Chapter 478 - 478: Ais, The Lower World Detective

There was no day or night in the Dungeon.

The Magic Stone lamps hanging beside the tents stood in for the moon, lighting up the area around the camp.

While everyone split off to adjust their condition in their own way and prepare for tomorrow morning's battle, Ais noticed something unusual.

"...?"

Ais had originally intended to talk with the boy.

The little Ais in her heart was cheering her on, urging the Sword Princess to act with the composure expected of a Level 6, comfort the boy, and tell Bell to rest well without worrying about tomorrow.

But before Ais could step forward and speak to him, Bell quietly left the camp together with Bete.

"…Are they deliberately avoiding everyone else?"

Ais murmured to herself.

Bete and Bell were hardly on good terms, so if they were meeting alone now, there had to be a special reason.

Something was wrong.

Ais blinked, then quietly followed them.

Carefully keeping her distance, she trailed them all the way to an empty clearing where no one else had gone.

In her puzzled golden eyes, the boy and Bete stood several paces apart, facing each other.

"You little rascal, you know about what happened on the twenty-seventh Floor, right? Don't tell anyone."

Bete had finally found a chance to talk to the boy alone about this.

"Thank you so much for what you did back then, Bete-san. Thanks to you, we were able to catch up to Ryuu-san in time and prevent anything worse from happening."

Bell spoke honestly.

Without Bete's speed, Ryuu might have fallen into Jura's trap. Even if she had managed to dodge Lambton's attack, she probably would not have been able to kill Jura, and they naturally never would have learned anything about [Grim Reaper].

"Cut the crap. Even if a God asks you, find a way to dodge the question."

Bete pressed the issue with a displeased look.

As one of the people involved, the Werewolf naturally knew exactly what had happened. If anyone else heard about it, Bete's image would collapse completely, earning him nothing but teasing and laughter.

"Mm. I promise I'll bury this secret deep in my heart. I'll remember the favor from the twenty-seventh Floor incident, too."

Bell answered cheerfully.

Repay kindness with kindness, and grudges with grudges.

As for Bete's insults at the tavern, Bell had already taken his revenge thoroughly through Riveria.

Bete had put aside their friction, accepted his request, and let Bell half-sit on him while he chased after Ryuu's trail at full speed. Bell certainly would not forget that favor.

"A favor? I don't need that crap. Do whatever you want."

Bete waved him off dismissively.

As the two spoke, a cold wind blew through, rustling the leaves.

"I can't hear them clearly…"

Hidden behind a tree, Ais could not make out their conversation.

If she went any closer, they would definitely notice her…

Ais could only guess what they were talking about from the faint sounds she caught.

The incident on the twenty-seventh Floor, gratitude…

Did Bete do something back then that made Bell very thankful?

God, secret…

What on earth were they talking about?

Ais stood there blankly, while the little Ais in her heart weighed each word and desperately worked her tiny brain.

All of a sudden, Ais remembered the insults from the tavern.

Small fry, weakling, trash newbie.

Bete had been drunk at the time. Annoyed that they had wasted time investigating the boy, he had insulted Bell in front of everyone in the tavern.

By coincidence, the boy had heard all of it.

Ais had a flash of inspiration, connecting every clue into a single thread.

Bell had been defeated by Goblins in the Dungeon, yet only a few days later, he had joined Loki Familia on an expedition and shone brilliantly. The boy had gone through harsh training, but there had to be another reason behind this result.

Ais felt that Bete's insults were probably what had done it.

She had once heard Riveria say that reckless mockery and gentle encouragement were two sides of the same coin. Perhaps Bell had been unable to endure the humiliation of being mocked, and that was why he had resolved to keep pushing forward.

"Guh…"

A defeated sound slipped from Ais's lips.

Bell was pure and brave. His resolve to protect a girl's smile must have already existed from the start. But because of that, the stronger the boy proved to be, the more likely Ais felt her guess was correct.

Turning ridicule into the strength to move forward sounded just like something from a heroic tale, but Ais was deeply unhappy about it.

She did not know why. She only felt a dark emotion beginning to take root in her heart.

Ais perked up her ears, trying to listen more closely.

"You little rascal, I don't feel like nagging you, but you'd better keep a close eye on Gale tomorrow."

Bete spoke with clear implication.

His expression was extremely serious. It did not look like a warning aimed at someone suspicious, but rather like the bad premonition he had smelled as a Beast Human.

"Mm."

Bell gave a brief reply.

Although Bete's wording was terribly awkward and sounded exactly like a threat meant to drive away an outsider, Bell understood what he meant.

Bete had followed the boy all the way as they chased after the Elven girl seeking revenge. As a first-tier Adventurer, he must have realized that the previous incident had only been a smokescreen, and that the true calamity might be lurking right beneath everyone's feet.

Bete knew the price of [wounds] very well, which was why he warned Bell in his own way.

"All right, that's it."

Bete did not say anything like good night. He simply waved a hand and headed back toward camp.

"..."

Ais stared at the Werewolf's retreating back, countless suspicions churning in her mind.

So her guess really was right?

Bete's way of addressing Bell had already changed from small fry to little rascal, and it no longer had that especially biting feeling.

And telling him to keep a close eye on Gale had to mean he wanted Bell to take good care of that Elf, right?

Did they deliberately meet alone because this was a topic between boys?

Mutual benefit. Ais could not help thinking of that phrase.

The boy could gain encouragement from Bete, and Bete could learn from the boy how to make girls happy.

She hated it.

It was upsetting…

Just imagining the two of them having a pleasant conversation was enough to dim the light in Ais's eyes.

Riveria, Lefiya, Aki, Alicia, Tione, Tiona… Their relationships with the boy no longer mattered. The one she had to be wary of now… was Bete.

She absolutely could not let things progress beyond saving.

The little Ais in her heart clenched her fists. Shaking herself free from her gloom, she vowed to stop that hated scene from ever happening and decided to nip it in the bud.

But how?

Ais had no idea how to stop a friendship between boys.

The little Ais in her heart picked up a thick book. She flipped and flipped through it, and finally reached a conclusion.

If she stood between the two of them, wouldn't that solve it?

With that thought, Ais stopped hiding.

As the boy returned to camp, Ais rushed to his side.

"Bell… tonight… shall we sleep together?"