May 18th, Tuesday.
7:11 AM.
“No way, seriously? You, Siloque? A dungeon task?”
Bried’s face was filled with nothing but disbelief and astonishment.
Since they were heading into the dungeon today, Siloque had prepared an especially generous lunch box.
After finishing their usual morning training together, the two of them were eating breakfast in a park gazebo.
“It’s not that big a deal. Just a normal dungeon task, going with my little sister. The mission is to deliver medicine to an injured girl on the first layer. It’s not particularly hard or dangerous. The only thing is that the herb she needs is pretty rare, so it’ll take longer to find.”
His sister had told the school homeroom teacher she was doing a dungeon task, and the teacher agreed right away.
After all, her Lv was genuinely high—the kind of level most ordinary people couldn’t keep up with.
“There’s a task like that on the first layer? I’ve never heard of it.”
“There really is. It’s probably just pretty obscure. The dungeon is huge—there’s all kinds of weird stuff in there.”
“Oh. Well, okay then.”
Bried returned to her usual blank, cool expression.
She picked up a piece of deep-fried pork cutlet drenched in sauce from the lunch box, took a bite, and the crispy outer layer made a satisfying crunch.
Paired with a mouthful of steaming white rice, she chewed thoroughly before swallowing with clear contentment.
“So… what’s up with your face, Siloque?”
Bried pointed at the faint reddish handprint on his cheek with her chopsticks.
“A man’s battle scar. Don’t ask too much.”
Yesterday, after helping Beiren relieve stress with a kiss…
He immediately got slapped hard by her.
Then he was promptly kicked out of the health room.
Siloque knew he had gone a bit too far and originally planned to just head straight home and let Beiren cool off.
Unexpectedly, Beiren soon changed clothes and came out of the health room again, asking him to walk her home.
She had swapped her skirt for her usual long pants.
When he offered to carry her clothes, Beiren—face flushed—hid them behind her back, bit her lower lip, and glared at him fiercely, her eyes seemingly glistening with tears.
They didn’t speak the whole way.
Even after he walked her to her door, she didn’t give him any kind look.
All Siloque could do was apologize repeatedly.
It wasn’t until evening that Beiren finally messaged him back.
Fine, I know I got a little carried away.
I shouldn’t have used the acupoint massage knowledge I read in a book to practice on Beiren.
But she looked so comfortable… my technique unconsciously became more careful and thorough.
If I had known, I would’ve touched her a few more times.
Still, it was only through her clothes—totally not satisfying enough.
(He learned absolutely nothing.)
Recalling the soft sensation he had briefly felt yesterday, Siloque’s left hand unconsciously mimicked a kneading motion.
“?”
Bried, still eating her lunch, looked at his grabbing-and-squeezing gesture in confusion.
“Training your hand muscles?”
“Ahem, no. Please ignore that.”
“By the way, Siloque, have you ever been to Moonlight Bridge Cafe?”
Siloque’s heart skipped a beat.
The crab stick and egg he had just picked up slipped and fell back into his rice.
After pretending to think for a moment with his head lowered:
“Nope.”
Exposed?
Had Kersey figured out who he was?
…No, wait.
If that were the case, Bried’s question wouldn’t be “Have you been to the cafe?” but rather “Are you the pervert who cross-dresses?”
“Moonlight Bridge Cafe, right? I think my mom mentioned it once before, but I never got the chance to go.”
Siloque calmly played dumb while observing Bried.
She was stroking her chin, deep in thought as she tried to recall.
“The clerk there named Rosie makes desserts with an aura really similar to yours, Siloque.”
Huh? What does that even mean?
What the heck is a dessert’s “aura”? Does it have Conqueror’s Haki or Armament Haki?
“Even though you’ve never made me a parfait, I feel like if you did, it would taste exactly like that.”
Bried stared straight at him with unwavering eyes.
Under that gaze so free of doubt, it felt like every sin would be laid bare.
“…”
Siloque felt extremely guilty.
“You sure rate her highly. Maybe she’s some veteran pastry chef or something.”
Bried narrowed her eyes slightly.
“I never said whether Rosie was a girl—how did you know she’s female?”
“I just assumed Rosie was a girl.”
…Honestly, the name “Rosie” itself is suspicious. It sounds like… someone casually reversed your name “Siloque” to make it.
Bried’s gaze sharpened.
Hey, hey, hey! Stop!
Since when did you awaken detective powers, Bried?!
Siloque still maintained a calm exterior as he picked up the crab stick and put it in his mouth: “Nah, it’s like Jack, Darren, Thomas, Lucy—nothing strange about it. Rosie is a pretty common name too.”
Bried lowered her gaze and thought for a moment—
“…Yeah, I guess so. Maybe I’m overthinking it. I mean, I’ve never actually eaten a parfait you made, so my judgment was too rash.”
She gave a wry smile and shook her head, then asked more gently:
“Siloque, do you know how to make parfaits?”
“Lately, yeah, I’ve been learning.”
“Really? Then when you have time… no—when you get back, could you make one for me? I’ll pay you.”
“Sure, no problem.”
Bried nodded in satisfaction and went back to focusing on her rice.
Phew, dodged it.
My childhood friend has ridiculously sharp taste buds.
Good thing I managed to bluff my way through.
I’ll just make her one with a completely different flavor later.
After that, the two ate quietly. Delicious food needs no words.
Bried ate slowly and with great concentration.
“I’m full.”
Bried set down her chopsticks.
The lunch box was completely clean—not a speck of sauce or grain of rice left.
She touched the lunch box lid, seemingly lost in thought.
Siloque looked at her in surprise.
She was staring blankly at him.
When their eyes met, she snapped back to reality, hurriedly took a small piece of meat floss bread from her ring chart, and placed it into his lunch box.
“Ah, um… about you going to the dungeon. It’ll be a long time before I can eat food you made again. Just thinking about it makes me feel really lonely.”
“Uh…”
Siloque let out a low, troubled groan.
Bried had said something so embarrassingly honest so naturally that he didn’t know how to respond.
“Be careful on the dungeon task. If you can’t win, just run. There’s no shame in that. I’d much rather see you come back looking pathetic but whole than missing limbs and calling it a triumphant return.”
Bried’s smile was like a cup of clear tea—light, elegant, and refreshing.
Yet after eating the greasy pork cutlet, her glossy lips made her look surprisingly alluring.
…Do all the people around the main character love planting death flags?
Siloque didn’t voice that mood-ruining complaint.
He accidentally stared a little too long.
He absolutely could not tell Cass about this.
His childhood friend really was a hopeless gluttonous beauty, but when she smiled… yeah, it was unfairly charming.
***
9:32 AM.
“Mmmph! Mmph—! Grrrmph!”
Dad Claude had his mouth blocked and was desperately trying to say something.
Siloque obviously didn’t have mind reading, so he couldn’t understand, but judging from his father’s bulging veins and ferocious expression, it was definitely one of the Seven Deadly Sins—Wrath.
“Anyway, remember to message us every day to let us know you’re safe, okay?”
Cohen smiled warmly while firmly pulling on the rope.
At her feet was their father Claude, tied up in a neat bundle with a ball gag in his mouth.
He had opposed it fiercely until the very last moment—mainly because Hill was going into the dungeon.
There was no cultivation-world-style “going out to train” excuse to just leave, but it wasn’t a big issue.
Phones in this world were powerful—even the dungeon had signal coverage.
“Yep, Mom, Dad on the floor—see you later! I’ll bring back souvenirs!”
Hill waved goodbye.
She was carrying a huge backpack.
Apparently it contained her NS, a brand-new PS5, various game discs, and so on.
The bag looked so puffed up not because of how many items were inside, but because it was stuffed with lots of impact-absorbing padding…
Little sister, we’re not going on vacation.
Don’t worry, Dad. I won’t let Hill get hurt.
Siloque silently swore to himself.
But just as the door was closing, leaving only a thin crack, he caught a glimpse of Dad’s face on the floor—looking oddly… pleased.
Suddenly he felt like he might have been overthinking things.
No wonder Hill was so calm.
She was probably avoiding becoming part of their couple’s little play.
Siloque and Hill took one last look at the strangely shaped door.
Hill even stepped forward and touched it.
For the next half month—or maybe longer—they wouldn’t be returning home.
During that time, they would be living in a dungeon where death could come at any moment.
Though Hill hadn’t said it outright, she must feel reluctant and scared too.
Siloque didn’t rush her.
He waited quietly while she gathered herself.
“Let’s go, brother.”
Hill turned around.
Her pale golden hair swayed as she showed a brave, sunny smile.
“If you get homesick, Hill, you can come back anytime through the transmission gate. I’ll send you.”
He had placed a transmission gate in the dungeon settlement and another one in his room—only he could activate it.
“No need~ Hill isn’t a little kid anymore. Brother just worries too much. Going on an adventure and spending time alone with brother—Hill is super happy.”
I’m telling you, this really isn’t a vacation, little sister. Your mindset is way too relaxed.
Hill took Siloque’s hand and headed toward the bus stop that led to the dungeon.