Rya had to focus her thoughts and not dwell on the events that had transpired between her and Quin. If she were to recall the memory, then she wouldn't be able to control herself.
"Hmm? Alpha are you alright? You seem distracted?" Dalia asks with concern while looking at Rya's face.
"Ah! No, I'm fine! I... I just need to think for a second," Rya replies with a weak smile. "S-So you want to mark Percy, right?" Rya asks while she tries to regain her composure.
"Hm? Yes, I like to claim him as my own, Alpha. I like the idea of my mark all over him." Dalia answers with a happy smile.
"W-Well, I think your best option is when we make camp for the night. You can do your teasing, and hopefully, he will respond in a good way. Then you can take it to the next level," Rya suggests.
"But how do you get a male to go down there?" Dalia asks with a questioning look.
"Uh... uh... well... You can just ask him, or you can gently take hold of his head and move it..." Rya stammered out with embarrassment as memories of Quin's smiling face came back to her.
"Is that what you did? Are you sure, Alpha?" Dalia asked with a worried tone.
"Yeah! And if he doesn't respect your wish, then he's not good enough for you," Quinus chimes in with a smirk on his face while holding out two bowls of stew for them.
"Quin!?" Rya exclaims with shock. She didn't realize that Quinus was listening in on their conversation.
"Just adding a male point of view," Quinus assures her with a chuckle.
"Then I'll wait! Thank you, Alpha! And you too, Beta," Dalia replied with a smile as she stood up.
Armed with this new knowledge, Dalia had a hop to her step as she walked over to Percy. Percy noticed her approach and greeted her.
"Good afternoon, Lady Dalia. Is there anything you require?" Percy asked her with a smile.
"Hmm, a kiss from you would be nice," Dalia teased Percy.
Percy did a double-take, and his face flushed a bright red. His mouth opens and closes, trying to find words. Dalia just wagged her tail at his reaction.
"You get excited easily, young one," Dalia points out as she giggles at him.
"I-I apologize, Lady Dalia. I must have misheard you," Percy answers while trying to regain his composure.
Rya and Quinus looked on, enjoying the scene.
"So, how long do you think it will take before those two shack up together?" Quinus asked with a smirk on his face.
"I-I think in about five days. As they spend more time together, their bond will grow stronger. It's already grown strong enough for Dalia to take the initiative," Rya answered with some blush on her cheeks.
'Goddess! My heart won't stop racing when I'm around Quin! I feel so embarrassed when I'm near him! What should I do?' Rya thinks to herself as she tries to keep calm.
Quinus couldn't help but notice how uncomfortable Rya looked.
"Are you alright, Rya? You seem upset," Quinus asked with concern.
"Hey, do you mind if we take things slower right now? I'm having conflicted... feelings at the moment... And I could use some space to sort them out," Rya answered with a shaky voice.
"Oh!... Okay! W-Was it my fault?" Quinus asked with a concerned expression.
"NO! No! This isn't your fault, Quin. It's... It's me. And everything has changed so fast that I need to get my thoughts straight. But please don't leave me alone, okay?" Rya tells him with a sad smile on her face.
"I... Alright, but if it were me who pushed you into doing something. Then, I'm sorry, okay? And I'll be waiting for you, my queen," Quinus tells her with a loving smile.
"Thanks, Quin. That's all I ask for. I'll let you know when I'm ready," Rya replies with a soft smile.
'I... I need to find out if I'm a straight man or a straight woman. Or am I Bi? GAH!... I don't know anymore!... Plus!' Rya thought to herself as a question popped into her head.
"Hey, Quin, aren't you engaged already?" Rya asks with a confused expression.
"Eh, you heard about that... Haah. Well, I never met her, but she's a princess from the Alliance of the Divine Three... Sadly, it's a political marriage. Since I have a Demi-god level vein, they wish for me to become a part of the Alliance. They say that I'm one of the only four humans on this continent who has a Demi-god Mana Vein," Quinus explained to her.
"What!? That's horrible!" Rya exclaimed with a frown. She didn't like the idea of marrying someone that you've never met.
"Haah... Yeah... I don't trust them. But they cornered my parents and kingdom into that marriage, through the Prime Minister, who has the majority of the Major Noble Houses backing him. I just want someone I can trust to be my wife, and I guess I fell for you too quickly. I keep forgetting you're not an adult yet, even though you're older than me. So, I understand why you're uncomfortable," Quinus said with a sigh.
'Oh, Goddess. A political marriage. That sucks,' Rya thought while she felt annoyed for some reason.
She was hoping that the fact that Quinus was engaged would have cleared up her feelings. But it didn't. It just made her more confused about her emotions.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out. And that's understandable. I wish the Divine Three would stop coming after me. But I doubt that is going to happen," Rya said with a frown.
"Rya. If they dare come after you on my watch. I'll make sure they regret it, alright. I'll throw my fiancée in prison and go to war with them!" Quinus smiled with a determined look.
"You're just saying that to sound tough, but I appreciate the sentiment, Quin," Rya said with a smile as a warm feeling crept through her.
"Ahaha. I don't say things I don't mean... Anyway, you should finish your food. I'll check on everyone else before we leave," Quinus said with a confident smile.
It hit her again that her emotions were being clouded by Quin's natural charm. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts of these foreign feelings that keep coming back. No matter how many times she tried, the feeling would always come back stronger than before.
'This is the last time. After we get out of here, I'll stop and figure things out. But for now, let's get through this dungeon!'
With her mind settled, she quickly ate her lunch while Quinus went to check on Sir George. Rya looked over at Dalia, who was laughing and teasing Percy. Rya was happy for the two of them. At least she knows that one couple might have a chance.
Quinus returned and announced, "Alright, everyone, we have a few more floors until we reach the surface. The Dungeon Core is dead, but that doesn't mean that there aren't any more goblins around. So, be on your guard."
The group packed up their things and got back to work. Rya was glad that they were close to the end. Or that's what she hoped, as they continued their journey.
It took the group about five hours to reach the labyrinth's exit, traversing all the floors to the surface. Once they got outside, they saw a squad of knights from Fiafyr. They were fighting against a small group of goblins.