"Ryuu-san, I also hope you can stay, at least until your wounds heal..." Shirou looked at Ryuu and spoke seriously.
'No, STOP!' Ryuu's heart was in turmoil, 'I have no reason to live anymore. Don't look at me like that. Don't make me remember the faces of my fallen comrades. Don't disturb my heart—'
"I-I have..."
Unconsciously, her words turned into a cry somewhere between a roar and a wail.
"I-I have nothing left, no comrades or a place to return to... I, who committed such foolish acts, should have died long ago. I have no reason to live anymore."
Just as Ryuu was shouting this—
A "gurgle" sound suddenly rang out.
This adorable sound came from Ryuu's stomach.
"..."
Ryuu froze. Syr stared in shock. Mama Mia looked dumbfounded. Anya burst into laughter.
"Your words sound tough, but your body is honest, Nya~"
Under the cat girl's blunt commentary, the proud elf's face quickly turned bright red.
"Gale, Your body still wants to live, it seems." Mama Mia couldn't help but laugh.
"Guh..."
'How utterly humiliating!' Ryuu felt like she might die from sheer embarrassment. No, even if she had wanted to die, she didn't want it to be such a ridiculous death... At the very least, let it be in a fight against ten villains...
Ryuu was already exhausted and severely injured, having been unconscious for three days. Naturally, her body craved nourishment.
The boy before her seemed to be holding back a smile. While Syr couldn't help but chuckle, Shirou managed to keep a straight face. Meanwhile, Ryuu's pointed ears had turned completely red.
At this moment, Syr had an idea. She winked at Mama Mia.
Mama Mia was slightly surprised but soon smiled in response.
"Honestly, letting a starving ghost die would ruin my reputation. Come on, I'll make you something to eat."
"W-Wait, I didn't say I wanted to eat—"
However, Ryuu's refusal was cut short as Mama Mia grabbed her head.
"You stubborn, foolish elf, stop spouting nonsense and insulting my intelligence. Be a good girl and listen."
"Ugh..."
The enormous hand pressed down on Ryuu's head like a mountain, the force carefully measured to be just within safe limits.
Unable to resist in terms of strength, unable to react in time, and unable to dodge... Facing the dwarf's one-handed suppression, Ryuu's back was already drenched in cold sweat.
She immediately understood that there was an insurmountable gap between her strength and Mama Mia's.
At this moment, Shirou suddenly spoke up,"Mama Mia, let me handle cooking for Ryuu-san."
"Oh?" The dwarf owner raised an eyebrow.
"I want to repay Ryuu-san's kindness. Besides, I'm quite confident in my cooking skills"
After some time Shirou started cooking while Syr helped Ryuu to wash up.
Ryuu realized that she might have been brought to a rather extraordinary place.
Reluctantly following Syr, she arrived at the first-floor dining room. The not-so-spacious space was very quiet, with only Ryuu and her companions present.
The boy's wish had been granted by Mama Mia, and he was now busy in the kitchen. After a while, he and Mama Mia brought over steaming plates of food.
"Let's all try it together, and thank you all for your care during this time."
"It's meat, Anya's favorite meat~"
This was a dish with various spices, stewed chicken, scrambled tender eggs, and assorted vegetables—a chicken and egg rice bowl (oyakodon).
One of the most common homemade dishes Emiya made in his previous life, second only to curry rice.
"This kid's skills..." Mama Mia, who had watched Emiya cook in the kitchen, looked shocked, then turned to the dazed Ryuu, "Hurry up and eat, are you waiting for the food to get cold?"
Realizing she had no room for resistance, Ryuu resignedly picked up a spoon. Since Emiya had made a lot, Anya, Syr, and the others also got a share. The cat-girl was the most eager.
"Wow, it's delicious, even better than Mama Mia's cooking."
Ryuu heard the sound of a fist tightening. She scooped up a spoonful of the rice bowl and brought it to her small cherry-like mouth.
First, the umami of the chicken broth and the tenderness of the eggs spread in her mouth, while the fragrant rice melted along with it, and the sweetness of the vegetables flowed on her tongue.
Unlike the rough dwarven cuisine, where everything is stewed together with heavy oil and salt, suitable for laborers or adventurers after a tiring day, and unlike the overly refined and bland elven cuisine, this dish was delicate and gentle, considering both taste and nutrition.
It was like a homemade dish a mother would make.
"This dish can bring warmth, it's very delicious." Although she was a very stubborn elf, she would still tell the truth when it came to food.
Mama Mia laughed, speaking slowly.
"This is a dish filled with heart, whether it's gratitude or longing, it's the boy's feelings for you." she said. "Being able to enjoy such a delicious and heartfelt dish is enough reason to keep living, right?"
Ryuu fell silent, suddenly realizing what she meant to this boy.
Although Ryuu believed she had disgraced justice and had no face or right to talk about justice or saving others, Emiya's existence still told her that she could still do something right.
At least, she had saved a child.
So, what should she do next to be correct...
Ryuu silently picked up her spoon again, eating the dish, spoonful after spoonful. Although the elf's mouth was small, her movements were quick, and in no time, the entire plate was empty.
"Hehe, it's all gone."
"Thank you for the meal, I'm truly grateful."
Ryuu's mood was very complicated. She looked at Shirou, unconsciously thinking: Did she have the right, like Alise, to become someone's savior and guide...
"Well—you've finished eating."
The flow changed.
The atmosphere suddenly became oppressive, and Ryuu immediately became alert.
"What are you talking about—"
"Just like it's natural to repay debts and pay for lives, since you've eaten at the tavern, it's only natural to pay, right?"
Ryuu's expression stiffened, while Mama Mia's lips curled up.
"Thank you for your patronage, 50 million valis."
Shirou: "Huh?"
"Th-this is outrageous!"
The elf girl slammed the table and stood up, "This price is completely fraudulent."
"It's a normal price, because the dish contains very precious ingredients, like, uh... dragon meat, phoenix eggs, the fruit of the elven divine tree... 50 million valis isn't expensive at all?"
"...No, it's just ordinary chicken, eggs, and potatoes." Shirou tried to reason, of course, under Mama Mia's threatening gaze, he didn't speak up again.
"Well, looking at you, you probably can't pay, so there's no other way, you'll have to work here to pay off your debt."
"Huh?" Ryuu was momentarily too shocked to speak.
"Th-this is too unreasonable, no, it's outright fraud, completely lying and twisting logic."
If it were before, Ryuu would have already thrown a punch, but now she couldn't, because the other party was much stronger than her. Thus, the elf girl fell into unprecedented panic, her ears trembling with anger.
"This is the labyrinth city, whether it's the dungeon or the surface, who knows what you'll encounter."
The dwarf boss's imposing aura surged like a tidal wave, making Ryuu unable to face her directly.
She hurriedly looked at the others.
Syr: "In this shop, Mama Mia's words must be obeyed... sob~"
The girl covered her face with her hands, crying fakely, this sly girl.
Shirou: "Miss Ryuu, I was also taken in to work..."
Anya: "Anya is asleep, Anya knows nothing."
"As Syr said, I represent the law here. If I say it's white, even if it's black, everyone must treat it as white." Mama Mia showed a villainous smile.
In fact, everyone else present understood that this series of farces was because Syr and the others knew that the current Ryuu, who was stuck in a rut, would definitely get into trouble if left alone, most likely dying outside. This time, she was already on the brink of death.
To make the stubborn Ryuu cheer up, at least to make her survive no matter what, Syr and Mama Mia did this.
And Ryuu, of course, couldn't figure this out.
"You set me up!"
"It's decided then." Mama Mia made the final judgment.
And so, Ryuu was forced to become a waitress at the tavern "Hostess of Fertility."
——
"Thank you, Mama Mia."
Syr and Anya took Ryuu to try on the waitress uniforms, leaving only Shirou and Mama Mia in the dining room.
"We were already short-handed, this was just convenient." Mama Mia snorted,"For a stubborn race like elves, the tougher the attitude, the better."
"Besides, she is worth saving." The dwarf woman's tone carried a hint of reminiscence.
Clearly, Mama Mia knew Ryuu, and for her, keeping Ryuu, a "top wanted criminal," was not a big deal.
"What about you kid, want to be the tavern's head chef? My employees are only female, but with your skills, I can make an exception." Mama Mia's lips curled, "Surrounded by beautiful colleagues, are you tempted?"
Shirou remained unmoved, whether in expression, tone, or gaze, he was resolute.
"I want to become an adventurer."
Mama Mia turned around, her strong arms crossed, "Reason?"
"Why do you want to become an adventurer? 'Adventure' isn't something you can just talk about." The dwarf woman's voice was calm.
"Is it for money, fame, wanting to be a hero, or simply pursuing power?"
The boy took a deep breath and said softly, "I don't want to feel the helplessness of not being able to protect those important to me again. So I want to become stronger, stronger than anybody else. While in the process if I get money and become a hero of Justice that's a bonus but it's not my goal, not anymore."
Mama Mia was not surprised at all but in his tone she felt Longing, Sadness, Regret like various emotions.
"Alright, a decent reason. Which familia do you plan to join?"
Familia, centered around a deity, is an organization composed of "children" who have received the deity's blessing, which is also known as Falna. The labyrinth city is made up of various familias, and people engage in adventures, production, and commerce as part of these familias.