Chapter 509 - 509: Regrouping

Frost spread over the room as the girls' voices drowned out the monsters' wails, echoing through the dark, glossy chamber.

Riveria's willful embrace did not last too long. Though she carved every second spent with the boy deep into her memory and savored the peace of surviving that ordeal, the Elf princess's selfishness caused no trouble for anyone.

Lefiya and Alicia's emotions finally settled. The choking sobs in their clear, moving voices gradually faded, replaced by a fierce resolve to cherish the people precious to them.

"Mm..."

Ryuu swung her wooden sword at a giant spider.

As someone who had sworn loyalty to the royal family, she knew well how noble the Elf princess was. Riveria embracing Bell right now was not the whim of a spoiled princess. She was thinking of Ryuu, giving her time to steady herself.

Ryuu's trauma was something only Ryuu herself could overcome. Bell had already kept his promise through his actions. What Ryuu had to do now was overcome the shadow left in her heart from firing that Magic, one battle at a time.

Her wooden sword traced arcs through the air, defeating the monsters spawning from the wall on the right.

Ryuu's movements were swift and dignified.

She had once committed sins, but that was not what she needed to think about now.

Ryuu's current justice was to protect Bell and accompany the boy back to Syr safely.

As for what would happen after that, Ryuu did not dare imagine it.

On the other side, thanks to the frost barrier, there were not that many monsters attacking them. Ais used this short lull to recover her stamina and Mind.

Unlike Ryuu, who deliberately looked away, Ais kept glancing at Riveria from time to time.

That was an emerald Elf she had never seen before.

A bashful embrace, intimate contact with no gap between them.

Logically, Ais should have been happy for them.

Bell had lost his right arm to save Riveria, then sacrificed himself in the battle afterward to save everyone present. The fact that he could be reborn through fire was a miracle that made little Ais cheer with joy.

Riveria had never had a partner before. Now that she could honestly tell the boy she liked him, and even receive his passionate response, Ais should have been happy for the Elf princess who had always cared for her.

Yet for some reason, when those two things overlapped, a faint shadow rose in Ais's heart instead.

"..."

Ais could not understand where that feeling came from. Like a child who had done something wrong, she kept stealing glances at Riveria.

Only after the two separated completely did the gloom in Ais's heart gradually fade.

The boy began sorting out his equipment, while Riveria walked over to Lefiya and the others.

"Cecil's light armor helped a lot. The next time I see her, she'll probably scold me..."

Bell looked at the light armor that had been reduced to wreckage and gave a bitter smile.

The light armor had been fused with [Goliath Hard Skin] and intentionally made with a segmented design. Thanks to that, Bell had been able to lock the Juggernaut's fangs in place.

The Goliath Scarf could not cover everything.

The sharp tips of the Juggernaut's spike-like fangs had pierced into the light armor, but before they could reach Bell's body, they had been stopped completely by the hard black sections beside them, trapping them in place.

It was a coincidence brought about by [Luck]. In a sense, Cecil had protected Bell too.

But now, the light armor was twisted beyond recognition, and there was no way to repair it quickly. To make moving easier, Bell could only toss it into his backpack and go on lightly equipped.

As Bell gathered the fallen bracelet, [Lunatic Light], and other items, Riveria walked over to Lefiya.

"Lefiya, you did well just now."

Riveria praised her.

The golden-haired Elf had deliberately sent Ryuu and Ais away to give her and the boy time alone. That kind of judgment was truly reassuring.

Riveria could not help feeling that love really did make people grow.

"Um... thank you for the praise, Riveria-sama?"

Lefiya accepted the compliment shyly. She glanced at the boy not far away, then asked in a small voice, "R-Riveria-sama, have you and Bell Cranel, um... become lovers?"

To Lefiya's surprise, even though she had kept her voice as low as possible, Alicia still cried out.

"Lefiya! W-w-what did you say?! Riveria-sama, is that true?!"

Alicia reacted like a startled animal. Ignoring etiquette, she rushed over to them, her chest bouncing as she moved.

"Riveria-sama, please tell us the answer."

At some point, Ryuu had appeared nearby with her wooden sword in hand.

All three Elves looked at Riveria with complicated expressions.

Near the right side of the vast room, Ais stayed beside the boy, guarding Bell as he recovered the fallen blue crystal.

She did not know what the Elven women were discussing, but since everyone had gathered together, Ais could have the boy all to herself, just like Riveria had earlier. That made her very happy.

"Bell..."

Ais called that warm name.

"Mm."

Bell picked up the blue crystal and answered softly.

He had taken out this suspicious gem while Ais was fighting the Juggernaut.

If the Guild's goal was to use Loki Familia's expedition to see certain things within the Dungeon clearly, then the Juggernaut was definitely one of them.

Beyond that, Bell was very curious. As the managers of the Dungeon, the Guild should know the information left behind by Zeus Familia and Hera Familia. Had they deliberately placed this blue crystal because that information had changed, or was it that even the Guild no longer knew what was happening deep within the Dungeon?

Either way, as long as his intuition from [Luck] was not wrong, Bell had already achieved half of what he wanted for future negotiations. The remaining answers would probably have to be found on the 59th Floor.

"Bell..."

While the boy's thoughts raced, Ais called his name again.

"I heard you."

Bell answered gently.

Ever since he and Riveria had separated, Ais had been like this, only calling his name and saying nothing else.

"Bell..."

Unlike usual, Ais's voice carried a touch of excitement, enough for him to feel how happy she was.

"..."

Bell could not guess what the girl was thinking, so he did not answer right away.

"Bell, Bell..."

Ais pressed her attack.

"Mm. Bell, who likes Ais-san, is right here. I'm not going anywhere."

Bell answered with a smile.

"Bell..."

"Mm."

Their calls and answers carried a faint sweetness as they echoed beside each other's ears.

On the other side.

Riveria looked around at the Elf girls, each wearing a different expression, and gave her answer.

"Bell Cranel and I cannot be called true lovers yet, but I intend to marry him in the future."

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