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

"Ryu seems to be having a lot of fun lately."

"……Really?"

"Hmm. Sometimes you laugh too. Are you thinking about Belle?"

"Hmm... He is the kind of man who will become Seele's partner. As long as I have his sights on him, I will do everything in my power to train him into an excellent adventurer."

"Ryu, Ryu! Why did this turn into this kind of topic?!"

Liu had this conversation with Xier while washing the dishes.

—Really? Do you enjoy it?

Perhaps it was too rash, perhaps she didn't have the right to do so, but Ryu smiled in a place where no one knew.

The legacy left to her by Ariseh, Kaguya, Lyra, and her companions of the Astrea Familia is indeed circulating. Even if Ryu doesn't realize it, their teachings, rooted in her heart, have been passed on to Bell. Ryu is frankly happy about this. Not only because she can be a helper to the boy, but also because it is proof that Ariseh and the others were ever alive.

While Kaguya, the master of sharp tongue, might not be right, perhaps Lyra and the others feel the same way.

Ryu suddenly noticed that Bell's figure, falling to the ground and getting up again countless times, overlapped with her former self.

"Miss Ryu... seems to be smiling more often lately."

"...Seele pointed that out as well. Although I hate to admit it, I may have the potential to become what the gods call the 'Demon Instructor'."

"Eh!?!?! Is that how it is?!?! No, how should I put it, it's not that kind of weird smile... it's that kind of gentle, sweet smile when you notice something... you know, like an older sister or something, that kind of feeling..."

"Mr. Craney...? Your face seems red, are you alright?"

"Ah, no... there's nothing there."

In the tavern's inner courtyard, Bell shakily stood up, and there were more and more scenes of him smiling shyly with a wry smile. Even the usually serious Ryu would tilt her head in confusion at this time.

"She actually seduced the adventurer, Ryu is such a bad woman."

Seeing Lunova say this while exercising, he grinned mischievously.

"The sexual fetishes of delicate young men are being rewritten~! Ah, what a depraved taste!"

Chloe continued to utter nonsensical remarks as always.

"Meow, I know! This is called 'Youth☆', meow!"

Anya shouted out the words spoken by the gods.

Under Seele's gentle gaze, Ryu still tilted her head in confusion.

Even as time passed, Bell and Ryu's training did not end.

Perhaps it's because there's no constraint of a [Family].

Except for days when he has something to do or takes a break, Bell diligently studies every morning without fail.

Even after crossing the adventure (the Minotaur).

Even after they defeated the giant (Goliath) together.

After dominating War Games, it was the same.

They stayed in the tavern's courtyard, engrossed in their training, which was only for the two of them.

"After that, I received help from Miss Ais...! Ah, since she said it was okay to call her by her name, I started calling her Miss Ais."

"........."

That day, Ryu and Bell, who had started sparring early in the morning, took a short break.

Bel sat on the ground, drenched in sweat, talking excitedly about the name of some adventurer for some unknown reason. Ryu listened silently.

Ryu, who went to the 18th floor to rescue Bell, already knew that Bell had been rescued by the Loki Familia after his ordeal in the "Middle Floor". However, after the War Game with the Apollo Familia, the rabbit—no, the boy's heart—seemed to be pounding wildly.

Ryu stared intently at Bell, who was now all smiles and sometimes chuckled foolishly, organized her thoughts for a moment, and then spoke.

"It seems I've become close to [Sword Princess] without even realizing it... Did something happen?"

"Oh, I see. I haven't mentioned that yet. Actually, before the war game, I was training with Miss Ais on the city wall...!"

In the next instant, Ryu's expression changed drastically.

Unaware of the chaos caused by the sudden news, Bell continued speaking happily.

After making a War Game agreement with her crush (Apollo), Hestia used every favor she could get her hands on—seemingly after much agonizing, she said, "Now is not the time to choose the means—" and then, on her own, she breathed fire—to find a way to bring Ais and Belle together for secret training on the city walls.

Ryu had gone to the 'Shulim Ruins' ahead of Seele and Hermes at their request, so he didn't get in touch with Bell and had no choice but to ask Ais to temporarily act as his 'teacher'.

Having learned a lot from Ais, being allowed to address her by her first name, and even defeating Hyacinthus at the last moment thanks to her advice, Bell ended her story with the expression of a girl who had just experienced a beautiful dream.

(Sword, [Sword Princess]!)

A bolt of lightning struck Ryu's mind.

Unbeknownst to him? The boy who was watching him intently?

Although it's probably not a proper master-disciple relationship? Even so, he still managed to steal away the love interest of the 'student' he cherished and nurtured with all his heart!?

Is this why these "skills" and "strategies" that were never taught to me have been applied to such an unexpected degree during my recent morning practice?

"The boy I cherish has been defiled by another woman, meow~!"

"Is that white-haired guy in heat, meow?! Ryu got dumped, meow!"

Well, after all, an adventurer is a man too~

Even after using "Kodachi: Futaba" to dismember Anya Chloe and Lunova, who were frolicking and meowing in her mind, and causing them to collapse with "Ooh-meow—", Ryu's petrification still hadn't subsided. Ryu's mind and body were subjected to an impact that she herself couldn't fully comprehend.

(I also know a little about the sword and the [Sword Princess]. Although I think she has grown into a beautiful woman compared to seven years ago, I never expected that she would be able to use such methods...!?)

Even when faced with dark factions, great struggles, absolute evil, or various disasters, he only shows up as a battle maniac!

Like a bolt from the blue, various words and images appeared and disappeared. It was at this moment that Ryu experienced what Chloe had called "brain destruction." It was as if she saw her beloved rabbit being closer to someone else than herself.

Even as signs of becoming a complete failure began to appear—if her companions (Lyra) were here, they would probably say, "She's just turned back into the little girl she used to be (Leon)"—Ryu suppressed her wavering with an iron will. The former second-tier adventurer, [Swift Wind], was no mere figurehead.

Staring intently at the boy who was completely oblivious to her feelings, Ryu tightened her trembling lips and asked a question.

"You...you seem to be in a good mood...what are your thoughts on the [Sword Maiden] thing...?"

"Huh...? Didn't I mention that? My goal is to catch up with Miss Ais..."

"!?"

"I have a deep admiration for Miss Ais... Someday, I want to convey these feelings to her."

"!?!?!?!"

Ryu was struck directly by the second thunderous attack!

Having never heard the details of Bell's "target," Ryu's slender fairy (elf) ears twitched as if an electric current had flowed through them.

"...So, you mean you're in love with her?"

"Love, admiration—? Uh, is that so? Ahahaha."

"By the way, what are your thoughts on Seele?"

"Miss Seele, huh? Why all of a sudden...?"

Please answer me.

"Um, that...? ...She's so pretty, she always makes me bento boxes and has helped me a lot...I'll have to repay her someday, something like that..."

"Anything else?"

"No, nothing else?"

"Anything else?"

"...An important acquaintance...? Calling them friends doesn't feel quite right..."

"Does your heart race when you're in front of Fiora?"

"Huh? Yes, yes... my heart is racing..."

Facing Bell, who was shyly smiling and touching his head, Ryu closed his eyes in a sacred atmosphere, like a high priest standing deep inside a church.

When he opened his eyes again, the priest's aura vanished with a snap, and a dangerous wooden stick was erected.

"Mr. Crannie, stand up."

"Miss Ryu?"

"First, I'll take you down quickly."

"Miss Ryu!?"

"And under no circumstances are you allowed to train with anyone other than me."

"Miss Ryu—!?"

Why?! Facing the boy who was screaming in terror, finally succumbing to fear and despair, Ryu pounced with unprecedented speed and crushed him with unprecedented intensity. Absolutely no other meaning. This was training. Undoubtedly, it was training.

Ryu abandoned the tattered Bell and ran out, but immediately turned back to cast a healing spell (Noah's Healing), then covered the area with a blanket from the warehouse before finally leaving the scene.

Leaving the boy, who was rolling his eyes, in the center of the courtyard, Liu trotted along the wooden corridor.

"Seele, this is a serious situation!!"

"Huh!? What, what are you doing, Ryu!?"

Ryu opened the door to the changing room where the girl should be at this time. Seele, wearing only underwear, covered her upper body with her shirt that she had taken off and let out a mournful cry.

Ignoring her flushed face, Ryu pressed on with a serious expression.

"Mr. Craney is a womanizer! And [Sword Princess] is a thief! She's the 'fish-stealing cat' Chloe was talking about!"

"Ryu, do you know what you're saying...?"

Although Ryu himself, with bitter sweat dripping down his face, had an extremely serious expression, the overwhelming smell of a loser made Seele cast a pitying glance at him.

After being scolded and venting her frustration after being changed into her uniform, Liu volunteered to recount what she had overheard in the yard.

She gestured wildly, unusually emphasizing the seriousness of the matter.

Seele's reaction to this was...

"Yes, I know."

"?"

He said this as if nothing had happened.

This was an unexpected answer for Ryu.

"It seems that Mr. Bell was pursuing Miss [Sword Princess] before he met me, so there's nothing we can do about it."

"But... but... if he's in love with [Sword Princess], then what about your feelings...! Seele, do you really think this is okay!?"

Faced with Ryu's unusual outburst of shouting, Seele closed her eyes, just like Ryu had done moments before.

Then she opened her eyelids and smiled sweetly.

"Ryu, do you know what it means to steal someone's love?"

Seeing her confidante (Seele) speaking these words with a beaming smile, Ryu inexplicably took a few steps back.

Obsessive cleanliness! Integrity! Stubbornness! Purity! To a serious elf who is obsessed with these traits, Seele now seems like someone from a bizarre otherworldly realm. She is an existence from a completely different dimension than the enraged Kaguya or a crazed monster.

Ignoring Liu's fingertips trembling inexplicably, Seele glanced out the window and squinted.

"I'm very persistent, so... it won't end like this, will it?"

Persistence. Hearing Seele use this word, Ryu wavered. Or perhaps it should be said that she was shocked.

Although Ryu had been acting strangely since earlier, Seele seemed even more abnormal.

With one hand on her chest, which appeared even thinner than when she was dressed, and her eyes lowered, Seele suddenly resumed her usual wry smile and threw a question at Ryu.

"What is Ryu thinking?"

"Me, me?"

"Hmm. I heard Bell has someone he admires... How does Ryu feel about that?"

"I...I'm fine...I'm just worried about you, Seele..."

"Really?"

At this moment, a gentle, sisterly smile appeared on Seele's face.