Author: so here's the good news, the OMAKE ended up being shorter than expected cause it's just one chaotic scene. Meaning yeah, I manage to make both the OMAKE and chapter 32. The OMAKE is by the end of the chapter.
Lastly, this is IMPORTANT so read this one:
In this chapter, you guys will notice that Alfia's other self will be behaving a bit—depends on how you see it—different from the previous one. My true purpose for her other self, is it's supposed to be her more honest version. And looking back at the previous chapters, it felt like I was a bit lacking in showing her other self act like that. How did I say that? Well, at least for me, it was just mostly mocking and teasing Alfia up until this point. So now, I'm trying to make it behave like how I intended it to be. It'll still be teasing and mocking Alfia, but not as hard as before. Additionally, like I said—it was the honest side of her—and that includes it being expressive.
I wrote this warning so that you guys won't be too surprised in the change of behavior. And sorry in advance if it's such a massive change for some of you.
Anyways, that's all, and thanks for waiting for this new chapter.
∆∆∆∆
The faint, golden light of dawn filtered through the lace curtains, painting long shadows across the wooden floorboards.
On the bed, Alfia shifted slightly beneath the quilt, the quiet rustle of shifting blankets breaking the morning silence. A low scuffing sound followed, accompanied by the distinct sound of cotton being pulled into place.
Alfia's eyelids fluttered open.
The first thing she noticed was the distinct lack of warmth against her skin. She shifted her fingers, only to find the bedsheet beneath her palm empty. Yuuya's hand was no longer woven through hers.
Tracking the movement across the dim room, her gaze settled on the silhouette standing near the large mahogany wardrobe.
Yuuya was already dressed in his usual dark trousers, currently adjusting the buckle of his weapon belt around his waist.
He moved with quietness, clearly trying to avoid disturbing her rest. Once the belt was secure, he reached over to the wooden chair beside the wardrobe and carefully picked up a long, darkly sheathed katana.
It was Kurotsuki, the masterpiece forged for him by Hephaestus herself. And today was the scheduled date for its monthly inspection.
Alfia propped herself up on her elbows, her long silver hair cascading over her shoulders as she watched him secure the sheath to his hip.
"You are leaving quite early." Alfia murmured, her voice carrying a soft, relaxed tone she reserved only for him. "Where are you going?"
Yuuya jumped slightly, his shoulders tensing before he turned around to face the bed. A sheepish smile broke across his features as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Ah, did I wake you? Sorry about that. I tried to be as quiet as possible, but I guess my boots gave me away."
"It's not your boots. It was the rustle of your clothes." Alfia corrected gently, sliding her legs out from beneath the quilt to sit on the edge of the mattress. Her heterochromatic eyes locked onto the black hilt of his sword. "You didn't answer my question. Where exactly are you going with Kurotsuki?"
Yuuya patted the guard of the katana, ensuring it was locked tight.
"It's time for the monthly checkup at Goddess Hephaestus's personal workshop. It's a mandatory part of our deal, so I need to head out before the market crowds get too thick."
Alfia didn't hesitate for a single second.
"I am coming with you."
Yuuya blinked, his hands freezing on his belt.
"Whoa, wait a minute. Alfia, we can't do that."
"And why exactly is that?" She questioned, her jaw tightening as she looked up at him.
The mere thought of him walking out that door, leaving her trapped in this room while he went into the bustling city alone, made that familiar, cold knot of anxiety tighten in her chest.
She didn't want him out of her sight.
"I mean, you can't just casually stroll into the streets. Ouranos and Hermes are still in the middle of clearing your name. To the rest of the world, the 'Silence' is dead." He stepped closer to the bed, his dark eyes filled with a practical, caring concern. "Besides, your rehabilitation has only been going on for a week. Sure, you can walk a fair distance around this room now, but the distance from here to there is different. It'll be way too much for your legs."
Alfia listened to his arguments, but her resolve didn't waver in the slightest. The urge to stay right by his side completely overrode her usual logic.
"We can easily make compromises." Alfia countered. "If I get tired, we will simply stop and rest. We can take the quiet back alleys where the crowds do not go. No one will look twice at a random person in the shadows."
She stood up, her feet touching the cool floorboards. She trembled slightly, her knees feeling a bit weak, but she forced herself to stand tall, refusing to show a single ounce of vulnerability. She locked her eyes onto his dark gaze, her expression turning incredibly stubborn.
"Furthermore..." She continued, her voice dropping into a quiet, dangerous purr. "If you decide to continue opposing me and leave me behind this room, Yuuya, I mean it... I will completely ignore you. I will be thoroughly grumpy, I will remain entirely sulky, and I will not speak a single syllable to you for an entire week. Good luck running our rehabilitation sessions in silence. So choose your next words very carefully, brat."
Yuuya stared at her, his jaw dropping slightly as he processed the ultimatum. The mental image of returning to this bedroom for the next seven days only to face a silent, freezing aura and a glaring silver haired mage made a genuine shudder run straight down his spine.
He knew this alternate version of Alfia was vastly different from the original lore, but hearing the "Silence" threaten him with... silence... a week long childish sulk at that, was something he never could have anticipated. It was an underhanded technique yes, but it also shows just how desperately she refused to be left behind.
And he also knew her well enough to recognize that she wasn't bluffing in the slightest. She would definitely do the silent treatment without a single shred of remorse.
Yuuya let out a long, defeated sigh, running a hand through his dark hair as his shoulders slumped.
"Wow. Okay. You're really going to play that card, huh?"
Alfia raised a single eyebrow, her silent gaze proving that she wasn't bluffing at all.
The silence stretched for a long moment before Yuuya finally let out another defeated sigh, his shoulders slumping in complete surrender.
"Alright, alright. You win." Yuuya groaned, a tired but affectionate smile returning to his face as he shook his head. "Nobody would want to spend the next week next to a human blizzard. You can come along."
Alfia's lips twitched upward in a small, victorious smirk, her green and gray eyes gleaming with quiet satisfaction.
"But." Yuuya pointed an accusing finger at her, his expression turning just a slightly serious as he laid down his own ultimatum. "You are going under one strict condition. You wear a cloak, you keep the hood pulled completely down over your face, and you do not lift it for any reason whatsoever while we are out in the open. Deal?"
Alfia's smirk softened into a relaxed, genuine nod.
"Deal. Fetch the fabric. Help me put it on."
Yuuya smiled faintly, shaking his head at her stubbornness.
He went ahead and fetched the cloak, then helped her in putting it in. He stepped in close to guide her arms through the fabric and carefully adjust the hood over her silver hair.
With her safely wrapped by his side, they prepared to step out into the city together.
∆∆∆∆
Alfia walked closely beside Yuuya, her form shrouded beneath the folds of the black traveling cloak. Beneath the deep shadow of her hood, her right green eye and left gray eye carefully scanned the passing storefronts, taking in the sights of a city she hadn't seen in seven years.
To an outside observer, they looked like an ordinary couple navigating the morning rush.
In reality, Alfia was doing a very deliberate strategy to preserve her limited stamina. She had wrapped her arm securely around Yuuya's arm, pressing herself firmly against his side and leaning a significant portion of her body weight onto his frame.
Clinging and relying to a man. A kind of gesture the past her could never imagine she would do.
If her old companions are still alive, they would lose their minds seeing her act like this.
'Meteria would be overjoyed if she were to see us like this.' Her other self whispered, its voice dripping with a teasing tone. 'She would never let you hear the end of it.'
'Shut it.' Alfia replied, her cheeks turning slightly pink under the hood. 'I'm only doing this to preserve my stamina and not delay Yuuya's schedule.'
'Sure, sure. Whatever helps you sleep better at night.'
Meanwhile, for Yuuya, he walked with a slightly rigid posture, a faint pink hue touching his cheeks. The physical proximity was undeniably distracting, and the way she unashamedly kept herself close and leaned her weight onto him made his stride a bit awkward.
Still, his strength easily accommodated the burden. He adjusted his pace, keeping his arm against his ribs to give her a solid support to lean on.
As they turned down a less crowded thoroughfare leading toward the manufacturing district, Alfia broke the silence.
"The architecture has changed little, though many of the old crests are gone." She noted, her voice a quiet, casual murmur meant for his ears alone. "Tell me, Yuuya. How fares the actual strength of this city now? Did our departure bear the fruit we intended?"
Yuuya let out a soft sigh, his eyes tracking a patrol of Ganesha Familia members in the distance.
"If you're asking if the current generation matches the golden age, the honest answer is no. Do you remember the Astrea familia? The girls that you fought seven years ago? Well... yes they do actually did get a lot stronger after they defeated you. They became the pillars of justice in the streets. But it didn't last. Though I'm not here to witness it since I'm sleeping for seven years as a soul, I know for a fact from my knowledge in my past life, that they were killed. A few years after your supposed death and our first meeting, an event occurred in the dungeon. They were wiped out, Alfia. Only the blond elf named Ryuu survived."
Alfia's arm tightened around his biceps, her footsteps faltering for a fraction of a second before she forced herself to keep moving.
"Wiped out..." She repeated softly.
"Yeah." Yuuya continued, his tone turning practical as he summarized the city's current power structure. "Right now, the peak of Orario rests almost entirely on the shoulders of Freya and Loki. Beyond them, the overall level of the masses is surprisingly low. If you want the most significant outcome of the entire Dark Age... it's Ottar. He managed to reach Level 7, but only because he pushed past his limits to defeat Zald."
Beneath the darkness of her hood, Alfia's brow furrowed into a deep, displeased frown.
A wave of disappointment settled into her chest.
Only one Level 7.
And seven years have already passed.
She and Zald had tossed their names into the mud, played the roles of villains—she even reluctantly left Bell in hopes of making the current generation stronger, so that he may never have to pick up a sword—and burned away the final remnants of their fading lives just to give this city a wake up call.
To hear that the grand result of their sacrifice was a single adventurer reaching the next tier felt terribly hollow.
Granted, given the terminal illnesses that were actively rotting their bodies, that crusade was the most they could have possibly done to force the city to grow.
To give it just a slightly better chance of surviving when the time to fight the OEBD arrives.
But what truly upsets Alfia was the general atmosphere of the streets.
The citizens laughed, the merchants traded, and the younger adventurers strolled about with a sense of casual complacency.
Sure it wasn't such a bad thing.
But for Alfia, it shows that Orario treated the Dark Age as nothing more than a dark, unfortunate footnote in a history textbook, entirely failing to grasp the lesson she and Zald had tried to teach them.
In simpler words, Orario sees the dark age—and their sacrifice—as nothing but just a bad page in a book.
Sensing the sudden gloom radiating from her posture, Yuuya cleared his throat, a playful smirk returning to his lips as he bumped his shoulder gently against hers.
"Hey, don't look so down." Yuuya joked lightly. "If you think about it, I actually did this entire city a massive favor by saving and curing you. Once those legs of yours are back at one hundred percent, you can step right back into the light and give these modern adventurers a classic Zeus and Hera Familia baptism. You know the drill—beat them completely senseless until their stats break through the ceiling. Apparently, getting pulverized is the best way to grow. Plus, you can finally go back to trash talking incompetent gods and arrogant rookies alike. And tell you what, I'll help you in beating them up. You have my word."
Alfia froze in place, her grip on his arm instantly locking solid.
Before she could even process his words, a soft, vibrating warmth bloomed within her mind. Her inner self spoke up, the voice suddenly devoid of its previous teasing edge, sounding incredibly tender and honest.
'He wants us to stay...' Her other self whispered, a deep, fluttering emotion expanding through Alfia's chest. 'Listen to him, Alfia. He isn't just treating us like a hidden secret or a temporary burden to look after. He is already building a future where we stand tall beside him, active and alive in the light. He wants us to be a part of his world. Isn't it nice and sweet how naturally he includes us in his tomorrow?'
A fierce, burning crimson rushed across Alfia's face beneath her hood, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs at her subconscious mind's blatant, romantic interpretation of his joke.
'Silence.' She replied to her self.
She felt a profound wave of embarrassment, desperately thankful for the thick fabric hiding her features from his sight. She cleared her throat twice, forcing her posture to stiffen as they resumed walking.
"Stupid brat..." Alfia murmured, though her casual tone lacked any real venom, carrying a soft, almost imperceptible warmth instead. "The current deities of this city are not yet ready for my words again. As for your so called baptisms... the adventurers of this era would need to actually survive my first lesson before they could even dream of a Level Up. Do not suggest such exhausting tasks while I am still wearing your oversized shirts."
Yuuya let out a genuine, hearty laugh, relieved to see the tension leave her shoulders.
"Fair enough. One step at a time."
A short while later, the duo arrived at Hephaestus's place. Navigating past the busy storefronts and noisy forge areas, Yuuya guided Alfia up a private set of stairs, stopping before an oak door.
He knocked three times in before pushing the door open, stepping into a spacious, well lit office filled with the rich scent of coal, heated metal, and expensive polish.
Hephaestus sat behind a wooden desk covered in blueprints and material invoices. Her single visible eye was focused intently on a ledger. Hearing the door open, she looked up, her expression instantly shifting into a look of genuine surprise as she noticed the tall, cloaked figure tightly clinging to Yuuya's arm.
"Yuuya." Hephaestus stated, leaning back in her chair as she set her quill down. "You are early for the maintenance slot. And... I must admit, I didn't expect you to bring a companion. That's a first. My smiths usually handle the public, and you've never been one to bring guests to my office."
Yuuya rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish grin, offering a casual, reassuring wave of his hand as he kept Alfia steady against his side.
"Ah, morning, Goddess Hephaestus. Sorry for the surprise." Yuuya explained smoothly, keeping his voice light to maintain the cover story. "She's... well, let's just say she's an accomplice of mine from a very far place. She's currently visiting Orario for a short while, but she happens to be incredibly shy around large crowds and unfamiliar faces. I didn't want to leave her alone at the mansion, so she insisted on tagging along."
Hephaestus's single eye lingered on the cloaked figure, studying the way she stood—her posture straight, her weight subtly shifted, her presence carrying a quiet, controlled intensity that was far too refined for an ordinary traveler.
But she didn't press.
"An accomplice, you say? Well, I suppose if she's good enough for you, then she's good enough for me. As long as she doesn't mind the heat of the forge, she can sit. Hand over the blade, Yuuya."
The maintenance session went by quickly. Hephaestus examined the dark steel of Kurotsuki, tracing the intricate runes carved into the metal and applying a specialized oil.
After a few more questions from Yuuya, they are done.
When the inspection concluded, Hephaestus gave a satisfied nod.
"The blade is in excellent condition. The balance is still perfect, and the edge is holding up remarkably well. You've been taking good care of it."
"I try." Yuuya replied, a warm smile tugging at his lips as he sheathed Kurotsuki. "It's kind of important to me. It saved my skin more times than I could count."
Hephaestus's single eye flickered briefly toward Alfia once more, a flicker of something unreadable passing across her face. She didn't comment on it, simply nodding toward the door.
"Good. Keep it that way. And Yuuya... be careful out there. The city's been restless lately. Rumors are spreading faster than usual."
Yuuya's expression tightened slightly, but he nodded.
"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, Goddess."
As they turned to leave, Alfia fell into step beside him once more, her fingers brushing against the edge of his sleeve. The warmth of his presence was a steady, comforting feeling. Grounding and calming her down in the unfamiliar environment.
Hephaestus watched them go, her single eye narrowing slightly as she studied the cloaked figure's movements—the way she walked, the way she kept close to Yuuya, the subtle shift of her weight that suggested she was not just a casual visitor.
After the door clicked shut behind them, Hephaestus let out a low, quiet hum.
"An accomplice from a faraway place..." She murmured, a faint, knowing smirk touching her lips. "Right. And I'm a mortal."
Back to Yuuya and Alfia, stepping down into the sprawling stone courtyard of the workshop, the metallic tang of the forge gave way to the morning air.
Alfia kept close to his side, her hood still pulled low. The strategy of leaning her weight against him had worked remarkably well—she was tired, but not exhausted, and the steady rhythm of walking beside him had become almost comforting.
However, their exit was paused as they approached the main gates. A large, familiar group was gathered around a massive wooden crate filled with newly forged gears.
Finn, Riveria, Ais, and the Amazon twins—Tiona and Tione—even Bete were there. They were actively overseeing the final supply checks for their upcoming expedition.
"Ah, Yuuya. I didn't expect to run into Orario's newest first-class adventurer so early in the morning." Finn called out, a welcoming smile appearing on his face as he stepped away from the crates.
Yuuya stopped, shifting his stance slightly to ensure Alfia remained steady against his side. A playful smirk crossed his lips.
"Morning, Finn. Honestly, you look a lot better today than you did the last time I saw you. During the Denatus, you looked like you were actively plotting a way to break through the walls just to escape the room."
Finn let out a weary chuckle, rubbing his temple with a sigh.
"Please, don't remind me. It was supposed to be my official day off. I had a whole morning lined up to simply relax at the manor, but Loki practically dragged me out by my collar. I had no choice but to sit through the gods losing their minds over your absurd leveling records."
While the two captains exchanged casual banter, Tiona's energetic gaze drifted away from the armor crates, instantly locking onto the cloaked figure that was clinging to Yuuya's arm. Her eyes widened with pure curiosity, and she bounced over to them without a single shred of hesitation.
"Whoa, Yuuya! Who's your friend?" Tiona asked, tilting her head as she tried to peek beneath the deep shadow of the fabric. "She's acting super, super clingy! "I mean, not in a bad way! She just seems really comfortable with you. Or is it???You're practically carrying her around on your arm! Is this a secret morning date? Tell me, tell me!"
Alfia stiffened beneath the layers of the cloak. Her right green eye and left gray eye narrowed slightly through the darkness of her hood.
'Just let them be.' Her other self whispered, a lazy, content satisfaction echoing in Alfia's mind. 'They are noticing how close you stand to him. And you do not mind it, do you? You like being seen as someone who belongs at his side. Besides, the little Amazon is right, you know. We are leaning heavily on him, and it feels wonderful. Let's pull ourselves just a fraction closer to his chest. He belongs to us right now, after all.'
Another rush of embarrassment flared within Alfia's chest at her subconscious mind's blatant honesty. She felt a wave of heat rush up her neck, once again thankful for the thick hood hiding her features from the crowd. Alfia's fingers tightened almost imperceptibly against Yuuya's sleeve, but she didn't pull away.
To counter the internal flutter, she forced her posture to remain straight, keeping her lips sealed to ensure Riveria's incredibly sharp ears wouldn't recognize her voice.
Bete let out a low, dismissive snort.
"Tch. A cloaked mystery guest. How dramatic. Don't tell me you've been hiding some exiled princess or something."
"Nothing that interesting." Yuuya replied smoothly, his tone entirely unbothered. "Just a friend. She's not much for crowds, so the hood helps."
Riveria, standing just a few paces back, narrowed her eyes. As a first-class adventurer high elf, her intuition was exceptionally refined.
Even though Alfia was suppressing herself, Riveria could still feel a strange, imposing pressure radiating from the cloaked woman—a aura that didn't match a simple "shy visitor."
Additionally, there was something familiar about the way the stranger stood but she couldn't place it and didn't press it.
Finn, noticing the subtle shift in the air, gently raised a hand to call the Amazon back.
"Now, now, don't pester Yuuya's guest. Apologies, Yuuya. My familia members tend to lack boundary awareness when they get excited."
"No worries, Finn." Yuuya laughed, though a small bead of nervous sweat formed near his temple as he subtly braced his core to support Alfia's leaning weight. "She's just a traveler from a far place. Not really used to the bustling energy of Orario's top adventurers."
Finn's smile softened, his expression transitioning from casual friendliness to the focused, calculating look of the Braver. He crossed his arms, stepping a bit closer to cut straight to the core of the matter.
"Jokes aside, Yuuya... the news from Denatus has already spread to the core members of the major familias. The Guild formally updated your profile. You managed to reach the seventieth floor. And you did it entirely alone."
The courtyard grew noticeably quieter. Even Tiona and Tione paused their side conversation, their eyes shifting toward Yuuya with a profound sense of respect.
"The deepest the Loki Familia has ever managed to conquer is the fifty-ninth floor." Finn stated, his voice calm but it wasn't playing lightly either. "The territory beyond that remains a complete blank slate to us. We are currently preparing for our next major expedition into those deep zones. If it isn't a violation of your own secrets... would you be willing to share some of your discoveries regarding the terrain and the monsters down there? Any piece of information you can give could mean the difference between life and death for my people."
Finn's question hung heavily in the morning air. The casual warmth dissipated, replaced by the intense focus of the Loki Familia executives.
Even Ais stepped forward by a fraction of an inch, her eyes fixed intently on Yuuya's face.
Yuuya remained quiet for a brief moment, his mind mapping out the fragments of the future he possessed.
In the original timeline, the Loki Familia wasn't destined to push past the fifty-ninth floor until months down the road, an excursion that would ultimately require a desperate, city wide rescue effort due to the emergence of the demi-spirit, Reginas Revis.
The system has already clarified that this world would always maintain the events he knows of, even if the specific process and paths shifted.
During his six month grace period, he had been free to act as he pleased without breaking the timeline, but he still felt a lingering responsibility to keep and help it maintain its course.
If Finn was determined to lead his people into the deep zones early, Yuuya needed to ensure they actually survived the terrain.
Revis wasn't waiting on the sixtieth floor just yet, but the natural horrors of the deep were more than capable of wiping them out if they grew complacent.
To keep them alive, he decided to scare them a little.
Yuuya shifted his posture, his playful smirk completely fading into a sober, professional mask.
"Alright. If you're truly planning to conquer the depths, you need to understand the reality of what's waiting below."
Finn's posture grew rigid, his intellect absorbing Yuuya's shift in demeanor.
"From the sixtieth down to the sixty-fifth floor, you will enter the glacier territory." Yuuya began, his voice carrying a calm gravity. "The old records left behind by the Zeus and Hera Familias regarding the climate was true. Additionally, right between the sixtieth and sixty-first floor, you are going to encounter an area known as Thalia's Ice Garden. Records say that the Zeus and Hera familia gave up on exploring that specific zone. It wasn't because they lacked the strength to smash through it, but because of other reasons. I won't get into the details, but if you can find a way to reroute around it, I highly recommend doing so."
Riveria's brow furrowed, her eyes narrowing with sharp interest.
"What kind of 'other reasons'?"
Yuuya shook his head.
"That's not my story to tell. Just trust me—avoid it if you can. Avoid the Garden if you value your members."
A heavy silence settled over the group.
"Furthermore..." Yuuya continued, letting his gaze sweep across the executives. "In my personal opinion, I highly recommend that you, Riveria, and Gareth achieve Level 7 before you even consider mapping that glacier territory."
The declaration struck the courtyard like a physical blow. Tione blinked in sheer disbelief, while Tiona's jaw dropped slightly.
To suggest that Orario's three most seasoned Level 6 veterans needed to ascend just to explore a standard floor sequence was unprecedented.
"Yuuya..." Finn murmured, his brow furrowing deeply. "Is the baseline power scaling down there truly that severe?"
"If you choose to disregard the warning and push ahead anyway, there are two specific monster variants you must watch out for." Yuuya replied, ignoring the question to drive the point home.
He held up a finger.
"The first are the Centaurs. Do not mistake them for standard deep-floor fodder. Every single one of these specific variants possesses the raw offensive strength of a mid-tier Level 7, backed by the durability of a high-tier Level 8 entity. They are the designated tanks of the glacier territory—essentially a floor boss in everything but official title."
"A Level 8 defense..." Tiona swallowed hard, her usual bubbly energy vanishing.
"And they aren't even the primary threat." Yuuya countered smoothly.
He held up a second finger.
"Next is the Cyclops. It is a gargantuan, multi-armed irregular that towers over thirty feet high, its frozen skin thick enough to resemble armored steel plates. That monster carries the strength of a low-level 9 entity. It is the true mob boss of the frozen zones."
Riveria's breath hitched slightly, her hand instinctively tightening around her staff.
"A Level 9... if a Monster Rex of that caliber spawns on a standard floor—"
"That's the worst part." Yuuya interrupted grimly. "Like I said, it's just a 'mob boss' along with the Centaur. It isn't a Monster Rex. The Cyclops is categorized as a standard mob boss, meaning the Dungeon can, and will, spawn them in active numbers if it feels like it across the entire sixty to sixty-five floor range."
A heavy, suffocating silence descended upon the group.
The sheer nightmare of facing multiple Level 8 and Level 9 entities during a standard floor progression was enough to make even the bravest captain hesitate.
Sensing that their spirits were bordering on becoming entirely diminished, Yuuya allowed his serious expression to soften, offering a small, reassuring wave of his hand.
"Look, don't lose your nerve just yet. Under normal circumstances, your familia probably won't run into them frequently—unless the Dungeon has a personal grudge against you."
Finn tilted his head, his eyes tracking Yuuya's shifting tone.
"Why do you say it like that, Yuuya?"
Yuuya flashed a thoroughly sheepish grin, scratching the back of his neck as he let out a weak laugh as he answered, hiding the fact that he fought those monsters in the 62nd floor's version of Colosseum. Viewing the information as unnecessary, as they won't really go to that place.
"Well, the damned place detests my existence. The moment I set foot in the glacier territory, it immediately spawned both of those monsters for me. Repeatedly. It was like the Dungeon was personally offended by my presence and decided to throw everything it had at me just to make a point... But if your luck is the usual one, you shouldn't face that level of spite."
A beat of silence.
Then, Bete let out a sharp, incredulous bark of laughter.
"Are you telling me the Dungeon has a personal vendetta against you?"
"It sure feels like it." Yuuya admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm not saying it'll happen to you guys. I'm just saying... if you start seeing Centaurs and Cyclops popping up suspiciously often, you might want to reconsider your life choices."
Tiona let out a nervous giggle, though her eyes remained wide.
"That's both terrifying and hilarious."
"Please, do not mention it." Yuuya agreed.
The tension in the air cracked, though Finn remained deeply contemplative.
"But as I said, if achieving Level 7 before the launch date proves impossible, maxing out your current stats is a necessity." Yuuya added, his voice turning strictly practical. "That goes for you three, Ais, Bete, and the rest of the core vanguard. Push your current stats to the limit before you make the descent."
He paused, ensuring his final words carried the weight they deserved.
"One last piece of advice. During my entire time down there, from sixty all the way to seventy... there was no safe zone. Not a single one exists. Mind your pacing and manage your stamina from the moment you leave the fifty-ninth. If you don't, your entire force will be completely drained before you even attempt the climb back to the surface."
Beside him, Alfia remained perfectly silent beneath the folds of her cloak, her right green eye and left gray eye fixed entirely on his profile.
Finn took a long, measured breath, closing his eyes for a moment as he processed the vast wealth of data. When he opened them, he offered Yuuya a deeply respectful, solemn nod.
"No safe zones, and mob boss capable of breaking past Level 8 boundaries... This changes our entire approach..." Finn stated, his voice laced with profound gratitude. "You've given us a fighting chance, Yuuya. Orario is truly fortunate to have an anomaly like you leading the next generation."
"It's nothing much." Yuuya replied, humbly brushing off the compliment.
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the group one final time.
"I know this is a lot to take in. I'm not trying to scare you off or discourage you from exploring deeper. I just want to make sure that if you do go down there, you come back alive."
Finn was silent for a long moment, his eyes fixed on Yuuya with a mixture of even more gratitude and quiet resolve. Finally, he nodded slowly.
"Thank you, Yuuya. This information is invaluable. We'll take it into serious consideration."
"Good." Yuuya replied, offering a warm, genuine smile. "That's all I ask."
He turned to leave, Alfia falling into step beside him once more. As they walked toward the exit, the weight of the conversation settled over the Loki Familia like a heavy, sobering shroud.
Ais watched Yuuya's retreating figure, her golden eyes lingering on the cloaked figure beside him. She still can't throw off the feeling that there was something about the way the stranger moved—the quiet, controlled grace, the subtle shift of weight that spoke of hidden strength.
She didn't say anything. She simply filed the observation away, a quiet note in the back of her mind.
As Yuuya and Alfia stepped back out into the bright morning light, Alfia let out a quiet, thoughtful hum.
"You gave them a great deal of information." She murmured, her voice carrying a note of quiet approval. "More than I expected."
"They need it." Yuuya replied, his tone softening. "The deep floors don't forgive mistakes. If my warning saves even one of them from a needless death, it's worth it."
Alfia's fingers tightened slightly against his sleeve, a small, genuine smile touching her lips beneath the shadow of her hood.
"You are a good man, Yuuya."
He blinked, caught off guard by the warmth in her voice. Then, a slow, genuine smile spread across his face.
"Thanks, Alfia. That means a lot."
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Twilight Manor — Strategy Room
(AN: gotta do some world building ack xd)
The wooden doors of the briefing room closed, shutting out the usual rowdy noise of the Twilight Manor courtyard. Inside, a tense silence prevailed. Maps of the Dungeon's lower floors were pinned to the walls, though the parchment below the fifty-ninth floor remained completely blank.
After that encounter with Yuuya, Finn immediately heads back to the manor to order a meeting.
Loki sat cross legged on the edge of the large central table, her usual mischievous squint completely replaced by a sharp, calculating stare.
She looked around at her childrens—Finn, Riveria, Gareth, Ais, Bete, and the Amazon twins—who had all gathered immediately after the supply run.
"Alright, let's hear it properly." Loki said, resting her chin on her hand. "Finn told me the gist of what that guy dropped on ya at the forge, but I wanna hear the fine details. Level 9 mob boss? Is that brat yankin' our chain, or is the deep zone really that twisted?"
"Yuuya has no reason to lie to us, Loki." Finn replied, leaning over the table with his hands pressed against the wood. "The seriousness in his voice when he described the glacier territory was genuine. He explicitly warned us about the environmental hazards of Thalia's Ice Garden between the sixtieth and sixty-first floor, and the fact that monsters with Level 7 and Level 9 capabilities can spawn in active numbers."
"Tsk. A Level 9 roaming around like a common alley cat." Bete barked, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and a deep scowl on his face. "Sounds like complete madness. Even if the guy is a freak of nature who cleared it alone, pushing our group into a slaughterhouse like that is just asking for a total wipeout."
"But he also said those things only spawn if the Dungeon actively hates you!" Tiona pointed out, trying to inject some optimism into the heavy atmosphere. "He said under normal conditions, we might not even see them!"
"We cannot gamble the lives of our Familia on the whims of the Dungeon's temperament, Tiona." Riveria countered strictly, her eyes fixed on the blank maps. "Yuuya's advice was absolute. No safe zones exist between floors sixty and seventy. Stamina management will be our greatest enemy. If we enter that frozen wasteland with our current strength, we will be completely drained before we can even attempt a retreat."
Gareth grunted, pulling at his thick beard as he weighed the options.
"The old stories always said the Zeus and Hera Familias turned back from that Ice Garden. If legends of that caliber—and this current generation's literal Incarnation of Talent—decided to reroute, we'd be fools to blindly march our people straight into the center of it."
The debate quickly shifted to their immediate options. The objective of any major expedition was to safely secure growth, but Yuuya's warnings had completely changed their scaling requirements.
"So, what's the play, Captain?" Tione asked, looking intently at Finn. "Do we halt the descent entirely, or do we try to map out the entrance of the sixtieth floor just to see what we're dealing with?"
"Our primary objective remains unchanged: we must max out our stats." Finn stated firmly, his eyes sweeping across the room. "However, rushing blindly into the glacier territory is out of the question. For this upcoming expedition, we will establish a secure base camp on the fifty-eight floor and focus our primary operations within the safety of the fifty-ninth."
He tapped a finger against the map table, drawing a clear line of boundaries.
"We will use the fifty-ninth floor as our main training ground to push ourselves. While the executives monitor the deeper threshold, we will prioritize supervising our Level 4 and Level 5 adventurers. They need to bridge the gap and achieve their own level ups if we want a sufficient support structure for the future."
"If we're talkin' about potential, what about the hidden ace of our backline?" Loki asked, a sharp glint returning to her eyes. "You thinkin' of packin' the little thousand-elf along for the ride?"
(AN: I'm suddenly reminded of the Lefiya slander on Reddit lol xD)
Riveria nodded in agreement.
"Lefiya will join the main force for this descent. Her potential as a mage is vast, and her Elf Ring magic gives her an unprecedented utility in combat since she can replicate any elven spell. Exposing her to the excelia of the deep floors under our direct supervision is the best way to accelerate her growth."
Ais, who had remained perfectly silent throughout the entire meeting, quietly tightened her grip on the guard of her sword. Her golden eyes burned with a quiet determination.
She didn't care how terrifying the Level 9 monsters on the sixtieth floor sounded, she only cared about closing the immense distance between herself and the standard Yuuya had set.
"We max out our current stats first." Finn concluded, his voice echoing with authority. "We supervise the mid-tier members, get Lefiya the combat experience she needs, and ensure our vanguard is completely prepared. We do not set a single foot into the glacier territory until we are entirely ready to conquer it."
∆∆∆∆
The noise of clanging hammers and roaring furnaces slowly faded into the ambient hum of Orario's morning streets.
Alfia kept her grip firm on Yuuya's arm, her weight still leaned against his side as they walked.
Yuuya looked down at the dark hood obscuring her face, noting the slight lag in her footsteps despite her best efforts to hide her fatigue.
A sudden thought struck him, bringing a soft smile to his face. He stopped near the edge of a wide stone walkway, turning slightly so they were tucked away from the main flow of pedestrian traffic.
"Hey, Alfia." Yuuya said, his voice dropping to a warm, quiet register. "I just remembered something. A while back, I promised you that once you were able to walk around on your own, I'd take you out to see the city properly. I know your name isn't officially cleared by the Guild yet, and we still have to keep that hood up, but we're already out here. What do you say we make good on that promise right now?"
Beneath the black fabric, Alfia's head tilted upward and looked at Yuuya.
"An impromptu excursion? You are remarkably spontaneous today. But I am not one to turn down a gesture of goodwill. If you are offering to guide me through the nicer parts of the city rather than dragging me straight back to that bedroom, I am more than willing to agree."
A beat of silence.
Alfia remained staring into Yuuya's dark eyes, while replaying the offer he spoke—the way he said it, his tone, the way his eyes softened, that gentle smile of his, everything.
How could she ever refuse?
"...I would like that." She said softly, her voice carrying a quiet, almost vulnerable warmth. Just as the corners of her lips slowly curved upward into a small, genuine smile. "Yes... I would like that very much."
Yuuya chuckled, adjusting his arm to give her better support.
"Alright then. First stop, the North Main Street market. You can't experience Orario properly without trying the local food."
The market street was a vibrant tapestry of sights and smells. Stalls lined both sides of the stone path, their counters piled high with fresh produce, roasted meats, and exotic spices from the far reaches of the continent.
Yuuya guided Alfia through the crowds, steering her clear of any sudden bumps or jostles while keeping a sharp eye out for anything that might catch her interest.
He began stopping at various stalls, purchasing small portions of different street foods—skewered meats grilled over open charcoal, savory pastries filled with spiced vegetables, and crisp, baked bread pockets.
Alfia accepted each item casually, lifting the front of her hood just enough to slip the food past her lips while maintaining her disguise.
After collecting a handful of different treats, Yuuya noticed the subtle tension in her posture increasing.
Recognizing that her legs were reaching their current limit, he scanned the area and spotted a sturdy wooden bench nestled beneath the shade of a large, leafy elm tree, slightly set back from the bustling crowd.
"Let's take a break over there." Yuuya suggested, gently guiding her toward the bench.
Alfia sat down with a soft, nearly imperceptible sigh of relief, leaning back against the wooden slats as her muscles finally relaxed. Yuuya took a seat right beside her, placing the remaining small parcels of food between them.
As they began to eat, Yuuya found himself quietly observing her habits.
When Alfia tried the skewered meat, she didn't eat it quickly or carelessly. Instead, if she found the flavor to her liking, she would take remarkably small, delicate nibbles, carefully savoring each bite before taking another.
It was a stark contrast to her otherwise imposing and powerful aura, displaying a surprisingly dainty and refined side to her character.
Then, Yuuya reached into his jacket and pulled out a small parchment bag he had bought from a popular bakery stall just a moment prior. He opened it to reveal a couple of golden brown pastries dusted with a thick layer of powdered sugar and injected with a sweet fruit preserve.
"Here, try this one." Yuuya said, handing a pastry to her.
Alfia took it, her casual demeanor remaining steady as she took a small bite.
The moment the sweet fruit filling and sugar hit her tongue, her entire demeanor shifted.
Her right green and gray eye widened slightly beneath the shadow of her hood. A faint, unmistakable flush of pink bloomed across her pale cheeks, and her nibbles became noticeably more frequent, her focus entirely locked onto the pastry in her hands.
Inside her mind, the soft, humming resonance of her inner thoughts stirred.
'He really is attentive, isn't he?' Her other self whispered softly. 'He noticed how tired our legs were getting and found a place to rest, and now he's handing us exactly what we didn't know we wanted. I like this. It's perfectly fine to let him see how much we enjoy this. He went out of his way to make us comfortable, after all.'
Alfia's cheeks deepened slightly in color at her inner self's blatant admission of appreciation. She tried to maintain her cool, unbothered expression, but Yuuya had already noticed the pink hue on her face.
A playful smirk broke across Yuuya's features as he leaned in slightly.
"You know, Alfia, for someone who used to terrify the entire world as the 'Silence,' you have a sweet tooth. I didn't think a legendary mage would get a pink flush on her cheeks just from eating a sugar pastry."
Alfia paused, her pastry held halfway to her mouth. She didn't snap or offer a harsh retort, instead, her gaze softened as she looked down at the remaining treat in her hands.
When she spoke, her casual voice carried a quiet, reflective weight that drew Yuuya's full attention.
"Before you cured me, Yuuya... the concept of taste was a luxury I rarely possessed." Alfia revealed softly, her tone entirely devoid of pretense. "The incurable disease that ravaged my body did more than just rot my lungs and drain my stamina. The constant, burning pain and the internal poison dulled all of my physical senses. When I forced myself to eat back then, the taste of sugar, salt, or spice was barely noticeable. Everything felt like ash in my mouth."
She took another small, delicate bite, a genuine, content expression gracing her features as she savored the flavor.
"But now, because of what you did, my body is free from that curse." She continued, looking up to meet his dark eyes through the shadow of her hood. "These flavors... they are entirely vibrant and clear to me now. This sweetness is something I can actually feel and enjoy for the very first time in my life. So, yes, brat. This new taste completely piques my palate. And I intend to enjoy every single bite of it."
Yuuya's teasing smile vanished, replaced by a deep, quiet warmth. He looked at her flushed cheeks and the relaxed posture she held beside him, realizing just how much the simple things in life meant to someone who had spent their entire existence suffering and fighting a losing battle against death.
"In that case..." Yuuya said, his smile returning, softer and far more affectionate as he patted the parchment bag. "It's a good thing I bought a few extra. Take your time, Alfia. We have all the time in the world."
Alfia simply nodded and continued eating her food. Her hood still low, her gaze fixed on the small pastry still resting in her hands. She took another small, delicate bite, her expression soft and content.
Yuuya watched her from the corner of his eye, a quiet, genuine smile settling on his face.
'She's happy.' He thought, the realization settling warmly in his chest. 'She's actually happy. After everything she's been through, she's sitting here, eating a pastry, and just... enjoying the moment.'
He leaned back slightly, letting the warmth of the sun wash over him.
'This is good. This is really good.'
Alfia finished her pastry, her fingers brushing against her lips to catch a stray crumb. She glanced at Yuuya, catching his gaze, and a faint, amused smile touched her lips.
"Are you going to stare at me all day, or are you going to eat your own food?"
Yuuya blinked, then laughed, a warm, genuine sound.
"Right, right. My bad."
He took a bite of his own skewer, the savory flavor grounding him in the moment.
They sat together in companionable silence, the weight of the morning slowly fading into the quiet rhythm of the afternoon.
And for a brief, fleeting moment, the world felt simple. Peaceful. Whole.
∆∆∆∆
The commercial district faded behind them as Yuuya guided Alfia down a quieter side street, eventually stopping in front of an elegant boutique with large glass windows displaying fine fabrics and tailored mannequins.
This was the main part of his promise—replacing the oversized shirts she had been borrowing from him with a proper wardrobe of her own.
Stepping inside, the soft chime of a silver bell alerted the shopkeeper, an elegant human woman who immediately recognized Yuuya's face from the recent profile Guild announcements.
Before she could voice her surprise or look too closely at his shrouded companion, Yuuya politely stepped forward, slipping a pouch of Valis onto the counter.
"Good morning." Yuuya said, keeping his voice low and pleasant. "I'd like to request a private fitting room for the afternoon. My companion here is incredibly particular about her privacy, and we'd prefer to take our time browsing styles without any interruptions from the main floor."
The shopkeeper's eyes darted from the coin purse to the tall, cloaked figure standing perfectly still beside him. Sensing the wealthy patronage and respecting the request of the newest first-class adventurer of Orario, she gave a refined bow.
"Of course, Captain Yuuya. Right this way. You will have total privacy in our premium suite, and I will personally ensure no other clients disturb you."
She led them down a carpeted hallway to a spacious, secluded room adorned with velvet curtains, a plush sofa, and several full length brass mirrors. Once the shopkeeper bowed herself out and closed the oak door, the quiet snap of the lock signaling their isolation, Alfia finally let out a long held breath.
Reaching up with pale fingers, she unfastened the clasp of her cloak. She let the fabric slide off her shoulders, draping it carefully over the back of the nearby sofa.
Beneath it, she was still wearing one of Yuuya's dark, loose fitting shirts, the hem falling halfway down her thighs, a stark contrast to her usual immaculate attire from years past.
As Alfia stood in the center of the room, her gaze sweeps across the racks of clothing that were in the room with a mixture of curiosity and hesitation. She had not shopped for herself in years—decades, even. For as long as she remembers, her usual attire have always been that gothic black dress that she was well known for.
Meanwhile, Yuuya also stood near the center of the room, his arms crossed over his chest as his dark eyes locked onto her. He didn't say a word.
Instead, he simply stared, his gaze traveling from her silver hair down to the oversized cuffs of his shirt, his brow furrowing slightly as his mind began to race through different style concepts, colors, and fabric cuts that would actually suit her stature and personality.
To Yuuya, it was a completely innocent assessment. But to Alfia, the intense, uninterrupted silence of his gaze felt entirely overwhelming.
A strange, unfamiliar nervousness gripped her chest. Alfia felt her posture stiffen as her fingers instinctively reached down to fiddle with the hem of the shirt, gripping the fabric tightly. Her right green eye and left gray eye darted everywhere but his face—tracking the pattern of the wallpaper, analyzing the texture of the carpet, looking at the brass frames of the mirrors—doing absolutely everything she could to prevent a blush from taking over her face.
Before she could master her own rising pulse, her inner self spoke up, its tone carrying a lazy, deeply amused honesty that offered absolutely no help to her situation.
'My, look at how intently his eyes are locked onto us.' Her other self murmured softly, the mental voice vibrating with an unmistakable, content satisfaction. 'He isn't blinking at all. He's looking at us as if he's trying to memorize every single detail of our silhouette in his shirt. It's actually quite thrilling to have his complete, undivided attention like this, isn't it?'
'Shut up! Just shut your mouth, you fool!' Alfia demanded mentally, her internal voice practically shouting in a desperate bid to silence her own subconscious. 'You are entirely unhelpful!'
It did in fact, didn't shut up. Instead, her other self pressed even further.
'I mean, look at him!' Her other self claimed. Alfia can literally see her other self point a finger at Yuuya. 'He is looking at you like you are the most beautiful thing he has ever seen. Do you see that? Do you feel it?! He is absolutely devouring us with his eyes, Alfia! Look at how intensely he's analyzing every single inch of our form. You're loving this, aren't you? Your heart is beating so hard I can hear it in our skull.'
'I said SHUT UP!!!' Alfia mentally screamed at her other self. 'You are not helping!!!'
The teasing proved its effect as her cheeks started warming even more despite her best efforts to remain an unbothered. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her voice carrying a slightly strained edge as she finally broke the silence.
"If you are simply going to stand there and gawk like a mindless farm boy, Yuuya, I highly suggest you buy a painting instead. Your staring is incredibly disruptive."
Yuuya blinked, suddenly snapping out of his internal brainstorming session. A sheepish, embarrassed grin instantly broke across his face as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Ah! Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to creep you out. I was just trying to visualize what kind of dresses or traveling clothes would look best on you. You've got a really striking look, so I wanted to make sure I picked the right fabrics."
He quickly turned around to a small wooden writing desk in the corner of the room, picking up a clean sheet of parchment and a charcoal pen.
Walking back, he extended them toward her, keeping his eyes firmly locked onto her face to respect her space.
"First things first, we need your measurements for the custom tailoring." Yuuya explained, a bright, trustworthy smile on his face. "Take this and write down the dimensions. I'm going to step out to the main floor and look through the fabric rolls to see what colors they have in stock. And don't worry—I swear on my honor, I won't take a single peek at the paper. Only the tailor and you would be the one who'll see it. It's all yours."
Alfia took the paper and pen from his hand, her fingers brushing against his for a brief second, sending a sharp jolt of static through her veins.
"Very well. See that you keep that promise, brat."
"You got it. I'll be back in a few minutes." Yuuya said with a reassuring nod, turning on his heel and stepping out of the private suite, closing the oak door softly behind him.
The moment the click of the latch echoed through the room, the immense tension completely drained from Alfia's frame.
Her shoulders slumped, and her knees suddenly felt incredibly weak—not from the physical exertion of their morning walk, but from the intensity of Yuuya's unblinking stare.
She stumbled back a single step, her thighs hitting the soft cushions of the velvet sofa as she sank down onto the seat, letting her head drop back against the upholstery.
She pressed the back of her hand against her burning forehead, her heart still hammering a frantic rhythm against her ribs.
"Idiot Yuuya..." Alfia muttered to the empty room, her voice dropping into a soft, thoroughly flustered whisper as she stared up at the ceiling, trying to regain her composure before he returned. "Staring at me like that... making my heart race for no reason..."
She shook her head, a small, helpless smile tugging at her lips.
'He made you nervous.' Her inner voice teased, its tone warm and unrepentant. 'His gaze made your knees weak. Admit it.'
Alfia's cheeks flushed, but she didn't deny it. She simply let out a soft, resigned sigh, her fingers brushing against the fabric of her borrowed shirt.
"Idiot." She repeated, but the word carried no bite, only warmth.
She took a moment to compose herself, steadying her breathing, her fingers lightly trailing over the smooth parchment in her lap.
Taking a slow, deep breath to cool the remaining warmth in her cheeks, she smoothed out the front of Yuuya's oversized shirt and stood up. She walked over to the writing desk, dipping the charcoal pen into a shallow inkwell. With a steady hand, she neatly noted down her exact physical measurements.
Once the numbers were cleanly recorded, she left the parchment face down on the desk, ensuring Yuuya could easily hand it to the head tailor without violating his promise.
It took some time, but after the tailor analyzed the measurements, she quickly selected the precise cuts from the prepared collection before leaving the garments on a velvet armchair and bowing her way out of the room.
(Author: if y'all a wondering what will be Alfia's new attire, it would be the one from the IF scenario or the Serene Dream event. The one in the cover page of this book. A quick Google search should show it to some of y'all who isn't aware yet.
And before some of y'all ask, yes, the dress is new to her. She hasn't and wasn't wearing it yet back when she was living with Bell in the village.)
Yuuya gave Alfia a warm, encouraging smile before retreating back into the corridor to give her complete privacy to change.
Alfia gathered the layers of fabric and stepped behind the large, ornate privacy screen. As she unbuttoned her oversized casual shirt and began slipping into the new attire, she couldn't help but marvel at the quality of the materials Yuuya had chosen. It was a stark contrast to the black fabrics she had grown accustomed to over a lifetime of conflict.
First came the upper layers. She pulled on the white, ruffled, off the shoulder collar, the delicate fabric framing her collarbones and upper chest with a soft, elegant touch.
Directly over it, she secured the corset style bodice. It was a vibrant royal blue, bordered by thick, prominent gold piping and decorative, swirling patterns along the seams that perfectly accentuated the natural curves of her torso.
Next, she pulled on the detached sleeves. The upper bands sat firmly against her upper arms, decorated with crisp white ruffles and small, diamond shaped blue jewel accents that caught the ambient light.
Intricate, criss cross lacing ran down the sides of the sleeves, which flared out beautifully at her elbows, leaving her forearms free before meeting the sleek, form fitting black gloves that covered her hands.
For the lower half of her body, the outfit shifted into a display of layered depth. She stepped into a simple, floor-length blue underskirt that flowed smoothly down to her ankles, offering total freedom of movement.
Over the blue fabric, she fastened an asymmetrical, dark charcoal overskirt that parted completely in the front.
The hem of the black fabric was beautifully weighed down by swirling gold embroidery and pristine decorative trim.
Finally, she cinched a thick, brown leather belt with a large, simple circular metal buckle tightly around her waist, grounding the elegant fantasy gown with a touch of practical adventurer utility, before sliding her feet into a pair of plain, sturdy black leather boots.
Leaving the privacy screen, Alfia approached the vanity mirror to inspect the final elements of the ensemble, which is the personal accessories Yuuya had custom ordered from the craftsman.
On the velvet tray sat a sleek black ribbon choker. Fixed to the center of the fabric was a beautiful, teardrop shaped blue jewel pendant.
Alfia's fingers gently traced the smooth surface of the gemstone, a wave of warmth hitting her chest. She instantly realized what he had done.
Yuuya had explicitly taken inspiration from the classic green gemstone necklace she always wore, modernizing it to match this new, vibrant color palette.
Beside the choker was a matching black ribbon hair tie, adorned with an identical diamond shaped blue jewel.
Alfia picked up the ribbon, her mind flashing back to the casual comment Yuuya had made about her hair days ago when they were having a casual talk.
'He said he prefers it down, you know.' Her inner voice teased, giggling softly within her thoughts. 'Are we going to defy his preference, or are we going to give him a little variety?'
Alfia ignored the internal commentary, though a small smile touched her lips. Wanting to try something entirely new for this new phase of her life, she gathered her long, striking silver locks and swept them over her shoulder, tying them back into a loose side ponytail. A few stray, silken strands remained free, framing her delicate face and highlighting her sharp jawline.
Once she was fully dressed, Alfia took a slow step back, viewing her complete reflection in the mirror.
The sight genuinely took her breath away. For seven long years, and for the years before that, she had been defined entirely by her somber, black gothic dress—a garment that looked like a perpetual funeral shroud.
But this new outfit felt alive. The deep royal blue, stark charcoal, and the subtle golden embroidery beautifully complemented her pale complexion, making her heterochromatic eyes stand out with clarity.
It was a nice blend of noble grace, daytime comfort, and subtle authority.
She walked over to the oak door, unlocked it, and pulled it open.
Yuuya was leaning casually against the opposite wall of the corridor, his hands crossed over his chest.
The moment the door clicked open, his dark eyes snapped toward her, and he instantly froze.
His jaw subtly dropped, his entire frame going completely still as his gaze slowly traced over the multi-layered gown, the gold embroidery, the blue jewel choker, and finally resting on the elegant side ponytail resting over her shoulder.
The absolute, stunned silence stretched between them for a few long seconds, making Alfia feel that familiar, nervous flutter return to her stomach. She lightly cleared her throat, shifting her posture as she gently held the side of her charcoal overskirt.
"Well?" Alfia murmured, her tone a mix of proud defiance and quiet vulnerability. "Are you simply going to stare at me all day like a fool, brat, or are you going to offer your critique? I assume the selection meets your standards?"
Yuuya finally snapped out of his daze, a brilliantly bright smile breaking across his face as he stepped forward.
"Standards? Alfia, you look incredible." Yuuya said, his voice completely rich with admiration. He walked a slow circle around her, taking in the perfect fit of the royal blue bodice and the way the gold trim caught the light. "The tailor did a good job with the measurements. The colors suit you perfectly. It completely brings out your eyes."
He stopped directly in front of her, his gaze drifting up to the black ribbon hair tie holding her silver hair together.
"And the side ponytail..." Yuuya chuckled softly, his eyes crinkling with warmth. "I know I mentioned a while ago that I usually prefer your hair completely down, but seeing it like this? I think I might have to completely change my mind. It looks beautiful on you, Alfia."
Hearing his heartfelt praise, the soft pink flush returned to her cheeks, but she didn't look away this time. Instead, she lifted her chin slightly, a soft, immensely serene smile gracing her lips as she looked back into his dark eyes.
"The choker and the ribbon were good choices, Yuuya." She said softly, her voice filled with a profound, quiet gratitude. "The design is... remarkably comfortable. It feels entirely different from my old garments."
"That was the whole point." Yuuya nodded, his expression turning warm and reassuring. "Your old gothic black dress is nice, and it's perfect for when we eventually have to head down into the Dungeon or face a serious battle. But for your day to day life here in Orario? For walking through the city, relaxing at the mansion, and simply living? You deserve something that lets you breathe. Something that belongs to the person you are right now."
Alfia looked down at the royal blue fabric of her bodice, then back up at the man who had systematically dismantled her tragic fate and handed her a brand new future.
"A dress for living..." Alfia whispered the words to herself, the sheer weight of the concept settling beautifully into her heart. She extended her hand, lightly resting her gloved fingers against his sleeve. "Thank you, Yuuya. I truly love it."
"I'm glad you liked it." He said, his voice warm. "You deserve to wear something beautiful."
A faint flush crept up her neck, threatening to deepen her blush, but she didn't look away. She held his gaze, letting the warmth of the moment settle around them like a soft, gentle embrace.
"Thank you, Yuuya. Truly..." She said softly. "For this. For everything."
He smiled, a genuine, heartfelt expression that made her heart skip a beat.
"Anytime, Alfia. Anytime."