"Cheers!"
It was 7:30 in the evening, and the Hostess of Fertility was practically reserved for Aether's group.
After a long day of errands and battles, everyone finally reunited, the tension melting away as they relaxed completely.
Aside from a few unfamiliar adventurers lingering at the bar and in corner tables, the entire first-floor hall was dominated by several large round tables Mama Mia had set up. Dozens of expedition members filled the seats.
Naturally, as hosts of the feast, Aether and Lumine were seated with Loki, Finn, Riveria, and the other executives. At the same table were the Raul (Lv.4), Lefiya (Lv.3), and the bespectacled healer Line Arshe (Lv.2).
The atmosphere was brimming with that distinctive fantasy tavern energy, just short of someone pulling out cards and yelling to play Gwent.
Diona kept raising her glass to Finn with suspiciously flirtatious enthusiasm.
Loki tried sneaking over to grope Ais, only to get decked by her reflexively with a single punch.
The rest were chatting in small groups, laughing loudly.
The quietest of all was, without question, Mama-san Riveria. The elf aristocrat and first-class adventurer calmly poured herself a glass of orange juice, sipping with regal composure.
In stark contrast, the hearty old dwarf Gareth was already going table to table, drinking young adventurers under the table. At least three or four "saplings" had already fallen, watered thoroughly with alcohol.
Seriously… is he trying to raise them like plants?
Nearby, Bete, for once, wasn't starting drunken rants. The wolf-boy quietly ate and drank, while Tiona chatted away with Ying instead of provoking him. Oddly peaceful.
As for Aether,
"At last, I meet you, golden-haired human!"
"Anya, must you always greet people like this?"
"Why change, nya? He does have a golden head, nya!"
Labeled by Freya herself as sin-laden, Aether now found himself surrounded by several of the tavern's waitresses.
To be honest, being encircled by multiple Lv.4 women was… intimidating.
Especially when,
"Nyanyanya? Looks like you've got a nice hip line there."
Who the hell just said that?
Aether shivered violently and jerked aside. Turning, he saw,
"Heehee~"
Balancing a tray in one hand, a short-haired black catgirl with mischievous blue-green eyes grinned behind her palm.
Chloe Rollo. Lv.4. Twenty-one years old.
Once a feared assassin known as the Black Cat, she had carried out jobs with a nearly one-hundred percent success rate. Now, under Mama Mia's "suppression," she worked as a tavern waitress, living an ordinary-seeming life.
But there was one serious problem.
Chloe was, without exaggeration, a hopeless shota-butt maniac.
Yes, you heard that right. Not just a shota lover, but a shota butt lover.
Her biggest dream in life? To find a boy she liked and… "kiss her baby goodnight" every single evening. ♪
Ugh… I remember in the future timeline, she even set her sights on that red-eyed rabbit kid…
"Yikes…"
The moment those memories surfaced, Aether's mind screamed at him: Stay the hell away from this dangerous woman whenever I'm in my Starfire's Flowing Light!
Otherwise…
Danger, Brother Long, danger.
Thankfully, Mama Mia's Lv.6 presence kept Chloe from getting too reckless.
Oh, and one more thing,
Chloe was one of Orario's few adventurers capable of using Clone Magic.
That alone made Aether conflicted. He very much wanted her spell.
If I could combine Chloe's clone ability with Liliruca's transformation magic…
The ultimate alibi machine.
In Aether's book, those two powers were top-tier priorities.
But still… I'd never dare casually try to raise Chloe's affection. Not with an assassin whose mission success rate was nearly 100%.
Besides, Aether himself wasn't exactly a shota. She might not even look twice.
Knowing my luck, I'd just get a brutal reminder of how cold this "looks-based world" can be.
Cough. Anyway…
"Apologies, guest. My two stupid cats troubled you. I'll discipline them later."
With a firm grip on their shoulders, a brown-haired, brown-eyed human woman dragged Chloe and Anya back.
Lunoire Faust. Lv.4. Twenty-two years old.
Like Chloe, she once had a near-perfect job completion record. Unlike the assassin, though, Lunoire had been a bounty hunter.
Her strength rivaled Chloe's, as well as that of Anya Fromel, the younger sister of Freya Familia's vice-captain Allen.
Of them all, she was the strongest in sheer physical might. She'd even earned the alias Black Fist, given how easily her punches destroyed buildings.
Now,
"Quit fooling around. Or Mama Mia will get angry."
As she scolded the two catgirls, another softer voice cut in.
Aether instantly recognized it.
The accident-prone elf… cough, no, the fourth "main character" of DanMachi herself: [Gale] Ryuu Lion.
Her tragic past was well-known, as was her sense of justice. In a future path, after a certain red-eyed boy won her heart with his so-called "God of Boobs" power, she would utter the line that nearly made past-Aether spit out his drink: "Syr, I'm sorry."
But truthfully, she was the type who, as long as you didn't betray her, would never betray you. Confused at times, yes, but unwavering in her pursuit of justice.
Which is why she's always used like a disposable tool. Sigh…
"…Hm?"
Ryuu suddenly sensed something, turning toward Aether.
Their eyes met. His were full of quiet, complicated emotion, followed by a long, meaningful sigh.
Her brows furrowed.
It feels like… he sees through me. And…
"…a faint trace of malice? Eh?"
Before she could process it further, the golden-haired boy's expression sharpened, his brow creasing.
Because,
"What's going on?"
At that instant, the passive Hostility Sense ability of both Aether and Lumine had triggered.
=============
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