"Why would you think that, Ais-san?"
Bell asked in confusion.
"Because Bell knows too much... Even Riveria never told me about those things...."
Ais answered honestly.
She might be airheaded, but when it came to certain things, she had a strange kind of intuition.
A faint gale seemed to coil around her, and until she got an answer, she did not look like she intended to let the boy leave.
"You'd better not say that to Riveria-san, or she'll hit you."
Bell warned her with a smile.
"Tell me already..."
Ais stood in front of Bell, clearly refusing to let him change the subject.
The younger version of herself inside her heart was red-faced and screaming, holding a judgment spear far too large for her size, ready to bring down the punishment she called justice on the boy.
Whether it was lies or excuses, nothing would escape it.
"...."
Bell realized she was serious.
It would actually have been easy to brush this off.
Their relationship was still very fragile. All he had to do was tell Ais, "We're not lovers, and you have no right to judge me," and this crisis would be over.
But Bell did not want to do that.
She was both the dignified, powerful Sword Princess and a girl with the heart of a child.
If he tore open the truth of their relationship, it would only make Ais feel hurt and disappointed.
So Bell chose honesty.
"Ais-san, before I answer that, can you tell me why you walked into the food storage on the twenty-fourth floor by yourself?"
Ais was airheaded, but not foolish.
When those green walls appeared on the twenty-fourth floor, she should have realized that it was not an ordinary case of monsters surging in number.
She should have withdrawn first and waited for reinforcements.
"That was what I planned to do at first, but when I saw the red-haired woman, I changed my mind... because there was something I absolutely had to do...."
Ais did not explain any further.
It was as if she had remembered something, and her right hand unconsciously clenched into a fist.
"I understand."
Bell looked into the distance.
The sun had fully set, and the glow of the Magic Stone lamps painted a peaceful scene.
Tree shadows swayed, and on the cobblestone road where no one else passed, Bell and Ais looked straight into each other's eyes.
Bell took a deep breath and said, "Ais-san, I've been to a brothel, and not just once."
".....?!"
Ais's eyes widened.
Her hand moved to the Desperate Sword at her side, as if she were about to stir up a violent gale.
But Bell's resolve moved faster than she did.
"Before the next full moon, I'll be going there again, because just like you, Ais-san, there's something I absolutely have to do."
Bell did not retreat even a single step.
He simply looked into those beautiful golden eyes and stated his resolve.
"....."
A moment later, Ais pulled her hand back.
They had both done something the other had not expected.
Ais had not clearly explained why she had acted so recklessly.
And Bell had not explained who he was going to the brothel for, or what he intended to do there.
But for the two of them, that was enough.
That warm fighting spirit could not lie.
"I won't ask about it again...."
Ais slowly gave her conclusion.
The evening wind brushed past them, carrying the smell of food from the street.
The little Ais in her heart set down her judgment spear, and the moment she calmed down, she immediately started making a fuss.
"Guh..."
Ais realized it was her own stomach growling, and her cheeks flushed red.
"Ais-san, let's go get something to eat."
Bell smiled lightly and headed down the street to the left.
There was all kinds of food in front of them, but like a fish caught on a hook, Ais followed the smell and walked straight to the fried potato ball stall.
"..."
If I ever make Ais upset in the future, I'll just make fried potato balls for her...
Bell added another method of cheering someone up to his mental notes.
"Bell..."
Ais stood helplessly in front of the stall and called his name.
"Don't tell me they're sold out?"
Bell walked over slowly and saw the fried potato balls still sizzling in the oil.
"No... I didn't bring any money..."
Ais looked at him earnestly, sounding just like a little girl trying to coax someone.
Since she had gone straight to find Bell right after beating up Bete, she had not brought her bag.
Bell smiled gently and bought several bags of fried potato balls for her.
"Mm... tha... mm..."
Holding the food bag, Ais stuffed a freshly made fried potato ball into her mouth.
"Don't talk while you're eating."
Bell felt like he finally understood what it was like for Riveria to take care of a child.
The only difference was that, deep down, Bell genuinely thought the blonde girl's airheadedness was kind of adorable.
"Here..."
Ais held out the bag in her hand.
"Don't tell me you want me to throw your trash away for you?"
Bell teased as he took the bag, which looked completely empty at first glance.
Unexpectedly, there was still one last survivor inside.
"The last one. It's all for Bell..."
Ais licked the crumbs from her lips, and a faint smile rippled in her golden eyes.
"But there were more than ten in this bag, right? Isn't that a bit unfair?"
Bell said it teasingly.
"The one left for last tastes the best..."
Whether from the heat of the food or something else, there was a lovely flush on Ais's face.
"Then I'll take it. Even if I was the one who paid for it, thanks anyway, Ais-san."
Bell popped the last fried potato ball into his mouth.
He had not bought anything for himself. Partly because he was not very hungry.
And partly because Bell still had a hard battle ahead of him....
"Tione said a man who nitpicks isn't a good man..."
Ais repeated the words exactly as she remembered them.
"Huh. So in Ais-san's eyes, I count as a good man after all?"
Bell immediately caught the loophole in what she had said.
"Mm..."
Ais blinked.
"Bell is better than anyone else..."
As soon as the words left her mouth, the blush on the blonde girl's face deepened.
She glanced at the patch of grass where no one was passing by, then added,
"Bell, come sleep..."
Before Bell could answer, that slender body had already lain down on the grass.
Bell lay down beside Ais and asked, "Ais-san, fighting [Vanargand] must have actually worn you out quite a bit, right?"
"A man who nitpicks isn't a good man...."
Ais repeated Tione's words again, as if she were sulking.
She had only been trying to teach Bete a lesson, so she had still held back, which only made the strain on her stamina worse.
And Bell seeing through her thoughts so easily stirred up a strange feeling inside her.
It was sweet and happy, but also a little petulant.
"Bell, that gem you gave Lefiya... was it very precious?"
Ais asked softly.
"Not really. It was just something I happened to get in the Dungeon. Did something happen?"
Bell did not dwell on it much.
Since he had already given it away, what the girls did with it was up to them.
"It's nothing....."
Ais looked up at the sky.
She stretched out a hand, as if waving hello, or as if trying to catch something.
Night had fallen.
And in the sky, a single star lit up.