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

I refused their request and decided to leave.

"Bullshit."

Friction was generated in the air.

"...!"

"I know only one person who possesses a weapon inscribed with sacred script."

It felt like an ice blade was pressed against my neck. My ankles were frozen too.

Even without looking, it was clear the human girl was startled. That's how powerful the intimidation was.

I can't turn back. I don't want to turn back.

"Please don't move."

My teeth are chattering. My breathing is shaky. My heart feels like it's going to burst out of my ribs.

The footsteps were getting closer. There hadn't been any distance between the two sides from the very beginning.

Since that's the case, there's no time to worry about anything else. All I can do is struggle wildly and try to escape.

I cheered on my almost broken knees and, taking advantage of the moment when the other person's foot was off the ground, I pushed off towards the side path.

"I have already warned you."

Just as I was about to turn the corner, an unusual impact struck my hand.

"babble!"

It's an apple.

The apple exploded.

The left hand holding the dagger was struck directly by the red fruit and shattered into pieces. The impact was immense.

"You'd better use your abdominal muscles."

“——”

The dagger fell from my hand, and at that moment I couldn't help but turn around.

The elf, with calm, sky-blue eyes and its legs pulled back wide, was looking down at him.

Oh, I see. You're treating me like a ball, huh? Stop joking.

That foot immediately kicked out, piercing my side abdomen just as predicted.

"Ooh!"

★

“What, what happened?”

Just as Bell was running rapidly across the Northwest Street in front of the guild headquarters.

A sharp sound, like a blow, came from the back alley.

To make sure that the lost Blade of Hestia hadn't fallen on the road, Bell ran back the way he came, but stopped when he heard a noise that was clearly not natural.

The surrounding demi-humans did the same thing as Bell—the next instant, a large group of cats suddenly rushed out from a side path.

Bernard's deep red (rubelite) eyes widened to their limit.

Meow—meow—! The horde of cats screamed and fled from something. Watching them dart past the feet of the crowd one after another, plunging the avenue into chaos, Bell, sweating profusely, approached the path alone.

He cautiously peered into the path, and suddenly, a small shadow fell with a loud thud at his feet.

"Lily, Lily?"

"Huff, huff..."

The unexpected appearance of a character shakes Bell, and he kneels down beside Lily.

"Hey, what's wrong?! What happened?!"

"That...that voice is...Lord Bell?"

Lily, whose small body trembled slightly, was barely able to stand on all fours like a newborn fawn. For a moment, she showed an anxious expression, but then she quickly put on a stiff smile.

"I was attacked by a vicious woman... no, by wild dogs..."

"Are you... alright?"

"fine……"

The cream-colored robe wasn't too dirty, but Lily seemed to be seriously injured. Bell picked her up and moved her to the side of the path entrance.

Not knowing if he had brought any elixirs, he hurriedly reached into his leg pouch...

"I can't believe he got away..."

A soft rustling sound of footsteps followed, and the elven Liu appeared from the alleyway.

"It's Ms. Ryu this time? W-what happened?!"

"Ah, that's perfect. It's like this, yours..."

Liu was speaking when she saw Lily sitting on the ground, unable to get up, and her eyes narrowed.

Lily trembled like a kitten, muttering to herself as she gently stroked her hooded head.

"Mr. Crannie, please move aside."

"Huh? What are you doing?!"

"ah!"

Ryu pushed Bell aside, reached for Lily's robe, and without hesitation tore off the hood.

Large eyes and messy chestnut hair were revealed. And those animal ears. Ryu stared intently at Lily, whose expression was contorted with fear. "Excuse me," she apologized, and quickly put her hoodie back on.

"W-What are you doing! Lily, are you alright?!"

"I...I'm fine..."

"Sorry, I mistook you for someone else. I guess I was a bit too hasty."

What was going on? The rapidly changing situation left Bell in a state of confusion. He supported Lily, who was sitting weakly on the ground, and turned his face from one side to the back alley, and then to Ryu.

Not long after, a pattering sound came from the alley, and Seele appeared, carrying paper bags in both hands.

"Ryu...Ryu! You can't eat food like that! Mom will scold you!"

"That wouldn't be good..."

"Um, is it alright if you can explain further now...?"

"Ah, Mr. Bell."

"Hello." Seeing Seele bow respectfully, Bell replied absentmindedly, "Ah, hello..." Ryu watched their conversation for a while, then bluntly asked Bell:

"Mr. Crannie, are you carrying that black dagger with you?"

"Oh, right! Did you guys see a dagger that was completely black from start to finish?"

Seeing that Bell seemed to have just remembered and was at a loss, Ryu and Seele exchanged a glance.

Ryu turned her gaze back to Bell, then took out a dull dagger from her bosom, which was missing its scabbard.

"Is this what you mean?"

"—Ughh ...

Bell's joyful shouts echoed through the twilight sky.

The astonishingly loud volume caused the shoulders of the girls, who were of different races, to jolt violently.

Even the usually calm and composed Liu widened her sky-blue eyes.

"Thank you! Really, really, thank you so much!"

"...Mr. Craney, um, this is really troubling me. This kind of thing shouldn't be done to me, it should be done to Seele..."

"Ryu, what are you saying?!"

Belle almost burst into tears of joy, tightly embracing Liu's smooth, fair hands with her own. The sudden, childlike, tearful face that seemed to be closing in made her unusually flustered, and she quickly looked away.

Hearing Seele's scream, Bell wiped his face hard and caught the black dagger.

"Ah, that's great... I'm so sorry, God, I'll never lose it again..."

"Lost it...?"

After Bell raised the dagger to his forehead and swore an oath, the piece of trash seemed to regain its good mood and began to emit a bluish-purple glow.

An ordinary rod-shaped iron block transformed back into the Blade of Hestia.

Lily's big eyes widened even more immediately.

"I'm so sorry. Where did you drop this dagger?"

"Actually, it wasn't that it fell somewhere, but rather that a member of the Palum tribe was holding it."

"Parum?"

Bell's eyes widened upon hearing Ryu's answer.

The orc girl behind him had a nervous expression on her face beneath her hoodie.

"Were you just...?"

"Yes, I was chasing after that Palum, but he got away... and then I became suspicious of the girl who was staying here. I'm sorry, I was too rash."

"What you mean by 'reckless' is...?"

"Yes. She seems to be a dog-person. And the Palum I'm chasing is a man."

After hearing what she said, Bell finally understood what had happened. As for Lily, she relaxed all her strength and secretly showed a relieved expression to herself.

Do you know any men from the Palum tribe? Have you ever seen anyone like them?

"No, no..."

"So, it must have been that you dropped it and that Palum found it. Luckily, I saw your dagger in the back alley yesterday. Because this dagger is very unique, I recognized it after just a quick look."

"Ah, so that's how it is."

Lily appeared restless throughout Bell and Ryu's conversation.

Seele watched her quietly through the paper bags she was holding in her arms.

Soon after, Ryu and her companions parted ways because they needed to buy more things and return to the shop. Bell thanked them again, and Ryu nodded in return with an unchanged expression, while Seele smiled wryly and said that she hadn't done anything.

So Bell made way for them to return to the back alley, just as they were about to leave.

Seele slowly brought her lips close to Lily's ear.

"—Don't be too naughty, okay?"

"!"

Lily's skin immediately broke out in goosebumps.

Startled, her petite body trembled pitifully.

Seele stood up nonchalantly and walked into the path with Ryu, who looked surprised.

"Lily, what did Miss Seele just say to you?"

"N-nothing... Um, Lord Bell?"

"What's up?"

"Who exactly are they?"

"They're the bartenders. The bar's called 'The Abundant Mistress.' It seems to be quite famous, Lily, have you heard of it?"

"...Lord Bell."

"Um?"

"Please, please don't take Lily to that store..."

To Lily, whose face was half-crying and half-smiling, Bell could only reply, "Huh, ah, um...?" Seeing the girl's unsettled state, he silently broke out in a sweat.

As the sun set and the chaos on the street gradually subsided, Belle and Lily shared a wonderful space for quite some time.