CHAPTER 4
BELOVED BODYGUARD
“Welcome back, brave adventurers. How can we assist you today?”
Should adventurers ask for advice on how to improve the efficiency of their Dungeon prowling, the young women respond in bright and cheerful voices.
“Right away, good sirs. I will inform your adviser, so please wait in the consultation box.”
The girls’ eyes sparkle admiration every time an adventurer comes to report a Level Up.
“Congratulations. Level Two…Your advancement to third-tier adventurer is now official. Keep up the good work and may good fortune smile upon you.”
Should the adventurer’s true motive be to invite one of the lovely young ladies out for dinner that night, they smile from ear to ear while politely turning him down.
“If you don’t have a pressing need, please allow others to the counter.”
And whenever a newbie adventurer stands in front of the Dungeon entrance for the first time, the young women send them off with a smile.
“Welcome to the Labyrinth City Orario. We, the Guild, are here to assist you.”
The Guild Headquarters receptionists.
Answering the needs of adventurers, they are the “flowers” of the Guild.
The Guild Headquarters was as busy as ever.
The white marble lobby was so crowded that at times it was hard to breathe. Adventurers came and went nonstop, wearing body armor and weapons of all kinds attached to their backs and waists, giving the air a distinct metallic smell. Elves carried staffs and bows; dwarves preferred axes and hammers. Demi-humans of all types were equipped with the weapons and armor that their race was best suited to wield.
The adventurers worked their way through the busy lobby to one of the many bulletin boards or toward the receptionists waiting patiently on the other side of the counter.
“Good morning, sir.”
“Yes, concerning that issue?”
“The law clearly states that the one who finds valuable items in the Dungeon holds the rights to it. Therefore, it’s highly unlikely it will be returned…”
Several lines formed in front of each receptionist. Each one of them listened intently to the problems of the adventurer in front of her window and worked to solve them.
Each of the young women, hailing from a wide variety of races, was extremely professional. Humans, chienthropes, cat people, and even a few elves populated their ranks. If the young ladies had one thing in common, it was that every one of them was stunningly beautiful.
The Guild receptionists were each a bombshell in her own right.
Adventurers who came to Guild Headquarters almost always went to the reception counter first, so saying that the receptionists were their first image of the Guild wouldn’t be an overstatement. An adventurer’s opinion of the Guild, whether good or bad, had a direct effect on their efficiency in the Dungeon—how many magic stones they brought back each day. So, while skills and personality were considered during the selection process, the Guild prioritized looks when hiring its receptionists.
This naturally created an environment where the many rugged, strong adventurers with a wild air about them could let their softer side show in front of the lineup of beautiful women and young ladies.
“The quest has been successfully completed. Thank you for your hard work. The Guild shall inform the client that their request has been fulfilled.”
Eina, a half-elf, was one of the Guild’s receptionists.
Her brown hair was just long enough to sit on her shoulders. Emerald-green eyes looked out at the world from behind a pair of glasses. Her pointed ears, shorter than an elf’s but longer than a human’s, were a direct result of the thin elvish blood running through her veins.
A female animal person had completed a quest that had been posted on the Guild’s bulletin board. Eina presented her with the reward that the client had provided.
“Here is your reward. Please take it with you.”
Eina smiled as the box of items changed hands, and she gave the adventurer a polite bow. She watched her turn to leave before going back to the counter to help the next person in line.
This was her fifth year of working at the Guild.
After graduating from the education district, circumstances at home had dictated that she find work immediately. She had chosen a career at the Guild, but even now she was surprised by how well this job suited her. Of course, it was not easy, and there were some trying times, but she felt it was worth it. She had always been a busybody, but now her workaholic nature was being put to use for the adventurers who journeyed into the Dungeon every day.
Today was another hectic day where she dealt with one adventurer’s request after another.
“Eina! Hey, Eina. Let’s go get some food!”
“Sure. Sounds good.”
At long last, it was time for their lunch break.
The flood of adventurers had finally subsided, giving the sunlit lobby a moment of peace.
The girls, who had worked diligently to solve every issue brought to their attention in a timely manner, stood up from their chairs and stretched their hands high into the air. Eina let herself relax for a moment just as a human coworker stationed at the next window over called out to her.
Her full head of pink hair swished from side to side as the girl waved.
With a highly expressive face and cute features, she was rather charming.
Misha Frot, a friend of Eina’s since their school days, couldn’t wait to escape their workplace and quickly led the half-elf away from the counter.
“Sooo hungry. I swear, my stomach’s going to eat me from the inside out!”
“Misha! Don’t pull.”
Eina informed her coworkers that the two of them were going out while the pink-haired human tugged on her arm.
“Enjoy your lunch!” said one of the other receptionists with a wave. The two girls left the station in their coworker’s capable hands.
“You’re in luck! I found a place the other day that has reaaally good food! It’s in the West Block.”
“Misha, are you sure we have time to eat and get back before our lunch break is over?”
“Hmmm, it’s probably fine.”
“You know…”
Misha’s carefree lack of attention to detail made Eina cringe and smile at the same time.
The free-spirited Misha and the serious, straightforward Eina had been together for a long time. Now working side by side, the two were almost like a set.
They started chatting just like they had during their school days and left the Guild Headquarters through the rear exit. They came out on the side of the building opposite from the main street.
“E?Eina!”
“Ah…Is that you, Dormul?”
Eina’s pointed ears twitched when a loud voice roared down the backstreet.
A young dwarf man was waiting for her when she turned around.
Misha felt very out of place as the dwarf jogged up to them, excitedly waving his meaty arms.
“Wh-what a surprise, seein’ ye out ’ere. I was just on me way by…”
Eina immediately knew that was a lie and grimaced to herself.
As with most dwarves, Dormul was a stout, thick man. He did, however, stand taller than most of his kin at 170 celch. Both of his limbs looked like sturdy branches emerging from a solid tree trunk of a torso.
Unshaven, he smiled with his long, thin eyes. Dormul looked as though he would be more at home living out among Nature than in the big city, with an accent to match.
He nervously scratched his pronounced nose as he did his best to talk to Eina.
“Say, Eina, ye wouldn’t be off ta lunch, would ye? I’m on me way ta grab a bite meself…W-would ye care ta come with? Oh, of course I’d be pickin’ up the tab!”
“There’s, um, no need for that…But, Dormul, today I’m with one of my coworkers, so…”
She’d lost count of how many times the dwarf had bumped into her “by chance” and invited her to lunch. At this point, Eina didn’t know what to do about it anymore.
The bulging muscles beneath his valiant armor showed that Dormul was an adventurer. Currently Level 3, this upper-class adventurer who had made a name for himself for his strength in battle had once called Eina his adviser. The two had known each other for years.
Eina was aware that the man had taken a liking to her.
She didn’t want to give the impression of being full of herself, but she also didn’t want to hurt his feelings.
He’s not a bad guy, but…
Being on the receiving end of an adventurer’s advances was a daily occurrence for the Guild’s receptionists.
But Dormul wasn’t like the other adventurers hitting on the cute girls. He was always sincere, maybe too much so, in his attempts to ask her out, so Eina couldn’t just shoot him down. She had always refused but made sure to choose her words carefully to avoid hurting him. However, Dormul still hadn’t gotten the hint.
“…Eina, I can get lunch by myself if I’m in the way.”
“W-wait, Misha…!”
“Dah! Da-ha-ha-ha! Just ’cause we’re perfect fer each other, ye don’ have ta go thinkin’ ye’re gettin’ in the way, li’l missy!”
A conniving grin appeared on Misha’s lips, and Eina quickly chided her. Dormul, on the other hand, took it as a sign of good things to come and couldn’t contain his joyous laughter or the tears forming in his eyes.
Since the dwarf was also older than she, it was more difficult than ever for Eina to refuse his offer.
“Stop this at once, despicable dwarf. Can you not see that Eina is in distress?”
“Uhm?!”
A sharp voice cracked like a whip.
Dormul spun around to find a handsome elvish adventurer who embodied the very definition of the word elegant standing behind him.
Ears longer and pointier than Eina’s stood out from beneath his long golden hair. Dressed in leather armor, he carried a longbow and had a quiver of arrows strapped to his back. The two men stood at about the same height, but their body types couldn’t have been more different. The elf was as lean and sleek as the longbow attached to his shoulder.
The awkward atmosphere suddenly became hostile. “Step aside,” said the elf as he roughly passed the dwarf’s shoulder and came to a stop in front of Eina.
“L-Luvis…”
“Are you all right, Miss Eina? This man didn’t try to touch you with his dirty hands, did he?”
“Wanna say that ta me face?”
The elf named Luvis huffed through his nose, brushing off the dwarf’s thinly veiled threat.
Eina had once been the adviser of this Level 3 elf as well. It seemed that, just like with Dormul, he had developed feelings for Eina while under her tutelage.
In typical elf fashion, Luvis looked down his nose at Dormul before turning back to Eina. “Heh-hem.” He cleared his throat, making a louder sound than necessary.
“I just happened across the most rare, beautiful bouquet at the boutique just down the road. I thought of you the moment I saw the flowers’ ravishing hues and elegant form…Please accept it as a gift from yours truly.”
“Y-you know I can’t accept this, Luvis…”
The elf extended the bouquet in his arms out to her with both hands.
Eina’s eyes were drawn to the vivid colors, but she did her best to graciously decline—when a thick hand suddenly snatched the bouquet away.
“What are you doing?!”
“Hmph. Ain’t ye the one turnin’ Eina inta a fish outta water? Pushin’ these sissy li’l flowers on her in a back alley? How do ye think she’s feelin’?”
“Apparently the aesthetics of a bouquet are beyond your comprehension, foul dwarf…! We elves are noble. Keep your distance!”
“Eina is only half! Don’t be groupin’ her with yer vile lot!”
It was uncommon for elves and dwarves to see eye to eye, and this was the perfect example.
Eina had seen this kind of thing play out far too many times. Giving up on solving the situation, she said a quick “Excuse me” and ducked her head. The two men were so caught up in their argument that they didn’t even notice.
Giving Misha a gentle push in the back was her signal for the two of them to take their leave. They didn’t linger.
“Is this okay?”
“Not okay, but…it’ll only get worse as long as I’m there.”
She chanced a peek over her shoulder and saw that Dormul and Luvis were in each other’s faces, exchanging heated insults back and forth.
No, the two didn’t get along.
Recognizing each other as rivals, perhaps, in the quest for her heart had only escalated their mutual dislike into their current relationship.
Actually, both had become much more aggressive in the past few days…That might be an overstatement, but the fact that they were being much more forward was undeniable.
The two adventurers had expressed interest in her in the past, but recently they’d been finding ways to talk to her after business hours, during her personal time. Dormul’s actions this afternoon, waiting for her to come out the back door of the Guild and then moving in, were only the latest episode. What’s worse, their strategies were becoming only more elaborate.
It was as though they were trying to outdo each other in finding new ways to approach Eina.
I know they’re not bad people, but…
Dormul and Luvis’s argument came to a sudden stop and both looked left and right.
A sudden chill ran down Eina’s and Misha’s backs as they stared at the two men before abruptly turning forward.
They could feel the gazes of the two adventurers on their backs as they continued on their way. Feeling a little disheartened, Eina adjusted her glasses as she walked.
Guild Headquarters, the archives.
Information about the city, the surrounding areas, monsters, and everything concerning the Dungeon was stored in this massive two-story room that was located behind the lobby on the other side of a restricted hallway. Rows of wooden shelving units standing just above the average human height turned this near library into a labyrinth in its own right.
The bookshelves, floors, and weight-bearing pillars were all painted in a low-key dark-brown finish. Several Guild employees in their trademark black suits silently read the books in their hands or passed through the long aisles.
“A-all done…”
“Good work. Now let me see…”
Her coworkers had come to the archives for many different reasons, but Eina had claimed several desks to create an island in the reading space. She sat in a chair at one end of the island, and on the other side of several open maps and books was a white-haired human boy. Bell handed her a sheet of paper.
She was in the process of delivering one of her occasional private lessons about the Dungeon.
Eina wanted to make absolutely sure Bell was ready to face anything in the Dungeon. Her method of choice was to hit the books.
That was the role of an adviser.
The Guild assigned every adventurer an adviser to provide them with support and prepare them for Dungeon prowling.
Adventurers could make a request as to the gender and race of their adviser. Since they met the receptionists most often, the beautiful girls were often selected to fill that role. There was about a 10 percent chance the Guild couldn’t meet an adventurer’s wishes—but in any case, Eina had served as an adviser for many adventurers.
However, her superiors had taken notice of the speed and quality of her work. Constantly faced with mountains of paperwork and given important assignments within the Guild, she had requested that her coworkers take over as advisers for most of her adventurers.
Right now, Bell was the only one she looked after.
“…Your recollection of the information about middle-level monsters is nearly perfect.”
“Do…do you really think so?”
“Yes. So then?time for a pop quiz. Describe a combat strategy for every single monster. Draw maps of every floor, too. If I find any mistakes, you’ll write each of them out until you can remember them in your sleep.”
“…Okay.”
Bell’s expression clouded as Eina handed him another blank sheet. Clapping his jaw shut, the boy gave a firm nod.
Eina’s emerald eyes watched the boy’s pen move at a furious pace, elbow resting on the table and head in his hand. She was elated to see him work so hard.
Eina had a very particular stance when it came to advising adventurers.
In addition to the usual Dungeon-prowling advice and regular meetings, she would also summon her adventurers to private lessons, where she crammed as much Dungeon knowledge into their heads as possible.
Her beautiful face hid an extremely strict instructor who would have made the Spartans of the Ancient Times proud. It was to the point that she had gained a scary reputation among many adventurers. No one had lasted all the way to the end of her course, running away halfway through. Even Dormul and Luvis couldn’t endure her teaching style.
Bell was barely keeping his head above water.
Tears threatened to leak out of his ruby-red eyes on more than one occasion. But even so, he stayed firmly seated at the desk.
His drive came from his idol.
The determination to reach that lofty goal was just slightly more powerful than his fear of Eina’s harsh training.
Sometimes his brutal honesty and straightforward nature worked against him.
No matter how many times he fell in battle or in the classroom, he would always get back up and face the problem head-on.
Those were qualities that Eina rather liked about him.
At the very least, they were the reason that she wanted to support him, cheer him on.
Time’s almost up…
Eina, whose gentle gaze had been centered on Bell’s face, looked up at the clock on a nearby pillar.
The hour hand was pointing toward ten. Before starting their study session, Bell told her in person that Hestia Familia had had a busy few days. It would be cruel to keep him tied up much longer.
Night had already fallen and few other Guild employees were still walking around the archives. The only constant sound was the scratching of Bell’s feathered pen moving across paper coming from the reading area located in the middle of the massive chamber.
A few more quiet minutes went by before an exhausted Bell turned in his quiz.
Eina immediately spotted a few mistakes, but she couldn’t bring herself to follow through on her threat. She forced a smile and passed right over them.
They could be brought up at the next session.
“Good effort today, Bell. That will end today’s lesson.”
“…Th-thank you.”
Bell lifted his face from the surface of the desk. There was a weak, lofty smile on his face.
Eina told him he could sit and wait, but the boy insisted on helping her clean up. Grabbing a few of the books and maps, he joined the half-elf in returning the materials to their proper places.
Bell had come here directly from the Dungeon. Re-equipping the armor that had been sitting next to the pillar, he followed her out of the archives and through the restricted hallway to the lobby.
Saying a quick good-bye, the boy staggered along the path through the garden in front of Guild Headquarters. Eina watched him go until he disappeared into the night.
“That was a long day, wasn’t it, Eina?”
“Misha…And everyone, too.”
Eina was surprised to be greeted by a group of her female coworkers after she returned to the office.
It was very rare for all the receptionists to still be at the Guild at this late hour.
“I don’t know how you do it, working that closely with an adventurer. It won’t change a thing on your paycheck.”
“Ah-ha-ha…”
Eina grinned dryly at the senior receptionist’s words as she handed her a ceramic cup filled with hot tea.
There were no men in the office, so the ladies each grabbed a chair and griped about work for a while.
“Oh, that reminds me, Tulle. An adventurer made another pass at you today?”
“…Misha.”
“What was I supposed to do? How could you expect me to keep a story that juicy to myself?”
Eina glared at her friend who couldn’t keep a secret to save her life. But soon she lightheartedly laughed it off. She couldn’t stay mad at Misha for long.
Holding back the urge to sigh, she looked toward the eldest receptionist. Her coworker sat with her arms crossed, obviously not amused.
“Seriously, I’m right here, and yet you get all the attention…Adventurers need to have their eyes examined.”
“But, Rose, you’ve sworn off adventurers, haven’t you?”
“Every single one of them. Adventurers always break their promises.”
Rose, a werewolf, fiddled with the ends of her long red hair as she continued her rant.
“Nothing good comes from being with someone with a death wish.”
The atmosphere in the office suddenly changed.
The other receptionists looked at the floor, off to the side, or hid their faces behind their teacups as if they all could relate to her.
“They say ‘I want you,’ ‘I love you,’ anything that they think we want to hear. But when push comes to shove, they never come home. I guess adventurers are more interested in monsters than women.”
There was a great deal of irony in her voice, sticking her tongue out at no one as her mood worsened. After a few moments, though, everyone could see it was just a brave face.
For the most part, the receptionists—no, all Guild employees—kept their distance from adventurers.
No one tried to cross the line drawn in the sand—although it might be better to say that the number who did was constantly decreasing.
Just as Rose had said, it was only a matter of time before the adventurers disappeared.
Forever lost in some deep, dark corner of the labyrinth beneath Orario.
It was almost a guarantee that more than one of the women present had loved one of them with all her heart, only to soak her pillow with tears. Eina herself had once collapsed to her knees in grief when one of the adventurers she was advising returned from the Dungeon as a corpse. The half-elf glanced to her side and saw that even Misha didn’t have her usual pep.
When it came to adventurers, there was always a danger that they wouldn’t be around to see tomorrow.
So the receptionists did their best to keep them at arm’s length.
They might be smiling and using kind, gentle words in their daily interactions with adventurers, but that was all part of the job. The receptionists were being professionals.
“Tulle, I won’t say anything about how you do your job at this point…but the more you try to be everyone’s friend, the more regrets you’ll have and the more complicated things will get.”
“…I see.”
Out of all the receptionists, Eina was the only one who tried to make personal connections with her adventurers.
She helped them try to reach their goals, provided them with valuable information, took the initiative to get them to study, and did it with a smile on her face.
All because she thought there was something she could do for them, provide a little extra push that would ensure their safe return from the Dungeon.
Eina didn’t want to give up and believe that they would all just die off; she wouldn’t let them.
She bore several invisible scars from the pain of past events. Even so, Eina joined adventurers in her own way.
“That goes for the rest of you, too. Never get too close to an adventurer. You’ll just have to deal with the familia, and they won’t leave anything behind, not even money. You always get the short end of the stick…And if you do end up with one, squeeze his pockets dry before he passes on!”
That last line got a dry laugh out of the other receptionists.
Even though there was a joking tone in her voice, the senior receptionist’s message was a warning as well as advice.
Not just to Eina but to all her younger coworkers.
They were known as the “flowers” of the Guild. However, unless the young women managed to create a solid wall between work and their personal lives, it could become hell on earth.
The receptionists said their good-byes, and Eina set off to go home by herself.
Crossing Northwest Main Street, she continued north from the Guild Headquarters and into the northern district.
Many Guild employees chose to reside in the north district because of the high-quality housing and community. The Guild had also built a share house there for the receptionists. In fact, the Guild owned several buildings in the area and allotted them to its employees.
Everybody’s friend…Well, I can’t deny that.
It was already late at night, but Eina was surrounded by activity on either side of the street as she walked.
While it was nothing compared to the main streets, warm light and jubilant voices floated from the open windows of several bars in the area. The street was completely illuminated by magic-stone lamps, so much so that she could see down each of the alleyways.
The senior receptionist’s words replayed in her head, making her feel a little depressed.
“…I’m not trying to be Miss Congeniality, but it must look that way.”
Eina had no intention of fishing for compliments or going out of her way to receive praise. However, the extra time and effort she spent with adventurers might be misinterpreted by her coworkers.
Her desire to help adventurers was genuine. She wasn’t about to change her way of interacting with them. But at the same time, a part of her knew that might complicate things.
In truth, there were more than a few adventurers who felt a connection with the always-friendly Eina. Dormul and Luvis were perfect examples.
More than likely, her coworkers’ relative aloofness made her stand out even more.
Eina whispered to herself and sighed while readjusting the bag over her shoulder.
“…?”
Zip! A cold chill ran up her spine as she felt someone’s gaze on her back. Eina looked over her shoulder.
There were several people outside, standing on top of the stone pavement. But no one was looking her way.
She didn’t recognize any faces, either. Tilting her head to the side, she turned forward again.
Then, after taking just a few steps…
“…!”
She felt that mysterious gaze again.
Her heart beat so hard she couldn’t breathe for a moment. Trying to act like she hadn’t noticed, Eina walked casually for a few moments before spinning around as quickly as she could.
The side street’s nightlife reflected in her emerald eyes. A straight road, no twists or turns.
She knew this area like the back of her hand, so the black shadow that jumped out of her line of sight stuck out like a sore thumb.
Whoever it was was wearing a black hooded robe. A few moments passed before it cautiously peeked around the corner of the building and kept staring at her.
Zip! Another jolt of the spine, and now a cold sweat.
“…!”
She started moving again, toward home, at a faster pace.
One thought after another racing through her mind, she drew near to the share house.
Almost no one was out on the street anymore. Sure, there were plenty of people in the bars, but her only defense was the light coming from the magic-stone lamps. She was uneasy, to say the least.
Still following me…?!
She could still feel the gaze plastered to her back. Whoever it was, they were persistently following her.
Leaving the high-class community behind, Eina emerged onto a quaint, classy-looking street. However, it was completely empty and lit by only the occasional magic-stone lamppost every few meders. Her pursuer must have sensed the change in circumstances because he felt closer than ever.
Eina was running; she didn’t even notice. Holding her bag close to her chest, she dashed down the stone pavement as fast as her legs could carry her. Completing the last leg of her journey in what felt like an eternity, she finally arrived at the front gate of the share house.
Through the gate and up to the building. Eina put her hand on one of the outside pillars and tried to catch her breath as she looked around. All she saw was her neighborhood shrouded in night. No hooded figure, nothing out of place.
Clutching her ribs to get a handle on her racing heart, Eina didn’t move from that spot.
“What?! You were stalked last night?!”
“M-Misha! Not so loud!”
It was morning in the lobby.
Adventurers were beginning to come through the front doors when Misha shrieked after hearing Eina’s story.
Quickly covering her mouth with both of her small hands, she whispered a muffled “S-sorry!” to her friend.
“He didn’t try anything fresh, did he? Did you see his face?”
“He didn’t touch me, but I never got a good look at his face…There was a hood in the way.”
Eina explained every detail of the previous night’s events.
The two waited patiently for adventurers at the neighboring counter windows. However, Misha’s concern wouldn’t let her stay silent, and she leaned closer.
“This is really bad, Eina! Talk with the bosses and see if you can’t get a bodyguard! Some of Ganesha Familia’s best are still in the city—one of them could take you home tonight.”
“D-don’t you think that’s going overboard? It might’ve just been my imagination.”
Misha still spoke much louder than she needed to, and Eina shrank back away from her.
She thought that getting a familia involved, even one with close ties to the Guild, was going much too far. And yes, there was a real possibility it was all in her head.
But above all else, she didn’t want to receive any special treatment.
“Overboard? How’s that going overboard? It was a while ago, but I’ve heard stories about this kind of thing—young girls being targeted, followed, kidnapped, and taken outside the city!”
“I doubt that…This is Orario, after all. Gate security thoroughly inspects anyone leaving the city, and who would dare target a Guild employee…?”
“But, but, but…! There’re so many rumors about girls being sold to brothels, and even some about a group of Rakian soldiers who found a way inside only recently…!”
Eina gave her friend a suspicious glare as the pink-haired girl started spouting baseless conspiracy theories.
Misha was fond of the rumor mill. She probably picked up a few stories around town and repeated them to anyone close by who would listen.
She was about to say something else when an adventurer appeared at her counter window. Misha reluctantly left it unsaid and went back to work. Eina soon did the same.
But…I’m sure I was being followed.
Just thinking about it sent shivers down her spine.
Trying to ignore the problem made her even more anxious. It wasn’t going away.
She knew she shouldn’t believe anything out of Misha’s mouth, but…Goose bumps ran down her arms.
Her train of thought carried her to a place she didn’t want to go, making her body tremble.
“Miss Eina?”
“!”
She knew that voice. Her eyes popped up right away.
Bell was standing in front of her, looking rather confused.
Apparently, he had lined up in front of her window, and it was now his turn.
Focus! I’m working!
She quickly smiled after scolding herself.
“Sorry about that, Bell. I zoned out for a moment there. What can I help you with today?”
“I…I have a question about something in the Dungeon…”
That was all Eina needed to hear, and she stood up from her seat.
She left Misha and the other receptionists at the counter and met Bell in the consultation box as soon as she gathered some documents for the meeting.
“What? You’ve already conquered the seventeenth floor?”
“Yes, thanks to all the help we got from Takemikazuchi Familia……So we’d like to make a serious attempt to prowl the nineteenth.”
Both sat on opposite sides of the desk in chairs that were waiting for them in the soundproof room. Bell cut right to the chase and explained the situation.
The boy had just registered his second level-up less than a week ago.
Although she didn’t show it, Eina was absolutely stunned by Bell’s incredible pace. He was already Level 3.
He held the record for the fastest level-up. Pretty much everything the boy sitting in front of her did surprised her in one way or another.
“Um…Miss Eina.”
“What is it, Bell?”
“Did, um, something happen?”
Eina’s eyes shot open at the question.
“You just…don’t seem like yourself today…”
Eina had thought she was pulling off a great acting job by pretending that today was business as usual. Apparently, her mask was showing some cracks.
Cracks big enough for the boy to notice, at least.
“I don’t know if I can help or not…But if you want someone to listen, I could, um…”
Bell’s words became muddled as his cheeks turned pink. He scratched the back of his head and said, “You always listen to my problems, Miss Eina.”
Maybe it was because Eina was still rattled from last night, but seeing the bashful boy try to offer help gave her the slightest warm, fuzzy feeling inside.
Words left her mouth before she knew it. Forgetting her position for the time being, she accepted Bell’s offer.
“Last night…”
She recounted everything that happened and watched the boy’s expression change several times during her story. He was speechless when she reached the end. Smiling wanly at his reaction, Eina dimly looked to Bell from across the desk.
If…
If Bell was willing to walk her home…
If he was willing to become her bodyguard, just as Misha had suggested…
Her train of thought got that far before…No, how stupid! She frowned at herself.
How shameful it was to even consider that.
“Sorry. Please forget everything I’ve said, Bell.”
“Huh…B-but—”
“This is my problem, and it’s not that serious. I’ll find a way to fix it myself.”
Surely it would be a nuisance for him to be dragged into this, so she took back her words.
Back in Guild-employee mode, Eina repeated to Bell that she was fine and tried her best to smile.
However, Bell interrupted her before she could say anything else.
“Th-this probably is serious! Definitely serious! Rakia’s trying to invade, and even inside the wall…!”
“B-Bell?”
The boy pressed forward as if he knew something. But one look at Eina and he realized his mistake. Oops! It was written all over his face. Rolling his shoulders and clamping his mouth shut, Bell somehow managed to keep the information from coming out. He scrambled to change the subject.
“If you think I can help, please ask! I’m not sure how much good I can do, but if you need a bodyguard or anything, just say the word!”
Bodyguard. He said bodyguard. Eina’s eyes opened wide once again.
“You’ve helped me so much, Miss Eina…So please!”
“…Thank you, Bell. But this is my job. You don’t owe me anything for my support.”
Finally calm, Eina put together a solid argument.
The reason that she listened to Bell’s problems and gave him advice was only because she was employed by the Guild.
She strengthened her position by saying that she was flattered Bell was willing to go out of his way to help her, but politely declined.
“—Th-the armor!”
“The what?”
Bell had found his counterargument.
“The vambrace! The one that you bought for me! Please consider this my way of paying you back!”
That was a long time ago.
Eina had suggested he needed new armor, and the two of them had gone to investigate options together.
On that day, Eina had bought him an arm-size shield, a vambrace, as a present.
He was right. That wasn’t part of her job.
It was a decision she had made on her own, and the fact that she hadn’t asked for any kind of reimbursement spoke volumes to the meaning behind it.
“…So persistent.”
She could tell by the look in his eyes Bell wasn’t going to back down. Eina accepted the defeat.
A long sigh escaped her lips, muscles in her face tightening. But even so, she smiled at the boy.
“If you insist, I’ll take you up on it. I’m counting on you, Bell.”
“I-I won’t let you down!”
The sun sank behind the city wall as night began to show its face.
Eina was seated at the reception counter with her coworkers, as usual, when she spotted Bell, back from the Dungeon, making his way to the Exchange. The two nodded to each other, and she got up from her seat.
No one else noticed their brief communication.
“My apologies, but I must call it a day.”
“Oh? Going home early? See you tomorrow.”
She gathered her things between brief conversations with her coworkers. Misha looked up from her all-out battle with the paperwork taking over her desk with concern in her eyes. Eina waved her off, saying not to worry.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Bell.”
“It’s, um, no big deal. Shall we…?”
“Yes, let’s go. Just…until I get home. Counting on you.”
“I-I’ll do my best.”
Eina, who had exited Guild Headquarters’ rear door, found Bell waiting for her. The two set off together.
It was official: After their conversation, she had asked Bell to become her bodyguard.
The boy had left his allies to protect her during her commute home from work immediately after emerging from the Dungeon.
“Sorry about all this, Bell. You must be tired from Dungeon prowling.”
“Not really. We came back early today, so I’m still in good shape. Nothing to worry about.”
“…Thanks.”
She traveled the same road as always, but this time there was another set of footsteps accompanying hers.
The streets were alive under the darkening red sky because, just like Bell, other adventurers were returning from the Dungeon. The bars were starting to fill up with demi-humans left and right, making it difficult to navigate the throngs.
Eina and Bell did their best to avoid bumping shoulders with other people as they weaved their way through the crowd.
…This is a little nerve-racking.
It was nothing too drastic, but she could feel how close they were.
They had yet to decide how long this would continue, but the thought of going home with Bell every day got her heart pumping. She hadn’t forgotten about her mysterious pursuer by any means, but she couldn’t overlook the boy next to her shoulder as they walked side by side.
Her eyes darted around as she wondered what the other pedestrians thought of them.
Bell had never been through this part of the city before and was taking it all in. Eina leaned forward, trying to sneak a peek at his face.
“?!”
At that moment…
Bell’s aura completely changed, catching Eina by surprise.
“B-Bell?”
“…We’re being watched, probably.”
“We are…?”
Unlike yesterday, she had no idea.
Eina might have been dumbstruck by his acute senses, but the serious, focused look on Bell’s face stunned her even more.
His ruby-red eyes scanned the crowd and surrounding buildings, leaving no crevice unchecked.
Her heart skipped a beat.
While it felt strange to see Bell acting like an honest-to-goodness adventurer, her pulse quickened ever so slightly.
So he has this face, too…
She’d seen flashes of it while watching the War Game…but seeing him like this in person was making her a little excited.
She watched him carefully for several moments before the tension left his shoulders.
“I think…it’s gone. Whoever it is might be hiding, though…”
“Y-you can sense that, Bell?”
“Yes. Something’s pretty much always watching me, so I’ve gotten good at noticing…”
“Huh?”
“Um, it’s nothing.”
Bell’s keen perception had been developed under the powerful gaze of a mysterious goddess. The results made Eina tilt her head.
And if it was true, that all but confirmed that she had a stalker. Last night wasn’t a figment of her imagination after all. Someone was following her.
A cold chill worked its way under her skin, when suddenly—the flow of the crowd shifted without warning.
Eina was swallowed by a wave of humanity before the surprise could even set in. Bell’s white head was about to disappear.
A hand burst from out of nowhere and took hold of her wrist.
“A-are you okay?”
“…F-fine.”
Bell had somehow managed to find a crease in the mob. Eina’s words sounded wispy when she responded.
Five strong fingers held her hand and weren’t letting go.
Still connected, Eina couldn’t help but blush.
“Ah…Oh! Sorry!”
Bell realized why she was redder than usual and immediately released his grip.
The lingering warmth of his hand felt like a glove around hers. But the moment she saw Bell get embarrassed, a nervous laugh escaped from her lips.
“Shall we go?”
“Um, yes.”
A quick confirmation and they were off again.
It took everything the girl had to hide her nerves. A smile slowly appeared on her face as Eina once again looked at the boy next to her, protecting her. Her bodyguard.
When they left the Guild, the lack of space between them had made her nervous. Now it was reassuring to have him so close.
“Hey, Eina. You’ve been walking on air these past few days. What’s up with that?”
“…What?”
Morning, two days later.
They were in the middle of work, but Misha’s words gave Eina pause.
“You’re grinning nonstop with a sparkle in your eye. It’s like you’re giggling to yourself or something.”
“I-I am?”
“Very much so.”
Every window at the reception counter came equipped with a mirror for receptionists to use. Eina took it out and had a look.
Indeed, her cheeks were dusted with pink beneath the rims of her glasses. Suddenly embarrassed, she kept her eyes on her reflection and fixed her bangs.
“Someone was stalking you just the other day. Did that work itself out?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say it’s exactly solved, but…”
“Okay, so what’s the deal, then? Something good happen?”
No words would come out of Eina’s mouth.
She didn’t have an answer ready for Misha’s question.
There was only one answer that made sense—the reason that she was in such a good mood was that she was looking forward to the time she spent with Bell.
Eina searched for the right words, but Misha cut off her train of thought with a sudden cry. “Ah! It’s that dwarf from before. What was his name…Dodomel?”
“Really?”
Overlooking her friend’s obvious mistake, Eina followed her line of sight. Sure enough, Dormul was standing at the other end of the lobby.
Mouth closed, staring in her direction, he quickly turned away the moment he realized she was watching him.
Usually he’d make up an excuse to talk to her…However, this time he went directly to the exit as Eina watched him with confusion.
“He left. Wait a minute, there was an elf here doing exactly the same thing not too long ago.”
“Was it…Luvis?”
“Yep. He kept glancing at you.”
Luvis always engaged Eina in conversation whenever he visited the Guild, just like Dormul. It shouldn’t be all that strange for them not to say hello once or twice, but the thought of it puzzled Eina as she tilted her head.
Her friend had already restarted their previous conversation, but the half-elf kept watching the place where the dwarf had exited the building.
“The party was completely surrounded by Minotaurs before we knew it, so we had to book it out of there…”
“Hee-hee…Now that was dangerous.”
That evening. Bell joined Eina for her walk home, just as he’d done the past couple of days.
It was already late at night. Returning from the Dungeon took longer than Bell had expected, and he told her everything that happened. Eina smiled and listened, interjecting her opinion every now and then.
The ominous shadow hadn’t shown itself since Bell started accompanying her. Bell had said that he felt flashes of its gaze, and most likely whoever it was was biding their time.
This arrangement can’t go on forever…I’ve got to find a solution.
It was her fault that Bell had been caught up in this, and she hated it. Reassuring herself that it was only temporary, Eina’s mind was elsewhere as she talked with Bell.
…What is Bell to me?
All of a sudden, she realized that the thought of their time together coming to an end made her feel a little lonely. Remembering her conversation with Misha that morning, Eina decided to ask herself some questions.
To Eina…Bell was like a little brother. That was the best way to describe it.
Nothing more, nothing less. With that mind-set, there shouldn’t be any space for thoughts of him as a man to enter her head.
But then again, she was attracted to men just like Bell.
—Eina blushed furiously and looked at the ground as soon as that thought came through loud and clear.
Idiot! She scolded herself over and over for wanting this time to keep repeating.
Bell was right next to her, trying desperately to figure out what was wrong with the bright-red half-elf.
“M-Miss Eina, we’re here.”
“…! Oh, thank you, Bell.”
They had arrived at the gate in front of the Guild’s share house in no time at all.
Still flustered, Eina looked up and said a quick thank-you. Only then did she notice the fatigue on the boy’s face.
Of course, it made perfect sense. He had just finished an extremely difficult outing in the Dungeon and had come to take her home immediately after. He’d been doing that for days on end.
“Well, Miss Eina, I’m going home.” Delivering her safely, Bell turned away from Eina.
She felt so bad for putting him through all this that the words formed on her lips before she knew what was happening.
“…Bell? Would you like to come up?”
“Huh?”
She realized what she had done after the words were already hanging in the air. But she couldn’t ignore how tired the boy looked and decided to keep going. “Well, you work so hard every day and still come to my aid…The least I can do is make you a cup of tea.”
The nerves were back. She struggled to keep her voice from trembling. Her pointed ears were burning up.
Eina’s kind offer caught Bell off guard for a moment. But soon his face relaxed, and he smiled over at her before refusing.
“Thank you very much, Miss Eina. But my familia’s waiting for me, so…Good night,” he said, and turned his back once again.
“…Haaa.”
A disappointed sigh escaped under her breath.
But a smile grew on her lips soon after as she watched him go.
She stayed put until he was out of sight before going in.
The following day was the fourth in a row that Bell had served as Eina’s bodyguard.
It was also the day that everything changed.
“B-Bell, what’s wrong? You’re sweating an awful lot…”
“The watcher…wants to kill…”
The two of them had met up behind the Guild Headquarters like usual in the late evening hours. It happened when they were halfway home.
Bell kept his head on a swivel, incessantly checking their surroundings.
“A-are you certain?”
“Yes…although the murderous intent seems to be aimed at me rather than at us.”
Bell made no attempt to make a molehill out of a mountain. The expression on his face revealed just how strong the pressure was bearing down on him.
Understanding the severity of the situation, Eina took a quick look around herself before leaning in close to Bell’s ear.
“Bell, turn in to that back alley.”
“Huh?”
“We’ll lure whoever it is away from other people. There’s no doubt they’ll follow.”
Anyone who was emanating that powerful an aura probably wasn’t thinking straight.
Considering the circumstances, their pursuer would follow them anywhere, especially if there were fewer people.
At the same time, the chances of a fight breaking out as soon as they encountered the stalker went up immensely.
Bell understood all this without Eina having to say a word. He knew the danger, but he made up his mind in the blink of an eye and gave an affirmative nod. The time had come for Bell to fulfill his role as her bodyguard.
The two left the busy street and entered the dark alley. After traveling a good ways in, they found an ideal place to lie in wait, well hidden by the shadows.
They heard hurried, powerful footsteps a few heartbeats later. Eina clung to Bell as the echoes thudded in her ears. She did her best to be as quiet as possible, breathing only when necessary.
Then it came—a black shadow passed over their hiding spot. It continued even farther down the alleyway toward a dead end. Bell jumped out from the shadows the moment their pursuer came to a stop.
“Eh?!—Dormul?!”
Eina stepped into the dim light behind Bell and gasped the moment she saw the man glaring at her bodyguard.
The dwarf wore a hooded robe that was just barely large enough for him. However, he must not have heard Eina’s voice because his seething glare was locked solely on Bell, his entire face burning red.
“The hell ye think ye’re doin’, bringin’ Eina ta a place like this, eh—?”
Dormul howled as he unhooked a war hammer from its sheath on his back.
He grasped it with both hands, lifted it high above his head, and charged before Bell could say a word.
“B-Bell! Dormul! Stop th—!”
The deafening impact of Dormul’s hammer drowned out the last part of Eina’s desperate scream.
Stone shards flew high into the air; a tremendous shock wave shot through the street. Bell knew at that moment he couldn’t hold anything back against this opponent and quickly drew two knives.
Spinning out of the way, he moved to counterattack.
“White ’air, red eyes, human…I know ye, ye’re the Little Rookie!”
“!”
“But ye don’ stand a chance against me!”
Dormul easily blocked Bell’s attack with his war hammer like it was child’s play. He grinned as he swung the massive weapon.
Bell had no choice but to fall back. The dwarf’s muscular arms guided the hammer’s momentum into a series of powerful swings, turning the back alley into a stormfront as he began his offensive.
This isn’t good, thought Eina.
Bell and Dormul were both second-tier adventurers. However, Bell had only just recently leveled up, whereas Dormul had reached Level 3 nearly three years ago. In terms of strength and skill, the dwarf was a true veteran. Therefore, he possessed a distinct advantage.
Eina feared the worst, instantly regretting her decision to put Bell in danger. But those fears were soon proven pointless.
“?!!”
“WAHH!”
Bell was trapped in the dead end with nowhere to escape. Dormul raised his hammer to deliver the finishing blow, but a jet-black knife intercepted its path. Carving a violet arc through the air, it forced the war hammer to the side and into the ground.
A stunned Dormul watched with wide eyes as Bell picked up speed.
He…he’s fast?!
Eina was equally surprised.
The boy was too fast for her to see. Jumping off the walls and through the air like a rabbit, Bell found his way into the dwarf’s blind spots—and attacked from behind and from the sides. Just when Eina thought Dormul had a window to counterattack after blocking one of Bell’s strikes, the boy was already gone. Her eyes spun, trying to keep up with his movements.
Eina’s surprise came from the fact that Bell truly looked like a second-tier adventurer.
Even compared to the experienced Dormul, the crispness of his actions was in no way inferior. He wasn’t relying on his Status’s blunt power; instead, his form was conjuring images of a former teacher from the top-class adventurers.
Even when cornered at a complete stop, he moved his body extremely well and executed techniques that put him on equal footing with his opponent. This was close-quarters combat at its finest.
Eina couldn’t help but be reminded of his exploits in the War Game. The white rabbit versus the enemy commander, the higher-level Hyacinthus—the underdog turning the tables against an overwhelming favorite with skills and techniques as sharp as a sword.
Seeing it with her own eyes, Eina could tell that the teacher who had drilled combat techniques into him was extraordinary.
“Stop…stop hoppin’ around, DAMN IT!”
Dormul was losing his ability to keep up with Bell with each passing moment. Every swing hit nothing but empty air, and the boy was taking advantage of even more openings for counterattacks.
The white rabbit’s hit-and-run tactics. Dormul’s frustrated howls as he swayed to and fro.
Bell’s Agility—his speed was on a different level.
Dwarves were known for their strength and power, but those were a horrible match for Bell.
“DAMN YE! Try dodgin’ this, ye rodent!”
Dormul’s frustration had hit its boiling point. He reached behind his shoulder and pulled out yet another giant hammer.
—A magic sword?!
Eina knew immediately that the glowing yellow energy enveloping the weapon wasn’t just for show.
Magic swords came in all different shapes, but each had the ability to summon incredible magic power in the blink of an eye. Should one of these powerful weapons unleash its energy in this confined space, it would hit its target without fail. Dormul knew what he was doing.
Eina forgot to breathe. She had to stop this, but before she could try…
A wide-eyed Bell charged Dormul head-on.
Bell!
Judging by his angle of attack, Eina saw right away that he was drawing the attack away from her so she didn’t get caught in the blast.
Dormul’s lips pulled back into a grin as he watched his target come right at him. He brought the magical weapon down straight into the boy’s path.
All Bell could see as he zipped across the stone pavement was the dwarf putting every muscle in his body into the swing.
“EAT THIIIS!!”
“—Hah!”
Bell brought the crimson knife in his left hand up to meet the hammer.
Leaving a trail of scarlet light in its wake, the knife blade went beneath the crackling hammerhead and sliced clean through the handle.
“?”
The heavy part of the hammer-shaped magic weapon spun high into the air.
The rest of the weapon, the severed hilt in Dormul’s hand, failed to connect with its target. The ace in the hole had failed.
Bell passed right by the dwarf and jumped in front of the shocked half-elf with blinding speed. He took a defensive stance with her at his back, protecting Eina like a bodyguard should.
Dormul froze in place, absolutely dumbfounded that his magic-sword attack had failed.
Recovering quickly, he picked up his war hammer once again and turned to face Bell, ready for more.
“This ain’t over!”
However.
The rest of the beheaded hammer came tumbling down out of the sky right above him with a loud whoosh!
Eina and Bell watched in shock as the flat part of the hammer connected with Dormul’s head.
“?GWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”
A thick lightning bolt struck the moment his scream echoed through the alley.
The yellow energy pulsing within the magic-sword hammer had been released in a mighty flash, bringing a pillar of electrical energy down on top of the dwarf.
Bell and Eina were blown off their feet. Colliding in midair, they fell to the ground in a heap.
“B-Bell! Are you hurt?”
“I-I’m all right…I’m more worried about him, to be honest.”
Eina had landed on her back, Bell facedown on top of her. Propping herself up on her elbows, she could see that the boy’s back was singed. Bell, on the other hand, pointed to the origin of the blast with a shaky hand.
A feeling of relief flooded through her veins as the two got to their feet. Then they went to check on Dormul.
“Ehh…”
Each of the walls that made up the dead end had taken considerable damage. The dwarf lay in the middle of piles of charred stone rubble, burned from head to toe.
Next to his smoldering body was the large hammerhead. Energy spent, it cracked and fell to pieces.
“I-is he alive…?”
“Yes…He’s breathing.”
Arriving at his side, the two checked for vital signs. Seeing that he was okay, the boy finally let his shoulders relax.
Eina, however, wore a cloudier expression.
She couldn’t believe it. Dormul was her stalker? That couldn’t be true.
She had encountered all kinds of adventurers in her years working as a receptionist at the Guild. She was pretty confident in her ability to see a person’s true character. How could an awkward dwarf with a kind and gentle soul do something like this…?
Eina glanced away, a somber look in her eyes.
“…”
Bell stood next to her, looking around the dead end and at the walls surrounding them.
His inquisitive gaze fell on Dormul and then up into the night. He was unable to shake a funny feeling.
Bell helped move the unconscious Dormul to Guild Headquarters before the end of the night.
The dwarf would be given a chance to explain himself once he regained consciousness, but the blow from the magic sword had been so powerful that he hadn’t come back to himself just yet.
Eina was still reeling from shock. She couldn’t even focus on work.
“Eina, you feeling okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine. Sorry.”
There was a lump in her heart all day. Time passed by, and night fell once again.
Eina forced a smile at Misha and her concerned coworkers before she left Guild Headquarters.
Of course, Bell wasn’t waiting for her. The stalker incident had been resolved, so there was no reason to ask him to accompany her anymore.
The night sky overhead, Eina made her way down familiar streets on her way home.
“—Wha?”
There was no warning.
Eina just happened to glance over her shoulder, only to catch a glimpse of a figure she couldn’t miss. Someone in a black hooded robe. It was the same garb her pursuer had been wearing on the first night.
All the blood drained from her face.
“!”
It can’t be! She silently screamed and took off at a run. Another look over her shoulder confirmed the hooded figure was following her.
So it wasn’t Dormul after all…?!
The true perpetrator was someone else; the kind dwarf had nothing to do with it, causing even more thoughts to race through Eina’s mind. Dormul had just happened to be in the area and misunderstood. He must have honestly believed that Bell had forced her into that dark alley.
She ran out of the high-class community and onto the quaint street. No one else was in sight. The occasional weak light of a magic-stone lamp illuminated the side of her face as she ran by.
Her pursuer was quicker. There was no escape.
She could feel them getting closer, faster. Eina took in a deep breath in preparation to let out a scream that might or might not reach anyone else’s ears.
“Firebolt!”
A streak of flaming lightning flashed before she could scream.
It came from behind her and her black-cloaked pursuer. The magic raced across the stone pavement and exploded so close to them that both Eina and the figure stopped to look.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed from overhead, from atop the houses that lined the street?a flash of white hair appeared from the shadows as someone jumped into the air.
The blur came down on top of the hooded figure, a foot slamming into its back.
“Uph!”
“!”
“B-Bell?!”
“S-sorry, something just didn’t feel right…I-I should have come quicker.”
Bell fought to get words out between his ragged breaths. Free from the grip of terror, Eina couldn’t have been more relieved to see him and was suddenly filled with the urge to embrace the boy. Quickly wiping the tears building up in her emerald eyes, she asked him a question. “Wh-what do you mean, something didn’t feel right?”
“I didn’t want to scare you, so I didn’t say anything, but…there were several pairs of eyes watching us every day when we went back to your place…”
Bell continued by saying that he had felt a few distant gazes focused on them even when he fought with Dormul.
Apparently, he had planned on taking her home again tonight because he couldn’t convince himself he was just paranoid. Once he had heard from the Guild that the depressed receptionist had already left, he’d dashed out at full speed.
“?DORYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”
“““!”””
The situation changed yet again a heartbeat later.
A muscular dwarf burst onto the quaint side street like a vigorous tank breaking through enemy lines.
The three figures stayed still, unsure how to respond as the dwarf’s massive fists went straight for the person wearing the black cloak.
The target spun out of his grasp.
“Ye all right, Eina?”
“Is that you, Dormul…? What are you doing here? How did you get out of the Guild?”
“Made me own door outta that puny wall!”
Eina slapped her hand against her forehead.
But Dormul didn’t notice her reaction or the fact that Bell broke out in a nervous sweat. All his senses were focused entirely on the hooded figure, his gaze burning with fury.
“So ye’re the one? The sicko who’s been stalkin’ Eina?”
Eina’s eyes went wide in surprise that Dormul somehow knew about her situation.
At the same time, the trembling hooded figure placed his hands on the edges of the hood.
“You dare to address me by such an uncivilized title, foul dwarf?”
“L-Luvis?!”
Yet another surprise—Eina had lost count of how many—made her jaw drop.
Elegant golden hair exposed, the elf returned the dwarf’s glare with his own beneath sculpted eyebrows.
“Prefer I call ye a pervert, two-timin’ elf! How ye gonna explain this away?”
“Gh…I-I only wanted to express my true feelings for Eina…”
The area under the elf’s eyes turned a light shade of pink as he cast his gaze in Eina’s direction, before he switched gears and went on the offensive.
“In…in any case, I became fed up with following all the twists and turns of social convention. It’s my nature to be more straightforward! You’ve made a grave misunderstanding!”
“Oh-ho! What misunderstandin’ would that be?”
Bell had been completely left out of the conversation. He stood there, looking left and right as the two other men exchanged verbal blows. Eina watched with the inexplicable feeling that both parties were missing vital information.
She stepped between them and summoned forth every shred of professionalism she had developed while on the job. “Stop right there, both of you! Both sides of this argument need to be heard, so calm yourselves this instant!”
The crack of Eina’s verbal whip made Dormul and Luvis fall silent, but the two were still glaring daggers at each other.
Now that things had settled down a little bit, Eina first turned to the elf.
“May we please hear your side of the story, Luvis? Every detail that led to this point.”
“S-sure, I suppose…”
Luvis gulped down the air in his throat under the pressure of Eina’s stare. Shifting uncomfortably in his robe, he finally nodded.
“A few days past, when I was present in the Guild lobby…I heard that you were being pursued by an unknown individual, and I took it upon myself to make sure no harm came to you.”
Eina blinked a few times. The moment that her friend Misha had practically shouted behind the counter immediately replayed in her head. That put that question to rest.
Most likely, Dormul had also learned of her situation in a similar fashion.
“Huhhh? Quit yer lyin’, we all know ye were the one from the start…!”
“Dormul, you will have a turn to speak, so please be quiet for now. As you were saying, Luvis?”
“Oh, yes…I consulted the god of my familia.”
…What? Eina froze in place.
“He advised me that real men should protect from the shadows. So I concealed myself while making sure no harm came to you…”
“…I-I was told da same thing by me god. A man worthy o’ the title protects from behind.”
“Wh-what?”
…Something was very, very off.
“Basically, the both of you were worried…so you decided to secretly follow me around?”
“That ’bout sums it up.”
“I guess, if you put it that way.”
It was a bitter pill for Eina to swallow. The two adventurers had just admitted to behaving exactly like stalkers.
But there was more to the story. Their increasingly aggressive approaches were also due to their gods’ advice. They both would do whatever it took to win her heart, and they had blindly followed their deities’ instructions.
As for the boy who’d been pulled into the situation as a bodyguard, both adventurers saw him as an enemy at the very least. That one-sided rivalry had spiked to dangerous levels when they saw him holding her hand and generally being friendly with her.
So then that would mean—Eina felt that she was one step away from identifying the true culprit.
“Dormul also wore something like this, but…Luvis, could you explain the robe…?”
“Oh, this? My god says it’s the latest ‘trend,’ or something along those lines…”
“Uh, um…Don’t you think it would go the other way? That would scare her…”
“What?”
That was it exactly.
The white-haired boy cautiously raising his hand as he spoke was right. Wearing that kind of suspicious robe at night would only instill fear in her and make it more likely for Eina to misinterpret their intentions.
Dormul and Luvis clamped their mouths shut as though it had taken them this long to realize what had happened.
An awkward silence fell around the four—“Geh-hee-hee-hee!”
A crackling laughter filled the air from somewhere out of sight.
J-just as I thought…
The mortals immediately looked toward the rooftops. That’s when they saw them: two deities holding their stomachs as they pointed and laughed at them.
—They’d been played, all of them.
They had danced in the palms of the hands of two bored gods.
That being the case, most likely the first black-hooded stalker had been one of the two deities. Their plan was to pit their two love-struck followers against each other as soon as both Luvis and Dormul came to them for advice.
All for “entertainment.”
Deities typically had no problem treating the many children living on Gekai as nothing more than pieces on a board. They’d been unwittingly sucked into a divine prank.
“Awww, and I thought for sure Eina would reject them both once they made their move.”
“I won the bet, fair and square.”
Both of them shook with laughter beneath the light of the moon. Their followers, Dormul and Luvis, were shaking, too, but for much a different reason.
“Grrrrrrr…” The dwarf growled, grinding his molars together. Even the proud elf’s skin had turned a scalding red from head to toe.
Hands clenched into fists, they bore the humiliation.
“Luvis, Daddy just struck it rich gambling. I’ll treat you to a grand feast once we get home tonight!”
“Dormuuuul. I’m a bit low on cash—could you lend me a few valis? Pretty please?”
““—GO TO HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!””
A fusillade of bolts from the elf’s short bow and any rocks the dwarf could reach bombarded the two deities.
However, the two slippery gods made their escape before any of the arrows or rocks could connect. Their laughter echoed off the buildings as the jolly pair disappeared into the moonlit night.
“…”
“…Umm.”
Eina couldn’t say a word, and Bell did his best to break the silence as he looked over at her.
Dormul and Luvis were furious, shoulders rising and falling as every insult imaginable came flooding out from between gritted teeth under their breaths. That is, until Luvis raised his head.
“No, no, no! I refuse to let it end this way! Eina, I am in love with you! Please become my eternal partner!!”
“I-I have a greater love for ye, Eina! Become me bride!”
“Eh…WHAT?!”
One more revelation had been waiting for her, and Eina shrieked in surpise. Luvis and Dormul were both blushing as they looked at her. She, too, turned bright red.
Plenty of men had confessed their love for her, but a marriage proposal? That had never happened in any of her nineteen years of life. What’s more, she could tell by the look in her suitors’ eyes that both proposals were completely serious.
Bell, once again out of the loop, watched the events unfold with a slack jaw.
“Like ’ell I can entrust Eina to anyone like ye! Go hole up in the forest ye came from!”
“Stay your hand! A dwarf such as yourself could never produce offspring with a wonderful girl like her in the first place!”
“NGAH?! What ye plannin’ ta do ta her, ye creep?”
“D-don’t be a fool!! I’m not some closeted pervert!! I was simply bringing the difference in race to your attention…!”
Just when it looked as though another verbal sparring match between Luvis and Dormul was about to break out, both turned to Eina at the same moment.
She was speechless. Her shoulders jumped nervously.
“Please give me your answer, Eina!”
“I’m ready, whatever yer answer be!”
Panic flooded her veins as both pushed for a decision.
No matter who her answer was, it meant she would become engaged on the spot. Of course, she wasn’t ready for that. And if she refused them without a viable reason, both would continue to hound her with even more determination than before.
Eina was on the verge of tears as she shifted her gaze.
There was Bell, just standing there. He shifted his weight from side to side, watching everything unfold without stepping in.
Say something already, anything…!
The boy’s silence sparked anger for some reason.
Everything that had ever frustrated her about him started flashing through her mind as her wide eyes narrowed into a glare. “Huh?” Bell tilted his head to the side with a truly clueless look on his face.
Eina’s cheeks had become an all-out inferno.
Whether it was because Bell was present, she didn’t know.
Her usual calm demeanor long gone, Eina closed her eyes to hide the rage building behind them.
“—I’m unable to give either of you gentlemen an answer at this time.”
Then she wrapped her arm around Bell’s elbow and dragged him to her side.
“Because the two of us are in a relationship!”
“““WHHHHAAAAAAAAAT—?!”””
Three shocked voices filled the night.
“Why are you so surprised?”
“S-sorry…!”
Luvis’s ice-cold glare and Dormul’s howling accusation immediately fell on the boy, who offered a terrified apology immediately.
Both adventurers took a few steps closer to Eina, despite the fact that Bell was still hooked to her side.
“S-say it ain’t so, Eina!”
“This is a ruse, is it not?”
“No, we are seeing each other! He…he confessed to me!”
Eina squeezed her eyes shut and shouted as loudly as she could. Bell, however, had become somewhat of a rag doll, with a blank look in his eyes.
Eina’s cheeks were red as apples. She released her grip on Bell’s elbow, grabbed his shoulders, and brought his face directly in front of hers.
“Bell, of course you remember that day, when you came home safely from the fifth floor! You confessed to me, didn’t you?”
“?!”
It felt like years ago. Attacked by a Minotaur but saved by Aiz, Bell had escaped with his life.
You said those words, Eina silently screamed through her eyes as she pulled the boy even closer.
Right now, right here, one more time—say them again.
All the energy in her body was channeling through her emerald pupils. Her nose was close enough to his that they’d touch with one sudden twitch. She wasn’t blinking, only conveying the message with every fiber of her being.
The boy’s lips started to open and close, yet no words came out.
“Tell them, Bell. Say it. Say what you said on that day.”
Bell’s eyes started to spin in front of Eina’s bright-red face and desperate plea.
Then his lips finally moved as it dawned on him.
“I…lo-ve…you…”
Cheeks burning bright red, the boy looked down at his feet.
“—There! There you have it! Hear—hear how he wants to protect me! And he—Bell is the right person for me!!”
The final blow.
BANG! Dormul and Luvis staggered backward as if they had been struck by lightning.
They couldn’t see or hear any falsehood in Eina’s words or demeanor. They drifted listlessly on the spot for a moment before their heads and shoulders sank. Then they took a few weak steps in different directions.
“…”
“…”
The dwarf and the elf left the quaint street. A chilly breeze swept past Bell and Eina.
The two of them were equally embarrassed, faces the same shade of red.
A few awkward heartbeats passed before Bell, tears beginning to leak out of his eyes, turned to Eina as if trying to make some sort of appeal.
However, Eina squared her shoulders in his direction, clapped her hands together, squeezed her eyes as tight as she could, and gave a deep bow.
“I’m so sorry…!”
She wrung a shameless apology out of her light-pink lips.
A bright blue sky in the morning hours.
Warm sunlight made its way through the glass windows. Guild Headquarters was busy again today.
Countless adventurers came and went. Many, as always, formed lines in front of the reception desk.
Eina, too, stood on the other side of the desk and took on the air of a perfect Guild receptionist, as she usually did.
It’s going to be awkward if Bell comes in today…
The mere thought of what had happened last night made her face so hot she was sure her cheeks would catch fire.
She’d lost herself in the moment, even though she’d let her emotions get the better of her, even though she’d practically forgotten which way was up…
She regretted, more than anything before in her life, the fact that she’d pulled him into the center of her mess.
She was supposed to be the older one…Her heart sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day.
““Ah…””
Bell appeared at the front of her line.
“…”
“…”
They exchanged silent stares.
Other adventurers watched from behind, frustrated by the time lost. The two started blushing before averting their eyes.
So embarrassing…What can I do? Eina’s brain desperately searched for the right words to break the awkward stillness.
But it was Bell who broke the ice first, forcing a smile and shyly saying:
“Um, I need a little advice. Could you help me?”
It was a question just like any other day. Eina’s eyes went wide.
Then, very slowly, a smile appeared on her lips.
“Of course…I’d be glad to.”
The two made eye contact and came back to themselves in that moment.
Adviser and adventurer. Or perhaps older sister and younger brother.
They went to the consultation box to discuss the problem and sat on opposite sides of the desk. This is good—this is enough, she repeated to herself.
Eina was satisfied.
Their relationship was fine just like this.
“Sorry…Thank you, Bell.”
“…”
“Saying that you loved me one more time…It made me happy.”
“……”
Her voice was quiet, barely a whisper. Bell pretended not to hear even as he blushed and examined his lap.
Eina giggled to herself with a contented grin on her face.
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