"Little rookie..."
Bors's cheek twitched when Bell appeared.
The boy gave off no obvious aura of a strong fighter, yet an inexplicable pressure weighed down on the air around him.
"M-my rules aren't changing! Around here, strength decides everything!"
Bors had been stuck at Lv.3 for a long time. His solid, hard-earned power gave him the confidence to stand his ground.
"Cranel, little brother, wait here. I'll go get some people from town!"
Seeing that Bors had no intention of backing down, Mord turned and headed outside to look for reinforcements.
Bell ignored Mord's overly familiar attitude and simply cast a glance at Bors.
"W-what are you trying to do? I'm a Lv.3 powerhouse. If you don't have the money, get out!"
Faced with those crimson eyes, Bors was already starting to falter.
But the argument between him and Mord had drawn a crowd. With so many eyes on him, pride forced Bors to keep up the tough front.
"So that's how things work on this street."
Bell let out a helpless smile.
The next second…
A fierce wind roared, followed by a flash of white.
In the blink of an eye, Bell was in front of Bors, gripping his collar.
"You—?!"
Bors frowned in shock.
It all happened too fast. It took him a moment to even realize what was going on.
Bors shot out his thick arm and grabbed Bell's right hand.
"Ugh—?!"
The rough bravado he usually showed dissolved into disbelief and weakness.
He had already poured in all of his strength.
This was the brute force Bors took pride in, the very reason he could sit comfortably as Rivira Town's top dog.
Yet in front of Bell, it was completely useless.
It wouldn't move an inch.
Even using both hands, Bors still couldn't shake the boy's grip in the slightest.
"How is this possible…? Did you reach Lv.3?! H-how many Extra Points do you even have?!"
The ferocity on Bors's face vanished without a trace of fighting spirit.
Rivira Town lay deep within the Dungeon, and news of the boy's level-up hadn't reached this place yet.
More than Bell's abnormal leveling speed, what shocked Bors most was the bottomless depth of Bell Cranel's [strength].
Cold sweat poured down Bors's face, while the boy remained utterly calm.
Despite the massive difference in their builds, it felt as if Bell were simply holding onto an ordinary person who had never received Falna.
The gap between their strengths had grown beyond anything that could be measured.
"I brought backup! Cranel, little brother…?"
Mord stormed into the shop with several others, only to freeze as his eyes widened at the unbelievable scene before him.
Bors was being held by the collar, completely unable to resist.
Bell said nothing, his right hand steady and unmoving.
Before he could do anything else, Bors's expression changed completely.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'll tell you anything you want to know! Please, just spare me!"
The former thug completely abandoned any thought of resistance, begging nonstop for mercy.
"Mord, is that Little Rookie the one causing trouble?"
The newly arrived adventurer hadn't grasped the situation and asked in confusion.
Mord cursed under his breath and snapped back immediately.
"What kind of bullshit are you talking about?! That's Brother Cranel!"
Outside the shop, the onlookers finally understood what was happening and broke into chatter.
"That Bors actually backed down…"
"Idiot, didn't you see Little Rookie's strength? We've been scraping by here for years, and he surpassed us in just two months."
"As expected of the world's fastest rabbit…"
"He suppressed Bors with one hand. That potential is just absurd, isn't it?"
"Ah… I really want that boy to pin me down…"
"Even Goddess Artemis is Little Rookie's lover. You Amazonesses don't stand a chance."
"True enough. Might as well learn from Mord. Maybe we'll get a share of the benefits."
"Is it too late to start calling him big brother now?"
"No… that's probably just Mord's one-sided way of saying it…"
"Little Rookie."
"Lv.3…"
"I want to cast a spell just for him!"
Without anyone noticing, love-struck Amazon women had gathered outside the shop.
"Tch."
Lili puffed herself up like a kitten guarding its food, straightening her small body and glaring fiercely as she chased the Amazon women away.
"Captain…"
"Cranel-dono…?"
Cassandra hugged her staff tightly, standing together with Mikoto and the others as they were swept up in the strange atmosphere.
"…Mm."
Lefiya knew the boy had chosen to display his power like this for her sake.
She kept glancing at Bell, barely registering what the people outside were even saying.
"…"
Just as the Amazon women showed no intention of restraining themselves and were about to launch an all-out charm offensive…
Filvis silently stepped into the doorway.
Fair skin. Jet-black hair.
A dark, oppressive emotion intertwined with the pressure of the [Banshee], forming an abyss no one could cross.
"M-maybe… let's just forget it…"
The Amazon women immediately lost their lust and retreated one after another.
Bors paid no attention to the commotion outside.
More than just strength, the boy's speed was also far beyond his own.
Bell hadn't gone all out, nor had he slammed Bors to the ground from the start.
That alone was already more than enough courtesy.
Panicking, Bors quickly spilled Ais's whereabouts.
"The Sword Princess said she was heading to the Pantry, so she bought disguise cloth for Floor 24 and some other tools from me."
The scenery differed greatly from one floor to another, and specialized disguise cloth allowed adventurers to blend into their surroundings.
When dealing with large numbers of monsters, it was the best option for infiltration or retreat.
Bell released his grip, finally easing a little.
Since Ais had prepared the proper equipment, it meant she wouldn't act recklessly and charge straight into a swarm of monsters.
"Do you know the consequences of lying?"
Bell could tell that Bors was telling the truth, but he still chose to confirm it, just in case.
"O-of course! I even have the receipt from the Loki Familia!"
Bors hurriedly rummaged around and pulled out a piece of parchment stamped with the emblem of the Loki Familia.
Bell glanced at it, then turned away.
"Lefiya-san, let's go."
Ais had taken on the commission at the last minute, so she clearly hadn't brought enough money to buy supplies and potions. That was why she'd put it on the Familia's tab.
Bors hadn't lied. The place Ais was heading to really was the Pantry deep on the twenty-fourth floor.
"O-okay."
For a split second, a thought flashed through Lefiya's mind.
"Bell Cranel is so handsome…"
She pressed her lips together, as if her inner self were frantically waving its arms to chase away that light, fluttering warmth in her chest.
As everyone turned to leave, Bors caught sight of Filvis.
Thinking of the life of his benefactor, he shoved aside their earlier conflict and called out to the boy.
"Wait, Little Rookie… You're really going to form a party with the [Banshee]?! Her squad is—"
Before Bors could finish, Bell cast him a cold look.
"You'd better not use that nickname in front of me again."
Bors frowned.
"Uh… if you already know that, then why are you still teaming up with her…?"
Bell took Filvis's left hand and looked at the beautiful elf girl with unmistakable affection.
"Filvis is my lover now. Do I need any other reason?"