Enter the dungeon.

"I thought this would be easier," groans Niki. "The instructions don't sound complicated, but there are dead trees, flowers, and holes in the ground for god damn miles! The sun is almost down all the way. If we need to start crawling through every cave here like a bunch of moles, I'm gonna be pissed."

"I feel like we're close this time," says Eva.

"How do you know?"

"Vibes I guess."

"I keep pointing out purple flowers, but you keep telling me they're the wrong ones."

"They have been, but don't be afraid to let us know anyway. I still remember a buncha stuff from school, even if I hated it there. That's part of the reason I feel we're close. I saw some buds."

"Buds?"

"The flowers we're looking for, but not in bloom. We're probably around where most of them grow."

Masumi frowns. "It's likely nobody has returned with proper, reputable information about this cavern in quite some time. Monarch may have provided us with as detailed a description as she could, but it's not impossible the cave entrance has collapse, or is now covered by something else."

Eva licks her lips. "Let me try something." She then holds up her carrot wand. With a deep breath, she musters up a swirl of mana from within her body, and she speaks the magic words, "Detect Magic". A sudden wave of magic pulses out. She then glances around, seeking something nobody could see but her.

"Do you think the cave has been obscured by magical means?" Nyllia asks.

"I'm just going off a hunch," answers Eva. "Not obscured, but I feel something below us. Like there's magic radiating from the dungeon itself maybe."

You take a firm hold of the bunny's arm, kneading it slowly to assure the girl and relieve her stress. "Hunch or not, I trust you, Eva. Guide the way."

Her cheeks turn pink. "Th-Thank you, Kyle. I'll do my best!"

The party follows her a short distance into a wide opening. A few boulders are strewn across the gravel, though otherwise there are no trees in this area.

"Are you sure?" Niki asks. "I don't see a dead tree, though I guess the sunset is at our back, and I see some flowers."

"Ah." Amara hurries ahead, away from the others. "I understand now."

"What is it, Amara?" you ask.

"It is difficult to tell with this area having far less grass, but there was a fire. At least, one big enough to burn down a tree that once was here. Look, you can see the remnants, and there are scorch marks on the ground."

"... And the entrance is here," Eva says. She casts her eyes down upon a blanket of purple flowers. Her wand points straight down towards it.

"Incredible eyes, Amara. And great magic, Eva," you say.

"Oh, and good job, Niki, scaring all the monsters away with your presence," Niki mutters.

Nyllia chuckles. "Great job cutting down that slime earlier, Nyllia."

"Do you need praise from me that badly?" you ask.

Masumi smiles. "Wonderful job being just pleasant overall, Masumi. You're amazing."

"Once we've cleared this dungeon, I promise to give everybody here one personal, specific compliment," you say.

"The perfect motivation," says Nyllia. "Let us begin."