The moon peeked out from behind the low stone wall.
Faint moonlight blended with the dim glow of the Magic Stone lamps, lighting up the maze of paths like a spiderweb.
"Those children really like Syr."
Bell's words broke the dull, chilly silence around them.
The three of them had left the church and started back together.
Bell walked in the middle, carrying the stacked wicker baskets. Perhaps out of consideration for Ryuu's feelings, Syr did not cling to the boy's arm. Instead, like Ryuu, she kept half a step of distance from Bell.
"That's because I come here often to play with them."
Syr answered with a smile.
"Those children are very strong..."
Ryuu murmured softly.
On the surface, it was a large family taken in by Lady Maria. In truth, it was a run down orphanage, and every child there had a rather tragic background.
Yet the children did not cry over it. Instead, they smiled and lived on with strength.
Ryuu could not help thinking of Bell's past, and a trace of loneliness flickered across her face.
Bell noticed and said, "Come to think of it, when we were saying goodbye just now, did Fina say something to you, Ryuu-san?"
"Hiss..."
Ryuu recalled the Chienthrope girl and could not help drawing in a sharp breath.
The other children had all focused on Bell, reluctant to let go of those adventure stories.
Only Fina was different. She had stayed beside Ryuu the whole time, whispering all sorts of strange things to her.
"Elf-oneechan, Syr-oneechan may not look it, but her chest is actually really big. You'll have to eat more if you want to beat her."
"But some food tastes really bad, right? Elf-oneechan, are you interested in learning how to cook? Big brother would definitely be happy."
"I heard from the Gods that the most important thing for a woman is to win a man's stomach. You've already done that kind of thing, so cooking should be nothing."
"I've already given up on Syr-oneechan, so... Elf-oneechan, you have to do your best. I'll be waiting for good news..."
"And whatever you do, don't tell Syr-oneechan I said any of this! Otherwise, she'll definitely punish me with her cooking!"
Ryuu had already turned into a helpless mess from the shame of having straddled the boy, and Fina's words echoed in her ears like a witch's temptation.
In the end, perhaps because her thoughts were too chaotic, or perhaps because Ryuu herself was trying hard to improve her cooking, she actually agreed to Fina's request for the first time and promised to make delicious food for everyone, and for the boy.
Remembering what happened then, Ryuu had no idea how to respond.
She wanted to train her cooking skills for her best friend's lover, then compete with that friend?
Ryuu was convinced she would never say such a thing out loud in her entire life.
Seeing the elf girl fall silent, Syr seemed to realize something and said with a smile, "It must have been about that kind of topic. That's why Ryuu can't say it."
"Ugh?!" Ryuu immediately frowned. "Syr, how could I possibly talk about that kind of topic?"
"Eh? Who was the one straddling Bell earlier?"
Syr grabbed hold of Ryuu's weak point.
"Th-that was..."
Ryuu had already argued several times that it was only an accident caused by slipping.
Even if she emphasized it again, it would not help this argument in the slightest.
In her panic, Ryuu glared at the boy.
"Ryuu-san? I didn't say anything. Why do you look like you're about to flying kick me?"
As the one caught in the crossfire, Bell received a unique look from the elf girl, both cold and shy.
"That's right. Ryuu isn't just pretending to be proper, she's a violent maniac too."
Syr added fuel to the fire with feigned innocence.
"Wh-what?!"
Ryuu turned her fire on her best friend.
"Syr has no right to say that. You clearly never used to talk about that kind of thing, but ever since you started dating Cranel-san, you've become more and more..."
Ryuu's voice grew quieter and quieter. She clearly did not have the courage to say that kind of thing.
"More and more what? Hmph. During training, I saw you kicking Bell away while blushing and acting embarrassed. You were enjoying that feeling, weren't you?"
Syr twisted cause and effect.
"......"
Ryuu was speechless for a moment.
She could swear to the heavens that she had absolutely no interest in hurting others with violence.
Unfortunately, the facts were somewhat close to what Syr had said.
Ryuu had always felt that, as someone who lived by the blade, she had no femininity at all, whether in her clothes or her body.
And yet, even that version of her had drawn the boy's eyes with every move.
So when Ryuu blushed and kicked Bell away, a small trace of joy had indeed appeared in her heart.
"Ah, I knew I was right!"
Syr seized the moment of Ryuu's silence and pressed the attack.
"And the bracelet too. Ryuu rolled around on the bed thinking about it for ages, didn't she? You were definitely thinking about something dirty!"
"I was only worrying about the color. Wait, no... Syr, how do you know about that?!"
As Ryuu hurried to refute her, she noticed the blind spot.
"Hehe. I have a reliable private detective."
Syr smiled mysteriously, then continued, "Then what exactly was the thing Ryuu hid away so sneakily while grinning to herself?"
"Ugh..."
Ryuu's cheeks instantly turned bright red.
She had not been grinning to herself.
Nor had she been acting sneakily.
All of this was slander from her friend.
But it was true that Ryuu had secretly hidden something, and judging from Syr's words, a "traitor" had appeared in the dorm.
There was absolutely no way for Ryuu to gain the upper hand in this argument.
Just then, Bell offered assistance. "It seems Syr and Ryuu-san are getting closer and closer."
"Ryuu argued with me at the church because of you, Bell. You've got a lot of nerve saying that."
Syr answered with puffed cheeks.
"Cranel-san, please read the room before you speak."
Ryuu knew the boy was helping her out. Her words were reproachful, but her eyes carried a gentle gratitude.
What Bell said was not false.
Although Ryuu and Syr's relationship could be called that of best friends, it was only today that Ryuu learned about part of Syr's life outside the tavern.
This real progress in their relationship had all revolved around the boy.
Because of that, Ryuu sincerely felt that she and Syr meeting Bell Cranel had been one of the greatest blessings of her life.
"Huh? Wasn't I the one trying to stop the argument? How did it become my fault now?"
Bell played along with Ryuu's "reprimand" and picked up the conversation.
"Of course it's Bell's fault. Otherwise, how could we possibly have argued?"
Moonlight fell over Syr's gray hair, as if hiding a faint joy. "Bell, you big idiot. Ryuu, you say something about him too."
The moonlight was cool and clear. Around the three of them, it was as if a barrier had risen, cutting them off from everything outside.
With Syr's words as the beginning, a new verbal sparring match began.
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