Though they had just fought a fierce battle against the Child of Flesh three centuries ago and spent three days in the Grand Duchy of Augustus, in reality, only a moment had passed.
Aria stared at the surrounding scenery in stunned silence for several seconds before remembering she had been on her way to get something to eat. Turning to Evernight, she asked, "Sister Evernight, would you like to join us for a feast?"
Evernight hadn't even reacted to the sudden invitation when Feidric and Douglas visibly stiffened. Unlike other Demigods they had met, who all radiated a friendly aura, Evernight projected a distinctly 'bad woman' vibe—beautiful yet dangerous. The two were genuinely surprised that Aria would extend an invitation to her.
Because... Aria had never even considered these questions. She simply thought Evernight was beautiful, vouched for by Sister Cipher, and a Demigod of Okhema—surely that meant she was trustworthy? And since they were about to eat, it was only proper to invite her along, right?
Evernight feigned a thoughtful expression, but in reality, she wasn't thinking at all. After a few seconds, she said, "Alright~ Since you've invited me~"
The group of five quickly arrived at the dining hall, found an empty table, and sat down. Feidric and Douglas visibly tensed up, as if their casual meal with friends had suddenly become a formal dinner with their boss.
During the previous 'three days,' Feidric had been discussing magic with Jay, while Douglas had been helping build the Grand Duchy of Augustus. Neither of them had any real interaction with Evernight, their impressions of her still based on their initial meeting.
Aria was in the same boat, so she asked directly, "Sister Evernight, what do you like to eat?"
Since their impressions were still based on their initial encounter and they didn't really know her, chatting and asking questions seemed like the best way to gradually get to know her better.
It's no exaggeration to say that if Aria were in the real world, attending a work gathering, she would genuinely wave off her boss's toast, bluntly stating, "I don't like alcohol," and promptly return the gesture with a glass of cola.
Evernight propped her delicate chin on one hand, glanced down at the menu with a faint smile playing on her lips, and said to Aria, "Personally, I love devouring cute girls and their adorable memories~"
"I devour their cherished childhood moments with their parents, the joy of receiving gifts, the hard-won happiness of their successes—everything. Then I relish watching them forget it all, lost in confusion~"
As she spoke, Evernight opened her small mouth wide, mimed taking a bite of the air, and made a soft "Nom~" sound. She added, "Just like this."
Aria blinked in surprise, then furrowed her brow, as if trying to recall something. A bewildered expression spread across her face. "Huh? Did you just eat my memories, Sister Evernight? But I don't feel like I've forgotten anything at all."
Evernight chuckled, "Your memories? I devoured them all! They're gone, vanished. Of course you wouldn't remember them~"
Aria's face lit up with sudden understanding. She clenched her right fist and thumped it into her left palm. "Oh! So that's how it works!"
Seeing her reaction, Evernight tilted her head, puzzled. "Aren't you curious about which memories I devoured?"
Aria replied candidly, "Not really. It's all in the past anyway. All that matters is that my parents were good to me, I had a happy childhood, and the team here is good to me now, making me happy now. That's enough, right?"
"Besides, even if those old memories are gone, we're all here now. We can just create brand-new memories together, right?"
Seeing Aria's carefree attitude, Evernight wore a slightly exasperated expression. Feidric tentatively asked, "So... you really did eat Aria's memories just now?"
"No, I didn't," Evernight replied. "I was just teasing the kid. Who could have guessed she wouldn't be scared at all?"
With that, Evernight's slender fingers danced across the menu before her, tapping rapidly. "I'll have this, this, and this, please."
Feidric couldn't help but sigh in relief, but Aria pouted slightly. "What do you mean by 'teasing a child'? I'm already an adult! I'm almost twenty!"
Evernight casually retorted, "But I'm several hundred years old. What else could you be but a child?"
Aria paused, at a loss for a retort. She could only maintain her pout and glare at Evernight.
Meanwhile, the others had finished ordering their meals. The restaurant was remarkably efficient, and the dishes arrived quickly. True to her reputation as a social terrorist, Aria kept up a steady stream of chatter with Evernight, ensuring there wasn't a single awkward silence.
In contrast, Feidric, Douglas, and Cipher remained almost completely silent, heads buried in their plates, focusing entirely on eating.
The dinner concluded on a relatively pleasant note. Evernight bid farewell to the group at the entrance. As dusk fell, she decided to head straight to her primary residence—the grand villa on the outskirts of Okhema known as Golden Courtyard.
Though her initial reason for venturing out had been to find something to occupy her time, perhaps a long-term job, she now figured: When in doubt, sleep it off. I'll think about it tomorrow.
-
Time flowed slowly onward, and the Material World maintained its fragile yet stable peace. Before he knew it, three months had passed. On this particular day, an incident occurred in the Northern Territory.
Arthur woke up as usual, tidied himself up, ate breakfast, and prepared to start his day's work.
After declaring his allegiance to Cerydra and joining the Northern Territory Empire, his entire clan had relocated to the Northern Territory center. They had been living there for quite some time now, and only now, having experienced this new life, did Arthur realize how difficult his previous existence had been.
Arthur didn't carry himself with the airs of a former leader. He rolled up his sleeves and worked alongside everyone else. However, just as he was about to leave for work that day, the Demon Axe at his waist suddenly opened its eyes, its expression grave. "Boy, something's wrong!"