"What? Syr finally brought a man home?" The human girl with short brown hair, Lunoire, poked her head out.
"Mew-huh-huh, white hair, red eyes, and so handsome too. That age, that build, that face... even I would fall for him, nya." The Cat Person, Chloe, grinned mischievously as she sized up Bell.
Anya, who had shouted first, protested fiercely, "You can't! He's the one Syr brought home, so we have to support Syr, nya!"
Unlike the noisy group, the Elf girl at the back only cast a quiet glance around the room without saying a word.
The staff who had suddenly rushed in wore the same uniform as Syr: white blouses, pale green vest skirts, and long aprons. If one ignored the stern-faced Elf girl, it would have looked like an ordinary, cheerful scene of youthful girls at work.
Syr stood there in confusion, her gaze shifting between Bell and her coworkers.
At some point, Chloe had appeared right in front of the bed—so fast that Bell hadn't even seen her move.
"Young man, are you hurt, nya? Quick, lift the sheet and let me take a look, nya."
"Meow!" Anya shouted loudly, "He's that rookie everyone laughs at, nya! I heard people at the tavern say he got knocked down by goblins on the first floor, nya!"
"Shut up, stupid cat." Lunoire swung her fist mercilessly, and Anya reflexively covered her forehead.
Syr lowered her head slightly and said softly, "Sorry, Anya's not too bright. She didn't mean it."
Bell smiled lightly, taking the apology in stride. He didn't care about something so well-known.
"Waaah, just because I said something bad about the boy, Syr scolded me, nya." Anya pouted and began to sniffle.
"So that means Syr's already taking the boy's side, nya," Chloe added smoothly.
"You two should stop already…" Lunoire started to tell them to cut it out and get back to work, but suddenly froze in place, mumbling to herself, "Wait... maybe this is the perfect chance to skip work. Even if Mama Mia catches me, I can use Syr as an excuse to get away with it."
Your little scheme was probably heard loud and clear. Bell glanced at the distracted Syr, unsure where to even start.
"Speaking of skipping work, I know, nya!" Anya wagged her tail proudly, adopting a detective tone. "Why has Syr never slacked off, and why was she missing during the busiest time just now? It's because she was making a love-filled bento for the boy, nya! This empty basket right here is the proof, nya!"
"Meow? For the first time, I think Anya isn't an idiot, nya." Chloe leaned closer to Bell, as if ready to lift the blanket. "I won't lose either, nya. Watch me—"
Her plan failed instantly.
"W-wait, Syr! I was wrong, nya… I'm sorry, I won't do it again, nya. Don't tickle there—nya-hahaha!"
Bell silently watched the scene unfold. The girls were playfully bickering and tumbling around in chaos.
His grandfather's words echoed in his mind—adventure begins with encounters with girls. Defeating monsters, rescuing trapped maidens, growing with each encounter—that was the true meaning of being an adventurer.
Though Bell was the one being rescued this time, he still smiled, quietly savoring this rare moment of normal life.
Happy times never last long. The next second, everyone in the room deeply understood that truth.
"You stupid girls! The customers aren't even gone yet, and you're already slacking off? Get back to work!"
The shopkeeper, Mia, shouted. The staff all flinched instinctively.
Even without seeing her face, Bell could tell from her voice and their reactions. This woman was strong. He could almost picture those who tried to dine and dash or broke something in the shop being beaten to the ground by the owner of that voice.
Mia stepped into the loft, her towering frame—far larger than any dwarf's—confirming Bell's impression.
"Mama Mia, it's all Lunoire's fault, nya. She's the one who told me Syr brought a man home, nya." Anya was the first to shift the blame.
"Huh?"
"I can vouch for that—it was Lunoire who said it, nya. A flawless witness, nya." Chloe quickly backed her up.
"Waaah—I'm going to kill you both! Syr, help me out here!"
Faced with her friend's plea, Syr only gave the boy a brief glance, let out a small hum, and turned away without a word.
"Syr, I didn't mean to interrupt you two! Please, say something for me…"
Lunoire watched as her coworkers left one after another, even the usually composed Elf girl, Ryuu, turning away from her.
"Anything else you want to say?" Mia cracked her knuckles, her anger so thick it seemed to color the air itself.
Lunoire forced a bitter smile and dashed downstairs. "I'll never slack off again!"
As her figure disappeared, Mia simply sighed and didn't bother to chase her.
"What a bunch of foolish girls."
She glanced at Bell sitting on the bed and said boldly, "You've got good eyes, kid. Come visit us more often."
Unlike Syr's teasing "Come eat more often," Mia's tone carried a commanding authority that left no room for refusal.
"Yes. For saving me today, I'll be sure to repay this kindness."
Bell spoke sincerely, expressing his gratitude.
...
Mia gazed thoughtfully out the darkening window.
"Young man."
"Hmm?"
"The life of an adventurer is a simple one. Promises and debts of gratitude—save those for when you're still alive. As long as you can eat and sleep, that's what it means to be an adventurer."
Bell hadn't expected the tavern's landlady to so easily see through his recent ordeal, speaking as if she understood the very core of an adventurer's existence.
It was only through Heith's desperate help that he had managed to survive at all.
A faint unease stirred in his chest. If the wielder of that silver spear came after him again, what could he possibly do?
He couldn't rely on anyone else. Though he couldn't gauge that person's full strength, Bell was certain they were at least a first-tier adventurer. Asking others for help would only drag them into danger.
"Landlady, you seem to know quite a bit about adventurers."
What Bell lacked most now was information.
"Of course I do. I've been running this place for a long time, you know. I've had my eyes on all those top-tier rookies since they first started."
"Then, do you know an adventurer who carries a silver spear—a Cat Person?"
"Heh, you mean that kid Allen? His family's eaten plenty of my cooking."
Mia grinned before continuing, "But that boy caused trouble this afternoon. I heard he got hit with a heavy punishment from his Familia God. If you're looking for him, you'll probably have to wait quite a while."
"That's all I needed to know. Thank you."
Bell felt a small sense of relief.
Since Heith's Familia God already knew the full story, it meant not only his safety but Heith's was also secured.
Seeing the boy's tense expression ease, Mia smiled and turned to leave. "In the end, the one who stands last is the winner. Next time, bring a bit more money—I'll treat you to something good."
Before Bell could respond, Mia's figure had already disappeared.
Night slowly fell as Bell turned toward the window.
Outside the brightly lit tavern, a group of adventurers approached, laughing and chatting as they walked.
The moment they stepped inside, the customers began murmuring among themselves.
"Hey, look!"
"Oh wow, it's a parade of beauties."
"Idiot, keep your voice down. Look at their insignias."
"First-tier adventurers? That one's the legendary Sword Princess!"
"Shh! They're from the Loki Familia."