Alfia suddenly stood and said, "You two should head back for now."
Zald and Erebus both blinked in surprise.
"Heh, looks like our Miss Silence wants some private time with Akira." Zald muttered with a sly smile.
No doubt something had happened between those two. Otherwise, how could their relationship have grown so fast?
Erebus smiled in that teasing, knowing way, like a nosy aunt watching a blooming romance.
Alfia gave them a calm but warning glance. If she weren't afraid of disturbing Akira resting in her arms, she'd get to action right now.
Seeing the look that seemed to promise sweet torment, Zald and Erebus raised their hands in surrender.
Alfia shook her head gently, her eyes softening as she looked down at Akira's peaceful face. "I'll explain our plan to him once he wakes up."
Zald and Erebus exchanged glances, silently agreeing with a nod.
"All right, we'll take our leave then. Contact us immediately if anything comes up." Zald said, standing.
Erebus chuckled, "And don't try any funny business behind my back."
Alfia ignored their playful jabs, continuing to gaze at Akira with an unusual tenderness.
The two men shrugged, sharing a helpless smile, and headed for the door. Once they left, the church fell into deep silence, broken only by Akira's steady breathing.
Alfia carefully adjusted her position so Akira could lie more comfortably on her lap.
After an unknown span of time, Akira's eyes fluttered open, still heavy with sleep. He blinked slowly, and when he saw Alfia calmly watching him, a flush of embarrassment rose to his cheeks as he sat up.
"How long was I out? Where did Zald and Erebus go?" Akira rubbed his eyes.
He hadn't expected to fall asleep like that and certainly didn't expect Alfia to let him sleep.
Alfia smoothed out her wrinkled skirt, shaking her head gently. "You didn't sleep long. They left a while ago. Let's talk about the next plan."
"Okay, I'm listening." Akira said, his expression sharpening into seriousness.
Alfia laid out the details of their earlier discussion, explaining the strategy step by step.
Akira listened carefully, occasionally raising questions and offering his own insights. Their conversation grew animated and intense. Before they knew it, dusk had fallen, wrapping Orario in warm twilight.
Akira glanced out the window and said, standing, "The day's almost over."
Alfia followed his gaze, watching the sunset paint the sky in fiery orange and red.
She nodded softly. "Yes. Well then, I should head back."
Akira hesitated for a heartbeat, then extended his hand toward Alfia. "Want to walk together for a bit?"
Alfia's eyes widened slightly. Her gaze locked onto his outstretched hand, and then up into his hopeful, flickering eyes.
After a brief pause, she slowly reached out, placing her hand gently in his.
"Okay." She whispered, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
Seeing her smile, Akira felt a flutter in his chest. Indeed, Alfia had changed a great deal.
Together, they stepped out side by side, the sun's dying light stretching and intertwining their shadows.
The streets bustled around them, but passersby couldn't help but glance sideways, drawn in by the peaceful, beautiful sight.
They talked quietly as they walked, about Akira's daily trivialities, Alfia's past adventures, and everything in between.
A gentle breeze teased the edges of their hair.
When they reached the midpoint of West Street, Akira stopped and turned to Alfia. "Let's stop here. You need to rest, right?"
"Yeah, you're right." She replied softly.
Then, almost without warning, driven by a mix of gratitude and something unfamiliar, Alfia wrapped her arms gently around Akira's waist and rested her head on his shoulder.
Akira froze. His hands rose awkwardly, hanging uncertainly in the air.
"What?" He murmured.
After a brief moment, Alfia pulled away.
"Thanks." She said simply.
Akira's tension melted away into a soft smile.
"I accept your thanks." He replied warmly.
Their eyes met, reflected in each other's gaze like twin flames. No words were needed. They simply waved goodbye.
Akira turned, walking toward his home. After a few steps, he glanced back to see Alfia still standing there, watching him go. A warm glow spread through his chest as he waved again, then quickened his pace.
Alfia remained rooted, her heart strangely hollow yet full all at once. And in that quiet moment, a sudden thought whispered in her mind.
Meteria… what does it feel like to fall in love?
The golden sunlight stretched across the stone pavement, dyeing the reflections into long shadows that gradually vanished into the retreating streets of sunset.
After sending off a certain goddess who had just been robbed of her property, the three girls lingered behind, exchanging quiet conversation.
Alise sighed with helplessness, folding her arms beneath her crimson cape. "The Guild clearly warned the gods not to act alone. But are there just too many free-spirited gods running around these days? Don't tell me the others are wandering the city like this too?"
"While I understand that's simply the nature of gods, this particular one gave off a mysterious, hard-to-grasp vibe." Ryuu added, her gaze still faintly troubled as her long ears twitched at the thought.
Adi, who had been absentmindedly fiddling with her short, light-blue hair, nodded in agreement. "Yes. I kept feeling like she was exactly the same type as Hermes... Ah, wait, that reminds me."
As if recalling something suddenly, she turned around and spoke more seriously, "Although we weren't able to retrieve the smuggled goods, the merchant we caught spilled everything. It seems the branches of the Great Sacred Tree from your homeland are being frequently circulated in Orario."
"What?" Ryuu's voice wavered slightly in shock.
A subtle ripple passed through her usually calm emerald eyes, and her hand, which had been gripping the hem of her tunic, tightened unconsciously.
Even among elves, the Great Sacred Tree held profound significance. Although every elven village possessed a Sacred Tree, its branches were considered treasures, rarely seen outside elven lands. They were primarily used to craft magic wands and high-grade enchanted weapons, items that remained within elven hands.
Traditionally, the village would grant a Sacred Branch to an elf who left on a journey, a deeply personal and sacred farewell. Because of that, there was no reason for such an item to appear in the general market, let alone in such high volumes.
The elves, who revered and protected the Great Sacred Tree as part of their very identity, would never allow such sacrilege.
Adi's expression darkened as she continued relaying the information passed down by her older sister. "And it's not just your hometown. Evilus is trying to smuggle in all sorts of items from outside Orario and they're even willing to destroy elven villages to do it."
"This isn't just a black market anymore… it's basically a full-blown criminal syndicate." Alise muttered with a deep frown. "They're collecting all sorts of contraband, and using Orario's fast-moving trade as cover. Merchants are colluding behind the scenes more and more these days. It's becoming harder and harder to root out these scumbags."
With a troubled look, Adi added quietly, "There should be several warehouses where they're temporarily storing the smuggled goods but I'm sorry, Ryuu. I couldn't retrieve the branches for your village."
This was yet another dark chapter authored by the black market syndicates, the underworld that had risen during Orario's darkest age. And it wasn't just the Sacred Tree branches. All kinds of questionable, dangerous relics and illegal materials were now circulating through Orario like a disease.
(End of Chapter)
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