“The Hydra… you want me to defeat it?”

I repeated Alto’s words to confirm.

“That’s correct.”

Alto nodded.

So, I hadn’t misheard him.

I knew about the Hydra. Though I’d never fought one, I’d heard it occasionally appeared in other dungeons.
A powerful A-rank monster with multiple heads and the ability to spew deadly poison. Its strength rivaled that of the Minotaur.

But how did Alto know the sixth floor’s boss was a Hydra? That wasn’t public knowledge.
At least, I’d never heard of it.

And why was he so insistent on its defeat?
The Hydra’s magic stone wasn’t particularly valuable, as far as I knew…

“May I ask why you’re making this request?”

“Of course. Since I’m making such a request, I owe you a thorough explanation. Will you follow me?”

“…Understood.”

Though uneasy about what awaited me, I followed Alto.

We stopped in front of a certain room.

“This is…?”

“My wife’s quarters. Let’s go in.”

“…”

Is it really okay for me to enter such a place?
But Alto seemed unfazed.
If I didn’t enter, I wouldn’t learn the reason I was summoned.

I resolved myself and stepped inside.

The first thing that caught my eye was the large bed in the room.
On it lay a woman, sound asleep.

And beside the bed—

“…Ah.”

—was a young girl, the same one I had seen earlier in the corridor.

The blonde-haired girl turned to face me.

Alto’s expression darkened upon seeing her.

“What are you doing here, Iris? Didn’t I tell you to stay away since we’d have a guest today?”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Well, no matter. I need to speak privately with our guest for a moment. Wait outside the room.”

“…Okay.”

The girl, Iris, nodded quietly and walked toward the door.
As she passed me, she glanced at me briefly.

“…!”

But as soon as our eyes met, she quickly looked away.
It stung a little.

More than that, however…
Her gaze was the same as before in the hallway, as if she were suspicious of me.

“… …”

And one more thing.
Alto’s expression as he watched Iris—a mix of sorrow and pity—left me with an unsettling feeling.

It seemed like there was more to this situation than met the eye.
Still, I refrained from asking questions.

Once Iris had left, Alto addressed me.

“Apologies, Ike. That was my daughter, Iris. Though I told her to stay away, she must have come to check on things as usual.”

“Check on things…?”

I looked back at the woman lying on the bed.
She was beautiful, with golden hair that bore a striking resemblance to Iris’s. She lay there in peaceful slumber.

Standing beside her, Alto spoke with a solemn tone.

“This is Lene Grace, my wife. Perhaps it’s better to call her by her title for you—Hero Lene.”

“Hero Lene…?!”

That name was familiar.
In fact, anyone in this town who called themselves an adventurer would know it.

She was the leader of an A-rank hero party that operated primarily out of Ford, this adventurer’s town.
A legendary figure who accomplished countless feats.

But several years ago, her name suddenly disappeared from the public eye.
Some speculated that she had retired, but no one truly knew her fate.

To encounter such a legendary figure here of all places…
If this were an ordinary meeting, I’d have been overwhelmed with excitement.

But what lay before me was her motionless form, sleeping soundly.

As I wrestled with my conflicting emotions, Alto looked at me with a serious expression.

“You may have pieced some of it together, but allow me to explain properly.
Lene has been asleep for three years. Ever since she was poisoned by the Hydra.”

“――――!”

The reason the legendary adventurer vanished from the public eye was a tragically ordinary one for adventurers: defeat by a monster.

And that monster was none other than—

“…The Hydra.”

Bit by bit, the reason I had been summoned became clearer.

“That’s right. From here, I’ll tell you what I’ve been told.
I want you to hear how Lene was poisoned by the Hydra and ended up in this condition.”

And so, Alto began to recount the events that occurred three years ago.