It had already been a week since I became Aiz's exclusive blacksmith.
"Bellf. Let's go to the Dungeon."
"...Just a moment."
I frequently formed a party with Aiz to descend into the depths.
Aiz went to grow stronger,
and I went to test my forging,
each of us driven by our own purpose as we ventured downward.
"Bellf."
"I know, I know!"
Currently, we were hunting monsters on the 19th floor.
"Trace on... Shiranui!"
With a projected magic sword, I incinerated a mushroom-like monster and a boar that stood nearly two meters tall.
"...It smells delicious."
"I'll make you something even tastier later, so stay focused for now."
"Make me potato croquettes."
"Got it."
After fighting for a while with the magic sword and Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, the monsters finally stopped appearing.
Since it would take at least several dozen minutes for a new wave to spawn, I began gathering the magic stones dropped by the slain monsters and stuffing them into my bag.
"Let's head back. We're out of potions."
"..."
Aiz gazed beyond the 19th floor, her expression tinged with regret.
However,
"If you push yourself too hard now, you'll get scolded, you know? They might even ban you from the Dungeon for a few days."
That was the limit.
If we left now, it would be seen as a reasonable excursion, but going any deeper would be an excessive strain.
A few days ago, once word got out that we had signed a contract, the [Wise Queen] had come to see me. She had practically clung to Aiz's shoulders, begging me to please make her stop and ensure she didn't overdo it whenever she entered the Dungeon.
I couldn't bring myself to refuse a parent's plea for their daughter—even if she wasn't technically her parent—so I accepted. Now, it was my job to keep Aiz in check.
"Ugh... fine."
"Good girl."
We exited the Dungeon, our bags feeling quite heavy.
Upon arriving at the Guild, we exchanged the magic stones for valis.
"Well, I'll be heading off—"
"Potato croquettes."
"Ah, right."
The "potato croquettes" she wanted were essentially fried potato cakes filled with a savory sauce.
It was a dish Aiz absolutely adored.
"Let's buy the ingredients on the way. I don't have anything to eat at home."
"Mm-hm."
"And how about eating something else too?"
"Potato croquettes are enough."
"You have to eat a balanced diet to get stronger."
"..."