The fruit pie Patricia had brought was a great success.

The four of them lightly filled their stomachs and thoroughly enjoyed their tea.

Li, of course, had overlooked nothing.

If anything, she had even prepared a toilet.

For something called a short break, an unusually relaxed stretch of time passed.

Even in a safe beginner-level dungeon, such a luxurious pause would normally be unthinkable.

And yet, this was Li.

Erika, Alberta and Patricia—already thoroughly influenced by her—did not even realize how abnormal it was.

That said, if they took too long, someone might start to worry, so Li rose from her seat.

“Shall we resume clearing the dungeon? According to the materials I have, there should be a teleportation device beyond that door.”

“That’s true. Taking too much time wouldn’t be ideal,” Alberta agreed.

Patricia nodded as well.

“Then let’s finish this quickly.”

Li stored the rest set back into her Jewel Dimensional Vault.

As thanks, she even presented Patricia with a tea set.

“Alright, let’s go!”

Fully refreshed from their rest, the group once again placed Erika at the front and opened the door.

Just as the materials indicated, a teleportation device sat in the center of the room.

“Shall we head back?” Li suggested.

But someone immediately objected.

“You’re too naive, Li!”

It was Erika.

“In rooms like this that are nothing but exits, there’s always a hidden chamber or something! It’s a classic setup!”

“Is that so?”

“Of course! It’s exactly in places where you let your guard down that they hide treasure chests and things!”

Li considered that Erika had a point.

However, dungeons were said to be trials created by the gods.

That would mean the creator of the dungeon was a god.

Was it really alright for a Saint to call such beings ‘mean-spirited’?

Alberta, apparently thinking the same thing, voiced it aloud.

“Erika, I feel like that might be a problem for a Saint.”

“Don’t sweat the small stuff! Now, let’s search!”

Erika stepped past the Stone Circle that housed the teleportation device and began inspecting the far wall.

But to Li’s eyes, it looked no different from any other stone wall they had seen so far.

Was there really a hidden room?

Just as that thought crossed her mind—

Patricia tripped over a small protrusion on the floor.

“Kya—”

“Careful,” Li said, catching Patricia by the arm before she could fall.

The momentum carried Patricia straight into Li’s chest.

Seeing that, Alberta bit down on her handkerchief in what looked like frustration.

“Thank you, truly. Hehe, Li Onee-sama, you smell so, so nice!”

Patricia pressed her face against Li’s chest and inhaled deeply.

And at that exact moment—

A heavy rumbling sound echoed.

A massive hole suddenly opened beneath Erika’s feet as she examined the wall.

“Whyyyyyyyyy!”

Erika’s voice receded into the depths with a Doppler-like distortion.

Li reacted instantly.

“An-chan!”

Gently setting Patricia aside, she swiftly summoned the Divine Chain Artifact Andromeda.

At the same time, she extended the chain toward the hole.

But mercilessly, it failed to reach Erika.