A striking scene appeared on Orario's North Main Street.
The white-haired boy praised as the [World's Fastest Rabbit] ran ahead, while his loving girlfriend, the [Thousand Elf], chased after him from behind, sweating as she raised her wand.
The passersby watching the scene could not help wondering if the boy and girl had their positions reversed. Usually, wasn't the man supposed to chase the woman?
"Maybe it's just a little fun between husband and wife..."
One onlooker joked, coming to a completely speculative conclusion.
In that instant, the aura around the golden-yellow-haired elf surged like crushing pressure, wrapping her in black smoke.
"You permanently horny rabbit!"
Lefiya pushed all the blame onto the boy.
She stomped the ground and charged toward Bell, but just as she was about to reach him, the distance between them widened again.
She was being played.
Lefiya was certain the boy was teasing her.
He deliberately slowed down, then sped away at the last possible moment. That strategy was based on a full understanding of Lefiya's speed and explosive power.
Why did Bell Cranel know her so well?
This was clearly incredibly embarrassing, so why did it make her feel happy?!
Get a grip!
Lefiya moved her feet and chased after him again.
Sweat, the symbol of youth, scattered through the air. After several rounds of this back-and-forth, the two finally reached Babel.
"Huff... huff... I wasn't really going to hit you, so why did you run?"
Lefiya panted deeply, her sky-blue eyes filled with sulky resentment.
She had only raised her wand to slightly punish the boy for looking forward to some romantic accident, yet he had actually run away from her.
"Since we're going to practice Concurrent Chanting, warming up first is always a good thing."
Bell explained his reasoning.
From that chase, he had also gained a better grasp of Lefiya's running speed, which would make it easier to hold back during real combat.
"In that case, I'll forgive you."
Lefiya nodded thoughtfully.
If it had been her old self, she would definitely have been gasping for air, unable to continue the training afterward. But now, Lefiya only had a little sweat on her forehead. That was surely connected to the boy constantly adjusting his speed.
"I was simply escaping the clutches of a violent girl. I didn't do anything that needs forgiving."
Bell answered with righteous conviction.
"Ugh, who are you calling a violent girl?!"
Lefiya instinctively raised her wand, then quickly lowered it again with a red face.
She had originally been a timid girl, but for some reason, whenever she faced the boy, her emotions would unconsciously grow stronger.
Unable to figure out the reason for that change, Lefiya could only hurriedly turn aside and hide her burning cheeks.
"A-anyway, let's hurry up and go to the Dungeon!"
Lefiya walked toward the entrance.
Her golden-yellow hair was covered in shadow, bringing out a rich golden color none of the other girls had.
"Actually, Lefiya-san is a golden-haired elf too..."
Bell murmured softly.
"Huh? Did you say something just now?"
Lefiya had already walked several meters ahead and had not heard his whisper.
"Nothing. Speaking of which, Lefiya-san, you're walking ahead, but do you know where we're going?"
Bell reminded her.
They were going to practice in the Dungeon, but choosing the location was very important. Floors that were too shallow would not be effective for training, while floors that were too deep would bring unnecessary risk.
"Isn't anywhere fine?"
Lefiya turned around in confusion.
"We're going to the training ground deep on the fifth floor, Magic idiot."
Bell did not beat around the bush and stated their destination.
There were frog-type monsters there. Considering Lefiya's current speed, they were perfect for practicing Concurrent Chanting.
"Ugh..."
Lefiya could not refute the nickname Magic idiot.
It was an undeniable fact that her thinking was not as meticulous as the boy's.
Rather, Lefiya had been thinking earlier that if she handed her body over to the boy, she would surely spare herself a lot of trouble and grow twice as fast with half the effort.
Of course, even if she only meant it in terms of training, Lefiya could not bring herself to say something so embarrassing.
In tacit silence, the two descended the stairs together and headed straight for the fifth floor of the Dungeon.
"Gah!"
A Goblin swung its claws and attacked, only to be knocked to the ground by Bell's fist.
Lefiya drew her knife, swiftly dug out the Magic Stone, and collected the dropped claws and fangs.
"Lefiya-san, you're getting more and more used to acting as a supporter."
Bell saw through the golden-yellow-haired elf's practiced movements.
"Mm. After all, I'm a Magic idiot. Since I can't fire Magic while moving, this is the only way I can help Ais-san and the others."
Lefiya repeated the answer she had once given, put away the Magic Stone, and kept pace with the boy.
"But these are only monsters from the Upper Floors. Their Magic Stones and Drop Items won't sell for much."
Bell reminded her.
Collecting Magic Stones could keep other monsters from eating them and prevent [Enhanced Species] from appearing. But for a Level 3 Adventurer, collecting Drop Items was a thankless task.
"No matter how little it is, we can still sell it to the Guild. Money is saved bit by bit like this."
Lefiya bent down to pick up a new Drop Item and showed a slightly shy smile.
She was different from the others in Loki Familia. She was not overly obsessed. Compared with fighting, Lefiya placed more value on what monsters were worth after they died.
"..."
Bell saw a little of Lili in the golden-yellow-haired elf.
But the two were different. Lefiya was not that calculating. She was more like an ordinary girl who knew how to be thrifty.
"Lefiya-san, I heard Loki Familia is a little short on funds because of the expedition. Was it really okay to put that much money in the basket you gave me?"
Bell asked with concern.
"Ugh... Th-that was just the storage fee for the Crystal Drop. I should have given it to you a long time ago!"
Lefiya pinched the hem of her skirt and answered with a red face.
"But that money was enough to buy several whole Crystal Drops."
Bell reminded her softly.
"So annoying! I already said it belongs to you now!"
Lefiya pressed her lips together, then added, "Thank you for saving Ais-san, and... me too."
That money was not truly a thank-you gift. Lefiya still had not figured out what she should do to properly express her gratitude.
"I understand."
Bell accepted her goodwill honestly.
After that brief interlude, the two soon arrived at the training ground on the fifth floor of the Dungeon.
"Lefiya-san, I'm not a professional Mage, so I can only teach you through actual combat."
Bell explained patiently. "First, we'll try combat against a person, then we'll try fighting monsters."
"Mm... How exactly are we doing that?"
Lefiya tilted her head slightly.
Bell showed a mysterious smile and answered.
"A certain violent girl tried to hit me with her wand earlier. A little payback should be fine, right?"