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The little interlude with Eina had put Liang Yue in a very relaxed mood—after all, no one could refuse a half-elf lady who was occasionally playful.
Once the Dungeon consultation was over, Eina accompanied him to exchange all of today's spoils for valis.
But as he left the Guild hall, Liang Yue looked at the money pouch bulging with coins and felt momentarily dazed.
He hadn't expected that all those drops and magic stones would total 170,000 valis!
"Rare monsters are worth that much?"
Magic stones and regular drops had netted 40,000 valis, but the rest came entirely from the thirteen pairs of Blue Butterfly wings—a fortune in itself.
That was nearly equal to all his earnings from the past few days combined!
The debt from the short sword he owed could now be paid in full with today's income alone.
His short-term goal had been achieved.
This sudden windfall helped him understand why so many adventurers flocked to the Dungeon, chasing its treasures.
"Of course," Eina said as she saw him off at the Guild doors, her mature smile returning. "They're rare monsters. If adventurers could find them easily, how would they be different from normal ones?"
He couldn't refute that.
Her words brought him back to reality—it was precisely because they were so hard to find that their drops fetched such high prices.
Turning to the half-elf who had always greeted him with patience and warmth, he suddenly remembered the last time they'd eaten together—she'd ended up paying the bill.
Now that he could afford it, Liang Yue smiled and asked, "Miss Eina, I plan to give myself a day off the day after tomorrow. Would you let me return the favor and treat you to a meal?"
"The day after tomorrow…"
Eina thought for a moment. Guild staff schedules were fixed—technically, she didn't have that day off.
But seeing his earnest expression, she didn't want to disappoint him. Tilting her head slightly, she smiled brightly. "Since it's an invitation from Liang Yue-kun, wouldn't it be a bit rude to refuse?"
"Then it's a date—see you the day after tomorrow!" Liang Yue said decisively.
"I'll look forward to it…"
As she watched him leave, her smile faded—not because of his invitation, but because she was already thinking about how to swap her day off to match his.
From a short distance away, Misha, who had been eavesdropping, strolled over, her smile full of gossip the moment she heard the word date.
"Eina."
"Misha." Eina turned to see her friend approaching, a look of surprise on her face.
"So… you're planning to start dating?" Misha teased. She honestly couldn't figure out what was so special about this rookie adventurer Liang Yue to make Eina agree to such a rare request.
"I thought your next day off was a few days later. For a first date, you'd better make sure you both have the time!"
"It's not what you think—"
Eina tried to explain, but the amused smile on Misha's face made her realize any explanation would sound hollow.
Instead, recalling the staff vacation roster, she smoothly followed the joke. "If you really think I'm going on a date with Liang Yue-kun, then your day off is the day after tomorrow, right? Swapping should be fine?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!"
"Eina, you're unbelievable—so focused on yourself that you'd even steal my day off just so you can go on your date!"
Misha froze for a moment, never having imagined she'd be an essential link in Liang Yue and Eina's supposed "date."
Still, since Eina asked, she couldn't really refuse. Though her voice was dripping with mock resentment, she agreed.
"Fine—swap!"
——
Leaving the Guild, Liang Yue saw that it was only just approaching dusk. He tucked the pouch of valis into his grey-brown cloak.
His next goal was clear—
Head to the Hephaestus weapon shop branch and pay off Hestia's debt once and for all, ending her days of working there.
As for the remaining 100,000 valis,
he was already factoring in tomorrow's Dungeon earnings,
and planned to buy a katana to complement his Rikigiri Sword Technique, ensuring his pace in the Dungeon wouldn't slow.
Walking along Northwest Street, he soon spotted the Hephaestus branch ahead. The streets were quiet at this hour, with only a few adventurers around.
Pushing open the shop's glass door, he was greeted by the sight of a young woman in the store uniform, her hair tied into twin tails.
Even without her signature blue ribbon, the fitted uniform still perfectly outlined her curves.
Hestia.
——
The shop was quiet.
Sitting on a chair behind the counter, Hestia looked up and blinked in surprise when she saw Liang Yue.
These days, aside from working hard to repay her debt, most of her thoughts were about him—
Was his Dungeon exploration going smoothly?
What time would he be home tonight?
"Am I… imagining things?"
She rubbed her eyes in disbelief, and when she confirmed it wasn't a hallucination born of longing, she didn't even bother putting on her slippers.
She hopped straight down from her chair.
"Liang Yue-kun!"
Her bare white feet touched the cool tile floor as she ran to him, and with a small leap, threw her arms around his neck.
She felt the firm lines of his muscles, the scent that was uniquely his—
and only then did the surreal feeling fade.
Completely unaware that her pose was like a sloth clinging to a tree, Hestia lifted her gaze to study his face.
Instead of joy at seeing him, her expression grew serious.
"Was your Dungeon run smooth? Why are you back so early today?"
"I just finished up early," he replied vaguely.
Still, he could feel her genuine concern, and didn't explain the real reason for coming. His gaze swept the shop before returning to the goddess hanging off him.
"Hestia-sama, I came to ask you something," he said cheerfully. "Where's Lady Hephaestus?"
"She?"
Realizing how intimate her hold was, Hestia released him, folding her arms in front of her with a faint trace of… moodiness.
After meeting her, the first thing he wanted to know was about another woman?
Even so, she answered patiently. "She should be at the main store. Do you need something from her?"
"Mm."
Liang Yue nodded lightly.
Hestia frowned, not relaxing at all. She knew his personality well—
Coming back so early… could it be that there was something wrong with his weapon?
Even Hephaestus herself had said:
"If the weapon breaks, you can have one of my Familia members repair it."
Considering he'd bought it on credit, he'd already been grateful beyond words—
and since the weapon wasn't that high in value, damage would be normal.
Hestia's gaze lingered on him, her fair, delicate cheeks faintly flushed as she wondered how to phrase it—
"There's nothing else—just here to see Lady Hephaestus," he said before she could speak.
Setting the money pouch on the counter, he smiled with earnest resolve.
"To pay off the debt early… and then—"
"To take you home, Hestia-sama."
"!!!"
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