[The more she thought, the more tangled her thoughts became. After pondering for a long time, Bronya was still lost in confusion, unable to see through what the future held.]
[So Bronya suggested that Stelle accompany her for a walk, treating it as a casual stroll.]
"Huh? Weren't they supposed to be on night watch? Are they just not doing it anymore?" Stark scratched his head in confusion.
"Kid, read the mood, will you?"
Sein spoke with the tone of someone who'd been through it all. "When a lovely girl sincerely invites you for a walk, you should cast aside all distracting thoughts—the most important thing right now is figuring out how to take her to the best tavern nearby and buy her a drink."
Wrapping his left arm around Stark's neck, Sein began imparting knowledge only adults should know: "If you add a few drops of stone orchid juice to Visat's fruit wine, it becomes sweeter and more fragrant. If you treat that girl to a glass—"
Before he could finish, Stark was already dragged away by Fern.
"Please don't teach Stark such vulgar and useless things."
Sein broke out in a cold sweat, feeling the bone-chilling threat in Fern's gaze.
"Lord Sein, if you keep this up, the next time you gamble and lose everything, I won't help you redeem your clothes—you can go beg the old village chief bare-bottomed."
[Not far outside, they saw Seele and Natasha seemingly discussing something.]
[Stelle scratched her head. Was everyone unable to sleep tonight?]
["Weren't you all resting? What are you doing out at this hour?" Seele snorted. "...You're not up to no good, are you?"]
[Bronya placed a hand on her hip and retorted with authority, "We just couldn't sleep and went for a walk. Please withdraw your baseless accusations."]
["Then go walk somewhere else—"]
["Seele, don't be so hasty. They might be able to help." Natasha intervened, stopping their bickering. "Seele's the type to have a sharp tongue but a soft heart. She means no harm."]
[Natasha explained that the recent clashes between vagrants and miners had left many injured. Resources were already scarce underground, and now they were stretched even thinner. They planned to search for medical supplies in Rivet Town, which had been consumed by the Fragmentum, but it would undoubtedly be dangerous.]
[Hearing that only Seele was going, Bronya immediately volunteered to join without hesitation.]
[Seele: "Hold on! I never agreed to let you tag along!"]
["Lives are at stake. Having an extra hand won't hurt, right? Besides, I have plenty of experience dealing with the Fragmentum. I can definitely help."]
["Hmph, fine... just don't slow me down." Seele crossed her arms like a kitten, her "hmph" so tsundere it could practically float all the way to the Goethe Hotel on the wind.]
[The tension between them, which had been as incompatible as fire and water just moments ago, quickly melted away... The atmosphere instantly turned subtle and complicated, as if pink bubbles were floating in the air.]
["Uh... did I come at a bad time?" Stelle awkwardly rubbed her head, feeling like she was stuck between them as a clueless third wheel!]
[Natasha: "No, Stelle, you came at just the right time. Could you accompany Seele and Bronya on their mission?"]
"...The stench of love."
After clicking his tongue, Denji slumped into the café chair as if all the energy had been drained from his body. Though his words were full of disgust, his face couldn't hide his envy.
"Denji, don't you wanna date Bronya or Seele?" Power widened her mouth and let out a "huh?"—this was the first time she'd seen Denji show no interest in women.
"No way... Every woman who wants to date me just wants my heart."
"I get it, you wanna date me instead, right?" Power had an epiphany. "That's fine! If you're willing to give me all your meat for the next year, I can satisfy you~"
"No. Power, you still try to kill me now and then, plus you're narcissistic, selfish, a liar... and you love discriminating against others."
Resting his head on the café table, Denji counted off on his fingers: "You don't flush after using the toilet, you're picky and only eat meat, you pour coffee you don't like into my cup... I hate that swill too, you know!"
"Bastard! I'm not that bad!"
Power let out a roar and lunged at Denji, yanking at his hair.
The café instantly descended into chaos.
As if this were a common sight, Aki Hayakawa silently stepped forward, took Denji's cup, and poured the double-serving of coffee into his own.
There were still ten minutes left before they had to report to Public Safety. If they were late, Makima would probably... Aki glanced at his watch, then at the two demons wrestling on the floor, and took a small sip of coffee.
...Ugh, so bitter.
[The center of Rivet Town had a marketplace. When the townsfolk evacuated, many goods were left behind. Whether it was alcohol, bandages, or other medical supplies, they could all be found in the town.]
[Seele was no stranger to these kinds of missions. She led Stelle and Bronya through the town with practiced ease.]
[As soon as they arrived in Rivet Town, Seele took everyone to a steel bridge. Under the faint glow of the streetlights, her gaze settled on a building atop a distant hill.]
[For once, the walls around the girl's heart seemed to crack open slightly, and a rare look of nostalgia crossed her face.]
["That... is the orphanage Natasha used to run. After Uncle Oleg found me, he took me there. I spent most of my childhood in that orphanage."]
["Natasha said the building was donated by some wealthy merchant long ago. Whatever he did, he must've been a great person."]
["Those carefree days as a kid... thinking about it now, I really miss them."]
[As Seele spoke and Bronya gazed at the distant orphanage, she fell into deep thought... as if a corner of her memory had been peeled back, revealing something long buried.]
[...That place felt so familiar.]