"Uh, um, hello? My name is Bell Cranel."
"Hans Christian Andersen. Just call me Magus."
"A magus? So you're a mage?"
"Well, something like that."
In truth, it was quite a bit different.
After we exchanged simple introductions, we were able to hear the full story of what had happened.
Hmm, I see.
So after all the twists and turns, the ending was basically that Lili tried to pull a fast one, got hit in the back of the head, and then just self-destructed.
In that case...
"Then Lili really is the one at fault."
"U-Um, I'm definitely reflecting on that. I won't do anything like that again..."
"If you were going to do it, you should've done it properly. You got sloppy like I did, so of course it ended up like that. You lack professionalism. Reflect on yourself, Lili."
"You're taking that side?!"
Lili was horrified by my words.
Have you ever heard this before?
As long as you don't get caught, anything goes.
As a bonus, if there are no witnesses, then whatever you do counts as an assassination, apparently.
"Calm yourself, Magus-kun. Your depravity is far too dangerously stimulating for such young children."
"Not at all. This is all an important set of life lessons that become blood and flesh."
"Ugh, how did I end up raising such a depraved child? No, was I already like this back then too?"
Leaving Hestia-sama to her solitary anguish for the moment.
I stared at the white-haired boy who had introduced himself as Bell-something-or-other, examining him from head to toe as if I were judging him.
Though I really was judging him, too.
Gulp!
Maybe my gaze was a little too sharp.
I could see a heavy tension on the boy's face.
I understand that painful feeling, but right now I'm far more powerful than you, so behave yourself and listen quietly.
After staring at him for quite some time, I finally decided.
"Good. I've decided."
"Huh? W-What have you decided?"
With a serious expression, I calmly informed the boy.
The atmosphere on the terrace grew heavier and heavier.
Within that mood, I opened my mouth and said,
"I can't let some airhead like you have our Lili!"
"Pffft!"
"Huh? Eeeeeh?!"
I went into overprotective mode.
How dare some brat who doesn't even seem to have a vision set his sights on my disciple candidate!
"An-sama?! What on earth are you saying right now?!"
"Lili, I have not the slightest shame in my heart or actions. All of this is for 'justice'!"
"There's no way that's justice!"
Having finally reunited with me, Lili protested with a red face.
But I know.
Lili, love is a hurricane.
And a hurricane is, by fate and by nature, something that starts out fierce but eventually vanishes into a meaningless breeze.
Therefore, this relationship is doomed not only at the end, but from the very beginning.
So I will oppose it without exception.
No way. Not happening.
Absolutely not!
"Cough, cough! Puhaha, you startled me so much I spat it out without meaning to. And Magus-kun, today you're even more eccentric than usual. I'm embarrassed just watching you. But I agree with that opinion as well. Because Bell-kun belongs to me!"
"J-Just a moment, Ander... [Magus!] Ah, no! Magus-san. I think there's some misunderstanding here. Lili and I aren't like that... And what are you, Lady Goddess, even saying in this situation?!"
Hestia-sama coughed violently after choking on herself, then casually revealed her own desire.
In contrast, Bell Cranel was blushing and flustered as he insisted that it wasn't true.
Anyone could see it: a pair of flowers in both hands.
Anyone could see it: a clumsy Casanova.
Anyone could see it: the textbook example of an unknowing harem rom-com protagonist, you idiot!
Why would I ever acknowledge some male character with that damned position for anyone's sake!
Even if a goddess approves, I won't!
Bring it on, brat!
In truth, I'd die if I were stabbed just once!
With that same momentum, the terrace had already become so noisy it was bothering everyone around us.
Right beside that cauldron of chaos, Tiona was peacefully drinking her own juice all by herself.
"Haha, what a mess."
Yes, it truly was a disaster.
We'd had our fun, so maybe it was time to stop now.
"All right, enough joking around. Though my feelings aren't exactly a joke."
"Haa, Lili's already tired. How on earth did things end up like this?"
"I-I agree, Lili."
"Hmph! Tch! Ptoo! I still oppose it."
"Lady Goddess..."
Good grief.
Were you already exhausted by that much, boy?
Young people these days are truly weak. Weak!
At this rate, there was no way he'd survive a romantic bloodbath later on.
The moment a yandere gets mixed into the party, it's an instant dead end.
Before you know it, you'll be marching straight into a tiger dojo with a wooden sword in hand.
I know from experience, and I really, truly never want to meet her again if I can help it.
How did Nagr and that friend of his live with a woman like that for years?
It's still a question I'm deeply curious about, but the important thing right now isn't some useless memory of the past, so let's ignore it for now.
"Back to the serious point. I still oppose the two of you moving as a team. Why do you think that is?"
"Uh, um, well..."
"It's simple. It's inefficient, that's all."
"Inefficient?"
"To be precise, Bell boy, you're nowhere near Lili's level."
"I can't accept that, An-sama!"
At my statement, Lili on the side was even angrier than Bell himself and immediately denied my words.
In a way, she might have seemed so emotionally invested that it looked irrational, but her argument did contain its own logic.
Even I, after hearing her out, found myself nodding unconsciously.
"I see. So you have fire-attribute short chant magic that doesn't require an incantation, and the skill to roam around alone up to the 10th Floor? At that level, it's fair to say you've already mastered the upper floors."
"Yes. In fact, if it hadn't been for Bell-sama back then, I would already be dead and gone from this world. So Bell-sama is more than qualified. No, if anything, the one who's lacking isn't Bell-sama, it's Lili..."
"As if. Even so, Lili, your value is still far higher than this boy's."
"Eh?"
At my words, Lili looked genuinely puzzled.
Seeing that reaction, I let out a sigh first.
I've thought this for a long time, but can't anything be done about that low self-esteem of hers?
It's probably because the world she's lived in has been so narrow and so desperate that it's become a fixed part of her personality.
Maybe if I take her outside the city someday and show her the world a little, she'll get better.
Still, that's not the important topic right now, so let's set it aside.
"Lili, if what you say is true, then Bell boy is already no different from a near-Level 2 adventurer. That's certainly impressive, but from my perspective, that's still all it is."
As I said, so what?
Whether inside the city or outside it, it's incredibly hard for a Level 1 adventurer to rank up to Level 2.
That's true for everyone.
The fact that most adventurers in the city are Level 1 is proof of that.
But once you move from anecdotes to statistics, the story changes.
In Orario, Level 2 adventurers are not all that rare.
In fact, by this city's standards, that's where a true adventurer's journey really begins.
In other words, Bell boy hasn't even fully reached that point yet.
By contrast, Lili is still Level 1, but by traveling with me—no, even before that, by serving as a supporter for many adventurers—she's accumulated a great deal of knowledge about the Dungeon.
Within the range of at least the middle floors, it would be fair to say there's almost nothing she doesn't know about the Dungeon.
On top of that, from traveling together, I've learned that Lili is a very smart girl.
This isn't just a matter of being good at little schemes or anything so simple; at times, she's extremely adept at quick thinking that even I wouldn't have considered.
So if you judge purely by experience, Bell boy is still little more than a beginner compared to Lili.
That's why I judged that the two of them simply belong to different worlds.
"From where I'm standing, Lili, you're already more than capable of doing your part even on the middle floors. Your experience and your mind will make up for your lack of combat power. The only reason that hasn't worked until now is because you've only run into worthless trash who weren't even worth mentioning. My honest assessment is that if you find a partner suited to your level, you can absolutely soar. So for you to keep partying with Bell boy, who still lacks experience, is, no matter how you look at it, a waste of time..."
"I hate that!"
"Li, Li?"
While I was in the middle of explaining my reasoning, I flinched at the force of Lili's spirit.
What terrifying resolve!
You've grown, Lili.
"I... Lili can't do without Bell-sama. If I'm not together with Bell-sama, then Lili has no more reason to go down into the Dungeon. I don't want to go down there. Lili really wants to stay with Bell-sama. I hate anyone other than Bell-sama."
"Lili..."
"I'm truly grateful to An-sama. Before I met Bell-sama, I'd met many people, but An-sama was the first person who treated Lili so kindly to the very end. Because you stayed with me, Lili was able to feel a little less lonely. But..."
Even so, I can't let you separate Bell-sama and Lili.
The eyes of Lili as she said that were incredibly intense.
Those were not the eyes of a girl simply in love.
Rather, they were more like...
"Because Bell-sama is Lili's one and only 'hero.'"
Ah.
I was left speechless.
I couldn't say a single thing in response to Lili's confession.
My head kept trying to form words, but my mouth wouldn't move.
My tongue was silent, as if it had been petrified by a Mystic Eye of petrification.
Well, damn.
At this rate, even I had no answer.
And I wasn't the only one who realized it.
"Looks like you've lost, Magus-kun."
"Hestia-sama?"
"She's fallen that deeply. I still don't like it at all, but I can't simply ignore that child's earnest wish either."
That goes for you too, doesn't it?
"The feeling of 'admiration' toward someone, toward something, is something you understand better than anyone."
As she said that, Hestia-sama was showing the aura of a mature goddess for the first time in a while.
Just like the day we first met.
With the same face she had when she had reached out to me without hesitation back then.
"I don't really get it, but I'm in favor too."
"Tiona?"
"I'm an outsider, but I still understand one thing. Lili, that child's hero isn't An, it's that white-haired boy."
Then instead of stopping her, you should encourage her to do her best.
Saying that, she gently pushed my back with her innocent face.
Honestly.
Everyone here and there, not a one of them understands the worries of others.
"Haa."
In the end, I raised the white flag with a deep sigh.
Fine, I lose. I lose.
Good grief.
So I still haven't escaped being human, huh?
"Do as you like. Just don't regret it."
"An-sama."
"But starting tomorrow, come to my shop every day. Come and learn Magecraft from me. If you learn at least that much, it won't be a pointless waste of time."
"An-sama?"
"From today on, you're my disciple, Lili. No objections. If you hate it, then run away right now."
Still, this was unavoidable.
Thinking about it now, the result had been decided from the very beginning.
How could I, who pursues romance more earnestly than anyone else, possibly stop Lili, who had likewise come to 'admire'—to love—that boy from the bottom of her heart?
As a substitute, if nothing else.
At the very least, I'd feel at ease if I gave this powerless, lovable girl one usable claw or two.
"Sob, huuueee..."
"Tch, the little brat's only gotten bigger-headed."
I soothed the tearful Lili by patting her head.
And so, for the first time, I accepted a disciple.
That girl's name was Lili.
Liliruca Arde.
My very first disciple, finally obtained in my third life.
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