After listening to their conversation, Ellie stopped eating as well.
She set down her chopsticks, wiped the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief, then looked up and said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world:
"If it's so dangerous here now, why don't we just leave?"
Greg's expression froze.
Seriously? I finally built up the atmosphere, laid out the Demon King Cult's conspiracy, the crisis facing the Imperial Capital, and the Dungeon's secrets, and your conclusion is, "Why don't we just leave?"
Then what was all that buildup even for?
But on second thought, Greg realized that this was entirely in keeping with Ellie's personality.
In her world, his safety always came first. The Empire, the Dungeon, the Demon King Cult-none of them mattered to her as much as a single hair on his head.
Greg took a deep breath, then assumed a pose of righteous resolve.
"If we leave, what will happen to the people of the Empire?"
Ellie tilted her head, looked him up and down with an appraising gaze, then spoke with a hint of confusion and concern:
"Oh no, it looks like he really has become an idiot young master. Did I flick his forehead too hard before?"
The response, which sounded rather familiar, made the corner of Greg's mouth twitch.
"...What's with that tone? And just what kind of person do you think I am?"
"An idiot young master who was a handful as a child and hasn't gotten any better since growing up."
Ellie answered without hesitation.
Greg opened his mouth, only to discover that he had no real way to argue.
Damn it, can't a scumbag become a hero too?
Why do they all see me this way?
*What did I even do to make them judge me