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

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"good……"

Having bought new gear, Bear Grylls stood in front of the full-length mirror to check his appearance.

The steel-colored lightweight armor I bought yesterday matches the black shirt and trousers I'm wearing underneath perfectly. The armor itself is almost weightless and doesn't hinder my movements at all.

On his left arm, he wore a protective garment that emitted an emerald-green glow.

Bell smiled as he gently stroked the surface of the emerald-colored armor that Eina had given him.

"God, I'm off now!"

"Hmm—, take care—..."

Bell gave a wry smile to his weary god, who had sunk into bed, and headed towards the entrance. He had given up trying to persuade the god to quit his job.

He took one last look in the full-length mirror. His equipment had completely changed; it was no longer just makeshift supplies. Now he finally looked like an adventurer, Bell thought with a touch of pride.

Fully equipped with a short sword and Hestia's Blade tucked into her waistband, she set off from a hidden room in the church.

(The weather is so nice...)

As soon as I stepped out of the church, I was greeted by a clear, cloudless sky.

"Some good things should happen today," Bell thought, a smile spreading across his face as the blue sky brought a smile to his lips.

We took a side path to the main street and then headed to the central square.

Following the crowd of adventurers, Bell arrived at the Tower of Babel.

(Today too...)

"Keep up the good work," Bell muttered to himself as he thought of the blonde, golden-eyed girl.

"Big brother, big brother. Big brother with white hair."

A voice, seemingly calling to itself, interrupted his actions.

"what?"

Bell turned to look in the direction from which the sound came. However, among the adventurers passing by him, he couldn't find the person who had made the sound.

"Big brother, down below, I'm down below."

Following the girl's melodious voice, I looked down and saw it.

She was about 100 cm tall. She wore a loose, cream-colored robe, with chestnut-brown bangs peeking out from under the low-brimmed hood. On her back was a backpack that was one or two sizes larger than her petite frame... no, even larger, which was quite startling to look at.

Bell felt a strong sense of déjà vu; memories of yesterday in the alley were awakened, and his eyes widened.

“You, you are…”

"Nice to meet you, sir. Excuse my intrusion, but do you need any help?"

Interrupting Bell's voice, the girl pointed behind Bell with her baby-like index finger.

She was pointing to Bell's backpack.

Anyone who sees a lone adventurer carrying a backpack can easily guess what that person is thinking.

That is, "If only there were a supporter."

Therefore, she asked Bell with almost certainty: Do you need a supporter?

"Huh... Huh?"

"A bit confusing? But the situation isn't hard to understand. It's just that a poor supporter who wants to share some of the profits with the adventurer has come to your door to sell his services."

Compared to Belle's wide-eyed expression, the girl smiled as sweetly as the sun.

"I...I wasn't talking about that...Are you the one from yesterday...?"

"...? Big brother, have you ever seen Lily? Lily doesn't remember me."

Seeing the girl adorably tilt her head to one side, Belle almost tilted her head too.

Adventurers were annoyed by the two people blocking their way from all directions.

"strangeness?"

"So, brother, what do you think? Do you need any backup?"

"Um... if it were possible, I'd really like it...?"

"Really! Then, would you like to bring Lily along, big brother?"

The girl jumped and skipped innocently, her round eyes, hidden beneath her hoodie and bangs, peeking out.

His large eyes were fixed on the dagger tucked into Bell's waist.

"Uh, yes, that's fine, but...?"

"Oh, you're asking about Lily's name, aren't you? My apologies, Lily hasn't introduced herself yet."

The girl took a step back, a happy smile appearing on her face.

"Lily's name is Lilyluka Erd. What's your older brother's name?"

The girl looked up at Bell's eyes, which emitted a slightly eerie glow.

Volume Two, Chapter Two: "The Hidden Story of the Supporters"

"So, you're not a supporter of the Free Familia..."

"Yes, Lily has joined a [Familia]."

This is a simple dining room on the second floor of the Tower of Babel. Before noon, when most adventurers had gone to the dungeon, I was talking to a little girl across the table in this spacious, sparsely populated area.

This is to carefully examine what this girl, who calls herself Lilyluka Erd, has proposed.

What is the name of the [Family]?

"It's the Soma Familia, big brother. Lily thinks this faction is quite well-known."

She approached me as a supporter, hoping to explore the labyrinth with me, saying that she had broken her contract with the party she had previously been with. Having no other options, she had been traveling between the guild and the Tower of Babel every day in order to find a new contract partner, and today she finally found me.

A true solo adventurer, with neither teammates nor supporters.

Seeing that the opportunity was too good to pass up, she rushed forward without hesitation, she said.

Indeed, I've wanted a supporter for a long time... but I'm not naive enough to agree to her request immediately.

I stole a glance, observing the girl in front of me. She was somewhat thin, and her thin lips always held a smile beneath her low-cut hoodie. Among her cute, delicate features, the lines of her nose were beautiful, and combined with her overall appearance, she inevitably gave me the impression of a "pretty young adult."

I don't want to doubt such a seemingly innocent child, but I also can't accept their request just by meeting them. Let's consider it from a common-sense perspective.

There's something else that's bothering me, so I want to find out what kind of person she is by asking her questions first.

"Why did you choose someone from a different [Family]? It's not good to get involved with members of other [Family]... Why don't you team up with your fellow [Family] members?"

"Hehe, it's because Lily is so small and weak. She can't do anything right, and everyone in the Familia is fed up with her. They all think she's in the way. Even if Lily begs, they won't let her join."

I was taken aback when she casually admitted that she was being ostracized.

"Lily is useless and too embarrassed to stay at the Familia's headquarters. It's too awkward there, so she's currently spending the nights at various cheap hotels."

There's nowhere to sleep or even a place to stay at headquarters... Is this right?

Her statement truly shocked me. She actually treated her own people as outsiders within the [Family].

For me, the "family" is like a clan.

Although the Hestia Familia currently consists only of myself and the deity, there is a genuine bond between us. This is not merely seeking temporary solace, but rather a deep connection to a warm place that can be called family. Even if more people join in the future, this will not change.

A relationship built on shared joys and sorrows. This is what a true "family" should be like.

But this child's "family" doesn't treat his family members seriously?

I felt slightly dizzy. Although I knew I shouldn't trust strangers, this feeling was like the entire world I knew had been overturned, which made me waver.

"Lily's money is starting to run out for her current inn. So, please, please, please! Lily really wants to go to the dungeon with her older brother!"

"Uh, this..."

"Ah, if you're worried about the Familia, there won't be any problems. Lily's main god, Soma, never cares about the affairs of other gods, let alone their enemies. As long as the main god on my brother's side doesn't see Soma as a thorn in his side, Lily believes that it's impossible for the two Familias to have a conflict."

Seeing my hesitant expression, Miss Lily Luca probably misunderstood and immediately added further explanation.

...Although there are many things I can't accept, let's not think about them for now.

Feeling a bit panicked, I decided to bring my attention back to my original purpose.

"I understand Ms. Lily Luca's situation now, but... could I confirm one last thing?"

"Yes, please speak."

"Have we really never met?"

The girl I met in the back alley yesterday, wasn't that Miss Lilyluka?

That's what I'm concerned about. Although I haven't carefully checked her appearance and voice, the child and she look remarkably alike at first glance. It only happened yesterday; I couldn't possibly be mistaken.

"Lily should be meeting your older brother for the first time... Are you sure you haven't mistaken him for someone else?"

"...If you don't mind, could you take off that hoodie?"

Once you can see the face hidden under the pulled-down hoodie, it's crystal clear. I couldn't be sure they were the same person because the child only showed half her face.

Upon hearing my request, Miss Lily Luca visibly wavered, swaying uncomfortably from side to side before whispering, "I understand..." Her small hands gripped the hoodie.

“…Huh?”

"Is this...is this okay?"

What caught my eye was a pair of adorable animal ears swaying above my head.

I stood there, mouth agape, frozen in place.

"...Beastman?"

"Yes, yes, Lily is a dog-person."

I stood there for a few seconds, then suddenly stood up and leaned over the table.

Perhaps sensing my gaze, Miss Lily Luca, sitting in the chair, seemed to shift her body shyly, and her tail, hidden beneath her robe, suddenly appeared. The chestnut-colored tail swayed gently from side to side.

No, not Palum... but a little orc girl?

……No way.

Before I could even react, I unconsciously raised my hand and stretched my fingers toward Miss Lilyluka's ears. I didn't notice that Miss Lilyluka's shoulder twitched, and I grabbed the animal ears tightly.

"Uh-huh……"

The touch of my fingers enveloping her was warm and smooth. Soft and fluffy.

Every time I moved my hand, Miss Lily Luca would blush and twist her body.

……it is true.

From the soft fur and the muscles beneath the skin to the slightly damp, pink-dyed inside of the ears, none of it is artificial. These are genuine animal ears.

(No, it's not that child...)

There's no mistake. No matter how similar their appearances are, their races are different, and there's no more definitive evidence to confirm it.

The slightest commonality vanished into thin air, and I gave up my suspicions.

"Aww... Um, big brother..."

"—! I'm sorry!"

Hearing the almost inaudible sound, I remembered my posture and quickly jumped away from her.

The orc girl pressed her two ears, which I had been messing with for so long, onto her head with both hands, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she looked up at me with a mischievous smile.

"Lily's precious ears were violated by a man like this... You have to take responsibility!"

...I have nothing to say.

In the blink of an eye, my face turned bright red with shame, and I kept apologizing for a while.

"...Why...why did you hide your race...?"

"Because Lily's fur is so loose and messy, it looks awful, so she doesn't really want anyone to see it..."

After apologizing for a long time, I asked tentatively, and Miss Lily Luca shyly put her hoodie back on.