Is It Wrong To Level Up In A Dungeon?

Chapter 23. Saving Hestia

Bell exhaled, his heart still racing from the near disaster. "Thanks, Igris," he murmured.

The shadowy figure gave a subtle nod before sinking back into the darkness beneath Bell's feet, vanishing without a trace. With the adrenaline fading, Bell decided to clear his head with a quiet stroll through the forest. The damp earth crunched softly beneath his boots as he wandered past towering crystal formations and dense greenery, the cool air easing the lingering tension in his body.

His aimless steps eventually brought him near a secluded spring—where Ryuu was bathing.

Sensing the faintest disturbance, the elf reacted instantly.

A sharp whistle cut through the air.

Bell dodged the rock that propelled with absurd force, zipping past his head and embedded itself deep into the tree beside him. A perfectly round hole, smoldering at the edges, marked the impact point.

Bell stiffened, hands raised in surrender. "I-It's not what you think! I swear I wasn't—!"

Silence. Then, Ryuu sighed.

After a moment, she emerged, now dressed, her usual cool expression softened by amusement. "You're forgiven... this time."

Bell followed as she led him to a quiet clearing. A cluster of swords, some rusted, others barely weathered, stood in solemn rows, half-buried in the earth. Ryuu knelt, placing delicate white flowers at the base of each blade.

"This is their resting place," she said quietly. "The companions I lost."

Bell remained silent, sensing the weight of her words.

"They were slaughtered," Ryuu continued, her voice even, yet filled with something unshakable. "Betrayed in a trap set by a rival Familia. I... didn't make it in time. When I did, all that remained was blood and silence."

Her fingers tightened around the last bouquet.

"So, I avenged them." Her voice dipped, edged with something raw. "I wiped out the Familia responsible."

The admission carried no pride, only finality. Bell felt the shift in the air—the quiet resentment, the lingering pain.

"For that," Ryuu went on, "the Guild blacklisted me. I had nothing. No home. No purpose. If Syr hadn't found me that night, I would've..." She trailed off, shaking her head.

Bell could picture it—Ryuu, broken, wandering aimlessly through the rain.

She straightened, her hands clenched into fists. "I became a violent elf consumed by vengeance."

Bell frowned. "You're being too hard on yourself."

Ryuu blinked, caught off guard by his response.

"I know what it's like to think you're not enough," Bell admitted, his voice softer. "To doubt yourself. But you're wrong, Ryuu. You fought for the people you loved. That doesn't make you a monster."

A strange silence stretched between them before Ryuu suddenly reached out, grasping Bell's hand. Her emerald eyes, always so distant, met his with quiet intensity.

"You're a good man, Bell Cranel," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "One worthy of respect."

The next morning, Bell met Ais near the camp.

"The expedition ends tomorrow," she informed him, her golden gaze unreadable. "We'll be heading back to the surface."

Bell nodded, mentally preparing himself for the return trip. Just as he was about to reply, something felt... off.