"…And perhaps the number of Inferi will increase more and more as the days go by. So, if you are just a civilian, I recommend staying at home if any portal opens near your location."
Thus states the journalist. Sitting on the library sofa, Slady was eating a piece of brownie he had bought in the morning.
"I hope this does not overload the girls and Ferinish. Listening to their complaints is a pain." (He murmured)
"Admit it, Slady. You just cannot stand being ordered around by Ferinish to massage her anymore. You are a submissive boyfriend!" (Truth commented with a mocking laugh)
Slady rolled his eyes, without irritation.
"What am I supposed to do? Ferinish is the one who gives me orders." (Shrugging.)
"Good that you know it!" (Mocked again)
Arriving at the kitchen, Slady removed his overcoat, leaving only his short sleeved black and red shirt. He put on an apron, undid his hair from the braid and tied it into a bun.
"Cooking, working a bit in the library, and managing my woman's money…" (He murmured, starting his work)
"I think it is the opposite, Slady. Ferinish is the man and you are the woman in the relationship!" (He let out another laugh)
"Shut up!" (He tried to slap him with the wooden spoon, but it went right through)
"Huh?! You better not forget that I am inside your mind, sweetheart! But I will not bother you anymore." (He disappeared)
Suddenly, a knock was heard at the library door. Slady stopped his work and began to walk among the bookshelves.
"I have not opened the library yet…" (He murmured)
When he opened it, the image of the hunter, Aurora, was before his eyes. She was surprised by Slady's domestic appearance, but ignored it.
"You are really very clever, are you not?"
"No, I am just a librarian."
Without asking permission, Aurora entered the library and began to walk around. The woman stared at the man, nodding her head toward the kitchen.
"I respect dedicated men. Go work in the kitchen while I talk to you."
'Being ordered around again…' (He thought)
As they walked between the bookshelves, Slady felt Aurora's attentive gaze on him. Then, upon reaching the kitchen and returning to his work, he asked:
"What did you mean by calling me 'clever'?"
"You know…" (She sat down on a chair)
"I am someone who likes to understand those who interest me. So, before I returned to my home, I placed some very small cameras to spy on you…" (She began)
"But apparently, someone with very good eyesight managed to find them and even managed to access them to such a level that they gained access to the camera in my house." (She finished)
Slady simply remained silent, continuing to cook. Aurora opened a refrigerator and poured a wine that was inside, placing it into two glasses.
"I do not mind that. To be very honest, I deserved it. But I still have one big doubt. Slady, who are you?"
Slady put a lid on the pot and sat in front of Aurora, taking a very considerable sip of the wine.
"Why this doubt, Aurora?"
The woman narrowed her eyes at being called by her name and replied:
"I do not like being called by my name. But considering my interest in you, I will allow it…"
"But if you want to understand my doubt, Slady, it is that in my view, for someone to earn the trust of a Hunter of Destruction, and have ties with Ferinish Lawhell and even Elisa and Shaphira, who are both hunters that, despite being new to the field, have shown very good performance, they have to be someone special…" (She took a sip of the wine)
"And I would even think that Ferinish trained them, considering that she is your partner. But from what I have observed, the girls are still getting used to the presence of the maternal figure. So, the only person who may have trained them long enough to make them so strong… is you, only you…"
"So, summarizing my reason, someone has to be special to gain the trust of such powerful people and, above all, very experienced in training their adopted daughters. Returning to my question, who are you, Slady?" (She asked with a calm smile on her lips)
"You are truly impressive, Miss Sinhaygter. But I will be direct in my answer. I am someone you will never truly know."
He stood up, turned his back, and returned to his work in the kitchen.
"If you want to get closer to me, Aurora, I will be the friend you deserve. But if your curiosity, or your interest in me, begins to affect my family…"
Then he looked at her coldly.
"I will make you know my true self. But you will not be alive to tell anyone."
Aurora felt a chill run through her body, stood up, and placed her hands on the table.
"According to you, I would be entering a hole from which there may be no way out alive. But even so, I will take that risk. But of course, I will not let my interest in you affect your beloved family. Only you will be affected, whether positively or negatively."
Looking back at her, Slady adjusted his apron and covered the pot again with the lid.
"That is how I prefer it, and I add that I do not want it to affect any of those I know intimately. If you want to attack someone, let it be only me."
Then, from Aurora's coat, a listening device flew out, landing in Slady's mechanical hands.
"And of course, no cowardly tricks either, Miss Sinhaygter." (He destroyed the device)
The woman clenched her fists, slightly frustrated, but nodded her head and replied in kind.
"I am a leader and an honorable person, Slady. I would not lose my reason to attack you. But if you are bold enough to move against me, Mr. Slady, I will use my equipment to finish you."
Turning toward the library exit, she began to walk away. Slady followed beside her. The tension between them was enormous, but it was noticeable that a spark of respect began to arise.
'This man is far from being just an ordinary librarian. He must hide something that not even his closest ones can know.' (Aurora thought)
'I acknowledge your good intention from now on, but I will not allow you to come close to knowing anything beyond my deepest secrets.' (Slady thought)