Morning... no, that's not right!
It was already close to noon when Elise finally crawled out of bed, stretching lazily.
She glanced at Est and Astraea, who were still curled up under the covers, and opened her mouth wide in a silent yawn.
"Did I indulge them a little too much yesterday?"
Est had always been clingy with Elise. They even slept together. But after Astraea saw that, she said sleeping alone felt too lonely.
So she joined them.
The bed was rather small. Three people sleeping together was indeed a bit cramped.
Lying between a spirit and a goddess, Elise could clearly feel the soft sensation pressing against her arms.
When did I become this depraved?
Although in Elise's view, girls sleeping together was perfectly fine as long as nothing inappropriate happened.
Yesterday had been the same. Aside from bathing together and sleeping together, absolutely nothing else had occurred!
But why did it feel like she had lost something?
This won't do!
Elise slapped her cheeks hard.
"You're someone who's going to become a saintess, Elise!"
"Reflect on yourself properly!"
——
Babel, constructed a thousand years ago during the Heroic Age, was built to seal the massive hole of the Dungeon and suppress the monsters.
Later, with the arrival of the Age of the Gods and after being refined by the master craftsman Daedalus, it became the magnificent structure it is today.
As they drew closer, Babel grew larger and larger in their field of vision. By the time Elise and Est reached the central plaza beneath the tower, it occupied everything in front of them.
Looking up from the base, no matter how far one craned their neck, the top remained invisible. At most, one could see half the tower disappearing into the clouds.
Here, Elise was clearly an anomaly among the crowd. People nearby cast subtle glances at the two young girls.
"Did you see? I heard those two are from the Astraea Familia—the so-called righteous Familia!"
"No way. They're that young?"
"I read a book that made its way to Orario. It seemed to be about their story... Do they really have that kind of power at such a young age?"
"As if! Stories are always exaggerated. No matter how strong they seem in a book, it's still just a story!"
That was right. Although the Astraea Familia had gained some reputation outside, in Orario they were practically starting from nothing.
Adventurers here were naturally skeptical of news from beyond the city.
Those who had struggled and survived in Orario for years wouldn't so easily believe someone else's words.
And reputation was earned through battle!
No matter how famous you were outside, things were different once you came to Orario!
Here, Level 1 adventurers were everywhere. Level 2 was barely worth mentioning.
Above that were elite powerhouses at Level 5 and Level 6!
Could people from outside truly stir up waves here?
Their actual performance would have to "convince" everyone through action.
Right now...
Clearly not!
Veteran adventurers carried top-tier equipment. Even rookies understood how important gear was.
But Elise...
She was dressed beautifully, certainly refreshing to the eyes.
However... there wasn't a single piece of protective equipment on her!
She hadn't even brought a weapon!
And she was holding the hand of a little girl who looked under ten years old!
Come on!
This was the Dungeon!
One of the world's three great mysteries!
Countless ruthless monsters lurked below!
Did she think this was some tourist attraction? Bringing a child along?
Under countless puzzled gazes, Elise led Est into Babel.
After passing through a short corridor, a massive hall came into view. Besides adventurers, there were many guards as well—likely Guild personnel.
The moment Elise entered, every pair of eyes turned toward her.
First, they were stunned by her beauty. That face could rival a goddess.
Second, they were shocked that she dared come to the Dungeon without any equipment!
Was she seeking death?
For a moment, countless adventurers shared the same thought. Even the guards were no exception!
Perhaps none of them had ever imagined someone like this would come to the Dungeon.
"Good day, everyone!" Feeling the weight of their stares, Elise performed a graceful curtsy. Beside her, Est mimicked her movements.
"We are members of the Astraea Familia. Today is our first time entering the Dungeon. There may be many things we don't understand, so please take care of us, seniors."
Most adventurers showed no reaction to Elise's behavior.
Some felt regret—regret that such a beauty might not be quite right in the head. Others harbored ulterior motives, planning to secretly tail her once she entered the Dungeon and do things that could not be brought into the light.
Of course, whether those people would meet a good end was another matter entirely.
After saying this, she held Est's hand and prepared to head down the stairs within the tower toward the Dungeon.
"Wait, young lady!"
An elderly-looking adventurer called out to her.
Even Elise seemed slightly surprised.
"Is there something the matter, sir?" she asked politely.
"How dare you come to the Dungeon without bringing anything? It's dangerous down there!"
His words startled Elise for a moment before she understood.
A rather kind old gentleman, isn't he?
"It's fine. I'm very confident in my own strength."
Her voice wasn't loud, yet it carried an indescribable confidence, as though she completely disregarded the dangers below.
"No matter how confident you are, you shouldn't come without equipment! You don't have a weapon or armor on you!"
The old adventurer continued lecturing, but Elise could tell he genuinely cared.
"And your eyes..."
"I'm not unable to see. I'm simply covering them for special reasons. As for a weapon..."
"Est!"
"Yes, Sister!"
The white-haired girl grasped Elise's right hand. With a gentle flick of Elise's arm, Est's body flipped upside down in midair.
Amid a burst of brilliant seven-colored light, Est transformed into a magnificent white-and-gold holy sword, now firmly held in Elise's hand.
Under countless stunned gazes, Elise casually traced two elegant arcs through the air with the blade and smiled at the elderly adventurer.
"In that case, there shouldn't be any problem with my weapon now, right?"