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

"Yes, there's nothing wrong with it. The problem will be solved eventually. It's just..."

Otto paused, then said with absolute certainty:

"Those who don't take risks can't break through the eggshell, but that's also a truth."

His tone was firm.

This is his consistent stance.

This also presents a polarized viewpoint compared to that of a certain half-elf girl who is not present here.

Having faced life-or-death situations several times and propelled himself to his current peak, this pure martial artist clearly believes that those who do not take risks cannot reach the pinnacle.

This also suggests that the adventure might lead to the "unknown" of the boy, which even Freya cannot fathom.

That's right.

Freya failed to see through it all, only Ota had foreseen the boy's potential.

"...You're in charge of figuring out how to give that kid a push this time, Ota."

The goddess of beauty set down the glass that was exuding the aroma of wine.

She closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair, looking somewhat languid.

Seeing her like this, Otto could not hide his surprise.

"...This isn't like you at all!"

"Because you understand that child's current situation better than I do."

She lowered her head and spoke softly, a little sullenly, and then...

Freya raised her head, narrowed her eyes, and smiled alluringly.

I'm getting jealous.

Volume 3, Chapter 1: "The Sword Maiden's Attack"

The sun is about to rise to its zenith.

North of the skyscraper (Tower of Babel) is a main street.

An open-air café faces this avenue where locals outnumber adventurers. Many customers chat and laugh freely under the bright sunshine.

Several parasols were set up to provide shade, and Belle and Lily sat on either side of a white table under them.

"So, everything's settled with the Soma Familia?"

"Yes. They'll probably assume Lily is dead soon enough."

One day has passed since Bell and Lily reunited as a team.

Bell is listening to Lily's explanation and confirming her current situation.

"Once she's considered dead, Lily won't need to associate with the Soma Familia anymore, and they probably won't bother her anymore. After all, they've already assumed Lily is no longer in this world."

"So it won't cause any trouble for Lord Bell," Lily said with a smile.

The bangs from when she was disguised are now gone, revealing a pair of big eyes and a cute face. Belle looked at all this and frowned slightly.

"My affairs aren't important, the problem is... well, doesn't Lily care about being treated like a dead person?"

"Thank you for your concern, Lord Bell. But Lily thinks it's best to take it easy. After all, Lily has no relatives or friends... As long as Lord Bell knows that Lily is still alive, Lily will be content."

Seeing that Lily spoke sincerely, Bell didn't press the matter further.

He feared that pursuing the matter further would worsen her wounds, so he forced himself to tell himself: this matter is over.

"Since Lily has said so, alright then. However, is it possible that the Soma Familia has discovered that Lily is still alive?"

"While it can't be guaranteed to be absolutely impossible, Lily has already eliminated all traces that could possibly connect her to the current Lily over the past two days. Lily thinks there's not much to worry about... Besides, Lily still has this."

Lily smoothed her hair. Her chestnut hair was now a dark brown, falling gently down, her cat ears twitching beside her hair, and her eyes sparkling golden yellow.

【The Woman with Ashes from the Stove】.

Using Lily's most proficient transformation magic, she now looks exactly like an orc child. Although only her facial features remain unchanged, she doesn't look like a dwarf (Palum) at all.

Unless one knows about this ability, it's almost certain that no one can find someone named "Liliruka Erd". Bell himself was incredibly surprised when she mentioned the existence of this magic.

"Uh—well..."

"Yes, no problem. Even if there were, it wouldn't trouble Lord Bell."

"Stop worrying about me," Bell said with a wry smile, temporarily putting her mind at ease.

That way, Lily wouldn't be dragged into dangerous conflicts again, he thought. Even if something were to happen, he should be able to help her this time. To be honest, hearing about how Lily almost lost her life made him both angry and annoyed. Angry at the inhuman brutality, and annoyed that he couldn't get justice from them.

However, for Lily's sake, it's best to avoid getting involved with the Soma Familia. Especially given the current situation, seeking revenge would be tantamount to walking into a trap.

As long as Lily is safe, that's enough. Belle pushed aside her complicated emotions and came to this conclusion.

The chasm has been bridged.

It may not be completely perfect, but the distance between the two people has indeed shortened. They can even hold hands.

The thought of the two of them starting anew brought a smile to Bell's face.

"...Lord Bell."

"Hmm, what is it?"

"Lord Bell, is this really alright?"

"what?"

"Are you just going to let Lily off the hook like this?"

However, Lily's expression was gloomy, unlike Bell's.

She looked at Belle with pleading eyes.

"Lily deceived Lord Bell, didn't she? She took advantage of Lord Bell's good intentions and then betrayed you in the end?"

"..."

"Not only that, she can't even repay the money she swindled. If you just let Lily off like this, Lily will..."

The reason why my relationship with Lily has not been fully repaired to this day lies here.

Self-reproach. Guilt. A desire for atonement.

The crime she had committed was tormenting Lily. Bell couldn't remember how many times she had apologized to herself.

The incident a few days ago caused Lily to lose all her possessions. The money, items, and even the goblin gems she had traded for were all stolen by her fellow members of the Familia. The guilt of being unable to repay them seemed to intensify her self-loathing.

Even though Bell had told her several times not to take it to heart, Lily remained depressed, and the more Bell talked, the more frustrated she became. Perhaps what she really wanted was a truly severe punishment.

But I don't want it to be like this... Bell scratched his head, unsure of what to do.

In short, he didn't know what to do.

He doesn't even know how to condescendingly criticize or lecture others, let alone punish them.

After all, he was the one who got scolded in the past, not the one who scolded others.

Looking at Lily with her head down, Bell wanted to help her shake off her guilt and desperately tried to find a solution... Just then, reinforcements arrived.

"Hey—, Bell!"

"Ah, a god!"

Hearing the small voice calling his name, Bell stood up and looked, and sure enough, Hestia appeared in the coffee shop.

With a body almost as petite as Lily's, she walked through the bustling crowd of guests and came to Bell and the others.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Have you been waiting long?"

"No. I should be apologizing. You're working, and I still made you take time out of your busy schedule to come over..."

"I'm fine over there. By the way... is she the one you were talking about?"

"Ah, yes. This child is the one we were talking about before..."

"My name is Lilyluka Erd. Hello, nice to meet you."

Upon being spotted by Hestia, Lily quickly jumped off her chair and bowed to her.

Hestia came here to sit with the two of them at her own initiative.

Her true intentions couldn't be clearer. To put it bluntly, she wanted to see for herself who the supporter who was with her [Family] members was.

If Lily couldn't meet the goddess's standards, she might have to end her teammate relationship with Bell. Lily had already sensed this beforehand, which is why she looked nervous when facing Hestia.

However, just then, Bell seemed to remember something and let out an "ah" to himself.

"Oh no, I forgot to ask the staff to prepare the 'goddess chair'..."

"...! What's the big deal? Don't worry about it! With so many guests, I doubt there will be any chairs left! Okay, Belle, sit down quickly, I'll sit on your lap!"

"Haha, I never thought even gods would make such jokes. Please wait a moment, I'll go ask the shop assistant."

Belle left with a smile. Her expression was completely innocent, a child's genuine smile.

Hestia, who was left behind, stood frozen in place for a while before her twin tails drooped down limply.

That sorrowful figure left Lily utterly bewildered.

"...That's perfect. I was already planning to have Bell leave the room for a bit anyway, so there's no problem."

"Is that so?"

Hestia, her cheeks flushed and a little stiff, lightly hopped into the seat Bell had just been sitting in.

Lily sat down as well.

"Well then, I'll get straight to the point. Otherwise, the kid will be back soon. Let's skip the introductions, shall we? I think Bell has already mentioned me to you."

"Yes, yes."

After a while, Lily realized that the other person had suddenly taken control of the conversation.

Even compared to Lily, who is a dwarf (Palum) and appears much younger, Hestia's youthful appearance is in no way inferior. She undoubtedly teeters between the line between a young girl and a little girl.

However, this sense of imbalance actually makes the overly perfect beauty stand out even more.

She is both endearing and spirited. Just like two contradictory beauties that can coexist.

Bathed in the sunlight filtering through the parasol, her jet-black hair shone with an luster that mirrored her reflection.

"I won't beat around the bush. Miss Supporter, what other schemes are you plotting?"

“——”

As she said, the straightforward questions made Lily waver.

Hestia maintained a completely natural demeanor in both her expression and eyes. Yet, there was undeniable majesty befitting a goddess within her.

Lily knew she was being tested. She was being observed.

The fact that the other party refused to call him by his name was the best evidence. Considering everything he had done to Bell so far, it was only natural that things had turned out this way, because he was the untrustworthy Palum.

So Lily, without the slightest hypocrisy, confessed everything in her heart.

"Impossible. Lord Bell saved Lily's life. Lily doesn't want to betray that person again."

Their eyes met. Neither of them looked away. The surrounding hustle and bustle seemed to come from afar.

You cannot lie before God.

Faced with the Goddess's Eye, which seemed to see through everything, Lily realized that the words she had heard somewhere were indeed true.

If they had the will, the lies of the people in the lower realms would probably be easily exposed.

"...Okay, I understand. I'll believe you for now."

The extremely long time that had been for Lily had finally come to an end.

She resisted the urge to exhale all the air that had accumulated in her lungs, and slowly relaxed the tension in her shoulders.

"Miss Supporter, Bell holds a very important place in my heart. I cherish him dearly, afraid he might melt in my mouth or break in my hands. He is my first family member, and I must confess, I don't want to lose him."

Hestia paused for a moment, then continued.

Lily immediately listened intently to her unexpected remark.

"After hearing what Bell told me, I think I can understand your situation, including why you would do something like stealing."