Chapter 227
Sometimes, don't we all take breaks by starting conversations like this? Those candid talks that can only happen when there are no men around.
While Liberta was conducting interviews for fan club applicants with the Spirit King, what were the female members doing?
"Phew, that completes our leveling up to Class 3."
They were clearing a mushroom dungeon.
Liberta had obtained permission from the Spirit King to form a clan, but in return, he was swamped with interviews for the flood of applicants.
At first, everyone offered to help, but Amina's presence might agitate some spirits, leaving her alone at home wasn't an option, and they couldn't neglect Claudi and Esmeralda's leveling either.
Ingrid was essential for the mushroom dungeon.
Fortunately, with the Spirit King's assistance, they could manage the time constraints, so the group proceeded without Liberta to balance their party levels.
Since they'd cleared dungeons many times with just the female members, there were no issues.
"Lady Esmeralda, here's a towel.""Thank you, Ingrid."
With Nel, Amina, and Ingrid already leveled up, Class 3 mushrooms were hardly a challenge.
They easily defeated even the boss, completing their leveling in under three days.
Though they felt uneasy when Liberta didn't join them after three days, they continued leveling without pause.
"I hope Liberta's okay. Every time he comes back, he looks more exhausted.""True. I told him to rest, but he insisted on continuing because there were still applicants waiting."
Yet, their conversations inevitably turned to Liberta.
For Amina and Nel, meeting him had changed their lives. Seeing him struggle while they leveled up leisurely darkened their expressions.
Had Liberta been there, he would have gently refused their help—Amina's presence would cause chaos at the venue, and dragging the delicate Nel into this grueling task would be beneath his pride.
"Indeed. Even I noticed his complexion wasn't good. Now that Class 3 leveling is done, Ingrid can go assist Liberta.""Yes. Liberta said my help was crucial for this status-affected area. But now that my role here is complete, I'll support him starting tomorrow."
Still, it was clear Liberta was overworking himself—leaving early, returning late.
Ingrid, sensing the toll on his small frame, had been the most proactive in dungeon leveling. Her efficiency left even Claudi in awe.
"Claudi and I will proceed to Class 4 leveling and join you afterward.""I wish I could help Liberta too...""Unfortunately, your presence would only cause more commotion."
Each understood their role. Respecting Liberta's wishes, they prioritized growth over assisting with interviews, knowing that was what he truly needed.
"Aw, but still...""Amina, you really like Liberta, don't you?""Yeah! He's the first person besides Nel who 'acknowledged' my singing! And he gave me a place to perform!!"
They were all aware of each other's feelings for Liberta.
Claudi, the most neutral and mature, voiced Amina's simple desire to be with him, making the girl nod with a shy smile.
In this dog-eat-dog world, making a living through art was nearly impossible.
Singing for money? Only a select few could do that. To most, singing was just a pastime—not a real job.
Amina, who cherished singing more than anyone, had been told her whole life—by family and peers—that she'd never succeed.
"You need to work to survive." To those around her, singing wasn't "work."
Before meeting Liberta, only her best friend Nel had listened without laughing. Others mocked her dreams, urging her to "face reality."
Then she met Liberta.
He praised her singing—not emptily, but by making her dream a reality.
Clasping her hands, Amina smiled shyly, not hiding her affection.
"Plus, he says he loves my singing."
This was a conversation only women could have—one they'd had many times before.
"I get that. I feel the same."
It might seem odd how often this topic came up.
But it surfaced in Liberta's absence precisely because their feelings ran deep.
"Female merchants are rare, aren't they? In my travels, all the peddlers I met were men.""Indeed. Most who visit our mansion are men too."
Though this world allowed both genders to grow strong, men dominated frontline roles like adventuring and trading, while women supported.
Claudi was an exception, but such women were few. As Esmeralda noted, even among successful merchants who opened shops in the capital, men outnumbered women.
"Nel, your dream was tough too. People like Dass kept saying it was impossible.""Honestly, they weren't wrong. Dad supported me, but Mom wanted me to take over his shop."
Women could become merchants—some even ran shops—but most inherited them.
"But I wanted my own store. I wanted to travel like Dad and trade where my eyes took me."
Without combat skills, leaving town to source goods was impossible.
"I knew I couldn't do it. The old me would've let my dream stay a dream."
In the mercantile world, those with nothing weren't even given the right to try.
"Without Liberta, I'd either be regretfully running Dad's shop or... maybe recklessly chasing my dream anyway."
Many gambled for success, but few succeeded.
Liberta knew of Nel's shop in the game, but not Nel herself. Had he been there, he might have wondered why—was it cut content? But now, it was clear which path Nel would've taken.
"So I'm grateful to him. No—'grateful' isn't enough. He showed me I could go beyond the southern continent. He called my dream wonderful. His words saved me."
For Nel, who'd faced that unjust wall, Liberta tore it down effortlessly. Her gratitude—and affection—matched Amina's.
Though still young, the girl had fallen for the boy who paved her path. It hadn't taken long.
"How lovely.""And you? Don't you feel the same?"
Esmeralda smiled at the girls' stories, but when Claudi challenged her with a teasing grin, she proudly straightened.
"As a noblewoman, my path was set at birth—to continue my bloodline. But I've made peace with that."
She embraced her aristocratic duty.
"And fortunately, I have someone in mind for that. Father approves."
Her first fiancé had been a disaster, but the boy who saved her twice had more than earned her affection.
And he'd saved not just her—the first time, her sister; the second, her father.
Twice, he'd risked his life for her family.
Though her smile was playful, she held no hostility toward the others.
"The problem is whether Liberta realizes my feelings.""Ahh..."
If anything, they'd fallen into a pattern of sharing their struggles over this.
"It's not that he has no interest in women, right?""Definitely not. He once stared dazedly at a guild receptionist.""He doesn't only like elves, does he?""I've heard no such rumors. Nor is he dating anyone specific.""Hmm, he sometimes goes off alone, but it never seems romantic."
Surrounded by women, yet not a single scandal.
What would Liberta's reaction be if he heard this?
He'd maxed out their affection meters... then left them hanging.
Claudi sighed at the boy's behavior, though she suspected it was why their party got along so well.
Had he dated even one of them, cracks might have formed.
But by focusing solely on their goals, he'd made them unite—now plotting to corner him together.
This confession session was part of that.
Unspoken this time, even the quiet Ingrid held feelings for Liberta, who thanked her for work others took for granted.
His actions stood out among men.
And he always showed them new horizons.
That was why he endlessly fascinated them.
A casual dungeon chat—the kind only possible when he wasn't around.