Rayish
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Chapter 157
🕑 Added 2025-08-04 10:47:14 +0000 UTCThe next morning, the aroma of cooking once again filled the kitchen of Twilight Manor. The rhythmic krek-krek of knives chopping vegetables and the ssstt of meat sizzling on a hot pan echoed harmoniously. Amid the bustle, Lefiya stood on the left side of the kitchen counter, busy preparing vegetable soup, while Shirou, on the right, was toasting bread and preparing side dishes.
The morning routine felt warm, almost like any other day... except for one noticeable difference.
At the dining table directly facing the kitchen sat a small Pallum with neatly combed blond hair—Finn. Unlike usual, he had woken up earlier than all the other members of Loki Familia this morning. His petite frame sat upright on a tall chair, while a stack of letters, reports, and documents from the Guild lay spread out before him.
The soft rustling of paper mixed with the scent of breakfast being prepared. Occasionally, Finn let out a quiet sigh as he reviewed a document, signed the bottom, and placed it to the left, forming a new pile.
Lefiya glanced sideways, slightly surprised by the sight. "Captain Finn is up this early?"
Finn didn't look up, only offering a faint smile as he continued reading. "Mm. There's an expedition report I need to send back to the Guild this morning. The sooner, the better, right?"
Shirou turned his head briefly while flipping the toast in the pan. "In that case, breakfast should be extra quick, huh?"
Finn chuckled softly. "Heh, as usual. I'll leave that to you two."
As Shirou busied himself with the pans, he repeatedly glanced toward the dining room entrance. His looks were quick, just fleeting glimpses, but they happened often enough that Lefiya, who was chopping vegetables, eventually noticed.
Without stopping her knife, Lefiya glanced at Shirou. "Why do you keep looking at the door like that?"
Shirou exhaled lightly, keeping his eyes on the soup pot. "Actually... Riveria didn't come to the shed for magecraft training at dawn today."
Lefiya blinked in surprise. "Lady Riveria? But she's usually so enthusiastic every morning?" Her voice was full of disbelief. She still vividly remembered the scene from a few weeks ago—when Riveria had rushed into the kitchen, flustered and still in her nightgown with half-messy hair, afraid of missing her morning training session with Shirou.
"Exactly," Shirou nodded, shifting his gaze back to the pot. "That's why I'm worried. Maybe something's wrong?"
Lefiya nodded slowly, as if recalling something. "Yesterday evening... when I told her about my level-up... Lady Riveria seemed... a bit unenthusiastic." She bit her lip before adding, "She kept massaging her forehead, like she had a headache."
Shirou's brow furrowed, his expression turning concerned. "Then... is she sick?" He stared at the table before realizing something. "In that case, maybe we should make her some warm porridge?"
Before Lefiya could respond, a soft cough interrupted them.
Ehem.
Shirou and Lefiya turned simultaneously. Finn closed the folder he was reading and looked at them with his usual calm expression. "Just make the porridge," he said while rearranging the stack of letters in front of him. "As for checking on her, I'll handle that."
His tone was light, but there was something hidden behind his shrewd blue eyes.
Shirou and Lefiya exchanged glances, while Finn lowered his head back to his documents—hiding a faint smile. Deep down, he already knew the real reason Riveria hadn't left her room this morning: the aftereffects of her first-ever hangover from drinking with him and Gareth two nights ago to relieve stress.
Once all the cooking was done and the warm steam from the soup and rice filled the kitchen, they began serving breakfast at the table. Finn closed the last document and pushed his stack aside before hopping down from his tall chair. With his signature calm and efficient demeanor, he grabbed a plate and joined Shirou and Lefiya at the main table.
Meanwhile, at other tables, members of Loki Familia began gathering. Raul sat with Aki and Linne, discussing plans for next week's Dungeon expedition. Light laughter and the clinking of cutlery against bowls accompanied the warm breakfast.
Shirou glanced at Lefiya, who was sitting beside him, and asked between sips of soup, "So, what happened yesterday? Did you end up meeting Asfi at the Guild?"
Lefiya nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! She was so nice, Shirou. When I asked her about Mystery, she just smiled and started explaining in detail how she develops magic tools using that skill." Her dark blue eyes sparkled, clearly showing her excitement.
Across the table, Finn raised his spoon and nodded toward Lefiya. "Congratulations, Lefiya. I heard from Loki that you've reached Level 4. Good work."
Lefiya's cheeks flushed slightly at the praise. "Hehehe... thank you so much, Captain!" She then turned back to Shirou, still excited. "Oh yeah, today Asfi even invited me to her personal workshop!"
This time, Finn looked up, his expression slightly surprised. "Asfi's private workshop? That's unusual." He crossed his arms and nodded slowly. "Seems she really trusts you. Or at least sees potential in you."
Lefiya blushed, feeling proud yet nervous. "I didn't expect it either. But she said since I have Mystery now, she wanted to show me real examples of how to develop the skill."
Shirou smiled softly, happy to see Lefiya so excited and valued by someone as renowned as Asfi. "That's awesome. I think you'll do great, Lefiya."
"Hehehe, it's all thanks to you too..." Lefiya murmured quietly while stirring her rice.
As she took her last bite, Lefiya nudged Shirou's shoulder lightly with her elbow. "Hey, Shirou, can you come with me to Asfi's workshop later?" she asked hopefully.
Shirou chewed slowly, then took a sip of water before answering apologetically, "Uhh, sorry, Lefiya. I'd love to, but... yesterday at the restaurant, Goddess Hestia asked me to visit her place today."
"Aww!" Lefiya groaned, her shoulders slumping. "She beat me to it..."
Across the table, Finn raised an eyebrow at the mention of Hestia. "Hestia Familia, huh? In that case... Shirou, could I ask you to deliver something?"
"Of course, Captain," Shirou replied promptly, sitting up attentively.
Finn picked up an envelope from his neatly wrapped pile of documents. It looked elegant, with a small golden wax seal and a faint floral scent.
Shirou took the envelope curiously. "Who's this for, Captain? Goddess Hestia?"
Finn shook his head slightly, his small smile full of meaning. "No. Give this to Liliruca Arde."
Lefiya, who was drinking water, nearly choked. She set her glass down quickly and stared wide-eyed at Finn before leaning toward the envelope in Shirou's hands. "Hihi... is this... a love letter, Captain?" she teased with a light laugh.
Finn only smirked slightly, neither confirming nor denying. "Could be," he replied casually, his tone mysterious.
Shirou and Lefiya fell silent, exchanging glances... before their eyes widened in unison.
"Ehhhhh?!" they exclaimed almost simultaneously, drawing curious looks from other Familia members.
Suddenly, heavy, confident footsteps approached from the hallway. The distinct sound of anklets jingling lightly preceded their owner, Tione. With her hands on her hips and a sharp, inquisitive smile, she strode toward the dining table.
"Hey, what's going on? Why the commotion?" she asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at Lefiya and Shirou.
Reflexively, Shirou and Lefiya exchanged glances—and as if by magic, they both raised their hands to cover the fancy letter on Shirou's plate, their stiff and forced movements only making them look more suspicious.
"Eh? N-nothing!" Lefiya stammered too quickly.
"Right! Just... remembered something funny from last night," Shirou added with a stiff smile and a slightly bowed head.
Fortunately, Tione wasn't too focused on them. She had already shifted her gaze to the one person who could make her heart race—Finn. As usual, the Amazoness sauntered over and leaned casually against Finn's chair. "Captain~ Have you eaten? Or should I feed you?" she cooed flirtatiously.
Finn let out a long sigh, as if too accustomed to Tione's antics. He simply offered a wry smile, didn't answer, and calmly picked up a bowl of porridge from the table. "I'll deliver this to Riveria first," he said curtly before getting up and heading toward the stairs.
"Awww~ Always dodging me," Tione sighed dramatically, hugging herself as if heartbroken. But true to form, her expression brightened a few seconds later, and she strutted away without looking back.
Once Tione was truly gone, Lefiya and Shirou exhaled deeply in unison.
"Phew... that was close," Lefiya muttered, rubbing her chest.
"I thought we were gonna get caught and everything would blow up," Shirou added, leaning back in his chair.
Soon after, the sound of chairs scraping and plates being cleared filled the room. Members of Loki Familia began dispersing, returning to their respective tasks. While Finn disappeared up the stairs with the porridge for Riveria, Shirou and Lefiya stood near the kitchen, cleaning up the remnants of breakfast together.
"Alright, cleanup duty as usual," Shirou said, grabbing a damp cloth to wipe the table.
"After this, we'll head out, right?" Lefiya asked, carrying a stack of plates to the sink.
Shirou nodded lightly. "Yeah, hopefully that letter reaches the right hands."
The morning air of Orario blended with the dust of the streets and the warm breeze carrying the sounds of the city's footsteps. Sunlight streamed through the gaps between the tall buildings of the North District, illuminating the now-quiet front yard of Twilight Manor.
In the back kitchen, Shirou and Lefiya finished their final sweep. The lingering scent of breakfast still hung in the air, mingling with the warmth of their morning together.
As they hung up the cloths and aprons, a soft voice came from the back door. "Good morning."
Aiz Wallenstein stepped inside, her golden hair slightly damp with sweat. She slipped in quietly, as usual, not wanting to draw too much attention. Her posture made it clear she had just finished her morning training—likely with Bell.
Lefiya glanced briefly, her cheeks tinged pink as always, but this time she didn't stop what she was doing. She was too excited thinking about her visit to Asfi's workshop.
"All done?" Aiz asked, sitting at the corner of the table and pouring herself tea from the remaining pot.
"Just finished," Shirou replied, hanging the clean cloth in the kitchen. "Breakfast is still warm if you'd like some."
Aiz nodded quietly, her eyes briefly flickering to Shirou as he wiped his hands. "Thank you."
A few minutes later, Shirou and Lefiya stepped outside, greeted by the increasingly warm morning sun.
The streets of Orario were already bustling. Horse-drawn carriages moved slowly, merchants opened their stalls, and the laughter of children running around echoed in the distance. The smell of toasted bread and smoked meat wafted from food stalls—a typical scene in the city of adventurers.
Amid the crowd, the two walked side by side. Occasionally, Lefiya chattered about small things, like how she had struggled to pick an outfit earlier because she wanted to look presentable for Asfi.
Eventually, they reached the large intersection in the city center—their usual parting spot when they had separate errands.
"So... see you later, Shirou," Lefiya said cheerfully.
Shirou nodded, slinging the small bag containing Finn's letter to Lili over his shoulder. "Hope your meeting with Asfi goes well. And don't forget to take notes about Mystery."
"Of course!" Lefiya replied, pumping her fist. "Oh, and don't forget to give that letter to Liliruca!"
Shirou smiled slightly. "Don't worry."
With a light wave, they turned away. Lefiya's footsteps led her toward Hermes Familia's headquarters, while Shirou headed in the opposite direction—toward Hestia Familia's home.
Orario continued to live on as usual, holding countless stories within its bustling streets. And today, two of those stories have just begun a new chapter.
Shirou finally arrived in front of Hearth Mansion, a grand building standing elegantly in the middle of a residential area. Its size was incomparable to the rundown church where Hestia and Bell used to live—this resembled a noble's estate more than the home of a small Familia. Tall, intricately carved pillars, large windows reflecting the morning sunlight, and a modest yet well-kept front garden.
No one would have guessed this was all thanks to Hestia Familia's victory in the war game against Apollo Familia weeks ago. Back then, Apollo had aggressively pursued Bell, but now, rumors said he had been banished from Orario, forbidden to return by the gods' decree.
Yet, precisely because of that, Shirou couldn't help but wonder, "A god expelled from Orario... but is that really the end?" His brow furrowed. Will he try to retaliate? Gods have eternity and long grudges... The thought lingered momentarily, but he quickly dismissed it. There was no point worrying about something that might never happen.
Just as he approached the mansion's large door, a pungent smell hit his nose.
Sniff... sniff...
"Huh?"
Shirou frowned. That... was the smell of something burning?
Smoke? From the kitchen? He thought in alarm. He quickened his pace, pushing open the unlocked door with urgency. The hinges creaked lightly, and the acrid smell assaulted him even strongly.
"Good grief..." he muttered, covering his nose.
From the hallway leading to the kitchen, muffled arguing could be heard.
"Bell! It's your fault for stirring with a broken wooden spoon!"
"But Goddess! You're the one who left the pot on the stove and forgot to turn it off!"
Shirou let out a long sigh.
"Looks like this morning is going to be... interesting."
