"This isn't the best place to talk. Let's go somewhere more private."
Blake glanced at the gathered adventurers, their faces filled with varying degrees of shock, envy, and confusion. He gently pulled his hand away from Ais's soft grip, speaking in a calm but firm tone.
Ais's golden eyes flickered with anticipation. He hadn't refused her. That was all that mattered.
Hestia pouted, her small hands gripping the hem of her dress. She wanted to say something, anything to stop this. She didn't know the full extent of Blake's abilities, but the fact that the Sword Princess—one of Orario's strongest warriors—was asking him for guidance spoke volumes. If Ais learned Blake's techniques, the entire Loki Familia could gain an advantage. That was the last thing she wanted.
But Ais had been fair. She hadn't blamed Blake for the earlier... misunderstanding. She had even spoken up for him. Could Hestia really just shoot her down now?
"Heh, even though you turned me down, I'll give you credit for your sincerity." Loki smirked, leaning lazily against the counter. "Still, such a waste, being tied to the pipsqueak."
Hestia's head snapped toward her rival, her blue eyes blazing with fury. "You—!"
Blake sighed. Here we go again...
Knowing that stopping their endless bickering was a lost cause, he simply turned on his heel and headed out. Ais followed without hesitation, while Loki and Hestia continued their verbal war.
The Amazon twins, sensing the shift in tension, casually leaned against the counter, blocking any nosy adventurers from following.
Away from prying eyes, in a quiet alley, Blake turned to Ais. She was staring at him expectantly, waiting for an answer.
"The power I used wasn't a skill."
As he spoke, he removed two black-and-white rings from his fingers and held them out for her to see.
"These are called the Judgment Rings—a type of Spirit Gear. The black one, the [Ring of Sin], absorbs the power of an opponent's attack. The white one, the [Ring of Punishment], lets me release that stored energy as my own attack. That's how I was able to match you."
Ais took the rings, her slender fingers brushing against their surface. A strange energy pulsed from them. She murmured their names under her breath, her golden eyes reflecting the faint glow they emitted.
The rings felt... familiar. As if she had seen—or felt—something like them before.
"If you want them, I'll give them to you," Blake said, his voice warm but casual. "Consider it an apology for, uh... what happened earlier."
Ais hesitated. She wanted them. More than that, she needed them. But—
"No." She shook her head and handed them back. "These are yours. The dungeon is dangerous. A new adventurer like you needs all the help you can get."
Blake was a little surprised. Given her obsession with strength, he had expected her to take them immediately. But she had turned them down.
He gave her a nod of appreciation and slipped the rings back onto his fingers.
"Well, that's that. If you ever need help, you can find me."
Ais nodded in return. She glanced at him one last time before turning and heading back toward the guild.
"Blake, see you next time~"
The flirtatious voices of the Amazon twins reached him as they sauntered past, throwing him winks before following Ais and Loki.
As soon as Blake re-entered the guild, he felt something small and soft latch onto his arm.
"Blake! What did the Sword Princess want? Tell me everything!"
Hestia was clinging to him like a lifeline, her blue eyes full of suspicion.
Blake exhaled through his nose and rubbed his temple. "She just wanted to know about the power I used. I even offered her an apology gift, but she refused."
Hestia blinked. Then, her lips curled into a smug grin.
"Ha! Ais is such a good girl. What a shame she ended up in Loki's Familia."
She swung her legs happily as if she had just scored a major victory. Blake wasn't sure how she had reached that conclusion, but he let it slide.
A soft chuckle caught his attention.
"Smoothing things over peacefully is always the best option."
A young woman in a guild uniform sat across from him. Her presence carried a natural warmth and maturity that put people at ease.
"Eina." Blake straightened slightly, a bit guilty. "I should've thanked you earlier. You spoke up for me when things got tense."
Eina simply smiled. "That's my job Blake. As your advisor, it's only natural that I help."
"Half-elf!" Hestia's eyes flared with jealousy. "Don't call my Blake by his name so casually!"
Blake sighed. He reached out and lightly patted Hestia's soft hair, his voice filled with amusement.
"It's just how people address each other where I'm from."
Eina chuckled again and handed him a stack of documents. "Since you're a new adventurer, here's some important information on dungeon safety. Read it carefully, okay? I don't want you getting yourself killed."
Blake took the papers and started reading, absorbing every detail. Just because I watched the anime doesn't mean I can afford to be careless.
As he read, he failed to notice a tall, lean adventurer standing a few meters away, his gaze locked onto Blake's fingers. Specifically, the black-and-white rings.
The man's eyes gleamed with greed.
So that's the secret...
He had overheard the conversation in the alley.
A device that could absorb attacks and unleash them back? That wasn't just powerful—it was invaluable.
Blake might not realize it yet, but he was holding something that could change the power dynamics of Orario.