Brimming with a touch of excitement, Aiden thoroughly enjoyed this rare day off.
Most importantly, having Robin by his side made it feel completely different from being alone.
They arrived at a mouth-watering barbecue stand by the street, run by a hearty, muscular Beast Person.
As soon as he saw the pair, he broke into a wide grin. "Yo, if it isn't Lord Flamescion and the Saint of Battle Rhythm! Welcome."
With practiced ease, he handed over two extra skewers of sizzling, greasy meat. "These two are on the house."
Because adventurers constantly trained and engaged in high-intensity combat with monsters, they never had to worry about gaining weight from eating greasy food.
Robin, too, no longer needed to abandon the simple joys of life to maintain an idol's figure like she did in the past.
Even if she ate a lot, a quick trip down into the Dungeon would burn off all the excess energy.
So, when Aiden smilingly fed a piece of grilled meat right to her lips, Robin didn't hesitate to open her small, cherry-like mouth and happily eat it, getting a tiny bit of sauce on the corner of her lips.
"Delicious," she murmured, her eyes narrowing like a satisfied cat.
As they passed through a narrow alley and were about to step onto the bustling East Main Street, the smile on Aiden's face suddenly vanished. He let out a soft sigh.
"Looks like some flies just don't know how to read the mood."
Before his voice even faded, his arm shot out like lightning, wrapping around Robin's slender waist and pulling her tightly into his embrace.
A split second later, several figures cloaked in black robes and exuding a chilling aura emerged silently from the shadows of the alley. The poisoned daggers in their hands traced deadly arcs of cold light in the dimness as they lunged at the pair.
Robin let out a soft gasp—not out of panic, but because she was caught off guard by Aiden's sudden, powerful embrace.
She naturally rested her cheek against his solid chest, her hands subconsciously gripping his collar. With his clean, pleasant scent lingering at the tip of her nose, an unparalleled sense of security washed over her.
She knew that no matter the time or place, he would always protect her.
Facing the dagger thrusting straight at them, Aiden didn't even bother to look. While holding Robin, he simply raised his right index and middle fingers.
Clang!
With a crisp sound, he firmly caught the poisoned blade between his fingers, halting it completely.
A flash of horror crossed the attacker's eyes. Before he could react, Aiden's fingers snapped with explosive force.
Crack!
The steel dagger snapped in two.
With a flick of his wrist, Aiden sent the broken blade howling through the air as a streak of silver light, flying even faster than it had come, straight at another masked figure leaping down from the wall above.
Squelch!
The broken blade buried itself perfectly into the man's neck. The sound of tearing flesh was exceptionally piercing in the quiet alley.
Blood sprayed out. Before the man could even scream, he plummeted heavily to the ground, twitching a few times before going completely still.
At the same time, the attackers on the left and right closed in.
Holding Robin, Aiden used his left foot as a pivot and abruptly spun his body.
His right leg swept out like a steel whip, carrying a crushing momentum.
Bang!
He kicked the attacker on the left squarely in the chest. The man was sent flying backward as if struck by a massive hammer, crashing violently into the solid stone wall.
The terrifying force, accompanied by a shockwave, embedded half of his body into the stone. The wall spider-webbed outward from the impact zone, and the man instantly lost consciousness.
During the spin, Robin could clearly feel the explosive power in his arm and the steel-like contours of his muscles pressing against her.
His large hand was firmly planted on her lower back, the burning heat of his palm nearly seeping through her thin dress, inevitably brushing against the soft, sensitive curve of her waist.
A blush rapidly spread from Robin's neck to the tips of her ears. This unconscious, intimate contact in the heat of battle made her heart race like a startled deer.
Yet, she didn't feel any aversion. Instead, she buried her face a little deeper into his chest, a secret, sweet smile of relief touching the corners of her lips.
Hearing the massive commotion, a squad of city guards patrolling nearby immediately rushed into the alley.
Then, they witnessed a jaw-dropping scene—Aiden was casually holding the breathtakingly beautiful Saint of Battle Rhythm, while several unconscious figures lay scattered at his feet.
The Ganesha Familia member leading the squad was an acquaintance of Aiden's. He first waved for his subordinates to tie up the robed men, then scratched his hair and walked over with a helpless expression.
"Flamescion, it's these guys from the outside again... What a pain. Do they not think at all? Do they really believe they can just kidnap the Saint of Battle Rhythm whenever they want? A bunch of idiots without a single First-Class Adventurer among them, trying to snatch someone from your hands. Who gave them the courage?"
"Yeah, they're like flies. So annoying."
Aiden looked equally irritated.
These kingdoms and Familias from the outside world truly lacked self-awareness.
There were indeed powerful factions outside Orario—like the Empire, the Martial Arts Nation, the Maritime Nation, the Magic Nation, and the School District. However, these major powers knew the strength of Orario and wouldn't provoke it lightly. Instead, it was always these ignorant little kingdoms and Familias, egged on by gods looking for a laugh, who sent people to Orario to kidnap targets.
"I'll leave the cleanup to you, Momoka. I'll buy you a drink next time."
Aiden patted the young guard's shoulder and quickly walked away, leading a still-blushing Robin by the hand.
"Sigh... It's Modaka, sir..."
The young guard named Modaka reached out a hand, letting out a feeble groan as he watched their retreating backs.
"Pfft... You're a little mean, you know."
Hearing the resentful complaint from behind them, Robin covered her mouth and giggled.
"You don't understand," Aiden said with a grin. "This is how we interact. We're friends."
.....
A major feature of Orario's eastern district was the abundance of Guild-managed facilities and large hotels.
In the distance, massive structures like the circular arena and luxurious hotels built with red bricks stood tall. This district carried a distinct vibe, tailored more for festival tourists and foreign travelers.
Robin was clearly in high spirits. She bought a lot of things along the way—beautifully packaged candies, cakes radiating tempting aromas, and a basket of fresh fruit.
She was carrying bags of various sizes, evidently gifts for someone.
Aiden naturally knew who these gifts were for.
He walked beside her as they navigated through an alley, took several turns, and finally stepped away from the bustling streets.
As they exited the path, the scenery of the Labyrinth District unfolded before them all at once.
"Daedalus Street"—a vast residential area that had been reorganized several times by the eccentric designer, yet had completely forgotten the concept of order.
Stone buildings, winding staircases, and narrow alleys crisscrossed in a complex, multi-layered, and imposing structure. It could truly be called a "Dungeon" on the surface.
Anyone coming here for the first time would be instantly disoriented.
Together, they walked into the entrance of the Labyrinth District.
First, a set of stairs extended upward, only to be blocked by a protruding room of a building.
In the dark, complex, and narrow passages where sunlight never reached, the dim yellow glow of old magic stone lamps provided the only illumination.
Along these cluttered paths, residents in less-than-tidy clothing could be seen everywhere—women scrubbing laundry vigorously by a well, and old men fiercely playing chess on a board set up by the road.
Robin was clearly no stranger to this place. She navigated the complex roads—which could confuse even top-tier adventurers—with familiar ease, darting through them like a bird weaving through a forest.
Previously, Tifa had always accompanied her. This was Aiden's first time setting foot here, so he looked around this peculiar district, dubbed the "Surface Labyrinth," with curiosity.
After walking up, down, left, and right through an unknown number of paths, Robin finally stopped in front of a building.
Nestled deep within the Labyrinth District was a somewhat desolate wooden "church."
The church was quite large. In front of it was an open plaza with a broken, dry fountain. The church itself stood stubbornly, looking as if it were being squeezed by the jagged buildings surrounding it.
Pushing open the heavy wooden doors, they entered a vast space about ten meters wide.
There were several doors on the left and right walls leading to different rooms, and a simple altar could be seen far ahead.
Many of the floor tiles were broken, with weeds sprouting from the cracks. The ceiling was high, and a few rays of sunlight streamed in through the broken stained-glass windows, creating mottled pillars of light.
Several long wooden pews were scattered around, stacked haphazardly like building blocks.
----
Support this fanfict by leaving Positive Review, Comments, and Power Stones.
For Advance Chapters:
> Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations