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

Bell seemed to recall the whole incident and called out his companion's name, wanting to jump up.

Ah, if you rush things...

Just as Ais was thinking this, sure enough, it happened.

"~ ...

He curled up into a ball as if screaming in excruciating pain all over his body.

Before Ais's eyes, Bell struggled in agony like a rabbit with a screw loose.

Forced to watch the other person endure pain for more than ten seconds, Ais hesitated whether she should call out to him, but finally made up her mind and spoke:

"Are you okay?"

He paused for a moment.

The boy's body, which had been writhing in pain, stopped moving.

After a pause, he suddenly raised his head.

Within arm's reach, the golden eyes and the deep red pupils locked eyes.

"Huh, ah! Huh...!?"

"Are you alright?"

Upon seeing Ais sitting gracefully beside her, Belle let out a shrill scream, her expression shifting rapidly.

Bell's irrational state caused Ais to lower her eyebrows and show a sad expression.

It looks like he hit his head hard. Ais is very worried.

Ignoring Ais's unease, Bell, despite his strange behavior, seemed to finally understand the situation and gasped.

He seemed to realize that the person he was calling for help on his way to faint was Ais, and his face flushed red and then turned pale. The hand that had grabbed Ais's foot through her boot trembled violently, his face alternating between red and blue.

"You...how did you get here...!?"

"We're heading back after our 'expedition'... We'll stop here on the 18th floor..."

Before Bell could calm down, he rushed to ask, and Ais stammered in response, briefly explaining the current situation of the Loki Familia, who were on their way back from the expedition.

Bell, who had been stealing glances at Ais's face several times, became restless again as he listened to her explanation.

Suddenly he snapped back to his senses and straightened his upper body.

"Where are my companions?!"

The boy was about to ask about his companion's safety, but he couldn't finish his sentence.

As soon as he braced himself on the ground, his elbow buckled and bent.

His injured and exhausted body couldn't keep up with the sudden movements, and he fell forward against Bell's will.

Seeing the boy fall forward, danger! Ais reacted instinctively.

Ais straightened up, stretched out her hands, and caught his body—then heard a "plop" sound.

"..."

"..."

Ais's hands were on Bell's shoulders, and Bell's face bumped into Ais's chest.

The boy's face was hidden by Ais's chest, which was protected by silver armor.

Ais absorbed the impact and caught him, so she shouldn't be in pain. But Bell remained motionless, as if frozen solid.

Did your nose hit your chest bra?

As Ais looked down at the back of the white-haired girl's head with concern, Bell was sent flying.

"I'm so sorry!?"

His face flushed red like a ripe apple as he fell backward violently.

Before Ais could even whisper "Ah," Bell had already fallen to the ground, his head slamming into the earth. Perhaps the pain throughout his body had returned like a blow to a well, for he let out a muffled cry and struggled with all his might.

Seeing the boy clutching his stomach in pain, Ais panicked and helpless—

"Ah... Welf."

The deep red eyes noticed his companion, who was lying right next to where he had fallen.

Bell endured the pain and propped himself up, looking at the human youth and the little girl who were resting like him. His tense body relaxed.

"They're both fine... Riveria and the others helped treat them."

After saying that, Ais approached him, who felt a great weight lifted from his heart.

"This person's injuries are very serious... but your injuries are also very critical..."

After glancing at the feet of the young man who was said to be a blacksmith, Ais patted Bell's forehead.

She gently brushed aside her white bangs and tenderly touched her forehead through the bandage, like an older sister caring for her younger brother.

With the movement of her slender fingers, Belle's cheeks flushed red in the blink of an eye.

Ais tilted her head slightly.

"Are you okay?"

Ais's action finally made the other person blush, even down to their ears and neck.

Although Ais was puzzled, she continued to stroke her forehead.

"Th-thank you, thank you... thank you for saving us, really..."

"Won't."

The boy, who had been being stroked by Ais, reluctantly moved away and thanked her.

Ais shook her head, silently telling herself, "Don't take it to heart," a slight smile playing on her lips. The boy seemed a little embarrassed.

After a moment of eye contact with Belle, Ais slowly raised her head and looked toward the entrance to the tent.

"Can you move it?"

"Ah...yes, okay!"

"Finn... our commander asked me to contact him and come with me?"

Seeing Bell nod, Ais immediately stood up.

She reached out her hand, concerned about the other person's injured body.

"I...I can do it!"

However, Bell dodged Ais's hand.

His gesture was as if he didn't want to continue blushing.

Seeing Bell try to stand up on his own, Ais froze, still holding out her outstretched hand, feeling quite shocked.

(Holding it for too long...?)

It's both her forehead and her bangs.

Maybe he actually dislikes it?

Looking back at her hands that had been groping around like she was petting a bunny, Ais was filled with remorse. This incident suddenly reminded her of the Supreme God saying, "This isn't sexual harassment—!" before lunging at Ais and Tiona.

Seeing Ais's dejection, Bell hurriedly tried to tell her something, "No, no, Miss Ais! This is a man's spirit, or how should I put it...!" but his body started hurting again, and he couldn't finish his sentence.

In the end, Bell managed to stand up without Ais's help, and walked through the entrance to the outside of the tent.

"Wow……!?"

The sight of the expedition camp unfolding before his eyes amazed Bear Grylls.

Several tents and crates for transporting supplies were there. Ais watched him looking around curiously, finding it endearing... when, for some reason, the other members of the group put on expressions that were more ferocious than usual.

The look in their eyes was both cold and sharp.

"...?"

What's wrong with everyone?

Ais found it unbelievable, while Bell, who was being glared at beside her, had a livid face.

The beautiful Level 1 adventurer was completely unaware of what was happening because she had been tirelessly staying by the boy's side to take care of him.

✉

"Huh—! Argonauts are here—!?"

Tiona's cheers echoed from a corner of the campsite.

"Ah, the hero of the Argonauts...?"

Rafia was explaining to her about Bell Crane and the others being moved in when the Amazonian girl's voice suddenly rose, startling her.

Time has already become a "blank book".

Just like yesterday, everyone was at the campsite taking care of patients suffering from the "virus" or ensuring they had food and water.

Tiona had been working with Tione to drive away the monsters approaching the camp, and only knew that they had protected a few stranded adventurers, seemingly unaware of the details.

Tiona wanted to ask Ais what was wrong, but Ais had been helping Riveria and the others with their treatment and had been holed up in the tent. Someone needed to look after her… or rather, monitor her, so they chose Ais, who knew the boy—and also because Ais seemed restless and uneasy, and Riveria, seeing this, for some reason recommended her to care for the wounded as well.

"Tione, did you hear that?! It's Argo, the little hero! Argo, the little hero! It hasn't been long since that battle, and he's already here!"

"You're so noisy—I know. I was talking about your 'Little Hero of Argonauts'..."

"Hehe—it's the name of that fairy tale—doesn't it match perfectly?"

"Are you an idiot?"

The younger sister blushed and grinned, leaving her older sister dumbfounded.

Seeing Tiona jumping and leaping with the large double blades (Ulga) in her hands, Lefia was surprised, and Tione, who had been sighing, suddenly smiled.

"Well, I see, he's here... What an exciting little brother."

That was the laughter that came when the female warrior (Amazon) was instinctively stimulated.

"Hey, Lefia, where's Argo, the little hero?"

"It seems we're meeting with the group leaders right now..."

Lefia explained, somewhat displeased, that Ai had taken him to headquarters to find Finn and the others.

"That's exactly the opposite of what she did," Tiona said happily.

"I'll go see him in a bit."

She bid farewell to Lefia and returned to the tent with Tione to put down her weapons.

"Not only Miss Ais, but Miss Tiona and the others too..."

So interested in a teenager who barges into such a place...

Lefia muttered to herself, a little angry.

Like a younger sister who was taken away by her admired older sisters.

She went back to do the camp work she was assigned, her cheeks puffed out.

"Mr. Raul, what exactly is that white-haired human like...?"

"To think that Miss Ais would take care of him... Is he a high-level adventurer? I've never seen or heard of such a person before."

"I don't know either... And why are you all so tense...?"

From Lefia's perspective, the campsite wasn't exactly welcoming to the boy. Raul, the human, was surrounded by predominantly male members of the group, radiating a menacing aura.

Apart from Chun and the blacksmiths excitedly saying, "I never thought that little brother would actually come here with people from other factions—", everyone else exuded a slightly hostile atmosphere.

"That white-haired bastard!" "How dare he treat everyone's Miss Ais like that...!" "Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle!" "None of us have ever been treated like that by Miss Ais...!" "Don't they know that the celestial beauty [Sword Princess] is only for admiring from afar, not for touching?!"

It seems it's not just a minor issue; in short, everyone seems to have some opinions.

Many lower-ranking members, out of awe of the beautiful and ethereal blonde girl, harbored longing and pride for her despite keeping their distance.

Sensing the aversion to the mysterious white rabbit, Lefia decided to ask others for their opinions as well.

What are your thoughts?