Chapter 154 - 154: 149- Eina's Request

Inside his room, Luki stood in front of a recently purchased mirror, carefully combing his deep blue hair and adjusting the collar of his shirt.

He had used a portion of the valis he recently made to buy this set of stylish, semi-formal clothes. The shopkeeper had described it as a "cool, modern look," which was exactly what he needed considering he didn't own a single outfit suitable for this kind of occasion.

Thank God, or thank the goddess Hestia, he has his Blink magic, he actually had the time to drop by the market, buy many things he needed, and get ready. Otherwise, he would have been forced to show up in completely inappropriate attire—the price for lingering in bed and flirting with a certain Prum.

"Where are you going again?" Lili asked from the bed. She was lying on her stomach, leisurely kicking her feet in the air as she casually flipped through a small book.

"Somewhere called the Gilded Heart. I don't know the exact location, but I've heard people mention it's a nice place," Luki replied while smoothing down his sleeves.

"Hmm... Gilded Heart..." Lili hummed, tapping her chin with a page of her book. "Lili doesn't know it personally, but I've heard about too. They say it's a popular spot for dates."

She shot him an accusing glare from across the room.

Luki paused his hairbrush mid-stroke and turned to face her. "What's with that look? Do you want me to take you on one too? You'll have to wait a bit."

"Hmph! Who said Lili needs something like that? Lili is perfectly fine without one! You can go have fun with your tall, curvy half-elf advisor, while Lili stays here like a good girl."

She turned her face away, pouting her cheeks in a playful mix of mild jealousy and petulance, though both of them knew she wasn't actually upset.

Pfft, pfft...

Luki sprayed a bit of perfume on his wrist and neck—something he had teleported out to buy just a few minutes ago out of necessity.

"How do I look?" Luki asked, turning around to display his outfit.

Still keeping up her silent, pouting charade, Lili slowly turned her head to inspect him.

Luki was dressed in a tailored, charcoal-black button-up shirt left unbuttoned at the collar, paired with deep slate-gray trousers and dark leather boots. The neutral tones of his attire provided a striking contrast to his vivid, dark-blue hair, making the golden star-shaped pupils within his blue irises stand out even more. The refined cut of the fabric neatly accommodated the small white ear-wings left enough room around his wrists and ankles for his winged appendages to rest comfortably without being constrained.

Still keeping up her silent, pouting charade, Lili slowly turned her head to inspect him.

"Well..." Lili muttered, her eyes scanning him up and down before she turned her face away in another stubborn pout. "...It's way too black. Lili can't see anything notable about it. You should have chosen something else, Luki-sama."

Luki let out a quiet sigh followed by a resigned smile. He walked over to the bed, and being careful not to crease his clothes, he leaned over her, bracing his weight above her body.

Inhale...

He took a deep, lingering breath against the warm skin of her neck, inhaling her scent before planting a soft kiss on her. Lili let him indulge in his affection, an instant, joyful smile breaking across her face as a sweet thrill rushed through her, making her flutter one eye shut.

"I'm sorry, Lili," Luki murmured from deep within his throat, his breath brushing against her skin. "I know you love this kind of thing, being spoiled and made to feel special. But I really can't right now. Aside from Eina, I still have to prepare myself for Freya, not to mention our upcoming magic lessons with Riveria, your own work, our dungeon adventures... it's just too much to do."

"Let's do this," Luki continued. "Next Wednesday, just the two of us, for the entire day. We can go absolutely anywhere you want."

"Uhm... Lili doesn't know..." she muttered, playing hard to get with a sly glint in her eyes.

"Playing difficult, are we? What else do you want?" Luki teased, his fingers tracing a slow line along her arm. "Should I buy you new clothes, perfumes, and presents? I'll give you whatever you want."

"Clothes? Perfumes? Presents?!" Lili repeated, her tone growing more excited by the second. "Yes, Lili thinks that will do. But... if Luki-sama were to offer just one tiny little thing more..."

She gave him a beaming smile, her voice dropping into a heavily flirtatious tone. Luki pulled his face back from her neck and rested his forehead against hers, smiling right back.

"My naughty pallum."

Pa! With a sudden, playful smirk, Luki reached down and delivered a firm, teasing slap right to her backside. The sudden impact made her gasp, the fabric of her tights doing little to muffle the sound.

"Uih!" Lili squeaked, her face instantly flushing bright crimson as she squirmed slightly on the mattress.

"I already told you, nothing until you're of age," Luki chided gently, his voice thick with temptation. "It's no use trying to tempt me like this."

"Argh..." she grumbled. "But Lili wasn't talking about that. It doesn't have to be anything serious... it could be just like always, only a little... hotter..." she murmured the last part, her voice dropping to a shy whisper of embarrassment.

"You mean, just foreplay?" Luki asked, a knowing grin spreading across his face.

"Lili didn't say anything!" she squeaked, blushing furiously. "It is Luki-sama who is trying to convince his second girlfriend to let him go out with another. You are the one who should know."

Luki hovered over her, looking down into her expectant eyes as his mind began to race. He was sincerely considering whether he should give in to her request or not. In his own mind, Lili was still a minor, and he did his absolute best to hold back, trying to provide love while maintaining a very strict, clear boundary.

However, according to what she had told him once during an argument, for a Pallum, fourteen was practically an adult, since their bodies rarely developed any further hormonally past that age. Even in his past life, it was relatively normal for girls between fourteen and sixteen to have active romantic lives.

Luki knew he was the one being overly anxious about the age gap in a sword-and-magic fantasy world—perhaps because his subconscious was already trying to justify what would be considered a crime in over fifty countries, and he really didn't want to give the CIA any more reasons to chase him down with pitchforks and torches.

"Fine..." Luki conceded, a defeated grin breaking across his face. "We'll do it your way next Wednesday. A full day, and we'll see how far we can take our little moments... but we're keeping it within reasonable limits, okay?"

"Hihihihi..." Lili giggled happily, a silly, triumphant smile blooming on her face as she shifted beneath him.

Luki let out a resigned smile—something he oddly found himself doing a lot more lately—as he stared at her radiant, smiling face.

"Come here...!"

"Ah—!"

Luki threw his arm over Lili, his hand firmly tilting her face up toward him to catch her lips. He crashed his mouth against hers, diving into a kiss that completely stole the air from her lungs, a breathless embrace that left both of their hearts hammering wildly against their chests.

Lili clutched the sheets beneath her, trying to lift herself up to reach his lips, but the effort only made everything feel more desperate. Soon, she was swept away by the sheer warmth and sudden force of his affection.

"Mauh- ahh... ahhhh..."

When he finally pulled back after a long, intense moment, Lili was left panting heavily against the pillows, her cheeks flushed bright pink and her eyes completely dazed and blurry from the rush.

"See you in a bit, Lili," Luki murmured, his voice slightly husky as he gave her one last affectionate look.

Before she could even blink, a soft flash echoed, and Luki disappeared from the room.

For a few quiet seconds, Lili remained completely still on the mattress, her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling as her brain slowly processed everything that had just happened. The lingering warmth of his lips, the sudden intensity of his promise, and the exhilarating anticipation of next Wednesday finally crashed over her all at once.

A massive, giddy smile stretched across her face. She let out a high-pitched squeal, suddenly pulling the bedsheet tight against her chest and rolling wildly from side to side on the bed like a lovesick schoolgirl.

"Hyah!!! I did it... I actually did it! I got him!" she squeaked into the fabric, her legs kicking the air in sheer delight.

After a moment of pure bliss, she suddenly paused, sitting up as a subtle shift in the room's atmosphere caught her attention. A knowing, playful glint sparked in her eyes. Smiling out into the seemingly empty space right in front of her, she raised her hand high into the air.

"Thank you, Hestia-sama," Lili whispered.

Slap!

The distinct sound of a high-five echoed through the quiet room. Lili immediately opened her arms and hugged the empty air, laughing softly with pure affection. To anyone else, she would have looked completely out of her mind.

But if someone had been paying close attention to the bed right at that moment, they would have noticed that the soft fabric of the mattress was lightly pressed down directly in front of her—as if another small person were sitting right there with her.

...

"Excuse me, do you happen to know where the Gilded Heart is?" Luki asked a random passerby on the street, halting his steps.

The man paused, pointing a finger toward the upper commercial district. "Oh, sure. Just head straight down this main avenue, take a left at the marble fountain, and it'll be the fancy building right at the end of the block."

"Thanks," Luki replied, offering a quick nod before walking away.

Truth be told, he hadn't the slightest clue where the restaurant was actually located. His original plan had been incredibly simple: expand his spatial perception, identify Eina's distinct silhouette within his mind, and casually teleport straight to her side.

However, that plan immediately fell apart when he realized his one-kilometer sensory radius couldn't detect her anywhere near his hotel room, forcing him to swallow his pride and ask for directions like a normal person.

After walking for a few more minutes, he finally came close enough for his sensory map to ping. Eina's silhouette registered clearly in his mind, sitting at a table inside the establishment.

As the details of her appearance registered in his mind, Luki raised an eyebrow in pleasant surprise.

"Fwuit-fwoo... Well, look at her," Luki said, a light whistle escaping his lips. "Good thing I bothered to dress up a bit."

Preparing himself to make the jump, Luki ran his fingers through his hair, adjusting his collar and smoothing down his sleeves. He quickly checked the feathers of his wings, making sure everything looked sharp. Once he felt ready, Luki locked his mind onto the space right outside the restaurant's entrance and willed himself forward.

Without any special effects, he materialized by the grand mahogany entrance of the Gilded Heart and stepped inside, instantly welcomed by the warm aroma of roasted spices and high-end wine. The interior was beautifully lit by lamps that cast a warm, golden glow over the velvet booths. His spatial sense guided him straight toward her table.

When he saw her in person, he had to admit she cleaned up nicely. Eina was sitting casually, gazing at the darkening sky. Instead of her stiff, professional Guild uniform, she wore a simple but flattering off-the-shoulder cream blouse and dark trousers that highlighted her elegance without trying too hard.

As Luki approached, the soft thud of his boots made her turn her head. Her emerald eyes brightened instantly, taking in his sharp charcoal shirt.

"Luki-san!" Eina greeted, a welcoming smile on her face as she sat up a bit straighter. "Wow, look at you. I almost didn't recognize you."

"Good evening, Eina-san," Luki said, offering a relaxed smile as he slid into the seat across from her. "Same goes for you. It's nice to see you out of the office gear for once."

"Tell me about it," she laughed softly, resting her chin on her hand. "You look great, by the way. Your hair really pops with that shirt."

"Thank you. So... do you want to talk about what you mentioned earlier, or-"

"Wait," Eina cut him off with a playful grin. "Let's not jump straight into business on empty stomachs. It would be better if we ordered something first, don't you think? My treat, since I dragged you out here."

"Fair enough. I won't say no to free food," Luki chuckled.

A waiter dressed in a white vest approached, placing the menus before them. Luki glanced around the ambient room, noting the details. 'With every passing minute, this place feels less like a high-class tavern and more like a fine-dining spot. People around here are definitely on dates.'

They quickly placed a simple order and settled into a casual conversation while they waited, though it quickly drifted into a surprisingly focused direction.

Unlike a disaster date, they found plenty to talk about, but instead of swapping standard rumors, Eina immediately began steering the topic toward his personal life as an adventurer.

She showered him with a continuous stream of detailed questions, asking intensely about his most recent excursion into the Dungeon earlier that day. She wanted to know if he was experiencing any sudden spikes in difficulty with the monsters, whether he felt genuinely secure down there with his current setup, and how his companions were holding up.

Luki couldn't help but find her sudden interest a bit unusual. While she naturally kept track of his official progress as his advisor, he had never described the gritty, minute-by-minute details of his battles to her before. Still, seeing no harm in her curiosity, he brushed the slight awkwardness aside and answered every single one of her questions with complete honesty.

When the food arrived, they dug in, the conversation naturally slowing down to a comfortable hum.

As they ate, Luki casually observed her from across the table. Even in a relaxed setting, Eina had immaculate manners. She handled her utensils with a fluid precision that spoke of good upbringing. Luki, on the other hand, just ate normally, treating the high-end meal with his usual casual demeanor.

Sensing his eyes on her, Eina set her fork down and looked up, a knowing smirk on her lips.

"You're staring quite a bit, Luki..." she noted, her emerald eyes locked onto his with an amused glint.

"Ah, sorry about that," Luki replied with an easy grin. "Just appreciating the view."

Eina let out a genuine chuckle, shaking her head. "Smooth talker. Just finish your plate."

The two of them continued eating in a pleasant silence. Once the plates were cleared and they were comfortably full, Eina rested her elbows on the table and leaned in slightly, her expression shifting into something a bit more focused. The time for their serious talk had finally arrived.

"Luki-san, what do you know about the Ouranos Familia?" she asked quietly.

Luki raised an eyebrow, momentarily caught off guard by the abrupt change in topic. "The same as most people out there, to be honest. I barely even knew it existed. I always believed that old story about him disbanding his Familia ages ago."

"Ah, yes, that story. They say that Ouranos-sama dissolved his Familia to maintain a completely neutral stance, allowing him to keep the conflicts between the Familias of Orario under control. But now that everything has spun out of control, he basically rose from the ashes as the third king of Orario."

"True. I don't think anyone saw that coming," Luki mused, leaning back in his chair as he processed her words. "Ouranos must be shaking things up quite a bit, both inside and outside the Guild, right?"

"That's relatively what I wanted to talk to you about," Eina replied, pausing for a brief second as she looked directly at him, gauging his expression. Luki quietly waited for her to continue, his spatial senses picking up the steady, determined rhythm of her breathing.

"A little while ago, Ouranos-sama offered a unique opportunity to all the Guild members..." Eina explained, lowering her voice just a fraction. "...an opportunity to officially join the Ouranos Familia and receive his Falna."

Luki froze for a split second, blinking in genuine astonishment. "Wait a minute. Falna? But wouldn't that basically turn the Guild into his private property or something?"

"The Guild has always been Ouranos-sama's creation from the very beginning," Eina countered softly, steepling her fingers. "But because he didn't possess a private army to back his authority, people gradually forgot about that fact over the centuries."

Luki stared at her, the pieces of the puzzle quickly falling into place in his mind. He recalled her intense questions about his safety and monster difficulty from just moments ago. "Okay, and what does that have to do with... wait. Don't tell me..."

"I accepted it," Eina interrupted with a small, proud smile, her emerald eyes shining with a newfound resolve. "I joined the Ouranos Familia."

Luki's tense posture immediately melted away, a wide, genuine grin breaking across his face. He leaned over the table and lightly raised his glass toward her. "Wow, really? That's amazing, Eina! Congratulations."

Eina let out a soft, nervous breath, her smile fading into a more tentative expression as she nervously adjusted her cuff.

"Thank you, Luki-san. But... there's actually a favor I wanted to ask you, and it has to do with this," she began, her eyes locking onto his with genuine sincerity. "I was wondering... if there is any chance I could join your party as an adventurer from time to time?"

Luki blinked, temporarily losing his words. He stared at her, completely caught off guard. "Wait. You? An adventurer? In the Dungeon?"

"Let me explain. Just being a Guild clerk forever doesn't build a real future. Now that I have a Falna, I've been thinking about entering the Dungeon occasionally to grow stronger, for self-defense, and... well, to make some extra money on the side."

Hearing those words, a specific memory flashed through Luki's mind. He remembered their last encounter in the middle of the street, where Eina had mentioned she was saving up to move out of her parents' house. He recalled her saying it would take some time, but she would get there eventually. 'So that's what she meant. When she said she would get there, she wasn't just talking about saving up coins. She was planning this.'

"The thing is, the Dungeon isn't exactly welcoming to rookies right now," Eina continued, pulling him out of his thoughts. Her tone turned slightly sheepish. "I obviously can't do this alone, so I wanted to ask for your help. Just until I can manage to stand on my own two feet... if it isn't too much of a bother, of course."

"Hey, it's no trouble at all," Luki replied instantly, giving her a reassuring, warm smile. "Don't even worry about it. In fact, I'd be more than happy to help you out. It's the perfect way to repay you for all the favors you've given me since the beginning."

Eina's eyes softened, and a bright, relieved smile lit up her face. "Thank you, Luki-san. That truly means a lot to me."

Luki nodded, but then he paused, a sudden contradiction striking him as he thought about the logistics. "Though... if you don't mind me asking, why didn't you ask the Ouranos Familia for help? If you joined them, shouldn't you have the backing of their stronger, high-level members for training?"

The moment the question left his mouth, Eina froze.

Her eyes widened slightly, and a sudden, bright pink blush rushed up her neck and painted her cheeks. She opened her mouth to speak, but only an incoherent stutter came out as she desperately tried to find a flaw in his logic.

The truth was, she hadn't even considered asking her new Familia. She had instantly thought of Luki—partly because she already knew him and trusted him completely over a bunch of strangers, but also because of other, much less professional reasons buried deep in her heart that she wasn't even fully ready to admit to herself yet.

"W-Well..." Eina stammered, looking away as she nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, inventing a thoroughly terrible excuse on the spot. "The... the stronger members are very busy with high-priority classified missions for Ouranos-sama! They don't have time to baby a clerk in the upper floors."

Luki stared at her, thoroughly amused by her uncharacteristic clumsiness, but he decided to let it slide. "Right. Makes sense. So, how exactly is this going to work? You still have your shifts at the Guild counter, don't you?"

Grateful for the change of subject, Eina quickly composed herself and nodded, her professional side taking over. "I've already planned my schedule. I'm going to request a shift change very soon. I will be working at the Guild from Monday to Wednesday, which leaves Thursday through Sunday completely free for me to explore the Dungeon."

Luki raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Can you, qnd the other workers, really just change your hours like that? Won't the Guild be short-staffed?"

"Oranos-sama is actually about to recruit a massive number of new employees to cover the shortage. The goal is to ensure that everyone who received the Falna has a fair opportunity to train and grow stronger in peace."

"I see," Luki smiled, extending his hand across the table toward her. "Then it's a deal. Welcome to the team, Eina-san."

Eina looked down at his hand, her blush finally settling into a warm, comfortable glow, and shook it firmly. "It's a deal, Luki-san. Please take good care of me."