[ "It is with great sorrow that we must announce the dreadful incident that took place right as the Joint raid operation was concluded." ]

After some time, the association decided to treat the injured inside the dungeon itself and only get out after everything was sorted out.

In the meantime, an announcement was released throughout the city of Westford that detailed the happenings after the White Scale Naga was dealt with.

[ "Right as the brave challengers put an end to the creature that had confirmed to be going through the process of Corruption, they were ambushed by a large number of dungeon monsters." ]

As people knew, it was not common for only a single creature to go through corruption. If there was any case of corruption present, then the chances of there being more than one creature who had fallen to it were the highest.

And, from what was told by the survivors, that was just the case this time as well.

[ "While the challengers had dealt with the Boss monster, they could not counter the wave of corrupted monsters which seemed to have spanned out of nowhere." ]

[ "From the looks of it, the dungeon had gone through a shift right after the Naga was defeated and as a result, creatures that weren't previously detected by the parties, swarmed the area where the boss monster had died." ]

[ "The scholars predict that the unfused corrupt energy of the dead Naga's body might have been what attracted the creatures, however, the association does not have any conclusive proof of that." ]

[ "The only thing that we do know, however… is the ultimate death toll that was the result of what no one could predict." ]

Images of bodies that seemed to be torn down by the creatures, images of what seemed to be the doing of monsters fallen to rage, and images of what seemed like horror footage from the more difficult parts of the dungeon were made public.

The association, working with all the available adventurers at the scene, dealt with the information.

The association did not want the happenings or the experiences of the people after the death of the boss monster to leak into the public.

While they may have only seen what was a dungeon phenomenon, if the association's incompetence was revealed to the public, they would not only face difficulty against the nobles of the surrounding areas, but also from the citizens.

The association needed to maintain their stance as the authority that prevented most of the casualties. For that, they took some of the blame and crafted an elaborate story.

They made all the people present at the scene sign a contract of oath, binding them from speaking about the happenings after the death of the Naga.

They also made sure that the bigger issue of the branch manager's presence at the scene was not leaked.

Ultimately, while it took half a day to sort things out, they were able to deal with the aftermath.

[ "A funeral will be held in the city's square tomorrow morning. All the individuals connected to the deceased will be brought to Westford and compared with the best of association's abilities." ]

[ "In addition, they will be greeted by the noble representatives of the families that they were affiliated with." ]

The night that followed the incident was heavy for everyone throughout Westford.

Crying noises were heard from different parts of the city. In the plaza where the construction for the funeral was going on, people connected to these families were camping with dark circles under their eyes.

Lovers of the dead people, families, parents, children, even team mates who were present at the scene and could not even understand how exactly their friend was taken away from them.

The city of Westford, which had just been burning with a spirit of celebration, was now a mourning ground for tens of people who lost their lives after the raid was concluded.

"What are you doing…" In the inn run by the fairy, the atmosphere was just as gloomy today.

People who had ventured into the dungeon for most of their lives were drinking more concentrated alcohol today, wondering what their life would have been like had they been part of this raid.

The fact that the people who died, died to mere creatures who had gone through corruption weren't even at the level of a Naga, was what made the public even more gloomy.

If even the people who could take down a fantastical creature like that could be killed so easily, what would weaker ones like them amount to?

"It's one of those days again…"

The elf bartender could not help his sigh as he thought about the person who must have been behind all this.

He just saw her a while ago, and now this.

He knew she was trouble, but to make an entire city depressed was a feat he had not seen in a while.

He was cleaning the glasses as he prepared another round of stronger spirits, and at the same time, the person he was thinking about turned around, her eyes reflecting the three moons in the sky.

"You're up?" She looked at Reddy in her casual clothes, the one who had stayed with her tonight to comfort her.

After the incident at the dungeon, the two of them weren't in the best state of mind.

Reddy, having seen something she had not wanted to see even though it may have been inevitable to some degree, was not well.

Aria could sense her emotions. She knew what she was feeling and she did not want to influence her through their bond.

That alone would not have been enough in the first place, so she asked her if she wanted to come over to her place, and in the state she was in… she also needed someone she could rely on.

They were spending their night together tonight, just in separate beds.

Still… even though Aria had all the opportunity to score Reddy she had ever wanted, she did not do anything.

After looking after her and putting her to bed, she walked out and sat down before the window like she always does, with the same glass of alcohol in her hand.

"Are you worried?" Reddy came and sat down beside her, her purple silk gown making her already attractive body stand out more.

Aria was already red from the alcohol so her blush wasn't that obvious to her this time.

"How can I not?" Aria was the one to blame here, as she had accepted.

She did not tell the others how things unfolded, what actually happened at the end, how she was able to influence everything, and anything related to that. She just stayed there and wondered what might have been.

Had she been a simple adventurer like the rest of them, she would not be nearly strong enough to influence the events like she did, or capable enough to lead up to this mess in the first place.

She may have understood the principles behind the dungeon and the ways of the dungeon during that time but the Naga's suffering and the deaths that occurred because of the dungeon's interference at the end were mostly her fault.

She might not have been able to predict things would go this far… but she was even more concerned since the death of all those people did not really mean much to her in the end.

"You know he won't just let this go. I saw it in his eyes… fear."

Aria's evolved skill was more of an active skill now. It surely had many passive effects, but while it had become more powerful, it was also a skill that consumed a lot of her energy when she was actively using it.

Aria may have become much stronger and sharper after that incident, but what she did to achieve that went beyond human comprehension.

Even someone like the branch manager who had dealt with a lot of crazy things in this world could not look at her the same way after that.

"Aria…" Reddy had been the depressed one after seeing all those bodies, but after Aria's words of encouragement and warm presence, she was feeling much better.

She understood the concerns she was facing right now, that Aria had a lot going on in her mind, so Reddy wrapped her arms around her and placed her head on her chest.

"I know it's not going to be a simple punishment." In the eyes of the association, as well as the top authority of that association, Aria was no longer a simple gold star.

She was one of the dangerous individuals that the association was more cautious of.

What they decided to do to her would be their decision, but whatever they decide, there's one thing that will not change.

"But…" Looking at her with her blue eyes under the moonlit sky, Reddy almost crossed the line and held Aria's hand. "Whatever happens, I'll be there with you."

After everything, Reddy wasn't confident in her abilities as the guard captain anymore.

Seeing all that had shaken her more than the others might realise. Even Aria only understood her surface wounds.

There was a lot more that Aria wanted to know, but for that, she would have to spend more time with this lady.

"Really?"

And, if she was saying she would be there with her, even the tough Aria couldn't hide her surprise.

"Really."

She had prioritised Reddy's safety even when hundreds of lives were on the line. She wasn't just going to let things end here anymore…

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