Chapter 92: Hopeless Elf!
"I'm really sorry!!!!"
Unlike Hermes, who had also been caught red-handed, Bell had plenty of self-awareness.
The moment the two of them were brought back to camp, Bell immediately dropped to the ground in a full dogeza, begging the female members for forgiveness.
Bell's exaggerated apology quickly drew the attention of the Familia members.
And so, the matter of Bell Cranel and the god Hermes trying to peep spread through the entire camp at incredible speed.
"Hah?! That bastard actually dared to do something like that?!"
"Raul, I think he just did something you never had the guts to do. You aren't jealous of him, are you...?"
"How could I be?! There's no way I'd be jealous over something like... like... well, maybe just a little..."
The conversation among the male members earned them the female members' gazes, which looked as if they were staring at insects.
By contrast, in the eyes of the Loki Familia's male members, Bell not only became their number one enemy, but also someone they secretly admired.
"Shut up. What the hell are you all doing?"
Just as everyone was condemning Hermes and Bell, the werewolf Finn had sent back to Orario to buy antidotes returned with a large bag over his right shoulder.
Through the gaps in the bag, test tubes filled with medicine could be seen.
"Ah, it's Bete! You're so slow! Everyone's been waiting forever!"
"Shut up, damn Amazoness. Go yourself if you think you can."
The chaotic camp was soon drowned out by the rush to treat the wounded.
The Familia members took medicine from Bete's large bag and kept sending it to the patients.
Even Bell, as part of his apology, joined the group caring for the injured.
"Good work, Bete."
"Haha, you really made a big contribution this time."
"Your clothes are filthy. Did you not rest properly?"
Bete still looked the same as when he left.
No, if anything, he looked even dirtier.
Even he had not noticed the one or two leaves still stuck in his silver-white hair.
"Quit nagging, old hag, old man, and Finn. I'm going to sleep."
After saying that to the Loki Familia's three leaders, Bete walked into a tent and collapsed straight into sleep.
After going through the adventure and then immediately running back and forth without rest, he was clearly exhausted.
Everyone tacitly avoided Bete's tent.
After the poisoned members drank the antidotes, they finally stopped groaning in pain.
Only then did the Familia members truly relax and begin enjoying their camp on this floor.
"Everyone, start packing. We're heading back."
On the third day after Bete returned, Finn stood at the front of the crowd and gave the order.
During the past two days of treatment, the patients had mostly recovered.
Although they still could not use their full strength, simple combat would be more than enough.
So after discussing it with Riveria and Gareth, Finn decided to begin the return trip.
This expedition had gone a little more smoothly than the last one, but it had still left the Loki Familia physically and mentally exhausted.
Starting from the 51st Floor, accidents had never stopped coming.
They had finally endured until the return trip, only to run into another abnormal situation.
Even the Goliath, which should have been left for lower-level adventurers to share the Excelia, was handed over by Finn to Shiro and killed in a single strike.
...
Inside the Hostess of Fertility, Ryuu finished a full day of work and was washing plates in the kitchen with Anya.
When she recalled what had happened two days ago, Ryuu still found it a little unbelievable.
What kind of state of mind had she been in back then to say something like that?
Could Shiro-san really revive Alise and the others?
But since things had already reached that point, all she could do was believe him.
"Ryuu, pass me the plates over there, nya."
Besides, Ryuu was certain that Shiro had seen everything when she was in the spring.
At the time, she had only felt that it was an accident and nothing more.
But after calming down and thinking about it, had that not already become an incident where he had to take responsibility?!
Even Ryuu herself had not noticed that after saying those words and leaving, her mentality had quietly begun to change.
"Hey, Ryuu?"
When she remembered the strange look Shiro had given her after she put on her clothes, Ryuu could not help covering her face.
It should have been more romantic.
Something like, "In a moonlit forest with no one around, the two of them swear eternal love beneath the moon," would have been far more fitting.
How frustrating.
And if she was already going to have that kind of relationship with him, calling him "Shiro-san" felt a little too distant, did it not?
Maybe... she should simply call him "Shiro"?
"Ryuu!!!"
"Ah?! What is it?"
Anya's loud shout pulled Ryuu back from her thoughts.
She looked in surprise at Anya, who had somehow gotten within half a meter of her.
"I called Ryuu for ages, but Ryuu didn't respond, nya. What were you thinking about just now?"
Anya propped her chin up with one hand and looked at Ryuu suspiciously.
What had she been thinking about?
Words like confession, naked body, and eternal love appeared in Ryuu's mind.
Not only her ears, but even her cheeks, neck, and entire body trembled and heated up.
Ryuu's voice cracked as she shouted.
"I wasn't thinking about anything indecent!"
Hearing this line, which was no different from a self-report, Anya's eyes widened at once.
She stared in disbelief at Ryuu, whose image had completely collapsed.
"Ryuu actually... Ryuu is actually in heat, nya! Everyone, come look! Ryuu, with her fossil-level views on romance, is actually in heat, nya!"
If it were the usual Ryuu, she would have given Anya a heavy punch.
Unfortunately, she was currently in the state of someone whose dirty thoughts had been caught red-handed.
"Aaaaaaaaaah—!!! Shut up!!!"
At some point, the plate in her hand had fallen to the ground.
If Mama Mia were here, she would definitely beat the two of them for messing around during work.
But Ryuu could no longer care about that.
If the other waitresses outside learned what she had been thinking just now, her life as an elf would be over.
For the sake of her honor, Ryuu scrambled behind Anya on all fours.
One hand locked around Anya's neck while the other clamped tightly over her mouth.
"Ryuu! I was wrong, nya! I can't breathe, nya!"
Anya, who was being strangled by Ryuu, rolled her eyes back and desperately slapped Ryuu's hand.
The commotion in the kitchen quickly drew the attention of the other waitresses outside.
By the time they rushed into the kitchen, Anya had already collapsed on the floor, foaming at the mouth.
"Ryuu, what are you doing?! Stop! Anya is going to die!" × Syr
"Hurry and pry Ryuu's hands open!" × Lunoire
"Ryuu seems to be using her full strength. We can't pry her off at all!" × Chloe
"Ugh... I think I can see heaven, nya..." × Anya
In Ryuu's mind, the phantoms of her past Familia companions appeared.
At this moment, they were grinning and watching her make a fool of herself.
"What is Ryuu doing, nya?"
"She's hopeless."
"Well, Ryuu is a hopeless elf, after all."
"Stop talking aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"
…
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