Preparations for the Anastasia rescue operation were made quickly.

Necessary equipment, potions, minimal food, and so on. Supplies anticipating every possible situation that could occur within the Labyrinth were gathered in an instant.

Based on previous cases, the contamination of Anastasia's soul is a matter of utmost urgency. They needed to arrive as quickly as possible to increase the chances of successful treatment.

Because rapid dungeon completion is required, the dungeon conquest will be undertaken by a select few.

The final members for the dungeon conquest were decided to be Sylvia, an S-rank adventurer, along with Lillie and Christophe from "Wings of Flash," and the remaining seven A-rank equivalent adventurers.

From Anastasia's clan, five elite adventurers led by Potpourri have also gathered, making a total of fifteen people for the challenge.

Arriving at the entrance to the Labyrinth of Arcadia, Christophe quietly surveyed the faces of those gathered there.

The elite members of the "Wings of Flash," led by their leader Sylvia, are conducting a final equipment check with perfectly coordinated and unified movements.

Their expressions were uniformly tense, suggesting a high level of awareness of the mission they were about to undertake.

While everyone was discussing, Christophe glanced at the beastman child waiting beside him.

The beastman child is named Rufrey. They're Christophe's bodyguard. They have been ordered to prioritize Christophe's protection in any situation.

Christophe does not participate directly in combat.

The instructions Sylvia gave were to always stay at the back of the party with Rufrey and never take any unnecessary risks.

Small and lithe, Rufrey kept their ears perked, listening to the sounds around them, and their sharp eyes constantly vigilant. Their features were somewhat androgynous, exuding a mysterious charm that was neither boyish nor girlish. Two daggers were thrust into their waist, held in reverse grip, and despite their light attire, their movements were completely without waste.

"Rufrey, it's nice to meet you again."

When Christophe called out, Rufrey spun around, a bright, cheerful grin on their face.

"Yes! Please leave Christophe-san's protection to me. No matter what monsters appear, I will absolutely not let a single finger touch Christophe-san!"

At those confident words, Christophe nodded back slightly.

Sylvia, having finished the meeting, walks towards Christophe and the others. Standing in front of Christophe, she turns her gaze towards Rufrey.

"Rufrey, please guard Christophe-san."

"Yes, Sylvia-sama! I will definitely protect you!"

Rufrey claps their chest and cheerfully accepts with a lively smile.

And then, her gaze turned next to Christophe.

"Christophe-san, please don't do anything reckless either."

"Oh, I understand."

Christophe nodded quietly and gently touched the hilt of the sword hanging at his waist. The heavy weight of the iron, felt through his palm, steeled his resolve. He understood perfectly well that he wasn't expected to be a significant combatant. He vowed to himself to at least not be a hindrance.

That's when it happened.

Guild Master Fana appeared, accompanied by several staff members.

She exuded the dignity and composure befitting the leader of the guild, with hardly any emotional fluctuations.

Fana will not directly accompany the operation this time. As the guild master of the Arcadia Guild, her position is equivalent to that of a commander-in-chief leading a large army.

With a single decision from her, the entire city's functionality can be affected, and the fates of countless adventurers can be decided.

Because they are such a crucial figure, standing on the front lines lightly carries the risk of paralyzing the entire organization's chain of command and causing immeasurable confusion and damage in the event of an unforeseen situation.

Fana, venturing deep into the Labyrinth herself, is limited to situations where an absolute crisis, one that concerns the city's survival and cannot be handled by anyone else, is imminent.

"Sylvia, is everything ready?"

When Fana asked,

"Yes, everything's fine over here."

Sylvia said that, and Potpourri nodded too. After confirming, Fana slowly nodded and then looked at everyone.

"...The request this time is to rescue Anastasia... If that's impossible, we'll have to eliminate her."

The word eliminate caused a slight tremor in Potpourri's body. Nevertheless, she seemed to be here with determination, and her expression quickly tightened.

"According to the detection magic used by the investigation team we sent into the dungeon, she is likely currently hiding around the 15th underground floor… It seems, like other monsters, she can move between layers. We don't know if she's aiming for the surface or has other objectives, but it's convenient for us. However, due to the current activation of mana within the Labyrinth, the monsters have become more aggressive. Please be careful on your journey, Sylvia."

"Yes, of course."

Sylvia nods back firmly.

Finally, after looking around at the entire party, Fana let out a sharp cry.

"I pray for everyone's good fortune in battle… I hope everyone returns safely."

After everyone nodded at Fana's words, Sylvia spoke up.

"Alright, everyone. Focus... here we go."

As she spoke, everyone nodded and stepped onto the stairs leading into the dungeon.

Chapter 33