by Fujino Omori
“D-does Sir Bell know of this? Have you told him nothing?”
“That boy couldn’t keep a secret to save his life. If anyone pressed him for information about his Rare Skill, soon everyone would know. In this case, it’s better to keep them in the dark…And it’s not like he’d ever say it’s all thanks to being lovey-dovey for Wallensomething!”
Mikoto and Hestia’s conversation passed right through her ears.
It was as though her spirit was disconnected from her body. All sorts of thoughts and emotions coursed through her heart, but her arms and legs stayed unnaturally still. Her heart was ripping through her modest chest.
Lilly took an unsteady breath and said the words she just couldn’t keep down. “L-Lady Hestia, c-can you accept…this?” Even as she stuttered, she questioned her goddess.
She knew that Hestia had feelings for Bell that went beyond a deity’s love for her children. Would she allow this situation to continue? That was her question.
“…Bell himself said he wanted to get stronger. He made his decision. I couldn’t bring myself to stop him once I saw how badly he wanted it.”
She couldn’t douse her child’s determination. Lilly was taken aback by Hestia’s words.
“But that doesn’t mean I’ll let her have him! Never, not in a million years! One of these days he’ll notice me; I’ll make him notice me…!!” Hestia clenched her fist, trembling.
Their goddess’s public declaration made Welf and the others lean away out of reflex. At the same time, Lilly looked over at Haruhime.
The renart could feel her clinging gaze. Haruhime, dressed in her usual kimono, avoided making eye contact, glancing left and right before finally down at the floor.
She brought her hands together above the billowing fabric around her chest.
“I-I have lived as a courtesan…I have no right to pursue romance with Master Bell.”
“…”
“…B-but as his concubine—no, as a one-night stand, surely even one such as I…!”
“HEY, HEY, HEY!”
The former courtesan’s face turned red as she unwittingly loosed a bombshell into the circle. The goddess rose up, thundering with all her might.
“M-my deepest apologies!” Haruhime squealed, hiding her head behind both her arms.
“Did you actually think I’d let that slide?!” continued Hestia, her booming voice echoing throughout the room.
While Hestia and Haruhime’s banter went on for some time, Lilly was isolated in her own little world.
Bell had someone special.
She had never seriously thought that there was a chance she could be by his side, but the shocking news still cut deep. Lilly was speechless that the boy’s feelings were strong enough to create a Skill. She could only stand there, listless.
Lilly returned to her room shortly after that evening’s events, completely forgetting to take a bath. She collapsed onto her bed right away but stayed wide awake, unable to sleep.
She stared at the ceiling of her room, her brain working at full speed. Her heart would twinge every time she closed her eyes. Even rolling over into a more comfortable position did nothing but make the sound of her rustling sheets hang in the air of her spacious room. Other than that, the room was silent.
Time crawled by as her thoughts clashed with the emotions in her heart. At long last, she climbed out of bed.
The darkness of night was coming to an end. Lilly left her room without a wink of sleep in the very early hours of morning.
“Laughable…”
Robe draped over her usual clothes, she closed the door behind her and berated herself with a tired expression.
She scolded herself over and over for getting worked up about something so trivial as she walked through the long hallway.
All members of her familia had rooms on the third floor.
There were times when Welf would spend the night cooped up in the forge, but for the most part, all of them slept up there.
Hestia’s room was the first one at the top of the central staircase, then came Mikoto and Haruhime’s double room. Welf’s room was a few doors down from there…and finally Bell’s. Lilly’s feet came to a stop for a moment outside his door, but she thought better of it and decided to get a drink in the kitchen.
The first hints of sunrise were beginning to seep through the windows as Lilly lethargically made her way through the hallway…Whoosh! Whoosh!
The sound of something sharp slicing through the air came from a window above the garden outside.
“!”
She quickened her pace and followed the sound all the way to the window.
She could barely see over the windowsill when she stood on tiptoe. Once she looked down—a white-haired boy appeared.
She panicked and quickly ducked down to hide herself, even though she knew it wasn’t necessary. A few moments passed before she ventured another peek.
Her eyes peered over the windowsill once again, and she saw Bell’s violet and scarlet blades carving arcs through the air. He was practicing by himself.
Whoosh! His knives sliced through the air, trailing streaks of light and producing the sounds that had lured her to the window.
…Is he…fighting someone?
The boy launched his body, twisting and jumping at a furious pace all around the expansive garden. Every move flung droplets of sweat off his body. Lilly could tell he was visualizing an opponent and fighting as hard as he could.
That, and that his invisible opponent was terrifyingly strong.
Lilly had had many opportunities to watch adventurers at work up close and personal. Her insight as a supporter told her all this.
The boy was already a second-tier adventurer, and yet he couldn’t keep up with the opponent in his head.
Ahh…He lost.
The boy came to a sudden, unnatural stop.
With his knives in an awkward position, almost like he was trying to block an oncoming attack, his upper body was leaning backward as though there was a sword against his throat. He held that position for a few moments before he let out a “Gah!” and finally took a breath, crouching down.
Hands on his knees and a small river of sweat flowing down his face, Bell’s shoulders rose and fell as he tried to catch his breath.
“…”
Bell’s white hair stuck to his wet cheeks and his shirt was soaked through. Lilly could tell that the boy had been practicing for a long time before she showed up. She continued to watch in silence.
Who was he fighting just now? Aiz? He’d been getting up this early to train every day to catch up with her? There was no one to answer her questions. Lilly stood there like a statue, forgetting to breathe while pondering.
The boy stood back up and started practicing once again.
The intensity of his strikes showed her the level of his devotion, in a very blunt and direct way. The longer Lilly watched him, the more thoughts began to stir in the back of her mind.
Turmoil, uncertainty, anguish, and a host of other feelings mixed together. She could practically hear them breaking her apart from the inside.
That day, everyone met in the morning to go into the Dungeon, as usual.
Having cleared the fifteenth floor the other day, they decided to go on to the sixteenth. The familia was on a roll and progressing at a good pace. The rest of the group was in high spirits, but a dark cloud was roiling inside the one wearing an oversize backpack, and it showed.
“…Lilly, are you okay?”
“!”
Before she knew it, Bell had dropped back to the middle of their formation when he noticed she was hunched over and dragging her feet. He watched Lilly with clear concern.
“You look really tired…Are you sick?”
“L-Lilly’s feeling fine, Mr. Bell! Lilly didn’t get much sleep last night, but see? It’s nothing to worry about!”
She forced a smile, putting on a well-rehearsed show. It was a skill she had developed during her time as a thief, a sm
ile that could put someone at ease. Now she employed it to convince Bell nothing was wrong. It seemed that Bell was not convinced, but the appearance of monsters cut the conversation short, and they prepared to attack.
That was too close! What am I doing?! Lilly scolded herself again.
They were in the Dungeon. Even the smallest lapse in concentration put her and her party in mortal danger. Keeping a careful eye on the flow of battle between her allies and the monsters, Lilly focused on her breathing to keep her mind clear.
That’s right. Lilly is Mr. Bell’s…supporter.
But knowing the person whom Bell adored the most had shaken her to the core. Lilly was starting to wonder what Bell thought of her.
A support specialist. The object of unmasked contempt. A simple laborer for other adventurers.
Lilly’s individual abilities did nothing to help the party. She didn’t have the strength to put herself on the front lines to defend Bell, like Welf and Mikoto. Never mind standing beside him, she could not even follow from behind.
During her time as a thief, the adventurers she stole from had always called her “useless,” with demeaning grins. All those memories were coming back. On the surface, her iron will let her put on the mask of the ever-dependable supporter. But underneath, Lilly’s emotions were in chaos.
“…”
The Crozzo Magic Sword clenched tightly in her grip, Lilly was ready to unleash its power at any moment. Glancing to her side, she saw Haruhime nervously twitching while watching Bell and the others fight.
Haruhime held the same position as she did, working as a supporter. The big difference was that she could use a powerful spell.
Level Boost. A type of Magic that brought out amazing strength and speed from any adventurer it was cast on. With that spell at her beck and call, she could do more as a supporter to directly assist the party. Haruhime was worth far more than Lilly.
Not to mention that the renart was gorgeous.
Her bushy, golden fox tail and long, silky hair aside, Haruhime possessed soft, delicate features that Lilly could never compete with. Even the aura of purity that surrounded her might give the Sword Princess, Aiz Wallenstein, a run for her money.
And her breasts were…impressive.
When Miss Haruhime…
If she gained more experience, would Lilly be deemed unnecessary? Would she lose her place before she ran into the obstacle of Aiz Wallenstein?
Before that happens, should I…stop training Haruhime as a supporter? Or should I follow through as a teacher?
That’s when Lilly realized where her train of thought was taking her—and vigorously shook her head.
“Lady Lilly?”
“…It’s…nothing.”
Haruhime had taken her eyes off the battle and was now focused on her. Lilly barely managed a perfunctory reply.
Why am I so shallow?! She felt sick to her stomach.
Calling herself horrible names, Lilly fell even deeper into the darkness.
Compared to the other women around Bell—she was nowhere near as pretty as Hestia, Eina, Syr, or Haruhime.
Her heart was unclean. She was so desperate to look good in front of others. She wasn’t right for Bell, a pure, naive child who knew nothing of the real world.
In the end, this pain, all it really is…
That’s right. To put it bluntly, Lilly had an inferiority complex. She couldn’t compare with the girl whose beauty was in the league of goddesses and could make Bell blush just by talking to him.
She was beautiful, strong, refined. Many adventurers, not just Bell, idolized Aiz Wallenstein. Lilly could never win against her even if heaven and earth happened to switch places. Knowing this caused her pain. An inferiority complex told her she would lose at every turn. Her adversary was a flower in bloom at the top of a mountain—the place where Bell was always looking. She would never enter his line of sight.
Lilly could never become Bell’s one and only.
That burning truth had kept her awake through the night and brought her to the brink of despair. Tormented by her jealousy and thrown for a loop by her emotions, she was disappointed in herself.
“…”
The battle had ended, so Lilly and Haruhime set to work on collecting the magic stones and drop items from the monsters slain by Bell and the others. She picked up a magic stone from the floor of the dark Dungeon. The reflection of her small face on its surface made her heart cringe.
“In that case, is it safe to assume you made it to floor sixteen today?”
“Yes. We still don’t have a good grasp on the layout, but we can hold our own against the monsters without too much trouble.”
I arrived at the Guild before dark. The blue sky’s still visible outside the windows as I talk with my adviser, Miss Eina.
Our party came back to the surface and visited the Exchange at Babel before we went our separate ways. I’m sure they’re back at home by now. But I decided to come here on my own and give a report on how everything went.
There were two reasons why we came back a little bit earlier than usual. The first was that we had collected an unusually high amount of loot in the Dungeon. Lilly’s and Haruhime’s backpacks were filled to the point of overflowing, so it would’ve been difficult to bring any more back to the surface.
And the second…was that Lilly didn’t seem like herself.
“I couldn’t be happier to hear you’re making progress. Just don’t push too hard, okay?”
“I’ll be careful, Miss Eina.”
She really seems glad to hear that we were staying safe despite all our progress in the Dungeon. Her short brown hair sways back and forth around her pointy elf ears as she smiles back at me.
We finish discussing everything at the counter rather than going to the consultation box, so we say our good-byes, and I turn toward the exit.
“Lilly…I wonder what happened.”
It wasn’t just in the Dungeon, either. Lilly hasn’t been her usual self since breakfast, now that I think about it. She put up a strong front all day, and it’s making me worry.
I cross the Guild’s white marble lobby as I continue to think about my companions.
“Bell Cranell.”
“Huh?”
Someone calling my name snaps me out of my train of thought, right as I’m about to leave Guild Headquarters.
It sounds like a boy about my age, maybe a little younger. I spin around to find him—and my eyes shoot open as soon as I see the person standing behind me.
Light golden hair and a small stature.
With a face like his and a body that size, he could pass for a kid, but nothing about his appearance matches the mature aura emanating from him. No, this is definitely a top-tier adventurer.
Words leave me the moment I make eye contact with the prum.
“Finn Deimne…?!”
I can’t hide my surprise that the leader of Loki Familia is calling out to me.
“Sorry to stop you like this. I’m not here to cause trouble, so please try to relax.”
Finn smiles, completely calm. Meanwhile, I’m stiff as a board and can’t stop shaking.
But there’s something soothing about Finn’s smile. It loosens me up a little bit, but I’m still in awe of this top-class adventurer who stands at the very peak of Orario, basically above the clouds. Trembling, I finally respond.
“Umm, wh-what can I do for you…?”
“Why so nervous? We met during the Minotaur battle, back on the eighteenth floor, so this isn’t the first time, yes? I’ve been waiting for a chance to talk with you properly. Unfortunately, contacting you in the usual way would cause a few inconvenient misunderstandings…Sorry, but I had no choice but to wait for you here.”
Hestia Familia’s gained some notice almost overnight thanks to the War Game. Finn explains to me that our quick rise to fame caught a lot of attention, so knocking on our front door was out of the question, no matter how much he wanted to say hello. Doing so as a member of Loki
Familia would have led to many troublesome misunderstandings, so Finn was trying to be low-key.
“Actually, I snuck away from my subordinates,” he adds. It’s only then that I realize many girls have gathered around us. He’s the center of attention.
“He’s so small!” “What a cutie!” “So cool!” Their voices echo throughout the busy Guild lobby. He forces a smile and looks up at me.
“I have a bit of a favor to ask. If you’re not busy, I’d like to sit and talk with you for a while. What do you say?”
Of course, I have no reason to say no.
Finn and I leave Guild Headquarters and take a series of backstreets to reach a café called Wish in Orario’s southwest district.
“A young elf magic user told me about this place,” Finn says as he leads me through a series of repeating narrow passageways to the front door.
This is actually my second time here. Lord Hermes brought Mikoto and me here not too long ago, but I haven’t been back since. I follow Finn inside, and we take seats on opposite sides of a table in the quiet café.
“As this is a secret meeting between the highest-ranking members of two familias, I would like to request we keep what is said confidential. Agreed?”
“Y-yes…!”
We’re the only ones in here, with the exception of the café owner, an elf behind the counter. Being all alone with such an amazing adventurer would make anyone nervous. Finn takes a sip of the tea he ordered, ignoring all my anxious fidgeting. He casually starts the conversation.
“For starters, I would like to congratulate you on your victory in the War Game. I watched the whole thing, and I must say I was impressed. Also, congratulations on the formation of your familia.”
“Th-thank you!”
My body takes over, and I involuntarily bow the moment I hear his sincere praise.
This prum hero just complimented me…I think this is a serious honor. Even being singled out to talk face-to-face with one of the most famous adventurers in Orario doesn’t feel real.
Finn smiles and watches me with his clear blue eyes. My heart is trying to leap out of my chest with nervousness, but I’m also really happy.