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The sun was going down when they finally left the tower.
They walked straight to the Adventurer's Guild.
They found Eina at the exchange counter.
"Welcome back,"
Eina smiled.
"How was the dive today?"
"It was amazing,"
Bell grinned. He looked at the small girl next to him.
"Go ahead, Lili."
Lili stepped forward. She opened her backpack and tipped it over the wooden desk.
A huge pile of purple magic stones poured out. The pile just kept growing.
Eina pushed her glasses up. She looked very surprised.
"This is a massive amount,"
Eina said.
"Did you go down to the lower floors?"
"No,"
Bell answered proudly.
"We stayed on the upper floors. But Lili knows all the best spots. She guided us to secret rooms full of monsters."
Lili looked down at her boots, hiding her red face.
No one had ever praised her work before.
"She is the best supporter in the city!"
Dee cheered, hugging Lili from behind.
Eina quickly counted the stones.
She handed Bell a very heavy pouch of coins.
They walked over to a quiet table in the corner of the room.
Bell opened the pouch. He carefully divided the coins into four equal piles.
He slid one pile over to Lili.
Lili stared at the shining silver and gold coins.
Her hands stayed frozen in her lap.
"Is something wrong?"
Elias asked.
"This is too much,"
Lili whispered.
"A normal supporter only gets a few hundred valis."
"We made a promise,"
Bell said seriously.
"We share everything equally."
"But I didn't fight,"
Lili argued.
"I just picked up rocks. I did not earn this."
Elias sat down across from her. He looked right into her eyes.
"Information is just as important as a weapon,"
Elias explained.
"Without your directions, we would have wandered around empty tunnels all day. Your knowledge made us rich. You earned every single valis, Lili."
Lili slowly reached out. She touched the coins. They were real.
For years, she risked her life in the dark caves.
She was always beaten, and her money was always taken away by the Soma Familia.
Now, she was sitting in the bright Guild hall.
She had real money in her hands.
She had people who actually respected her.
Lili scooped the coins into her small pouch.
She looked up at her new family.
"Thank you,"
Lili said, her voice shaking just a little bit.
"I will find even better paths tomorrow. I promise!"
"We know you will,"
Elias smiled.
"Now, let's go home and show Hestia. I think we have enough money to buy a really big dinner tonight."
They walked out of the Guild and down the busy street.
The sky was dark, but the city was brightly lit.
They walked straight to the Hostess of Fertility.
The pub was already loud and full of people.
As soon as they walked inside, a girl with light gray hair rushed over.
She wore a green uniform and held a wooden tray.
It was Syr.
"Bell!"
Syr called out.
She leaned close to him, smiling playfully.
"You came back! Did you miss me?"
Bell's face turned completely red.
He waved his hands nervously.
"H-Hello, Syr,"
Bell stuttered.
"We came to eat. We had a really good day in the dungeon."
Syr laughed softly.
Then she tilted her head.
She looked past Bell and noticed the small girl holding onto Dee's hand.
"Oh?"
Syr asked.
"Who is your new friend?"
Lili stepped forward slowly.
She was still not used to crowded places.
"I am Liliruca Arde,"
Lili said quietly.
"I am their supporter."
Syr stopped smiling playfully.
Her gray eyes studied the group.
Syr was very observant.
She saw Lili's torn boots. She saw the way Bell stood close to protect her.
She saw Elias watching over all of them.
"A supporter,"
Syr repeated. Her voice turned very gentle.
"You look very tired, Lili. Carrying heavy bags is hard work."
Syr reached out and handed Lili a warm, wet towel from her tray.
"Clean your hands and sit down,"
Syr told her kindly.
"Tonight, you get to eat as much as you want. I will even bring you a special dessert. It will be free."
Lili blinked in surprise. She took the towel.
"For free?"
Lili asked.
"Why?"
"Because you look like you need a good meal,"
Syr winked.
"And because you have very good friends."
Syr turned back to Elias and Bell.
"Go sit at the big table in the back,"
Syr said cheerfully.
"I will tell Mama Mia to cook a giant feast."
"Thank you, Syr,"
Elias nodded.
Syr spun around and walked back toward the kitchen, humming a happy tune.
She looked over her shoulder one last time.
She watched Bell pull out a chair for Lili.
She watched Dee hand Lili a cup of water.
Syr knew exactly what kind of people they were.
They did not just fight monsters in the dark.
They found lonely people and gave them a home.
She smiled to herself.
She really liked seeing Bell grow into a true hero.
Ryu stood near the wooden bar.
She wiped a cup with a cloth.
Her eyes never left the table in the back.
Ryu was an elf. She was a waitress now, but she used to be a very strong fighter.
She knew how to read people.
Bell was just a normal boy. Lili was a tired child.
But Elias and Dee were completely different.
Ryu put the cup down. She picked up a tray of drinks and walked over to their table.
She set the drinks down one by one.
"Thank you, Ryu-san,"
Bell said.
Ryu nodded at him. Then she turned her head and looked right at Elias.
"You walk very quietly,"
Ryu said. Her voice was flat.
"You don't make a sound when you step."
Elias looked up from his drink. He smiled.
"It is a habit,"
Elias answered.
"Beginners do not have habits like that,"
Ryu said.
"I watched you yesterday. I watched you today. You hold your body like a master. You are always ready to fight."
Elias did not deny it. He just took a sip of his water.
"I have lived a very long time,"
Elias told her.
"You learn how to stand properly."
Ryu narrowed her eyes. She shifted her gaze to Dee.
Dee was happily eating a piece of bread.
"And you,"
Ryu said to the pale girl.
"You do not feel like a warrior. But when you walked in, the air felt cold. It felt like winter."
Dee stopped chewing.
She swallowed her food and gave Ryu a wide smile.
"I just have a cold presence!"
Dee laughed.
"But I have a very warm heart. I promise."
Ryu stared at them.
She tried to find a lie. She tried to find danger.
She found nothing.