The tunnel stayed quiet for a few seconds after Bete hit the wall.
A young woman in glasses immediately rushed over to where Bete was slumped over.
B—Bete…!" She called out to him.
But he didn't respond.
The young wolf was too knocked out to speak.
That's when the mood inside the tunnel shifted.
The other members of the Loki familia immediately drew their weapons.
Even Tiona and Tione instinctively moved, stepping slightly forward, preparing themselves to go against kaelis with the rest of the group.
Although they didn't like Bete's personality, they were part of the same familia and were closer to each other than to a person they met for the second time.
Aiz too, placed her hand over her sword, but did not draw it.
Her eyes locked on Kaelis.
Kaelis noticed all of these little details.
"Whoa," he said lightly, raising both hands just enough to show he wasn't doing anything else.
"Relax. I didn't push him too hard. He's just light on his feet, that's all. He probably just playing."
He waved them off a lazy flick of his wrist, as if the unconscious Bete at the wall was nothing more than an inconvenience.
"That's not the point," Tione said sharply, eyes narrowed. "You dropped him in one move."
Tiona glanced between Kaelis and Bete, clearly conflicted. "You didn't have to hit him that hard…"
"I didn't hit him though," Kaelis replied. "I pushed him."
I guess that… did not help.
The tension tightened another notch.
Before anyone could do anything to escalate the situation and get pushed—
"Enough."
Riveria's voice cut through, showing her experience with her authority.
Everyone froze.
She stepped forward, staff tapping once against the stone as she positioned herself between both sides.
Her gaze swept over the familia firmly, before settling on Kaelis.
"Lower your weapons," she ordered.
Reluctantly, they did so.
Tiona hesitated, then sighed and stepped back.
Tione clicked her tongue but followed.
Aiz relaxed just enough to show she was listening.
Riveria turned toward Bete, then back to Kaelis.
"He's just unconscious," she said. "So he'll be fine once he wakes up."
Kaelis nodded. "Told you."
Riveria exhaled slowly, then faced the group.
"What happened here," she said evenly, "was the result of Bete's own actions."
That drew looks.
As for the reason why she was backing down, only she probably knew as unlike the others, she saw the unusualness of the situation.
And without sufficient knowledge of what they're dealing with, it's best to cut their losses short before they could suffer any unforeseen circumstances.
"He initiated physical contact," Riveria continued. "He attempted to strike first. Whatever followed was the result of a consequence."
The girl wearing glasses spoke up. "But he—"
"I know, Line," Riveria said, softer now. "He's one of ours."
She looked at Bete again.
"That doesn't mean he was in the right."
The others fell silent.
Even Aiz's grip loosened slightly.
Riveria turned back to Kaelis.
Her eyes were sharp, if she was harboring any hostility, then she was doing a great job at hiding it.
"You've exercised restraint," she said. "Whether intentionally or not."
Kaelis shrugged. "Didn't feel like makin' it a thing."
That earned him a few uneasy looks.
Riveria hummed. "This ends here. And I hope nothing comes from this in the future."
She glanced back at her familia. "We're leaving."
The tension didn't vanish—but it eased.
They were still wary of Kaelis.
Tiona let out a relieved breath. "Man… Bete's gonna be mad when he wakes up."
Tione crossed her arms. "Serves him right, I guess."
Aiz kept her eyes on Kaelis a moment longer.
And as usual, Kaelis had no clue what's going through the girl's head.
He hands back in his pockets, simply watching scrape the guy off the wall and throw him in the back of their caravan as they prepare to move.
As if the whole thing had been nothing more than an awkward interruption on a quiet walk.
"I don't even feel like going further anymore. I think I got enough materials for another week or so."
He looked at the pile of weapons under the unconscious Bete inside the caravan.
"You guys going to the surface?"
Riveria blinked, caught slightly off guard.
She had thought that was the end of their interaction but who would've thought Kaelis would ask a question.
"Yes," she answered after a beat. "We're heading back to the surface."
She studied him for a moment, sharp eyes narrowing just a little trying to see what he's after.
"And why do you ask?"
Kaelis tilted his head, thinking it over for half a second.
"Honestly?" he said. "I don't remember the way back."
That earned him looks.
"…You don't remember," she repeated flatly.
Kaelis nodded. "I came down here wandering. Didn't exactly mark the turns."
A few of the Loki Familia members exchanged glances. Some of them looked skeptical.
Others looked outright offended.
"…Is he messing with us?" someone muttered.
Tione squinted at him. "You're not trying to say we're, like… babysitting you, right?"
Kaelis waved a hand. "Nah. Just thought I'd tag along since you're going that way anyway."
The way he said it was so bothered, only made it worse.
Several of them stared daggers now, clearly wondering if this was some kind of jab.
Like he was implying they were soft.
Or that walking with them was no different than walking alone.
Lefiya, who had been quiet up until now, suddenly stiffened.
She glanced at Aiz and saw she was staring, unblinkingly at Kaelis.
Then she turned to Kaelis.
Then at Aiz again.
…Why is Aiz staring at him like that?
Her brows furrowed. A strange sense of alarm bubbled up in her chest.(this girl is one of the best and most annoying character in the whole series ngl)
"H–Hey," Lefiya blurted out, stepping closer to Aiz. "You're looking at him an awful lot, Miss Aiz. D–Do you know him that well!?"
And without turning away her gaze, Aiz answered. "…No."
That somehow made Lefiya more distressed.
"T–Then why—!?" Lefiya sputtered, flailing slightly. "Y–You don't just stare at random men like that! Especially ones who knock out Bete!"
A few people sighed and nodded along.
"Tch, here we go," Tione muttered.
Riveria pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a slow breath.
This day…
She looked back at Kaelis. He was still relaxed, hands in his pockets, watching the whole exchange like it was mildly entertaining.
After a moment, she spoke.
"…Very well," Riveria said. "You may come with us."
That shut everyone up.
"But don't cause any trouble for me or the group."
Kaelis smiled faintly. "Works for me."
Riveria turned away, already regretting it just a little.
'I hope this doesn't come back to bite us,' she thought.
The group began to move, forming up naturally as they headed toward the path leading upward.
Kaelis fell into step near Riveria without hesitation.
Then, finally opening his mouth—
"So," he said casually, glancing sideways at her pointed ears, "so you're an elf… how old are you?"
The reaction was instant.
"What—!?"
"Excuse me!?"
"Do you have any sense of decorum!?"
Lefiya practically exploded.
"H–How dare you ask Lady Riveria something like that so casually!?" she snapped, stepping forward.
"She's elven royalty! Show some respect!"
A couple of the other elves in the group nodded sharply, clearly offended on her behalf.
"That's seriously rude," one of them muttered.
Kaelis blinked, genuinely surprised. "Huh? Fan girls of yours?"
Riveria stopped walking and everyone else slowly did the same.
She turned around and raised one hand slightly. "Enough."
The elves froze mid-rant.
Riveria exhaled, then looked at Kaelis with a flat expression.
"…It is generally considered inappropriate to ask a woman her age."
"And who decided that?"
Several people gasped. Lefiya looked like she was about to combust.
Before anyone could jump him—
"I'll go first then," Kaelis continued. "I'm soon to be seven hundred."
Silence.
Dead, absolute silence.
Even Riveria's expression cracked—just slightly.
"…Seven hundred," she repeated under breath.
"Yep," Kaelis nodded. "So now that you know mine, common courtesy says you tell me yours."
Riveria stared at him for a long moment.
"…I never asked."
Kaelis stopped walking and looked genuinely wronged.
"C'mon. That's not fair. You already know mine. Now it's uneven."
"You volunteered that information."
"Still feels rude."
Lefiya's brain was visibly overheating.
Seven hundred!? He looks like that and he's—!?
Riveria rubbed her temple. "…You're exhausting."
"Please?" Kaelis added, tone almost whining now.
Riveria paused.
Then, reluctantly—
"…Ninety-nine."
Kaelis' eyes widened.
"Wow," he said immediately. "Seriously? You look way younger than that."
Riveria stiffened.
"That is not a compliment," she said sharply.
"I meant it as one," he replied. "Honestly, I would've guessed, like… forty."
Her eye twitched.
"You just made it worse you idiot!" Someone shouted from behind.
Riveria turned away and resumed walking. "Do not speak to me for the next ten minutes."
Kaelis smiled, clearly satisfied.
"See? Small talk."
Chapter 78 end.