Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

Even though I haven't done anything wrong, I can't look Miss Ais in the eye.

No, it's that I don't want to be seen by those golden eyes.

Unwilling to be touched by the existence they yearn for.

I am a complete bastard (Bell Crane) because I hurt the people who are important to me because I was tormented by my longing for (you).

Miss Ais's eyes widened in surprise, her face filled with confusion.

This makes me want to kill myself. She had nothing to do with this, yet I made her look like that.

"Bell..."

After seeing my reaction, the goddess Hestia didn't say anything more.

Perhaps the gods have seen through all my foolish thoughts at a glance.

"...Everyone is injured to some extent, and it's raining. Let's get Xiaoliu and the others inside to rest before they catch a cold."

Hermes, too, did not inquire further and made the suggestion.

So we led Miss Ryu and the others through the rain-soaked streets on our way home.

—That happened yesterday.

"..."

It was the morning of the third day of the Goddess Festival.

Yesterday's torrential rain, which resembled tears, has stopped, and in its place, dark clouds cover the entire sky.

Under such gloomy weather, I absentmindedly gazed at the corridor of "Kitchen Fire Hall".

After sending the injured Ms. Ryu and the others back to "The Abundant Mistress", we returned to our base camp (headquarters).

Welf and the others, who were working at the tavern in place of Miss Anya and the others, also took the opportunity to go home.

When Aunt Mia saw us bring back the disheveled Miss Anya and the others, her expression was frighteningly grave. After Hermes explained the whole situation—that we had been attacked by the Freya Familia—she frowned deeply and fell into deep thought…

(...No, I can't think at all.)

I stood in the corridor facing the courtyard, and no matter how long I looked up, the sky remained overcast.

There are many things that must be thought about, but both body and mind feel extremely heavy, as if weighed down by lead.

I was the one who made the choice and hurt the other person, so I have no right to be sad and upset like this.

But the expression on her face before she left is etched in my heart, and I can't shake it off—

"Bell".

"...Miss Ryu?"

I looked in the direction of the sound.

Miss Ryu, dressed in a tavern uniform, stood there.

"...Are you alright?"

Why did you come here?

Why did you appear in front of me?

I avoided subconsciously letting those two questions flash through my mind and blurting them out.

"Hmm... The Dainsleif sword held back during our fight to avoid taking my life. But perhaps it's a side effect of a cursed weapon, my wounds are healing rather slowly..."

Like me, Miss Ryu has also fought against Mr. Hegney, the Dark Elf.

She must not have fully recovered from her injuries. She placed her hand on her chest through her clothes and frowned as if she was enduring pain.

But she quickly changed back to her original expression.

She looked up and pointed her elfin eyes at me.

"Bell, what exactly happened yesterday?"

"..."

"It's not that I can't trust you, but how can you be so sure Seele is safe and sound? The important thing is, where exactly is Seele? And why did the Freya Familia want to kill her...!?"

It's understandable that Miss Liu would raise so many questions.

Because I haven't clearly explained what happened after I parted ways with Ms. Ryu and the others, and I haven't sorted out my feelings yet. To be honest, it's still the same now.

However... we can no longer remain silent.

So I racked my brains trying to figure out where to begin, and then stammered as I explained.

The Freya Familia is not targeting Miss Seele.

What Ms. Ryu and the others saw was not Ms. Seele, but "a woman who looked exactly like Ms. Seele".

"A woman impersonating Seele...!?"

Miss Liu showed her surprise several times along the way, but she listened to me until the end without interrupting me.

Then, I told them about it.

"Miss Seele... confessed her feelings to me... and I... rejected her..."

"You—"

Miss Liu seemed to freeze in time, completely stunned.

She was stunned for a moment, forgetting even to breathe, before reaching out and grabbing my shoulder.

"Why!?"

The sound penetrates the eardrum.

The piercingly harsh voice struck right through my internal organs.

I have never heard Miss Ryu speak so loudly before, and her tone was so excited.

She questioned me excitedly, my mind blank with shock.

"Why did you reject Seele's confession!? Why did you reject the decision she finally made!?"

"...!!"

"Given your personality! If it were you!! Why would you choose to refuse...!?"

"........."

"In that case, no matter who it is... even me..."

The initially out-of-control tone gradually calmed down, eventually becoming as faint as a mosquito's buzz, ethereal and indistinct.

Those sky-blue eyes seemed to convey a sense of reproach, yet also a desire for support, reflecting only me.

We approached each other so closely that, if we so desired, our lips would intertwine, making us appear to onlookers like a couple in love—or perhaps gazing into each other's eyes as if about to say goodbye.

Miss Liu gripped my shoulders tightly with her slender fingers, even digging them into my flesh.

I gritted my teeth, desperately resisting the urge to lower my head, and forced out the answer.

"Because I have...someone I admire...and I've been paying attention to that person all along..."

"!!"

"I want to catch up with that person's back... and when I finally catch up with her, I want to confess my feelings to her... so I can't... reciprocate Miss Seele's feelings."

I painfully and clearly stated these words that I absolutely had to say.

Stunned, Miss Liu loosened her grip and finally let go of my shoulders.

An empty silence remained at the scene.

Miss Liu opened her lips several times.

In the end, he buried the words that could not be spoken in the graveyard of his heart and slowly lowered his eyes.

"...Thinking about it, it makes sense... How come I didn't think of that? Just as Seele is in love with you, you naturally have someone you like... There's nothing unbelievable about that..."

The words that came from those small lips contained not a trace of accusation.

Instead, they agreed with me and comforted me, saying I hadn't done anything wrong.

This only made me feel even more upset for some reason.

"...I'm so sorry, I lost my composure and failed to consider...your feelings..."

I can only remain silent in response.

Miss Liu closed her eyes tightly, her brows furrowed in pain, as if she were desperately suppressing a torrent of emotions, and clutched her chest with both hands.

In the silent corridor, only the two of us remained, our gazes reflexively falling to the ground.

The hands of the clock leave us behind as we move on.

Ms. Ryu was also the first to break this long stagnation.

"Bell... I have to go find Seele."

“Eh…”

"Normally, Seele would have arrived at the tavern by now, but she's nowhere to be seen. I can't be sure what happened to her. So... I have to go find her."

No one knows where Miss Seele lives, and trying to find her is like having no clue what to do.

Ms. Ryu's resolve remained unshaken by my response.

She turned her face to the side, as if searching for the figure of someone important, gazing at the gray sky covered by dark clouds.

"What...have you decided to do?"

After hesitating for a few moments, Miss Liu turned her gaze back to me and asked me in a hoarse voice.

I have to rack my brains.

We must put ourselves in Miss Seele's shoes and think carefully before we act.

Otherwise, I'll upset her again.

Even so, I still forced a bitter smile like a fool and stated the conclusion I had reached.

"I...I'll go find her too."

*

The city center was bustling with activity.

Even under the gloomy sky, the main roads were packed with people eager to make the most of the final day of the Goddess Festival. Today, also hailed as a harvest feast, the stalls displayed a dazzling array of wheat, vegetables, fruits, and other produce.

"The Goddess Festival is already on its third day, and we finally have time to properly enjoy it!"

Lily glanced at the scene and couldn't help but mutter a complaint under her breath.

When Welf, Mikoto, and Haruhime, who were traveling with her, heard this, they couldn't help but give a wry smile.

The Hestia Familia had been forced to work hard at "The Abundant Mistress" until last night. Aside from Seele, who wasn't on duty, they had been working tirelessly for two days straight to fill the vacancies created by Anya and other employees skipping work. Now that they were finally free from labor far more arduous than conquering the dungeon, it's no wonder that even the other three, who were usually more hardworking than Lily, couldn't help but sigh heavily.

Fortunately, the tavern owner (Miya) wasn't heartless enough to force them to work even on the last day of the Goddess Festival—or so she thought.

"Lady Anya and the others have returned... but they're all injured."

"...Yes, judging from their appearance, they shouldn't be able to work."

Lily agreed with Haruhime's opinion and couldn't help but frown.

Officially, it was because Anya and the others had returned to the tavern that Lily and the others didn't have to work, but in reality, the tavern probably couldn't continue operating under these circumstances.

"The attack on Lady Anya and the others was carried out by the city's strongest faction (the Freya Familia), and Lady Bell was also involved..."

"Lady Seele doesn't seem to have returned to the tavern, so Lord Bell went with Lord Ryu, who had just visited, to look for her..."

After Lily nodded in response, Ming continued speaking.

They had learned the general outline of what happened from Hestia and Bell, but both seemed inexplicably reluctant to speak, especially Bell, who appeared to be in great pain just opening his mouth to speak, making it hard to believe that nothing had really happened.

Although Lily, Haruhime, and Mikoto eventually acquiesced to Ryu taking Bell away from the Hearth Hall, all three of them had solemn expressions.

"Um... how about we also help find that waitress?"

Welf, who had remained silent until now, made this suggestion.

After Lily and the others looked over, he continued to state his opinion.