*BOOM!*

A terrifying rumble shook the 18th Floor. The dungeon walls trembled as if alive, and the stone ceiling rained down dust.

Just when the adventurers thought they understood the Dungeon, it proved it had a mind of its own. A Floor Boss had appeared from nowhere.

Because Hestia had released her Arcanum and the Dungeon sensed three beings with divinity, it retaliated by sealing off the 18th Floor—trapping everyone inside—and sending the Black Goliath to slaughter every living thing within.

"Gulp."

The others didn't fully understand what was happening. Yet, each of them—except Charlie—swallowed hard when Hestia informed them that the Black Goliath was likely pursuing her.

"AAAAHHH—!"

A heart-wrenching scream cut through the chaos. Mord and his cronies, who happened to be too close to the Floor Boss's emergence point, became the first victims. They were brutally attacked, their bodies flung like rag dolls before crashing violently onto the ground.

"W-We have to help them!"

Bell was just as shocked as Welf and the others. But the sight of fellow adventurers in danger helped him suppress his fear as he steeled his legs and prepared to rush forward.

Before he could leap ahead, a strong hand landed firmly on his arm, stopping him. Bell turned to face Charlie, who posed a question.

"Help them? Are you sure about this, Bell Cranel? They're not good people. They're rotten—jealous and envious of your fame. They even tried to harm you. Even so, you still want to lend them a hand?"

Bell's eyes widened. A flicker of uncertainty crossed his face, but it lasted only a moment.

"Of course! Besides the ones who trapped me, there are many others out there—including the rest of the Loki Familia expedition team! There's no way I can just stand by and watch from safety!"

Charlie fell silent for a moment, studying Bell's innocent, determined face. Then, he released his grip on Bell's arm.

"Let me make one thing clear. I, and the Loki Familia, will not participate in this crisis."

"Eh?"

Not only Bell was shocked by Charlie's statement—everyone else was stunned as well.

"Wait a second! Etoo… your name is Charlie, right?" Hestia interrupted, stepping forward with a worried expression. "Why won't you fight? If I'm not mistaken, you're Level 5, aren't you? With that combat strength, the Floor Boss could be defeated through collective effort!"

Facing the skeptical stares of everyone present, Charlie explained his reasoning for choosing to remain a mere spectator.

"Goddess Hestia, you seem unaware of just how powerful a Level 5 adventurer truly is. Take the executive members of the Loki Familia—Tiona, Tione, Ais, Finn, Gareth, Bete, and Riveria. Each of them, individually, is more than capable of defeating that monster."

He pointed toward the distant Black Goliath, now rampaging through the battlefield.

"The same goes for me. The Goliath is not a particularly formidable foe."

He remembered how, in the first season of the Danmachi anime, the adventurers on the 18th Floor had fought desperately against the Black Goliath. So why hadn't the Loki Familia joined in? With their executives present, defeating the monster shouldn't have been difficult at all.

Now, seeing it from the inside, Charlie understood the answer.

"Then why are you and the Loki Familia just standing by, Charlie-san?" Bell asked, his voice tinged with sadness over their apparent indifference to life and death.

"This isn't just a crisis—it's also an opportunity. That Goliath is clearly an Irregular. But if a Level 5 adventurer like me finishes it off, the Excelia gained wouldn't be worth the effort. However, for you—Third-Class and Second-Class adventurers—the Excelia you'd earn from defeating it would be incredibly abundant."

"Finn understands this as well. That's why he forbade the Loki Familia from getting involved."

"And don't forget, Bell—being an adventurer is a dangerous profession where your life is on the line every time you enter the Dungeon. The appearance of the Black Goliath is just one such risk. You can't expect a strong adventurer to come save you every time a crisis occurs, can you?"

"If adventurers are too afraid to face the dangers right in front of them, they should just retire, go back to their hometowns, and become farmers or pig herders."

"..."

Everyone fell silent. Charlie's explanation made perfect sense. The one most stung by his words was Ouka.

Not long ago, she had fled like a coward—running from danger wasn't shameful in itself, but what made it disgraceful was using others as bait to escape safely.

"I understand. But still! I will help them!" Bell remained resolute in his determination to aid everyone against the Black Goliath.

Charlie studied him for a long moment, then finally let out a small sigh.

"Good eyes. Go, Bell Cranel. May fortune walk with every step you take."

Knowing it was pointless to reason with a hot-blooded protagonist, Charlie gave up. It was like asking Naruto to turn to the dark side after years of Konoha villagers treating him like a monster.

"Let's go!" Bell shouted before dashing full speed toward the center of the chaos.

Lily, Welf, Ouka, Mikoto, Chigusa, and the other members of the Takemikazuchi Familia, moved by his courage, quickly followed.

"Come back safely, Bell."

Meanwhile, Hestia didn't join them. She stayed by Charlie's side, knowing full well she would only be a burden.

The safest place for her was near Charlie—a Level 5 adventurer who calmly watched the life-or-death battle about to unfold. Hestia chose to be a protected spectator, silently praying for her beloved boy.

"..."

Charlie observed from afar, his Six Eyes capturing every chaotic detail of the battle.

"Bell is a good person—too good, even naive." Charlie murmured softly, almost inaudibly, to himself.

"Uhum~ Bell is the best in the world! That's what makes him cool!"

Hestia, standing beside him, proudly puffed out her ample chest—held up only by her iconic blue ribbon and thin, braless attire—which bounced proudly in the air a few times.

Charlie didn't look at her. His eyes remained fixed on the battle.

"If I were in his place, I wouldn't forgive those who kidnapped the most important person to me and harbored ill will toward me."

"Well, Bell is still a teenager. His life experience is limited. He hasn't yet faced the true darkness of humanity."

There was a tone in his voice almost like nostalgia—depth that didn't match his youthful appearance.

"I hope that after he sees and feels humanity's dark side firsthand, he won't change and will remain exactly who he is."

In his heart, Charlie saw a reflection of his younger self in Bell—a young idealist who did good for others, who believed in the best of people.

(Though his kindness may seem naive and childish, it's a quality a true hero must possess. After all, a hero doesn't judge a person's nature when offering help.) He thought with complex emotions.

That was why Charlie always denied it whenever someone called him a hero. He didn't deserve such a noble title.

He was just an ordinary person. If someone did good to him, he'd repay the kindness. But if someone treated him with malice, he'd return it in kind.

"Your words sound like those of an old man. Yet your age isn't that different from Bell's." Hestia commented, tilting her head and staring at him in bewilderment.

"..."

Charlie responded only with a faint, subtle smile. He offered no clarification.

How could he possibly explain?

That behind this teenage body resided a soul that had experienced far more than Hestia could ever imagine?

Better to stay silent than to lie. Before the gods, lies would reveal themselves soon enough.