The answer is not so simple, though.
Minor manga spoilers ahead!
Summary:
- Laios and Marcille’s relationship develops a lot throughout the series.
- Their interactions at the end of the story are completely different from the beginning.
- The manga doesn’t confirm a romantic relationship between these two.
Delicious in Dungeon (Dungeon Meshi) is not known for romance or shipping, but we can’t ignore the fact that these things exist in the series and in the fandom. While Marcille and Falin seem to be the most popular ship, the relationship between Marcille and Laios couldn't go unnoticed, either.
From Party Members to Friends
Marcille and Laios start out as a couple of fellow party members. There isn’t any great connection between them, and it’s true that the girl has always been closer to Laios’ sister than to him. But Delicious in Dungeon is famous for its exceptional character development for a reason.
At first, Marcille is disturbed by Laios, and he doesn’t really understand how Marcille thinks and what kind of person she truly is. But they have a common goal ― to save Falin ― so they have to stick together.
Marcille and Laios’ relationship progresses slowly. It changes to comradery over time and then morphs into an actual friendship. They learn to respect and appreciate each other. When Marcille saved Falin, Laios started looking at her differently, now realizing how great her input and powers are.
Both of them experienced change throughout the series. Marcille got gentler and Laios became more mature. One good example of it was when Marcille was teaching Laios magic. She always praised him for the job well-done, and he expressed his appreciation towards her thoughtful way of teaching.
And they kept becoming closer with each part of the story. They started seeing the true nature of each other and stopped taking each other for granted.
Do They End Up Together?
Although all the hints at something romantic going on between Marcille and Laios are there, the manga doesn’t give readers a 100% clear answer. What we do know is that they’re going to spend the rest of their lives working together, but it hasn’t been confirmed that it’s a romantic arrangement.
The way Marcille and Laios interact at the end of the manga is completely different from what you can see in the early chapters. These two have undergone some significant changes, and their relationship has turned 180 degrees.
The manga finale leaves the relationship between Marcille and Laios vague and up to readers’ interpretation, and fans agree that they prefer it this way.
Romance was never the core focus of the series, and even if it existed, it was done in such a great way that it wouldn’t affect the story or cause any controversy in the fandom. And this is a beautiful thing indeed.