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

strangeness.

The deity is in a bad mood. Very bad. You could even say it's terrifying.

She stared at me with a tense, childlike face, her eyes cold. It was as if I could hear her saying, "I'm very unhappy," without even asking.

Why? What did I do wrong?

Since this was the first time I had ever seen a deity like this, I didn't know what to do.

I was sweating profusely and trembling like a powerless goblin.

"Gods, immortals?"

"..."

"Uh, well, so..."

"..."

"I... I meant to say, why have I suddenly grown up so much—..."

"……God knows."

The fairy pouted and turned her face away.

Ugh, so cute. How can I have such thoughts in this situation? Am I crazy?

The first period of rebellion by the gods.

"snort."

The fairy turned her back to me and silently walked towards the wardrobe at the back of the room. Her wavy twin ponytails seemed to be threatening me.

She opened the closet door, trembling as she stood on tiptoe, and took out a large coat that had been specially made for a fairy. She put on the coat, covering her breasts that were disproportionate to her petite frame, and walked past me, who stood there cowering.

"The shop where I work is having a celebration party, I'll be right back. You should also occasionally breathe some free air 'alone' and enjoy your lavish dinner in solitude!"

Bang! The door slammed shut.

The deity wouldn't even glance at me until the very end. And left behind the mystery of what kind of celebration banquet the shop where I worked was hosting.

...What exactly happened?

I tried to recall if I had made any mistakes, but I just couldn't think of any.

Frustrated at having angered the gods, I left the hidden room with a sigh.

I need to pull myself together before I get to Miss Seele's shop...

The sun is about to sink into the western sky.

In place of the fading red light, there appeared the pale blue twilight, the hazy full moon, and countless cheerful laughter.

Laborers finishing their day's work, and adventurers returning safely from the dungeons, all celebrated with fine wine. Cheerful shouts echoed from every tavern, followed by roars and loud laughter. Orange light streamed from the open shop windows, accompanying the dancing figures on the paved streets.

(I must have met Miss Seele around here this morning...)

Walking on the bustling street, I looked around like a lost child.

The surrounding landscape had changed drastically since the deserted morning, making it extremely difficult to find the shops I remembered. It was hard to believe this was the same place.

The avenue, centered around the tavern, was filled with steam, and the demihumans walking along seemed to be influenced by the atmosphere, their faces bright and cheerful. The Parum, considered the epitome of the dwarfs, and the goblins, despite being on the street, were still singing, arm in arm. The dwarves, known for their strong warriors, seemed to be a little drunk, laughing heartily and blending in with the dwarfs.

Orc women, their ears and tails swaying like wild beasts, were dressed in revealing clothing and soliciting customers; a group of Amazons, dressed even more scantily, strolled along the road, chatting and laughing, oblivious to the stares around them. I quickly looked away from them.

A popular performance of string and wind instruments drifted in from somewhere, its melodious strains weaving through the noise and making the hearts of passersby dance along.

The main street has completely transformed into its nighttime appearance.

"...This is it, right?"

After finally finding the outdoor cafe I remembered, I stopped in front of the shop.

Like the other shops, it was made of stone. The two-story building that extended to the back was probably the largest tavern in the area.

The tavern where Miss Seele works, "The Abundant Mistress".

Looking up at the signboard hanging above, I was amazed by the name of the shop, and then I peeked inside from the entrance.

The first thing I saw was a burly dwarf woman behind the bar serving food and drinks—she must be the female owner. Then I spotted cat-eared orc girls busily moving around in the kitchen. As for the staff who were calling out orders, they all seemed to be female waitresses, as if it were only natural.

What I want to say is: all the staff in the store are women.

...I can roughly understand the origin of the tavern's name.

(Uh, but is this too difficult for me...?)

Surprised that even among the shop assistants were highly proud elves, I swallowed hard. The beautiful garden of lovely girls I'd been fantasizing about until yesterday had actually reappeared in a similar form. Incidentally, the female shop owner was an exception.

The shop wasn't the kind of glamorous or eerie space, but... I'm completely powerless against this kind of thing. Just seeing a shop run by a woman makes me blush.

The atmosphere inside the shop was truly lively. Every staff member was cheerful and energetic, and laughter filled the air. Although the customers were almost all male adventurers, and many looked rather sullen, everyone was simply enjoying themselves. The ingredients also looked delicious.

The interior design is much more stylish than other places, but it doesn't detract from the unique image of a pub. The outdoor cafe next to the entrance gives the whole place a clean and fashionable impression. Speaking of which, I just realized that the customers at the cafe kept staring at me, which made me quite embarrassed.

This kind of store isn't just for men; it should be popular with women too.

But I desperately want to retreat immediately...

"Mr. Bell!"

"..."

I don't know when it happened, but Miss Seele was standing right next to me.

I suppressed the urge to clench my teeth and forced a stiff smile.

Accept your fate...

"……I am coming."

"Yes, welcome."

Miss Seele greeted me in the same outfit she had worn that morning.

Entering the entrance, the door remained open, she called out in a clear and loud voice:

"A guest—!"

(Does the tavern always shout this?)

I hoped in my heart that Miss Seele wouldn't do anything conspicuous, and followed her into the store.

I was trembling with fear, curled up into a ball. I found myself ridiculous.

Just how timid am I?

"Then, please have a seat here."

“Okay, okay…”

She led me to a seat at the bar.

My seat was in the middle of the bar, where the seats were arranged in a straight line, right at the corner. Behind me was the wall, the corner of the bar. Because it was a corner seat, there were no chairs next to me, so no one would sit down. It felt like I was facing the female owner behind the bar?

Miss Seele probably thought it was my first time visiting the store.

This way, you won't be disturbed by others and can eat at your own pace.

Perhaps she arranged this especially for me.

"Are you Seele's guest? Haha, adventurers can be so cute!"

It's none of your business.

For once, I glared at the dwarf female shopkeeper, who was leaning out from behind the bar, with a somewhat gloomy look, which was unusual for me. I was aware of my own limitations...

"I heard you're a glutton who can make us scream! I'll be serving up dish after dish, so you'd better be generous!"

"!"

That scared me.

I immediately turned my head and saw that Miss Seele, who was standing to the side, immediately looked away.

She looked away! This person actually looked away from me!

"Wait a minute, when did I become a glutton?! I had no idea!"

"……hey-hey."

"What are you 'hey' about?!"

Don't even think about getting away with this! This person is a witch!

"Well, I just told Mia's mom that I wanted to invite someone I know over and asked her to treat him well, but... everyone embellished the story, and it turned out like this."

"You definitely did this on purpose!"

I'll cheer you on!

"Please explain this to me first!"

What a wicked girl! Who said she was the girl next door?!

"Let me make this clear first: I absolutely will not indulge in lavish eating and drinking! My [Family] is already poor enough!"

"...I'm so hungry, I can't exert any strength—...it's all because I didn't eat breakfast—"

"Please don't recite your lines like that! And you're being so petty!"

She gave it to me herself, yet she expects me to repay her kindness by giving her a meal. It's outrageous!

"Haha, just kidding. You just need to be a little generous and enjoy your meal."

"...just a little bit, oh."

They really know how to take advantage of others...

I resisted the urge to sigh, turned back to the bar, and picked up the carefully prepared menu. More than the dishes, I was concerned about the prices.

Today I earned a total of 4,400 Fali. Defeating a lot of monsters and having good luck with item drops resulted in a much higher income than usual. Normally I only earn around 2,000 Fali.

Fifty falies are enough to fill my stomach for a meal... but the equipment and items for adventurers are quite expensive. Even stamina-restoring potions cost at least five hundred falies, so I still can't afford a new weapon. And then there's the maintenance cost of the equipment itself.

The short sword I'm currently using cost me 3,600 Fali, and that was a loan from the guild. I only recently managed to pay it off, plus the cost of the armor. They absolutely treat adventurers like suckers.

In short, for these reasons, I want to save as much as possible. I also want to save money.

I ordered a relatively inexpensive pasta dish. But even that cost me 300 fares. Seriously?

Many of the dishes looked quite trendy. This was my first time eating at a pub, and perhaps because it was more refined, it was more expensive than other places.

"What about alcohol?" the female shop owner asked me. After thinking for a moment, I said no. I wasn't going to be foolish enough to say I was still a child, but drinking alcohol would cost more money.

However, the female shop owner ignored my answer and slammed the ale on the bar with a thud.

Then why ask me...?

Are you satisfied?

"...You scared me."

Miss Seele arrived when we were halfway through our pasta meal.

I expressed my thoughts sarcastically but honestly.

She tossed her light gray hair, took off her apron, picked up a round stool from the wall, and sat down next to me.

"Don't we have anything to do?"

"The kitchen is busy, but we have enough staff on the servers side. And it's a bit more relaxed right now."

"Is that alright?" Miss Seele asked the shopkeeper with her eyes.

The female owner also grinned and raised her chin to show her approval.

"Uh, anyway, thank you this morning. The bread was delicious."

Don't worry about it. It's worth it for me to have put in so much effort for you.

"...Shouldn't you say they tried their best to sell it to me?"

The dinner cost more than I expected, which made me complain.

"I'm sorry," Miss Seele apologized to me with a wry smile. I hope she meant it.

Later, I chatted with Miss Seele about the store.