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

"No need for that!"

The idea of ​​lying on someone's lap made me act like a child, throwing a tantrum. My cheeks flushed red, I closed my eyes, and flatly refused. Seeing me like this, Miss Seele couldn't help but laugh.

"Mr. Craney, Ms. Seele, you must be tired. Leave the rest to me and take a rest."

The door opened quietly, and Ms. Maria entered the bedroom.

We humbly accepted her offer and entrusted the children to her care. "Thank you both for playing with them," she said, bowing her head in thanks. We smiled back and left the room.

"Mr. Bell, would you like to take a walk around?"

Having received Miss Seele's invitation, I had no reason to object, so I obediently nodded.

She led me through the vast orphanage to the backyard of the church.

"There's a vegetable garden..."

"I heard that Ms. Maria grows vegetables with the children."

Behind the building is a well and a small vegetable garden. Because of the sunlight, the vegetables don't look to be growing very well, but they have been carefully cultivated, showing the meticulous care that Ms. Maria and her family have taken for them.

Looking up, you can see the blue sky of the maze-like street, cut into layers of overlapping buildings.

"Miss Seele...how did you meet Ms. Maria and the others?"

"It was by chance that one day I strolled into Daedalus Road..."

The church's backyard connects directly to the wide road of the maze street.

It retains the chaotic nature of a maze-like street, with staircases extending up and down everywhere. At the same time, the landscape here also resembles ruins, with several slightly dilapidated buildings around it.

Perhaps it was because I could see the clear blue sky, but I didn't feel depressed at all. Apart from Miss Seele and me, there seemed to be no one around, and time seemed to pass very slowly, even peacefully and calmly.

We walked along the quiet ruins, overlooked by towering, crooked multi-family housing complexes.

"Actually... I also grew up in a slum."

"!"

"I don't have parents...maybe that's why I can't bear to leave those orphans."

I turned to Miss Seele, whose profile was turned forward, smiling with her eyes narrowed.

Miss Seele was also an orphan who grew up in the slums.

When I first learned of her secret, I was stunned.

Ignoring my reaction, Miss Seele said that her reason for visiting Daedalus Road was similar to that of Ms. Maria.

After learning about the orphanage, she took the initiative to go there and interact with the children.

(parents……)

I have never met my parents.

I only heard that they both died after giving birth to me.

I think I may never have felt lonely, because I had my foster parents... that cheerful grandfather who kept me company and made my heart feel full.

But... I think I still kind of want to see them, and I kind of want to act cute with my parents.

Just like the orphans who were not lonely and isolated because of the help of Ms. Maria and Miss Seele.

"However, I—actually didn't want Mr. Bell to know, you know?"

"what?"

Looking up, Miss Seele walked briskly up a few steps by the roadside and down to a group of abandoned houses on the side.

She didn't walk on the road, deliberately moving forward through the sea of ​​ruins. "It's dangerous!!" I called out to her, but she skipped along, the hem of her dress billowing and dancing in the air. I gave up and jumped onto the abandoned building to chase after her.

"What do you mean by not wanting me to know?"

"Today, I was busy making bento boxes and playing with the children... I felt so embarrassed."

When I caught up with her from behind and tried to talk to her, Miss Seele didn't turn around, answering me with her slender back.

I was tripped up by the collapsed rubble and protruding stones, making my way through the sea of ​​ruins with some difficulty.

"I wouldn't think that way..."

"I'm just shy... I've never been like this before."

Upon hearing the last murmured sentence, I was about to ask, "Huh?"

"ah!?"

Miss Seele tripped over the ruins of the sea and was about to fall forward.

So didn't I already say that?! I quickly pushed off with my foot.

I sped up and in the blink of an eye grabbed Miss Seele's wrist, pulling her close to me.

"..."

"..."

Then, before I could even breathe a sigh of relief...

Miss Seele nestled against my chest, our eyes meeting, a breath's distance apart.

My crimson eyes and flushed face were reflected in my clear, ethereal pale gray eyes.

Just as the close proximity caused my blood to rush to my head and my face to turn bright red, Miss Seele's face also flushed.

Unlike what I saw in the church, she looked a little flustered and at a loss, like her most genuine expression.

"That...that wasn't acting, was it?"

"Is that even a question?!"

What is this person saying?!

If she uses her acting skills to trip me up, I can't handle it!

"How embarrassing..."

She moved away from me and covered her flushed face with her hands.

Seeing Miss Seele's appearance, I finally realized what was going on.

The fact that she deliberately chose to walk through ruins, and that she just lay on my lap, is probably just her way of hiding her embarrassment.

She was filled with shame and had to pretend or make jokes to bear it.

"..."

I had assumed she was older than me, but seeing her girlish behavior now, I couldn't help but find it unbelievable.

My initial impression of her was that she was shrewd and a bit difficult to deal with, but she was also polite and well-mannered.

Now that I've seen so many new sides of her, my impression of her has changed again.

It even made my heart beat a little faster.

Her innocent and adorable shy appearance made me blush too.

"...Perhaps it's not bad."

"what?"

We stood face to face in silence amidst the sea of ​​ruins. After a while, Miss Seele, who had been looking down, raised her face.

With her cheeks flushed a light pink, she smiled innocently.

"I think it might be a good thing that you were able to find me."

—Because of this, I have a sweet memory.

Miss Seele didn't hesitate to utter these slightly shy lines.

This time, it was I who blushed with embarrassment, while she covered her lips with her hand and laughed heartily.

Under the gaze of the beautiful blue sky, I could only move my mouth incoherently.

"—?"

Suddenly.

I felt a gaze upon me.

I'm still the same as always, becoming more and more sensitive because I'm often being watched by someone, and reacting by turning around to look in that direction.

Located on the upper floors of a tower-like mixed-use residential building.

A young cat-man with black and gray fur stood on a prominent foothold.

(That person... I feel like I've seen them somewhere before...)

The small orc figure triggered memories.

My mind tells me that, though I'm not sure when or where, I have indeed seen him.

"Mr. Bell?"

"!"

Miss Seele called out to me, who was looking up at me from behind.

"What's wrong?" She tilted her head, and I looked back at her, only to see that the cat-man youth had vanished into thin air.

"Is anyone there?"

"Ah, yes... it seems so."

I vaguely said that I looked up again at the spot where the young man had just stood.

It was like a daydream; there were only buildings gleaming in the sunlight.

*

As dusk approaches.

We returned to "Maria's Orphanage" and were immediately attacked by the lucid children.

"Where have you two been?!" Fina and the others pressed us for an answer. As we were trying to evade the question, Ms. Maria said, "Would you like to have dinner in the yard tonight?" and invited us to dine.

Although I was a little afraid of worrying the gods... due to the children's eagerness and Miss Seele's pleas, I decided to ask them to let me have dinner early and then head back to headquarters.

I never expected that I would have the opportunity to interact with this warm and welcoming orphanage during my day off.

Seeing the children's happy faces, I smiled wryly, having nothing to do before dinner was ready.

"...Eh."

"?"

While Ms. Maria and the little girls were busy cooking in the kitchen, someone tugged at me from behind a few times.

Looking back, I saw the half-elf Xiaolu staring blankly at me, clutching the hem of my clothes.

"What's wrong?"

"this……"

I bent down, and Xiao Lu handed me the metal block... a gold coin, which was in his hand.

"Hey! Xiaolu..."

"Do we really need to ask him for help?"

"You both said you cared a lot..."

Noticing our conversation, Lai and Fina rushed over.

Xiaolu's flat tone left both the human boy and the orc girl speechless, and then she turned her gaze back to me.

"Uh, what is this...?"

"Our secret stash of money..."

Private, personal savings...

He handed me three small gold coins—three fabulous—which made me break out in a sweat.

"This is... the reward... I'm sorry, it's so little."

Just as these words were beginning to surprise me, the androgynous half-elf child said to me: