"Hey, Lyra. Mind how you speak," Nolan said, his voice firm.
Lyra’s eyes narrowed. "What do you mean? They are mere mortals. To me, their words are nothing more than water, drifting and meaningless. In fact... let me tell them who I really am, so they will understand. I am—"
Before she could finish, Nolan quickly pulled her aside, dragging her away from the others to create some distance.
"What were you trying to say just now?" Nolan asked.
"I wanted to let them know who I am. The great being they always read about in legends. The divine beast. They should know," Lyra said boldly.
"No. They shouldn’t," Nolan replied. "It’s better if you keep that a secret for now. No one has to know. Not even Celia or Linda. They are my companions, but I don’t want them to know this yet."
Lyra frowned. "But what difference would it make, telling them or not?"
"There is a difference," Nolan said. "The moment you reveal yourself, some might not believe, but some will. And the worst case is if they start believing. Then there will be people who want to capture you. Even if they aren’t strong enough, they’ll start planning. And they’ll keep coming after you, endlessly."
Lyra went quiet, then gave a small smirk. "That’s a good point."
Nolan exhaled and led her back toward Celia and Linda.
As Nolan came back with Lyra, Linda stepped closer to him, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"What did you two talk about?" she asked quietly.
"I just told her to mind her way. The way she talks," Nolan replied calmly.
Before Linda could say anything else, Lyra returned, holding a small tray in her hands. "I already brought the food," she said flatly, placing it down without looking at anyone.
Ella blinked, a little startled. "She... came back that quickly?"
As Nolan came back with Lyra, Linda moved closer to him, her tone cautious.
"What did you talk about?" she asked.
"I just told her to watch her way of speaking. The way she talks," Nolan replied.
Just then, Ella returned carrying a tray. She set it down in front of Lyra. "Here. The food you asked for."
"Open it for me. What did you bring?" Lyra asked sharply.
Ella set the tray down. "Roasted chicken... for you."
Lyra pulled it close and tore the lid off. The moment she saw the food, her eyes lit up. Without hesitation, she grabbed a piece with both hands and started eating—devouring it as if she hadn’t eaten in days.
She brushed at the meat, tore it apart, chewing noisily. Then she bit down hard on the bone, cracking it with her teeth and sucking out the marrow.
"Hey—slow down, or you’re going to choke," Nolan said, watching her in concern.
But Lyra didn’t stop. She kept eating, ripping through every piece until nothing was left. Finally, she leaned back, exhaled deeply, and licked her fingers.
"...More. I want more," she said in a low voice.
The room had fallen silent. Everyone stared at her in disbelief. Even Linda and Celia were frozen, uneasy at her feral display.
Then, suddenly, Lyra smiled faintly, her expression softening. "That was good. Thank you. I feel like I’ve finally regained my senses."
Her tone was calm now, completely different from before. "Sorry for the way I behaved earlier. My name is Lyra. It’s nice to meet you all."
The shift was so sudden, it left the others unsettled. Nolan frowned slightly. So it really was just hunger? Or... is she hiding something else?
Celia stepped forward hesitantly. "I’m Celia."
Lyra’s sharp eyes flicked toward her, then she gave a small nod. "I’ll make sure to remember that."
"Now that you’re done eating, take this and wash your hands," Ella said, handing her a bowl of water.
Lyra dipped her hands in, brushing them clean. Ella then brought out a neatly folded set of clothes. "Here. Put these on."
Without hesitation, Lyra stood and began removing Nolan’s battlesuit top.
"Wait—stop! Not here!" Ella exclaimed in shock.
Nolan quickly turned his face away.
"Come with me," Ella said firmly, pulling Lyra toward a side room.
A few minutes later, the door creaked open. Lyra stepped back into the hall.
She now wore a simple blue dress, yet on her it looked regal. Her hair, pure white and silken, framed her small, delicate face. Her light yellow eyes shone under the guild’s lanterns, sharp and mesmerizing. Her figure was slender, but her presence carried a quiet, commanding allure.
Nolan blinked, surprised. "Wow."
Celia and Linda stood speechless, their expressions caught between awe and unease. Even Lucan, usually calm, raised his brows at the sight.
The ragged girl from the dungeon was gone. Standing before them was someone else entirely—radiant, refined, and far too beautiful to be ordinary.
Now that he looked at her properly, Nolan realized just how beautiful she was. No one would ever guess that this young, fragile-looking girl was in truth a divine beast, a behemoth. The thought brought a small smile to his face.
Celia and Linda noticed the way he stared at Lyra. Both frowned, then stepped closer to him.
"Master, come see what I’m capable of," Celia said quickly. "I’ve been meditating. I’m training as hard as I can so that I’ll be strong enough to follow you on every journey."
Linda nodded and added, "Same here. I’m pushing myself too. I don’t want to be left behind. Wherever you go from now on, I want to go with you."
"So, Nolan, did you do what I told you to?" Lucan asked.
"What is that? I don’t remember you telling me anything," Nolan said.
"I told you to bring back coal or any materials from the dungeon you went to," Lucan explained.
"Oh, right... that. Yes, I brought some with me," Nolan replied.
"So where is it?" Lucan pressed.
Nolan put his hand inside his pockets. He brought out the cores and placed them down.
"Five cores. Kings, Red orcs. Look and see," Nolan said.