"Filvis-san? What are you talking about?!"
Lefiya clutched her wand and ran over to Bell, panting hard.
After going through so much just to finally become companions with Filvis, she had barely glanced at the boy before boldly confessing her feelings?
And the worst part was, Bell Cranel had actually agreed just like that?!
Shock and disbelief churned violently in Lefiya's chest.
"Th-this has to be a misunderstanding!!"
Lefiya charged between the two of them, bristling with anger.
She gripped her wand tightly, flames burning in her eyes.
There was no way she could accept this!
The noble and gentle Filvis she had known just moments ago suddenly turning into a lovestruck maiden in front of that boy?
Something was absolutely wrong here!
"May I ask your name?"
Bell's gaze calmly passed over Lefiya's wand.
"Filvis Challia. I'd be very happy if you'd call me Filvis."
"Huh?! Why are you ignoring me?! Don't just start introducing yourself on your own!"
Lefiya hesitated, but didn't reach out to pull Filvis away.
A noble elf did not allow others to touch her.
The aura surrounding Filvis constantly conveyed that message.
All Lefiya could do was "reluctantly" shove the boy aside, using her own body as a barrier to stop the two from continuing their conversation.
"Viridis, it was improper of me to suddenly confess to your lover."
Filvis stepped closer, pressing the issue.
"But Cranel has already accepted. Don't you think what you're doing now is inappropriate?"
"C-cough...?"
Lefiya's cheeks instantly flushed bright red.
The aftereffects of the Swordsmithing City expedition and the War Game chose this exact moment to resurface.
Just how long was this fake couple status supposed to last?
The captain never said when this rumor could finally be cleared up?!
Only the anger of having her companion snatched away allowed Lefiya to endure being this close to Bell without completely breaking down.
And Filvis had just bluntly pointed out an intimacy that only lovers should share.
"Ugh..."
Lefiya swallowed her resentment and shyly took two steps back.
As the three stood in a tense standoff, Lili and the others hurried over.
"Bell-sama, this is absolutely a trap! Lili has seen lots of these honey traps before. She's definitely after your money!"
Lili bristled like an angry kitten, glaring viciously at Filvis.
Her hostility wasn't just because of the sudden confession, but also because of the dark-haired elf's overwhelming beauty.
If someone that pure and breathtaking confessed her feelings to a boy, no one could possibly resist.
That was exactly why Lili was convinced Bell had been completely fooled by appearances.
Filvis lowered her gaze for a moment and spoke softly.
"The chestnut-haired supporter… you seem to have been involved in quite a few money disputes in the past."
"W-what?!"
Lili had once committed "misdeeds".
Filvis' words made it sound as though, compared to herself, Lili was the type who used her looks to deceive others and steal their money at the right moment.
In truth, Lili really had once set her sights on the dagger in the boy's hand.
Her confidence immediately collapsed, and she fell silent in defeat.
"Captain, who is this person…?"
Daphne narrowed her phoenix-like eyes as she studied the suddenly appearing Filvis.
"Her name is Filvis Challia. She's the girlfriend I just made."
Bell repeated the elf girl's name perfectly, without missing a beat.
"And her Familia?" Daphne pressed.
"Uh… Filvis, which Familia are you from?"
Under Daphne's dumbfounded stare, Bell passed the question straight back to the elf girl.
"Dionysus Familia…"
Filvis answered honestly.
"Dio—"
"I heard her, Captain. There's no need to repeat it."
Daphne no longer knew where to even begin criticizing this.
"Captain… this is your first time meeting her, right? Is this really okay?"
Cassandra spoke up timidly.
Bell gave a small smile and asked in return, "Is there a problem with that?"
"Umm…"
Just as Cassandra was about to object again, Filvis greeted the two of them.
"You must be former members of the Apollo Familia. I watched the entire War Game. Cranel was truly dazzling back then."
"..."
Cassandra and Daphne were left speechless.
As former opponents, the boy had accepted them without the slightest resentment.
In comparison, Filvis, who had been a complete stranger, had already drawn close to him.
The two of them had no standing at all to interfere in the relationship between Bell and Filvis.
Welf, who supported the boy, also remained silent.
He understood clearly that Bell wasn't accepting people indiscriminately. He had his own considerations, and this wasn't something Welf should butt into.
That left only Yamato Mikoto.
She stepped forward with a dignified air and spoke.
"Filvis-dono, are you willing to swear an oath to this confession?"
"Of course."
Filvis looked at the boy, her crimson eyes seeming to churn with boundless emotion.
"Filvis Challia swears before the gods. If I harbor any ulterior motives toward Bell Cranel, then I am willing to die by his blade, without a single complaint."
In a clear, resolute voice, the girl spoke a life-and-death oath.
"S-she went that far…?"
Mikoto felt the tremendous weight of Filvis' resolve and stared at her in shock.
That spirit was strikingly close to the Bushido Mikoto followed, and she found herself quietly supporting Filvis.
The atmosphere gradually began to soften.
At last, Ryuu, who had been some distance away, arrived at the scene.
"Cranel-san, I saw everything that just happened."
Under everyone's gaze, Ryuu revealed a startling truth.
"When this girl was confessing to you, you were staring at her calves, weren't you?"
"..."
Because of the terrain and the dim lighting, Bell had assumed no one besides Filvis had noticed his behavior.
He hadn't expected Ryuu to "luckily" witness the whole thing.
"Bell-sama…"
Lili's gaze also drifted toward Filvis' legs.
Above her neat, compact boots were sheer white stockings, thin as gauze.
Blue-green straight patterns ran across them, clinging to the slender lines of her calves and outlining delicate contours and jade-like ankles.
"Could the reason Bell-sama accepted the confession be…?"
Lili took a shaky step back.
"Captain…?"
Cassandra and Daphne looked at the boy in unison.
"Bell-dono, what are they talking about?"
Mikoto asked, completely lost.
Ryuu answered in Bell's place.
"Cranel-san, I have no intention of interfering in your relationship with this elf compatriot. I'm simply curious."
"It's a little embarrassing to say, but I once heard Cranel-san speak about his "preferences"."
Staring straight into the boy's eyes, Ryuu questioned him.
"Were those words just lies? Or is the real answer… over here?"
Her gaze clearly indicated Filvis' legs.