Lyra shuffled back toward Akira again, her blush deepening. She bit her lower lip gently, then murmured, her voice soft yet tinged with anticipation. "However, we don't have much time now… so let's just use that method."
Akira's eyes lit up with excitement, nodding quickly. "No problem."
The corners of his lips lifted, revealing the boyish eagerness of someone already imagining the incoming "match."
The atmosphere between them instantly shifted—again laced with that odd blend of tension and familiarity.
And so, in that private sanctuary, a certain kind of contest quietly began anew.
— — —
Later, Akira sat in a quiet corner of the library, flipping through the pages of a slightly worn book in his hands.
The cover, though scuffed and faded, still bore its title proudly—Heroes of Orario.
He turned the pages slowly and methodically, eyes scanning each line with purpose as he searched for the name that had been lingering in his mind—Alfia.
Though the library was only the size of a modest room, it held nearly every book that the Astraea Familia had collected over the years.
Each one was a vessel of history, holding the records of adventurers who had once left their mark on the world—legends whose names echoed through time.
Akira's fingers stopped as his eyes landed on a familiar paragraph.
"Alfia, known by the epithet 'Silence', once a proud member of the Hera Familia."
Found it.
He leaned in and continued reading.
"She wielded magic to slay the great sea monster Leviathan. However, after failing to overcome the Black Dragon, she vanished without a trace."
Akira kept flipping through the book, hoping to find more information about her. But the records on Alfia were sparse—barely more than a few lines, summarizing her feats and abrupt disappearance.
Still, something else caught his eye.
"During the conquest of Behemoth, the tyrant of the land, it was a warrior known as 'Gluttony'—Zald—who turned the tide and felled the beast in a legendary battle."
Zald. So he was part of Zeus' Familia.
Akira exhaled slowly, the realization slowly piecing itself together in his mind.
"These people... so they were the legendary heroes this world speaks of." He whispered, a flicker of awe flashing across his face.
His fingers gently traced the line of text as his mind wandered.
"No wonder…" Akira murmured, recalling Alfia's cold gaze and her question in the dungeon.
"Has Orario already forgotten us?"
A small, wry smile tugged at his lips.
"As a hero... you must've wanted to be remembered." He whispered, his voice filled with quiet emotion.
Akira closed the book with a soft thump and casually set it down on the small table beside him.
His heart was still swirling with emotions—respect for the legendary heroes he had just read about, and a quiet, lingering curiosity about Alfia's current state.
More than that, he sincerely hoped her sudden appearance wouldn't be tied to his next system mission. He wasn't fond of those cliché development arcs where everything aligned too neatly.
As he sat deep in thought, a soft voice like the whisper of spring wind drifted behind him.
"Hehe... Look what I've found… my lovely child, sneaking off on his own again."
The sudden, melodic tone shattered the stillness of the library like ripples on calm water.
Akira hadn't been lounging lazily in the chair this time—he was sitting somewhat sideways, leaning slightly and that gave her the perfect opportunity.
Before he could react, Astraea wrapped her arms gently around him from behind. Her chin rested on his shoulder, and her silky hair draped down in front of him like strands of silver thread.
As she spoke, her soft breath brushed intimately against his sensitive ears.
He could even feel the warmth of her divine justice—ample and unapologetically pressing against his back, threatening to melt his calm.
Of course, Akira had already "eaten meat" not long ago, and was theoretically more resistant to these kinds of seductive contact.
…That was a lie. He had zero resistance. If anything, his desires hadintensified now that he had tasted bliss.
Akira groaned inwardly and held his face in his hand.
He thought about how Lyra had just helped him "cool down" earlier that very morning… this body's regenerative ability was honestly a curse. It hadn't even been a few hours, and the flames had already returned full force.
That's why he had escaped here—to the quiet sanctuary of the library.
To hide.
Because just seeing the girls again was enough to make his body remember everything from last night. He couldn't even suppress his mind properly—his body was already being ruled by his little brother.
…Pathetic.
"A-Ahaha… it's nothing." Akira said with a forced smile. "I was just reading about the great adventurers of the past, Astraea-sama."
He tried to maintain his composure as he picked up a nearby book to show her.
Astraea loosened her hold and walked around to face him. Pouting slightly, she said with mock displeasure, "Really? Didn't we agree to drop the 'sama' when we're alone?"
Lately—no, ever since Akira returned from the expedition—Astraea had started acting especially clingy in private. Sweet. Intimate. Like a lover teasing her favorite.
Akira chuckled softly, adjusting his posture. "I'm still getting used to it… Astraea."
Then, as naturally as breathing, he reached out and wrapped one arm around her slender waist. With the other, he gently hooked beneath her thighs and lifted her with ease—settling her comfortably on his lap.
Astraea giggled softly and leaned against him, her smile one of deep satisfaction.
"Oh? Is that so? Then what brought on the sudden interest in Orario's history?"
She tilted her head slightly, eyes shining with curiosity. Her silver-blue gaze was filled with warmth and mischief.
Taking the book from Akira's hand, she flipped through it with graceful fingers before speaking, "This book certainly contains tales of many famous heroes."
"Mmh, I was curious about one in particular." Akira replied, his fingers still lightly wrapped around her waist.
'She really is the goddess I want as a lap pillow forever.' He thought.
Just touching her made his senses tingle.
Astraea returned the book to him and raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And who might that be? Tell me."
"It's Alfia… from the Hera Familia." Akira turned the pages back to the original place and pointed to the passage.
Astraea's smile faded just slightly, replaced by something more contemplative.
"Ah… that one. I suppose she would catch your attention. Like you, she was rumored to have broken through the natural limits of the Falna."
Akira blinked in surprise. "Seriously? No wonder I felt that… pressure when we met."
Astraea's brows lifted ever so slightly. "You met her?"
Her tone remained gentle, but her eyes… were not. They glimmered with a quiet, bone-chilling pressure—like silk wrapping around a blade.
Apparently, she had heard something this morning, and was holding back judgment.
"Ahaha... yes, it was yesterday. Y-yesterday, right after you sent me to slay Goliath."
Akira flailed as he tried to explain, fear creeping in that his neck might be twisted if he said the wrong thing.
Astraea said nothing, her hands simply lifting to cradle his cheeks as she looked into his eyes. The silence was unnerving.
"So?" She asked with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Something must've happened. Otherwise, you wouldn't be researching her this deeply."
Her voice was calm, but the pressure behind it was undeniable.
Akira inwardly cried. Why is she getting jealous when I didn't even do anything!?
"I didn't know her at all." He said quickly. "But during the fight, she suddenly vomited blood. I couldn't just leave her, right? As a child of justice, I had to escort her back up."
He spoke with earnest clarity, his eyes unwavering.
Astraea watched him for a moment, then her lips curled again.
"Well done, my child." She whispered warmly.
She leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. The warmth of her touch melted the anxiety in Akira's chest.
"I've heard about Alfia from Loki." Astraea said as she pulled back. "She's been afflicted with a terminal illness since birth. Even after receiving a Falna, her condition didn't improve. If anything, it worsened."
Her tone was filled with sorrow. "And after she defeated Leviathan, her body began deteriorating rapidly."
A faint shadow crossed her face—regret for the hero who had the potential to save so many, yet was now drowning in pain.
"So, if she needs help…" Astraea looked into Akira's eyes, her gaze sincere and hopeful, "I hope you'll offer it."
Akira nodded solemnly, understanding the weight behind her words.
"…So that's how it is." He murmured, turning back to the book and tracing the old text with his fingertips.