Tartness and sweetness, above all, a uniquely distinctive aroma.

"Is this alcohol?"

"Huh? Was it bad? Isn't it delicious here?"

"No, it's tasty, but... umm..."

Well, it's not like I can suddenly say alcohol is off-limits now. Can I?

Maybe it's time to follow local customs once I'm here.

Let me try one more sip.

Sweet and easy to drink.

I think it's not very strong.

Honestly, I've hardly ever drunk alcohol before, so I can't really tell...

"Um, last time I didn't even get your name right, so could you tell me your name?"

"Hikaru. Kurosé Hikaru."

Wait, what was it again? Maybe I should've kept my name to myself.

...No, it's fine. Just a name.

"Hikaru... It's a nice name."

"Is that so? I'm not really fond of a name that sounds so feminine."

I already find him unimpressive and weak-looking, and now he even has a girly name—I've always disliked it.

At least he's better than my sisters, who were given car names.

"Hikaru, you're not from around here, are you? I'm from Siltyon... ah, maybe it's better to say the Cathedral of Light?"

I have no idea what it is, but it's probably where they worship some great spirit.

"Hmm, so that's why you use light-based spirit magic?"

"Yes, believe it or not, I'm an apprentice of the Holy Cathedral Knights."

She puffs out her chest with a smug smile, though I can't tell if that's impressive or not.

"Even if you're that strong, you're still just an apprentice?"

"Yes, if I'm not skilled enough with spirit magic, I won't pass the official knight exam anytime soon..."

If we're supposed to be knights guarding the Cathedral of Light, does that mean everyone must be skilled in the light spirit arts?

If so, maybe I could become a knight of the Dark Cathedral instead.

No, wait—darkness wouldn't have a cathedral, would it? Maybe Dark Knight would be more fitting.

Hehe.

"W-why are you laughing? I'll admit, I am quite old for an apprentice, and I really must pass the official knight examination soon, or I'm done for!"

"Ah, sorry. I wasn't laughing at you, Refreia. I was laughing at myself."

My head feels pleasantly fuzzy, light and carefree.

I don't mind the Earth, the glances, or the laughter at all.

Maybe it's because I'm with someone as radiant as a glowing light itself.

Or maybe it's because someone like that said they like me.

After a while, the meal was brought out.

Meat piled high on a large plate! Vegetables! Bread!

Each one seemed to have been baked in an oven, giving off a delicious, savory aroma that made one's appetite stir.

"Whoa, that's a lot. Looks delicious, though."

"Huh? Isn't Hikaru supposed to eat quite a bit? You're a high rank, aren't you?"

"Rank? What's that?"

"You don't know? You're such a mystery. Just being a user of shadow spirit magic is rare enough."

While shoveling meat and vegetables into his mouth, Hikaru learned that rank referred to the degree of strength gained by absorbing spirit energy after defeating monsters.

"Like a level, huh? Well then, I'm really low. I've hardly ever defeated any monsters."

I don't really understand what "level" means, but saying I'm low-ranked is a lie. You just killed a Mantus in an instant, didn't you? I was moved, really!"

"That was because Refreia weakened it. I was lucky too."

"You can't beat a Mantus with luck alone. They're much stronger than Ogres. They're supposed to appear only on the fourth floor, after all."

"Then it must've been a good match-up."

As expected, the food was delicious.

A fruity, sweet-salty sauce with juicy meat of some kind. The vegetables were also sweet and tasty.

I've only ever eaten cheap skewers and dumpling-like things from street stalls before, so this feels incredibly delicious.

My sisters said things like "There's no such thing as genetically improved food in another world, so it's bound to be all terrible except for seafood," but I couldn't really rely on that.

"……I haven't had something this proper in a long time."

"Is that so? This place isn't exactly fancy, you know?"

"I didn't have money back then… and I was alone. So that's right—eating with someone else is something I haven't done since coming here."

Sharing a meal with someone.

Back in Japan, that was something I took for granted.

My two sisters, always arguing about difficult topics and being loud.

My parents were often absent too, but sometimes Nanami would come over and eat with us.

　

Here, I've been alone all along.

Not even a single person to chat with about everyday matters.

The gaze from Earth was filled with hostility, and I always felt like someone was laughing at me.

Sitting across from me, Refleia's cheeks slightly flushed from alcohol, gently smiled and tilted her head.

That look—there wasn't the slightest trace of hostility, almost affectionate.

"W-wait, Hikaru!? Why are you crying!? E-eh, what?!"

"Crying? Ah... sorry, I didn't realize. Haha, I wonder why..."

I hadn't even noticed I was crying.

It was embarrassing—crying like this in front of someone almost a stranger.

But once the tears started flowing, they wouldn't stop.

"Sorry... I haven't eaten with someone like this in ages. The food was delicious too... I really felt happy being invited. Even though I ran away at first, it's strange for me to say this..."

"Eh, yeah... I mean, I was the one who got helped first... If I can make you happy with something like this, I'm happy too."

"At first, I thought, 'I don't need to thank you...' but... thank you. I'm really happy."

A natural smile slipped out.

It felt just like when I was in Japan—calm and at ease.

"Ah, hehe. Then I'm glad. It's kind of hot in here, isn't it?"

Reffraya fanned her face with her hand.

It probably was a bit hot. Maybe because of the alcohol.

We continued chatting and eating.

The drinks were delicious, and I ended up having quite a few.

It felt like I'd truly returned to being human after such a long time.

By the time we left the shop, night had fully fallen, and the streets were quiet and empty.

Normally, I'd be spending time exploring the labyrinth, but right now I feel pleasantly dazed. Seems I'm drunk from the alcohol. I see now why adults love drinking.

It makes me forget my troubles and feel strangely happy.

"Well then, Refleia. We probably won't meet again, but today really made me happy. You're the Holy Knight, right? Good luck on your exam."

I bid Refleia farewell and started walking away.

There's no way I'll ever have dinner with such a beautiful woman again.

She said she liked me.

Even if it was just a momentary delusion brought on by being saved from death, if I leave her now, that memory will stay with me forever.

Tomorrow, I'll return to the dark days of diving into the labyrinth, but at least I have a good memory to carry with me.

"W-wait, wait a second, Hikaru! I haven't finished thanking you yet! I mean, we're just getting started. Just getting started!"

I was suddenly yanked by the arm, nearly losing my balance.

When I turned around, she looked either drunk and giggling or tense and forcing a smile—her expression awkward and strained.

She seemed fairly drunk, her face flushed red up to her ears.

"I've already received enough. I can't possibly take any more."

"No, no, our Ashbord family motto is 'Return every kindness you receive.' How could thanking you for saving my life possibly end with just a meal?"

"I mean, even if you say that..."

Even as I spoke, I was being dragged forcefully, clearly being led somewhere.

For a fleeting moment, she briefly thought of lulling him into a false sense of security by feeding him, then suddenly pushing him toward some bureaucratic place—yet she found herself thinking that if she was going to be fooled by her, then being fooled was fine after all.

The place she was taken to was unexpected.