"That elf who bought the books?" The shopkeeper looked surprised.
"Yes, could you describe what he looked like?" Finn asked politely, his tone gentle.
"Speaking of him…"
"I've seen many elves, and most of them are quite handsome. But this is the first time I've seen one whose appearance rivals that of a god."
"Even Riveria, can't compare to that boy in terms of looks," the old man said.
Hearing such high praise from the shopkeeper, Finn and Riveria exchanged surprised glances.
Neither Ais nor Tiona had mentioned that Orsted's appearance was so striking that it could rival a god's.
"Did I guess wrong?" Finn couldn't help but doubt himself.
"I don't know the boy's name, but he has long silver hair tied in a ponytail," the old man added.
Hearing this, Finn and Riveria's hearts skipped a beat, and they exchanged another glance.
Finn then turned back to the old man.
"Thank you, old man."
The two thanked him and left the bookstore.
"Riveria, do you think it could be Orsted?" Finn mused aloud as they walked down the street, stroking his chin.
"Just ask Ais and Tiona. A face like that would be hard to miss."
"You're right. We'll know once we ask them," Finn agreed.
The two quickly returned to Twilight Manor.
As soon as they arrived, they called for Tiona and Ais.
However, although they had only called for two people, three showed up—Ais, Tiona, and Tiona's sister, Tione.
"Finn, why did you call us here?" Tiona asked loudly as soon as she entered the office.
"I have something to ask you," Finn replied gently.
"Tiona, what does that Orsted look like?" Riveria asked directly.
"Eh? Riveria, are you interested in Orsted?" Tiona's eyes lit up at the question.
"Let me tell you, Orsted is incredibly handsome."
"Even if Ais stood next to him, Orsted's brilliance wouldn't be overshadowed," Tiona gushed, clearly excited at the thought of Riveria potentially finding a partner.
"I'm not joking. What does Orsted look like?" Riveria frowned, her tone sharp.
"Well, I wasn't exaggerating. Orsted is truly stunning. In our Familia, only Ais can compare to him," Tiona replied, her enthusiasm dampened but still answering Riveria's question.
Hearing this, Riveria and Finn exchanged a subtle nod.
"What's going on?" Tione asked, noticing the silent exchange between Finn and Riveria.
Finn didn't hide anything and explained the situation regarding Orsted.
After hearing Finn and Riveria's explanation, Tione and the others were visibly surprised.
"I didn't expect Orsted to be trying to make a Grimoire, just like Riveria."
"I wonder how skilled he is."
"If he's capable, Riveria, you could collaborate with him."
"It's not good for you to work alone in isolation," Tiona said casually, her hands behind her head.
Though her words were casual, they struck a chord.
Hearing Tiona's offhand remark, Riveria and Finn recalled what Loki had said earlier.
Loki had told Riveria that her intuition suggested it would be beneficial for Riveria to connect with Orsted.
It was rare for gods to have such intuitions.
While somes intuitions could predict future events, most were little more than nonsense.
Because of this, Riveria hadn't taken Loki's words seriously, and neither had Finn.
But now, given how things had unfolded, both Riveria and Finn were inclined to believe Loki's intuition this time.
"Riveria, why don't you give it a try?" Finn asked tentatively.
Riveria frowned but didn't respond immediately.
Finn and the others waited patiently for her answer.
After a long pause, Riveria finally spoke.
"We'll discuss it later."
Finn: "…"
Ais: "…"
Tiona: "…"
Tione: "..."
***
While the Loki Familia was discussing Orsted, the man in question had already returned to Hestia Familia mansion.
However, Orsted didn't stay long.
After placing the books in his workshop, he headed out again.
Crafting a Grimoire required more than just his skills and the books—he also needed various materials.
The materials Orsted had on hand had already been used to create other magic items, so he needed to purchase more.
His first stop was Babel.
If there was one place in Orario with the most selection of materials, it was Babel.
The materials sold there were more expensive due to the high cost of renting space in the tower.
However, the advantage was that Babel had a wider variety of items than anywhere else in the city.
Unless it was something extremely rare, it could usually be found there.
Orsted didn't have time to search elsewhere, so he chose Babel, even if it meant paying more.
---
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