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Chapter 78: Showing One's Edge
His tense neck and shoulder muscles slowly relaxed under Hyacine's massage, and the chaotic thoughts in his mind gradually settled.
He truly was exhausted today. Although he hadn't shown it, his mind had been on high alert ever since they entered the Middle Floors.
Whether it was the life-and-death struggle against the monster banquet or the stress of realizing he had messed up, it had all taken a massive toll on his mental energy.
A person couldn't remain as tense as a drawn bowstring forever; eventually, it would snap.
And failing his gacha pull just now had undeniably depressed him.
Ever since he first summoned Furina, the energy required to charge his Intertwined Fate system had been growing exponentially.
At the beginning, perhaps due to some sort of "beginner's luck," the magic stones needed to summon Robin and Tifa were substantial, but the amount he gathered from the Upper Floors had been enough if he scrounged.
Moreover, every summon had been accompanied by a blinding golden light, resulting in flawless "golden legendaries."
He once thought he was the chosen one, possessed by the god of luck, destined to hit the jackpot every single time.
Until today, when reality dealt him a heavy blow.
The charging of Intertwined Fate had become agonizingly slow. He had essentially poured in all the magic stones obtained from the monster banquet, plus his previous stockpile, just to barely fill the energy gauge.
And the result was that dismal blue light and a 3-star weapon: the White Tassel.
This cold, hard fact proved to him that his luck wasn't infinite, and the system's drop rate wasn't nearly as high as he had imagined.
His previous good fortune might really have just been a beginner's grace period.
As Hyacine's magic slowly nourished his mind, all that depression and exhaustion seemed to be gently washed away.
He immersed himself in this rare tranquility and comfort, the faint fragrance of the girl lingering at his nose, his consciousness gradually blurring...
"What should we do with this spear?"
Tifa bent down and picked up the White Tassel that everyone had forgotten on the floor, asking with a puzzled expression.
It was slightly heavy in her hand, and the shaft felt plain and unadorned. Aside from being decently crafted, it didn't seem to have any special properties.
"I'll take it to the Hephaestus Familia tomorrow and have it appraised. We'll see if we can sell it," Aiden's voice floated lazily from Hyacine's lap.
He continued to enjoy the massage, feeling the gentle magic from her fingertips, the soft sensation against the back of his head, and the warmth of her body. He was so comfortable he couldn't even be bothered to open his eyes.
No one in their Familia used polearms, so keeping it would just mean letting it gather dust in a corner—a complete waste.
It was better to sell it early and see if they could exchange it for a better longsword or greatsword. After all, he went through weapons very quickly.
"That works," Robin nodded, acting as the Focalors Familia's financial manager.
Her thought was also to sell it for cash.
With a spendthrift captain, their finances were always tight. Every single Valis had to be spent where it mattered most.
"Aaaah—When are we going to get a headquarters that truly belongs to us?"
Furina, who was currently draped bonelessly over the other end of the sofa, swinging her pale legs up and down, sighed out of sheer boredom.
While this rented house was cozy, it wasn't a long-term solution.
"Don't worry. Sooner or later, I'll build you a Palais Mermonia right here in Orario," Aiden promised casually, his eyes still closed.
"You said it! I'm going to hold you to that!"
Furina instantly perked up, scrambling up from the sofa as if injected with a shot of adrenaline.
She nimbly swung her leg over Aiden's body and sat squarely on his stomach, resting her hands on his chest. Those beautiful heterochromatic eyes stared intensely at him from mere inches away.
"Hey—Furina, could you get off first?" Aiden's expression instantly contorted slightly. "You really don't see me as a man at all, do you?"
"Huh?"
Furina froze for a second. Then, she seemed to feel something.
A hard, unmistakable sensation pressing against her thighs finally registered in her somewhat sluggish nerves.
Boom!
A rush of heat shot straight to the top of her head.
Furina's exquisite face turned crimson at a speed visible to the naked eye; it looked as if steam were about to billow from her head.
She let out a short, sharp squeak, scrambling and tumbling off Aiden in a frantic panic.
"You—You—You—!"
She pointed at Aiden in blushing outrage, stammering "you" for ages without managing to form a complete sentence.
"'You' what? You're the one who did it," Aiden rolled his eyes, retorting grumpily.
"Arghhh! I'm so mad!"
Furina stamped her feet in place.
She felt taken advantage of, but realized she had absolutely no ground to complain. After all, because at the end of the day, she was the one who had taken the initiative to sit on him.
Robin and Tifa instantly understood the situation, a faint blush creeping up their cheeks as well.
They quickly rushed forward, grabbing Furina—who looked like she wanted to pounce Aiden and fight to the death—from both sides.
Are you kidding me? In her current frail, mortal state, pouncing on him would be nothing more than serving herself up on a silver platter.
Amidst the chaos in the living room, no one noticed Hyacine, who was still massaging Aiden, quietly lean down. She whispered into his ear, her voice so low only the two of them could hear:
"Aiden, do you want a harem?"
"Well, I wouldn't mind," Aiden twitched his lips, making no attempt to hide his thoughts, his voice equally hushed. "A harem is a man's romance, after all. But—it's probably pretty hard."
He couldn't even win over Alfia; that woman hadn't shown the slightest attachment to him, leaving him behind without hesitation to go to her death.
He felt he lacked any special charm and certainly wasn't some master of romance. He really didn't have much confidence in pulling off something as difficult as building a harem.
After all, the girls around him were no naive airheads.
Well, no, Furina might be.
Robin was smart, determined, decisive, and full of drive—the classic soft on the outside, tough on the inside.
Tifa, though gentle, was incredibly strong, calm, and composed. Hyacine appeared considerate, cheerful, and optimistic, but she also possessed her own unshakable convictions.
Thinking it over, Aiden realized that the easiest one to conquer actually seemed to be the silly Furina.
At that thought, Aiden's eyes dimmed, a look of utter hopelessness washing over his face.
Why was getting a harem so difficult?
Seeing his expression, the smile in Hyacine's eyes deepened.
She leaned down again and whispered softly: "It's okay. I'll help you."
"Seriously?" Aiden's eyes widened instantly, looking at Hyacine in disbelief.
Hyacine winked at him playfully, her pink twin tails swaying gently.
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