Laughter and clamor built a high wall, enclosing the tables. Some people passionately debated the uproar over the recent level-up, others clinked their glasses again and again, drinking merrily. Yet the atmosphere around the boy shifted entirely.
"Bell, what's wrong?"
Seeing him suddenly fall silent, Hestia was the first to ask.
Airmid, seated beside him, also noticed something was off. She furrowed her brow slightly, waiting for his answer.
Bell froze for a moment. The soft, yielding sensation against his back grew clearer—the scent of alcohol mixed with a sweet fragrance, all wrapped in Laurier's warm, unsteady breaths. Her breath brushed his ear vividly, and strands of her invisible golden hair teased against his cheek.
Bell couldn't bring himself to say "Nothing." Before Hestia, any lie would be exposed instantly. Yet he couldn't tell the truth either. Judging from the strong smell of alcohol, Laurier was drunk. If Hestia saw this scene, she would definitely erupt. And if anyone else noticed, it would damage Laurier's reputation.
His thoughts spun wildly. Bell decided to seek Airmid's help.
"Excuse me, I need to speak with Airmid."
"Hmm... do whatever you want."
Hestia pouted, pretending not to care as she drank another sip of fruit wine.
After getting her permission, Bell motioned for the Dea Saint to lean in, whispering: "Come outside with me."
"...Alright."
Though confused, Airmid agreed without hesitation. She turned and addressed Hestia politely:
"Hestia-sama, please excuse us for a moment."
"Of course."
Hestia had already downed several cups of fruit wine. Watching the pair stand and walk away, she muttered, "What could they possibly need to go outside for..."
"Mortals' passions are beyond the gods' understanding," Welf commented.
"What are you even talking about, Blacksmith... Bell would never do anything weird..."
Hestia's voice faltered more and more.
"Lili knows... people who drink alcohol lose their reason... Bell-sama must be... with the Dea Saint..." Lili, having lived in the Soma Familia, had seen far too many people whose desires were awakened by drink. She had her guesses—but refused to think them through.
"No... that can't be..."
Hestia's whisper vanished into the surrounding noise.
Bell had no time to worry about their suspicions. Carrying the drunken Laurier on his back, he led Airmid toward the entrance.
"Ah, it's Argonaut!" Tiona waved brightly.
"Wait, you're blocking me from feeding the captain!!" Tione brushed her sister's arm aside.
With so many people attending, the Loki Familia's celebration felt especially lively.
Lefiya saw Airmid walking behind the boy and felt an inexplicable loneliness wash over her. Their familias had worked together for a long time. In Lefiya's memory, Airmid had always been rigidly polite—like a doll—never once losing composure. But now... the Dea Saint looked like a shy, sweet girlfriend next door, with a gentleness and charm she had never shown before. And the one who brought out that change was, naturally, her rival.
Lefiya stared blankly at the two as they walked away, not even noticing her juice overflowed from the cup.
Ais and Riveria were just as stunned. They recognized the traces of invisibility magic and sensed something odd in the air. Riveria, puzzled, could tell Bell was carrying the hidden Laurier on his back. But she trusted the boy enough to believe he had a reason, and chose not to question him.
Ais blinked.
Bell was carrying that blonde elf?
Why was she invisible...?
Does drinking alcohol allow people to be carried and hugged...?
Inside her heart, a childlike version of herself felt as though she had just opened Pandora's box.
Ais fixed her gaze on the container holding the wine.
In her eyes, that alluring pale red had become synonymous with the warmth of youth. Just as Ais reached out to pour a sip into her own cup, Finn snatched it away.
"..."
Ais stood up and reached for the other side, but Gareth followed Finn's lead and quietly blocked her.
"..."
Ais remained silent, persistently pursuing that warmth (the fruit wine). This quiet tug-of-war continued until the banquet finally came to an end.
...
As Bell left the tavern, Ryuu, who was delivering dishes, also sensed the hidden presence.
"Sorry, Lunoire, I'll leave this to you for now."
"You... what are you doing?! It's peak hour right now?!"
Before Lunoire's complaint could fully land, Ryuu dashed out of the tavern.
Magic Stone lamps illuminated the night. In an empty alleyway away from the outdoor seating, Bell explained everything to Airmid.
"Invisibility magic?!"
Airmid stared at the boy's back in shock, her brow furrowing—until a faint whisper reached her ears and cleared her thoughts.
"Bell Cranel... I like you... From the very first moment... I always have..."
Laurier's voice was soft, blurred by intoxication. Yet both present heard it perfectly clear.
...
"So, what exactly are you thinking?"
Inside the tavern, Asfi coldly questioned the god.
"I just feel so sorry for Laurier... Do you want to watch her devote herself to the boy—forever unaware of her own feelings?"
Hermes answered softly.
Among the Elves, Laurier was exceptionally pure. Left alone, she might take decades—decades filled with life and death—to understand love.
By then, the boy would certainly be long gone. Such is the emotional gulf created by the difference in lifespans, a mountain mortals can never cross.
"This is a god's well-intentioned plan. Between momentary cruelty and endless regret, which hurts more? I believe you know the answer."
Hermes explained.
Asfi stared at the Familia God's somewhat flippant expression. After a long silence, she spoke:
"Surely there's more to this than that?"
Hermes smiled, a faint, almost imperceptible gleam flickering in his eyes.
"What I said was sincere. If Laurier can find happiness, I'll be happy too. And I have a small personal wish—to see how that young man will choose. As for the rest... I'm afraid I can say no more..."
This was a trial without monsters, without blades.
Heroes aren't merely those who defeat evil. To Hermes, laborers working for their families, adventurers fighting for their children—anyone with kindness in their heart could be called a hero, much like parents in the eyes of children.
A hero isn't defined by talent or aptitude. The heart is what matters most.
Hermes had heard everything from Asfi. Without a doubt, the youth who danced on the brink of despair—like a light in the darkness—possessed the wisdom and courage to shatter hopelessness.
Just hearing about it made his blood surge.
Just imagining it filled him with excitement.
The duel between man and beast replayed vividly in Hermes' mind through Asfi's recounting. It was a scene worthy of a heroic legend.
Hermes no longer needed proof of the boy's heroism. His actions tonight were partly to approach Bell Cranel, but more importantly, to glimpse the truth of his heart.
He had learned of Bell's preferences and experiences from certain channels.
From a man's perspective, Laurier—a blonde elf—was practically the embodiment of a young man's dream girl.
Would a hero yearning for a harem surrender to sweetness, or remain true to his core and pursue the smile of the girl he loved?
Hermes wanted to see the answer.
Most would choose the former—after all, the girl's feelings were genuine.
And that's exactly why the boy's choice mattered so much.
The tavern buzzed with voices. Fruit wine rippled gently in his cup as he idly swirled it.
Hermes watched the shifting bubbles, half-drunk and half-sober, slow to speak.
...
The cold wind carried whispers.
Airmid couldn't see the girl, but she felt it clearly—that relentless surge of affection. She had long anticipated this day. Just like when she herself had confessed to the boy. Airmid understood a touch of Syr's emotions then—a little sorrow, a little joy. She smiled softly and stepped closer.
As Laurier murmured, Airmid faced the youth and rose onto her tiptoes.
"?!"
The Dea Saint offered him a passionate kiss.
Far sweeter than mead, far softer than petals. Airmid paid no mind to Laurier behind the boy, her lips lingering against his, colors mingling. Her boldness seemed to say that since neither could see the other, she might as well ignore her entirely.
Laurier sobered halfway. Shame and shock crashed over her thoughts, restoring a fragment of clarity.
"You... you two..."
Laurier scrambled away from the boy's back, her form becoming visible. Her golden ponytail was slightly mussed, and her slender ears, like her cheeks, were flushed a deep red.
Airmid reluctantly drew away. Glancing at the beautiful elf beside the boy, she spoke softly:
"Not only reeking of alcohol, but refusing to show your face? That's really unfair of you."
Airmid flashed a mischievous, triumphant smile before turning around.
"I'll go stall Hestia-sama for a bit. I won't interrupt you two. Bell, no matter the result... I'll support you."
"Mhm."
Bell watched Airmid's departing figure and smiled faintly. The human girl praised as the Dea Saint had indeed grown even more endearing.
A cool breeze swept away the alcohol lingering in the dim alley, leaving a faintly charged air behind.
Laurier pressed a hand to her pounding chest and spoke again:
"Bell... what is your answer..."
...
Ryuu saw Airmid approaching and quietly furrowed her brows.
"You plan to leave them alone?"
As someone who had witnessed Airmid's earlier confession, she understood that the girl must have steeled herself greatly. If so, why leave now?
"Mhm."
Airmid gave a soft reply and walked back into the tavern. She pressed her lips together, a faint smile resting on them.
Ryuu was bewildered. She no longer wanted to think. Better to cast all thoughts aside.
She focused entirely on stopping the boy.
Blonde. Elf. Older.
That compatriot fit the boy's tastes perfectly—there was no denying it.
Ryuu had to act before a tragedy occurred. With alcohol clouding her mind, Laurier was far from sober. Even Ryuu could smell the heavy scent of wine clinging to the elf.
If the boy made promises—or worse, did something impure—with her in this state, the consequences would be devastating.
Both the sober Laurier and the trusting Airmid and Syr would be deeply hurt.
Determined to stop them, Ryuu ran into the alley without regard for propriety.
The very next moment, she heard it clearly.
Bell Cranel's answer.
"I'm sorry, but with how Laurier is right now, I can't give any kind of answer."
"...."
"...."
Ryuu froze.
The boy had rejected the twisted confession.
A genuine happiness welled up inside her.
People's eyes never lie.
That was something Ryuu had learned through many experiences.
Some adventurers, no matter how proper their words, would reveal their filthy intentions in their gaze.
No one was exempt from this truth.
Ryuu had once noticed the peculiar shine in Laurier's eyes whenever she looked at the boy—like someone seeing their destined one—barely restraining the urge to throw herself into his arms.
The boy was no different.
Though not as intense, the way he looked at Laurier—like someone savoring a delicious treat or admiring a beautiful sight—confirmed the words he once said about liking older, blonde elves.
Desires dwell within every heart.
What Ryuu hadn't expected was that the boy could actually reject the golden-haired elf he'd once dreamed of. With Bell Cranel's sharp insight, he had surely noticed that Laurier's feelings were genuine. Yet he didn't accept a drunken confession. Had he wrapped his arms around her and made a promise, even if the noble elf were defiled, Laurier would likely forgive him through tears once she sobered. Bell knew this. And because he knew, he chose to refuse.
Ryuu smiled in quiet relief. A boy who dreamed of a harem, yet rejected the ideal woman standing right before him. Such resolve made Ryuu feel even closer to him. She still thought the harem idea ridiculous, but her heart was slowly tilting toward him. There was no longer any need to worry on Syr's behalf—the boy before her genuinely cared for the girls' smiles.
In the gentle breeze, Bell continued slowly.
"Laurier, I'm truly happy you told me how you feel, but this isn't something you can say while drunk. When the time is right—maybe tomorrow, maybe sometime later—we'll talk about it again, alright?"
Bell couldn't answer carelessly. Even if he were the one confessing, he needed to be honest about everything—whether it was having a girlfriend or yearning for a harem. Bell Cranel always pursued the smiles of the girls around him. And so, he refused.
The breeze stirred their thoughts. The dim Magic Stone lamps at the mouth of the alley flickered faintly. Golden hair swayed in the wind.
What neither Ryuu nor Bell anticipated was that the girl's love—ignited by alcohol—now burned too fiercely to be extinguished.
"I… I won't…"
Laurier slurred, drunken and flushed.
She pressed her lips together, mimicking the kiss she'd just seen, and lunged straight toward the boy.
The wind hadn't yet stilled.
In that moment, Ryuu was already rushing toward them.