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

Finn's face twitched, but Tiony ignored him.

Her eyes lost their sparkle, becoming two empty sockets. Her voluptuous, exposed breasts swayed with each heavy step. With each step, the tavern floor creaked ominously.

The overwhelming pressure on the first-level adventurers caused several dwarfs to foam at the mouth and collapse backward.

"How did you find this place...!?"

"They came by smell."

"Are you a beast...?!"

Although it was just a prank, Finn was sweating profusely because the person least likely to hear it had overheard his declaration of love. As for the female warrior, whose infatuation with the captain was terrifyingly deep, she staggered from the center of the shop towards her table.

Then, just as the gap narrowed to three, Tione erupted.

"Commander ——————————————————————————————!!"

"Tione, calm down!?"

As the beast pounced, Finn took off running.

He crouched low to the ground, dodging the attack, and fled in a flash. The berserker, his eyes gleaming with a strange, menacing light, turned and sped after the [Hero] who had rushed out of the shop.

After the noisy footsteps of "thump thump thump thump thump thump!", only silence remained inside the store.

Lily, Bell, and the little people were all stunned.

"...Um, Lily."

"!"

In an atmosphere that defied description, Bell spoke timidly.

Ignoring the little people shuffling back to their seats, Lily's shoulders jerked, and she quickly turned around.

The boy in front of him bowed his head sharply and apologized.

"I'm so sorry!! You already promised them, but I've made a complete mess of things..."

"No, no, you've misunderstood!? That was just Finn talking nonsense...! Lord Bell was just being teased!"

"Huh... I see?"

"Yes!! Lily didn't accept the proposal!?"

Lily tried her best to clear up the misunderstanding, and Bell showed a genuinely relieved expression.

The boy placed his hands on his chest, relaxed his shoulders, and soon looked a little embarrassed, but gazed firmly at Lily and said softly:

"I really don't know where to begin with my apology, but... I don't want to break up with Lily yet..."

Seeing Bell's cheeks flush slightly, he managed to squeeze out the words that were on his mind.

Lily opened her eyes wide, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she slowly smiled.

"...Lily also wants to apologize to you. Lily shouldn't have lost her temper and run away from headquarters..."

"No, no way! I was in the wrong first..."

"No, it's Lily's fault! Lily said many unintentional things to Lord Bell, causing you so much trouble!"

Both of them said it was their fault and apologized to each other.

Not long after, the two of them burst out laughing at the same time.

They laughed heartily, their eyes meeting.

"...Shall we go back?"

"OK!"

Lily responded to Belle's smiling face with a bright smile, despite Belle's lowered eyebrows.

They apologized to the shop owner, Master, for trespassing and causing other disturbances, and also bowed their heads in apology to the surrounding customers. Exhausted from caring for the unconscious customer, the shop assistant, Luan, snapped, "You're not allowed to come back!?" Lily and Belle then left "The Secret House of the Little People."

Under the comforting blue sky and sunshine, the two walked side by side on the street where the demi-humans came and went.

"Uh, and also, how should I put it..."

Just as the emotions from last night had completely dissipated and the two were happily embarking on their journey home, Bell spoke.

Lily tilted her head slightly to look at Bell, who scratched his cheek and smiled wryly.

"Because Lily is like my little sister."

"Well……"

"I only had my grandfather as family before, I didn't have any brothers or sisters... Maybe that's why I can't live without my sister."

Lily was a little angry when she heard Bell shyly reveal her true feelings.

She knew Bell only saw her as a younger sister, but she was unhappy, and that was that. Although she had decided not to leave Bell no matter what happened, that was a different matter.

Lily puffed out her cheeks, her mood about to sour—but then she remembered something and smiled faintly.

"Lord Bell, Lord Bell, please lend Lily your ear for a moment."

"?"

Lily put on a little sisterly smile and looked up at Bell, who tilted his head and stopped.

The leisurely white rabbit bent down and, as she instructed, brought her ear close to the petite little human.

Lily gently brought her lips closer.

"—I'm older than you, Belle?"

Then, she murmured in a somewhat mature, slightly coquettish tone.

「!?」

Bell's shoulders jerked, and he quickly propped himself up.

He pressed one hand against his right ear, which Lily had been whispering in, and exclaimed in surprise, "Huh!"

Soon, Bell's entire face slowly turned red.

He stared blankly down at Lily, only to see her, who had been smiling with narrowed eyes, suddenly smile gently.

Lily put on her innocent, childlike smile again.

"Then let's go, Lord Bell."

"...Wait, wait, Lily!? No, no way! You're kidding me, right!?"

"That's hard to say."

Lily walked quickly ahead alone, and Belle desperately chased after her.

The boy's blushing and flustered appearance made Lily sway her long robe and couldn't help but smile.

That's it, that's it.

So it turns out that boys develop a special awareness of themselves whenever they are "older sisters".

I've heard some good news.

Hearing the hurried voices chasing after her, Lily blushed and smiled happily.

She clasped her hands behind her waist and walked with cheerful footsteps.

On the thriving streets, the boy's pathetic voice kept echoing.

The little girl, bathed in the warm sunlight, smiled, revealing dimples.

Volume 8, Chapter 3: A Love Song Dedicated to a Certain God of Forging

"Finally ready."

The small glows of the magic stone lamp swayed.

In the cramped room, two figures wearing coats whispered to each other face to face.

"Reports indicate that the soldiers have successfully infiltrated and can leave immediately once the operation is over."

"yes……"

On one side was an excited male voice, and on the other side was a serious old man's voice, as they engaged in a private conversation.

"I've also located that guy's location, and I'll personally go and make contact with him within a few days."

"..."

Seeing that the other party remained silent, the male figure in the shadows asked:

Are you still hesitating?

"..."

"Now that things have come to this, what are we still hesitating for? We have received an important mission, and our master is going to promote us directly. This is probably our last chance."

"I know."

The other person leaned forward, and the old man's shadowy figure nodded to him.

The male shadowy figure smiled at his reaction and uttered a sigh of deep emotion.

"I will definitely bring him back. That power belongs to us and shouldn't be left in a place like this."

"..."

"The lost glory is right before our eyes."

Hearing the intoxicated voice, the old man in the shadows remained silent.

Under the illumination of the lantern-shaped magic stone lamp, two elongated shadows on the wall swayed.

*

Flames roared in the furnace.

Hephaestus gazed at the raging flames, the same fiery red as her hair.

This is the forging workshop, which contains anvils and other tools, and a large forging furnace is installed in the corner.

Hephaestus, dressed in work clothes, stopped gripping the hammer. The silver blade, already formed, rested on the anvil, radiating supreme brilliance.

His profile was illuminated by the firelight, and he wore a dignified black eye patch.

The sound of hammering stopped, leaving only the sound of flames burning in the forge.

What has made you so disheartened?

Just then, a voice spoke to her as the door opened.

The oppressive heat began to sway, and cool air flowed into the room from outside. Hephaestus turned around and looked away.

"Tsubaki."

"I heard you were holed up in your 'workshop' before you came to check it out, but you didn't even swing a hammer. What were you doing?"

Stepping into the forging workshop—the "workshop" is occupied by a tall woman with her black hair tied up and brown skin.

Like Hephaestus, she wore an eyepatch over her left eye, making her appear like a mirror image to the main god who covered her right eye. This woman, dressed in bright red trousers and exuding a Far Eastern atmosphere—named Chun—complained to Hephaestus, rebuking her with the sound of a broken hammer.

The location is the Northwest Main Street branch of the Hephaestus Familia. This red-walled shop faces the Adventurers' Street where the guild headquarters is located. The first floor has a "workshop" where Hephaestus sighs to her Familia children and says, "It's nothing."

"Ever since little brother Will left, you, the supreme deity, have been lost in thought more often, haven't you? Are you lonely?"

"...It's always heartbreaking for children to leave the nest and become independent, no matter who it is, not just Welf."

Chun rebuked the chief god for his improper conduct and even mocked her without fear or mercy. Hephaestus did not try to evade the issue and frankly admitted it.

With her family watching, she completed the weapon-making process in one go and began to tidy up the tools she had used.

"So, what's wrong?"

She loosened her tied-up red hair, opened her tight-fitting work clothes, and asked, while the female relative nodded, swaying her long black hair.

"The guild has sent a message to the Loki Familia, indicating that the Kingdom of Lachia seems to be planning a surprise attack this time."

After hearing the details from her family, Hephaestus narrowed her left eye.

"They're trying to use Hestia and the others as bait..."

She spoke meaningfully the name of her close friend, nodded, and said, "I understand."

"Act according to the guild's instructions, Tsubaki. You're in charge now."