"Hestia Familia?"
Upon hearing Bell's introduction, Finn couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.
He knew very well that Loki and the goddess Hestia were old rivals.
Some time ago, when he heard that Hestia would be attending the Gods' Assembly, Loki had even picked out a specific dress just to provoke her.
And sure enough, after being teased back, Loki had spent several days drinking alone at home.
The two had been at odds for a long time.
"Excuse me, but… why am I in Loki Familia?"
"Do you remember what you were doing before this?"
"What? I remember acquiring magic and casting it nonstop in the dungeon, and then…"
"Then you fainted, and we rescued you," interrupted Tiona, who had been watching the whole scene with a smile.
"After getting magic, you were so excited that you rushed into the dungeon and kept casting it until you passed out. That's just so cute!"
Hearing Tiona's laughter, Bell's cheeks flushed red.
A wave of embarrassment washed over him.
This was mortifying!
At that moment, Bell wanted nothing more than to find a hole in the ground to crawl into, just to escape this humiliating world.
"Don't panic." Finn patted Bell on the shoulder with a smile. "It was Ais who brought you back."
"Ais? You mean… the Sword Princess, Ais Wallenstein?"
Bell, who had only been a little embarrassed before, now felt utterly terrified when he heard Ais' name. He looked around, desperately searching for a way out.
"Yes, the Sword Princess herself. But she's probably in our goddess' quarters right now, renewing her falna. She'll be back soon."
The moment Finn spoke those words, Bell's urge to escape grew even stronger.
But then, a heavy hand pressed down on his shoulder.
"Don't even think about running. Ais would be sad if you did."
Turning around, Bell saw a red-haired boy standing behind him, staring straight at him.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Shirou Emiya, and I'm Ais' older brother."
"Miss Ais'… brother?"
"That's right. And she wants to apologize to you."
"Apologize? Why would Miss Ais need to apologize to me?"
"She feels she owes you for what our companion said at the tavern that day. She believes you got dragged into trouble because of her."
"No, that had nothing to do with Miss Ais, and I don't mind." Bell answered Shirou earnestly.
He had never thought of blaming others. On the contrary, thanks to Bete's harsh words, he had recognized his own weakness.
"Not bad, kid. I like what you just said." Shirou patted Bell on the shoulder again with a smile. "If you ever urgently need something, or there's anything else you want, come find me. I promised Ais I'd make it up to you on her behalf."
"No, no, no! Mr. Emiya, you don't have to compensate me, and I don't want anything."
"You really don't want anything?" Ignoring Bell's refusal, Shirou studied him closely.
Weapons are out of the question. He has the Hestia Knife—he doesn't need anything else.
But when it comes to armor, first-rate equipment is far too flashy and could easily be stolen. If the Hestia Knife didn't have the ability to recognize its owner, it would've been gone long ago.
"You're a member of the Hestia Familia, right?" Shirou asked.
"Yes!" Bell nodded firmly.
He was proud of his Familia and had nothing to hide.
"Then you probably don't have any veterans around. Which means no one is teaching you how to fight."
Bell nodded again after hearing Shirou's words.
The truth was, he had been relying solely on his own combat experience, with no one to guide him.
"In that case, I'll teach you how to fight—and the rules of survival in the dungeon," Shirou said plainly.
"Eh!? You'd really do that?" Bell's eyes widened. Though he hadn't wanted to accept compensation from Ais or Shirou, what Shirou was offering was exactly what he needed most.
Without guidance, it was only a matter of time before he made a fatal mistake in the dungeon.
He had already realized that much.
So he couldn't refuse the offer.
After all, nothing was more important than staying alive.
In short, Shirou was offering far too much.
"Of course."
Looking at the flustered Bell, Shirou understood his dilemma.
He had just insisted he didn't need compensation, and now he was on the verge of asking for it. No wonder he was feeling restless.
Shirou patted Bell's shoulder once more and said seriously:
"Bell, remember this. Your first priority in the dungeon is always survival.
"No matter how difficult or humiliating the path may be, only those who survive have a future.
"That is your greatest duty as an adventurer. Do you understand?"
Hearing Shirou's words, Bell suddenly recalled something similar Mia had once told him.
"I understand, Mr. Emiya."
"Good!"
"I'm going to cook up a lot of delicious food today. Eat before you head out."
Not giving Bell the chance to refuse, Shirou headed straight for the kitchen.
After all, his dishes weren't ready yet.
After some diligent work, a feast was prepared.
When Shirou set the food down in the dining hall, he noticed that nearly everyone had gathered.
Besides the seven-person team that had gone into the dungeon with him, Loki and Bell were also there.
Shirou quickly realized that Loki, seated near Finn, was keeping a wary eye on Bell as well.
Having learned from Riveria about Ais' connection with Bell, Loki was now extremely cautious.
She absolutely didn't want her beloved Ais to be stolen away—especially not by someone from the Hestia Familia!
She would much rather see Ais taken by Shirou than by anyone from Hestia.
But she had no time for that today.
Once everyone was seated, Loki raised her voice:
"Today, Ais has officially reached Level 6, and of course, Shirou has also reached Level 4. Let's celebrate!"
"Yesss!"
Before Loki even finished speaking, the crowd, eager for the feast, rushed to grab the food—including Loki herself.
After all, this was Shirou's cooking!
Who else would get the chance to taste it?
For a moment, everyone at the table competed with each other in secret.
Shirou, well prepared, carried out a plate of freshly made Jagamarukun, prepared especially for Ais, and handed it to her personally.
Faced with her favorite treat, Ais began to eat with a catlike demeanor.
Watching her, Bell, who had been sneaking glances at her from the side, felt as though lightning had struck him.
He couldn't help but show a bitter smile.
As Lady Hestia had warned him—how could the Sword Princess, Ais Wallenstein, possibly be single?
Just look at their names.
Shirou Emiya.
Ais Wallenstein.
It was obvious their relationship was far from normal siblings.
Devastated, Bell could only lower his head and focus on eating, hiding his frustration.
Huh? How could this taste so good!?
What kind of delicacy is this?
Bell, who had never eaten such incredible food before, immediately forgot everything else and devoted himself entirely to the meal.
As expected, good food was something you simply couldn't resist.
(End of this chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."