Is It Wrong to Explore the Dungeon Even Though I’m Overpowered? (Danmachi SI- WC)

Chapter 29: Trust, Broken and Bound

Leading the girls inside, I signaled for Rem, Hestia, Est, and Artemis to follow us. Once everyone was through, I brought us into the Demiplane. There, with Rem’s help, I quickly prepared tea and snacks while the others settled into the living room.

A few minutes later, we returned with two trays—one filled with assorted snacks, the other with tea and cups—and set them down on the table.

We received thankful nods all around, and I took the only open seat: right between Ram and Naaza.

As the girls eagerly made a beeline for the snacks, I reached out and gently patted Ram and Naaza on the head. Both of them relaxed under the touch, especially Ram, whose tense posture and scowling face began to soften.

The others, already briefed on what had happened, looked between Ram and Naaza with a mixture of relief and simmering anger. None more so than Rem, who was practically growling in her seat, muttering something about that “scoundrel Pallum” and how dare she put her sister in danger.

“Okay,” I said softly once everyone seemed to have calmed a bit. “Now that we’re settled, why don’t you tell us exactly what happened? Ram? Naaza?”

Ram let out a sigh and, instead of answering right away, nestled into my side and took my hand, wrapping it around herself as she sought comfort.

“There’s not much to tell,” she muttered, her scowl briefly returning before melting away as I resumed rubbing her head.

“We took it easy today. I wanted to get a feel for the Pallum’s abilities and attitude, so I decided we’d stay on the Upper Floors. It didn’t take long to notice she was acting suspicious, so I kept a close eye on her.”

She paused to grab a few cookies from the tray and washed them down with some tea before continuing. It said a lot about her mood that she was not referring herself in third person as she usually did.

“While we were fighting Imps on the 10th floor, I lost sight of her for a bit,” Ram said with a scowl, taking a deep breath. “That’s when she made her move. The little traitor threw some kind of sack near where we were fighting—one that attracted a horde of monsters right to our position.”

“She really did that, huh…” I muttered with a sigh, resigned. It lined up all too closely with what had happened to Bell in the original story. A familiar scenario—same trick, same betrayal.

Before I could dwell on it further, a soft movement caught my attention as Est gently settled onto my lap, snuggling close in her own quiet way of offering comfort.

“Thanks, Est,” I murmured, giving her a small pat. She nodded and rested her head against my chest.

Turning back to Ram, I gave her a gentle nod. “Please continue.”

“Right.” Ram nodded, but then her expression shifted to a smug grin. “Luckily for us, that little thief didn’t know what I was capable of. I took care of the monsters in a flash, then focused on her. Managed to cut that ridiculous bag off her shoulders before she could escape with the magic stones we’d collected.”

As she finished, she pulled out said bag out of our shared Pocket Space and set it on the floor.

“Good job, Ram.” I smiled, proud of her. Her blush gave away how much the praise meant to her—even if she tried to hide it behind her puffed-up chest.

“Of course. Ram showed that little thief she picked the wrong Familia to mess with.” She said it with pride, practically glowing.

“As expected of Nee-sama~” Rem chimed in sweetly, gazing at her sister with a proud smile.

“I bet she didn’t expect Ram to be so strong,” Hestia added with a grin, also puffing out her chest. “Ram is second only to Rein-kun, after all~”

Artemis, ever the grounded one, gently nudged the conversation back on track. “What happened then?”

The smug look vanished from Ram’s face, replaced by another scowl. She clicked her tongue in frustration. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to catch her. She threw another bait sack to distract me and vanished into the chaos.”

“Then we made our way out of the dungeon… and you know the rest,” Ram finished, before letting out a soft sigh and snuggling back into my side, clearly seeking comfort.

“She seemed so nice, too,” Naaza murmured from my other side, her ears drooping slightly with a downcast expression.

“Take this as a lesson,” Hestia said gently, a rare note of wisdom slipping through her usually cheery tone. “Not everyone you meet will have your best interests at heart.”

“Correct,” Artemis added with a nod. “Don’t let this setback dishearten you. Learn from it—and keep moving forward.”

The girls around the room nodded thoughtfully at the goddesses’ words, but after a moment, I felt all their eyes turn toward me, waiting for my input—only to find me lost in thought.

“What is it, Rein?” Artemis asked, curiosity edging into concern.

I let out a slow breath. “I know it might sound hard to believe… and maybe it’s not what anyone wants to hear right now. But I don’t think this is as simple as a betrayal. I believe there’s more going on behind the scenes—things we don’t know yet.”

“What do you mean, Reinhard?” Naaza asked, her voice hopeful—clearly looking for a reason not to write Lili off.

“Yesterday, when we spent the day with her, my Divine Protections didn’t detect a single trace of malicious intent from her,” I said seriously, scanning each of their faces. “In fact, she was genuinely happy by the end of the day and was looking forward to spending more time with us. More than that though, I want to believe that she is a good person.”

That earned me a series of surprised and uncertain looks.

“Hmm… if Reinhard-kun says so, then Rem believes him~” Rem chimed in without hesitation, offering me a warm, radiant smile that made my heart swell with gratitude. Her unwavering faith in me was one of the many things I cherished about her.

“Haah, well… no one else in this world has such ridiculous abilities as Reinhard-sama,” Ram muttered, though there was fondness in her sigh. “If you say there’s more to it, then your Ram will believe you.”

“Yeah,” Naaza added, her voice stronger now. “Lili didn’t feel like a bad person yesterday. She even helped out a lot.”

“Are you sure, Rein-kun?” Hestia asked, her expression serious—but I could see the trust in her eyes. She wasn’t doubting me; she just wanted to understand.

“I am,” I nodded. “And not just because of her behavior. I also know which Familia she belongs to—and yesterday, when we brought them up, I felt a powerful wave of fear and despair from her.”

“The Soma Familia?” Naaza asked, her brow furrowed. “That’s the only one we mentioned yesterday.”

“Exactly,” I confirmed. “And I’ve got it on good authority that most of the Soma Familia is… not exactly trustworthy. My guess? She was forced into doing what she did.”

“I see… this complicates matters,” Artemis said thoughtfully, her brows drawn together as she mulled over my words. “So, what do you want to do, Rein?”

Taking a deep breath, I straightened my back and met everyone’s gaze in turn. My expression hardened with conviction.

“I know this is probably a selfish request—but I want to help her. And the only real way I can think of to do that… is by having her join our Familia.”

That got reactions. Hestia and Artemis both blinked in surprise, their expressions shifting as they quickly grasped what I meant.

“You’re talking about a War Game, Rein-kun?” Hestia asked, her tone suddenly serious. Her eyes searched mine for confirmation. “You’re willing to go that far… for a girl you’ve only known for a single day?”

Silence filled the room.

The weight of my answer hung heavy in the air, every pair of eyes fixed on me. Ram's hand tightened gently on my sleeve. Even Est paused in her tea sipping, peeking up at me quietly from my lap.

But I didn’t flinch. I held Hestia’s gaze, my own steady with resolve.

“Yes,” I said firmly. “If it comes to that. Because I can feel it in the core of my being—Lili is crying out for help. Even if she won’t say it out loud, even if she doesn’t dare to hope someone will listen… I heard her.”

My thoughts went to the scene I had seen in my previous life, of Lili crying out for help as she was about to be devoured by ants.

My jaw tightened, and my hand curled into a fist on my knee.

“What kind of scumbag would I be… if I ignored someone who was silently screaming to be saved?”

Silence fell over the room again for just a moment—until it was shattered by a sudden squeal.

“Reinhard-kun is so cool~!” Rem practically shouted, eyes sparkling as she clasped her hands to her chest. She looked like she was about to faint from sheer admiration.

The serious atmosphere crumbled like sandcastles in the tide.

A round of laughter and light giggles followed.

“As expected of my Reinhard-sama~,” Ram chimed in smugly, nodding in pride like a general who had trained her most promising soldier.

“Fufufu, yep—that’s our Reinhard alright.” Naaza chuckled softly, her eyes reflecting a quiet fondness. “Saving damsels in distress without caring who they are or what danger it might bring… sounds like him.”

“Huhuhu~ My Rein-kun is truly amazing,” Hestia added with a grin, puffing out her chest and tilting her chin proudly like a mother hen showing off her favorite chick.

“Rein is a hero, after all,” Artemis said with a gentle smile, her jade-green eyes shimmering with something tender—admiration, affection… and something deeper.

“Reinhard is the best,” Est said simply, with a small nod and complete conviction, as if stating an unshakable universal truth.

Faced with all their warm praise and smiles, I couldn’t help the heat that crept up my cheeks. I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to play it cool.

“Thanks, everyone,” I muttered with a sheepish smile. “But we’re not done yet. The next step is finding Lili and hearing the truth from her—directly from her own mouth. Only then can we decide where to go from there.”

As the smiles softened into looks of understanding, the room settled into a comfortable calm once more.

“Hmm… we might be able to avoid a War Game altogether,” I began, tapping my chin in thought. “If we can somehow speak to Soma-sama directly. But from what I’ve heard… he’s a complete recluse—basically a NEET.”

“A NEET?” Hestia echoed curiously, tilting her head. The others also perked up with matching expressions of confusion. “I don’t know why, but that word sounds pretty funny.”

“It’s a word from my previous world,” I explained with an amused smile. “It stands for ‘Not in Education, Employment, or Training.’ Basically, a NEET is someone who doesn’t work, doesn’t study, and usually avoids social interaction entirely. Think of them as antisocial loners.”

“Huh… that actually fits him perfectly,” Artemis muttered with a surprised blink. “NEET, huh? I like it. I’m calling him that from now on.”

I chuckled, shaking my head. “Anyway, from what I’ve gathered, Soma-sama rarely leaves his own inner sanctum. Because of that, his Captain is the one who runs most of the Familia’s day-to-day affairs.”

“If we could somehow arrange a meeting with him, we might be able to negotiate a trade for Lili—without needing to resort to a War Game.”

“That’s a solid plan, Rein,” Artemis said with a thoughtful nod. “If Hestia and I go together, we might be able to pressure the Captain into giving us an audience. At the very least, they won’t be able to just ignore us.”

“Thank you, Artemis-sama, Hestia-sama. That would really help,” I said with a grateful bow of my head.

I didn’t bother asking Artemis why she was willing to help with something that had nothing to do with her Familia. I already knew the answer—and saying something like “You don’t have to do this” would only insult her sincerity.

“Alright, now all that’s left is to find Lili and get the truth from her directly,” I said, my voice firm with resolve. The serious expression on my face was mirrored by the others, each of them clearly just as determined to see this through.

As the conversation settled into thoughtful silence, I took the opportunity to quietly pull out my Company Phone, flicking through the interface with practiced ease. After capturing the Resheph Familia, I had earned a good number of credits, and there was no better time than now to invest in the future.

First, my eyes landed on Est.

I purchased Complimentary Colors, instantly raising her tier from 5 to 7. Being my main partner in battle I wanted her to be as strong as possible so the risk of me hurting her with my mana never occurred.

Next were the twins.

I bought them the SWP Dual, upgrading both Rem and Ram to Tier 7 and—most importantly—granting each of them a pair of horns instead of their original shared set. That’ll be a surprise tomorrow, I thought with a smirk, already imagining their reactions when they suddenly gained an extra horn.

Then came a more universal investment: Grand Tapestry. This one was big. Now I could share my Elemental Shroud with the others and vice versa, but more importantly each member also gained access to my full set of Talents. The sheer potential that unlocked for our group couldn’t be overstated.

Following that, I bought a trio of Lures:

Faerie Feast, which enhanced my already formidable cooking to almost supernatural levels. There was even a warning that said "Consumption may lead to addiction."

Zenryoku Zenkai, which made it so any female opponent I defeated one-on-one would begin to fall for me. A ridiculous perk… but fitting for the world I lived in.

And lastly, Tsundere Service, which ensured that any aggression from a girl would only make her act tsundere toward me.

It was almost too on-brand.

Finally, I picked up four more copies of Grail Knowledge, handing them out to Artemis, Hestia, Rem, and Ram. With that, each of them would now instinctively understand the common knowledge of my old world—no more confusion when I dropped a modern term or reference. That would make life so much easier going forward.

I glanced up from my thoughts, my gaze landing on Ram and Rem.

‘Hah… they’re definitely going to freak out tomorrow when they realize they both have two horns now.’

I couldn’t help the amused smile that tugged at my lips.

Ram raised an eyebrow at me suspiciously. “What are you smiling at, Reinhard-sama?”

“Oh, nothing important,” I replied with a chuckle, earning a pair of curious glares in return.

=====

Following Day

The day before had ended on a quiet but hopeful note. After a hearty dinner cooked by me, Rem, and Artemis, everyone had gone to bed early, carrying a shared wish that the situation with Lili might still be resolved peacefully.

Now, as the morning sun filtered through the windows, we rushed through breakfast and made our way toward the Dungeon—this time with both Oni twins accompanying us.

We were in such a hurry that I only managed a quick wave toward Ryuu, who was sweeping outside the Hostess. She gave us a polite nod, her usual calm gaze tinged with curiosity and concern as she watched us pass.

“It seems she’s already inside,” I muttered, eyes scanning the screen of my Target Tracker. Sure enough, Lili's marker was already in motion—deep within the 6th Floor.

“Finally, some answers,” Ram said, her expression darkened by a faint scowl. She hadn’t fully forgiven the betrayal from yesterday. Understandable.

“If possible,” I began gently, looking toward Ram and Naaza, “I’d like to be the one to talk to her.”

Naaza nodded immediately. “Of course.”

Ram hesitated—just a beat—before sighing. “Very well, Reinhard-sama.”

“Thank you. I owe you both.” I smiled, reaching out to give them each a quick pat on the head. Ram blinked but blushed faintly; Naaza looked pleased and gave me a warm look.

“Alright,” I said, facing the dungeon entrance. “Let’s go.”

=====

Lili’s POV

‘Lili hates Adventurers.’

That was all Lili could think as she lay sprawled across the cold dungeon floor, her small body bruised and scraped.

The party she had joined that morning had used her as bait. They picked a fight with too many monsters, panicked the moment things turned dangerous, and shoved her forward—sacrificing her without hesitation to save themselves.

‘Serves Lili right, doesn’t it?’ she thought bitterly. ‘After what Lili did to Reinhard-sama and his friends…’

A soft laugh escaped her lips. It sounded hollow even to her own ears. Her chest burned with more than just pain. It was shame. Guilt. Regret.

Reinhard-sama…

She remembered his kind eyes, his words filled with conviction, and the way he offered her trust without asking for anything in return.

And she remembered how she’d spat on it.

‘Lili doesn’t deserve saving. Lili is just a tool to be used and discarded. That’s all she’s ever been…’

Her vision blurred. She wasn’t sure if it was from tears or the pain in her ribs.

Seeing the monsters getting closer, Lili closed her eyes and accepted her fate as a small tear leaked down her eye.