Inside the Tower of Babel.
The gods left the Denatus assembly hall in small groups.
"That shorty..."
Loki grumbled as she walked.
"Loki, you and Hestia never really got along, right? Seeing her cry like that, aren't you pleased?"
Dionysus walked beside her, smiling as he spoke.
"Pleased isn't the word. Every prank I had planned went straight down the drain. That shorty's got more bite than I expected."
Loki muttered under her breath.
Hestia had no idea that Lefiya and Bell's lover relationship was just an act.
Loki had originally planned to use that to give Hestia a good teasing, but after seeing her cry so hard, she ended up feeling a little guilty instead.
Still, to her, it was nothing more than a form of entertainment.
She quickly shook it off and said, "So? You didn't come looking for me for no reason. What is it?"
"No, I'm just heading down the same way."
Dionysus laughed openly.
"Cut it out with the excuses. Get to the point."
Loki waved her hand impatiently.
Dionysus' expression turned more serious. "Walls have ears. Let's talk somewhere else."
...
Outside a shop near the Tower of Babel.
Lefiya stood guard at the entrance, gripping her staff tightly.
Today was supposed to be a scheduled rest day, but Finn couldn't put his worries about the Viola monster to rest.
The expedition was about to begin.
Once it did, the vast majority of the Loki Familia's combat strength would be deep inside the Dungeon.
Without first uncovering the origins of the Viola, leaving Loki and the others behind would be an extremely risky move.
Finn's concerns were shared by the rest, and in the end, they decided to take another gamble and investigate the underground sewers again.
Ais seemed to have plans of her own, while Lefiya stayed by Loki's side, acting as her escort for the Denatus.
"Hello..."
Lefiya greeted the black-haired elf standing beside her.
The other elf merely glanced at her, offering no response.
Although Lefiya was technically serving as a guard, it was really just Loki's personal preference.
"I don't want Gareth at all. Lefiya's much easier on the eyes."
The very Loki who had once said that was now inside the shop, holding a secret conversation with the blond god.
Dionysus brought up two matters.
First, members of his group had been killed by unknown individuals, and he had been searching for the culprit ever since.
Second, he had noticed the Loki Familia investigating the underground sewers and hoped the two sides could cooperate to uncover the mastermind behind it all.
"From the sound of it, you don't actually know what we're looking for, do you?"
Loki asked quietly.
"Isn't it someone suspicious?"
Dionysus replied without hesitation.
He claimed he had been investigating for quite some time.
But with limited manpower, he hadn't managed to uncover even the slightest clue.
Loki dropped a cube of sugar into her cup and casually stirred it with a spoon.
If what Dionysus said was true, then the culprit was still lurking somewhere within Orario.
"No other Familia has reported anything like this. So why was it your child who got killed?"
Loki asked.
"They must have seen something they weren't meant to see..."
Dionysus' voice was heavy with grief.
"I see. So you think this is connected to what we're tracking down in the sewers..."
After a brief pause, Loki pressed on, "Then why not report it to the Guild?"
With actual deaths involved, there was no way the Guild or the Ganesha Familia would ignore it.
"The reason is simple. I believe everyone in this city is a suspect."
Dionysus' eyes burned with sorrow and anger.
The culprit was hiding flawlessly within Orario, and the biggest suspect of all was the Guild itself, the one meant to maintain order.
He continued, "Whether they're under [Charm] or simply rotten to the core, the Guild's upper ranks can't be trusted."
"By that logic, doesn't that make me just as suspicious?"
Loki pointed out the hole in his reasoning.
If he doubted everyone, there was no reason for him to come seeking her help.
"I don't have a choice. If this goes on, I'm afraid there will be more victims."
Dionysus admitted this was a compromise made out of desperation.
Compared to the Guild, the Loki Familia was far more trustworthy.
"I understand the situation. So what do you want me to do?"
To Loki, this was nothing more than information. It didn't require any immediate action.
"While you're investigating, just keep an eye out for anyone suspicious. That's all."
Dionysus made his request.
"..."
Loki idly toyed with her spoon.
For the Loki Familia, this was hardly an issue.
If there was any downside, it was simply that the scope of their investigation would grow wider.
That meant Finn and the others would be stuck on the surface longer, unable to head into the Dungeon for the time being.
"Fine. I'll do it."
Loki set her cup down.
After all, the information had practically fallen into her lap.
If Dionysus' Familia members had been silenced because they saw the Viola, then their investigation was already heading in the same direction.
"Thank you very much."
Dionysus smiled as he expressed his gratitude.
Just as he lifted his cup, ready to wrap up their private talk, an owl landed by the window.
It dropped a small piece of parchment before flapping back into the air.
"..."
Loki recognized it at a glance. It was a message used by her own Familia.
But the familiar that delivered it belonged to someone else.
Right in front of Dionysus, Loki unfolded the parchment and saw the signature written in sacred script.
She fell silent for a moment, then let out a long sigh.
"Is it new information from the sewers?"
Dionysus asked anxiously.
"No. It's something else. And it's a bit of a headache."
Worry was plain on Loki's face.
"Can you tell me? If it's urgent, I might be able to help."
Dionysus offered sincerely.
"Yeah. That idiot Ais ran off to the twenty-fourth floor."
Loki answered.
"The Sword Princess...?"
Dionysus frowned. "With her strength, there shouldn't be any reason to worry, right?"
Loki narrowed her eyes and said nothing.
The red-haired woman had caused a massive incident in Rivira Town before disappearing into the Dungeon.
Loki had repeatedly drilled it into her Familia that no one was to explore the Dungeon alone.
Ais might be airheaded, but she always followed orders. For her to act this recklessly now left Loki deeply unsettled.