CHAPTER 399: CHAPTER 399: DO AS YOU LIKE

’Two days of rest? Looks like they’ve realized something’s wrong.’

They wouldn’t have extended the rest period unless they’d noticed an issue with the Dungeon.

After all, expedition teams have limited time to operate in the Dungeon—the resources they carry determine how far they can go. Even with spatial belts allowing them to bring extra supplies, time isn’t something they can afford to waste, especially under current conditions.

Choosing to linger in the Dungeon for an extra day in a situation like this clearly pointed to something serious. Bell was certain that Captain Finn had picked up on the right clues.

’A wise decision.’

Bell wandered around the camp, glancing at the expedition team’s core members. All of them bore visible signs of exhaustion that couldn’t be hidden.

’Looks like they’ve also noticed something’s wrong with the Dungeon. Veterans like them are probably used to sensing when something’s off—they’re clearly on edge, as if bracing for the Dungeon to spring some nasty surprise.’

Given the condition of their upper-tier members, launching an assault on the unknown floors was out of the question. And maybe the Spirit on the other side wasn’t quite ready yet. If the expedition team advanced now, his entire plan would fall apart. Fortunately, Finn was a cautious man.

After making a round of the camp, Bell quickly found Sanjouno Haruhime sitting inside her tent. He checked around for Aisha and saw her helping outside with tent setup.

Seeing that, Bell made his way over to Haruhime’s tent.

When he reached it, he didn’t walk in immediately. From the sounds inside, it was clear someone was changing clothes. If he barged in now, he’d definitely be seen as a creep.

He waited until the rustling sounds faded and the footsteps inside moved closer to the exit. Only then did he lift the tent flap and step inside.

Just as Bell pulled open the curtain, Haruhime happened to be coming out.

"!"

Startled by the sight of someone standing right outside, bundled up in layers, Haruhime jumped slightly—but then she recognized Bell right away from his eyes.

"Bell-san."

Seeing the hint of excitement in her gaze, Bell could only sigh inwardly. It was because of something Loki had casually said that this girl still held onto lingering feelings. Bell didn’t know how to handle it. He’d already been exposed for deceiving her once—now, she likely wouldn’t give up so easily.

"Let’s talk. About this expedition."

"Um... okay."

The word "talk" clearly lit up Haruhime for a moment, but the mention of the "expedition" brought her back down. Still, she wanted to speak with Bell—regardless of the topic.

Bell stepped into the tent and faced Haruhime, who looked a little nervous, then got straight to the point.

"You understand what kind of situation we’re dealing with in this expedition, right?"

"Yes."

"Captain Finn and the others will need your power if they want to take down the Spirit. But your magic is a one-time enhancement over a short period. Once you use it, you can’t use it again right away—and that makes you a target."

Haruhime gave a small nod. She had been part of Loki Familia for a while now, and both Loki-sama and Riveria-sama had often brought this up. Her magic was a critical tool for turning the tide of battle—but it came with the risk of leaving her defenseless shortly afterward.

"I’m not here to explain the full extent of the danger you’re facing. Captain Finn asked me to set something up for you—a failsafe that’ll teleport you back to camp if you suffer a fatal injury. At the very least, it’ll ensure you survive this expedition."

"Then... what about the captain? What about Lady Riveria and Aisha-onee-san?"

"Just like you heard before, they have their own battles to fight. And challenges always come with a price. For them, that price is risking their lives."

Bell offered no words of comfort—just a blunt, merciless statement of reality. But this time, it didn’t have the effect he expected.

Haruhime’s eyes didn’t waver. She just stared quietly into his.

"Bell-san, you’re lying, aren’t you?"

"Lying? Why would I lie?"

"Because what you’re doing isn’t about letting the captain and the others die..."

She cut straight to the truth. Haruhime remembered everything Loki-sama had said, everything the captain, Lady Riveria, and Aisha had told her.

"The reason Bell-san chose to work with our Familia wasn’t just to gain Loki-sama’s protection—it was also to help strengthen our Familia."

"So... you used my actions to push things in that direction? Hah."

That caught Bell off guard. He hadn’t expected the soft-spoken Renard from the original tale to be this sharp. He realized now that he had underestimated the adventurers of this world. They weren’t standing still—they were growing, constantly learning and adapting.

Looking at the girl in front of him, Bell recalled their first encounter—her collapsed on the ground, in tears. It hadn’t been that long ago. And now she’d already changed so much.

"So it’s because Loki-sama and the others kept talking about me that you figured this out? You’ve definitely grown since the beginning."

Bell genuinely felt glad to see how far Sanjouno Haruhime had come.

"But I won’t interfere in Finn’s challenge. I won’t lend a hand. This is a trial. If they overcome it, they’ll rise to a new level. If they fail... then that’s the limit of what they were ever capable of."

Haruhime bit her lip gently. She could tell—none of his words were lies. His eyes revealed nothing, but she still believed in him. She knew Bell-san wasn’t the kind of person who’d abandon others without reason.

"I still believe in you, Bell-san."

"...You really are an idiot. Only an idiot would keep trusting someone without a single shred of proof. Only a fool like you would waste their attention on someone like me."

Another failed attempt at pushing her away. Honestly, Bell felt a little defeated. He had hoped this time she’d finally cut ties. But it seemed he’d failed again.

’Loki-sama really stirred things up... I never should’ve let her bring all that up.’

With a sigh, Bell chose not to argue further.

"Do as you please."