The day after the recruitment interview disaster.
It should be almost time… As promised, Tsuna stood in front of Babel, waiting for Daphne to arrive.
"S-Sorry to keep you waiting…"
"Eh…!?"
Daphne finally arrived five minutes before their agreed-upon time. However, she wasn't wearing her usual adventuring gear. Instead, she wore a soft, elegant pink dress. Delicate lace lined the bodice down to her waist, and the fluffy, flared skirt swayed gracefully with her every step. A light beige cardigan was draped over her shoulders, its slightly oversized silhouette emphasizing her slender frame. A modest gold double-necklace rested against her collarbone, and a thin silver bracelet sparkled on her left wrist. Clutching a white chain bag, she looked radiant—a stunning, eye-catching beauty that seemed to melt perfectly into the late afternoon sun.
Seeing Daphne in casual clothes for the first time, Tsuna couldn't help but stare.
"W-What is it!? I-If you have something to say, just say it!!"
"N-No… It's just my first time seeing you in normal clothes, so I ended up staring…"
"I-If you're just flattering me, you can stop…!!"
"It's not flattery. I really think it suits you."
"!?"
Told point-blank that the outfit suited her, Daphne's face flushed crimson, and her usual fiery demeanor completely melted away.
Because of her strong-willed personality, she had never been this intimate with a boy before. Being complimented by the first boy she had ever harbored genuine feelings for was enough to make her cheeks burn and her heart race.
"T-There's a café I frequent, follow me…!!"
"S-Sure."
Taking the lead to hide her blush, Daphne guided Tsuna through the bustling streets. A twenty-minute walk later, they arrived at her favorite café and took their seats across from one another.
"Don't hold back. Order whatever you want."
"Eh… but…"
"I can't exactly make a member of a Familia drowning in a 200 million Valis debt pay for my meal, can I? Besides, this is supposed to be my way of thanking you. And don't worry, I've saved up enough living expenses for emergencies."
"T-Thanks."
Deciding to accept her offer, Tsuna scanned the menu and ordered whatever caught his eye.
"I'm really sorry about yesterday. You came all the way out for the interview, only for it to end like that…"
"You don't need to apologize. From how things looked, Hestia-sama probably took on that debt on her own and kept quiet about it so she wouldn't burden the rest of you, right?"
Once their drinks arrived, Tsuna immediately bowed his head to apologize for the recruitment fiasco. Having accurately deduced the Hestia Familia's internal situation from their reactions yesterday, Daphne didn't blame him at all.
"Besides, Miach-sama reached out and invited Cassandra and me to join his Familia, so everything worked out fine."
"Eh? He did?"
"Yeah… Miach-sama's Familia has a massive debt of their own, but it's still significantly better than your situation."
So Miach-sama's Familia is in debt too… Surprised to learn of their financial struggles, Tsuna suddenly understood why Naaza was his only dependent and why their headquarters was so small.
"What about everyone else?"
"Some were scouted by other Familias like us, some are still looking for a place to transfer… and some have just hit rock bottom, I suppose."
"I see…"
Knowing that some of the former Apollo Familia members were left destitute sent a heavy wave of guilt washing over Tsuna, casting a dark shadow over his expression.
"I told you, it's not your fault… If we're pointing fingers, it's our fault for picking a fight with you guys in the first place. Besides, the moment we decided to become adventurers in Orario, we had to be prepared for things like this."
"…"
Daphne stated the harsh reality matter-of-factly, but Tsuna still didn't look entirely convinced.
"…Come to think of it, what happened to the people who were fiercely loyal to Apollo?"
Knowing how devoted some of the members were, Tsuna found it hard to believe they would just quietly transfer to another God's faction.
"They shook off the Guild's restraints and chased after Apollo-sama."
"Eh? Why would the Guild try to stop them from leaving the city?"
"Because if adventurers leave the city, the profits generated from the Dungeon will drop. On top of that, if high-level adventurers or people with rare magic and skills cross over to another nation, they could become a potential military threat to Orario. That's why the city generally does everything it can to keep adventurers from leaving."
"Oh, that makes sense…"
Listening to Daphne's explanation, a chilling realization struck Tsuna. He was violently reminded that a mafia scientist from his world was hiding somewhere out there, spreading the technology of Dying Will Flames to foreign nations. It was only a matter of time before those nations marched on Orario.
"Then there's Luan. Miach-sama offered him a spot too, but he actually turned it down."
"Luan… you mean the Pallum?"
"Yeah. He flat-out refused, saying there was no way he'd stoop to joining a weak, debt-ridden Familia. Which is hilarious, considering no other Familia is going to take him in."
"Eh? Why not?"
"Because even though he's incredibly weak, he constantly threw his weight around and acted like a big shot just because he was in the Apollo Familia. His reputation among the other factions is absolute garbage. Yet, he still refuses to swallow his pride. It's a shame, especially since you went out of your way to clear his name during the War Game."
That wasn't me, that was Lili… During the Siege War, Luan had allegedly betrayed his Familia, but the general public firmly believed that Tsuna had used an illusion to disguise himself as the Pallum. While there was a brief window where the real Luan and the disguised Lili were in the same area, the magical broadcasts had been entirely focused on Bell's duel with Hyakinthos, so no one had actually witnessed the truth.
"Speaking of which, about that Elf who helped you out during the War Game."
"W-What about her…?"
Taking a delicate bite of her food, Daphne abruptly shifted the topic to Ryuu. Tsuna immediately broke out in a cold sweat, terrified that she had figured out Ryuu was actually Gale.
"Exactly what kind of relationship do you have with her?"
"Eh…?"
Although her face had been concealed by a scarf, it was practically a universal law that all Elves were beautiful. Judging the Elf to be a massive potential obstacle to her romance, Daphne narrowed her eyes, subtly probing Tsuna for information on her newly discovered rival.
"W-We're just friends…"
"Are you sure about that?"
"Y-Yeah…"
"Then what Familia does she belong to?"
Even for an adventurer from outside the city, someone capable of taking on fifty people single-handedly was exceedingly rare. Daphne had tried digging into the mysterious Elf's background after the War Game, but came up completely empty-handed.
"I-I can't really say…"
"Why not?"
"Because she said she doesn't want to stand out…"
"So she has complicated circumstances?"
"Y-You could say that…"
"Hmm…"
Judging by Tsuna's evasive answers, Daphne decided to drop the interrogation. However, knowing that Tsuna shared a deep, private secret with another woman left a distinctly bitter taste in her mouth.
Just then, their conversation was interrupted.
"Thank you for waiting. Here is the exclusive couples' parfait."
""Excuse me!?""
A waiter smoothly placed a massive, extravagantly decorated parfait right in the center of their table. Having ordered nothing of the sort, they stared at the massive dessert in utter bewilderment.
"The customer over there said it was for the two of you…"
The waiter gestured discreetly toward the back of the café. Following his gaze, Tsuna and Daphne spotted a girl wearing a ridiculously oversized hat and dark sunglasses in a painfully obvious disguise. It was Cassandra. Realizing they were staring right at her, she panicked and frantically hid her face behind a menu.
C-Cassandra!?Does she think we're actually dating!? Daphne immediately realized that her friend was trying to aggressively wingman for her. Her face erupted in flames. Tsuna, simultaneously realizing Cassandra thought they were a couple, fell into an identical state of panicked embarrassment.
Knowing that Daphne was going on a date, Cassandra had secretly tailed them through the city. Wanting to wingman for her best friend's romance, she had anonymously ordered the couples' parfait for their table.
"Wait? So those two really are…"
"They have to be, right? They're eating the couples' parfait. Plus, look at how dressed up she is."
O-Oh no!! Hearing the whispers from the surrounding tables, Daphne deeply regretted dressing up so much. One by one, every customer in the café turned their attention toward Tsuna and Daphne.
"W-We're eating it…"
"Ehhh!? B-But!!"
"We can't just send it back while everyone is staring at us!!"
"T-That's true…!!"
Lacking the courage to reject the parfait under the intense scrutiny of the entire café, the two of them surrendered to their fate and awkwardly picked up their spoons.
"Look at them, they're so tense."
"Aww, they must have just started dating. How cute."
"Damn it!! Stop showing off!!"
"And I can't even get a single date!!"
The café instantly divided into two distinct factions: women swooning over the awkwardly adorable new couple, and single men weeping tears of profound, bitter jealousy.
Officially certified as a couple by the court of public opinion, Tsuna was so embarrassed he focused entirely on shoveling the dessert into his mouth as fast as physically possible.
Cassandra… you are so dead when I get back!! ─────
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