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

"Who are you...?"

Bert stood up, and a few steps ahead of him, *thud!* The Amazonian girl landed gracefully on her feet.

If she had taken just one more step forward, Bert would have kicked her away with his silver boot (Frosvelt); however, the girl was completely unaware of this, and her previously beaming smile was shattered upon hearing it.

"Huh—! Have you forgotten!? I've always kept Bert Roca in my heart!"

"I don't even know an Amazon like you. Stop giving me that crap. And don't you dare call people by their names like you're some big shot!"

"That's so mean—! You've done such terrible things to me!"

Bert openly expressed his displeasure at the girl who wouldn't listen to him.

This guy is incredibly noisy, but in a way different from the silly woman (Tiona). He's probably what the chief god (Loki) calls a "hyper."

No, maybe she's just too excited?

Because you saw me (Bert)?

Thinking of this, Bert raised one eyebrow.

Bert had no recollection of her appearance, but her shrill, puppy-like barking triggered his memory.

"You bastard, you wouldn't happen to be one of the Ishtar Familia members I fought in the port city (Merlen)...?"

"Hmm! Right, right, right! Do you remember now!?"

The girl with sparkling eyes nodded repeatedly.

At that time, Tiona, Tione, and Ais were caught up in the ritual disturbance of the [Kali Familia], so Bert and the others rushed to the "Port City Melon" located outside the city to rescue them.

When Bert dealt with the Ishtar Familia, who were colluding with the Kali faction, and defeated the frog woman (Friline) by using "beast transformation," an Amazon girl (woman) recklessly swung her scimitar, attempting to slash him from behind. At the time, she was disguised, and Bert did not see her face, only remembering that he delivered a heavy punch to her abdomen.

I remember someone calling out to the girl back then, her name was...

"Lina! My name is Lina Tally! Don't forget this time, Bert Roca!"

Lina, the girl who helped Bert fill in the gaps in his memories, introduced herself with a broad smile.

"Oh! Right! Bert Roca, I heard you were fighting with Aisha and the others!? Ugh—! How could I be late—!? I completely missed it—! What a pity—!"

It sounds like Lina originally planned to drink with Aisha and the others at the "Flame Bee Pavilion." As she said, when she arrived at the tavern late, she heard her companion, who had been beaten to the ground, describe what had happened, and then hurriedly chased after Bert to find him... That's probably what happened.

Seeing her busy with her hands covering her head and shouting, Bert deduced the general situation.

(But I don't understand... what's wrong with this brat?)

Lina giggled at him as usual, just like a puppy, which made Bert frown.

Bert knew he was a "jerk," and he was used to it. It was commonplace for him to accept others' malice and ill intentions with ridicule and then retaliate tenfold.

But this girl was different; she clearly harbored "goodwill" towards Bert.

She is a kind-hearted person, but she is especially feared within the Loki Familia, and many members keep their distance from her.

"Hey! Bert Roca, wanna go for a drink?! If you don't want to go back to the tavern where Aisha and the others are, we can go somewhere else just the two of you!"

...I must say, the distance is incredibly close. Incredibly close.

What's wrong with this guy?

"Hey! Get away from me! What the hell are you?!"

"I already said my name is Lina, Bert Roca!"

"Who's asking you that! Are you saying I already told you not to call me by my name!?"

Seeing Lina calmly reach for his right arm, Bert's roar echoed emptyly in the deserted back alley.

Bert simply couldn't understand why this guy would be so fond of him. If he could elaborate, to quote the chief god (Loki) again, it was what's called "Yoho~! Maximum initial favorability!!"

"We've only met a few times, why are you pretending to be so familiar, you Amazonian brat!"

"What can I do? I've fallen in love with you!!"

Bert was about to shake off Lina's hand when he heard this and stopped on the spot.

His wolf ears twitched uncontrollably as he stared intently at the girl before him.

Lina's eyes blazed with passion as she looked up and stared intently at Bert.

Her amber eyes, resembling those of Bert, and her pupils, like orange pearls, displayed the allure of a woman caught in the throes of first love. Specifically, it was the gaze of an Amazonian woman who had spotted her prey.

(—Hey, stop joking around!)

Bert was very familiar with the expression on the woman's (Lina's) face.

This is the look on the Amazons' faces as they seek a "man," the same kind of look as the fierce warrior (Tione) who chases his beloved (Finn) to the ends of the earth.

A shiver ran down Bert's spine.

"I've changed ever since I met Bert Roca in the port city (Merren). Ever since that piercing gaze of yours, my whole body has been burning up!"

Amazonians are attracted to strong "men".

The Amazonian heart is fascinated by the "male" who defeats it.

Bert, recalling the troublesome nature of the women, had a stiff, twitching face along with the tattoos etched on it.

That very night in the port city (Mellen), Bert truly defeated Lina utterly. It was practically an instant kill, thanks to the incredibly powerful iron fist that came with his "beast transformation."

—This guy's in heat!

Unfortunately, Bert correctly understood the situation.

Ignoring his stunned expression, Lina exhaled warm breath and placed her fingers on his delicate chin.

"Then, the moment I got punched in the stomach, I felt it... I thought to myself, this is fate..."

At this moment, Bert did indeed feel a chill.

不懂什么叫做腹部挨揍就坠入情网，亚马逊人脑子有毛病。

"...Even though the order is messed up, let me still confess! Bert Roca!!"

The next instant, Lina suddenly looked up, spread her arms, and jumped.

"Bert Roca, I love you!! Let's have a baby!"

Just as the girl was about to hug him, Bert realized in a moment of clarity that he had clenched his fist and swung it out.

"Hello!?"

The answer to a once-in-a-lifetime confession—a right straight punch, imbued with all his strength, pierces the girl's abdomen.

Lina's body bent over and fell onto the stone floor. *Thud!* Bert heard the sound and snapped back to reality.

"Uh, hey... are you still alive?"

Oh no, I accidentally used too much force because it was so disgusting.

Thinking of the power that even a first-level adventurer would secretly cry out in pain, Bert couldn't help but feel a little worried, however...

"Hoo...hoo-ho, hoo-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho...! My belly just got a really good pounding...! This is the second time...! I'm definitely pregnant now...!"

(This guy is so adorable.)

Bert immediately stepped back.

Lina pressed her exposed navel with both hands, trembling on the stone floor, becoming an object of fear. Saliva dripped from her smiling mouth, further fueling the mad and evil aura.

Bert, who had conquered countless battlefields without ever retreating, was experiencing this feeling for the first time.

"...Not a single Amazonian is normal."

"Ugh, ugh... Eh~, that's not true at all. We (Amazons) are just facing our instincts (our selves) honestly."

Upon hearing Bert's dismissive and low-voiced words, Lina swayed to her feet like a departed soul.

Seeing the girl clutching her stomach, tears welling in her eyes, yet still smiling, Bert felt a chill run down his spine and glared at her coldly.

"I just gave your buddy a good beating!"

"You're so cool! You're even more amazing than Aisha and the others, you're absolutely captivating, I've fallen for you all over again!!"

This guy is hopeless.

Bert realized that taking this guy seriously was pointless, so he turned his back to her and started to walk away.

"Ah! Wait for me!? Where are you going!?"

"Go to the hotel to sleep, don't come with me."

Seeing the girl chasing after him with an air of entitlement, Bert continued forward, spitting out a word of disdain.

Lina, whose long black hair bounced and danced in the air, tilted her head slightly upon hearing this.

"A hotel...? Not headquarters?"

Bert really wanted to smack his lips in anger; he cursed himself for being so foolish as to let it slip.

"Could it be... you had a fight with your fellow members of the [Family]!? I bet you're currently homeless!? Am I right, am I!?"

So annoying.

As Lina circled around to the front of him, jumping and shouting excitedly with the most disgusting movements she'd made all day, Bert wanted nothing more than to punch her again.

"Then come to my place! There's a bed there, enough for two people!"

"No way! I'm free to spend the night wherever I want!"

"But Bert Roca, do you have any money? Hotels in the downtown area are all very expensive, aren't they?"

Upon hearing Lina's words, Bert stopped in his tracks and realized that he had made his second mistake.

Oh no, I'm out of money.

The small bag of compensation money that Bert threw to the shopkeeper at "Flame Bee Pavilion" was all the cash he had on hand.

You can earn as much as you want in the dungeons now, but... honestly, it's too much trouble.

To put it another way, Bert has no one he can call a friend except for his [Family], so there's no one to bother him. Bert is actually... well, unsurprisingly, the most disliked person among adventurers.

Whether it was because she noticed Bert's mood, Lina quickly and silently moved closer:

"Hey there, sir! Lina's got you covered with a fantastic hotel! Don't be scared, though—the room's completely free! Plus, we've got a free cute prostitute (pretty girl) for you to enjoy all night long!"

(This guy actually said he's cute...)

The Amazonian girl was seducing him like a brothel girl, and Bert looked down at her with no interest whatsoever.

Seeing those expectant, bright eyes, like orange pearls, just as Bert was making up his mind not to go no matter what... a glint flashed in Lina's eyes.

"And if Bert Loca refuses to come to my door, I'll storm the Loki Familia's mansion! I'll say Bert Loca assaulted me—!"

"What...!? Don't be ridiculous! What does this have to do with the [Family]!? You dare go and I'll kill you!"

"I'd be willing to die at the hands of the man I'm infatuated with!"

Unexpectedly, the other party made a threatening remark, and at this moment, Bert couldn't help but feel anxious.

Normally, such threats wouldn't hurt, but frankly, the timing is terrible. If everyone misunderstands and thinks Bert assaulted a girl while drunk, Bert's reputation within the faction will be irreparably damaged. Tiona or Raul will look at him like he's a garbage bug. And they can't actually get rid of Lina.

What's frightening is that this young woman dared to say she wanted to kill the largest faction in the city (Loki's Familia), completely disregarding how much trouble her own faction would be in. This attitude of doing whatever it takes to satisfy one's desires might stem from the Amazons' instinctive nature.

A fierce sense of resentment and frustration arose spontaneously.

Bert growled furiously, finally groaning through gritted teeth:

"...This is a one-time exception. I'll stay at your place tonight, but you're not allowed to do anything strange again!"

"Yay!!! Relax, relax, I won't use that trick to force (threaten) you anymore!"

"Hey, what did you say?!"

"Explain yourself!" Bert yelled, but Lina didn't care and immediately started jumping up and down.

The girl, her cheeks flushed pink, grabbed Bert's arm and left.

"Alright! Let's go! I'll take Bert Roca to a place even better than the hotel!"

"Hey, wait a minute! Stop clinging to me!? Let go of me—!"

★

The two struggled and fought for several tens of minutes.

Lina took Bert to the fourth district in southeastern Orario.