"A... a monster wave?!"
"Giant Goblins?!"
"A pitch-black monster commanding other monsters?!"
Inside the Guild Hall, Eina's shouts crashed like waves, stirring up a gust that seemed to shake the curtains. Yet she remained completely unaware of her own agitation as she turned toward the boy.
"Bell, I believe what you're saying, but... it's hard to accept."
The report Bell gave to the Guild, while logically consistent, sounded like something out of a legend—an epic tale of heroism, full of twists and awe-inspiring turns. This wasn't the sort of exploration a new adventurer would ever be involved in. It was far grander, almost mythic.
Even Misha, who normally complained about having too much work, had stepped forward of her own accord to listen in on the story.
"Eina-san, I understand your doubts," Bell said calmly, "but none of that is the point."
"...None of that is the point?"
Eina was taken aback by how composed the boy looked.
If anyone else had gone through such an ordeal, they would either be sobbing about their terrifying experience, seeking comfort from their advisor, or bragging about their deeds, desperate for others to hear of their courage.
But Bell's eyes were focused on something far beyond the immediate.
"The point," he continued, "is the kidnappers. They were brewing potions inside the Dungeon."
"They probably exploited a loophole caused by the Dungeon's anomaly," Eina analyzed, frowning slightly. "They were remnants of Evilus. Since they were low-level, they must have escaped the purge."
They hadn't taken part in any major incidents, and with so many Level 1 adventurers, it was easy for a few to slip through unnoticed. But judging from the clues, all of these kidnappers were already dead.
"Are you suggesting... there's someone else behind them?" Eina asked.
"Right. The Guild's investigating the source of that potion too, right?" Bell replied casually. "But if they're bold enough to sell it publicly, I doubt they'll find much."
"..."
Eina wanted to tell him to trust the Guild, but as the incident continued to unfold, his reasoning was hard to refute.
Bell paused for a moment, then added, "The culprit mentioned the word [Madness]. But can simply selling potions like these really destroy a city like ours?"
Orario was a stage built for heroes to rise.
Despicable tactics like these might cause some harm, but with the Guild and the many Familia working together, such potions would be banned soon enough.
Eina began to see his line of thought. "So you think this might just be a supporting measure to destroy Orario... and the real goal is... war?"
The conversation ended in heavy silence.
It was a wild idea—too extreme to take seriously.
The Evilus remnants inside Orario had long been wiped out, and any outside invasion would have to pass through the Ganesha Familia and countless adventurers who guarded the city.
Just thinking about it made it clear: [Madness] couldn't possibly come to pass.
Yet somehow, Bell's words lingered in Eina's and Misha's minds like the quiet wisdom of a prophet, refusing to fade away.
...
Bell stepped out of the Guild.
He was merely fulfilling his duty as an adventurer by offering his own speculation. How the Guild would evaluate or investigate the matter wasn't something the youth needed to worry about.
Night had fallen over the land, yet Orario remained peaceful as ever.
"Bell, I've been looking for you everywhere."
Naaza appeared before him.
"I heard all about it—you went through quite the ordeal," the Chienthrope girl said with a peculiar hint of lazy calm in her tone. "It's good you made it back safely. I even prepared a little something for you."
"..."
Bell accepted the item she handed him. Printed on it was the name of a bathhouse.
"What's this?"
"Tickets for a mixed bath. Perfect for healing your injuries, don't you think?" Naaza said softly.
"No, I don't need it," Bell replied.
He'd heard that some adventurers from the Far East used bathing to relieve fatigue and reward themselves after a tough day. But Bell, raised deep in the mountains, had never adopted such customs.
"All right then, give me thirty thousand Valis," Naaza said as she slowly extended her right hand.
"I just told you I don't want it! And what kind of place charges that much?" Bell complained.
That much money could buy him a thousand fried potato balls. Bell didn't even have close to that amount on him right now.
"Precisely because you don't want it, it would go to waste. That's why I'm asking you to compensate me."
Naaza spoke calmly, her expression unreadable—neither lie nor truth visible in her face.
"...Fine, I'll take it."
Bell couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu.
The first time he'd stepped into the Blue Pharmacy, Naaza had sold him low-grade potions in exactly the same way.
Though he knew she meant well, he still couldn't quite figure out her true intentions.
"This ticket is quite valuable. You mustn't miss the chance to use it," Naaza said again for emphasis.
The printed date showed it was valid for tonight—it seemed to be a complimentary gift for a bathhouse's grand opening.
"Something this expensive... are you sure the pharmacy's okay with you spending that much?" Bell asked, sounding almost accusatory.
"..."
Naaza paused for a moment before answering. "I won it in a raffle when I was shopping. I happened to be their first customer of the day. Lucky, right?"
Bell hadn't expected her to lie so shamelessly. "You seriously wanted thirty thousand Valis from me?"
"Oh, you must be mistaken!" Naaza said, completely straight-faced. "Sure, I did want to sell it, but I'd never ask for that much. Thirty thousand Valis for one ticket? What kind of swindler would do that?"
The swindler is standing right in front of me.
Her tone was so nonchalant that Bell couldn't even muster the energy to argue.
He sighed, took the ticket, and said, "Anyway, thanks for the thought. I'll go and... enjoy it."
The words "mixed bathing" printed on the ticket caught his attention.
He understood what it meant but had never been to such a place before. Far from cleansing his spirit, he was already anxious before even arriving.
Orario was home to many races. Those who came to mixed baths were unlikely to be the graceful beauties one imagined—more likely a crowd of burly, strange-looking male adventurers.
Naaza seemed to read his mind and followed him closely.
"I said I'd go. Why are you tagging along?" Bell asked.
"Since I gave you the ticket, I'm coming too," she replied simply.
Until she saw the boy together with Airmid at the bathhouse, Naaza had no intention of letting her guard down.
The Dea Saint would never go back on her word. And knowing her, Airmid would likely use her status to reserve the entire place.
The only unpredictable factor... was the boy himself.
To make sure Bell didn't escape, Naaza stubbornly followed right behind him. She could always come up with an excuse to leave later once her purpose was fulfilled.
Seeing her determination, Bell couldn't bring himself to refuse.
He knew full well how the Chienthrope felt about God Miach.
Wait.
Could this actually be a secret, prearranged meeting? Something to discuss the mastermind behind the potion incident—away from prying divine eyes?
Was all this elaborate setup meant to conceal their true purpose?
As Bell walked toward the bathhouse, he quietly analyzed the situation.
...
Under the deep indigo of the starry sky, the Dea Saint sat alone in the changing room.
Like the boy, her thoughts were a whirlwind.
Yet the soft blush on her cheeks revealed that her mind was wandering in a very different direction.