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The two small adventurers walked side-by-side throughout the night streets of Orario, being done with the dungeon for the day.

Bell started to trail off behind. He thought back on what happened back in that alley and how the petite girl had killed a man without hesitation. Even if that man was bad, she shouldn't have resorted to killing him.

And then she confessed with no regret that she murdered many more individuals before that man…

'Why?' Bell repeated many times in his head.

Why would someone of around the same age as himself ever had to kill before? Sure, he himself killed small animals back in his old town and now monsters in the dungeon, but that is entirely different from killing another intelligent being. What kind of experience had she suffered to the point where she laughs in the face of death.

She has definitely gone insane, but how?

What kind of hardship did she suffer through to become like this?

And moreover, who gave her the falna?

From everything he saw, the silver-haired girl was most definitely beyond level one which means her god must've kept on updating her falna. If this god cared so much about her, then why did he let her go through hell?

Perhaps she was kidnapped and couldn't find her god anymore...

She may have been tortured and raped endlessly but would that really make her enjoy killing? Maybe she broke out of her constraints and killed the men who did this to her. She might've enjoyed making them suffer the same things as she did…

Bell shook his head. 'I'm going too far now. All of this is mere speculations.'

Going back to the main point, his party leader was broken, for some reason which he barely knew about, and she had no one to rely on. While he wanted to help her by landing his shoulder. For this girl he fell in love with, he would hear her cry and listen to her problems. However, the girl clearly showed no intention of sharing her feelings with him or anyone else for that matter.

That brings him to yet another unanswered question; what was her god doing right now? How could he not be with her, especially since she must be at least level 3. Most gods would treasure an adventurer of that caliber like the most precious gem in the world.

Bell clenched his fists angrily. 'It better not be because her god doesn't care.'

If it was that she liked him and he chose to move away, leaving her as depressed as she is, then Bell really hated that god. Her god was obviously someone important to her. It may be, as he hypothesized earlier, that the god do care but was separated from her. Her god may very well be searching for her right now.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

With their connections to falna, a god or goddess knows if a child is alive or not and how well they are doing. Well, that is only physically. Her god would not be able to know how mentally ill she currently is.

Bell wondered if she could accept his help. He would like to befriend her despite her many attempts to further that bound by giving herself titles above Bell, such as 'captain' or 'miss'.

He wanted to help because it was painful to see her like this.

He wanted her to smile; a true, genuine smile and have it directed towards him. For him, but more importantly; because of him.

He wants to be the one that helps her regain her joy and be the source of her lit eyes and warm lips curving into the beautiful smile that she lost. He wants her to feel the warmth she has given him.

Bell was afraid that she would fall even further down. That he'd have to watch it happen. It hurt to think that there was no way for him to help if she did.

A short moment after that, Shalltear, realizing that the boy wasn't walking by her side her anymore, turned around to look at him in annoyance. "What is it~?"

Bell started fidgeting timidly. "Miss Fiora… Is there something bothering you? Y-You k-know… I can help you if that's the case."

Shalltear's eyes widened in surprise for no more than a seconds before going back to her usual stoic nature. "Where did that question come from~?"

"Well, I mean, you're very quiet and disconnected from other people…" He looked up to look at his captain to make sure that she was listening to him before continuing. "And I thought there was something troubling you, that's all." He replied truthfully, in the hopes of making her more open to this conversation.

"…" No response was given from his captain as she stared at him blankly.

'Doesn't seem to work… I'll have to try a different approach.' Bell noted in his head.

"Miss Fiora… I've been thinking about this, but don't you ever take a break to eat lunch in the dungeon?" Bell asked her in concern. Perhaps the thing her troubled her made her lose appetite, but he still had to know.

"Nah~. I can take care of myself either way~." Shalltear answered bluntly.

It took a moment for these words to sink in Bell's head. "B-But eating is important! Negligence on your diet could lead you to feel very bad."

Shalltear pondered over it for a moment before answering; "Hmm~. I suppose you're right~."

"T-Then how about we go eat at the Hostess of Fertility?" Bell proposed without looking down. It took a lot of strength for him to say that while staring straight at her stunning face, but he knew that this would be a great opportunity for the two of them to get to know each other better. He would make it his goal to make her attracted by him and then find out what's troubling her. Well, let's say that his goal must first be to get stronger. If he can't protect her when she needs it, then she would never fall in love with him.

Tonight, his goddess would be away to a party with the other gods, so he would have had to dine out either way. This was a perfect moment to spend a good time with her.

'The Hostess of fertility?' Shalltear repeated in her mind. 'Sounds like the name one would give to a brothel… By eat, does he mean pussy?'

At those thoughts the vampire's lips curled upwards into a gentle smile. She realized that she did share some points in common with the white-haired hero brat. "Sure, I'll gladly come~!"

"Ah, I'm glad to hear that." Bell replied, happy that his invite had worked so well. While Bell could not claim to know what terrific experience she went through, he knew that it took her a lot of strength to accept. He was glad that the girl would make the effort of spending time with him outside of training and dungeon diving.

'This is good.' He thought to himself. It seems that the silver-haired girl was able to make the effort of spending some of her free time with Bell which was exactly what he needed for the two of them to get closer together.

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