Moonlight stretched the three of their shadows long, wrapping everything in a cool stillness.
"....."
Ryuu stared at the road ahead, her lips pressed tightly together, saying nothing.
"Syr, don't you think this is a bit much? Just to prove the two of you have made up, you're using me as a sacrifice?"
Bell spoke up.
He laid bare Syr's intentions, helping Ryuu understand the true meaning behind that faint smile.
The two of them had argued over the matter of cooking before, but to Syr, that was something worth being happy about. It was not something she would hold a grudge over.
"Bell, don't talk. This is a girl's conversation."
Syr pouted as she spoke.
The boy had guessed her intention, and after realizing that, Syr's complaining tone was filled with sweet affection.
"Eh?"
Before Bell could argue back, the elf girl's words followed right after.
"Cranel-san, Syr is right. Please do not interrupt at a time like this."
Ryuu first froze for a moment, then the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.
She secretly glanced at that pure white hair, then gave Syr her answer.
"Syr, to be honest, Cranel-san is a pervert who relies on his good [Luck] to do whatever he wants."
The [Luck] incidents at the church had happened more than once.
Ryuu had never experienced anything like that when facing anyone else.
If she had to identify the source, it was that around Bell Cranel, romantic accidents seemed unusually easy to occur.
A glint flashed through Syr's eyes. As if unwilling to let the topic end there, she added with a smile,
"Bell is a bad man who toys with girls' hearts."
How many girls had ended up lovesick because of the boy?
Syr did not want to investigate, nor was there any need to.
At the very least, as his first lover, she had already suffered deeply from it.
"And... Cranel-san is a devil who sees right through people's thoughts."
Ryuu seemed to have opened the floodgates, answering Syr's complaints.
The boy could often see through Ryuu's embarrassment and offer help at the crucial moment.
When exactly had that started?
When had her relationship with the boy reached such a level of understanding?
Ryuu thought back on all their battles, large and small, yet she still could not pinpoint the beginning.
"Bell also left his lover behind and got all lovey-dovey with another girl, Ais. He really is the worst."
Syr reached out and gently pinched the boy's arm.
"..."
Bell did not dodge, nor did he try to argue. He simply stood between them, silently enduring their words of judgment.
And the punishment from the two beautiful girls seemed to have only just begun.
"Cranel-san is..."
Ryuu blinked, a faint blush appearing on her dignified face. "He is a fool who always makes people worry."
Just how many hardships had the boy gone through?
And how many had Ryuu witnessed with her own eyes?
Even by a rough count, there were already so many Great Deeds that countless Adventurers would never encounter in an entire lifetime.
Syr paused for an instant, then smiled gently. "Bell is a bad man who leaves feelings everywhere and owes far too many romantic debts."
"Cranel-san is the villain who stole my friend's heart."
"Bell is also the original sin that tempts pure girls into corruption."
"He is a reckless, thrilling patient who charges straight ahead."
"He is a thoughtful sage who often surpasses people's expectations."
"He is a righteous ally who breaks through hypocrisy and makes people jealous."
"He is a greedy person who refuses to give up anything and does not want to let go of anything."
The two of them went back and forth, calmly and plainly listing the boy's crimes.
Ryuu raised her head and gazed into the deep moonlight. "In the end, Cranel-san is a fool like a hero."
"No..." Syr paused, then corrected her. "He should be called a hero like a fool."
A cold wind brushed through the alley.
Their clear voices intertwined, leaving rosy smiles on the faces of the two girls.
From beginning to end, Bell did not refute a single word.
He and Syr were bound in body and heart, and he and Ryuu had exchanged their pasts.
Even though all three of them still hid secrets of their own, it did not affect the relationship between them.
"So," Syr clapped her hands, "a man this sinful must be punished by me."
"Hm?"
Ryuu snapped out of her wandering thoughts and immediately realized something was wrong.
"Shouldn't a judgment respect the opinion of the person involved?"
Bell objected with righteous conviction.
"You're right. I was originally going to drag Bell back home and punish him properly."
Syr licked her lips, making Ryuu frown.
Ignoring her friend's awkward gaze, Syr continued, "How about this? If Bell can lead us out of Daedalus Street, then what I just said won't count."
"Ugh..."
A soft sound slipped from Ryuu's lips.
This was no judgment. It was clearly a shameless invitation.
Ryuu could already imagine the boy deliberately leading them around in circles, losing the bet, and then with Syr...
A mess of embarrassing fantasies spread through her mind.
But in the very next second, Ryuu's view suddenly opened up.
"Huh?"
Ryuu looked at the wide scenery outside and blinked in confusion.
"Boo-hoo, Bell really went to a lot of trouble just so he wouldn't have to go home with me."
Syr lifted both hands and deliberately rubbed her eyes.
"We were already very close to the exit. All we had to do was follow the signs. Syr is the one who didn't want to stay with me, right?"
Bell explained what had happened.
When Syr proposed that bet, she had already decided on the outcome.
"Huh? You actually noticed?"
Syr looked surprised, then smiled. "She is still waiting for Bell to go back. I don't want Goddess-sama pulling my hair."
"So Artemis is that violent? I've learned something new."
Bell nodded thoughtfully.
"So this is the world seen through a lover's eyes... What part of that Goddess is even connected to gentleness?"
Syr mercilessly complained about her rival.
She glanced at the silent Ryuu, then continued, "Bell, tell me why you asked for Ais-san's hair."
"Right. The reason is..."
Bell explained the cause as briefly as he could.
"I see. I'm sorry for saying earlier that you were going to do something strange with her hair."
Syr handed over a strand of her gray hair without hesitation.
Bell accepted it honestly, then walked with Ryuu to escort Syr back to that small house.
When they parted, the smile on Syr's face still had not faded.
"Sir Knight, I leave my adorable friend in your hands. If even one hair on her head goes missing, I'll [punish] you."
With that sweet voice behind them, Bell and Ryuu started on their way back.
"Cranel-san, I do not need you to escort me..."
Ryuu was somewhat conscious of Syr's words, and her voice was unusually soft.
"It's only on the way. Besides, with Ryuu-san's level, aren't you more likely to be my escort?"
Bell stated the fact rationally.
"You're right..."
Ryuu lowered her head and walked silently beside Bell.
Orario's night scenery was full of life.
Demi-humans had their arms around human girls as they entered inns together. Adventurers chatted and laughed with women working at flower shops. From some houses, even embarrassing moans could be heard.
After the bustle of the day, people were enjoying the peace of the night.
"Ugh..."
Ryuu's cheeks turned bright red.
Adventurers were a rough bunch. She should have been used to this kind of thing.
Yet merely walking beside the boy was enough to disturb her thoughts.
The romantic incidents the two of them had experienced together surfaced in Ryuu's mind, teasing at her heartstrings.
Only a few minutes had passed since she had separated from Syr!
What exactly was she doing?
She needed to pull herself together...
Ryuu wanted to tell the boy what she was thinking, but no matter what, she could not find the courage.
It had nothing to do with her friend. Her own shyness stood between them, preventing her from speaking.
"Ryuu-san, Astraea will arrive tomorrow. You can update your ability values and catch up with her while you're at it."
Bell paused for a moment, then added, "But Astraea doesn't have much time. You had better not hesitate too much, or you'll definitely regret it."
"....."
Ryuu pressed her lips tightly together.
Were the boy's words an accidental, thoughtless remark, or was he deliberately reminding her?
Judging from Bell's serious attitude, it was surely the former.
Because Ryuu could not forget the days when she had hunted down evil alone, he had especially told her that.
And the boy's kindness had [luckily] aligned with Ryuu's own thoughts.
She could not hesitate, or she would definitely regret it.
Whether this was a bond or something else, it was a precious memory between the two of them.
So Ryuu took a deep breath and spoke.
"Cranel-san, please... accept my hair."
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