Danmachi: Is It Wrong to Be the Main Character in Orario?

"That's a 'trial' for adventurers."

"A trial?"

"Exactly."

Hephaestus adjusted her position, reclining slightly as the hot water soaked her body. With her legs gently spread, she relaxed into the bath, enjoying the peace while explaining to Bell.

"For adventurers, the Dungeon is a place to challenge themselves, to grow stronger, even to make a living. But it's also a dangerous place."

"'The Dungeon is full of danger'—that saying doesn't just refer to the monsters born within it. It also speaks to the constant influence the Dungeon exerts on adventurers."

"Like the Corrupted Spirit's Fetus?"

"Bell, that wouldn't be a trial. That would be sending adventurers to their deaths."

She fixed him with a scarlet-eyed glare, clearly not amused.

If the Dungeon's influence were on the level of the Corrupted Spirit's Fetus, no adventurer would survive—it'd be a guaranteed death sentence.

"That red aura you saw—it's actually the wild madness that all monsters carry. It's both a curse and a trial placed upon adventurers by the Dungeon."

"That stuff clings to you after you kill monsters, carried through their blood."

Bell immediately recalled the monster blood he hadn't cleaned off today. He hadn't expected it to be so problematic.

Still, the effect wouldn't come from a one-time exposure. It had to be the result of prolonged contact with monster blood.

His face darkened.

He'd thought he'd been careful, but he'd fallen into one of the Dungeon's traps over something so basic.

Seeing Bell's troubled expression, Hephaestus could easily guess what was going through his mind.

Under the water, she gently placed her hand over his, drawing his attention back to her before continuing.

"You don't need to worry too much about this trial. Every adventurer goes through it."

That caught Bell off guard.

"Hephaestus-sama, if you know about it, then surely other gods know too. So why do so many adventurers still fall victim to it?"

"Because while the trial has its downsides, it also comes with benefits."

That, at least, Bell could understand.

If no one talked about it, then clearly the positives must balance out the negatives.

"That madness stirs up deep desires in adventurers, sharpening their personalities."

"Those greedy for money become greedier. The lustful grow more lustful. And those with violent urges develop even stronger killing intent."

"But this influence isn't absolute. It can be resisted."

"As long as an adventurer has strong enough willpower, they can fight off the mental pressure it creates—and even use those experiences to strengthen their own mindset."

"That kind of mental resilience is crucial for adventurers. Most gods who recognize the problem won't spell it out, but they'll still guide their children out of that state in their own way."

Hephaestus explained the concept of the "trial" in full detail, leaving Bell deep in thought, brows furrowed.

"So... the root of Orario's adventurers being so lazy is really because of how easy the first dozen floors are—and this curse the Dungeon lays on them?"

So it wasn't just that adventurers didn't want to take risks. Their complacency wasn't only due to choice—it was the result of the Dungeon's carefully laid trap.

"That's exactly it."

Hephaestus affirmed Bell's deduction, and the hand resting on the back of his moved underneath to interlock fingers with his.

"So for new adventurers, reaching Level 2 is a critical stage. If they're affected by the Dungeon during this period and can't break free on their own, its influence will follow them for life."

Bell's heart skipped a beat. Then, instead of remaining passive, he tightened his grip on Hephaestus's hand—and a question came to mind.

"Then why am I only being affected now?"

"Didn't I already say it? The Dungeon's influence works slowly over time. Tell me, how long do you think it usually takes for an average adventurer to reach Level 2?"

"Uh... three or four years?"

"Before the Loki Familia's 'Sword Princess' broke the record by doing it in a year, the fastest record in Orario was just over two years. And more than half of the adventurers out there can't even hit Level 2 in ten or twenty years. Those are the ones most deeply affected by the Dungeon."

For ordinary adventurers, the longer they remained in the Dungeon, the more severely they were affected before reaching a higher level. On the other hand, the truly gifted ones often reached Level 3 before the Dungeon's influence could even catch up to them.

But what Hephaestus had seen earlier was that Bell had already taken control of his desires.

At this level, the influence could be so subtle that even the person themselves might not notice it. And yet Bell had still managed to restrain those feelings on his own. That, to Hephaestus, was nothing short of incredible—and it made her genuinely happy.

Under the water, her thumb gently brushed against Bell's, a small gesture that brought her a quiet sense of joy.

"You might be the only person who's still influenced by the Dungeon at Level 3... and who overcame it through sheer willpower."

"You really are... my lover."

That straightforward declaration completely stunned Bell.

He'd been thinking about how to act more assertive in front of Hephaestus—only to get blindsided by a single line that made his face flush and heart race.

After all, this was the first time in his life a girl had said something that direct to him.

Seeing his flustered, dumbfounded look, Hephaestus couldn't help but laugh.

"Still no response?"

"Uh... I... I don't know what to say..."

Bell felt like he was dying of embarrassment. The moment had smacked him in the face, and he still didn't know how to react.

Truthfully, he had zero experience in situations like this.

He could admit he'd watched plenty of sugary romance clips before, but he was always the one laughing at his phone, not the guy getting confessed to in the story.

"Idiot~ This is the kind of moment where you're not supposed to talk. You're supposed to show it with actions."

Smiling, Hephaestus leaned in closer.

She already had the advantage in height, and sitting down didn't change that either.

Just like the last two times, she was still the one holding all the initiative.

And at that moment, in her heart, Hephaestus quietly offered an apology to her best friend.

'Sorry, Hestia. But I have to move forward.'