Chapter 29. Find a Companion
---
"Ughhh!"
Bell sprinted through the passageway on the 15th floor, clutching his head, with a horde of Minotaurs hot on his heels.
"Teacher!!!!"
At the Hostess of Fertility.
Bell slumped over the table, looking as if he had lost all hope.
"What's wrong with Mr. Bell?" Syr asked, gently poking Bell's head as she carried a tray.
A puff of misty white vapor escaped from Bell's mouth.
"Is he dead?" Syr tilted her head, puzzled.
"Lili would rather die..." Lili whimpered weakly, covering her ears as she lay on the table.
"Not enough training," Cyd remarked, arms crossed, as he gazed down at the two despairing heads in front of him.
"But..." Bell looked up pitifully, "Fighting one Minotaur is one thing, but a whole group? That's just too hard."
"Well, that's the difference between the middle floors and the upper floors. Even if you can single-handedly defeat powerful monsters, you can't fend off the endless waves that keep coming," Ryuu, sitting beside Cyd, skillfully peeled a potato with a small knife. "Reaching Level 2 in such a short time is impressive, but arrogance will get you nowhere. Otherwise, you'll end up like today..."
Ryuu hesitated for a moment before continuing seriously, "Almost getting your butt wiped by a Minotaur."
"Bell-sama is very strong!" Lili protested, raising her head in dissatisfaction. "He even earned the title of Hero's Apprentice, such a cool name!"
"Don't... don't say that..." Bell covered his face in embarrassment.
It was one thing to be praised among friends, but in public...
Ughhh... so embarrassing, stop staring at me!
Though he took pride in striving to become a hero, being the center of attention like this was mortifying!
"Bell-sama will definitely become a true hero one day!" Lili raised her voice confidently.
Ryuu frowned slightly.
"Just like Cyd-sama, who is so cool!"
Well, no lies there.
Ryuu, who was about to say something to calm Lili down, quickly nodded in agreement.
This kid gets it.
"You agree too quickly," Cyd sighed, rubbing his forehead. If Ryuu could help emphasize the dangers of the Dungeon, he would be grateful. His main concern was that Bell might grow complacent due to his achievements. But... Ryuu, I don't recall you being this way.
"I think Lili is right," Ryuu coughed softly, placing the peeled potato aside.
"See, told you!"
Lili and Ryuu suddenly found themselves in an unexpected alliance, clasping each other's hands.
"Let me tell you..."
"Mm-hmm."
"Okay, Bell, just forget what those two are talking about," Cyd said as he reached out to ruffle Bell's hair.
"Huh?" Bell looked up, having been too caught up in his embarrassment to hear what Lili and Ryuu had discussed.
"Ahem, Bell, with your current abilities, you can handle a Minotaur one-on-one, but the Dungeon isn't a gladiatorial arena. Monsters can appear at any time, and you won't always have the luxury of fighting alone, even if you can escape by yourself..." Cyd poked Bell's nose. "What about the others?"
Cyd and Bell glanced over at Lili, who was now deep in an animated discussion with Ryuu.
"Don't forget you're not alone. That's both your motivation and your burden," Cyd said, patting Bell's cheek.
"Mm," Bell straightened up and nodded seriously. "Teacher, what should I do?"
"Of course, you need to find someone who can share that burden with you," Cyd shrugged.
"Share it? But Lili is already enough!" Lili stood up, waving her hand energetically.
"Today... I was the one who had to drag you along," Cyd's words hit Lili like a sledgehammer, and her head jerked back in shock.
"So... I'm the one holding Bell-sama back..." Lili hugged her knees, her head hanging low in defeat.
"Th-That's not true! Lili, you've been a great help! You've collected items for us, and... and..." Bell waved his hands around before cautiously adding, "You're a cute girl."
"Ughhh!" Lili collapsed onto the table, sobbing.
"Making a girl cry isn't something a hero should do," Cyd quietly sipped his water.
"Teacher, you're at fault too!" Bell protested.
"In any case, you should look for more companions," Cyd patted Bell on the shoulder.
"Teacher, you're really bad at changing the subject!" Bell pouted, "But I don't know many people."
Which was probably true; otherwise, he wouldn't have been running around alone, chased by a Minotaur that day.
"Isn't it enough that I have you with me, Teacher?" Bell casually spread his hands.
"Emmm... that's a bit tricky. I can't always..."
"Teacher, what did you say?" Bell blinked in confusion.
"I'm not your babysitter," Cyd knocked on Bell's head. "The only ones who can always be by your side are your family and companions."
"But Teacher, you're my family too," Bell said matter-of-factly, holding his head.
Cyd's hand froze atop Bell's head.
"Teacher, but... you can't always..."
"Hey! I heard you're looking for a companion?" A burly man pushed back his chair and approached them. "Hero's Apprentice."
Cyd raised an eyebrow, noticing that the man's group was eyeing them with malicious intent.
"Uh..." Bell tilted his head, "Who are you..."
Before Bell could finish, the man raised his voice, "We wouldn't mind being your companions, of course, if you let us have some fun with your elf girl for a few days."
Ignoring Bell, the man reached out toward Ryuu.
Cyd's fingers twitched, and Ryuu gripped her small knife tightly, her gaze turning sharp. But someone was quicker than both of them.
"Smack!"
Bell firmly caught the man's hand.
"You!" The man turned red, trying to pull his hand back, but Bell's grip was like a vice, holding him in place.
"Sir..." Bell slowly lifted his head, his red eyes blazing like fire.
"Eep—"
The man's legs gave out, and Bell, startled, let go, causing the man to fall to the ground in a heap.
"Damn it! You're just a rookie who only knows how to kill Goblins! Don't get cocky just because you got lucky and killed a Minotaur! Remember this!"
The man scrambled to his feet and bolted out of the Hostess of Fertility.
"Ugh... that was harsh," Bell scratched his face, "I just wanted to politely refuse him."
"Don't worry about it, that kind of guy isn't worth your time," Ryuu resumed peeling potatoes. "He clearly had ulterior motives, and your Teacher wouldn't have allowed it anyway."
"Of course," Cyd watched as the black scales on his right arm slowly receded back into his scarf. "They aren't the kind of people worthy of your company."
"Worthy of company?" Bell slumped over the table, "To me, everyone seems pretty nice."
"Bell-sama, it's because of your naivety that people try to take advantage of you," Lili, who showed no awareness that she had once been one of those people, pointed out.
"Alright, Bell, here's your task: find a companion," Cyd gave a thumbs-up.
"Eh! So suddenly!" Bell jumped up.
"If you can't do that, you're not allowed to enter the middle floors."
"Eh, eh, eh!"
"Otherwise, next time you get caught by a Minotaur to wipe your butt, I won't be helping you~"
"No way!"