Although changing clothes was a bit clumsy, overall, things went smoothly, and we managed to get dressed.

Wearing men’s clothing again for the first time in ages felt exhilarating; it instantly lifted my spirits. Turning back, I caught sight of ViniVini, who seemed to be struggling with her bra clasp—it just wouldn’t get fastened.

I sighed. She must’ve heard, as she turned around with a pitiful expression. “Can you help me? Please...”

“...Do it yourself!” Though my hands almost reached out to touch her skin—how could one resist such smooth, irresistible charm?—I knew deep down that something might spiral out of control if I did.

After all, ViniVini was cute, beautiful even, an adolescent girl in her blossoming years. And I? I was but an ordinary boy in that same flood of hormones. No saint, no steadfast defender of justice, not even the archetypal ‘Hero.’

In truth, even though being a Hero was my profession, within, I was still just a regular student—young, healthy... and, well, *functional*.

I admit, I couldn’t stop myself from peeking while she dressed. But I swear, emotionally, I didn’t want to watch. Really.

It took ViniVini half an hour to finish. Finally, she emerged from the room, fully dressed and looking pristine.

“You’re so slow...” I grumbled from outside.

ViniVini pouted, her lips curling cutely. “Well, it’s YOUR fault for not helping!”

“And what if me helping led to... pushing you down?”

“Push me down? What's that?”

Her wide, innocent eyes blinked at me. That look—so pure and untainted—instantly made me feel like a depraved scoundrel, nothing but filth in the face of her naïve gaze.

They say when two drastically contrasting individuals stand together, the differences are all the more pronounced. Maybe that’s what’s happening here, between me and ViniVini.

Afterward, now fully dressed, we headed to the adventurer guild’s management counter. Initially, I planned to formally withdraw from Anjelit’s “Silver Holy Knights.” But to my surprise, the attendant told me I was already out—they’d officially disbanded.

Shock washed over me. Upon asking why, I learned the team captain had dissolved it.

I felt... oddly hollow. Still, ViniVini and I forged ahead, forming our new team. She was designated as team leader, and our chosen name was...

“ViniBear.”

Fine. I was beyond the point of critiquing. ViniVini, with teary eyes, adamantly insisted on this name. And how could I defy the will of a frail, sweet girl in front of the bustling adventurer guild?

Once registered, we gathered a transport roster at the guild—a crew of seven or eight burly men with wagons—to return to the place where ViniVini defeated the Crystal Lord and retrieve its remains.

“230 coppers, right? I’ll pay you two silver coins and thirty copper extra to deliver the body all the way to Goinbair City,” I said, handing over the payment.

Meanwhile, ViniVini was sitting off to the side, knife in hand, biting down on her tongue as she tried to dismantle the Crystal Lord’s hardened shell.

After all this time, the shell had grown solid again, making the process difficult. Yet for some reason, she stubbornly insisted on doing it herself.

I suggested sending the remains to craftsmen in Goinbair—professionals who could do the job properly—but she refused.

“I don’t want to! What if they damage the shell? It’d break my heart! Plus, hiring them costs money... and I don’t have much to spare.”

Her adamant response left me dumbfounded. I sighed, resigned, saying nothing more.

“Ah!” Behind me, ViniVini suddenly shrieked. Startled, I turned around. “What happened?!”

ViniVini was perched atop the Crystal Lord’s shell, tears streaming down her face and her shoulders trembling.

Crying over the fallen monster’s remains? Was she seriously this sentimental? As those thoughts crossed my mind, ViniVini blurted out:

“I—I broke the shell...”

I pressed a hand against my forehead, practically shouting, “I TOLD YOU! JUST TAKE IT TO GOINBAIR! LET THE PROFESSIONALS HANDLE IT!!”

My raised voice scared her into submission. She nodded, terrified.

For reasons I couldn’t explain, it seemed she was quite scared of me. Or maybe it was something else—did she... kind of like me?

The wagon trundled away slowly as we returned to Lazio Town, leaving all of it behind.

“Let’s take a bath... Do we have a proper bathhouse here?”

“There’s a lake outside the town—I usually wash there since it’s free,” ViniVini suggested casually.

I frowned. “I don’t like bathing out in the open. Isn’t there a proper bathhouse?”

“There is!” She perked up instantly. “I want to go there anyway! Let’s go together~”

She grabbed my hand and pulled me along, leading us confidently toward the town center.

Ah, Lazio Town—it truly lived up to its reputation. Compared to Agrimert, it was practically a wonderland of sophistication and prosperity. Even the adventurers wandering the streets were leagues above Agrimert’s lot—here, level tens strolled freely, while level twenties weren’t unusual.

ViniVini's popularity, too, seemed to peak here in Lazio. Nearly everyone greeted her warmly as we passed.

No longer clad in makeup or mistaken for a woman, I managed to avoid the awkwardness of blurred identities; some hesitated between addressing me as “Miss” or “Sir,” but nothing more.

At last, we reached the bathhouse. After paying and stepping inside, ViniVini tugged at my arm, trying to lead me toward the women's section.

With a sharp pull, I ushered her toward the men’s entrance.

“What do you think you’re doing? Forget I’m a guy again, and I’ll ruin that Crystal Lord shell of yours!”

“You’re so cruel!” ViniVini pouted, glaring at me furiously.

Rolling my eyes, I snarked, “Not gonna lie. You could test me if you want.”

She huffed, protecting her precious shell as if her whole existence depended on it.

After that, she tried dragging me toward the women’s section *again*.

Post-bath, my body felt rejuvenated, the lingering fatigue melting away. It had only been two days since our dungeon mission began, yet somehow it felt like an eternity...

ViniVini emerged from her bathing area—dazed and sluggish—and leaned against a nearby wall. “Rogied... wanna go grab dinner?”

Still rubbing her temple, she glanced at the darkening sky. The day had settled into evening, and I realized we hadn’t eaten properly since a bit of roasted meat for breakfast.

I nodded. “Where should we go?”

“The tavern~ ViniVini loves barley ale~”

Such joy lit up her face, though it strangely reminded me of Anjelit.

Strong adventurer women, it seemed, were united in their love for ale.

We arrived at the tavern only to encounter an unexpected sight. Startled, I pointed at the tavern keeper.

“Uncle, what’re you doing here?!”

Leaning forward on his bar, he sighed. “The tavern owners across the continent? All my brothers. Seriously, is this news to you? Even the guild attendants everywhere are sisters!”

The realization hit me instantly—he wasn’t joking. It actually made sense now.

After food, drinks, and carousing, ViniVini and I—hands intertwined—returned to her tiny house.

We collapsed onto her bed, too drunk to worry about logistical problems like sharing a single mattress.

“Rog—hic—ied... hehe...” Her hand grazed my face, prompting me to swat it away lightly. “...What now?”

“...Wanna keep living in Lazio forever?”

“...If we can, sure. I’m just a hic ordinary guy, after all...”

“Rog—hic—Ied... By the way, what’s your real job?” ViniVini asked as her fingers wandered again, and I caught her hand mid-motion.

“...Hero. I’m a Hero...” Flipping over lazily, I nestled against her stomach.

“Hero, huh... That’s so cool...” she murmured dreamily. Moments later, we drifted into sleep, drunk and content.