Eina, standing directly opposite Lin Feng, was startled by the sight of such an excited Seryu.
But hearing Seryu's words and observing her expression, it was as if Eina saw a reflection of the almost-destroyed Astraea Familia, the goddess of justice.
The members of that Familia all lived by their own form of justice, frequently striking down Dark Faction adventurers in Orario and causing them considerable trouble.
This was why the Astraea Familia was annihilated—they were ambushed and murdered by those Dark Familia adventurers.
The one surviving member of that Familia spent three years seeking revenge, using assassination, poison, ambush, and every means possible, eventually killing all the adventurers she knew to be involved. She, too, ended up on the Guild's blacklist.
The world was like this: if you were weak, people would bully and manipulate you.
If the Astraea Familia had been powerful, other Familias wouldn't have dared to speak up, regardless of what they did. And because their actions were fundamentally for justice, they inevitably offended many people.
"Seryu is amazing! Justice must be carried out to the end!"
Lin Feng, seeing Seryu's adorable salute, immediately placed his large hand on her small head and gently stroked it back and forth a few times.
This made Seryu even happier! Her actions were affirmed by her Lord God! Father! I will continue to work hard!
Seryu's joyful smile filled the room with an atmosphere of warmth.
"Mo~ Little Ai, Kanawo, and Seryu have all been praised and patted on the head by Lin Feng-kun. Now, only... me... hasn't been..."
Katō Megumi hid an envious look in her eyes as she watched the hand that stroked Seryu. She wanted that too...
"I must work hard! I can't keep being protected by everyone like this!"
Katō Megumi silently made a resolve in her heart. She also had to grow stronger so that she would have the chance, like Seryu and the others, to stand confidently before Lin Feng-kun.
"Lord Lin Feng! You must be careful. If there is anything you need help with... I can provide some information I know, but please don't tell anyone!"
Eina saw that she could no longer prevent this from happening, so she could only try her best to help Lin Feng.
If the Guild found out about this, she would definitely be punished. She might no longer be allowed to guide and instruct new adventurers at the counter, instead being relegated to working behind the scenes.
Lin Feng, of course, knew Eina was speaking this while risking a great deal. He appreciated her kindness, though he likely wouldn't need it.
"I know, Eina! Thank you for your help."
Lin Feng placed his hand on Eina's shoulder, looked intently into her eyes, and thanked her seriously.
Eina felt she fully deserved this thank you.
"N-no need to thank me..."
Eina was thrown into extreme confusion by Lin Feng's sudden intimate gesture. She lowered her head, completely afraid to look up into his eyes.
Both of her elf ears were flushed pink. The normally neat and professional Eina had now turned into a girl smitten with love.
"Lord God, it's time for us to go home!"
Hayasaka Ai saw this scene, and a sudden wave of unhappiness surged in her heart. She quickly stepped forward, wrapped both hands around one of Lin Feng's arms, and started heading toward the door.
"Goodbye, Miss Eina!"
Without waiting for Eina to speak, Lin Feng's figure was swiftly carried away by Hayasaka Ai's quickened pace. Katō Megumi and the others naturally followed closely behind them.
The room, which had just been filled with a rosy atmosphere, instantly emptied, leaving only a half-elf lady standing blankly inside, lost in thought.
"Little Ai, slow down!"
As the group exited the Guild, Hayasaka Ai continued to hold tightly to Lin Feng's arm, walking quickly. Lin Feng had almost tripped over the threshold at the Guild door just now.
"Hmph! Is that Miss Eina that attractive?"
Hayasaka Ai said somewhat petulantly.
Having spent just a few days in this world, Hayasaka Ai hadn't realized how much she was changing. The actions and expressions she showed were no longer a performance, but genuine reflections of her own thoughts.
It seemed the repression in her family environment in the original world had been quite severe.
Now, coming to this different adventure world, she was experiencing a new atmosphere, gradually opening her heart and showing her true self.
"Cough cough! That... that was just to show gratitude. After all, Eina risked a lot to give us that tip-off."
"Is that so?"
Hayasaka Ai looked at Lin Feng's face with her curious, aqua-blue eyes, trying to gauge something from him.
"Little Ai, shouldn't our main goal now be to find the Apollo Familia and make them pay for what they did?"
Seeing that Hayasaka Ai seemed reluctant to let the matter go, Lin Feng quickly brought up the most important priority at hand.
The Monster Delivery incident simply could not be ignored.
If they hadn't been so strong, the entire adventurer team would likely have been wiped out because of this, and the Familia would have been dissolved as a result.
He couldn't just be silenced by a few simple phrases like, "Oh, aren't you still alive?" or, "Aren't you fine?"
Weren't they alive now because of sheer luck plus their formidable strength?
If this had happened to other adventurers, they would surely have suffered a terrible blow. Such excuses were merely attempts to distort the facts and trivialize the matter to reduce or cancel the punishment.
"Tch, I know!"
Hayasaka Ai could only temporarily halt her 'attack' and let the matter drop for the moment.
"Little Ai, I have about 500,000 Valis on my side. How much did you exchange?"
As Lin Feng headed back to their temporary residence, he suddenly remembered what kind of house they were currently living in—an abandoned, broken-down place!
Now that they had money, shouldn't the first thing they did be to rent a large house? Preferably one where everyone could have their own separate room!