Bell and Haruhime got along better and better, and unconsciously, they forgot the time.
By the time they remembered, it was already two hours past the agreed time.
The time had also reached two in the morning.
"Ah! Oh no!"
Bell suddenly realized the time, "Sorry, Miss Haruhime, I should leave."
"It is indeed very late, Mr. Cranel. Haruhime will see you out."
Haruhime also stood up to see Bell out.
"Thank you today, Miss Haruhime. Otherwise, I really don't know what I would have done."
Bell still hadn't figured out why Takatsuki had thrown him into the Entertainment District, and he was grateful that he had met Haruhime today, otherwise tonight would surely have been…
"Haruhime also had a very pleasant day today. I think your senior in the Familia, Mr. Cranel, must have done this for your own good."
Haruhime walked Bell all the way outside the building before she saw Takatsuki and Aisha.
"Sister Aisha…"
As soon as Haruhime stepped out, she saw Aisha standing outside. Although she didn't recognize the other man, he looked like Sister Aisha's guest?
That was naturally impossible. Takatsuki had only taken Aisha to the door in advance after hearing that Bell finally realized how late it was. Otherwise, if Bell knew that the two of them were eavesdropping, the young man would probably have made a fuss.
"Let's go, Bell."
Seeing Takatsuki turn and leave after he came out, Bell quickly bid farewell to Haruhime and then hurried to follow him.
Watching the two walk away into the distance, Haruhime looked at the Amazonian woman who had walked up beside her and always taken good care of her, "Sister Aisha, who was that person?"
"Just a good-for-nothing. Go back."
Takatsuki didn't walk fast, and Bell caught up to his pace in a few steps. The Entertainment District in the early morning was much quieter than it had been at night, with most people choosing to spend the night in warm rooms.
"Takatsuki, why would you do something like that?"
Bell hadn't forgotten his previous question, and as soon as he caught up, he immediately asked.
Takatsuki: "Aren't you happy?"
"How could I be happy!"
Stopping, Takatsuki looked at Bell: "I said it was for three hours, so why are you only coming out now?"
"Ah..."
Bell was speechless. Indeed, he was the one who had forgotten the time while chatting. Although he felt ashamed to be in such a place, honestly, Bell felt that chatting with Miss Haruhime was a very pleasant experience.
"Just admit it, you like that little girl named Haruhime."
Seeing Bell's expression, Takatsuki knew he was just being stubborn. He chuckled lightly and continued walking forward.
Bell quickly followed: "No, no, how could I? I just... I just think Miss Haruhime is a very nice girl."
Takatsuki: "What's so nice about her?"
"She's very gentle, and she's understanding, and she knows a lot about hero tales..."
Are those even advantages? Oh, for Bell, maybe they really are.
Looking at Bell, who was still somewhat nostalgic about their conversation, Takatsuki secretly confirmed that his decision to bring him here was correct, but it wasn't enough.
For Bell now, Haruhime was merely a like-minded confidante with shared interests; it was unlikely she could inspire Bell's convictions. He still needed to fan the flames.
"Then let's come again tomorrow."
For now, let the two of them get more familiar with each other.
"No, no, no, I'm not coming again."
Bell, who was still reminiscing about their previous conversation, immediately snapped out of it and quickly refused.
"Oh? You're not going to care about your Haruhime anymore?"
"She's not mine at all. Miss Haruhime and I only met today."
Looking at Bell's clear attitude, Takatsuki thought for a moment and asked in a somewhat low voice: "Bell, when you chatted with Haruhime, did you learn why she came here? To Orario, to this Entertainment District, and why she's in this profession?"
Takatsuki paused, then looked at Bell: "You should know what her profession is, right?"
"I..."
Bell certainly didn't know; Haruhime also had no reason to tell others about her tragic past: "Miss Haruhime only said she was from the Far East."
"Then let me tell you, she was abducted and sold here. And do you know if she's doing her current job willingly? Or if she's satisfied with her current position?"
Bell shook his head in confusion: "I don't know."
He had only focused on chatting about hero tales. His understanding of Haruhime's situation was limited to the little she mentioned at the beginning. In his heart, this kind girl was very considerate of others' feelings and hadn't vented any negative emotions to him...
"So, Bell, you aspire to be a hero, don't you?"
Bell nodded. Although he didn't know why Takatsuki suddenly brought up heroes, he certainly admired heroes greatly. Coming to Orario was, in fact, because of this.
"Then do you know how to become a hero?"
"How to become a hero..."
Bell had never thought about it. He tried hard to recall the hero tales in his memory: "Work hard, conquer the Dungeon, become strong, and then help those who need help, defeat powerful enemies."
A common and clichéd hero story, but one that was greatly loved by the people of this world, as they didn't have much other entertainment.
"Then Bell, what do you think is most important for a hero: powerful strength or helping others?"
"Strength and helping others..."
To be honest, Bell felt both were important: "It should be strength, because only with strength can you help others, and only then can you step in when others are in danger."
Takatsuki shook his head at Bell's words: "No, if you only have strength, you're just a powerful person, or even an executioner."
"But if you have a heart willing to help others, even without strength, you can achieve the results you want through wisdom, friends, and the help of others. I think, in hero tales, heroes are never alone, fighting by themselves, right?"
Hearing Takatsuki's words, Bell thought for a moment and nodded: "That's right, even in the Argonaut hero tale, there were teammates you could rely on."
"So, Bell, a hero is not merely an honorific for the strong, but an affirmation for those who are willing to lend a helping hand to others."
Seeing Bell still hesitant and unable to fully grasp it, Takatsuki struck while the iron was hot: "Bell, are you willing to help Haruhime?"
"Of course!"
Although he hadn't fully understood, he was not stingy about lending a helping hand to others.
"But... does Miss Haruhime need my help...? And can I really help her...?"