Eren, true name Erebus, an "evil god," and an old friend of that god of amusement, Hermes.
It was his invitation that brought [Silence] and [Gluttony], who had been living in seclusion in the Dragon's Valley, back to Orario for a certain purpose.
As for why Leon entered the sight of those two, Alfia in particular, that was pure coincidence.
One time, wanting to break in his new level and new magic, to better integrate these new things into his own combat system and the team's combat system, Leon went down to the Dungeon for some routine training. And wouldn't you know it, he ran into [Silence], who had just returned to Orario from the outside world and wanted to pay respects to her "lost youth." She noticed what was special about Leon, and so she made a move to test him.
It was from that point on that [Silence] began paying particular attention to the movements of Leon's household.
Now, with barely half a year gone by, that "evil god" who had invited the two of them back to the city had finished his business and returned to Orario.
Veterans like Alfia and Zald understood this clearly. It was an unmistakable signal.
The god Erebus was finally about to set his plan in motion.
"Heh."
"Half a year of waiting. I'd started to think he'd died out there."
Alfia still hadn't opened her eyes. It was as if even the act of opening them was, in her view, a pointless waste of energy. Or perhaps she simply saw no reason to.
Zald had long since grown used to Alfia's attitude.
He didn't mind. He only asked, with real interest:
"You sure you still want in on his plan? If you go through with it, you'll have to give up that... let me think, what was it, [Shadow of Sorcery]? Right. [Shadow of Sorcery] Leon Hart."
Alfia simply sat there, not a single sound coming from her.
It wasn't a figure of speech. It was silence in the literal, physical sense.
Even [Gluttony] Zald, had he not seen it with his own eyes, would have struggled to sense that a living, breathing woman was sitting right before him.
It was as if Alfia were a black hole for sound, and every audible thing, upon drawing near her, vanished without a trace. Song, wind, nothing was an exception.
"Hart..."
"Not enough."
"With the third-rate skills he's got now, standing against the Calamity... he's got a long way to go."
"Just look at us, barely clinging to life. Heh..."
With that, she slowly opened her eyes.
There wasn't the faintest ripple across that flawless face of hers, yet Zald felt an inexplicable pang of unease.
Sure enough.
Alfia's tone shifted, and she let out a cold, mocking laugh:
"I have no interest in men who spend their days drowning in their own desires."
"Wasting his time on women... someone like that is fit to be a hero who stands against the Calamity?"
Alfia was "disappointed."
Since returning from the Expedition, she had watched Leon, day after day, either holed up at home tangled up with the women of his household or fussing over some trivial research. To her, it was all squandered time.
He had such talent, and a healthy body free to fight as it pleased. Why not focus that energy on the Dungeon, honing himself through real combat? Was he already content with where he was?
Alfia saw all of this, and felt nothing but frustration at his wasted potential.
A man without ambition!
And so, after observing him for a stretch and seeing that the man Leon hadn't changed in the slightest, her heart went cold once more, and at the same time she made up her mind. She would carry out that plan.
Zald didn't fully understand her thinking, but he respected it.
So he only spread his hands:
"Fine. It's your business, your call."
"But I'd advise you to think it over carefully. Don't make yourself regret it."
"After all, we don't have much time left."
Alfia closed her eyes again, her voice cold as ice:
"Shut up."
At that, Zald made a zipping motion across his lips.
"OK."
Had Leon learned of the shift in Miss Alfia's opinion of him, he'd probably have cried foul.
Since when was he holed up at home losing himself in the company of women?
That was clearly about raising "bonds" and strengthening the effect of his 『Beloved's Crest』!
Take Rose, for instance. After Leon's "careful tutelage" last night, with the help of a little mood-setting toy, he sent her over the peak more than a dozen times in a row, and the 『Beloved's Crest』 on her back was practically scorching hot, ready to burst.
It was hard to imagine. If Rose were to go and train her Basic Abilities through real combat now, the rate of growth would absolutely make everyone's eyes pop out of their heads.
In other words, after Rose and Jeanne leveled up, their rate of advancement hadn't slowed at all. On the contrary, thanks to the effect of the 『Beloved's Crest』, they leveled up even faster.
This phenomenon utterly defied common sense.
As Leon would put it: this was one of the perks of cheating. It doesn't play fair!
Perhaps only on the day Alfia herself bore a 『Beloved's Crest』 would she truly come to grasp the "mystery" behind it.
"Achoo! Achoo! Achoo!"
In the small courtyard, Leon, his body bundled tight in a thick padded coat, was hunched over sweeping snow.
Out of nowhere he sneezed several times in a row, leaving him dazed.
Once he'd recovered, he stared blankly ahead, his expression vacant:
"What was that?"
"...Is somebody talking trash about me behind my back?"
"I'm a Lv.4, for crying out loud... no wait, catching a cold's got nothing to do with level..."
His gloved hands resting on the broom handle, he frowned and mulled it over for a good while, but couldn't think of anyone he'd offended lately.
"Could it be Freya's place, or Loki's?"
"No way. We're only locked into a few tens of millions a month in expenses. Freya's familia is filthy rich, no chance, no chance..."
"Could it be those broke bastards over at Loki's?"
In the end, unable to figure it out, he shook his head and pushed the strange thoughts to the back of his mind.
For now, getting back to work was what mattered.
They'd be setting out for the Dungeon tomorrow. If he didn't hurry up and get the courtyard and the house in order now, who knew whether there'd be a clear spot to set foot in by the time they got back from the 『Expedition』.
It wasn't like he was making work for himself.
He was, after all, a man who'd learned from past experience.
Most of winter had passed, yet the snow showed no sign of stopping. Judging by Leon's four years of experience in Orario, the next month or so in the city would likely see little sunlight, most days still that same overcast, unending heavy snow.
"Creak..."
The courtyard gate was pushed gently open from the outside.
Leon turned his head and saw Persephone and Rose walking in, carrying the [Wonder Pack].
"We're back."
His gaze drifted over the black tights hugging the graceful curves of their calves, and Leon gave a slight smile:
"Welcome back."
He stepped forward to take their packs, looking at their cheeks flushed faintly red from the cold, and asked:
"So? How'd it go?"
"How many bottles of 『Elixir』 did you get this time?"
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