"Mmm, yes, Hikaru. Try this too—it's delicious, isn't it? Open up, here you go."

"Clo, Clo. This one's pretty amazing too. Sharing, here you go, come on, come on."

Right now, I'm seated at the dining table, being fed by two women.

It's been a week since Refray started living with me. Before I knew it, I'd become the one being fed every day by these two, who insisted on feeding me at every meal.

But for me, who grew up with two selfish sisters, this kind of thing is just normal routine.

The rule here is simple: act like a docile eating machine.

Empty your mind.

"Mmm, tasty."

"Yay! I bought this myself."

"Mine should taste good too. A gourmet Frenchman never lies."

"Mmm, tasty."

Be indifferent.

Become indifferent.

Don't think about how billions of people on Earth are watching this embarrassing moment.

If you start thinking about it, you're done for.

But you can't escape either. There's nowhere to run.

Besides, they're doing it out of goodwill.

...No, more likely they're just having fun... but regardless, there's no malice. That much is certain.

So, quietly accept it. That's my way of handling things.

◇◆◆◆◇

The next day after Reflair and Jeanne's duel incident.

Reflair came home early in the morning, together with her mother.

She was carrying as many belongings as she had when she returned home a few days prior, or even more—perhaps left behind at the inn.

"Then, Hikaru. Please take good care of your daughter. Refrea, be sure to do your best."

"Yes! I swear by the pride of the Ashbald family!"

"A fine response. Since Flora is here to handle household matters, consider your own home as nonexistent."

"I understand. Please take care, Mother."

"No, no, no, just a moment?"

Mother and daughter beginning what appears to be their final farewell at the doorway. If left alone, the conversation would surely continue without pause. I’ve spent a night reflecting and regained some composure, but I still don’t fully grasp everything.

"You see, Refrea will be staying at the household as a party member, so she’ll have scheduled breaks and the freedom to return home whenever she wishes."

"No, Hikaru. Breaking through the labyrinth requires a resolute determination—not half-hearted resolve. Thinking you have somewhere to return to only puts you in greater danger. I, too, once challenged Meltya in my youth, but beyond the fourth layer, it's truly a realm of demons... Refreia must possess unwavering resolve. As a frontline warrior entrusted with the lives of comrades, that much more so."

"I... I see..."

There's also a sense of ascetic discipline in this... but it's undeniably valid.

In battles fought on the razor's edge, mental strength can be the difference between victory and defeat.

But wait—was Refreia's mother also an explorer? I knew her family had been Holy Knights for generations, but perhaps there's more to it than I thought.

"I've made sure to thoroughly remind Hikaru-san not to cause you any trouble, so please keep her here for now."

"I don't mind at all... I understand."

　

I don't want to get into some awkward back-and-forth here.

In any case, having come this far, there's no way I can choose to split from Reflea and the party.

I have mixed feelings, but... I'll just swallow them for now. At least she's resolved all her own issues before making this choice.

Besides, it was Jeanne who invited Reflea, and I promised Jeanne that I'd clear the maze with her, so I don't have the right to refuse.

"Then I'll be on my way back. Flora is still recovering from her illness, after all."

"Yes. Please tell her to get well soon. My sister won't return until she's conquered Meltya."

"I'll definitely accomplish it,"

In the end, it felt like a farewell for this lifetime, and Refleia's mother vanished into the crowd. She was quite an intense person...

"See you again, take care, Hikaru,"

"Ah, yeah,"

"……Hikaru... you've been looking strange ever since yesterday... aren't you happy? Was it a bother having me come back?"

Refleia said with a timid, upward glance, her confidence wavering.

Her mixed emotions were clearly showing.

Even she was actually nervous deep down. She might come off as forceful and energetic, but that just leads to misunderstandings. Just because someone shines like light doesn't mean they're free from shadows.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel that way. I just... to be honest... I was mostly shocked. I truly thought I'd never see you again."

"Wait... isn't that harsh? I did say I'd come back, didn't I?"

"I know, but I figured becoming a Saint's Knight meant working over there. So you're worrying about me, huh? I already heard about your sister too."

"Mm... I guess that's true. I did think it'd be hard to come back to you after going home, you know?"

"Exactly. But... that's why... I'm happy."

I was surprised, but the fact remains—I truly am happy right now.

Even though I don't want her to see me, deep down I really do want her by my side.

I'm drawn to her.

It's not some fleeting feeling that disappears just because we're apart.

"I'm so happy... I'm happy to be able to be with Hikaru again. There are some weird parts to this situation, but as long as I can be with Hikaru again, I don't mind anything."

"But my side of things hasn't changed at all. Please understand that much."

"Yeah. I heard from Jeanne yesterday. You're just entering the party as a vanguard, so Hikaru doesn't need to worry too much for now. Jeanne herself was told that romance is forbidden here too."

Romance forbidden.

Typical of Jeanne's strict rules. She probably considered my situation as well.

Just like Reifrea's mother said, if you're going to explore a labyrinth... especially if you're aiming to reach the deepest level—you probably need that kind of resolve.

Honestly, I was shocked, though—she showed up right back, and there she was, with some cute girl I didn’t recognize. So, what’s the deal with you two anyway?

"You heard that Jeanne’s from the same hometown as me, right? A little while ago, she came to visit me, and gave me the prize from the viewership race I’d been after. In return, I agreed to help her explore the labyrinth. …Of course, there’s also a personal reason—I’m doing it to help my own life, too."

"…So that’s how it is. The thing you were after… was the gem that brings the dead back to life, right? So does that mean the childhood friend of Hikaru, whom you mentioned before, came back to life too?"

"That’s right. So I truly feel I can never repay Jeanne enough. I know it might look strange from Reflair’s perspective, but I hope you can understand."

"Well, I understand. Hikaru is serious, after all. Let's forgive her, let's forgive her. Madame Jeanne doesn't seem like a bad person either."

The conversation with Refrea, speaking like that, felt strangely like it had been ages since we last talked.

In reality, it hadn't even been a month, but every day since arriving in this world has been so intense.

"By the way, where's Jeanne?"

"She's still sleeping."

"Eh, really? It's already 8 o'clock!"

"She's just not a morning person."

Jeanne still hasn't shaken off her old-world habits—she's not waking up even though it's morning.

In this world, where activity begins with sunrise by default, she's definitely a heavy sleeper.

Incidentally, I make it a point to wake up at five.

"Hikaru, take this."

Refrea rummaged through the luggage and pulled out something, handing it to me.

It's a small leather pouch. Heavy, with a solid weight.

"What's this...? Money?"

"Yes. It's a dowry. I was told to hand it over later."

"What, a dowry...?"

Just a glimpse inside reveals several gold coins at least.

"I can't accept something like this. I mean, why?"

"Please accept it. The flower actually didn't just cure Flora's illness—it can heal several more people, and they asked me to pass it on. So I gave it up, thinking if it helps others, Hikaru might forgive me. This is payment for it, so it's Hikaru's by right. Originally."

"Is that so... But still..."

Even if it was sold, that flower was given freely.

I couldn't possibly accept money for it.

On the other hand, if I refused outright, they wouldn't understand. I could easily imagine that.

"Then, let's use that money to buy furniture for Reflair's room. We'll need to upgrade our gear too, won't we?"

"Are you sure? Then it's basically the same as if I were using it myself..."

"Buying gear for party members is like buying for yourself. Besides, just think of it as putting it in the party's shared wallet and using it that way."

She probably received it with that intention from her mother.

Explorers spend money. Gear, potions for medical needs, spirit tools, and even magical devices—there's never enough money for all of it.

And for parties aiming higher, there's even talk of buying something someone else sold: a 'Gift from a Divine Beast.'

The gift from the divine beast must be transferred only after being opened outside the labyrinth—transferring it while still in the state of a treasure orb is strictly forbidden.

Though the gift from the divine beast is a unique item for whoever possesses it, if the size fits and it can be equipped, it's quite powerful.

Even my own 'Gloves of Dark Night' have endured several attacks from monsters, yet they're only slightly scratched, with almost no deterioration. I suspect I'll be using them for my entire life.

"If Hikaru likes it, then... that's fine. Thank you."

Refreia gently rests her head against my chest.

A soft, pleasant scent wafts up, making me want to embrace her.

"Hey! No romance allowed!"

Startled by the sudden voice, Refreia quickly pulls away.

Looking back, Jeanne was pointing straight at me, still in her nightgown.

I was startled. My heart felt like it was about to jump out...

"Hehe, just kidding. That's nothing to worry about. Good morning, Reflia, welcome!"

"Ah, yes! Reflia Ashbord! I'll be counting on you from now on!"

"We're just beginners at the Bronze rank. It's us who should be counting on you. Please take care of us."

She laughed lightly and walked toward the bathroom.

"Ah, right."

She stopped mid-step and said,

"Reflia. That's kind of long to say. Don't you have a nickname or something?"

"A nickname... When I was little, I was called Leiya."

"Oh, that's nice. Then from now on, I'll call you Leiya."

She just said that and walked off to wash her face.

　

"……Is my name too long?"

"No, probably not. Maybe it's just easier to call you something short during battle, or something like that. I call you 'Clo' too."

"I see… So you're some kind of battle expert, were you? From the other world?"

"I don't know the details. But I think the combat simulations were flawless."

Back there, there were endless games about fighting.

After that, there was a minor dispute over the room assignments for Refreia, but it was settled, and the day ended with signing up for a guild party, buying furniture, and picking up daily necessities.

Starting tomorrow, we'll be diving into the dungeon with this new party.