Case Closed?
"Twenty Jagamarukun with red bean cream filling."
"Got it!"
"And ten of every other flavor."
"...Huh?"
Hestia froze mid-motion, her eyes locking onto the golden-haired girl standing before her, Ais Wallenstein. She blinked, then blinked again, as if doubting her own vision.
"Are you serious?"
"...Yes."
Though Ais's expression rarely betrayed her emotions, anyone could see she was fully committed at that moment.
"Uh… the payment?"
"Oh, I'll cover it." I said, finally catching Hestia's attention.
Startled, she turned to face me."Wait, aren't you… one of Bell's party members?"
"Toki Ortyx." I answered with a polite nod.
"Ah, that's right, Toki. So, what's this? You and Ais, are you two… together?"
Hestia's mischievous grin widened as she darted her gaze between the two of us.
"Haha, you've got quite the sense of humor, Hestia-sama. If that ever happened, I'd probably get killed on the spot."
By Lefiya. Or maybe Bell. Or both.
"Pity. Anyway, your order will take a little time. Is that alright?"
"...No problem." Ais replied.
"Hey, Ma'am! Twenty red bean Jagamarukun and ten of every other flavor!" Hestia called to the vendor behind her.
"Coming right up!"
The vendor sprang into action, her movements brimming with energy as she began frying the buns. Meanwhile, Ais watched her with rapt attention, her golden eyes gleaming with focus.
I figured I'd use the waiting time to calculate the total cost. Let's see, each bun costs this much, and with these flavors… one, two, three...
Currently, I was fulfilling a promise to treat Ais to Jagamarukun as a reward for single handedly dealing with the monster stampede on the 24th floor. We were also going over how to deliver the protective gear to Bell without him bolting away.
Despite the rumors of Ais being a light eater, she seemed to have an impressive appetite today. Even for something as easy to eat as Jagamarukun, finishing this much in one sitting was no small feat. Perhaps she intended to share them with her Familia? Yes, that must be it.
Nom, nom, nom.
So much for that theory.
Right before my eyes, Ais was devouring the buns at an astonishing pace, her movements as delicate and precise as a chipmunk nibbling on a treat. Surrounding her was a growing pile of discarded wrappers, a silent testament to her effort.
Within thirty minutes, the once-hefty stack of buns was completely gone.
"...Thank you for the meal." she said, looking thoroughly satisfied.
"Uh, yeah. Were they good?" I asked hesitantly.
"Mm."
Her expression, though subtle, radiated contentment.
Shifting gears, we began discussing the plan to hand over the protective gear to Bell. After some back-and-forth, we decided that Ais would speak to Eina at the Guild in advance. Meanwhile, I would bring Bell to the arranged location under the guise of his supporter situation. According to Hestia-sama, Bell was scheduled to meet her at a nearby café around noon.
"Ais, you head to the Guild first. I'll clean up these wrappers and catch up."
"...Understood."
With renewed determination, Ais's eyes gleamed as she set off.
…
"Hey, Bell!"
"Oh, Hestia-sama! And… Toki?"
Bell blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting to see me alongside Hestia.
"Sorry for the wait. We didn't keep you too long, did we?"
"Not at all. But, uh, why are you with Toki, Hestia-sama?"
"Oh, he has some business with you. Details later." she said with a dismissive wave.
"Anyway, Bell… is that who I think it is?" I gestured toward the petite figure seated nearby.
"Yeah, it's settled." Bell replied, smiling.
"Good to hear."
To be honest, I wasn't sure things would go smoothly. Still, it seemed Bell had handled the situation better than expected.
"Don't leave me out of the loop, you two!" Hestia interjected, puffing her cheeks.
"Oh, right. Hestia-sama, this is the person I mentioned before…"
"L-Li-Liliruca Arde! A pleasure to meet you!"
Liliruca stood abruptly, bowing deeply. The malice I had sensed from her before our expedition was now absent.
"Oh dear, I forgot to ask for chairs for Toki and Hestia-sama…" Bell muttered.
"Nonsense!" Hestia declared, cutting him off."Given how packed this place is, I'm sure there's no spare seating. I'll just sit on your lap, Bell!"
"Ha-ha, you're so funny, Hestia-sama. Give me a second, I'll ask the staff for chairs." Bell replied with a sheepish laugh.
"I'll grab my own chair too." I offered, following him.
As we waited for the chairs, Bell and I chatted casually.
"So, when did you get back from the Dungeon?" he asked.
"Three days ago. It wasn't easy, you know."
"Three days ago? That's the day Lili was almost attacked by monsters…"
"What happened?" I pressed.
Bell began recounting the events of that day, and my head began to ache from the absurdity of it all.
"…Well, if he's okay with this, then so be it."
After grabbing chairs, I returned to the table where Hestia-sama and Lili were waiting.
"Sorry for the wait!"
The moment Hestia-sama spotted Bell, she spoke a few words to Lili and then walked straight toward us.
"Sorry, Hestia-sama, for being late."
"Oh, no problem. Don't worry about it." she replied, pulling Bell by the arm and drawing him close to her.
"Wha– "
"Hestia-sama…?"
Lili was stunned, Bell looked confused, and Hestia-sama… well, she looked like a tiger guarding its territory as she glared at Lili.
"Well, let me formally introduce myself. Nice to meet you, supporter girl. Bell-kun, my Bell-kun, has been in your care, I hear?"
The emphasis on "my Bell-kun" wasn't subtle. Lili, who had been momentarily stunned, quickly switched to a sharp expression, like a woman ready to do battle.
"Oh no, it's the other way around. Lili is always treated so kindly by Bell-sama. He's been so gracious to me."
Not to be outdone, Lili emphasized"so kindly." With the two women glaring at each other, poor Bell was on the verge of a meltdown.
"To-Toki!"
Bell looked at me, silently begging for help. I glanced away, calmly placed my chair at the table, and sat down.
"Excuse me! Can I get some tea, please?"
"So-someone help me!"
Sorry, Bell. Even as your friend, there are things I can and cannot help with.
"Um, Toki-sama…"
"Hm?"
As I sipped the tea that had just arrived, Lili spoke to me. It seemed her scuffle with Hestia-sama had finally ended. Her face, however, carried a somber look.
"Well…"
"Ah, you don't need to apologize to me."
Her eyes widened at my words.
"But, "
"I left the matter to Bell. If he forgives you, I'll follow his lead."
"I see…"
Even so, her expression remained troubled. Sighing deeply, I continued.
"If you're so eager for punishment, I'll give you one."
"Wha– wait, Toki!"
"It's fine, Bell-sama. Toki-sama, please go ahead."
Despite Bell's protests, Lili turned to me with a resolute look.
"Stay by Bell's side for the rest of your life."
"Eh?"
"He saved your life, right? Then dedicate the rest of it to him. I won't always be around, and he has his shortcomings. Even if the whole world turns against him, you alone must remain on his side."
"T-Toki, isn't that a bit, "
"I understand."
"L-Lili!"
"It's fine, Bell-sama. As Toki-sama said, I owe Bell-sama my life. I'll repay that debt with my own life."
"Well, there you go. Congratulations, Bell. You've got a cute girl by your side forever."
"Y-you made her say that!"
Bell's face turned beet red as he shouted at me, while Hestia-sama muttered angrily to herself, and Lili's eyes burned with determination. What a mess.
"Oh, by the way, Lili."
"What is it?"
"You do know he prefers older women, right?"
"What!?"
"What are you saying!?"
"Am I wrong?"
"You're wrong!"
"Bell-sama, how old are you again?"
"F-fourteen…"
Hearing that, Lili smiled brightly.
"Then it's fine! I'm fifteen!"
"EHHHHH!? Lili's older!?"
"Wait, aren't you a Canis Lupus…?"
"Oh, this is just transformation magic. My actual race is Pallum."
"Ah, transformation magic. That makes sense."
….
Later, we discussed Lili's situation, but we didn't reach a real solution. For now, we decided to focus on earning money so Lili could pay her Familia's exit fee. Leaving a Familia usually involves risks, like the potential for information leaks, but since Lili mentioned needing money, it didn't seem like her departure was outright forbidden.
As Bell and I walked side by side toward the Guild, I noticed him glancing at adventurers buying items together.
"That looks nice…"
"Wanna go together next time?"
"Really!?"
"Yeah. I'll even teach you how to tell good items from bad. It's a useful skill to have."
Laughing, we chatted like that until we reached the Guild.
"So, Toki. What's this business you have with me?"
"Oh, someone wanted to meet you. Since you were heading to the Guild, it worked out perfectly."
"Who is it?"
"Over there, talking with Eina-san."
"Which… oh."
I pointed them out, and Bell froze. The other person noticed us and froze as well. It seemed I had arrived earlier than expected.
As Bell tried to spin around and leave, I firmly grabbed his shoulder. Using my Level 2 strength, I made sure he wasn't going anywhere.
"W-why is she here!?"
"Well, during the expedition, I ended up forming a party with Ais-san. We helped out some adventurers surrounded by monsters, and it seems she found some armor that might belong to you. She insisted on returning it personally, so I set this up. Also, this wouldn't have been necessary if you hadn't run away!"
"I-I have so many questions, but… you partied with Ais-san!?"
Bell's expression screamed envy. I turned him back toward Ais, who was now standing in front of him.
"Ah…"
"Well then, Ais-san, I'll leave him to you."
"W-wait, Toki!"
"Sorry, I've got work this afternoon. Take care!"
Ignoring Bell's desperate plea, I left the Guild. Good luck, Bell.
---------------------
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