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

He's just randomly picking on someone to vent his anger on.

Liu, who was yelling and shouting, injured herself, and water droplets kept sliding down her cheeks.

She is so pathetic.

How ridiculous.

So stupid it's unbearable to watch.

Ryu was devastated by her own actions and was swallowed up by a vortex of self-loathing.

Her still petite body began to tremble as if she were trying to suppress a sob.

"...What you need now doesn't seem to be the voice of the gods (us), but rather an equal friend."

Soon after, as if she had seen through everything, the nameless goddess spoke these words.

Liu was startled and couldn't help but look up, only to see that unchanging, loving smile.

"We gods are actually surprisingly incapable of doing anything. Even if we could use 'power,' it wouldn't help..."

"I'm sorry." The goddess narrowed her eyes, showing deep remorse, but also a hint of gentleness in her blue eyes.

"I will pray for you, that wonderful encounters will come your way, and that your cheerful smile will dispel your confusion."

She walked over to Ryu and handed her a hastily drawn map.

"If you don't mind, come and take a look. Maybe I can help you."

After leaving those words, the goddess departed from her sight.

Standing there blankly, Ryu held the map from earlier, as well as bread and fruit covered with a cloth.

"..."

No one, out of pure goodwill, spoke up to care for the naive young girl.

Even if they did, Ryu refused them all.

Therefore, this is the first time Ryu has received warmth since visiting Orario.

As the rain gradually subsided, the girl gazed in the direction the goddess had departed for a long time.

*

The city's vitality has seemed somewhat lacking these past few days. Liu felt this way.

For someone who only knew the Elf Village, Orario was a true metropolis, but now there was a vague sense of gloom about it.

This gloom manifested in the unintentional sighs and somber faces of the people, or in the commotion triggered by a scream. At the first sign of conflict, the ordinary citizens of Orario would habitually hide or flee to other places for refuge. Every day, one could see guild officials rushing to suppress the unrest, or groups of people who appeared to be adventurers bustling about.

The city's security is far from good. Wandering aimlessly through Orario, Ryu couldn't help but feel this way about the city's perpetually tense and unsettling atmosphere.

and so.

She coldly thought to herself that she would inevitably find herself in this situation sooner or later.

"You're an elf, right? We already knew that, didn't we?"

"Without the protection of any god, there's no need to worry about powerful backers causing trouble... It's very easy."

In a back alley where no one else was around, Ryu was surrounded by several despicable demi-humans.

Two days after meeting that goddess, Liu's meager travel expenses were gradually running out, and he was slowly reaching his limit in the cheap hostels he stayed in. He was hesitating about whether or not to go to the place marked on the map.

Her indelible racial (elf) pride made her unsure whether she should continue to embarrass herself, but the men suddenly appeared, as if they had planned it all along, and lured her to this place.

Judging from their tone, they must have mistaken Liu, this beautiful sprite from the countryside, for a fat goose and had thoroughly investigated her background beforehand.

"She's somewhere between a little girl (kid) and a woman, and she can fetch a good price in the red-light district."

-- Kidnapping... no, human traffickers, right?

So this kind of criminal behavior is rampant in Orario?

Ryu, a spirit of noble character, felt utterly disdainful. Previously preoccupied with her own problems, this was the first time Ryu had felt such intense indignation.

Through the veil, Liu stared at the cat-man youth who appeared to be the leader of the bandits.

They were probably adventurers who had received "divine favor." Although Ryu, the elven warrior, was far more powerful than the average person, he would likely still have to kneel before them. Moreover, he was outnumbered.

As Ryu prepared to draw her protective short sword and try to escape from the adventurers who were reaching out to grab her—

"—You lot, wait a minute! How dare you commit such a heinous act in broad daylight!!"

A figure appeared with an air of nonchalance.

Ryu and the other surprised men looked over there and saw a human girl in combat gear standing there.

Her beautiful red hair was tied high at the back of her head, then cascaded down her back. That was the "ponytail" hairstyle the gods spoke of. A rapier was attached to the scabbard at her waist.

The green eyes, displaying a strong will, narrowed and looked down at the terrified men.

"Alicie Rofer...!"

"It's you lot again, Jaluo! Don't think your wicked schemes will succeed!"

Perhaps they already knew each other, as the cat-man youth and the girl exchanged names while glaring at each other.

"Do you know what the city residents call you? Thugs, hooligans! You came all the way to Orario but didn't even go into the dungeon and were treated like petty thugs. Don't you feel ashamed!?"

"You, you wretched woman...!"

"—Want to fight?"

It's too late to say.

Just as the young man and his companions were about to attack with murderous intent, the girl's eyes narrowed like swords, and she drew her rapier with lightning speed.

The men gasped when they saw the tip of the silver sword pointed at them.

"Tsk... I'll make you suffer a terrible death someday. Let's go!"

The cat-man youth, his expression contorted in rage, spat and roared furiously.

Left speechless, Ryu and the girl who had put away her weapons were left behind as the thugs dispersed.

"Really, she never learns her lesson... Miss, are you alright?"

Ryu took a second look at the person running towards her.

The other person was a beautiful young woman. Even without speaking, one could sense her cheerful disposition and genuine personality.

As an elf, Ryu appears quite mature for her age, while this person seems to be around the same age as her, but considering that she is human, she should be one or two years older than Ryu.

As Liu stared intently at the other girl, she first tilted her head slightly, then seemed to remember something, smiled, puffed out her thin chest, and placed her right hand in front of her chest.

"I forgot to introduce myself! My name is Alexie Rofer! I'm a beautiful adventurer who's about to reach Level 2!!"

This self-introduction instantly turned Liu's gaze cold.

"W-What's wrong? I-I'm serious! Don't let my appearance fool you, I've attracted a lot of jealousy and envy as a cocky newbie, and I'm getting a lot of attention!"

Ryu turned away without saying a word as the girl hurriedly continued speaking.

Seeing her seemingly ready to leave at any moment, the human girl, Alexie, frowned.

"Miss, you think you can just leave without saying a word? I'm not asking you to thank me, but ignoring me completely is incredibly rude."

"...If you saved me for your own satisfaction, you shouldn't be asking for anything in return."

"I didn't ask you for help." Ryu glanced at the other person and replied.

Ryu would never normally act this way, but having been suppressed by the outside world for so long, she had already exhausted her energy. Most importantly, she was afraid that she would once again slap away the girl's kindness (hand) and incur a reproachful look.

Upon hearing Ryu's answer, Alexie blinked repeatedly, seemingly surprised.

Then, he said something completely uninhibited:

"You're such a loner, young lady."

This sentence……

This instantly ignited Liu's anger.

Along with the feeling of having her sore spot hit, humiliation and anger overwhelmed her.

Her sky-blue eyes turned sharp and piercing as she glared at the other person from under her hood.

"Are you trying to say it's because I'm an elf?"

"Huh?"

The other person's stunned and stupid expression finally made Liu lose her temper, and she roared angrily:

"I—I didn't choose to become an elf!!"

This was the second time she had an emotional outburst since arriving in the city.

She forgot her usual formal way of speaking and vented her emotions in a tone appropriate to her age.

Hah, hah. Her disordered breathing echoed in the back alley.

The two girls' eyes met.

After being loudly defended by Ryu, Alexie let out a "Hmph!" after a while.

She deliberately scoffed at it.

"What are you talking about, young lady? You're so silly."

"Varied……!?"

"No way! I only said that because you're an elf!!"

Then, in a voice louder than Ryu's, she told Ryu decisively.

"Your aloofness, stubbornness, and obstinacy are your own personality traits, aren't they? Don't blame it on your race!"

Seeing Ryu's astonishment, the girl approached her.

She raised her index finger and pointed it at Ryu's eyes, then rattled off a string of words right in front of Ryu:

"There are elegant gentlemen among dwarves, and there are uncouth elves who are simply unbearable! It has nothing to do with race! I'll just say it straight, young lady, you're really lame!!"

Ryu felt as if he had been slapped in the face.

Every word the girl said deeply shook the depths of her heart.

Liu was speechless, her heart filled with turmoil. She felt as if everything she had done since arriving in Orario—including her outbursts of anger towards the goddess—was being condemned.

After listening to the girl's sincere advice, Liu Cai was finally able to accept his mistakes.

"...You're right."

After a long silence.

Liu said this in a low voice.

"I'm a despicable person, blaming all my misfortunes on my race... I'm so naive."

At some point, Ryu started blaming all her problems on her elven nature and could only lament the injustice of fate.

Feeling lost and confused by the world outside their hometown, they became emotionally unstable and resorted to incoherent shouting and cursing.

She admitted that she was terribly wrong and was so ashamed that she wanted to disappear.

Liu's gaze fell on the paved ground at her feet, and she couldn't lift her head.

"Oh my, you're brave enough to admit your mistake. Most people would either be furious or absolutely refuse to admit it. ...You may be aloof, but you're very honest. No, I should say you're very well-behaved."

Faced with Ryu's reaction, Alicia said as if her anger had subsided on the spot.

"—However, I really like people like you."

Then she smiled.

Seeing the genuine smile on her face, Liu looked up with wide eyes, unsure of what to do.

What an incredible girl.

A red-haired girl whose hair contrasts beautifully with the clear blue sky above her.

Ryu had never seen such a person before.

"So you've fallen for my correct theories too! Hmph, as expected of me!"

...It seems to be one of her traits that she always says an extra word.