Is it wrong to try to build a criminal Empire?

chapter 11

"i have no need for friends; only pawns."

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"It seemed quite valuable. Are you sure it was wise handing it over to him?" Riveria asked, questioning Ais's choice regarding the fate of the rare drop item.

They were heading to the surface after Ais had faced Udaeus, the monster rex of the 37th floor, and emerged victorious.

Although not unscathed, her clothes and armor were worn out, with the right side of her breastplate exposing part of her right breast where the cloth had torn, revealing a small portion.

"It's not like I can use large swords," Ais answered. She had decided to hand the drop item to Bors Elder, the representative of the 18th-floor adventurer town.

The man had literally begged her to give it to him.

Entering the sixth floor, Riveria decided to comment on Ais's feat. "After this solo endeavor, I'm sure you'll be satisfied with your next status update," a small smile on her face.

Ais was about to respond when they were both taken aback by the sight of five people lying still.

Some were visibly dead.

"What happened here?" Riveria asked, shocked.

What could have caused these people to fight each other like this?

She didn't dwell much on the thought and quickly moved to the nearest body—a red-haired man—and inspected him for any fatal wounds.

Ais looked past Riveria to the other bodies. The man in the middle was definitely dead, the blood puddle beneath him and his burnt legs confirming it.

She saw an arm lying there; past it was the white-haired kid she'd saved, along with a dwarf and a pallum—wait. White-haired kid?

Ais moved toward him, wanting to confirm if it was him and, if needed, help him.

Approaching closer, Ais looked at the white-haired kid—Bell Cranel, the one she'd saved from the minotaur.

Also, the one who seemingly hated her for some reason, a reaction she was not expecting to get from someone with features like his.

"Ais, let me check on him. You check on the dwarf and the pallum," Riveria said as she approached, having finished her inspection of the red-haired man. Ais nodded and moved on to the others.

Riveria eyed Bell Cranel. "You again," she muttered in slight annoyance. "Well, it's no harm in making sure you're not dead," she sighed and checked him for possible injuries.

'No physical injuries. Exhaustion. Mind down,' she concluded. He must have had a hard battle.

The human and the dwarf were certainly dead, judging by the amount of blood pooling beneath them—a pity.

"Riveria, the pallum is bleeding slightly," Ais calmly called, holding the pallum in her hands.

"Lay her down here; I'll heal her up," Riveria instructed.

A faint glow of her magic started the healing process on the pallum, mending whatever injuries she might have had.

"She's unconscious. She just needs some rest," Riveria confirmed to Ais, who was looking at Cranel with a troubled expression.

"Is something wrong?" Riveria asked, curious.

Ais turned to her. "I think he hates me," she said, gesturing toward Cranel.

Riveria was surprised. "What gives you that impression? Didn't you save him from certain death?" It was true—she had seen how poor of a state he was in.