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

Ais opened her golden eyes wide.

The vows engraved deep in one's heart are initially burning hot, but then quickly cool down.

She gazed into the deep red eyes before her, then quietly looked up at the sky above.

"Is that so..."

Ais gently hugged her knees, only looking up at the blue sky.

The wind combed through her long golden hair.

"...I understand."

Ais gazed at the windswept sky and murmured softly.

Although it wasn't a satisfactory answer, she could somewhat understand it.

Bell had said at the beginning that he had a goal.

Just like Ais.

A place that must be reached no matter what lies high up in the distance.

"I also……"

—I also have a long-cherished wish.

He stared intently at the sky, but the words that escaped his lips were drowned out by the sudden gust of wind.

A strong, horizontal cool breeze came from the west.

That was the whistling sound of air currents that Ais, who always fought alongside strong winds, was used to hearing.

She let the wind blow her long golden hair, remained still, and kept looking up at the sky, as if her consciousness had been sucked away by the sky.

“Um, um…”

"?"

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

Hearing the voice beside her, Ais looked back and saw that Bell was in a daze.

She didn't know what was wrong with Bell, so she tilted her head and swallowed back what she was about to say.

Although Ais was puzzled, she didn't ask any further questions and closed her eyelids for the time being.

Although it was just a gut feeling, she believed that the child should be completely unaware of his own "growth".

After this conversation, Ais realized... or rather, was forced to realize, that Bell himself was really just running forward relentlessly.

Because Ais already knew that those deep red eyes were not good at lying, deceiving others, or keeping secrets.

Hearing the boy beside her honestly state what he thought was possible, Ais should have been disappointed, but instead, a smile appeared on her lips.

(...The weather is so nice.)

When the conversation with Bell was interrupted, Ais squinted as she looked at the sunlight falling on them.

The sky is so blue today, with small white cirrus clouds drifting leisurely in the clear sky.

The noon bell rang in the eastern part of the city, its clear chimes and warm sunshine embracing her and Belle.

"Um……"

at this time.

A tiny breath escaped from Ais's cherry-like mouth.

She quickly tried to cover her mouth with one hand, but it was too late.

Enticed by the warm weather, Ais yawned.

"...?"

Bell, who was standing nearby, naturally noticed it as well, and his expression was one of disbelief and surprise.

Ais pulled her raised hand back and pretended nothing had happened, returning to her original position.

Then she whispered to herself:

Oops.

(...So sleepy.)

Bathed in the warm sunlight, Ais's eyelids were about to give way.

She got up too early to train with Bell, and then trained with Rafia in "parallel chanting" until evening. To be honest, she hadn't had a chance to rest at all in the past five days. It seemed like all she did was eat, sleep, and train, and of course, her sleep time was also reduced to the limit.

The biggest problem was that the warm sunshine made her relax.

Even a first-level adventurer is no match for this vicious good weather.

This expression, which he considered serious and dignified—which to others appeared to be just an ordinary, emotionless one—he wondered how long it could last.

After days of heavy labor, Ais was overcome by intense drowsiness.

"Let's practice taking a nap."

"Huh?"

When I came to my senses.

Ais's lips had already uttered those words.

"Because in the dungeon, you have to be able to sleep anytime, anywhere."

"..."

"It's very important to recover your strength in time."

Ais's lips kept talking.

She refused to look at Bell, staring straight ahead, her cheeks radiating a strong sense that Bell wanted to say something.

Ais, who lost to the Sleep Demon, was completely lying through her teeth. She was sweating profusely, but there was no going back. She could only insist that she was doing sleep training.

She clung to a sliver of hope, praying that the innocent boy would believe it to be true.

"Um...are you feeling sleepy?"

Failed.

Ais felt her inner thoughts easily read, and her cheeks grew increasingly hot.

"—This is training."

"Uh, yes."

Ais then unleashed her unwavering determination, pressing her face against Bell's.

Faced with the first-level adventurer's forceful methods, the sweating boy was forced to nod.

The girl raised her eyebrows and brought her face close to the boy, their eyes meeting, both of them blushing.

"Um, um...would you like to sleep here?"

"Um."

Because of her embarrassment, Ais hurriedly took action.

She nodded in response to Bell, then collapsed and lay on the stone floor.

Ais wanted to immediately succumb to the sleepiness that suddenly arose within her, but when she saw Bell stop moving, she asked him what was wrong.

Aren't you going to sleep?

"Ah, okay, okay..."

Bell lay down on her side next to Ais, who was lying on her side.

Ais casually glanced at his profile. The boy looked at her, and for a fleeting moment their eyes met, he hurriedly looked away into the sky.

Just before drifting off to sleep, Ais glanced at the boy who was trying to fall asleep with his eyes closed, and then quietly closed her own eyes.

Consciousness immediately fell into a deep state of light sleep.

◆

She heard the sound of a storybook being read aloud.

I've heard those stories many times before.

She had heard these many happy stories several times.

A mother, as pure as the wind, spoke to her in a loving tone.

The father always smiled awkwardly, looking at the two of them with gentle eyes.

That was my favorite story when I was little (Ais), a story about three people who loved each other.

The story she was telling herself was like a song. When she looked up, she saw a scene of happiness.

Many smiling people surrounded the father, mother, and the young Ais.

A beautiful and kind elven royal, a dwarf about the same height as himself but appearing much more mature, and a dwarf who laughs heartily with his mouth wide open.

There were also orcs, Amazons, and humans; many people surrounded Ais and her companions.

Ais blushed beside her parents, stood on tiptoe, waved, and returned their smiles.

A tender time, an irreplaceable friendship, a cherished haven.

However, this blissful scene abruptly came to an end.

Black mist erupted from beneath Ais and the others' feet.

Dark mist spewed out from the cracked ground, swayed, and gradually covered the world of light.

A dark mass, so dark, so dark, rose from the ground, obscuring all light.

As darkness enveloped the surroundings, the father walked forward from beside the dazed little Ais.

A black scarf, light armor, and a silver longsword.

The father, carrying a gleaming silver blade in one arm, walked toward the stirring darkness ahead.

father!

Ais chased after him, calling out desperately, but the figure never turned around.

As her father's figure receded into the distance, Ais turned around with a mournful face, hoping to call for help—but then, all of them vanished without a trace.

What remained was a vast array of weapons.

Sword, spear, axe, staff, shield.

They were planted in the ground like tombstones, surrounding Ais who stood there motionless.

Ais was speechless, staring blankly around. All she saw was endless darkness, no one, not even her father.

Surrounded by countless silent, destructive weapons, she kept calling out her father's name, people's names, and her mother's name.

Then, a strong wind blew up.

A strong wind whipped up Ais's blonde hair, and when she looked back, she found him in the distance.

That was the back view of her mother, who, like herself, had long, flowing golden hair.

She stood with her back to Ais, confronting something stirring in the depths of darkness.

Before Ais could call out to her, darkness opened its massive jaws.

Countless dark shadows reached out, entangled the mother's outstretched arms, and swallowed her whole.

Tears welled up in her golden eyes.

Then, in front of the crying Ais, a sword was found stuck in the ground.

That broken silver sword was the very one my father had been holding.

Ais drew her rotten sword and ran away.

"--wait for me."

The young Ais transformed back into the Sword Maiden, breaking through the darkness and running ever onward.

The girl called out to her mother's disappearing figure: