A light drizzle fell upon the umbrella's surface. This newly purchased umbrella created a quiet, sheltered space around them as the two made their way toward the girl's home.
"Syr, skipping work again tonight?" Bell asked softly.
It was nearly evening, the tavern's busiest time. Syr had run out without even grabbing her umbrella and wasn't wearing her tavern uniform. Clearly, she had already decided she would be taking the night off.
"It's been like this for days—I've pushed all my shifts onto the others."
Syr linked her arm around Bell's and laughed lightly. "Everyone at the tavern wants to see you again, especially Lunoire. She says she's going to treat you properly."
"Is that so..."
Bell offered silent sympathy to Lunoire, who constantly complained about how exhausting the job was.
"Come to think of it, we still haven't told them we're dating."
Bell had been incredibly busy over the past few days. Aside from dungeon exploration, nearly every interaction he had was about dealing with the aftermath of the fake death incident. He couldn't tell the full truth to those who cared about him—doing so might drag them into a complicated situation.
There was also the cleanup after the Rivera Town attack. Very few people were truly trustworthy, so Bell remained cautious, sharing nothing with anyone outside Loki Familia. With such a packed schedule, the only time the two could meet was at night. Their daily hours slipped away too quickly to find a good moment to tell Syr's coworkers.
"Tomorrow," Syr said, hugging his arm a little tighter, "Tomorrow, go on a date with me!"
"Alright. I'll take a proper rest tomorrow."
Bell looked at the girl's flower-like smile and agreed without hesitation.
His current Status far exceeded mere rapid growth. Exploring the Dungeon and handling upper-level monsters had become effortless. After the ambush earlier today, Bell felt he truly needed a break. Maybe rushing forward too quickly was what led him to underestimate that cursed blade.
"Yay."
Syr leaned even closer toward the center of the umbrella.
Bell didn't pull away. Feeling the soft warmth pressing against his arm, he smiled gently.
Syr was a girl who was hard to read. Around others, she often used her adorable appearance as a weapon, pulling harmlessly mischievous tricks. A few days ago, when Bete from Loki Familia mocked Bell in the tavern, Syr had "accidentally" tripped and splashed several glasses of cold beer onto his head.
Now Bell understood it wasn't an accident at all—she had done it on purpose.
Whenever people on the street gossiped about the weakest adventurer, Syr would pull off similar antics. To Bell, this ordinary tavern girl was incredibly perceptive, always managing to slip away unscathed after her little pranks.
If Syr was a cute little devil around others, then when she was alone with Bell, she turned into an angel who made his heart soften. She was extremely shy, probably having never been so close to a boy before. Holding hands, feeding him, even just locking eyes—each would paint her cheeks a lovely shade of red.
Yet she was surprisingly forward.
Just like now.
Syr held his arm tightly, her chest pressing lightly against his elbow. Her face was bright red, but she showed no intention of letting go. The drizzle formed a soft curtain around them, isolating the world until it felt like only this small sanctuary remained.
"It's Syr onee-san!"
A childish voice broke the quiet.
"You idiot, Syr onee-san obviously doesn't want us to bother her..."
A human boy waved enthusiastically, while a Chienthrope girl of the same age smiled awkwardly.
Syr chuckled softly, still holding Bell as she stepped forward. "Rye, Fina, running errands? That's really impressive."
The two children grinned, though their attention was clearly more on Bell than on Syr.
"This big brother's outfit… is he an adventurer? So cool!"
"Big brother, Syr onee-san has been taking care of you. Her cooking might be… well, that… but she's really pretty, right? Even if she can't cook, her chest is actually way bigger than it looks…"
"..."
Bell gave a strained smile.
She really mentioned Syr's bad cooking twice.
And with how familiar her tone was, the little girl had definitely figured out their relationship.
Compared to the mischievous Rye, Fina was clearly harder to handle.
Teased one time too many, Syr flushed and playfully pinched the girl's cheeks.
"Syr, are they…?" Bell asked.
"It's all Fina's fault for saying weird things—I almost forgot to introduce them." Syr tapped the girl's forehead. "This big brother is Bell, my lover."
"I'm Rye, and she's Fina. We're from the orphanage," Rye said lightly.
Reality settled in.
Bell frowned a little.
In Orario, a city built around adventurers, kids like them were far from rare.
Adventuring was dangerous; no one knew what could happen in the Dungeon.
Most people chose to live for the moment. With prostitutes around as well, it was only natural for many children to end up without families.
Even knowing all this, actually meeting them still made Bell feel a twinge of sadness.
"Big brother, why that face? With Mama taking care of us now and Syr onee-san visiting all the time, we're really happy!" Rye's smile held nothing but sincerity.
Bell paused for a moment. He never thought a little boy would be comforting him.
"The 'Mama' he mentioned is Lady Maria. With support from a few goddesses, she runs an orphanage on Daedalus Street," Syr explained. "It's less an orphanage and more a place that takes in kids with nowhere else to go. That's why I visit often."
"Big sister is pretty and cute, and she plays games with us. Other than the food she brings… she doesn't have any flaws," Fina muttered, still clearly traumatized by Syr's cooking.
Bell looked at the two children and couldn't help thinking of himself.
They're just like me…
Syr sensed that small flicker of sadness and gently took his right hand, sharing her warmth with him.
Bell smiled faintly and let the melancholy fade.
"Seems Syr has been troubling you two. Next time, I'll cook something and come visit with her."
"Really?!" Fina's eyes lit up.
"But more importantly, big brother, you're an adventurer, right? Tell me some awesome adventure stories!" Rye's gaze fixed on the dagger at Bell's waist.
"Alright, I'll tell you…"
"..."
Syr watched them chatting happily and smiled softly.
"Big sister…" Fina motioned for Syr to crouch. When Syr leaned in, she whispered, "You've got good taste. I support you. Don't let him get away."
"…Thanks for the support?" Syr didn't know how to react.
"You haven't come to the orphanage these past few days—so you were getting all lovey-dovey with big brother, right? Syr onee-san is forgetting her friends for romance."
"Where do you even learn those words…" Syr muttered.
"I think big sister should stay on the offensive like earlier," Fina said seriously. "But whatever you do, don't cook. You'll scare people off."
"You saw that?!" Syr shot up, face blazing red.
"The gods told me. Looks like big sister is the classic high-attack, low-defense type…" Fina blinked. "Next time bring big brother. Everyone will be really happy. Oh, and absolutely no homemade food."
"..."
Before Syr could answer, Fina grabbed Rye by the shirt.
"Wait, I still want to hear more stories!" Rye protested.
"If we don't go back soon, Mama will worry. And grown-ups' time is precious. Come with me."
"But the story was just getting good… See you next time, big brother!" Rye called as Fina dragged him away.
Just before turning the corner, Fina added:
"Oh, and big brother, when Syr onee-san comes to the orphanage, she always wears plain clothes—nothing as cute as today. You can look forward to tonight."
"..."
"..."
The two children disappeared into the rain.
Syr blinked shyly and wrapped her arm around Bell's again.
Her cheeks flushed bright red, her thoughts impossible to guess.
The drizzle continued as night fell.