Is It Wrong To Level Up In A Dungeon?

Chapter 32. Price of a Hero

Bell looked up.

"You're thinking about going back for her, aren't you?" she pressed, arms still crossed. "Bell, you just barely got out of the War Game alive. Do you really want to throw yourself into another conflict? Because that's exactly what this will be."

Mikoto joined in, her tone more gentle but no less firm. "Haruhime's situation... it's complicated. Ishtar won't let her go. Not without a fight."

Bell said nothing.

He simply turned back to the children still playing, laughter echoing across the breeze.

I don't care how complicated it is.

He'd already made up his mind.

No matter the risk, no matter what anyone said—

He would save Haruhime.

In the quiet hum of the Hostess of Fertility, tension stirred beneath the surface.

"Please, Mia... I just need you to pass along a message," Hermes said, lowering his voice and leaning across the bar. His usual carefree grin had faded, replaced by an urgency that didn't suit him.

The tavern's proprietress raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "To Freya? You've got guts, I'll give you that."

"It's important," Hermes pressed. "Ishtar's taken an interest in Bell Cranel. Freya needs to know."

A sudden pause.

From the corner of the room, Syr polished a glass with casual grace. But the look she cast over her shoulder held quiet intensity. Her voice was soft, but it cut through the air like a blade.

"Why would Ishtar be interested in Bell?"

Hermes turned, eyes narrowing slightly. "It's... complicated."

Syr's gentle expression didn't change, but something behind her eyes sharpened. She didn't press further, simply returned to her duties. But her silence said enough. Hermes felt a chill crawl down his back.

—

At the Guild, Bell sat across from Eina, fingers tightening around his knee.

"I need to know more about the Ishtar Familia."

Eina blinked, clearly surprised. "Is something wrong?"

He hesitated before nodding. "It's... about someone I met in the pleasure district."

Eina sighed, then opened a folder. "The Ishtar Familia is one of Orario's most influential factions. Their wealth rivals even the strongest Familias, and they're well-established in the Dungeon. They also maintain a... different kind of power—through the pleasure district."

Bell listened intently as she spoke about the Amazoness Phryne, infamous for her brute strength and terrifying reputation, and Aisha, known not only for her beauty, but her terrifying combat prowess.

When Bell asked about a Renard within the Familia, Eina shook her head. "No official records. But there was an incident some years ago. An accusation of kidnapping and trafficking... it was dismissed before it gained traction, but the rumors still linger."

Bell's heart sank.

Later, as twilight descended on the city, he wandered the cobblestone streets. His steps led him to a small bookstore, its warm light spilling onto the street. He stepped inside and found himself thumbing through a tattered volume of Heroic Tales. Stories of knights, dragons, and innocent souls waiting to be saved.

He clutched the book tighter.

Haruhime...

—