."

Uranus calmly repeated the original agreement.

“——Tsk!”