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

◇

the next day.

Lily and I headed to the dungeon early in the morning. The ceiling emitted a phosphorescent light, similar to the magic stone lamps that were common on the ground, looking down at us. We stood firmly on the solid mud ground of the first level.

As a result, I decided to hire Lily as a supporter.

This is a decision I made after carefully considering many points and honestly facing my own feelings. The gods have granted it, and since things have come to this point, there's nothing more to hesitate about.

Lily and I didn't set a specific time limit; we formed a contract as teammates, and that's the current situation.

"...Lord Bell?"

"Um?"

"Where did you put that dagger...?"

"Well, to avoid losing it again this time, I put the scabbard inside the protective gear as well. Luckily, there's a storage space inside."

“I-I see…”

Seeing Lily looking dejected, I was completely puzzled.

I've noticed Lily seems listless lately. She was smiling, but it sounded forced. What's wrong with her?

"...Lord Bell, thank you again for hiring Lily. Lily will do her best to ensure that Lord Bell does not abandon her."

"What sacrifice? I would never do such a thing. Besides Lily, I can't find any other supporters."

"That's great news... Just kidding, Lily doesn't think Lord Bell would do such a thing either. Lord Bell is such a kind-hearted person, it even surprised Lily."

It's still so hard to get used to this sense of distance.

Although Lily spoke more intimately, her talk of being kind-hearted made me unbearably itchy all over.

"Lord Bell, may I ask about your plans for today?"

"Um, I'm planning to go to the 7th floor today too, and stay there until evening. Lily, are you sure you can manage?"

"Since Lord Bell has made this decision, Lily will comply. But is it really a good idea? As you can see, Lily is a support character and won't contribute much to the fighting force. Will Lord Bell have to fight all by himself?"

"That's no problem. I've always fought on my own, and today the gods also helped me update my accumulated [ability values]."

Exploring the maze alone every day is not without its rewards.

Because I've been fighting alone until now, I've become accustomed to long battles. Plus, with Miss Eina's intensive guidance, the ability to manage and adjust my stamina is one of the few skills I'm truly proud of.

Most importantly, the gods personally updated and strengthened my [ability stats] last night, so there's no way I can lose to the monsters on that floor. Honestly, I really want to test my strength right now; I can't wait to go.

My [ability stats] are still growing at the same rate as before. I'm probably in my best condition right now.

...However, seeing such a high increase in her [ability stats], for some reason, Shenxian's mood plummeted...What's wrong with her?

"I think it'll be a burden for Lily more than for me. If the dropped items keep appearing, her luggage will get really heavy..."

I glanced at Lily beside me. Her small body barely reached my waist. She was struggling to carry such a large bag of luggage up and down the dungeon, looking quite tired.

"Don't worry, Lord Bell. Lily also receives 'God's grace.' She won't collapse from carrying a little more luggage."

She must be right... but there's still something about it.

Lily's backpack is larger than the standard size, so the dropped items haven't been retrieved yet, making the whole scene look amazing.

"Besides, Lily has some skill bonuses, so she definitely won't get in the way during the moving work."

"Hey! Lily, you've learned a skill!"

Wow, that's amazing! I'm so envious! I exclaimed without hiding my feelings at all.

Seeing my surprise, Lily shook her head with a wry smile.

"It's just a lousy skill that's better than nothing. It's not the 'favor' Lord Bell is thinking of, is it?"

"That's great too. I don't even have a single skill yet..."

I've heard that "skills" are different from "magic"—they don't have slot limitations. As long as you have enough experience points, you can learn an unlimited number. I've even heard that some adventurers possess five or more skills! Even if Lily says a skill is useless, as long as it doesn't have a negative effect, learning it is never a bad thing.

"I'm so envious. Skills and magic aren't easy to acquire, are they? I haven't learned magic yet... Ah, has Lily learned magic?"

"...It's a pity that Lily didn't learn magic either. I've heard that many people never have the chance to witness their own magic in their lifetime, and Lily was probably no exception."

Just as she said. Even if "God's grace" makes it possible for all living beings to learn magic, it is at most a possibility, and it is said that many people will not receive this blessing of possibility.

I've been obsessed with reading biographies of heroes since I was a child, and I don't know how many times I've fantasized about what it would be like to use magic. I really hope that such a terrible thing doesn't happen... As I was trembling with my shoulders because of my disgusting thoughts, Lily reminded me of something.

Unless they are members of the same [Family], it is strictly forbidden to delve into the details of [Ability Stats] as it is against etiquette. This applies even to those with whom a contract has been formed.

Upon closer examination, this makes perfect sense. An individual's "ability stats" are essentially their lifeline.

After hearing what she said, I began to seriously reflect on my foolish remarks.

"Also, are you sure we don't need to pay a contract fee or deposit?"

While searching for the scent of monsters along the way, I asked Lily about the contents of the contract again.

Lily told me this during the informal contract ceremony in the Tower of Babel. She said the reward would be a share of the dungeon exploration revenue.

I'm the employer. This is a bit embarrassing...

"Yes, it's alright. Anyway, Lord Bell didn't team up with anyone else, so there won't be any disputes when distributing the income. ...Besides..."

Besides? After I repeated it.

Lily's cheerful demeanor changed... and a gloomy look did indeed emerge from beneath her bangs.

"...Besides, wouldn't this be more convenient for Lord Bell?"

"what?"

The words had a hidden meaning, and the look in his eyes revealed a hint of mockery and self-deprecation.

I didn't understand why Lily was looking at me like that, and I panicked.

In less than a second, Lily smiled as if nothing had happened, radiating her usual cheerful aura.

"Let's go. As long as Lord Bell tries to increase Lily's food allowance, there won't be any problems!"

"Uh, um..."

It's more convenient for me...?

Does that mean I'm happy not to pay Lily?

Or is there another meaning?

I don't understand. I don't understand what Lily is trying to say.

I am not her, and I have no idea what that child was thinking or what she was hiding.

just.

—You're no different from any other adventurer.

I felt like Lily's look was saying that to me.

●

"Eina, Eina."

"Um?"

At the guild headquarters window, Eina was doing her work when her colleague, who also worked at the service window, called out to her.

"What is it?" Eina asked with her eyes, and Eina pointed in a certain direction, saying, "Look, look."

Following the direction she pointed... I saw a guild employee arguing fiercely with an adventurer in front of the money exchange.

"Look, here they come again. More adventurers from the Soma Familia."

"..."

Eina frowned as if by reflex.

You don't even need to listen closely; a harsh roar will automatically come through.

"Only twelve thousand falies! Are you kidding me? Are you blind?!"

"You bastard, do you think I've been making a living this way for years? My eyes can't be wrong!"

It was clear they were arguing about what they were exchanging for money.

This scene isn't unusual. Adventurers risk their lives every day to enter dungeons. They arrive at the exchange with varying degrees of expectation, and if the transaction amount is lower than anticipated, they're bound to complain loudly, saying it's a terrible deal.

The guild was used to handling these kinds of problems, so the appraisers sitting calmly at the money exchange were all incredibly bold. Right now, they were shouting at the top of their lungs, their voices rivaling those of adventurers.

Yes, this scene is quite common.

"Did you include dropped items in the count?! Hey, check again! Look, it can't be this little, it can't be this little...!"

However, if the problem is caused by the Soma Familia again, this commonplace scene will become an excessively abnormal phenomenon.

The members of the Soma Familia have nitpicked countless times over their assessments of the money exchange, to the point that they've lost count. For several days in a row, it's been the same old story. This recurring farce has thoroughly annoyed the appraisers.

Their unanimous response was, "Give me more money," nothing more.

An unusual obsession with money.

Their pursuit of big money is chilling.

"Ugh—, look at those eyes, wide open like they're about to burst, it's really unsettling! Luckily, I'm not in charge of the Soma Familia."

"..."

Hearing her human friend speak so recklessly, Eina put on a stern face.

Eina herself did not serve as an advisor to the adventurers of the Soma Familia, but recently this issue has become more or less unrelated to her.

"Damn it, so little... only this little bit...!"

Watching the adventurer who had started to cover his head with his hands from afar, Eina herself also put her hands on her forehead to endure the headache.

(Maybe I was too impulsive...)

◇

With Lily's support, the situation changed dramatically.

First, since she carries the backpack, I don't need to run down to the surface to exchange my loot for money every time, which allows me to stay in the dungeon longer than usual.

Previously, whenever we explored deeper floors, the increased travel distance from the exchange to the dungeon (meaning less time could be spent in the dungeon) meant that even reaching more floors didn't significantly increase our income. It was all a waste of time.

And this problem has been beautifully solved today.

Thanks to Lily, I didn't need the heavy burden of the equipment backpack, and I could wreak havoc on the 7th floor with ease. I don't even remember how many monsters I hunted.

As soon as the enemy appeared, I brandished my dagger, while Lily quickly collected the magic stones and the occasional dropped items.

result.

The amount received from exchanging money at the guild was—

“…”

Lily and I pressed our foreheads together, peering into the contents of the open linen bag.

The view from the wide-open bag was... gold coins, gold coins, gold coins, gold coins.

Countless gold coins of various sizes were stuffed into the bag, leaving no room for anything else.

So dazzling.

"Twenty-six thousand falies..."

The two looked up at each other from the bag, staring at each other at very close range.

The next moment.

""yeah--!""

We jumped up with joy!

"Wow, that's amazing! Not many items dropped, yet Lord Bell earned over 25,000 Fali all by himself!"

"Wow, wow, wow! This can't be a dream, it has to be real! To earn so much money in just one day... It's all thanks to Lily!"

Long live the supporters!

"You can't say things like that, Lord Bell. Although the type of monster and the items it drops do have an impact, a five-person team at level 1 can earn about 25,000 falies in a day. That means Lord Bell alone earns much more than them!"