Bell POV
As we stood in front of the pub, Ais-san took my hands and looked at me, nodding her head as if trying to say something to herself. She then opened the door and led me inside. There were a whole lot of people!
Loud chatter filled the air as everyone appeared to be having a great time. The scent of alcohol and food wafted past my nose, making my stomach rumble audibly. My hunger was overwhelming, and it was difficult to keep my excitement in check. As I glanced at Ais, her expression remained unchanged. She turned her gaze upon me, and I returned my attention to the throng of people enjoying themselves after their day at the dungeon.
Not long after that, a waitress approached us, wearing a uniform that all workers at this establishment wore. It consisted of a green maid outfit with a white frilled headband, matching white apron, and a pair of brown boots and black leggings.
Unlike the others, this waitress was an elf! I was surprised to see one working here, as normally, this race is known for being a sophisticated race that takes pride in itself, viewing other species as inferior. Although she was a bit like Ais-san, not showing many expressions, there was a small smile that escaped her lips, and she bowed to us slightly.
The elf had pale snow-white skin with sky-blue eyes and short, emerald-green hair. Her expression was one of quiet determination; it seemed as if she had come straight out of a fairy tale.
"It's rare to see the Sword Princess without her familia in this establishment." Saying that Ais-san gazed at me for a second before talking.
"I'm with my... friend." She said the last word as if she was proud of herself; her eyes made it clear. The elf didn't seem taken aback as she looked at me, a look of interest in her eyes.
"I see... this certainly is unexpected." Afterward, she didn't say a word as she led us to a table, one that was empty as people continued to have their fun, ignoring us. After leading us to the table, the waitress was gone, and Ais tapped on the seat next to her, inviting me.
Taking a seat beside her, I took one of the menus that had been handed to us. As I looked through the options, I considered the meals I could order. There were many choices available, but I was concerned about the cost. However, as I worried over the expense, I felt her piercing gaze upon me and turned my head to face her.
She said, "You can get whatever you want; you don't need to worry about money." Her attention returned to the menu, while I still felt a bit uncomfortable at the idea of eating like I wanted, but it seemed as if she didn't let me have much choice.
"I guess you're right..." Looking back at the menu, I faced another issue...
Why is everything so delicious there!?
We didn't have any restaurants in the village where I used to live, so seeing so many meal options within reach was something I had never experienced! My eyes were sparkling as I wanted to try everything there was!
I understood some of it, but not enough to make sense. Regaining my composure, I decided to carefully examine what I could take and decide on what I wanted. She had said she would pay, but I still felt it was unfair. Perhaps I could repay her someday?
Having put the menu on the table, I looked around, seeing many people celebrating their return from the dungeon or other adventures. But it was what caught my interest the most. As the stories went on, my smile widened even more, barely able to contain my excitement.
"Bell?" Hearing Ais-san say my name, I turned my attention to her as she seemed to have a curious look in her eyes. As her head approached mine, I sensed her breathing softly hit my face as her eyes were staring at mine. Feeling her so close to me, heat rose to my cheeks, surprised by her sudden approach.
"Do you like stories from the dungeon?" She asked me innocently, probably not knowing how close she was to me. This was so strange, yet I felt the need to just speak to her with honesty, trusting her completely.
As I was about to speak, the waitress arrived and gave us some water for the starter before taking out a pad and pen from her apron, looking at us.
"I'm Ryuu Lion, I'll be your maid for the evening." Maid? I know she was wearing the clothes, but seeing her take the role so seriously made me wonder if she really was one. And being an elf on top of it all, she sure is different from those I've encountered before… and nee-san.
She answered first as she put down the menu.
"I'll take some Jagamarukun." Ryuu nodded and wrote some things on her pad as I looked surprised at Ais-san, not understanding her choice.
I had never heard of it before, but apparently it's fried mashed potatoes with some spices. I hadn't tried them yet, so I was curious to see what they would look like on her plate.
"The usual amount?" As Ryuu said this, Ais-san only nodded, making me a bit confused as to what it could mean. Did the two of them know each other perhaps? I wasn't sure, but it didn't concern me.
"For you, ummm…" She paused for a moment, then looked at me as if she had forgotten something. Realizing that she didn't know my name, I smiled and told her mine.
"Bell… Bell Cranel!" Ryuu nodded as she was ready to write something.
"What would it be, Cranel-san?"
"some pasta…" After taking my order, she left soon, probably notifying the cook of our order. Once again, it was just me and Ais as a somewhat comfortable silence was in the air between the two of us, despite the loud sound of people celebrating.
"I asked if you liked stories from the dungeon earlier." Hearing this, my eyes widened and my head turned abruptly to her, having an excited grin on my face. Nodding frantically, it was clear that she could see my excitement.
"Of course I do!! I can't go to the dungeon yet, so when I hear all sorts of things about it, I can't help but be delighted by them! It's just so exciting to hear it from people who went in there!"
Ais-san hummed as she nodded to herself, seemingly deep in thought. I was confused at first, but it quickly cleared up as she turned her head to me, placing her hand on my head and gently petting it.
The sensation was... strange. While there was nothing particularly out of the ordinary, feeling her soft hand play with my hair somehow made me relax under her touch. I had a speck of light pink dust on my cheeks from where I had been smiling while she touched me.
I stayed like this for a moment, just enjoying her touch, despite being perplexed by the feelings I was having…
"I could tell you some if you'd like." She continued petting me like some sort of animal as she said this. I couldn't help but feel lucky to have a girl like her beside me. She was so kind to me, it was almost unbelievable. But she was here, with me at that moment. I can't let that chance slip by!
I raised my head and looked at her, a firm look of determination on my face as I nodded my head, wanting this more than I thought I would.
"Yes! Please, I want to hear about your adventures there! I would be so grateful." She hummed as she started to talk, it was always a few words, but I slowly got used to handling a conversation like this with her.
Apparently, the Guild tasked her familia to eradicate a surpopulation of Minotaurs on the 17th floor and they were going in a week or so. Just hearing it, my excited grin just widened, feeling my body shaking from the sheer thrill that her words were said! I can't wait to join a Familia and enter the dungeon…
As we were talking, I heard the sound of plates approaching as Ryuu-san came back with our food. The smell alone made my stomach loudly growl; it just smelled so good.
"Here's your food, if you two need anything else, let me know." Bowing slightly, Ryuu walked away, going to another table serving people, but I couldn't keep my eyes on her, not after having almost no food for days.
It was at the point that I could drool just at the sight of the food, which I was doing slightly. Taking my fork, I started to wrap the pasta around it and took my first bite, my eyes widening. The sensation of the flavors overwhelming my mouth was so much that tears started to form in my eyes.
"Are you okay?" Even hearing Ais-san's voice, I couldn't stop tearing up from the joy of having a real meal ever since I came here. This was just too good! Taking a bite and another one, I was just too engrossed in the moment that I didn't see Ais-san's concerned face approaching mine.
That was until she poked my filled cheeks as I turned to her; my cheeks puffed and filled with food. She blinked a moment, and I swear I saw a blush on her face, but it was too brief for me to see clearly. I gulped my food a couple of times, then emptied the plate.
"Is there something wrong?"
"You were crying," she said. "Are you okay?" I understood what she meant and my cheeks couldn't help but heat up as I wore a look of embarrassment, looking away.
"S-sorry!! It's just that the food is too good! And I haven't eaten much these past few days since I arrived here…" It seems that she realized something as her eyes slowly widened, but not much as she took one of her fried mashed potatoes and handed it toward me.
"Taste this," she said, surprising me and trying to force me to take it. Seeing her eyebrows furrowed into a frown made me give up on my refusal and only let her do as she wanted.
Opening my mouth a little, she slowly put it in my mouth as I took a bite, savoring it as much as I could. It didn't take long for me to realize how good this was as I took the rest of it and devoured it.
As I did so, I couldn't help but notice how Ais-san was staring at me, with a look of amusement. I couldn't quite understand what she was feeling at the moment, not like I could ever know. I'm just guessing by the way her eyes were looking...
"Do you like it?" she asked. Immediately, I nodded in agreement; I couldn't just deny it, this dish was scrumptious!
"It's my favorite food." Gulping down the last bite, I smiled at her and looked at her plate before returning my gaze to hers.
"It's really good! I have to eat more of it later!!" She nodded, her lips slightly curving to a smile, it was almost unnoticeable but I could see it clearly this time, along with a light blush painting her cheeks.
She's… extremely cute when blushing
These were my thoughts, but the moment I realized what I was thinking, my face flushed.
As this happened, the sound of loud footsteps could be heard, followed by the door of the establishment slamming open. A group of people then walked inside, and the waitresses greeted them with open arms, seemingly welcoming them.
"The Loki Familia is here!!!" they shouted as I quickly looked back at them, my excitement evident on my face, but… I had a bad feeling about it all of a sudden…