Thanks to the sudden interruption, their mont passed. This helped Asmodeus avoid the confrontation a little longer. He watched the frustrated rmaid, currently using her magic to play with Vivi.
’She’s surprisingly good with children, though.’
He closed his eyes, while the fresh scent of baked bread and bacon sizzling in the distance echoed through the window. The night ended so fast that he regretted clashing with the strange arbiter. ’Those children should still be sowhere in the slums.’ Though he could enter them now, it might not end well in broad daylight.
"This is a snake."
Vwoom, hissss!
"Correct, you got it right again, keke, then what about this?"
Nerim created various animals and shapes using magic. Almost as if testing Vivi’s intelligence. But what surprised Asmodeus the most was just how smart the tiny little thief was, and that she could answer most of the questions related to math and magic.
When she started forming miniature monsters, the poor oni grumbled and pouted, with her little fangs poking out.
’Is Nerim more immature than I thought?’
"You two should prepare breakfast. Logan and the others are probably waiting."
"But Asmodeus..."
"I know, Nerim, we’ll just tell him that she’s related to ."
"Ehh? Why am I related to you?" Vivi complained, but the redness of her cheeks and hidden smile as she turned away said otherwise.
’Haha, so cute. Like Nyxielle.’
Because of the battle, Asmodeus couldn’t go ho and kiss his girls goodnight, a habit he never missed. ’But...’ Despite those feelings, he couldn’t help but smile when looking at Vivi. Her wounds faded after bathing in Nerim’s water magic. That didn’t remove the bitterness he felt upon learning of them.
’I could have used my blood...’
However, he hesitated.
’Gretel will know what to do.’
"Are you coming with us?" Nerim looked back while holding Vivi’s hand, her caral skin seductively illuminated by the morning sunlight.
’I really can’t stop myself with this woman.’
"Of course, give a minute. I have to change my clothes and prepare so things."
Asmodeus closed his eyes, waiting for the pair to leave. Once the door slamd shut, he finally opened them.
Thud!
"Hm?"
"Hehe, what’s that face for?" Nerim giggled before pursing her moist lips. "I’ll see you downstairs." She looked overjoyed at his reaction, blowing a kiss before lifting Vivi and leaving the room without another look.
’Mother was right, won are dangerous...’
He touched his chest while shaking his head furiously in denial. The pounding increased whenever his wives teased him. But now, even Nerim could affect him as they did. Whether this was a curse or a blessing, right now, Asmodeus couldn’t say.
"Let’s just get dressed."
Asmodeus found another pair of his desert warrior pants and the light tunic Zahir also wore, sothing cool and well-suited to the hot northern desert areas.
’It’s still noisy outside.’
In the distance, from the city centre, he could sense the conversations of people speaking about the explosion and what had happened. There were commoners angry about knights being angsty and aggressive. While the knights wanted to catch the mbers of the black market, things were amiss.
"None of my business for now."
Clack!
He shut the door and followed Nerim in a refreshed mood and back in his human form.
***
Logan noticed a huge figure coming down the stairs into the hall and stood from his chair.
"Lad! Over here. We’ve got bacon!"
From the mont he t the young human, Logan could tell that he loved eating at. Most mornings, Ryuji would cook for them and never forgot to serve at, even for breakfast. "I ordered your share, here."
Thorim and Zahir glanced at the excited dwarf and shook their heads.
’Tsk, these kids don’t understand the joy of earning a lot of coin for hard work!’ Logan’s eyes shone after they finally found a smithy willing to let them practise for a low fee.
’Maybe I will part ways with him soon...’
Logan’s brows furrowed as his mood suddenly dropped, and a strange heaviness overwheld him as the troubleso thoughts that lingered overnight seeped into his mind.
"Well, it looks like you’ve all been waiting for . Sorry about that."
"As if we care, lad."
"Well as my dad said, we owe you too much. Here, Brother Ryuji try this."
Thorim’s mind remained dark and introverted due to what happened in the dungeon, but Zahir, Nerim and Ryuji seed to be special. ’My boy...’ Logan didn’t know what to say and just poured so extra mushrooms and tomatoes onto Ryuji’s plate. He wanted to speak his mind, but also wanted this breakfast to last... just a little longer.
"Thanks, Logan, Thorim." Ryuji turned to Zahir and examined his plate, but nodded to himself without speaking further. "Did you rest well Zahir?"
Zahir, who chose a vegetarian breakfast, smiled back, then nodded. "Thanks to you, Brother Ryuji." A youth of few words, but the respect almost bead in his eyes when talking to Nerim and Ryuji.
The al wasn’t special. In fact, you could find this level in countless different towns, cities and places in the world. Yet the people around the table looked as if blessed. They hurriedly ate, but also appeared to be holding back as if worried about sothing.
"So, what... what are we going to do from here?"
Tap!
Nerim broke the silence, placing her empty glass on the table, the slight ring of orange staining her glossy lips. She glanced at Logan, but her affectionate eyes then focused on one point. ’Ack, can you be any more obvious, lass!?’ Logan noticed the budding feelings from the first night.
The Nerim he knew had never shown an interest in n like this before.
He honestly thought it’d end with a one-night stand or fizzle out. But that soon faded. Logan watched the young girl whom he helped raise from a rookie and smiled bitterly. "Lass, are ya followin’ the lad?"
"Ack!?"
The foolish rmaid suffered critical damage for the second ti and hid her face on the table.
anwhile, Vivi poked her cheeks.
’Look at her obvious reaction. Does he know?’
Thorim and Zahir seed oblivious when Logan watched them both eating their sweet caral apple, while Ryuji watched Nerim with his dark blue, mysterious eyes. ’I see... It’s mutual.’
"Ahem, well, I’ll probably help him look for those willing to take in Vivi and..." She peeked at Ryuji several tis, but he didn’t respond and only smiled.
"Well, I still need to find the crew. It seems that the auction was a bust." Ryuji finally joined the conversation.
"Oh, I almost forgot." Logan smiled bitterly.
’Aye, that’s why we joined forces. I almost forgot. How stupid of .’
"Wait..." He looked at Ryuji, his beard twitching, and then he rembered the loud explosion and issues during the night. ’That wasn’t because of my boy here, right?’ There was no way Ryuji could cause so much chaos, though strong... he wasn’t that strong.
To Logan and those who didn’t know better, the strength of the dark guild and black market surpassed most knights who were roughly close to the pinnacle of human strength.
’Yeah, I must be mistaken.’
"What’s the matter, Old man?" Ryuji stole a berry from Nerim’s plate and popped it in his mouth.
"Oi!? Give it back, you...!"
"Here."
Ryuji flicked a half-eaten strawberry into her mouth, and the poor rmaid swallowed it on reflex while turning bright red. Nerim coughed, cheeks burning as she wiped her lips, but Vivi’s little grin led to the two bickering.
Logan watched the table with a strange emotion in his chest. All his life, he’d struggled along till eting Thorim’s mother, then after losing her, he struggled to save his only son. Now, after eting Ryuji and saving his son... There was a feeling of emptiness.
He huffed, half amused by the lot of them. "Bah. The lot of you are hopeless children!"
But the heaviness in his chest remained, the tight weight that pulled him down. He glanced at his son, Thorim’s stiff shoulders that jutted while fidgeting with his cup and the various thoughts that Logan considered during the night.
’I wanted to speak with the lass, but I guess she made her choice before I could.’
However, to his surprise, Ryuji noticed. "Logan. What’s wrong?"
The dwarf’s smile faded with a bitter grunt, then he placed both palms flat on the table. "Thorim, everyone listen well."
Everyone turned to the old dwarf in silence.
"I’m stayin’ here."
His words, almost like magic, removed the surrounding sounds, as the group all stared at him for a few monts before Thorim finally spoke up.
"Dad? Are we leaving the party?"
Logan nodded, more to himself than anyone else. "This city’s ssy, but it’s good for trainin’. You need experience, people to test yourself against, a forge willing to take you in. You won’t get that wanderin’ aimlessly with ." His voice cracked the more he spoke; it was obvious that this wasn’t his true desire. "And... I’m not young anymore."
Thorim gripped his cup tighter. "...Dad, but I..."
"No, son." Logan reached over and rested his thick hand on Thorim’s shoulder. "Just take so ti to rest, a short break from that dangerous life."
Thorim swallowed and glanced at Ryuji, and Zahir... it almost looked like he might cry.
That’s when Ryuji spoke up, and his words shook Logan’s resolve.
"Logan, what if we’re willing to use this city as our base camp, I don’t have to rush if you need ti. There are people I have to save, but after that..."
"Lad?"
He never expected Ryuji to stay. From the mont they t, he knew that this young man would travel and vanish before he blinked. And yet, now he considered his opinion and made an offer that stirred his heart.
Logan looked at his anxious son and then back at Ryuji... "Can ye promise ... promise ye can keep Thorim, boy, safe?"
He didn’t even hesitate and t Logan’s gaze.
"I promise."
Ryuji stretched his legs under the table. "I’ll stay for a while. I still have business here."
And that was that.
The old man forced the imnse emotions inside his chest down; he wanted to help his son grow, but could not do so.
’Thank you... Mighty God of Forges... for lettin’ et this lad.’
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