Rayish
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Chapter 148
🕑 Added 2025-06-27 06:38:07 +0000 UTCThe suffocating silence was finally broken by Gareth's deep voice, which sounded slightly choked. He straightened his posture, placing his g
The suffocating silence was finally broken by Gareth's deep voice, which sounded slightly choked. He straightened his posture, placing his glass on the table with an unintentional thud.
"Don't tell me... It's Tione?" he asked, his tone a mix of doubt and amusement.
Finn shook his head slowly, offering a faint smile—one that was more bitter than warm. "Not her," he answered curtly. "And... It's also impossible."
His two closest friends immediately understood the weight behind those words. Finn had been carrying a heavy burden, and they knew... it was no trivial matter. Finn's ambition, his unwavering goal from the very beginning, was to restore the pride and dignity of his race, the Pallum, who had long been downtrodden in this world.
Riveria rested her fingertips on her lower lip, gazing at Finn intently. "In that case..." she said softly, "you... will marry a Pallum?"
Finn nodded firmly, his gaze as resolute as when he gave orders during their toughest expeditions. "Yes. Actually... from the very beginning, even when I decided to join the Loki Familia... it was one of the conditions I set with Loki."
Gareth's eyebrows shot up. "Conditions?" he asked.
Finn nodded again. "That... Loki would not interfere in my personal affairs. Especially regarding... marriage."
Gareth blinked several times, then suddenly burst into rough laughter. His booming voice filled the small room. "Hahaha! I think... even if you hadn't set that condition... she wouldn't have interfered anyway!" he said, wiping the corners of his eyes, which were damp from laughter.
"She's too busy stalking Aiz to care about your business!"
Riveria could only sigh deeply at Gareth's remark, but in her heart... a certain emotion stirred. She looked at Finn with a gaze that was soft yet filled with respect. That responsibility... was clearly no easy burden for him.
Yet, amid the jokes and laughter, Riveria's thoughts began to drift. Unstoppably, the image of a long-haired Amazon girl—Tione Hiryute—flashed through her mind.
Before Shirou entered her life, Riveria might have dismissed Tione's feelings for Finn as something... childish. A fleeting crush that would never grow into anything serious. She had often turned a blind eye to it, believing that Finn had the right to choose his own path... and that Tione would eventually move on, as life often dictated.
But now... after experiencing for herself the depth and sweetness of the love she had secretly harbored for Shirou, her heart had become far more... empathetic.
A dark thought crossed her mind: What if one day Shirou suddenly came to her... and said he was going to marry another woman? Just imagining it made her chest tighten.
Driven by emotions she couldn't suppress, Riveria set her empty teacup down on the table with slightly more force than usual.
She straightened her posture, fixing Finn with a sharp stare.
And before she realized it, a firm voice escaped her lips. "You... know very well that Tione has liked you for a long time, Finn," she said, staring directly at the Pallum with piercing eyes. "What... will you say to her?"
Finn, who had been sitting upright, fell silent for a moment. His expression shifted slightly, caught off guard by Riveria's unusually sharp tone.
With a heavy sigh, he finally spoke, "I know... but honestly... I planned to keep this from her."
Gareth, who hadn't fully grasped the growing tension, interjected with a joke. "Hah! Be careful... your future wife might get kidnapped and threatened by Tione... Hahaha!"
But the joke only poured fuel on the fire burning in Riveria's chest.
Her icy glare immediately turned to Gareth. "This isn't something to joke about," she said sharply, her tone as piercing as an arrow. "Do you think... someone's feelings... especially ones they've held for years... are just a passing breeze?"
The atmosphere in the room froze instantly.
Gareth's laughter died abruptly, his lips freezing mid-smile, no longer daring to continue.
Finn, too, fell silent. His face, usually calm and composed, tensed up. Riveria's demeanor was unlike anything they—his two oldest friends—had ever seen before.
For a moment, the three of them stared at each other in silence. No words were spoken, only the faint hum of Orario's night slowly seeping into their private room.
Realizing that her earlier words had sounded too emotional and harsh, Riveria lowered her head slightly. Her hands clenched the hem of her robe in her lap. Her heart was still racing, the tightness in her chest refusing to fade. She took a deep breath.
"...Sorry..." she finally murmured, her voice softer. "This... is your personal matter, Finn. I... shouldn't have interfered this much."
But Finn simply raised his small hand, stopping her apology. "Don't," he said sincerely. "Thank you, Riveria."
His gentle blue gaze shifted from Riveria to Gareth. "Actually... the reason I invited you both out tonight wasn't just to talk... but also... so the two of you could remind me... if I ever started forgetting important things."
Gareth—who had been watching quietly—let out a long sigh and leaned back in his chair.
"Hah... I thought it was just me getting sensitive about age..." he muttered, then glanced at Riveria with a wide grin. "But seriously, Riveria... I don't know when you became like this... So sentimental. Have you been reading too many romance novels lately?"
Riveria's cheeks flushed, not just because of Gareth's words... but also because she herself realized how emotionally chaotic she had just been. Without another word, she reached for the bottle of liquor that Gareth and Finn had been drinking—something she would normally never touch.
Without hesitation, she poured the liquid into her empty teacup.
The two men across from her... froze.
"...Eh?" Gareth nearly choked. "Y-You... serious, Riveria?!"
Finn also stared with slightly widened eyes. They... knew full well—Riveria Ljos Alf, the High Elf renowned for her discipline, who had always kept her body and mind pure from things like alcohol... had never once touched liquor.
Expressionless, Riveria lifted the cup... and in one swift motion... glug glug glug... downed its contents in one go.
"Guh—!"
Her face immediately turned red... all the way to the tips of her long, sensitive elf ears. Her breath quickened momentarily, and she bit her lower lip to suppress the burning sensation of the liquor scorching her throat.
"Ta... take it easy, Riveria..." Finn said anxiously, half-rising from his chair.
Gareth, on the other hand, burst into laughter. "Hahaha!! This... this calls for a celebration!" he exclaimed, slapping the table. "Our High Elf princess... finally drank alcohol! But... geez... why did it have to be like this?"
Riveria—her eyes slightly glassy from the strong liquor—pressed her lips together, then with a mix of anger and embarrassment, gritted out, "This... is all... because of you... Dense men... who never understand... a woman's feelings..."
Gareth and Finn fell silent again... their expressions as if they'd been shot straight in the chest. They could only exchange guilty glances.
Meanwhile... far below... on the 25th floor of the Dungeon...
Shirou, who had been sitting alone by the campfire, suddenly looked up.
"...Hacchhhu!!" His sneeze was so loud it sent the dry leaves around his feet scattering.
Rubbing his nose with the back of his hand, he muttered to himself, "Ugh... who's talking about me at this hour..."
Gazing at the dungeon's ceiling, shimmering with a faint blue crystal light, he sighed. "Seems like... I need to project some thicker clothes..."
Riveria, her cheeks growing redder and swaying slightly in her seat from the alcohol, fixed Finn with a steady gaze. Her voice was slightly heavier than usual, but still controlled.
"So... why won't you just accept Tione's feelings, Finn?" she asked bluntly, without her usual tact or filters.
Finn, who had just set his glass down, let out a long sigh. He interlaced his fingers on the table, bowed his head briefly, then answered.
"My first reason..." he said quietly but clearly. "Our ages... are too far apart." He raised his head, looking at Riveria and Gareth in turn. "You both know... I, along with the two of you... raised her since she was little. From the moment Tione first joined the Loki Familia, I've been like... an older brother to her. Or more accurately... like a parent."
Riveria, her head slightly heavy from the alcohol, furrowed her brows. "Age difference... isn't an issue..." she murmured, half to herself, glancing at her glass. In her heart, she was thinking of something far more personal—Shirou and I are also far apart... and I don't care about that...
She then continued in a more controlled tone, "But... the affection you've felt for her all this time... isn't romantic, is it?"
Finn nodded slowly. "Correct." He took a deep breath, then added in a heavier tone. "And... the most important reason..."
His two friends immediately sharpened their focus.
"...Tione... isn't a Pallum. She's... an Amazoness."
Gareth, already half-drunk, chuckled softly while scratching his head. "Hahaha... come to think of it... If the two of you ever had a child... it'd definitely be an Amazoness, huh?"
Finn only smiled wryly. "Exactly. It's... the law of nature. Amazoness genetic traits are always dominant. They're... instinctively drawn to men far stronger than them... to... bear even stronger Amazoness children."
He placed his hands on his lap, his expression far more serious than before. "Perhaps... Tione's feelings for me arose... back then... when I defeated her so easily... right before she joined the Loki Familia."
For a moment... the three of them fell silent.
Riveria, hearing this explanation, could only stare at her empty glass. Uncontrollably, her thoughts drifted back to someone... the man who had been relentlessly occupying her heart lately... Shirou Emiya.
Finally... Riveria let out a long sigh and surrendered. Her emotional urge to defend Tione gradually subsided. She knew... Finn's decision wasn't made lightly, especially after hearing all his reasons.
In a calmer, gentler tone, she said, "Alright... I won't push anymore. This... is your life, your choice." She closed her eyes briefly, suppressing the lingering turmoil in her chest from the alcohol.
But before Finn could feel relieved, Riveria opened her green eyes and continued firmly, pointing a finger at him, "But... you must promise me one thing."
Finn straightened, giving her his full attention.
"Long before your wedding date is set... You must... must... tell Tione. Don't let her feelings linger any longer, Finn."
Gareth, who had been lounging, nodded in agreement.
Finn exhaled heavily, as if he'd already anticipated this. "I know... it'll be the hardest conversation of my life... but..." He clenched his fist on the table. "I'll do my best."
Hearing that, Riveria finally nodded... with relief, though not complete satisfaction. "Good..."
The tension eased slightly. Gareth raised his glass again. "Haah... your kid's gonna have it tough," he mused with a crooked smile. "That child will carry a heavy burden... having to uphold their father's legacy... becoming the pride of the Pallum race..."
Finn smiled faintly, but there was a serious glint in his eyes. "Precisely... that's why the woman who becomes my wife... must meet that condition. She... must be someone worthy of standing by my side... as the Braver."
Gareth and Riveria's eyes immediately flicked to each other... curiosity bubbling within them.
"Hoh... in that case..." Riveria leaned forward, resting her chin on her interlaced fingers. With a tone half-teasing, half-serious, she asked, "Who? Who is the woman capable of meeting the high standards of the Braver?"
Finn remained silent for a few seconds... before finally answering... in a low but clear voice.
"...Liliruca Arde."
Silence instantly enveloped the room.
Gareth's eyes widened. Even Riveria, still slightly drunk, snapped to full alertness.
"...What...?!" Gareth nearly shouted.
Riveria was equally stunned. That name... was very familiar to her.
"Liliruca... from the Hestia Familia...? That supporter...? Level 1...?" Riveria uttered in disbelief.
Finn straightened, as if bracing himself for their reactions. Calmly but with conviction, he began to explain, "Even though... she's still Level 1... Liliruca has caught my attention."
Gareth and Riveria waited silently for him to continue.
"The first time..." Finn went on, his gaze warming slightly at the memory. "When Bell Cranel was still Level 1... fighting the Minotaur in the Dungeon... Lili... despite being severely wounded... didn't run."
He took a breath before continuing, "Instead... she stayed... and pleaded... with all her strength for us... to save Bell."
Riveria and Gareth exchanged glances. They remembered that day. The day Bell, that human boy... stood alone against the Minotaur. And of course... that memory included the small, petite girl whose blood nearly stained the ground... yet kept screaming for help.
Finn continued. "And... It's not just that. During the War Game... between the Hestia Familia and the Apollo Familia... she showed her intelligence." His eyes shone as he recalled it. "Using her skill... Lili disguised herself as a Pallum from Apollo's side... infiltrated their fortress... and... successfully opened the gates from within. Without that move... Bell and his comrades would never have won."
Riveria, now slightly more sober, narrowed her eyes. He's speaking... too objectively... she thought. Finn's reasons... sound like a strategic report... not a confession of love...
As if reading her mind, Gareth nudged Finn with his elbow and chuckled, "And with all that... how far along are you two? Hm?" His mischievous grin widened.
Finn... didn't falter in the slightest. He remained seated upright, his expression serious.
"Not close yet," he answered honestly. "So far, we've only... spoken a few times. Brief encounters... light conversations. But..." He took a deep breath, then continued with determination, "...in the coming days... I plan to... invite her to dinner."
A pause. Then his closing statement followed.
"And... at the same time... propose to her."
The atmosphere froze again.
Gareth nearly choked on his drink. Riveria... still heavily affected by the alcohol... half-rose from her seat, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"W-WHAT?! You... IDIOT, FINN?!"
The High Elf's loud voice echoed through the private room, causing Finn and Gareth to cover their ears reflexively.
