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

Upon seeing the Loki Familia arrive, the adventurer guests, as usual, changed their expressions and began to whisper among themselves. However, Tiona and the others paid no attention and took their seats.

Ais also felt many eyes staring at her face, but she didn't react and ignored them.

She was already used to the curious looks from others.

"...?"

Unwittingly, she sensed a gaze that was different from the one around her.

I can't quite put my finger on it... it's just a straightforward look in my eyes. There's no hint of sarcasm in it.

Although she was concerned, Tiona and the others kept urging her, so she stopped pursuing the matter and sat down in the chair.

"Alright, everyone's worked hard on the dungeon expedition! Today's the feast! Let's drink!"

Loki stood up and led the toast, followed by everyone clinking their beer glasses together. The atmosphere among the group members gradually warmed up, and Ais also slightly raised her glass to toast with Tiona and the others.

The staff led Ais and the others to seats in a corner of the restaurant. Next to them, through a window, was an outdoor seating area with easy access. The food and drinks served were all delicious, and the group members naturally reached for their food more quickly. The refreshing fruit wine and herb-roasted chicken, in particular, were absolutely exquisite.

"Commander, let me pour you some wine. Please enjoy."

"Well, thank you, Tione. But you've been getting me drunk at an unusually fast pace. What do you plan to do to me after you're drunk?"

"Hehe, I didn't mean anything by it. Here, have another drink."

"This woman is always the same..."

"Whoa—, Grace—! Let's have a drinking contest—!"

"Hmph, fine, I'll show you what I'm capable of."

"By the way, the winner gets the right to do whatever they want with Riveria Mimi as a prize!"

"Even the little ones want to participate!"

"Me too! Me too!" "Me too!" "Me too!" "Hiccup. Ah, then I'll join too."

"Commander—!"

"Lady Rivera..."

"Let them say what they want..."

Amidst the chaotic commotion of her companions, Ais maintained her own pace while eating, though it was obvious she would be affected. Perhaps slightly tipsy, they had all lost their self-control. The usually polite junior members, seemingly hoping to cheer Ais up—seizing this opportunity to strengthen their bond—offered her a glass of wine, leaving her in a dilemma and prompting a slight, bitter smile.

"Alright, you guys. Stop forcing Ais to drink."

"...Eh, Miss Ais, don't you drink alcohol?"

Fortunately, Riveria stepped in to help, but Lefia, who was sitting on the left, asked her a question.

When Ais didn't know how to explain, Tiona, who was constantly stuffing food into her mouth, tilted her head back and gulped down a mouthful of her drink.

"Hmm... Pfft. Getting Ais to drink will be a hassle, won't it—?"

"..."

"Huh, what does that mean?"

"To say she can't drink, or to say she's drunk and outrageous, is an understatement... Loki almost got killed by her once."

"Tiona, please... stop talking."

"Haha! Ais's face is so red—!"

She blushed and lowered her head, only to be pressed close to Tiona from the side. The flustered Lefia and the incessantly laughing Tiona amused Ais, who also lifted her flushed face and smiled slightly.

Whether inside the restaurant or at the outdoor seating area, the atmosphere grew increasingly lively. The drinks and food were devoured in no time, and the waitresses moved with even greater efficiency.

The surrounding guests also laughed continuously, and everyone had a very pleasant time.

"By the way, Ais! Tell everyone about what happened to you!"

After a while, just as everyone was having a great time talking about the expedition with Loki at the center.

Sitting diagonally across from Ais, Bert, who seemed somewhat drunk, urged her to tell him something.

Ais looked at him, who was in a good mood, and tilted her head.

"That's the one! On the way back, a few Minotaur escaped! Didn't you take care of the last one on the 5th floor? The one where you met Tomato Boy back then!"

Ais understood what he meant.

I rescued that white-haired boy myself.

"Are you referring to the Minotaur that attacked us on the 17th floor, were repelled, and then immediately fled as a group?"

"That's them! I don't know what miracle made them keep running up to the upper levels, catching us completely off guard and making us chase them for ages! We were on our way back, exhausted, and they were still pulling this trick—"

Tiony confirmed it, and Bert slammed his beer glass on the table, nodding as he did so.

His tone of voice was more excited than usual, which gave Ais a bad feeling.

Loki and the others listened attentively as Bert recounted the situation in detail, and then uttered these words:

"And then, there was this kid over there who was obviously a newbie, a spineless adventurer!"

—Stop talking.

Ais reflexively murmured to herself.

"It's hilarious! He was cornered against the wall like a rabbit! He was trembling all over, it was so pitiful to see, and his face was even twitching!"

"Oh? What happened to that adventurer? Was he rescued?"

"Ais chopped the Minotaur into pieces at the last second, didn't she?"

Ais didn't know what kind of expression she had right now.

She didn't know how to describe the anxiety deep in her chest. Why was her mood so disturbed? She asked the white-haired boy from yesterday, a figure etched in her mind.

She overlapped her young heart with that cherished memory (dream) with the boy's, and asked herself a question.

"As a result, that guy got completely drenched in that stinky cow's blood... and turned as red as a tomato! Hehehe, ouch—, my stomach hurts so much...!"

“Wow…”

Tiona frowned and groaned.

That alone broke Ais's heart.

"Ais, you did that on purpose, didn't you? Please tell me, you did it on purpose...!"

"...No."

Faced with Bert laughing so hard he was almost crying, Ais could only manage to squeeze out these words.

The other guests chuckled as they overheard, and kept biting Ais's ear.

"And what's more? That tomato boy actually ran away while yelling like a ghost... Pfft! Our princess saved someone, but scared him away instead!"

"……laugh."

"Hahahaha! That's really interesting—! Ais, who scared the adventurer, is so cute—!"

"Heh, heh heh... I'm sorry, Ais, I just couldn't hold back anymore...!"

Everyone around burst into laughter.

Lefia, Loki, Tione, and everyone else couldn't help but burst into laughter.

She felt as if a large hole had opened up around her.

Only when you are abandoned will the world drift further and further away from you.

"Ugh, oh dear, don't give me that scary look! It makes my cute face look ugly—?"

When Tiona leaned closer to look at her face, Ais really wanted to ask her a question.

What kind of look do I have in my eyes right now?

What kind of look could I give for that boy (dream)?

"But I haven't seen that kind of coward in a long time, and it really bothers me. He's a man, yet he cries so much."

"...Oh dear—"

"It's so awful. Honestly, if you're so prone to crying, you shouldn't have become an adventurer in the first place. It's disgusting to look at, isn't it, Ais?"

The hand resting on the lap under the table was clenched into a fist.

Suddenly she sensed a gaze, and when she turned her eyes, she saw Riveria silent, staring at Ais with one eye closed.

Ais noticed that among the people around her, she was the only one who remained silent on the surface, and her mood was becoming increasingly unhappy.

"I feel that those kinds of people lower our standards, and I really want them to behave properly."

"Have you babbled enough, Bert? Letting the Minotaur escape was our mistake. We should have apologized to the boy who was caught in the crossfire, instead of using it as a topic of conversation at the dinner table. You should know what shame is."

Riveria looked away from Ais, her eyebrows furrowing in anger.

Hearing her calm, reproachful tone, Tiona and the others, who had been laughing heartily, awkwardly looked away, but Bert still wouldn't give up.

"Oh—oh—, as expected of a great elf, so noble. But what good does it do you to support such a hopeless fellow? It can only be used to cover up your own failures and make you feel good about yourself, right? What's wrong with calling trash trash?"

"Hey, Bert, Rivera, both of you, stop talking. The wine's tasted awful."

Loki couldn't stand it and tried to mediate, but he still spoke rudely.

Provoked by Riveria, Bert's overly strong sense of self completely flared up. He made no attempt to hide his mockery and turned his gaze back to Ais.

"Ais, what do you think? That coward who only trembles in front of you actually calls himself an adventurer just like us?"

"...I don't think he was to blame in that situation."

"What, stop pretending to be innocent... Okay, let me ask you another question. Between that kid and me, which one would you rather be paired with?"

Finn was somewhat surprised by the forceful question.

"...Bert, are you drunk?"

"Stop nagging. Hey, Ais, hurry up and choose. As a female, which male would you rather wag your tail with, and which male would you rather have sex with?"

Only at this moment did Ais develop a clear sense of disgust towards Bert.

Without hesitation, she chose the boy in her mind, rather than the young man in front of her.

"...All I know is that I absolutely do not want to be with Bert, who says such things."

"What a disgrace."

"Shut up, old woman. ...What if that brat dared to tell you he likes you or loves you to your face, would you accept it?"

"..."

The excitement was dampened by a bucket of cold water.

She can't do that.

impossible.

Ais didn't have the energy to care about the weak.

She couldn't stop for those far behind.

Ais's eyes were always looking forward, towards the heights.

Ahead lies a wish that must be fulfilled.

Ais can no longer return to her former weak self.

"Ha, of course not. Someone weaker, cowardly, hopeless than you, someone with all the drive but no results, has no right to stand beside you. You wouldn't agree even without anyone telling you."

"A minor character is not worthy of Ais Wallenstein."

After he said those words that Ais couldn't deny.

Then,

A figure stood up in the corner of the store.

"Mr. Bell!"

As the female shop assistant shouted, a boy rushed out and ran towards the outside of the store.

As the girl caught up, Ais's eyes clearly saw the boy's face.

(——)