Before Alfia could respond, Zald's voice sounded again from behind the door, "Akira, Alfia, what are you two whispering about in there?"
The tension was broken. Akira and Alfia exchanged glances and smiled.
"Coming!" Akira called back, rising to his feet.
He extended his hand to her. For a moment, Alfia hesitated. But then, wordlessly, she placed her hand in his.
Akira's grip was gentle but firm as he helped her stand, supporting her as they walked toward the door.
They took a moment to adjust their clothes and composure. Once everything was in order, Akira reached out and opened the door.
Zald and Erebus stood on the other side, their expressions immediately shifting when they saw the pair standing side by side.
Zald's smile widened into something suspiciously smug.
"Well, well." He said with a grin, "Looks like everything went very smoothly. Didn't I tell you, Akira? You're the real deal."
Akira raised a hand and gave a theatrical thumbs-up. "Of course. Do you know who I am?"
Zald burst into laughter, his voice echoing through the hall.
Even a few tears welled up in his eyes, whether from relief or joy, it was hard to tell.
Zald took a step forward, placed a heavy hand on Akira's shoulder, and spoke in a tone filled with rare sincerity, "If you ever need help in the future, don't hesitate to come find me. Also, I'll get started on preparing a proper reward for your treatment."
"Yeah, yeah, I got it. I'll be expecting something big." Akira replied, waving his hand dismissively with a helpless smile.
Did they really need to make such a fuss?
Sure, he knew they were both Level 7 adventurers, and this was a big deal to them but was there really anything in Valis worth giving as a reward?
Were they going to return to the Dungeon just to grind for money?
Before Akira could get lost in the absurdity of it, Erebus folded his arms and chuckled, "Honestly, if the rest of Orario knew Gluttony was shedding tears like this, I'm sure the Guild would hold a press conference. It'd be the biggest sensation in years."
Zald let out a loud, hearty laugh as he wiped the wet corners of his eyes, completely unashamed. "Hahaha, sorry, sorry. I guess I went and ruined the warm atmosphere."
Akira turned to Alfia beside him, their gazes meeting. And then, like some kind of unspoken magic, both of them smiled at the same time.
A short while later, the four of them returned to the benches in the church's quiet hall. Akira sat next to Alfia, facing Zald and Erebus across the makeshift table.
His expression sobered as he asked, "So, you still plan on getting involved in Evilus' operation?"
There was a faint frown on his face as he leaned forward.
I healed you two, and you still want to go be villains? Then what was the point of saving you?
Zald's face turned serious as he said flatly, "No. We're not going back to Evilus' plans."
Akira blinked. "Then what are you doing?"
Zald leaned back slightly, crossing his arms. "Even though evilus is beneath us now, they've scattered their members all throughout Orario. If we don't handle them properly, they'll just crawl into the shadows like rats, waiting for the perfect time to stab someone in the back."
His voice was calm, but sharp with intent. "And when that time comes, Orario will be caught in a crisis even worse than before."
It was true. Now that both Zald and Alfia had recovered, dealing with Evilus' remnants wouldn't be a challenge. And with someone like Akira added to the mix, they could probably clean up every evilus hideout in a day if they tried.
But the issue wasn't power. The issue was, they were tired of chasing rats.
Alfia chimed in, her voice steady and cool. "Only by making ourselves visible, by getting involved again, will evilus be arrogant enough to emerge and attack Orario."
Her words were like a blade laid bare on the table.
With the two legendary familias, Zeus and Hera, returning to the fold, even in fragmentary form, evilus would panic. They would come out of hiding, driven by fear, by desperation.
Of course, even without them, the current top-tier adventurers would be enough to crush them.
But if Zald and Alfia hadn't played the villain and joined them, how long would those rats have kept hiding?
Evilus wasn't as powerful as people thought.
Akira shrugged. "Alright, I get it. Do what you want. You've got the experience."
He stretched his legs out, then tilted sideways, slumping down dramatically.
"But if it were me, I'd just sneak into their headquarters and slaughter everyone, clean sweep. Kill the entire familia. Heck, I'd even shake their eggs to dust so they don't reproduce."
Without any warning, Akira's upper body collapsed sideways, his head resting directly on Alfia's thighs.
Zald and Erebus both stared in stunned silence.
This kid had just used the witch's lap… as a pillow?
Even more shocking, Alfia hadn't exploded. No fists, no cold glares. Nothing.
Is this really the same witch? Did someone swap her out?
Zald tried to keep a calm expression, folding his arms and pretending not to notice, but inwardly, he was screaming.
Oi oi oi! Since when did the two of you get this close?
Sure, as a half-elf, Akira was definitely good-looking. That wild black hair, that sharp yet elegant face, the cold glint in his eyes when he wasn't playing around. He had that aloof and mysterious charm, like a lone wolf noble.
But still... wasn't there a rather large age gap between them?
If this turned into something romantic, wouldn't the military police come after Alfia for corrupting youth?
Erebus cleared his throat, trying to redirect the topic. "Ahem… Maybe I'll go travel around Orario for a few years. Then return and see what the city looks like."
After all, he only had one follower left. As long as he wasn't forcibly returned to heaven, he could still make plans for the future. But there was no reply from the boy in question.
The trio turned to look at Akira. Fast asleep. His face was serene, completely defenseless as he lay curled up in Alfia's lap like a peaceful cat.
The atmosphere in the room fell silent again.
Zald, Erebus, and Alfia all exchanged glances.
Well… so much for a serious discussion.
Alfia looked down at Akira's sleeping face. Her fingers twitched unconsciously. A quiet sigh escaped her lips. She reached out gently and brushed the strands of hair away from his forehead.
"What a strange child." She whispered.
Her voice was soft, almost tender, with a hint of affection that even she hadn't noticed slip in.
Zald scratched the back of his head, his expression somewhere between fond and exasperated. "Looks like Akira really does trust us, huh? Who else would fall asleep in the middle of a war room meeting?"
Even if they had healed, wasn't he still worried they might betray him?
But Erebus just smirked and crossed his legs. "Maybe this is his way of telling us that whatever decision we make, he's already ready to support it."
The three of them exchanged knowing glances and chuckled softly, the tension in the room melting away.
"All right, let him rest a while." Alfia said softly, her voice like a gentle breeze. "We'll discuss the next plan first."
Zald and Erebus nodded in agreement, settling down to quietly hash out the strategy to root out Evilus' remaining threats.
After their hushed discussion, the trio fell into a thoughtful silence, patiently waiting for Akira to wake.