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

Lefia also erupted again.

"Aphrodisiacs?! How come you have such a thing on you?! Isn't this a misunderstanding?!"

"No, no, no!? No, that's right, but it's not like that at all!?"

"What nonsense are you spouting! Let me see it!!"

"Wait! Please wait a moment, Miss Lefia!?"

Bell was completely distraught, crying and screaming; Rafia tried to snatch the medicine to confirm the truth.

Ais was at a loss. The two of them pulled each other violently in front of her, and as a result, they slipped.

"ah."

With a dumbfounded scream, the container slipped from Bell's hand.

The container flew up to the girl's head, and the reaction force caused the lid to come loose... As if submitting to fate, the contents splashed out.

The next instant, *splat!* Lefia was splashed all over her head and face…

...Aphrodisiacs.

"ah--"

Bell's face turned deathly pale, Ais was speechless, and Phil Weiss froze.

Tiona and Tione were also half-opening their mouths.

"........."

Lefia's hands, which were about to grab Bell, fell limply to her sides.

The red liquid flowed over the girl's beautiful, thick golden hair and her remarkably soft skin.

Soon, a scent identical to the peculiar odor spreading through the red-light district wafted over. It was the strong scent of a pitiful young girl… a scent that a fastidious elf should never emit.

All light vanished from Lefia's eyes, replaced by an unfathomable darkness.

"You, you—"

The trembling elf girl let out her loudest roar of the day.

"—You're the kind of person who—!!"

"—I'm so sorry! ahh ...

Bell made a hasty retreat, fleeing from Lefia who was roaring in anger.

He picked up the aphrodisiac that had fallen to the ground and dashed away like a fleeing rabbit. The elf chased after him, running at an unparalleled speed.

"Rei... Refia!"

"Argonauts—!?"

Ais and Tiona's shouts couldn't catch up with them. Leaving behind the stiff-faced Tione, Philweis, and Angie, the two created a tremendous gust of wind.

The boy and girl disappeared into the shadows of the labyrinthine street.

★

Having lost sight of Lefia, who had transformed into an angry sprite, Ais and the others gave up on reuniting with Loki and the others.

The group hurriedly searched for the girl and boy's whereabouts.

It wasn't until the next morning that the group found her.

They safely rescued the elf who had failed to catch the rabbit and was so sad and heartbroken that she was weeping alone.

"What on earth happened...?"

Seeing Lefia nestled in Riveria's arms, crying and screaming, Loki said this.

For the sake of the girl's reputation, neither Ais nor Tiona could tell the truth, and could only awkwardly look away. The vice-captain of the elven royal family stroked her thick golden hair again and again to comfort her, sighing repeatedly.

On this day, a young girl from the Loki Familia, bearing deep wounds, retreated from Daedalus Road.

"F-Finally escaped... Miss Lefia, I'm so sorry...!"

Another adventurer, dragging his battered and bruised body, left Daedalus Road.

The boy ran around all night, and finally managed to escape the maze street. The blinding morning sun burned his pupils, and he felt the preciousness of life.

However, the boy was unaware of this.

Who knows if, after this, the anxious goddess will see him return home in the morning?

Unbeknownst to him, the musky scent emanating from his body, and the fact that the used bottle—which had spilled out and contained less than half of the "aphrodisiac"—became the final push, causing the goddess to look at him with disdain, as if he were looking at scraps of paper.

He had no idea that the goddess would order him to kneel for a long time and then give him a long lecture.

(Aphrodisiacs... How could he have that kind of stuff on him?)

Later, the boy went to explain things to the distraught Ais and the heartbroken Lefia, and even kowtowed repeatedly to apologize.

The Chronicles of the Kinship Episode: Ryu completely destroys the number one casino!

The Taiwanese version is from the Kingdom of Light

Image source: Otonashi

Scan image: Wind

Input: kid

Photo editing: Riko

1

"A 'lavish hostess'? Forget it, I advise you to stay away from those kinds of bars."

In a dimly lit and lifeless bar—

A disheveled human male was drinking ale in a corner of the shop.

"Indeed, the drinks and food there are delicious, and the staff are all beautiful women, which is very pleasing to the eye... However, it is expensive, and if you dare to cause trouble while drunk, you will be kicked out immediately and end up being sent to a hospital for treatment."

The voices of the surrounding customers were both deep and gruff.

Amidst the clamor of boisterous laughter and roars, the man skillfully rocked the old wooden chair back and forth, making creaking noises.

"...Hmm? You're asking who'll kick you out? That's obvious, it's the women who work in the store!"

On the round table was a plate of dried meat. The man grabbed one of the pieces and took a rude bite.

The man, whose facial scars had only recently scabbed over, smiled faintly, made chewing sounds, and said:

"That's the last place for lowly people like us to go, especially with that dwarf shopkeeper... Ugh, just thinking about her sends chills down my spine!"

The man, seemingly trying to hide his trembling, raised his glass and took a large gulp.

The noise from the other guests, who were also drinking ale, spread like ripples on a lake.

The man, who had been chugging alcohol like water and whose face was flushed, slowly revealed a smile and said:

"However, if you are truly destitute and have nowhere else to turn... going to that shop, ordering a drink, and then crying and complaining might be a good way to get by."

Upon hearing this, the other person couldn't help but ask for the reason.

The man smiled and replied.

"There are always these busybodies there. Among that group of outstanding women, there's one woman who's as strong as a demon, rigid by nature, and a clean freak—a beauty like a true elf..."

The man suppressed a laugh, as if mocking, yet his shoulders trembled as if he were filled with fear.

He raised his head and whispered as if he didn't want others to hear:

"In this labyrinthine city, there is a strange spirit who still holds onto an outdated sense of justice."

If you have any difficulties, you can try going there.

Maybe we can get help?

After saying this, the man raised his glass again and continued to immerse himself in the ale.

2

A whooshing sound came from the dawn sky.

The occasional piercing sound, resembling a grass flute or a bird's song, shook the silent darkness with a melody created by the gust of wind whipped up by a wooden sword.

The moon has already set in the distance, and the rising sun has yet to appear in the corner of the town.

There was a slender female elf wielding a wooden sword that was almost as long as she was.

Her movements wielding the wooden sword contrasted sharply with her slender limbs, displaying both agility and sharpness. She began with a precise, downward slash, followed by a twist of the sword, unleashing an upward thrust and a kasaya-slash comparable to a master swordsmanship technique. Such formidable swordsmanship would surely terrify anyone who faced her, leaving them pale with fear or scrambling to escape.

Every time she swung the wooden sword, her light green hair would flutter in the wind.

The outfit, which flows in the wind to complement the movements, consists of a short-sleeved top paired with shorts for easy movement.

Her porcelain-white skin looked even more striking in the dim sky.

"...Is it time yet?"

Finally, with an even sharper slashing sound, the elf—Ryurion—ended his morning training, repeating his sword-wielding practice.

She squinted, gazing at the sunrise that painted the eastern sky white on the other side of the majestic city wall, letting the morning air cool her slightly sweaty and supple body.

This is Orario, the labyrinth city, the only metropolis in the vast Nether that possesses an underground labyrinth, thriving because of it, and renowned as the "center of the world." Ryu is a waitress employed by "The Abundant Mistress," one of the bars in Orario.

Liu always gets up very early in the morning.

Although the bar always starts preparations for opening early in the morning, Ryu has developed a habit of practicing with her wooden sword well before dawn, much earlier than the opening preparations. Even now, after leaving the adventure industry, she hasn't neglected her training.

It's probably because before she arrived in Orario, she often found herself in various dangerous environments as an elven warrior, which made her never forget to continuously hone her skills.

(...This kind of self-training should be done through such straightforward and repetitive practice.)

The bar's courtyard, enclosed by a wooden fence, is quite spacious. This area, originally slated for other buildings, now looks like an empty lot, with some sections paved with flagstones.

In the center of the courtyard, where the bar's warehouse was also built, Ryu looked down at her slender arms, which had stopped sweating.

"I feel like something's missing..."

The whispers uttered from her lips were Liu's most genuine feelings.

She once invited a colleague who was confident in her abilities to practice with her, but there was never a second time. The reason seemed to be that she hadn't mastered the control of her strength.

In their words, it's like saying, "You silly little elf."

Ryu knew she often went too far.

Recalling that past reprimand, Ryu couldn't help but sigh.

"...Next time, I'll try inviting Mr. Craney."

Ryu looked up at the dim sky and uttered the name of an adventurer.

The other person was a human boy he had only recently met—or rather, two months ago. Even though he was still very young and had many immature aspects, he was growing at an astonishing pace, both in reputation and strength. After many twists and turns, Ryu inexplicably began to admire him.

The boy seems to have some goals as well, so there might be a win-win situation regarding training together.

Thinking of this, Liu suddenly shook her head violently.

—No, I can't abandon Seele and do such a thing.

That boy was her friend's sweetheart and her future partner.

Knowing this, inviting him to private morning practice could be considered a breach of friendship. At least, that's how Ryu, being naturally conservative, saw it.

Ryu had no other intentions besides training, but even so... whenever her friend (Seele)'s face appeared in her mind, a feeling of guilt would immediately well up in her heart.

Liu suppressed her feelings of regret and walked towards her assigned bedroom in the detached house.

Now I need to tidy myself up and change into my uniform.

Today, I'm working as a bartender again, and a brand new day is about to begin.

The sunrise, bringing light to the sky, crossed the city walls and gradually illuminated the entire city.

●

"The Abundant Mistress" is still thriving today.

This is a three-story building constructed of stone. Resembling a high-end hotel with a back-of-house area, this bar is constantly bustling with customers due to its location on West Street. During the day, its clientele is mostly female citizens, while in the afternoon it caters to adventurers returning from the dungeon. This strategy of catering to different customer groups at different times of day is proving very popular. The menu and prices change between day and night.

They charge exorbitant fees to adventurers who earn a good living.