Sunlight streamed through the tower's windows, and the jester flag fluttered in the breeze. Regarding the morning's incident, Bell and the other two kept a mutually understood silence. Talking about it before the investigators returned would only stir unnecessary panic.
"Ais-san's outfit is… surprisingly bold," Bell said casually, trying to break the awkward silence.
"..."
The Sword Princess wore light blue gear that looked perfectly normal at a glance. But Bell, having been in her lap, easily remembered the details he'd seen earlier. In his opinion, if Ais removed her silver-gray armor, the flawless curve from her back to her underarms would be completely exposed.
Ais blinked and took a slightly shaken step back.
"Loki… the Familia God said that if I didn't wear it, she'd bite her tongue and kill herself… Is it really that strange?"
"No, you normally wouldn't notice it," Bell replied quickly.
It seemed Loki Familia was even more peculiar than he'd imagined. To think their own Familia God would threaten a female member into wearing something revealing… what kind of god was that?
"They dress even more revealing than I do…"
Trying to salvage her reputation, Ais recalled the Amazoness sisters in her mind.
As if responding to her words, hurried footsteps sounded from outside the door.
"I'm back!"
With a bright voice, a girl hopped into the room. Bell instantly understood exactly who Ais had been referring to.
The newcomer had healthy, sun-kissed skin. Her upper body was covered only by a thin cloth across her chest, and a long skirt wrapped around her waist. Her navel and most of her skin were exposed, like a dancer out of an exotic tale.
"You're the boy who was attacked by monsters, right? I'm Tiona! Hey, are you really a newbie adventurer? How did you survive those Viola?"
The girl named Tiona smiled as brightly as a sunflower. She leaned in without hesitation, firing off questions nonstop, not caring at all that they had just met.
"I was rescued. I was just lucky," Bell answered honestly.
"Eh—then why didn't you run away?"
Tiona immediately sensed something off.
"..."
Riveria frowned, stepping in to shield the boy.
"Tiona, Bell Cranel is a guest of the Loki Familia. Please mind your manners."
Tiona pouted, about to argue, but a cold male voice cut her off.
"The old hag's right. Talking so much to a piece of trash only lowers the Familia's standards."
A werewolf youth entered the room, brimming with hostility.
!
Bete froze for a moment. A chilling murderous aura washed over him, freezing his body like bitter frost. A second later, it vanished without a trace.
Was it a hallucination…?
Bete shot Bell a disdainful look.
"What did you say?!" Tiona exploded.
"I'm saying he probably got saved by a girl again, just like last time," Bete said coldly.
"You don't know anything, so don't talk nonsense!"
"Hah? Anyone with eyes can see it. Weak is weak. Don't you Amazoness look down on men like that too?"
That icy killing intent surged again. If the earlier one had been a moment of fleeting anger, what Bete felt now came from the very depths of his heart.
"Strength isn't defined that way, Bete." Riveria's face darkened.
"Quite right. A half-baked Werewolf like Bete doesn't even count as strong. Yet this new Adventurer has girls respecting and idolizing him. You really don't understand anything!"
Tiona was somewhat surprised that Riveria hadn't tried to break up the fight but had instead sided with her. Still, with her head clouded by anger, she didn't stop to question why.
"You—what did you say?! Are you implying I'm weaker than this white-haired brat?"
Bete, ignoring Riveria's unusual behavior, channeled all his fury into the argument.
"Of course! Ask Ais if you don't believe me!" Tiona shot back, unwavering. Having read countless Tales of Heroes, she knew strength and weakness came from the heart, not from the shallow judgments of a wolf.
"You filthy hag! Hey, Ais, what do you think?"
Bete's explosive temper ignited completely, paying no attention to the boy listening right beside them.
"..."
Feeling their gazes on her, Ais found herself unable to speak. She didn't truly know what strength or weakness meant. The only thing she was certain of was that she herself was a weakling who had stalled. And the boy… was steadily climbing upward.
"Silence means agreement, right, you bitch?" Bete twisted her silence.
"What do you mean 'agreement'?! You dumb wolf!"
…
Ais had missed the moment to speak up for the boy. By the time she realized it, their quarrel had seeped into her heart like thick ink, pulling her into a pit of guilt.
She should have said something.
Why was she so stupid?
They were all genuine weaklings. Whether it was her or Bete, they were simply ones who had received the grace of the gods earlier and had entered the Dungeon ahead of others to grow. If they denied the boy because of that, then they might as well deny Ais Wallenstein herself.
Ais had to grow stronger. Up ahead, high above, lay a wish she would achieve no matter what. That was why she kept moving—day after day, year after year. Even after reaching Level 5, she remained weak. But the steps she had climbed proved everything she was.
The boy had fallen at the starting line. But he had risen quickly, standing tall to save the weak. Bell Cranel was advancing, bravely and firmly, closing the distance between them.
Ais clenched her fists. She had to speak for him.
Her golden eyes glared at the werewolf with disgust, every coarse insult thrown at the boy turning into resentment.
"Enough, Bete."
Anger and guilt spilled from her voice, quiet yet icy. The tone was soft, but everyone in the room felt the shift.
?!
In those few words, Bete immediately understood exactly who Ais was defending. His cheek twitched, and he stormed out of the room with a vicious expression.
"…Ais?" Riveria called her name gently.
"I'm fine. I'm sorry I didn't speak up earlier."
If she'd voiced her thoughts sooner, she wouldn't have burdened the boy with more unpleasant memories.
"You did very well." Riveria reached out and patted Ais's head. It warmed her to see this girl—who usually thought only of defeating monsters—speak up for someone else.
Riveria turned to Bell and gave a small bow.
"My apologies, Bell Cranel. Please ignore the outburst. Bete's pride gets the better of him. I'll haul him back and make him apologize."
"No need. Compared to the citywide ridicule I went through a few days ago, this kind of gossip is nothing," Bell replied with a touch of self-mockery.
Honestly, rather than make Bete apologize, Bell almost felt grateful for the insult. As an outsider and an inexperienced rookie, he would surely face rejection when the real discussion began. Even if the Loki Familia didn't consciously intend it, people instinctively resisted outsiders.
But Bete's behavior had unexpectedly boosted Bell's position. At the very least, the three people who had spoken up for him would take his proposal seriously.
Given how things had turned out, Bell barely had time to feel anything other than relief.
"Can't argue your way out? Just run away. Don't bother with that wild wolf."
Tiona scolded Bete, but the fierce expression she'd worn moments ago disappeared the instant she turned around, replaced by a bright smile.
"Now, tell me—how did you take down that mutated Goblin?"
Under her cheerful smile, the atmosphere in the reception room softened noticeably.
Bell, influenced by the girl's easygoing nature, slowly began, "I suppose you could call it luck? When I first encountered the mutant Goblin, I happened to have a reliable Healer by my side…"
Tiona propped her chin on her hands as she listened. Sometimes she burst into laughter, other times her brows furrowed in concern.
Bell only recounted the parts he was comfortable sharing, but even those battles were full of danger.
"…Using a Magic Stone lighter as a weapon? That's incredibly reckless," Tiona said, fully absorbed in the story.
Riveria remained silent. Hearing the details directly from the boy made her realize something—Bell Cranel possessed not only courage, but also the clarity to assess a battlefield and the intelligence to outmaneuver his enemies.
Ais quietly memorized everything he said.
Perhaps within the boy's words lay the key she needed to move forward.
As Bell continued sharing, the sun gradually rose.
Warm light stretched long shadows across the floor as a blond-haired, blue-eyed Pallum pushed open the door.
The Braver, Finn, had returned.
At last, Bell faced the "battle" prepared for the wise.