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

"Yes, but she's a complete newbie, it's really worrying me~ I'm personally guiding her now!"

(The problem is you got my meal wrong too, you silly cat.)

Runova cursed inwardly at the clerk who served her coffee instead of her tea, and then continued to observe Gale's every move.

The person walked through the store with an unaccustomed gait, and even taking orders for customers was a struggle.

The girl with light silver hair kindly assisted her from the side, and she was able to finish the job with great difficulty.

(Was she trying to shake off her pursuers' disguise, or was she planning to set a trap...? Come to think of it, she was acting way too eccentrically~)

Lunova observed the flustered elf from the side, then took a sip of coffee.

As Lunova gazed at the view alongside the other friendly female customers, pondering what action to take, she found herself in a state of turmoil.

(Why is [Swift Wind] working odd jobs at a bar?)

In the afternoon at the same location.

Chloe, disguised as a messenger, secretly observes the situation inside the bar through the back door and is quite confused by what she sees.

Ahead, an elf who had been called into the kitchen was being reprimanded by the dwarf shopkeeper.

"It seems quite lively inside. May I ask what happened to that elf?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, she's a new waitress... She made a mistake, so the owner is giving her a few pointers."

While handing over the letter from the bar, Chloe took the opportunity to inquire, and the pale silver-haired girl who was handling the situation helped explain with a wry smile. From the word "recently," Chloe became certain that the spirit was [Swiftwind]... but like a certain bounty hunter, she had countless questions about the matter.

(Speaking of that dwarf... she's absolutely terrifying! Judging from her expression, she's really throwing a tantrum.)

The shop owner was furious, and even Chloe, who was standing at a distance, could feel his intense anger.

As for [Swift Wind], who silently endured everything, his expression resembled that of a monk who had been battered by a waterfall for hours.

Even Chloe, who had faced countless death situations, couldn't help but shudder.

"Miss Messenger... are you new here? You seem quite interested in what's going on in the shop."

"...Ah, my apologies. As you said, I'm just a temporary worker. Well then, the letter has indeed been delivered to you."

The girl smiled kindly at Koroi, who had quickly grasped the information about [Gale] and the store's layout.

Koro, speaking in a normal tone, returned the smile, then turned and left through the back door.

Then I jogged through the dark alleyways.

Kroy lowered the front of her disguise hat and said in a fright, "That was really dangerous just now."

"No one in that shop should be underestimated, even the chefs in the kitchen; they all move around very quietly..."

The light silver-haired girl who realized she was observing the situation in the store was also included.

This is the labyrinth city of Orario.

One could also assume they've undergone some training to deal with adventurers or reckless guests, but...

"A bar that makes [Swift Wind] work like a slave... Could that place actually be something really bad, meow?"

Chloe's subtle, ambiguous monologue was absolutely spot on—

"--Haha, how could that be, meow."

Because the idea was too far-fetched, the skilled assassin decided to dismiss it with a laugh.

That's right, she just laughed it off.

○

"Ugh~ I'm exhausted~ Whether it's ordering people around or ordering cats around, Mom doesn't hold back at all~"

Ryu was carrying ingredients, while Anya, a cat person who was also helping to carry the goods, was complaining in a low voice.

Putting aside the comment about ordering around cats, although Ryu didn't agree verbally, she also deeply sympathized with Mia's tendency to order people around.

Several days have passed since Ryu started working at "The Abundant Mistress".

Although she still makes mistakes frequently, she remains steadfast in her position as a submissive bartender.

"Ah, Ryu, you'd better hold onto the basket tightly, meow! If you accidentally drop the fruits and vegetables, Mom will give you another scolding, meow!"

"...I think I should be fine."

"That's a really dangerous idea, meow! Don't you even think about how many times the cat has fallen because of it! The cat is your senior, so you have to listen to the cat, meow! Hmph~!"

Even though wrestling and carrying a vegetable basket are completely unrelated, the cat people still arrogantly corrected them.

After Seele, the person who keeps bothering Ryu is this girl named Anya.

Anya gives the impression of being both lively and naive... calling her stupid would be too hurtful, but in short, she's a little devil. The best proof of this is that no matter how many times Ryu retaliates against her, she still tries to reach out and touch Ryu, only to be sent flying again.

Anya often acts like a senior, but anyone who sees her would think that Ryu understands the essentials better... or so it seems. Objectively speaking, that's probably the case. Even if they're evenly matched.

"...Speaking of which..."

"?"

"You still have that same old long face, meow. Cats know how to describe this situation: it's like you're bringing bad luck, meow."

Anya placed the shopping basket on the table and said this bluntly, leaving Liu speechless on the spot.

This cat-person girl with an empty head—it's hard to say whether this is a strength or a weakness—simply doesn't know how to be polite. Ryu, fully aware of this, was speechless.

Even though she was tricked into working at this bar, Ryu still had a "gap" in her heart. It was probably this feeling that was released, which caused her expression to become so gloomy.

"...I'm sorry to have troubled you."

The reason Anya keeps clinging to Ryu is probably because she's worried about her.

Upon thinking of this, Liu apologized.

Why would cats go to all that trouble for you?

But Anya looked completely bewildered—no, she tilted her head in utter confusion.

"Because...you said my expression looks unlucky."

"It's true that your expression looks ominous, but Mom is definitely good at using magic tricks, so even if you have a lot of worries, you'll forget them all, meow."

Upon hearing Anya's words, Ryu's eyes widened in surprise.

"Have you met May, who works here with you? She's been through a lot too. Back then, she had the same unlucky look on her face as you, but now she doesn't have time to keep looking so gloomy, meow."

The person Anya was referring to was one of the cat people chefs at the bar.

She was even smaller than Liu and the others, and her darting around made her look like a little person. She was often so busy in the kitchen that she let out a scream of "Whoa~!?" and didn't even have time to straighten the chef's hat that was crooked on her head.

"So just let yourself get down, then get back up on your own, meow. Everyone who works in this bar has gotten through it, meow, and I'm sure Ryu will too, meow."

These remarks were both reckless and casual, and completely unfounded.

However, the content of those words made Ryu feel a little more relaxed.

It even made her envious; how easy it would be if she could become like that.

"Did you... Anya also go through this?"

Ryu casually brought up this question to Anya.

"Cats, cats are..."

The girl seemed bewildered.

Her gaze began to wander, her demeanor became very unnatural, and her long, thin tail, which extended from her rump, swayed restlessly.

"Cat, cat, I just remembered I have other work to do! Meow! I'll be leaving now, meow!"

Anya made up an excuse and quickly turned and left.

Despite her seemingly naive demeanor, she also has a hidden past. "I asked something I shouldn't have," Ryu thought guiltily.

"Ryu, now that you're back from the warehouse, come and help us out."

After gazing in the direction Anya had left for a while, Mia poked her head out of the kitchen and shouted.

"Now go wash the dishes. Surely you, clumsy little sprite, can manage something this simple?"

"……I see."

Liu nodded in response to the instructions and obediently headed to the dishwashing area.

After tidying up the pile of dishes, she began to rinse and wash them.

"..."

Liu had changed the water countless times, repeatedly lathering the soap and washing away the grime from the dishes one by one. Then she would take the dirty dishes brought by other employees and continue washing them.

Like a puppet, silently repeating the same tasks.

(Even after listening to Anya's words... what's the point of me continuing to live this kind of life?)

Surrounded by the sounds of wiping dishes and rinsing water in the dishwashing area, Ryu began to ask and answer her own questions.

Mia once said that the only reason a person can live is to be able to eat a good meal.

Even if that statement makes perfect sense, I don't necessarily have to work in this bar. Instead, when faced with unreasonable behavior, I should angrily leave. Once I'm free, I can do what I like.

In fact, if Ryu really wanted to escape from here, he could leave at any time.

However, Ryū did not put it into practice.

Even if the whole thing was a setup, it wasn't because of the elf's inherently sentimental nature that she didn't choose to leave.

For Ryu now, she has long lost her purpose in life and her sense of belonging.

(I have nothing left...)

The emptiness of having completed the revenge mission.

The sense of loss of losing all companions.

These feelings intertwined, dominating Ryu's heart. If she wasn't careful, a shadow would fall over her soul.

Her last source of strength, the goddess Astraea, was no longer in Orario. The one who helped her escape the city was none other than Ryu herself.

Blinded by ugly and selfish reasons, and tainted by the flames of revenge, how could Ryu possibly be qualified to pursue Astraea and try to find a way to live with her?

The home (base camp) that Ryu could return to no longer exists.

(I'm basically using this bar to distract myself from my inner emptiness...)

The work she was still not used to, and the busy work life, temporarily made her forget this feeling of emptiness. And she used the excuse that she had no choice but to drift through each day in a daze.

Facing the truth within herself, Ryu has to admit—

I can't find any goals, I don't think about the future at all, and I still can't let go of the past that I've lost.

Perhaps everything she's doing is just an escape from reality.

If you were to ask Ryu to give other reasons for staying at this bar—

"Ryu, let me help you?"

"..."

Liu stared silently at Xier as she walked toward him.

That's right, it's because of this girl.

She is the main reason why Ryu couldn't bring herself to leave the bar.

"...No need, you don't need to worry about me, just focus on your work..."

"I've finished my work here, so let me help you. Besides, it would be too much work for one person to handle all these dishes."

Seele easily defused Ryu's polite refusal and stood right beside her.

Liu let out a sigh without any attempt to hide it. After spending this short time together, she realized that saying anything more would be a waste of breath.

Finally, the two washed the dishes together in the same dishwashing area.

(Shel Frova...she was the one who held my hand.)

Ryu listened to the bubbles and water sounds that were different from his own, and secretly peeked at the girl's profile.

When Ryu collapsed in the alley, it was this girl who held her filthy hand. Ryu's elven nature was deeply ingrained, and she, who "could not have physical contact with anyone other than those she identified with," did not resist Seele's hand.

(I didn't agree with her...)