The blue crystals lit the path ahead.
A [Blue Crab] came charging straight at them, its monstrous claws raised high.
Riveria swung her wand like a spear, and as the monster fell, a few droplets of water flew from her graceful figure, the kind that could make even a Goddess jealous.
"Bell Cranel."
Sensing the boy's gaze, Riveria called his name coldly.
"A crab that runs straight ahead. That is rare enough that I could not look away."
Bell answered softly.
"Liar."
Riveria lowered her wand and continued forward with Bell.
She could clearly feel that the boy's gaze was resting on her.
The water droplets warmed against her body, gradually losing their chill.
Moisture spread over her skin, and her tights and outerwear, plastered tightly against her, carried an unpleasant cling.
Together with the boy's gaze, that disheveled state stirred a deep sense of embarrassment in Riveria.
"Bell Cranel."
Riveria called his name again, this time with a trace of reproach in her voice.
"I know. Sorry. My eyes just cannot help being drawn to beautiful things."
Bell apologized.
"There is a place ahead suitable for resting. Let us get there quickly."
Riveria brushed aside the compliment.
Her tone was a little hurried, and her pace quickened as well.
"Riveria-san, are we really going to dry our clothes here on the twenty-fifth floor?"
Rather than pressing the earlier subject, Bell asked considerately for her thoughts.
If they were going to dry their clothes, then they would definitely have to remove their outer garments.
For an elf princess, that was unquestionably the sort of act that bordered on taboo.
"This is our only choice. If I return to the eighteenth floor looking like this, someone may see me. As royalty, I absolutely cannot let such an unsightly state be seen."
Riveria's reply came smoothly.
It was not only the duty of royalty. Her pride as a woman was buzzing in the back of her mind as well.
Riveria would never allow any other man to see her like this.
"I understand."
Bell accepted her decision.
This whole situation had begun because of his own recklessness, so naturally he did not have much say in how it should be handled.
Whether all those coincidences were truly [Luck] or merely accident, even Bell could not tell.
The crystals cast a deep blue glow.
The two moved away from the main path and headed toward a deeply hidden corner of the Dungeon.
"Here should do."
Riveria looked at the narrow cavern ahead and decided no adventurer would come here.
Judging from the terrain, even if someone happened to approach, Riveria would still have more than enough time to react before they saw the firelight.
"All right, then I will go to the cavern on the right."
Bell gave a small nod and started to turn away.
Even though he had been looking at Riveria rather often just moments ago, Bell still knew where to draw the line.
Their exchanged glances were only a kind of seasoning between the two of them, and Riveria had not truly been angry about it.
But removing their outer clothes and drying them was on an entirely different level.
Bell understood that perfectly, so he turned around like a gentleman.
Yet he had only taken a single step when a slender arm blocked his path.
"Bell Cranel, where do you think you are going?"
Riveria stood in front of him.
"If you are going to take off your clothes, I thought I should step aside for a while... Unless you do not have any tools to start a fire, Riveria-san?"
Bell asked softly.
On the way here, the two of them had already gathered fuel for a fire.
But the flint Riveria had been carrying was likely soaked by the water and no longer usable.
"..."
Faced with the boy's perfectly natural gentlemanly gesture, Riveria froze for a second.
She showed no sign of giving way and said gently, "This is not about starting a fire. You need to stay in this cavern with me."
"Eh?"
Just like Riveria's reaction out on the water, Bell also let out a rare sound of confusion.
"Hehe."
Seeing the puzzled look on his face, Riveria smiled.
She pointed toward the monsters in the distance and explained, "This is not a safe zone. Without a weapon, you cannot separate from me."
Riveria had to ensure Bell's safety.
Every few floors, the Dungeon's danger level rose dramatically.
From the upper floors to the middle floors, and from the middle floors to the lower floors, those sharp jumps in difficulty were exactly what got so many adventurers killed.
For a boy whose weapon had already broken, this was absolutely not a place where he could wander about alone without concern.
"Riveria-san, please do not worry. If I run into danger, I will call for you immediately."
Bell replied politely.
On one side was the risk of being attacked by monsters.
On the other was the risk of being hunted down by elves.
Bell's reason told him the latter was probably far more troublesome...
Even Lefiya, who usually got along with him very well, acted like that whenever Riveria was involved.
As for elves who were complete strangers to him, if they ever found out about this, there was no telling what they might do.
"Bell Cranel, what if a monster appears right beside you? What if you run into an enhanced species that you cannot possibly avoid?"
Riveria quickly laid out the risks.
The Dungeon was full of danger.
Some monsters suddenly burst out of the walls and struck without warning.
Others devoured magic stones and grew stronger, causing countless tragedies.
If the two of them separated, then even as a Level 6, Riveria would not be able to protect the boy immediately.
"That is true, but..."
Bell hesitated for a moment.
"Hehe, so you can get shy too. It is not as if I am going to eat you."
Riveria's smile deepened.
From those damp lips came a clear laugh like birdsong.
Looking at the boy's face, she added softly, "Do not worry. I promise you, I absolutely will not tell anyone else about this."
"All right, Riveria-san. Then let us go in."
The moment he received her promise, Bell answered without hesitation.
"..."
Riveria froze in place once again.
The boy had been waiting for that promise. He had already thought through all the risks from the start.
That hesitation had not come from bashfulness at all. It was simply his reason suppressing his feelings, which was why he had kept refusing.
"Bell Cranel, you wanted to go in with me from the very beginning, did you not?"
Riveria exposed what he was thinking.
"Of course. How could I possibly refuse the chance to share a room with a beautiful elf princess?"
Bell smiled lightly, then added, "I turned you down again and again. You were the one who insisted I stay, Riveria-san."
Whatever he might really have been thinking, Bell had still shown his gentlemanly side.
"I already told you, flattering me will not get you anything."
Riveria said no more and slowly stepped into the cavern.
Inside that cramped space, darkness filled everything.
A moment later, firelight flickered to life.
...
...
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