The first light of dawn broke, casting a pale, fish-belly white glow beyond the towering city walls. Bell kept his promise and headed to the designated meeting spot. In a corner by the street, a young girl waited respectfully. Though the flower shop hadn't opened yet, the refreshing scent of blooms already filled the air. The girl in pale green attire, the beautiful Thousand Elf Lefiya, gasped in surprise.
"Bell Cranel, wh-why are you here?!"
It had taken Lefiya several days to recover from the aftermath of the War Game. She never expected to encounter the boy here.
"Because I have an appointment with Riveria-san."
Bell deduced from her attire that Lefiya must be one of the members joining the expedition. Before departure, he had received specially crafted garments from Riveria. Both their outfits bore magical blessings—repelling impurities and easing the Spirits' aversion.
"Huh? A human... heading to Spirit Land?!"
Lefiya's eyes widened in disbelief at this bizarre turn of events. Even to many elves, the Spirit Land existed only in fairy tales. In truth, only elves could visit that sacred land. As a human, Bell Cranel should have absolutely no chance of entering.
"Is there a problem?" Bell countered.
"A huge problem! Why should I go with you?!!" Had this not been a deserted commercial district, Lefiya's blushing outburst would have shattered the morning's tranquility, drawing angry shouts from passersby.
Amid her incessant grumbling, a soft voice drifted over.
"Lefiya, why didn't you wait for me? I almost got left behind..."
The newcomer sported dazzling golden hair and pointed ears, embodying the Elf race's gentle, captivating beauty to perfection.
"Alicia-san, you took forever getting ready..." Lefiya murmured her complaint.
"Well—because this dress is a bit snug, you see." Alicia wore a pale pink outfit, the fabric tightly stretched across her chest, creating a pronounced curve.
"I... I get it! Please stop tugging at your clothes!" Lefiya hurriedly stopped her, quickly changing the subject.
"This is [Little Rookie] Bell Cranel. And this is my senpai, [Elleaf] Alicia Forestlight."
Alicia was a remarkably gentle person. As a senior, she often looked after everyone in the Loki Familia. When Lefiya felt down, this elf would come to encourage and comfort her. Alicia would surely get along well with the boy and exchange pleasantries. That's what Lefiya believed. Reality, however, was the complete opposite.
"...Alicia-san?" Bell also sensed the icy glare from the other party, beneath which seemed to simmer boundless fury.
Lefiya's tongue trembled as she hurriedly spoke up:
"Um... Alicia-san, are you misunderstanding something? He might be a perpetually horny rabbit, but he definitely has no ill intent, okay?"
Lefiya tugged at Bell's sleeve.
"Quick, apologize with me too..."
"I didn't do anything!" Bell protested his innocence.
"You definitely ogled her, didn't you? Just because of her chest... her breasts..." Lefiya pronounced the boy's guilt.
"Any normal person would glance, right? And it's not like Lefiya-san says—if anything, avoiding eye contact would be disrespectful to Alicia-san!" Bell firmly refused to admit any offense in his actions.
"Ugh... Why are you being so stubborn right now?! If you really want to see it, I... I could reluctantly let you... No! You really should apologize quickly!"
Lefiya flustered, not sure what she was saying. It was the first time she'd seen Alicia this angry. As the two argued, Alicia slowly approached, her voice cold:
"I didn't plan to say this, but I never expected you to be a fellow traveler."
Her brows furrowed as she revealed the source of her anger.
"Welf Crozzo—he's a member of your party, right?! And here I was, holding high hopes for you in the War Game, only to find you teamed up with someone like that!"
Alicia had witnessed the War Games and felt curious about the youth. While gathering intelligence on him, she had inadvertently learned Welf's name.
"Crozzo...?"
Lefiya felt the name was strangely familiar. Suddenly, it clicked.
"Could he be the cursed Magic Sword smith?"
Ordinary Magic Swords could only unleash degraded Magic. But the Magic Swords forged by the Crozzo family possessed cannon-like power that surpassed even chanted spells.
"Yes, he's a member of my party."
Bell understood the reason for her anger and answered truthfully.
Alicia clenched her fists tightly. Her rage was directed at Welf. Though it only tangentially involved the boy, it revealed the elf's pristine purity and noble character.
"Do you know that because of the Crozzo family, the elves' homeland was burned to the ground, leaving countless of our kind homeless?!"
Due to the existence of the Magic Sword, the kingdom had waged war against the elves. The result: forests scorched to ashes, countless elves left without shelter. Alicia, her heart aching for her kin, harbored deep hatred toward the Crozzo clan. The moment she learned of Welf, all her curiosity toward the boy transformed into bewilderment and rage. How could someone so fearlessly driven be connected to Crozzo's Magic Sword?!
"If you're pursuing a harem, you shouldn't associate with such people."
The usually gentle Alicia struggled to contain her emotions as she rebuked him.
"I understand why you're angry, Alicia-san. To be honest, Welf abandoned the Crozzo family."
Bell revealed the truth.
"...."
Alicia froze for a moment, offering no reply.
"In fact, it was precisely because he couldn't accept the Crozzo clan's actions that he left his homeland and came to Orario."
Bell revealed everything without concealment, recounting the events truthfully.
"Welf, like you, despises his own bloodline."
In a certain sense, the source of their hatred was identical.
"...Did I misunderstand you?"
Alicia's anger vanished instantly, replaced by shame at her unreasonable outburst. Bell had no connection to the Crozzo clan and wasn't consumed by the power of the Magic Sword. Even if Alicia couldn't forgive Welf, she had no right to blame Bell.
"I'm... I'm sorry! It's just... because of my kin..."
Alicia apologized repeatedly.
"It's nothing. I'm glad the misunderstanding is cleared."
Bell smiled politely and said,
"Alicia-san cares deeply for her kin. That noble sentiment is as beautiful as you are."
Alicia flicked her golden hair and responded shyly,
"It's not quite as you say..."
"..."
Lefiya shot a glance at the flushed golden-haired elf and couldn't help but frown.
"You eternal horny rabbit! What are you saying to someone you've just met?!"
"Lefiya-san?"
Feeling the golden-yellow haired elf's furious aura, Bell quickly backed away.
...
To the right of the flower shop, a young girl materialized. Ryuu watched the two chasing and bickering with a troubled expression, along with the smiling blonde elf observing from the sidelines. Had she come to the wrong place...