The streets of Hebsel are much wider than those of Casali, at least not because of the frequent collisions with each other.

On both sides of the road are the most pubs and blacksmiths. When he was in Gus before, Vane had heard that the dwarves' favorite things were fine wine and blacksmithing, as well as their beards, which of course Vane himself added. The dwarves laughed heartily on both sides of the road, and Vane could already imagine them clinking glasses and laughing around a round table.

The clanging sound of striking iron came from everywhere, and it felt a little harsh at first, but it was not unbearable after listening to it for a long time. The roaring fire and smoking chimneys make up a unique view of the dungeon. Because of this, the air here is much worse than in Casali. Everywhere you go, it's foggy, it's the smoke from the inadequacy of the fire, and in some serious places, the visibility is so poor that people can't help coughing and shedding tears.

Just as Vane and the others were heading to the Herbsel Dungeon Inn, on the beach in the southern bay of Casali, a middle-aged man was dressed in a refreshing outfit and wearing sunglasses, half-lying on a beach chair under a parasol. His cheeks were angular, but there was a cynical smile on his lips.

He picked up a colorful cocktail from the small table next to him and took a sip of it to his lips, showing a look of enjoyment.

In the distance, a young man in a wide magician's robe ran out of breath, fine drops of sweat oozing from his head. After a while, the young magician came to the beach, wiped the sweat from his forehead and walked over to the man.

"Speaker......" The young man leaned forward slightly, and said in a respectful tone.

"I've said it a few times, just call me sir outside. The man said impatiently. He took another sip of his cocktail and placed the remaining half on the table.

"Okay Speaker, ah no, sir......" The young man secretly scolded himself for being stupid, always nervous at critical moments. He was not to blame, for when the Minister told him the identity of this man, he was still deeply struck even as a representative of the outstanding magicians of Casali's younger generation, for it was a height that he could not reach no matter how hard he tried.

"Are those guys in Floating City looking for me?"

"That's right...... The president wants you to go back and take charge of the big picture. The young man stood beside him in the scorching sun, but he did not dare to complain.

The man took off his sunglasses, his eyes narrowed into slits. Since hearing the news of the underground cave in the Endless Forest two days ago, although he can't get out for the time being because of other things, he has been paying attention to the progress of the ancient elf ruins.

The Wizards' Guild locked off the area around the Lake of Tranquility overnight, and united with the Adventurers' Guild to send a dozen high-level magicians and a few ancient elven scholars to the underground. Unexpectedly, more than half of the casualties were killed, and they brought back unacceptable news: the information could not be obtained, and the central control room might be damaged.

And the person Rostri arranged to temporarily guard the underground entrance, and his most proud student, named Catherina, flatly denied that anyone had entered. And she also said that she was not clear about the matter of the underground elf ruins, and the suspicion of the fish-man was also ruled out, after all, that kind of low-level creature could not break through the magic array and enter the control room. Although the upper echelons of the Wizards' Guild did not directly express their attitude, the implication was very obvious, and even the old fellow Rostri fell silent. In the end, the biggest suspicion fell to Vane and others.

Thinking of this, the man's eyes flashed with a hint of disdain, and he said to himself in a lazy tone: "Finally stop persisting? It's a good start, it's just a pity for this rare vacation......" After saying that, he stood up, glanced at the sea in front of him, drank the remaining cocktail in one go, and turned to leave.

Five hundred meters below the frozen cliffs, the Herbel dungeon.

As we get closer to the center of the dungeon, the temperature around us becomes even hotter. Vane took off his extra clothes and put them in his bag, listening to the dwarves who were driving the car.

“...... Herbertsel was not the first dungeon to be founded by the dwarves in Thorson, my ancestors were driven from the south to build several dungeons. The dwarf sitting in front spoke loudly in a lingua franca with a strong Sorson dialect.

"Then how did Herbertsel become the largest dungeon?" Felder asked. He held on to the edge of the "minecart" with one hand, sharing the weight of his body so that his butt didn't hurt so much.

"The search for minerals is an innate hobby of dwarves, and the area around the previously established dungeons is not abundant. A lot of people leave and go further north in search of bigger veins, and Herbertsel is that place. ”

"And then Herbertsel built it and became the largest dungeon in Solson?" the dwarf's words intrigued Vane, who asked aloud with his black sword eyebrows raised.

"If only it were that simple. The dwarf's voice weakened, and he paused and said slowly, "There are countless minerals under the frozen cliffs, and they are simply treasures everywhere. But as people continue to dig deeper underground, they wake up the monsters that are sleeping underground......"

Vane was itching and was about to ask what kind of monster it was, but the dwarf stopped.

The carriage stopped at the door of a two-story house, and on the wall hung a black wrought iron sign with a round clock fixed to the hour hand pointing to twelve o'clock, and the words "Heart of Steel" were engraved in the lingua franca below. Like the other houses, the inn has a high foundation, a few stone steps at the entrance, and large stone walls with wooden doors and windows. If it weren't for the driver's introduction, everyone wouldn't have known that this was a hotel.

"It's a heart of steel, even the ground is iron!" Felder stomped his foot on the ground covered with an iron plate, making a "thump" sound.

"What's so strange about this...... Shouldn't it be a girl's heart?" Ace muttered in disgust and jumped off the "minecart".

From the first step into the inn, everyone regretted choosing this place, at least Elena and Ace. The interior of the inn is a perfect interpretation of what a heart of steel is. The layout of the ground floor is not much different from the hotels in other places, except that it ...... Bartenders, tables and chairs, etc., almost everything is made of steel.

Business at the inn was booming, and it was almost full. The dwarves drank from large steel goblts, and from time to time made the sound of clinking glasses. Everyone was so shocked by the scene in front of them that their jaws almost dropped, and they froze at the door.

"Ah, a few adventurers from afar, do you want to stay at the hotel?" a dwarf who looked like a boss came over with open arms, his lingua franca with a thick nasal voice—a strong smell of solsen.

"Is there a room please?" Vane said hurriedly. He didn't want a warm hug, I hope not, he prayed in his heart.