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

"Faced with the menacing monsters, she risked her life to protect Flanders."

"..."

"The book says that Flanders was more heartbroken than anyone else when he held the remains of the fairy, so he built this Great Fairy Hall."

The mural on the ceiling depicting knights, fairies, and saints describes the scene at that time.

"Flanders of Water and Light" is a story that ends in tragedy.

The knight who pioneered the "Ancient Cave" and contributed greatly to protecting the "Fortress," the predecessor of Orario, suffered greatly in his later years due to the sins he committed. This large church, dedicated to the fairy he loved, is tantamount to proof of Flanders' sins.

At the same time, this story also wants to express that both humans and fairies can be changed by "love".

If Flanders hadn't chosen the saintess but instead married the fairy, perhaps no one would have sacrificed themselves. Of course, it's also possible that the saintess would have brought about the destruction.

There is no so-called correct answer.

But I believe that this fairy coffin, which is still protected to this day, is everything that Flemish people thought was involved in building this great temple.

"Even my favorite heroes sometimes fail, unable to protect those they cherish... But I think this group wanted to use their stories to warn future generations not to make the same mistakes, reminding people never to give up until the very end. Um, in the end, I don't even understand what I was trying to express... Anyway... um~..."

"...Hehe, Mr. Bell, please rest assured, I understand why you brought me here to visit."

Miss Seele smiled as she watched me tell a story so eloquently but fail to wrap it up properly.

"Whether it's the story of the Great Hall or other heroes, it all stems from you, Mr. Bell."

"Um... I hope that's really the case."

Miss Seele gazed at the altar and uttered these words with deep emotion.

Although I didn't manage to show off until the very last moment, thankfully I did manage to satisfy Miss Seele.

Perhaps deep down, I hope she will also come to like this place.

If I had to say which place I'm better at describing than others, it would probably be places related to heroes.

"Ah, but I have a question."

"What questions do you have?"

"Why is this grand hall named after a knight? Usually, it's named after the person being worshipped, right?"

Facing Miss Seele, who was tilting her little head, I readily explained the situation to her.

"Actually, the fairy who was with Flanders never revealed her name until the very end."

"what?"

"In the legends, she is only mentioned as a water sprite...that's why this great sprite hall is named after its builder."

Another possibility is that the Great Hall actually had another name, but later generations, based on its construction background, felt that the name Flemish was more appropriate.

"He didn't say... his own name..."

at this time.

Miss Seele stood there, stunned.

It seemed that after listening to my explanation, he was completely lost in thought.

Her pale gray eyes seemed to be looking elsewhere, her thoughts drifting far away.

"Why...why won't the fairy reveal her name?"

"what?"

"Does she think that revealing her real name...and uncovering this secret, will ruin everything?"

Miss Seele stared straight ahead and murmured her thoughts.

The gaze fixed on the altar seemed to be questioning the celestial being who lay sleeping in the coffin.

The dazzling yet reluctant sunlight streamed into the room through the stained glass windows, falling on Miss Seele's face.

I couldn't help but hold my breath.

Faced with this question, which felt like talking to myself, I was completely unable to provide an answer.

He was so captivated by her profile that he couldn't bring himself to call out to her for a long time.

"Mr. Bell."

"W-What is it?"

"What would Mr. Bell do if I became strange?"

“…Huh?”

"If I were a fairy sleeping in a coffin, experiencing sadness, anger, or even the urge to harm others for some reason... what would you do?"

This is truly a baffling metaphor.

I couldn't imagine Miss Seele like that, and was speechless for a moment.

But I didn't think too much about it and just blurted out the answer.

"...I will stop you to prevent Miss Seele from hurting others."

I spoke my heartfelt words to that profile that still gazes ahead, never once looking at me.

"So that Miss Seele doesn't hurt herself in the process of hurting others."

This declaration echoed quietly within the grand hall built by the knights.

This place of worshipping the immortals does not allow any lies to exist, so there is not a trace of falsehood in my heart.

Miss Seele slowly opened her lips after hearing my answer.

"Is that all?"

"what?"

"Won't you blame me?"

"Huh? Huh?"

"Won't he just hold me tightly in his arms, whisper in my ear, 'You're such a naughty little kitten. To prevent you from causing any more trouble, I'll be keeping a close watch on you. You'd better be prepared, hmph,' and then take me home?"

"I would never do that!!"

Do you think I'm some kind of sentimental man?!

Even though it would disrupt the serious atmosphere of the main hall, I couldn't help but shout it out.

Several reproachful glances immediately shot towards me for yelling. They came from guild staff, adventurers, and goblins, startling me so much that I quickly stood up and bowed in apology.

After I sat down again, feeling embarrassed, Miss Seele chuckled beside me.

What a waste, I answered the question so seriously...

"Mr. Bell is so kind."

Miss Seele said this to me when I was being difficult.

Then something touched my shoulder.

I saw Miss Seele tilt her head to the side and rest her head on my shoulder.

Our shoulders were pressed tightly together.

Miss Seele then placed her hand over my hand, which was originally resting on my thigh.

These actions left my mind completely blank.

"Ah~ I can't help but fall in love with you."

Next.

Her murmur, those words, might just be something I misheard.

I could feel my body temperature rising rapidly.

I felt a burning sensation deep in my chest. I couldn't make a sound, and I even forgot how to breathe.

This time, I looked straight ahead.

I can't look away from the warmth that's right beside me.

Her light gray hair, falling with her movements, gently scratched my neck.

However, Miss Seele simply kept her eyes closed, a gentle smile on her face. I could understand her just by her breath.

She even had the illusion that her own heart was pounding wildly, completely drowning out her own calm heartbeat. People often say that when two people are close together, they can hear each other's heartbeats. I wish I had the energy to just laugh it off and say it's just superstition.

The light streaming into her temples was inexplicably dazzling, yet it didn't make her feel uncomfortable; I only felt that the sunlight I shared with her was very warm.

As time goes by, many people pass by us.

Some people gazed at the altar, while others secretly observed us.

But to me, those things seemed to happen in another world.

In this quiet, cold yet warm hall, there were only the two of us.

Time passed slowly, and during that time, all I could feel was the other person's presence.

This blissful time, devoid of any words, was abruptly ended by the solemn tolling of bells overhead.

"Huh...! A bell...?"

How long have we been sitting here?

When I came to my senses again, the sunlight streaming through the stained glass window had been tinged with bright red.

The clock tower of the Daishodo Temple serves as a reminder of the approaching dusk. It seems the sun is about to set.

Miss Seele looked up from my shoulder as if waking from a dream. To hide the embarrassment that had only just surfaced, I quickly got up from my seat.

"Miss Seele! I've already made a reservation at the restaurant! Although I still need to be careful not to be discovered by the Freya Familia members, well, it's better to get there as soon as possible...!"

Now I have no energy left, and I have completely forgotten my master's teachings, so I said this loudly.

No, I can't handle the feeling I just had; I can no longer pretend to be calm.

In order to avoid thinking about what had just happened, I even saved the effort of trying to dodge the question and desperately tried to put the wavering in my heart to the back of my mind.

After hesitating for a while, I finally reached out my hand.

Miss Seele looked up at me with her big, watery eyes.

Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, I felt my cheeks burning. After a while, she finally smiled gently.

"OK."

Her soft, delicate hand once again overlapped with mine.

As we passed through the entrance gate, the sun was already setting.

The festive clamor, which we hadn't felt in the main hall before, once again enveloped us.

As if reminding us that the Goddess Festival was not yet over, the sounds of people and the melodies of musical instruments continued to drift through the air.

The setting sun bathed the town in a golden hue, evoking images of abundant wheat swaying in the breeze.

"Hey there, young man and lady! Welcome to check out our products!"

"Um……?"

We left the entrance and walked a short distance.

A male orc who had set up a stall in a corner of the square in front of the Great Hall suddenly called out to us.

These are open-air stalls where various ornaments are displayed on cloaks laid out on the ground.

"You were just visiting the Grand View Garden, right? Would you like to buy some gifts? I also sell matching accessories for couples like you!"

"—A pair of jewelry?"

Miss Seele took the bait immediately!

"Let's go take a look, Mr. Bell!" Before I could stop her, Miss Seele hooked her arm and pulled me over.

As soon as we approached, the werewolf youth, adorned with various silver ornaments from head to toe, began his smug introduction.

"I'm Gordon, a master craftsman! I have unparalleled confidence in my silver jewelry making skills, and I have a complete range of pieces to suit your taste!"

"Oh oh~~"