Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatte Iru Darou ka

If you’re worthy of her love, survive this.

Ottar wanted proof that Bell was deserving of special treatment. Proof that he was right for Freya.

He didn’t care if he lost her affection. He was willing to accept that all of her love would go to Bell alone.

However, he refused to allow someone unworthy of her attention to dirty the name of the goddess he worshiped.

Now that you have her attention, it is your duty to prove yourself worthy. It was this emotion that drove Ottar.

“Mroooaaaah!”

“…Correction. I’ll have you use the weapon correctly.”

Ottar easily deflected the Minotaur’s first errant swing of the greatsword.

In order to prepare the beast in front of him for its role, Ottar was prepared to “train” it and fully intended to do so.

The sound of swords clashing echoed, flashes of sparks from steel colliding with steel erupted for hour upon hour.

All for Freya.

Ottar simply followed orders to the best of his ability.

“Mr. Bell, why are you a mess before going into the Dungeon?”

“Ha-ha-ha…Well, you know, this and that.”

I weakly laugh off Lilly’s question to reassure her.

Somehow I’ve made it through two days of Aiz’s pulverization…I suppose I can call it “intense training.”

Lilly gives me a look like she knows I’m hiding something, and I can’t blame her. The way my body looks now, she probably thinks I was run over by stampeding monsters or something.

But I can’t tell her the truth. I don’t want to tell her. I don’t want her to know just how unbelievably uncoordinated I am.

I couldn’t block a single strike. Not one. And now I’m an absolute wreck.

I knew going into these training sessions that it would be foolish to think I’d get better right away…But to come away every time no better than a breathing punching/kicking bag, what confidence I had is gone.

I knew I wasn’t that strong, but I didn’t realize just how far I have to go.

There’s her level, and then there’s my level. There’s still enough distance between us to make my head spin just thinking about it.

I walk into the lobby of Babel Tower alongside Lilly, feeling slightly depressed.

The lobby is absolutely massive. The floor is covered in large circular patterns of deep blue and white. But the most beautiful feature of the lobby has to be the stained-glass windows made to look like flowers that line the walls.

Many adventurers are here now, either on their way into the Dungeon or coming out of it. By the looks of it, most of them are, like us, about to head down into the labyrinth. However, there are some who look like they’ve been in the Dungeon overnight.

The contrast of the smiling, happy battle parties and the slouching, downtrodden battle parties is very striking.

The amount of loot adventurers bring back from the Dungeon tells all. Nodding slowly to myself as Lilly and I make our way through the crowd, I promise myself that we won’t look like the depressed ones at the end of today.

It’s a problem we all share, and nothing to scoff at. Nothing at all.

“Lilly’s sorry, Mr. Bell, for making you carry Lilly’s things when you’re so tired.”

“Don’t be, it’s my fault I’m tired…and anyway, I can still carry an empty backpack.”

Lilly looks back at me with a very apologetic expression as we descend the first stairwell leading to the Dungeon entrance, her shoulders sinking. I crack a big smile and jump up and down a few times, saying, “See? So light!”

We’ve switched places—or at least that’s how we’re dressed right now. Basically, I’m carrying Lilly’s bag, so I look like a supporter.

Meanwhile, Lilly’s not wearing her usual cream-colored robe, but a sturdy-looking leather jacket on top of lightweight clothing. The icing on the cake is that she’s wearing my protector like a sheath across her back, the baselard sticking out of it…so she looks to everyone else like an honest-to-goodness adventurer.

Why are we putting on this façade? To keep Lilly’s existence a secret from Soma Familia.

Of course, Lilly is using her magic to disguise herself, but at her height and carrying something as distinct as that oversized backpack of hers, anyone with a good brain in their head might be able to connect the dots.

Prums, being one of the shorter races of people, don’t usually carry bags almost twice their own size. The same goes for children of other races.

We’re being extra careful, and that’s why we came up with this act.

“And we’ll switch out soon anyway, no need to worry about me.”

Since we’re just posing as each other’s role, we need to be out of sight before we change back. The best spot seems to be right before the tenth level, somewhere on the ninth floor. The fog on the tenth floor is another bonus; we don’t have to worry about other parties of adventurers catching a glimpse of us by accident.

We divide up the loot evenly for the return trip so that things don’t look that strange when we get back to the top.

Only a few days have passed since Lilly’s “death,” so I think going a little overboard to protect Lilly’s identity is just about right.

“Mmm…Lilly is in debt to Mr. Bell, and so recent, too. Lilly feels bad doing this to Mr. Bell…”

The tone of Lilly’s voice falls, almost to the point of pouting as she spoke. The wolf ears on top of her head fold down, tips below the base.

I laugh helplessly and take another look at her.

For me, the baselard is a short sword, but it suddenly looks a lot bigger strapped to Lilly’s back. That realization makes me smile. The hilt of the baselard is sticking out from under long, ash-colored hair. With eyes like golden harvest moons, she must have decided to try to be a lycanthrope today, a werewolf.

The long hair was such a change to her usual image that I didn’t recognize her at first. Kind of like going from an energetic, prankster type of child to a mature, book-loving, almost royal appearance.

A few other things here and there are different, too; she’s completely different from the Lilly I’m used to.

“Ah, um…what, is it a bit too much?”

She must have noticed my eyes. She’s looking up at me, a bit unsure of herself as her voice quietly shakes.

I don’t know if she’s talking about her adventurer outfit or the werewolf transformation, but I just smile and shake my head.

I tell her that she doesn’t look strange at all.

“You just look so different…a fresh look, maybe? Actually, I think you look pretty cute.”

“R-really?”

“Yeah, you look good like this.”

She nervously looks up at me before her eyes start to twinkle with happiness.

Lilly turns back to face forward, but her wolf ears perk up and I can see a tail swishing back and forth under her skirt.

I don’t think I meant to, but seeing how Lilly responded to my compliment, seeing how happy she is, makes the corners of my mouth curve up without my even thinking.

I feel like I’ve got a cute little sister. And that feels…nice.

I’m watching all the adventurers who pass by us…Maybe we look like brother and sister to them.

“A hare and a wolf…”

“Wolf and bunny…”

“The rabbit is the supporter…Oh, I wonder if he’ll get eaten.”

“Emergency food supply in a last-resort scenario…how miserable!”

“Scary, scary. Can’t judge adventurers just on looks and status, now can ya? Better keep my guard up.”

…This is weird.

Why do I feel like I’m being insulted?

Whisper-whisper. I can hear all of you, right here, you know?

I’ve never felt this kind of kind gaze from adventurers—it’s like I’m the center of attention in a pity party.

Especially the remark of that male elf a second ago. What did he mean by “how miserable”?

At least my smile is carrying me through this, but a new question jumps into my head as I take another look at “adventurer” Lilly.

I open my mouth to ask her. I can tell she’s still in a really good mood just by looking at the side of her face.

“Hey, Lilly. You can’t upgrade your status anymore, can you?”

“What’s Mr. Bell talking about?”

“…You know, since you can’t go to Soma Familia, you can’t meet up with your god, right?”

Careful not to be overheard; I lean close to her ears as I speak.

It’s impossible for Lilly to go anywhere near Soma for the time being. Therefore, the status on her back won’t change.

As an adventurer, not being able to update my status would be a death sentence. I imagine it’s the same for supporters, too. As I go to deeper floors, the monsters get stronger, which means it’s more dangerous…

“Aren’t you worried?” I ask her with concern in my eyes.

“To tell the truth, Lilly is a little worried…but it’s probably fine. At the very least, Lilly’s okay for now.”

“R-really?”

“Yes, Lilly is good at finding ways to deal with monsters…After all, Lilly hasn’t had a status update in almost half a year now and been okay.”

“H-half a year?!”

Her words throw me for a loop.

I don’t think I need to spell it out, but without a status update, she won’t get stronger after everything she’s been through. All the times she’s taken a hit, fought a monster—it’s all been meaningless. Talk about high risk, no reward.

Lilly grimaces when she sees the shock on my face and explains.

“To get a status update in Soma Familia, Lilly had to make quota.”

“Wha…isn’t that… ?”

“Yes, it’s Soma’s…condition.”

According to Lilly, Soma doesn’t do many status updates for anyone at first.

It seems strange to me, but it sounds like he only does status updates on an “as-needed” basis. He commits all of his time and money to his one true passion, making wine. So if someone like Lilly isn’t making money for him, it’s a waste of his time to make her stronger. Without money from his adventurers, he can’t make wine.

On top of that, his Familia is quite large. To update all of their statuses probably takes a very long time and would have been a real pain…

So with all that in mind, he apparently announced, “Once you meet your quota, I’ll have a look at your status.”

“So Lilly, you couldn’t update your status without making a certain amount of money?”

“Not quite, Mr. Bell. Lilly didn’t want to stand out.”

“Stand out?”

“Meeting the quota regularly means that that person has skills. Lilly can’t fight, and everyone knew that. So if they saw Lilly making her quota, they would get suspicious.”

“Ah…” The sound escapes me before I can stop it. That’s what she was getting at.

So in that case, Lilly…

“Actually, Lilly made enough to pay the quota every time, but Lilly never turned it in. If Lilly carried money, that would give her away. Not being able to update Lilly’s status was a sacrifice Lilly made to hide what she was doing.”

Even going to those member meetings was just to keep up appearances.

She says that she updated her status a few time after she learned her magic, but not even once over the past six months.

Not updating your status out of concern for what others in your Familia will think… ? That Familia is broken.

I’d known that she was alone over there, but hearing this lets me know just how alone.

With such a meager status, she must have been able to survive day after day in the Dungeon only because she’d grown up in such a cruel environment.

She’s made it this long because of her intelligence and strategies. The confidence to go into the Dungeon armed with only those, knowing your status would never improve, had to be the result of that strange upbringing.

I feel my face tighten into a frown.

“Do you despise her after all?”

“Eh?”

“The Lilly who fooled everyone and anyone. Lilly’s a monster in disguise…”

Almost as if she can foresee where the conversation is going, Lilly changes the subject.

Her golden eyes don’t even glance at me. She just keeps looking straight ahead.

Her voice is so soft. I can’t say anything back.

“Lilly hates adventurers. With the exception of Mr. Bell, Lilly still carries a grudge…an intense loathing of them.”

“……”

“No matter what Mr. Bell thinks of it, Lilly has no intension of apologizing for anything she’s done…and has no remorse, either.”

That’s a lie.

Something inside me knows that she isn’t telling the truth, but alas, I can’t say it.

I can see the stern expression on her face as she voices her harsh emotions. Without much of a pause, she starts right back up again.

“Would Mr. Bell despise this Lilly after all?” she asks one more time, not breaking stride.

Her voice is normal now. Her eyes look like they’re facing forward…but something’s…does she notice?

The wolf ears on top of her head won’t sit still. They’re twitching, almost out of fear.

Blinking rapidly, I let words build up in my mind before releasing them.

I know it’s not the time for a smile, but it just kind of comes out of me as I speak.

“…It’s hard for me to despise people who can’t be honest with themselves, I think.”

“Eh?”

Her feet stop, and her head whips to face me.

“It’s okay, Lilly. I like who you are, so I can’t despise you, let alone hate you.”

It’s just how I feel.

To help her wipe away any concerns or misgivings she might have, I give her the honest truth.

I didn’t know Lilly’s gaze could be this strong! It feels like she’s looking clear through me as her face turns red. The wolf ears that were folded down and shaking suddenly perk up.

I’m startled. Lilly’s tail is going crazy under her skirt.

I may look calm on the outside, but inside, I’m absolutely bewildered. Lilly’s eyes are still on me, her cheeks a rosy pink as she shrinks away.

“Asking Mr. Bell what he means would be…a stupid question, wouldn’t it?”

“Huh?” Before I can ask for a clarification on that, she’s already started walking again.

Just looking at her from behind, I’d say that she’s in an even better mood than before.

Did I cheer her up? Before I know it I fall behind and rush to catch up.

“Mr. Bell’s voice rings clear in Lilly’s heart.”

Her voice is always soft.

I try to ask her a few more times, but she won’t tell me a thing. Vaguely sulking behind her, I run through our conversation silently in my head.

“Hyaaaaa!”

“Giiii!”

Little demon monsters—imps—fly at me, shrieking at the top of their lungs.

Their bodies are black from top to tail. A small horn sticks out of their oversized heads, their bodies small by comparison, giving them an unbalanced look. But they’re capable of pulling off quick, sharp movements that I would have never thought possible just by looking at them.

Their tails whip around, following their bodies’ twists and turns, the little hooks on the ends flicking back and forth.

“!”

Coming at me side by side, they look like they’re hopping up and down in midair. I arm myself with the Divine Knife and the baselard as I face them down.

I sidestep toward the right-hand imp.

Now they can’t attack me at the same time, and the one in front of me is in the other one’s way.

This is as good as one-on-one. Brandishing all sorts of claws and teeth, the first imp comes up to my face with its right arm held high.

“Giii!”

“Much. Too. Slow!”

—This is nothing compared to the speed of her kicks!

It’s planning to take a swipe at my face with its claws, so I swing the Divine Knife up to meet them.

The instant my eyes see the flashing purple arc of the blade, not only does the imp lose its claws, but the severed fingers of its right hand go flying.

“Ge, Gii?!”

Amid the imp’s sharp screams of pain and surprise, I keep my momentum going by sending my body into a full spin.

I’ve seen so many flashes of blond hair that the form has been pounded into my mind. It’s about time I tried doing her move myself.

Spinning over my right leg, I slam a powerful spinning jump kick into the monster in front of me in one swift motion.

“Higya?!”

“?!”

My left foot hits the light monster square in the chest and violently sends it flying backward.

And straight into the other imp just behind it. That imp manages to make an aerial recovery after its fingerless friend smashes into it, but I’m already going into my next attack.

Tucking my right arm behind my back, I thrust the baselard straight forward!

“Gigi?!”

My strike impales both of them.

Both bodies convulse in their death throes.

Silver liquid and guts drip out of their wounds, and their bodies’ spasms make the hilt of my blade shake.

“Mr. Bell! Behind you!”

—I know!

Lilly doesn’t have to warn me. I can feel the presence of another monster coming at me.

Widen your vision. Don’t leave any openings.

I let go of the baselard as I spin to greet the newcomer, readying my knife in the processes.

Going on the offensive, I jump at the new imp, slashing with both blades once.

“Gee—!”

“Whoa…Nice one, Mr. Bell.”

Legs. Body. Head.

I jump through the monster; all three parts of its body hit the ground as I land a meder beyond.

I’m already scanning the area, looking for more. There are still many black shadows in the fog. Their numbers haven’t gone down much.

Lilly picks up the baselard for me, and I jump straight at the shadows in the mist.

We’re on the tenth floor.

The floor on this level is covered with grass, and its rooms and hallways are wider than any level I’ve seen so far. I can’t tell where it’s coming from, but a thick, white fog fills the air everywhere I look.

Choosing a particularly spacious dead-end room as our base, Lilly and I are working this floor of the Dungeon today.

This is my opportunity to use what Aiz has taught me over the past two days in battle against real monsters.

After getting through that life-or-death situation, it’s my duty to use what I learned from her and try harder.

“HYAAAAAAA!!”

Lilly and I are currently fighting against a swarm of imps. These little monsters are far more common than orcs down here.

They use sheer numbers as a weapon—I feel like I’m getting nowhere against them, no matter how many I take down.

Imps are clever. They might look like goblins, but there is one big difference between the two: these little bastards are smart. They know how to use a strategy.

They never attack a target one at a time; they swarm in packs. As a group, they are a serious threat. Unlike other groups of monsters I’ve fought before, these things have a plan. It’s actually kind of impressive.

And on a floor where a big white cloud gives them constant cover, it’s said that a pack of imps is more feared than even the gigantic orcs that wander around.

“Gii!”

“Hnh!”

I definitely agree. They’re so fast that if I block an attack with my protector, they’re already retreating back into the fog by the time I launch a counterattack. It’s enough to make my mouth twitch in frustration.

Then they use the fog to sneak up on me from any and all directions. That’s how I know imps are clever. They spread out and work as a team.

If I move somewhere that they can’t surround me, they start clicking their tongues and shrieking at me from behind the cloud. There are eight of them, for now. More and more are coming.

A battle party of adventurers wouldn’t have much trouble, but as a solo adventurer, these guys are tough to take on.

“Hyahii!”

“Hiii…”

“……”

The moment I set my feet, they spread out like a net around me.

I can see their shoulders shaking as they all laugh at me from beyond the fog.

The ring of imps is drawing closer and closer. Landing on the ground, they make their way through the grass, licking their lips like mad wolves on the hunt. I can hear everything.

If I had faced this last week, I probably would have panicked.

I might have accepted the fact I’d take a hit or two and tried to force my way out of their net.

However—

“Mr. Bell being looked at like food makes Lilly a little…annoyed!”

I’m not alone now.

Her voice comes from outside the imp ring.

An arrow suddenly slices the air from behind their backs.

“Gyya?!”

“—?!”

Lilly’s arrow hit one of the imps in the back of the head. The sneak attack sends a wave of surprise through the remaining monsters.

Monsters aren’t the only ones who can use the fog as cover. Lilly had hidden herself temporarily and gone undetected by the imps.

They’re clever, but there is a limit to their intelligence. On the other hand, Lilly and I already had a plan for this, as well as experience in working together. We’re the stronger party.

So this is what teamwork feels like. It feels good.

My turn!

Now’s my chance. They’re still trying to find where the arrow came from.

I slice an imp that was gawking at the golden arrow that split its comrade’s head in half.

But I don’t stop there. The monsters are all on the ground—easy targets for a flurry of kicks in all the confusion. Now is not the time for mercy.

“SHYAA!”

“—! Lilly!”

I catch a glimpse of them just as I finish off the imp that took her arrow.

Two of the remaining imps break away from the group and make straight for Lilly.

I may have been yelling out to her, but she doesn’t flinch. A smirk on her lips, she calmly reaches inside a fold of fabric in her top and pulls out a small pouch.

“Thanks for your hard work.”

Flick! Lilly flips open the pouch and releases a small cloud of powder. The imps fly right into it and immediately start hacking and coughing.

Koff! Koff! The sudden purple dust cloud permeates through their bodies, the imps coughing so hard that they fall out of the air.

Purple Moth Scales. A drop item.

Lilly just used a poison grenade made from these scales.

It’s fast-acting, unlike the purple moth’s scales by themselves, and is strong enough to poison smaller monsters on contact.

—Clever girl! Looks like she wasn’t lying about being able to handle monsters!

Lilly taking a quick step back is my cue to spring into action.

I make eye contact and give her a little nod, to let her know I’ll take it from here.

I can’t help but smile a little.

“All right!”

I take a deep breath and hold it as I jump into the cloud of purple dust. Then, slash.

Using both of the shorter blades, one in each hand, I slay both imps without taking a breath.

The only ones left now are…

“…Mr. Bell, something a little bigger is here!”

“!”

A small tremor shakes the room. I know what it is immediately.

An orc. I’ve had dealings with this type of pig-headed monster before. Standing close to three meders tall, the beast is coming toward us bare-handed.

Of course there are still a few imps around, but they look like minions waiting for the boss’s command as I get a better feel for the surroundings.

There’s a bad bat above me. It’s a black bat–type monster with sharp claws and a really distracting scream. It’s enough to make me feel dizzy in combat.

The remaining imps on the ground take to the air, their tails between their legs, and join their allies behind the fog.

“So many…”

“Yes, it’s very rare that this many types of monsters gather like this. What should Lilly do? Lead the orc away?”

Lilly set her backpack down on the grass and loaded an arrow into her crossbow as she made her suggestion.

I squint my eyes as I think it through.

With the fog in the way, I can’t tell exactly how many of each monster there is. Except for the orc, anyway. I don’t feel comfortable telling Lilly to leave my side when I don’t know what we’re up against…

I return both of my knives to their sheaths, and shake my right wrist.

“Mr. Bell?”

“Heh-heh. I might be relying on this a bit too much…”

I smile and nod to let her know what’s coming. I think she gets the message because she quickly scrambles out of the way.

Now I have a clear shot.

With the various cries and shrieks of the monsters ringing in my ears, I raise my right arm and take aim.

“FIREBOLT!”

Bolts of scarlet flame carve their way through the sea of fog, wiping out everything in their path.

“Can I ask you something, Lilly? Do you think I’m depending on my Magic too much?”

Holding a sandwich in my hand, I ask Lilly for her opinion.

After clearing out most of the monsters, we decided to take a rest. So we’ve come back to the first room on the tenth level. The stairs connecting to the ninth are behind me.

This is the only room on the lower tenth that doesn’t have any fog. Since the chances of a sneak attack are much higher everywhere else, I think it’s safe to say that this is the least dangerous room on this level.

I’m eating the usual lunch from Syr as I wait for Lilly’s answer.

Now that I think about it, Syr’s handmade sandwiches are always a little strange. The more I chew, the more new and exciting varieties of bitterness come to the surface.

She tried something new again today, but it tastes like a swamp…It’s rude of me to think that, so I better keep chewing to make up for it. But honestly, I’m on the verge of tears.

My lunches are getting scarier and scarier every day.

“Hmmm…Lilly doesn’t think it’s a problem…Mr. Bell’s Magic is very easy to use, too…”

Lilly tilts her head from side to side, as if sloshing the ideas around in her head, while holding a modest-sized piece of bread in her hands.

Her lips wrap around the bread whenever she takes a bite; it’s very cute. Taking her last bite, she wipes her mouth with a napkin before continuing.

“Because it’s easy to use, it might be easy to get in a habit of casting it. But rather than depending on it, Lilly thinks it’s become one of Mr. Bell’s basic maneuvers.”

“Well, when you put it like that…”

It lined up pretty well, actually.

Firebolt is Swift-Strike Magic.

Each Magic has a spell you have to chant to activate it…so basically, there’s nothing you have to save up.

For me, Magic is like a punch or a kick that I don’t use as often. Maybe it’s just another technique for me to use in combat.

“Lilly thinks about it like this. Mr. Bell’s Magic is very effective, but its role is much more limited than other Magic.”

“Um…and that would be… ?”

“As a finishing move.”

The moment she said that, I immediately think of the picture of a certain hero on page one of a Tales of Adventure book.

A young elfish warrior summoning a blizzard to face down a fearsome beast.

“Magic is the ace up the sleeve. You could even call it a last resort, because if it’s powerful enough, Magic can take down an enemy at a level higher than the caster. Mr. Bell’s Magic is very easy to use, but it might be limited to a role as the killing blow.”

Sure, I can use it like nobody’s business, but that doesn’t mean it’s all that powerful.

Blow for blow, it’s nothing like the kind of Magic Lilly’s talking about.

I make a timid face as I listen to the rest of Lilly’s explanation.

“Since the Magics with long trigger spells are more powerful, they have the ability to bring the caster back from the edge of defeat. They’re a way to perform miracles.”

So if you turn that around…

“My Magic is too weak to do that… ?”

“No, no. That’s not what Lilly’s saying. It’s the idea of quality over quantity, or quantity over quality. Mr. Bell’s Magic is formidable…At least for Lilly, a magic that can be cast suddenly is much scarier than one that is more powerful but takes time. Mr. Bell’s ‘Firebolt’ is scary because it can’t be avoided.”

Lilly smiles as she finished.

I guess she’s trying to say that my Magic is plenty intimidating as it is now.

It’s just that the impact of each strike lacks the power of other Magics.

So if I were to face a particularly strong monster—something with very high Defense—then my Magic won’t be as effective as other offensive magic would be.

Well, yeah, Magic isn’t perfect. I know that anyone can find a downside to any Magic in the book…

I don’t know if it’s because I’ve fantasized about Magic since I was a kid, but realizing the weakness in my own…I feel, I don’t know, sad somehow.

Lilly must have read the disappointment on my face because when I look up at her, she’s all smiles.

“Mr. Bell, oh Mr. Bell? Lilly thinks Mr. Bell’s Magic is one of the better ones, okay? No spell, lightning speed, but it’s growing very fast, too. That Magic is ahead of the pack.”

“…… ?”

“It’s very difficult to use Magic that requires time to cast. Does Mr. Bell think that monsters will wait for someone to finish the incantation? And since those Magics can’t be used very often, they can’t grow. Magic has to be used for it to get more powerful; the status won’t change.”

So if the caster doesn’t have a chance to use their Magic, their Magic Skill won’t improve.

In that case, with a little time and effort on my part, my Magic could become many times more powerful than it is now, if I use it frequently.

“As Magic Skill increases, so do the effects of each spell. Lilly knows this because her Magic changed as her Magic Skill went up. It has nothing to do with combat, but it could do more things.”

Lilly’s magic, “Cinder Ella,” has a limit to how much it can change the overall shape of her body. For the most part, she can only change to look like other short races or children of taller ones. Apparently she gained the ability to copy different types of clothing as her Magic Skill went up. However, she needs an example to copy for it to work.

Turns out her clothes right now are the result of her Magic (although she said that the effect ends if she takes a hit).

I take a long, hard look at my hand.

Thinking back, the size and power of the flaming bolts have gotten much thicker and stronger since the day I first cast Firebolt.

“Back to the original question: If Mr. Bell is depending on his Magic too much, or not. Since Magic gets stronger the more it’s used, Lilly doesn’t think it can be helped. Mr. Bell’s Magic could be considered a close-quarters combat technique, and he might neglect the others if he uses it too much, so it is difficult…But Lilly thinks Mr. Bell is doing okay as he is.”

Lilly’s very convincing, so I give her a firm nod.

It’s the opinion of the one person who’s spent the most time with me as an adventurer.

“Mr. Bell’s Magic element may be simple, and its power average, but its potential to grow makes it great. Be confident, Mr. Bell.”

I blush a little as she flashes her teeth in a big smile.

Thanks to Lilly’s seal of approval, I feel a lot better about my Magic.

Actually, to tell the truth, I feel relieved.

I say a quiet “Thanks” before standing up.

“Up for some more prowling?”

“Yes. Lilly will support Mr. Bell wherever he may go.”

That’s a strong way to say that…All I can do is smile.

The two of us work together, giving our all against the monsters of the lower tenth after that.