With Heith joining the party, Bell fought more freely, adopting a bolder combat style in the Dungeon. Thanks to that, they soon reached the second floor.
The ceiling glowed faintly with phosphorescence. In the quiet, winding space, only their footsteps echoed.
Bell stepped into a spacious hall. Aside from the surrounding walls, it was completely empty.
He took out his rations, handed some to Heith, and sat down for a short break.
"What's this?" Heith asked curiously, accepting the biscuit.
Adventurers usually carried bread and jerky—biscuits weren't exactly filling.
"I had another Familia make these. Try one. But don't eat too many at once."
Heith tilted her head and examined the biscuit.
It looked like an ordinary baked cookie, yet there was something clearly different about it.
She took a cautious bite, and the crisp sweetness spread through her mouth.
"It's delicious!" She quickly finished the rest, a sudden wave of fullness settling in. "How did you make this?"
"Sorry. That's part of the client's secret. I can't tell you."
Bell remembered hearing his grandfather talk about these biscuits—portable food that could fill a person with just one bite. The only problem was their complex production process, which required gravity magic.
Fortunately, Hestia, who worked at the fried potato ball shop, had a colleague and fellow god, Takemikazuchi, whose Familia happened to include someone capable of using gravity magic.
At Hestia's request, the biscuits were successfully created. Their taste and practicality made both gods see a new business opportunity—but their idea was quickly rejected by the Familia member involved.
"That magic has limited uses," Hestia had quoted. "It's a trump card, not something to waste on this kind of work."
Putting the biscuits aside, Bell still wanted to meet the person who used gravity magic and thank her in person.
Heith pouted, pulling Bell back from his thoughts.
"You're thinking about a cute girl, aren't you?"
Bell shook his head firmly.
"I was just wondering when I should visit and thank her. I don't even know who made them. Why do you think it's a woman?"
"Because anyone who can make something this tasty has to be a pretty girl."
Heith licked her lips reluctantly. She was the one who always cooked for others, yet no one ever thanked her. Not only that—they kept dumping more and more work on her, leaving her more exhausted each day.
Images flashed through her mind: cooking for the white-haired boy, hearing him marvel at the flavor, thanking and praising her.
No, that wasn't right. Heith shook her head, chasing the thoughts away. She was just tired, letting her imagination wander.
Seeing her troubled look, Bell picked up the thread.
"In that case, I'd really like to try your cooking sometime, Heith."
Heith thought he was complimenting her looks. A light, buoyant feeling rose in her chest, and the weight on her shoulders began to ease.
"If I get the chance, I will," Heith promised softly.
Anyway, no one would see them in the Dungeon. Slacking off a little wouldn't hurt, right?
After taking care of their hunger, the two continued along the passageway. The monsters on the second floor were still Goblins, but their weapons had changed from clubs to daggers.
Close combat actually proved easier for Bell. With Heith present, he only needed to dodge vital strikes and finish them swiftly.
"Is your mana holding up?" Bell asked as they pushed through most of the second floor in one go, his breathing still steady and calm.
This was likely the effect of the healing.
"Of course. Leave it to me." Heith puffed out her proud chest, her tone full of confidence.
"I didn't expect a Level 2 Healer to be this formidable."
"Well... that goes without saying. I undergo brutal training every single day."
"For reference, could you tell me what kind of training that entails?"
"Well... it involves treating Familia members who beat each other to the brink of death."
Is it really necessary to take training that far?
Bell doubted the truth of her words, but then again, Orario gathered all kinds of adventurers and gods. There was nothing here that couldn't happen.
"Well, that must be exhausting."
"Right? Right? You think so too, don't you?"
Bell's concern seemed to flip a switch. Heith dropped her earlier composure, grasping Bell's hand as if she had finally found a kindred spirit.
Tears shimmered at the corners of her eyes as she began to vent.
"Those who undergo the baptism just collapse and pass out, lying on the ground doing nothing, while we healers don't even get a chance to rest. As soon as we save one person, another one needs help!"
"After working all day, we still have to cook for them. Ordinary food can't replenish their stamina, so we have to mix in herbs that boost endurance and stew meat in giant pots. Those meals are practically our team's lifeline! I can't afford to slack off—if something goes wrong, the consequences could be serious."
Heith's complaints didn't stop there.
"And after all that, they're not even grateful! They eat like wild boars, demanding more every time. When we tried to refine the recipes, balancing taste and nutrition, they even wanted us to figure out how to pair it with mead mixed with goat's milk!"
"My actual job is to heal! Normally, I'd be in the Dungeon, staying in the back and casting healing magic now and then. But look at me—working myself to death! And the gods watching from above have the nerve to laugh and say I was born to suffer. Isn't that just wrong?"
As if a dam had broken, Heith poured out all her pent-up frustration. She took a deep breath, a trace of irritation flickering across her delicate face.
Bell didn't interrupt. He simply stayed quiet, like a patient listener, letting her say everything she needed to.
He gently patted Heith's head. The figure of the high-level adventurer, once so distant, now seemed no different from a weary, troubled girl.
Bell had always suspected Heith's background wasn't simple, and this outburst only confirmed his suspicions.
A Level 2 healer shouldn't be able to handle work that harsh.
Even so, Bell didn't intend to expose her. Since entering the Dungeon, she had done her duty as a healer without fail. Besides, a girl's tears didn't lie. That she had shown such vulnerability before a stranger like him was, for Bell, already enough.
The faint blue glow of the phosphorescence illuminated Heith's face. In the Dungeon's stillness, time seemed to stretch endlessly.
Only after she had finished venting did Heith realize she was still holding Bell's hand tightly.
And he had even patted her head.
Though the moment had felt strangely freeing, once calm returned, her cheeks flushed red.
She quickly let go, wiped the tears from her eyes, and covered her burning ears, speaking shyly.
"I was just talking out of turn earlier."
"Mhm," Bell replied softly.
Heith looked at the boy's gentle expression, her embarrassment swelling until she wished she could sink into the ground.
Just then, footsteps echoed through the corridor, shattering the awkward silence.
Heith quickly regained her composure and turned to Bell.
"Someone's coming. Adventurer."