While Bell was away from Rivira Town, a silent war had already begun.
"Please, let me borrow the kitchen!"
Lili still remembered what Cassandra had said. As long as she made the most delicious dish, Bell would confess on his own.
Even if she didn't truly believe it, she wasn't about to let the chance slip by.
"…You actually believe something like that?"
Daphne let out a soft sigh.
Anyone who thought about it for a second would realize there was no way the boy would say something so frivolous.
"Cassandra-sama was there too, so it has to be true!"
Lili quickly started preparing the ingredients.
Compared to cooking, she was far better at managing money, so she chose the simplest option: fried potato balls.
That dish had once moved her deeply. She believed Bell would understand her feelings through it.
"Mm…"
Cassandra couldn't help but groan inwardly.
She had only made that story up on the spot, yet Lili and Mikoto had taken it seriously all this time.
If only they trusted her dream prophecies that much…
Cassandra wasn't good at cooking. She only pretended to help, while already thinking about something else.
"Mikoto, I didn't expect you to go along with this."
Daphne gave a small smile.
They had just returned from a life-and-death battle. A little chaos like this wasn't bad for team morale.
"I-I'm only remaking it because the rice balls I prepared earlier were knocked over by monsters!"
Mikoto raised her kitchen knife as she answered in a fluster.
"I get it! But that's dangerous, put the knife down!"
Daphne hadn't even pointed out her intentions, yet Mikoto was already spiraling.
And what she was making now clearly wasn't rice balls, but a rustic dish that looked and smelled delicious.
Better not press the issue…
Daphne swallowed her commentary and quietly waited for the boy to return.
...
"Captain, try this!"
Cassandra was the first to greet Bell, holding up a dazzling dessert.
"Hey! That's store-bought! That's cheating!"
Lili puffed out her cheeks in protest.
"Bell-dono, please try what I made as well."
Mikoto guided him to a table.
"…"
Bell could tell they were competing, so he obediently sampled each dish.
"Bell-sama? How is it? Who made the best one?"
Lili's eyes shone with anticipation.
"Hmm… This soup is the most delicious. I think Mikoto would make a wonderful wife."
Bell praised her honestly.
"W-What?! I-I haven't thought that far ahead!"
Mikoto clutched her burning cheeks and ran out the door.
"Unbelievable…"
Lili had expected to lose, but not this badly.
"…"
Bell couldn't help feeling that Mikoto had misunderstood something.
He would ask her about it later.
"Lili, did you leave out some ingredients in the potato balls?"
Bell turned toward her.
Lili's habit of saving on ingredients and keeping costs low had ended up costing her the victory.
"Ugh… Lili admits defeat, but Lili still has one final move! Lili can carry Bell-sama back!"
"…?"
Even Lefiya and the others, who had just arrived to meet up with them, froze at her bold declaration.
A sharp gleam flashed in Lili's eyes.
"Bell-sama is injured. Someone has to carry him back. This important duty belongs to Lili!"
"It's only my arm that's hurt. I can still walk."
Bell gently reminded her.
But Lili seemed to throw caution aside and pressed on.
"In hero tales, the one who carries the hero home in the end is the true heroine!"
"Are you sure you're not mixing up the hero tale…"
Daphne sighed.
"And more importantly, with Lili's height, you couldn't possibly carry the Captain. What are you planning to do, drag him across the ground?"
"Ugh…?"
Lili's brows knitted together instantly.
Even the wisest person makes mistakes.
She had just experienced the meaning of that saying firsthand.
Before she could change the subject, the other girls eagerly jumped in.
"If Bell-dono doesn't mind… I'm willing to take on that responsibility…"
At some point, Mikoto had quietly stepped back to the group's side.
"Mikoto, you—"
"I was saved by Bell-dono on the Middle Floors. Repaying him in the same way is only natural!"
She cut Daphne off and blurted out her reasoning in one breath.
"I… I could also…"
Cassandra spoke up timidly, her face flushed red.
Just as the situation reached a stalemate, Lefiya and the others stepped into the fray.
"You shameless rabbit! You're actually going to let girls carry you back?!"
"No… Lefiya-san, I think you've misunderstood…"
Before Bell could stop it, the conversation had already taken on a life of its own.
The Pandora's box Lili had opened had completely seized the girls' attention.
If Bell tried to protest too strongly now, it would only kill their enthusiasm.
"Cranel-san, don't you think this is a little embarrassing?"
Ryuu shot him a complicated look.
"I'm telling you, I didn't suggest it…"
Bell smiled helplessly.
They had just come back from the brink of death and witnessed an exhilarating battle. Everyone was still riding that high.
Compared to going straight back into the Dungeon to hunt, this kind of lively chaos actually suited Bell just fine.
"I can… carry Bell… I'm very experienced…"
Ais stepped forward slowly, an overwhelming presence radiating from her that left little room for objection.
With the Sword Princess entering the contest, the others immediately found themselves at a disadvantage.
Everyone except Laurier.
"From an objective standpoint, something like this should naturally be done by Bell's lover."
Laurier spoke firmly.
Between the two blond girls, it felt as if lightning crackled in the air.
One wielded her natural aura like a weapon, the other raised her status as Bell's lover like a shield. Neither side was willing to give ground.
At that moment, Lili suddenly regained her fighting spirit and offered very biased support.
"No! We absolutely can't let that blonde Elf do it! What if she takes advantage of the situation, drags Bell-sama into some corner of the Dungeon, and then…"
Lili didn't finish her sentence, but everyone immediately understood the implications.
Leaving Bell alone with Laurier was dangerous.
"If we're talking about lovers, then the other two should qualify as well, right?"
Daphne offered a calm, rational suggestion.
Everyone's gaze shifted to Filvis and Lefiya.
"Sorry…"
Filvis shook her head, clearly unwilling to elaborate.
Ever since the pitch-black giant appeared, she had been unusually quiet, deliberately avoiding Bell's eyes.
In the end, all eyes turned toward the amber-haired elf.
Lefiya blinked.
She pointed at herself, confusion slipping out before she could stop it.
"Huh…?"