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

*

The sun was setting in the west.

The pillar of light that had stood in the sky vanished without a trace.

The world, momentarily bathed in white, did not undergo a cataclysmic change. Only the chaos of the people and the clamor of the gods remained, and the twilight sky returned to the city once more.

The shadow of the white-walled tower swept across a corner of the maze street.

The twilight glow illuminated Finn's golden hair as he listened to a report.

"Sorry, Finn... the waterway was damaged along the way... I can't catch up."

"The winged monsters that descended upon Fengyue Street seem to have entered the underground passage from the collapsed square... and disappeared without a trace."

Vivier

"I see... What about Bell Craney and the Dragon Girl (Vivel)?"

"His whereabouts are still unknown. However, the underground passage where he and the dragon girl (Vivel) fell... is said to have left bloodstains and dust that looks like the remains of a monster."

Listening to what Ais and Riveria were saying, Finn, who had been silent, licked the pad of his thumb.

Ais was quite concerned about Riveria's report. Finn, watching her from the side, nodded and said, "I know, thank you for your hard work." The dwarf leader dismissed them and then looked out at the main road that had once been a battlefield.

"So they still got away after all...?"

He murmured as he looked around at the devastated streets, scarred by the fire.

The Loki Familia help each other with other adventurers to evacuate injured or damaged buildings; soon after, Finn begins giving instructions to his faction members.

"..."

Ais gazed at his figure, looked down at her hands, and then silently looked up at the sky.

The fiery red sunset cast its glow over the city.

Bell remained silent, gazing at the shadowy scene where the setting sun could not reach.

"Winnie, Winnie...!"

"It worked! That's great...!"

Walk forward through the city's underground passage and you'll reach the entrance to the canal.

The place behind the hidden door formed a tunnel, unexpectedly wide, like a space under a bridge. Bell felt a sense of déjà vu, but he couldn't remember where he was now.

Bell, Fels, Winnie, and the "heretics" who successfully arrived at the square hid in this canal that the adventurers had not yet searched.

Ahead, Reed, Gross, and Rey, along with half-human, half-snake, and large (troll) figures, could be seen surrounding Winnie. She was still asleep and had not yet awakened, but the "heretics" wept with joy, trembling with happiness at the safety of their comrades.

"...Fels."

"What's wrong, Bell Craney?"

The magician, like himself, stood outside the circle of "heretics"; Bell asked him:

"Are these the only 'heretics' who have been driven to the ground...?"

"No, we haven't met up with all the 'heretics' yet. You may not have heard, but during the escape from the Loki Familia, some seem to have gone in different directions or gotten separated. They might be hiding somewhere in the city, or..."

Seeing Fels's ambiguous words, Bell fell silent.

In his field of vision, Reed and the others could be counted on two hands. Hearing that Bell and Winnie had left, the "heretics" were still fighting in the labyrinth street; Bell was very worried about their safety.

While Bell was preoccupied with other matters, he glanced at the "heretics" surrounding Winnie.

"Bell Crane..."

Exhausted from casting a powerful "magic spell," Fels leaned against the wall and called his name solemnly.

"May I ask why you seem so downcast?"

He immediately pressed Bell for his state of mind.

Step into the heart of Bell, who gazes silently at the "heretics."

"..."

"Thanks to you, the 'heretics' are saved, that's the truth. Even Winnie is saved. I'm very grateful to you too."

"I……"

Are you regretting it?

I regret the decision you made.

Before he could speak, Fels preemptively asked him a question.

Bell wanted to shake his head immediately, but then stopped and answered with his head down:

"That person... the adventurer wearing goggles, said something to me."

That brutal hunter who had been bullying Winnie and the others for so long.

Bell told Fells what Dix had said:

He called me a "hypocrite".

"..."

The man in goggles had made this assertion to Bell and mocked him.

He said Bell's answer was nothing but empty talk, a pipe dream, and baseless speculation.

They say Bell can't choose anything, he's just a "bat".

—A bat. That's right.

Bell helps the "monsters," but in front of humans, he desperately tries to disguise himself, fearing rejection.

The Loki Familia's hostility towards me.

The magic that one casts at the adventurer.

He remembered all of these.

Bell betrayed everyone and everything simply because he wanted to save the girl.

He became an enemy of the person he admired, and even abandoned his companions at one point.

These actions run counter to the yearning for "heroes" and even betray the teachings of their grandfather, as they are determined to leave all of this behind.

And what awaits them in the end is an overwhelming feeling of powerlessness.

Without the help of Fells, "Heretic," and Ryu, he would never have been able to rescue Winnie like this.

A "hypocrite" who can neither protect nor save anyone.

The man's loud, mocking laughter echoed deep in my ears once more.

"..."

Fels listened to what the boy said with his head down.

He moved his back away from the wall he was leaning against and looked directly at Bell.

"Bell Craney, although this is just my personal opinion... but this is how I see it."

Then he told Bell:

"I believe that only those who are insulted as 'hypocrites' are qualified to be 'heroes'."

These words made Bell open his eyes wide and look up.

"I hope that you will continue to worry, suffer in silence, and feel lost in the future, and then make a decision just like you did today."

"Fels..."

"The decisions made by heroes throughout history have sometimes been cruel, sometimes ruthless, and sometimes unforgivable... but their will is more noble than anything else."

Bell felt that Fels seemed to be smiling again under the dark, congested hoodie.

"The answer you gave, like those of heroes, must be correct, no matter how much you are insulted or scorned."

Fels' words touched him deeply. Bell couldn't answer.

He could only suppress the emotions surging in his chest, and had no time to think about anything else.

"I, stripped of my flesh, come to tell you. I, now only bones and lingering attachments, must tell you."

The black-clad magician, who had lived for countless years, said in his final words:

"Call yourself a fool, Bell Craney."

"..."

"I don't expect anything from others, I only hope that you can consider yourself a fool. The spirit you possess is extremely foolish to us... but in the eyes of the gods, it is irreplaceable."

Fels shifted his body, allowing the figures of the "monsters" to come into Bell's view.

"Mr. Bell, thank you so much...!"

"I'm sorry, Belle... thank you!"

"...Thank you. I'm very grateful to you."

The words spoken by the "monster" who was unable to understand or cherish others, and the sentiment behind them, made Bell's eyes tremble.

He gazed at the dragon girl who was still asleep, his throat trembling.

"Many people, like you, have formed a strange connection with 'heretics' and sympathize with them... but no one has ever risked their life to save them like you have."

Thank you.

This thank you made Bell lower his head.

The sunset, which had dyed the sky red, resembled a giant hand covering the head of the boy who had his back to him.

There's no need to be proud.

It's perfectly acceptable to remain confused.

But never regret it.

Because right in front of us, there are indeed lives saved by foolish hypocrisy.

Bell felt as if the twilight light, through his grandfather's voice, was inspiring him.

Volume 10 Final Chapter: The Cost of Choice

Bell walked down the street as the sun set.

The sky was still fiery red. Bell bid farewell to the "heretics" and headed towards Daedalus Road.

He reluctantly said goodbye to Winnie, who was still asleep, and entrusted her to the others before coming here.

If Bell were seen with that dragon girl, it wouldn't just arouse suspicion. To help the "heretics" forced to come to the surface by circumstances, Fels also joined Reed and the others.

Bell walked with his head down, as if avoiding everyone's gaze.

The Hestia Familia and the Loki Familia should both be on this road in the labyrinth town. Bell couldn't just run back to base without even looking back.

He needed to see for himself what had happened and what the consequences of his actions were.

While walking around the city, no one loudly criticized me, but—the moment I stepped into the maze-like streets, the situation was completely different.

"...!?"

Guild staff scurrying about, wounded people lying on the ground being cared for. Some of the broken walls looked familiar to Bell. When he saw these things and turned pale, those around him began to notice him.

Residents, adventurers, and guild staff all stared at him with piercing eyes.

The silent accusations were directed at the boy who, for the sake of "profit" and to satisfy his own selfish desires, protected and chased after the monster.

"Hey, Bell Craney. Did you get the Dragon Girl's (Vivel's) treasure?"

"What are you doing here so late... The Loki Familia went to such lengths to save people, and you..."

"What kind of adventurer am I... what kind of 'newcomer' am I..."

Soon, the stranger's voice revealed unfamiliar emotions and began to be directed at Bell.

People made no attempt to hide their contempt, and unceremoniously scorned Bell for his indecisive movements.

Hostility, malice, and disappointment.

Bell had never been treated with such negative emotions by a crowd before, and he couldn't help but gasp.