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

After hearing this, Phil Weiss nodded and walked forward.

After creating enough distance, she caused a white magic circle to bloom beneath her feet and chanted an incantation.

"[The Holy Grail (the goblet), transforms into a shield] —"

Lefia's eyes widened as Philwis unleashed her "magic" in a super short incantation.

"—The Holy Grail of Gods, the Salvation Grail!"

Accompanied by the powerful and high-pitched name of the magic, a dazzling light appeared in the sky.

The pure white circular barrier seemed to symbolize Phil Weiss's noble spirit.

Even with only a small amount of "magic," the barrier still reached a radius of over five meters and emitted a sparkle.

That was the holy radiance that protected Lefia and the others from the monsters on the 24th floor.

"...Miss Philweis, this is...?"

Lefia gazed at the beautiful white light, momentarily lost in thought.

The Shield of Protection was imprinted in Lefia's eyes, and she asked her fellow elves, now freed from the spell, in a daze.

Phil Weiss lowered her outstretched left hand and slowly turned her head.

"This is called the [Holy Grail of the Supreme Gods]... It's a 'barrier spell' activated from a very short incantation. It can block all kinds of attacks, whether physical or magical, protecting the sorcerer and their companions."

A protective magic that wards off evil spirits and demons, and protects those you care about.

After explaining the effects of her magic and the incantation, Philvis smiled at Lefia.

"Lefia, I entrust this magic to you... I hope you will return alive."

Seeing the pure white girl's smile, Lefia's eyes welled up with tears.

Having accepted her gentleness and protective power, Lefia replied with a smile, tears streaming down her face.

The elven girls, with their azure eyes and crimson pupils, locked eyes, as if exchanging heartfelt sentiments.

On this day, Rafia made great progress in learning "parallel chanting".

They obtained Philweis's barrier magic, the Holy Grail of Gods.

◆

“Wa ...!”

The boy screamed and fainted.

Knee Pillow.

“Wa ...!”

The boy fainted again.

Another knee pillow.

“Wa ...!”

The boy lost consciousness again.

The lap pillow makes a comeback.

"Gurgle!?"

The boy's screams soared into the sky and were sucked into the heavens.

The sky was clear and cloudless, and the sun, high in the sky, shone its light on the entire bustling city, bathing the city walls in warm sunshine.

The distant noise of the city below drifted in like gentle ripples. Bell rested his head on Ais's lap, and Ais stroked his bangs, gazing absently at the sky.

On a sunny day with a gentle breeze, Ais squinted her golden eyes.

(Still, I couldn't control my strength properly...)

Ais turned her gaze back to the face of the dizzy, unconscious boy, and became dejected.

Three days until the "expedition," the fifth day of training.

Bell consulted with Ais, saying he wanted to train all day, and Ais agreed to his request, immersing herself in simulated battles with the boy from early morning. While Lefia was training with Philvis in the maze, she was also diligently instructing the boy.

The sad thing is that the situation is obvious: Ais has knocked people unconscious so many times.

"I can't be like Finn and the others..."

Ais whispered dejectedly.

It's all my fault for being so bad. Belle goes without saying, and Ais also felt guilty towards Lefia for missing a day of training; in fact, she was ashamed to face her.

The scabbard of the beloved sword (the sword of despair) lying on the stone slab to the side reflected the sunlight, gleaming brightly.

(but……)

Ais seemed to understand somewhat the smiles on Finn's face when he guided and trained her—smiles that seemed to radiate boundless joy.

What does it represent?

It is through setbacks that it grows.

Strikes make it shine.

Just like a blacksmith forging iron, he trains a person by striking them... transforming their form and gradually making them shine.

Those who are taught by students may be able to experience the joy of this kind of education.

Because the boy's "growth" was obviously rapid, even Ais could feel this joy to some extent... that's how it felt.

Even when faced with towering mountains, the white rabbit never slept or rested, but earnestly kept running towards the peak. Ais watched him, not even realizing that she was smiling.

She naturally reached out and stroked her white bangs with her fingers.

"..."

Ais waited for Bell to wake up, and soon he slowly opened his eyes.

His deep red eyes stared blankly at the blue sky directly above.

Perhaps because he had just woken up, the boy sat on his lap for a while in a daze... Suddenly.

Ais craned her neck and peered over to see his face.

"Are you okay?"

"...Oh!?"

Ais's face appeared in the center of his field of vision. Bell let out a strange cry and got up.

He scrambled away from Ais's supple thighs, stood up in the middle of the stone floor, and looked back to find his face completely red.

Since the second day of training, every time Bell fainted, Ais would let him lie on her lap.

This behavior originally stemmed from that period of mental exhaustion, but now it has become something I do without any reason, lying down without hesitation.

Ais had nothing to do after Bell fainted, and she felt bad about leaving him on the cold stone slab. Also, Ais felt comfortable doing so.

Doing this calmed Ais down, as if relaxing the tension in her shoulders. It was as if something Ais had lost while focusing solely on fighting had returned to her embrace; it was a tender moment.

Perhaps startled, Bell became timid and hesitant. Ais looked at him with confusion, patted her knees, and seemed to say, "It's better not to stand up suddenly."

Bell blushed and shook his head vigorously at Ais's suggestion.

"How are you feeling?"

"……fine."

Ais beckoned Bell, who was standing there in a daze, to come over and sit next to her, while she stole glances at his profile.

Bell faced forward, refusing to look at Ais. His face was still red, and he repeatedly pressed his back against the low wall behind him, which reached his chest, and then separated it again.

Ais, who had just taken a short rest, hugged her knees and looked at Bell with concern, their shoulders almost touching.

"Um, have I made even a little progress?"

"...Why do you ask that?"

"No, well, it's because I keep getting knocked unconscious lately..."

Bell faced forward and spoke as if he had made up his mind.

His voice was a bit high-pitched, but since he rarely started talking outside of training, Ais was both surprised and happy.

Ais's lips relaxed slightly as she stared intently at him, frankly stating her opinion.

"You've changed... I was quite surprised."

"Uh, well, but..."

"You fainted... probably because I didn't control my strength well."

"No, that's not true!"

Ais became increasingly sad and depressed as she spoke.

As her eyelids slowly lowered halfway, Bell, who had been facing forward, turned to her, eager to deny it.

Ais's small shoulders slumped, and she thought to herself that she had recently come to understand something.

Bell Craney is really just an ordinary teenager.

When troubled, they panic; when sad, they feel frustrated; when something embarrassing happens, they feel pathetic; and when something happy happens, they blush and laugh.

They are innocent and sincere, but sometimes they are also proud and want to show off.

He was an incredibly ordinary child, not at all like an adventurer who would easily pursue wealth and fame, or harbor dreams and ambitions.

A mind, spirit, and inner qualities that cannot keep up with physical abilities are not the "capacity" of an adventurer, and certainly not enough to be the "capacity" of a hero that he himself has said he aspires to be.

He was just an ordinary, kind-hearted, and innocent boy trying to encourage the frustrated Ais.

"..."

Because the boy was like that, Ais found him both adorable and perplexing.

How could someone who isn't exactly an adventurer achieve such dramatic "growth"?

Ais herself understood very well.

Driven by his "growth," I became stricter with him day by day.

The reason why Bell fainted again and again was because his growth was significant, and Ais was unable to properly adjust the force of her attacks.

The boy moved forward with a speed that made up for his poor efficiency.

Witnessing all of this up close forced Ais to recall her original purpose.

The secret to a teenager's "growth." The possibility of reaching greater heights while still not fully understanding everything.

The more she learned about Bell, the less she understood the root of his "growth" that contradicted his qualities.

Ais was confused and hesitated for a long time before her lips trembled.

"...May I ask you something?"

"what?"

She stared intently at Bell's face.

Ais knew her expression had become extremely serious, and she asked the boy:

"How did you become so strong all of a sudden?"

"Become stronger...?"

This was Ais, who wasn't good with words, asking with all her might.

In contrast, Bell was so startled he almost rolled his eyes, as if he had been asked a question that had absolutely nothing to do with him.

Ais knew very well that doing this was too reckless, tantamount to exposing the boy's secret, but she really hoped that the boy would tell her.

Perhaps her wish was conveyed to Bell, because he, who was initially panicked, seemed to begin to seriously consider certain things.

After a moment, he carefully chose his words and said:

"...Uh, there's someone I really want to catch up with. I've been desperately chasing after that person, and without realizing it, I've grown into who I am today, and then..."

He stole a glance at Ais, blushed, and stammered out his innermost thoughts.

"...I think it's because there's a state I desperately want to reach, no matter what."