The forest was still vibrating from the energy left behind by the fallen Silver Pholidota when Alvin finally reached Kazien. The thick scent of smoke, scorched wood, and silver mana lingered in the air, swirling with the breeze.
Kazien brushed the dust off his clothes and smiled broadly at Alvin. He returned his future husban's smile with a look of enchantment, not wanting to lose his smile.
But the moment of quiet didn't last. All around them, the forest floor was littered with the bodies of the monsters they had defeated earlier—burned, sliced, pierced, mangled in various ways. It looked like the aftermath of a battlefield.
"Alright," Kazien clapped his hands, shifting back to work. "We still have things to do."
Alvin blinked. "Huh? What now?"
Kazien pointed at the massive corpse of the Silver Pholidota.
"This big guy is extremely valuable. Even if I'm not selling him, I still need his body intact to extract materials."
"And the others?" Alvin asked, glancing at the dismembered monsters scattered across the forest.
"We sell them," Kazien said cheerfully. "But first, we fix them."
Alvin blinked again. "…Fix them?"
Kazien nodded with both hands on his hips. "Yep! Heal their wounds so that their bodies look smooth and unblemished when the guild inspects them. Clean corpses fetch a higher price when sold."
Alvin stared at him for a moment, then sighed. "You really are unpredictable."
"Hahaha. Don't you like it?"
Alvin really liked him. That was part of Kazien's charm—chaotic when fighting, calm yet observant, intelligent, and unpredictable.
"Alright," Alvin said, raising his hands. "Let's heal them."
Kazien crouched beside the Silver Pholidota and placed his palm on its massive silver belly. A soft glow of golden light spread from his hand, weaving itself like threads across the burned interior. Not to bring it back to life—just to repair the charred flesh and organs.
Alvin moved from corpse to corpse, using his own healing magic—less powerful, but steady and efficient. Cuts stitched themselves closed. Burn marks faded. Crushed bones were reformed with gentle pulses of mana.
Thanks to the combined effort, the carnage slowly transformed into a neat collection of preserved monster bodies.
It took fifteen minutes.
Fifteen minutes of mana usage, sweat, and dragging bodies into a pile.
And Kazien, at last, announced loudly:
"Aaaaand… done!"
He snapped his fingers.
A shimmering black-and-gold magic circle formed beneath his feet, expanding outward in a ring. Threads of shimmering dimensional mana extended into the ground, pulling each corpse one by one into a vortex of darkness.
Alvin watched in amazement.
Every monster disappeared into Kazien's dimensional storage—hundreds of them, all being neatly organized in the space only he could control.
"You know," Alvin said softly, "sometimes I forget how ridiculous your abilities are."
"You should praise me more," Kazien replied with a smug grin.
After storing everything, Kazien stretched. "Alright, Alvin. Before we go back, let's look for something important."
"What is it?"
"Silver Pholidota scales," Kazien said with sparkling eyes. "Imagine how many armors and weapons I can make! It's pure silver, and completely magic-conductive too!"
Alvin chuckled. "You really want those scales, huh?"
"Yes!"
"Then let's find them!"
Kazien called for Lidaz—who descended gracefully, flapping his enormous wings and creating a gust of wind that bent the leaves around them.
"Master, have you finished?" Lidaz bowed slightly.
"Yep!" Kazien replied. "Now we need your help. Guide us through the forest. We're looking for the Silver Pholidota's lair."
Lidaz nodded. "Understood."
The giant griffon took to the skies, flying low enough that Kazien and Alvin could follow easily.
They walked deeper and deeper into the forest—where sunlight barely reached the ground, and the trees grew ancient and thick with moss. Strange sounds echoed from the shadows, but none of the creatures dared approach them. The scent of the Pholidota's silver mana was still fresh.
After almost twenty minutes of walking, they stopped.
A massive cave stood in front of them.
Its mouth was wide enough to swallow a carriage whole, and faint traces of silver mana glowed around the entrance.
Kazien and Alvin exchanged a glance.
"You ready?" Kazien asked.
"Always."
They stepped inside.
Lidaz landed at the cave entrance, spreading his wings protectively.
"Master, I will guard here. If anything approaches… I shall destroy it."
Kazien nodded. "Thanks, Lidaz."
Light magic illuminated their path, glowing softly in Kazien's palm. The cave walls shimmered faintly, reflecting silver particles embedded in the cave. Their footsteps echoed with a hollow, eerie rhythm.
The deeper they walked, the colder it became. The air felt heavy—almost metallic.
"Alvin," Kazien said, "this definitely is its lair."
At the end of the tunnel, the narrow path opened into a wide chamber.
And Kazien froze.
"…Oh my goddess."
Alvin stopped beside him, stunned.
Countless, absolutely countless Silver Pholidota scales filled the chamber. Piles and piles of shimmering silver armor plates, each one as large as Kazien's hand, glittered like heaps of treasure.
"Kazien… look at the amount…" Alvin murmured.
Kazien's entire body trembled—not with fear, but with exhilaration.
"I can make—armor for a hundred soldiers… no, maybe two hundred… weapons for the entire territory— shields—swords—arrows—aaaaah! This is insane!"
He jumped into the pile immediately, almost swimming in the silver scales like a child in a pool.
Alvin burst into laughter. "You're unbelievable."
"Help me collect them!" Kazien shouted eagerly. "All of them!"
Alvin joined in, picking up handfuls of silver scales. Each one was smooth, cold, and heavier than it looked—a perfect material for enchanting.
Kazien opened his dimensional space again.
One by one, piles of silver scales disappeared in flashes of golden light.
Minutes passed.
Dozens of minutes.
Until the entire chamber was empty. Kazien wiped sweat from his forehead, panting.
"This is… the best day of my life."
Alvin approached him slowly.
"My dear."
"Mmm?"
Alvin wrapped his arms around him from behind.
Kazien stiffened for a second—then relaxed.
Alvin kissed his neck gently.
"A-Alvin— what are you doing?"
"You worked so hard," Alvin whispered, hugging him tighter. "Let me reward you."
Kazien turned his head, his cheeks feeling warm. "You dare to tease me, huh..."
Alvin held his face. And kissed him. Soft at first—then deeper, full of relief, affection, and the adrenaline of the battle they had survived together.
Kazien let out a soft breath as he kissed back, his hands hooking around Alvin's waist. The warmth between them melted the cold air of the cave. When they finally pulled away, they were both flushed.
Alvin stroked Kazien's cheek gently.
"My dear," he whispered, "do you have any desire to marry someone else besides me?"
Kazien blinked.
A deep silence filled the cave. The question hung in the air—raw, honest, emotional.
And the chapter closed on that cliffhanger—
with their foreheads touching, breath mingling, surrounded by the soft glow of the silver treasures they had found.