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

That evening, just like before, Eina had Bell accompany her on her journey home.

It was quite late, and Bell had taken a little longer to explore the dungeon before returning. He told Eina about what had happened in the dungeon that day, and Eina smiled and responded.

Since working with Bell, we haven't seen any suspicious figures. Bell said he can still feel their presence, so they're probably observing the situation.

(This can't go on forever... we need to think of a solution.)

Eina didn't want to tie Bell down for her sake; this relationship had to be temporary. Eina thought to herself as she spoke to Bell.

(...What do I think of Bell?)

Unwittingly, Eina also found herself reluctant to end the current moment, and asked herself in confusion. She recalled what had happened with Missia that morning and examined her own heart.

For Eina, Bell... is like a younger brother; that's the most fitting description.

That's all; there shouldn't be any room for romantic relationships to interfere.

My ideal type is... yes, like Bell.

Thinking of this, Eina lowered her head, her face flushing red inappropriately.

She cursed herself, calling herself an idiot, for her seemingly endless, time-looping thoughts.

Bell was startled to see the half-elf digging his own grave and blushing red.

"Miss Eina, we've arrived?"

"...! Thank you, Bell."

Before long, the two arrived at the guild's residential compound.

Eina lifted her flushed face and hurriedly thanked him, only then noticing Bell's exhaustion.

Of course, he accompanied me home every day after exploring the maze for several days in a row.

"Well then, Miss Eina, I'm going back now."

Bell delivered himself safely home and was about to leave.

Eina, partly out of guilt, had already said those words by the time she noticed:

"...Bell, would you like to come in and have a seat?"

"what?"

Eina was startled as soon as she said it.

But seeing the boy's weary face, she followed her heart and continued:

"Um, I always make you keep me company... Shall I buy you a cup of tea?"

Eina tried hard not to be nervous as she told Bell this, feeling even her long, thin ears turn red.

Bell was taken aback for a moment, but perhaps sensing her feelings, he lowered his eyebrows and politely declined with a smile.

"Thank you, Miss Eina. But it's alright, the gods are still waiting for me at headquarters."

Bell said "Goodnight," and this time he really turned around.

That white-haired head gradually disappeared from Eina's sight.

"……Hate!"

Without realizing it, Eina muttered a dissatisfied remark.

But she immediately smiled again, gazing at the retreating figure.

After watching Bell's figure disappear from sight, Eina returned to her residence.

*

Then the next day.

It has been four days since I hired Bell as my bodyguard.

The situation has changed.

"Be, Belle, what's wrong? You're sweating so much..."

"His gaze... there was a murderous intent in it..."

In the evening, the two met as usual at the back gate of the guild headquarters as they walked down the street.

Bell looked around frequently, making sure he was aware of his surroundings.

"Are you... sure?"

"I'm sure... but it's not targeting us, it's only targeting me."

Perhaps the oppressive feeling was too heavy, because Bell made no attempt to hide his fear.

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Eina carefully looked around and whispered to Bell:

"Bell, let's take that small path over there."

"what?"

"We need to lure them to a secluded place; I think they'll definitely catch up."

The fact that the other party is exuding murderous intent probably means that he has reached his limit.

Given their current state, they'll likely relentlessly pursue Eina and the others, especially to places where no one can see them.

At the same time, if they bump into each other, a fight is very likely to break out.

Bell understood what Eina wanted to say, and after considering the risks, decided to fulfill his duty as a bodyguard and nodded in agreement.

The two slipped through the crowd and entered a side path. After walking along the path for a while, they lay in ambush in the shadows.

Soon, rough footsteps sounded. Eina clung tightly to Bell, listening to his pounding heartbeat, desperately holding her breath.

Just as the black-clad figures passed through their hiding place and entered the dead-end alley ahead, Bell dashed out in one breath.

"Huh—Mr. Dorumur!?"

Eina, who followed behind, cried out in surprise upon seeing the figure confronting Bell.

The dwarf youth, dressed in a tight-fitting hooded robe, stared at Bell with a flushed face, seemingly oblivious to Eina.

"You, you brat! What are you up to by bringing Eina to a place like this?!"

Dorumur roared and picked up the warhammer he was carrying on his back.

Before Bell could even speak, the other party attacked without warning.

"Bell! Mr. Dorumur! Wait a minute—!?"

Eina's attempts to stop him were silenced by Dorumur's raised and lowered hammer.

A deafening crash shattered the cobblestones, sending stone fragments flying everywhere. Bell seemed to realize there was no room for leniency in dealing with this man, and he also armed himself with two daggers.

He swiftly turned over and stood up to fight.

"White-haired, red-eyed human... I know, you're the [Rookie Star], right!"

"!"

"However, you can't beat me!"

Dorumur easily blocked Bell's attack with his warhammer, then raised the corner of his mouth and pushed him back.

The horizontal swing of the hammer forced Bell to retreat, his strong, muscular arm wielding the massive weapon, launching a fierce attack like a miniature tornado.

"This is bad," Eina thought.

Although both Bell and Dorumur are Level 2 adventurers, Dorumur reached Level 3 three years ago, having honed his skills through hard work, making him a seasoned adventurer. In terms of combat experience, Dorumur has a significant advantage.

She anticipated that Bell would be in danger, but that prediction quickly proved wrong.

“——!!”

"What!?"

Cornered against the wall with no way out, Bell countered the hammer's fatal blow with his black dagger. The blade, tracing a blue-purple trajectory in the air, struck the hammer from the side, knocking it to the ground.

While Dorumur was still in shock, Bell accelerated his movements in one go.

(Wow, so fast!?)

Eina was also speechless.

She couldn't keep up with Bell's movements. He moved like a rabbit, darting through the space surrounded by walls on three sides, attacking from the side or behind his opponent's blind spots. Dorumur barely managed to block one blow before Bell instantly vanished from his original position, once again moving around in a dizzying display.

To Eina's surprise, Bell's movements were quite impressive.

Compared to the masterful martial arts of Dorumur, Bell's agility is in no way inferior. Not only are his abilities maximized, but his movements also qualify him as a capable adventurer, suggesting he may have been trained by a master.

Even when he was nearly caught and brought to a stop, Bale still managed to put up a fierce hand-to-hand combat battle with his opponent, relying on his physical skills and martial arts prowess.

That reminded Eina of the War Game, where the White Rabbit fought against Hyacinthus, a stronger opponent than herself, and still put on a spectacular, giant-killing battle—sharp "skills" and "tactics" as sharp as swords.

From Eina's perspective, she knew that the person who taught the boy about combat was an immense being.

"Don't, don't move around like that!?"

Dorumur was losing his composure and could no longer catch up with Bel. By the time he swung his warhammer, the Bel soldiers had vanished, and he was being attacked more and more frequently.

The white rabbit's hit-and-run tactics disrupted Dorumur's movements, allowing it to manipulate him at will.

In terms of "agility and speed," the young man is far superior.

For dwarves who pride themselves on brute force, the fastest white rabbit, Bell, is far too difficult to deal with.

"This kid!? Let's see how you dodge that!"

Impatient, Dorumur reached behind his back and equipped himself with another giant hammer.

—The "Demon Sword"!?

Eina immediately recognized the origin of the weapon, which was painted yellow and overly decorated.

It was a rare and powerful weapon, capable of instantly activating magical effects. If detonated in this confined space, Dorumur was right; it would be a guaranteed hit.

Eina stopped breathing for a moment, just as she was about to run forward.

Bel opened his eyes wide and launched a frontal assault on Dorumur.

(Bell!?)

It took Eina a while to realize that Bell was using her as a target to prevent Eina from being affected by the aftershocks of the "Demon Sword".

As the boy charged towards him from the front, Dorumur raised the corners of his mouth and held the hammer-shaped "magic sword" high above his head.

He slammed down on his opponent, Bale, who was speeding along the ground, with all his might.

"Take this! Aaaaaaah!!"

"--call!"

Facing the approaching giant hammer, Bell swung his crimson dagger to the ground with his left hand.

A vivid, intense crimson arc extended and beautifully severed the handle just below the hammer, directly below the point of impact that had generated electricity.

“——”

The heavy iron block was slashed and sent flying into the air.

The giant hammer, now headless, was swung empty-handed with only its handle remaining, failing to unleash its full power.

Bell and Dorumur passed each other, and Bell quickly returned to the surprised Eina, shielding her with his back.

Dorumur, whose "demon sword" attack was neutralized, froze for a moment.

He then immediately turned around, raised his warhammer, and confronted Bell directly.

"It's not over yet!?"

however.

The giant hammer's head, which had been flying through the air, plummeted straight down towards him.

Ah. Eina and Bell stared wide-eyed as the heavy object crashed down on Dorumur's head.

"—Gua ...

Accompanied by a piercing scream, an astonishing burst of lightning erupted.

The lightning-attribute "magic sword" unleashed its power, trapping Dorumur in an electric vortex.