The girls were in the southern forest on the 18th floor.
Emerald leaves rustled in the breeze, thick branches blocking the blue glow above, while brilliant azure crystals enclosed a spring in a soft ring of light. Anyone would have paused to admire such beauty.
But at the center of the spring was a sight far more captivating.
"So relaxing."
Tiona stretched and twisted her body, her wheat-colored skin blending with the rippling water.
"Hey, could you act a little more ladylike?"
Tione, splashed again and again by her sister's movements, couldn't keep the irritation out of her voice.
Their Amazoness silhouettes, outlined by the crystal-lit spring, looked even more provocative and striking.
Nearby, Lefiya soaked blankly in the water, letting her golden-yellow hair drift and darken as it absorbed the spring's warmth. She blinked now and then, barely registering the Amazoness sisters' chatter, her mind clearly elsewhere.
Ais was much the same.
Standing at the shore without a word, she bit her lip tightly.
She had failed…
Lost to the one person she could not afford to lose to…
The enemy had known the name Aria. She should never have allowed that woman to walk away.
After her consciousness had been cut away by that long sword, Ais had dreamed.
In the dream, she saw a familiar and dearly missed figure—her mother.
Like the wind.
Pure like a child, drifting with the white clouds, soaring beneath the vast blue sky.
Ais loved her mother like that.
The gentle smile, the warmth of her hand caressing her cheek, the sweet voice that tickled her ears…
But at the very end of the dream, Ais was thrown away.
There was only endless darkness. Nothing else.
When she woke up, the first thing she saw were the white-haired boy and Lefiya, tears glimmering in her eyes.
Saved again.
The moment that thought surfaced, Ais tightened her fists.
Even now, her face was rigid with tension. Anyone could see the helplessness and frustration shrouding her entire body.
"Ais, take off your clothes and come wash."
Riveria's voice was gentle, but it carried a firmness that allowed no refusal.
"I don't want to…"
Ais had no desire for rest or play. There were too many things she had to do.
She needed to become stronger…
She needed to force every scrap of information out of that woman…
"I've heard everything. The boy saved you, didn't he?" Riveria guided her thoughts calmly.
"...Yeah."
In the plaza, at the edge of the cliff—Ais owed the boy more than she could ever repay.
"Since you know that, then you should wash up even more. Before you thank him, this is the most basic courtesy."
Riveria had already seen straight through her.
If Ais were given a sword capable of slaying monsters at this moment, she would charge into the 19th floor without hesitation.
But for adventurers, rest was indispensable.
They had all just endured a brutal battle. Cleansing body and mind mattered far more right now than cutting down another monster.
So Riveria invoked the name of Ais's savior to rein in this child who caused her so much worry...
"Hmm... I understand."
Ais followed the other's suggestion. After speaking, she shed her clothes and slowly stepped into the spring. Under the blue crystals' glow, her completely bare body was revealed without obstruction.
"Lefiya isn't reacting at all..."
Tione was the first to notice something off.
"Right, she'd normally be blushing and saying something like, 'Being able to see Ais-san like this is my hono— this is purely admiration, absolutely nothing evil like the Familia God's thoughts…'"
Tiona mimicked Lefiya's usual flustered tone.
"You remember that way too clearly..." Tione muttered.
Lefiya, the center of their teasing, simply sank her lips into the spring water as if trying to hide, still giving no response.
Seeing this abnormal mood, Riveria's brows tightened slightly. The atmosphere, like the spring itself, felt a bit cold.
"Anyway, why does everyone have such great figures..."
Tiona's sudden comment shattered the silence.
She stared at her own chest, then at the others'. From Tione, to Ais, to herself—it felt like rolling downhill off a cliff.
"What are you even talking about?"
Tione responded without much interest.
"Nnnn..."
Grinding her teeth, Tiona snapped her gaze sideways. Near a cluster of blue crystals, Riveria was scooping water with her hand to wash herself. The graceful motions, the impeccable figure—those goddesses famed for beauty would probably feel inferior standing next to her.
If one were to assign values, this jade-colored, flawless body was simply in another league altogether.
"..."
Frustrated, Tiona turned away, placing her final hopes on the younger girl.
Lefiya was still young. The last time they had bathed together, she hadn't seemed very developed.
Yet before Tiona's eyes now, a modest but clearly shapely chest rose and fell gently as Lefiya drifted in thought.
"Lefiya, you traitor!"
"...?!"
Before Lefiya could understand anything, Tiona was already splashing over.
"W-wait—what did I do?!"
"Did you sneak some special food?! Why are you bigger than before?!"
"I... I don't know... please stop touching me!"
Facing a high-level Amazoness, Lefiya had absolutely no means of resistance. Her alluring young figure swayed helplessly in the water.
"You idiot, Tiona. Can't you settle down?" Tione stepped in to break things up.
"Loki mentioned before that Lefiya was in her growth period. So this is what she meant," Riveria added teasingly.
"..."
Ais hadn't cared about any of this. But the moment she thought about thanking the boy—and recalled every close moment Lefiya had shared with him—she couldn't help comparing her own chest to Lefiya's.
Right now... I'm bigger...
Realizing this eased a small portion of her frustration.
Riveria noticed the shift immediately.
Good. Using the boy's involvement was an effective way to rein in this runaway child.
Ais was like a sharpened blade—if it kept thrusting into darkness nonstop, eventually it would rust and spot.
If only that boy could become her scabbard...
Riveria sighed and spoke gently.
"Ais, have you thought about how to thank Bell Cranel?"
"I... don't know..."
In the world of adventurers, Ais's level was high—she was someone many admired. But in matters outside battle, she was merely a clueless girl.
Ais didn't know what she had... nor what she could offer the boy.
"Then give it some serious thought. According to Bell Cranel, he's already been through several incidents and has saved quite a few girls. If you get the chance, you could ask them how they expressed their thanks."
Riveria offered her suggestion, hoping this incident might bring about some positive change in Ais.
"...Mm."
Ais answered quietly, the spring water rippling against her slender, delicate frame as she stood there, looking lost.
"It's actually pretty simple, right? Ais has such a great figure—she could just grab him and hug him!"
Tiona's smile carried no mockery or teasing. She was simply giving advice from an Amazoness' point of view.
"....."
Ais froze, expression blank.
Instead, Lefiya reacted with sudden panic. She shot out of the water.
"N-no—no—absolutely not! Please don't plant weird ideas in Ais-san's head!"
Everyone turned their eyes toward Lefiya.
"S-so... you mean... that..."
Lefiya mumbled the half-formed words, then immediately retreated back beneath the surface.
"Would that... really be okay?"
Ais looked toward Riveria, seeking guidance.
".....It might trouble Bell Cranel, but something like that lap pillow from before—I don't think it crossed any lines."
Riveria hesitated for a moment. When she remembered the scene of the boy holding Ais, she instinctively rejected Tiona's more extreme suggestion.
"I... understand."
Ais engraved Riveria's words into her heart.
"Eh—well, I think doing it that way would definitely make Argonaut happy."
Tiona countered with bright enthusiasm.
"Argonaut?" Tione asked, puzzled.
"The boy's only Level 1, yet he saved Ais. So he must be the Argonaut."
The name Tiona mentioned came from an old heroic tale—a story about a youth who dreamed of becoming a hero, who overcame the malice of others, defeated a Minotaur under the blessing of the elves, and rescued a princess in the end.
"I've heard... that story too..."
Ais recalled fragments of weathered memory, and the dark winds inside her heart softened a little.
"See, right? I love that story! So Ais, just do what I said—kiss him boldly! Hug him tight!"
Once again, Tiona detonated the topic.
"That has nothing to do with this! Don't underestimate love, idiot Tiona!"
Tione, who had long dreamed of meeting her destined one and dressed herself like a lady for that very reason, shouted furiously.
"But think about it. Someone like Argonaut would definitely have no girlfriend, no first kiss, right? As the princess, you should be brave!"
In the heat of the argument, Tiona was already fully substituting Bell and Ais into the heroic tale she'd read.
For the sake of her beloved hero-and-princess story, she blurted whatever came to mind.
"Hah? It's not that simple! You hero-story-brained idiot!"
"What did you say?!"
The Amazoness sisters immediately descended into a noisy quarrel.
Ais watched them quietly.
"Lefiya?" Riveria suddenly noticed that the blond-haired elf had reacted to something in their conversation and slipped entirely beneath the water.
"Lefiya's sinking! Help her!" Tiona yelled.
"It's shallow. She just ducked under herself," Tione sighed.
Seeing the others closing in, Lefiya shot upright.
"I-I'm done washing. I'll go back first..."
Avoiding their doubtful gazes, she hurriedly put on her clothes.
As the yellow-haired elf fled the scene, her pointed ears—despite being soaked in the cold spring—remained burning red.
Then, from the forest, a familiar voice called out, igniting an even deeper shade of embarrassment on her face.
"Lefiya-san?"
...
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