"Syr, where are we going?"
Ryuu looked at the maze of stone buildings and couldn't help frowning.
The three of them had already passed the inns in the eastern district and crossed several streets.
Now before them stood [Daedalus Street], known as the [Maze Above Ground].
It was a slum where all sorts gathered, its roads narrow and tangled. Worn-out Magic Stone lamps flickered weakly, a stark contrast to the bustle from before. The residents, dressed in plain clothes, narrowed their eyes as they watched the three of them pass.
"Our destination is inside."
Syr paid no mind to the looks around them and answered softly.
"We're going into Daedalus Street?"
Ryuu's eyes widened in surprise. Then she lowered her voice and asked, "There are plenty of Adventurers with sticky fingers around here. Are you sure this is all right?"
This area was said to have been designed and planned by an [Eccentric]. Its interior was like a multilayered maze, with countless stairways crisscrossing between the alleys.
That was precisely why Daedalus Street was such a convenient hiding place for lawbreakers.
Ryuu was not afraid of trouble, but the idea that Syr, outside her identity as a tavern girl, had some connection to this street was hard to understand.
"Don't worry. Bell is with us."
Syr smiled lightly, linked arms with the two of them, and led them deeper into the alley.
There were few Magic Stone lamps, and the light was dim.
Inside the shadowy passage, stone residential buildings lined both sides. The only way to keep their bearings was by following the bright red signs painted on the walls.
"Syr, you really know this area well. When you come here alone, does anyone ever try to bother you?"
Bell asked, his words carrying a pointed meaning.
Syr was wrapped in secrets.
The teardrop-shaped accessory she had given him could protect a life, so it had to be extremely valuable.
Although Syr had brushed it off by saying it was a family heirloom, Bell could still sense that something did not add up.
They had been seeing each other for quite some time, yet Syr had never once mentioned her family. From that perspective, the family heirloom explanation became even less convincing.
Bell had never pressed her on it. After all, Syr had always treated him sincerely and had helped him many times up to now.
This kind of indirect probing had already become part of their unspoken understanding.
"Hmph, don't underestimate me. Aside from Bell, there isn't a second person who could get close enough to trouble me."
Syr understood the meaning behind the boy's words.
He knew she was keeping secrets, yet he never directly questioned her.
To Syr, this sort of probing, built on trust, carried a quiet, private thrill.
"....."
Ryuu was completely lost.
Syr was only an ordinary tavern girl. How could she say something like that with such confidence?
But Bell understood. Syr was telling him that she had [means] to avoid the dangers of this street, that she would never let anyone else touch her, so there was no need to worry about her safety.
"Does Syr usually ask Chloe and the others to help?"
Bell asked next.
"No. I've never told them about this place. When it comes to dealing with bad people, I have better methods."
Syr smiled as if she were teasing him, offering him a hint.
"....."
Bell was speechless for a moment.
His thoughts scattered, then began sorting through the information he had gathered so far.
Though it came rather suddenly, the first thing Bell remembered was a matter of affection he could never say out loud.
This was only a reasonable analysis, definitely not the "permanently horny rabbit" Lefiya accused him of being. Feeling the soft touch against his arm, Bell openly recalled the past.
It was a certain night he had spent with Syr.
The air around them had been wrapped in the sweet, cloying scent that drifted from Syr.
A soft murmur slipped from her crimson lips, like a thin stream flowing on and on, holding time in place.
"Isn't Syr worried about getting pregnant? Even if you avoid the final step, doing this is still dangerous."
Bell looked at that beautiful gray hair spread loose before him and asked softly.
Every race in the world had its own traits. Pallum were nimble, Dwarves had exceptional stamina, Elves were attuned to magic, Amazoness were exclusively female, and humans, the most unremarkable race of all, had no reproductive barriers.
That was precisely why Bell always took precautions after becoming intimate with the girls.
It was a harmless potion Airmid brewed for them. Although before that, the Dea Saint had gone through a night of passion herself, that had been an entirely different battle.
Among all of Bell's lovers so far, Syr alone was the exception.
"If it happens, I can quit my job and raise Bell's child."
Syr said it like that. She could have pretended to drink the potion, but instead, she honestly spoke her heart.
Was it blind love, or was there something else behind it? Bell had begun to form a faint idea.
"Bell is definitely thinking about something lewd."
Syr's words pulled the young man's thoughts back to reality.
"Huh? Cranel-san?!"
Ryuu frowned, startled by the sudden accusation.
How could Cranel-san possibly be thinking about something like that in this dark alleyway...
Ryuu tried to reassure herself, but the answer she got was completely unexpected.
"That's right. How did Syr know?"
Bell answered without hesitation.
"Hehe. I know every little detail about Bell's body, you know."
Syr gave him a mischievous, devilish smile.
"Cranel-san? Syr? Um...?!"
Ryuu unconsciously clenched her hands, and the bamboo strips of the wicker basket twisted out of shape, just like her mood.
Ryuu felt as if she had fallen into a dream.
Or rather, a nightmare with indecent themes.
What had these two been talking about since earlier?!
Why were they saying all this right in front of her?!
And Syr... she had only suspected it before, but Syr really had crossed that line...
Wisps of white smoke seemed to rise from Ryuu's head. Whether it was shame getting the better of her or too much information clogging her thoughts, even she could no longer tell.
"I see. I know the details of Syr's body too."
Bell ignored Ryuu's cry and continued pressing the topic forward.
If Syr had not been holding the elf girl's arm, Ryuu might already have been so overwhelmed by embarrassment that she drew her wooden sword and struck herself with a dizzying blow.
This situation, too, must have been guided by [luck].
The clues were already right in front of him.
Syr often came here, and she could deal with criminals with ease.
Without an assistant, items were the most portable means of dealing with enemies.
But this area was a maze of complicated paths. If someone truly meant to harm Syr, all they had to do was set an ambush and launch a sudden attack. In the hands of a weak woman, no magic item could guarantee absolute safety.
Once that possibility was ruled out, it meant Syr herself had to have a special identity.
During their intimate moments, Bell had already confirmed it. Syr's back was fair, beautiful skin, with no Falna pattern on it.
Beyond that, there was the priceless teardrop-shaped accessory, her ability to see into people's hearts, her completely blank past, her connections with numerous Gods, and her complete lack of concern about pregnancy.
All of these clues pointed to the same answer.
Bell casually voiced his guess.
"Syr, are you a Goddess?"