After an intense, exhausting night, Damien woke to the quiet rhythm of breathing beside him. Haruhime lay curled under the sheets, warm and peaceful, her expression soft in a way he had never seen before. For a moment, he simply watched her, a faint smile touching his lips, then quietly rose from the bed, dressed, and left the room without waking her.
Downstairs, the dining room was already alive with the scent of food.
Lena Tully stood by the table, carefully arranging plates. When she noticed him, she straightened and smiled."Good morning, Captain. I made you breakfast."
Damien returned the smile as he took his seat."Thank you, Lena. I appreciate it."
At that moment, the door slammed open.
Hestia stumbled in, hair wild, eyes half-lidded, and promptly dropped her forehead onto the table with a dull thud."Ugh… good morning, Damien…"
"Good morning, Hestia," Damien replied calmly.
Lena, unfazed, quickly placed a plate beside the goddess."Good morning, Goddess Hestia. Your breakfast."
Hestia slowly lifted her head, the smell finally reaching her."Oh… that smells amazing. Thank you so much, Lena!"
"Of course! I'm happy to help!" Lena said brightly.
Damien glanced at Hestia."Rough night? All that work finally catching up to you?"
Hestia froze mid-bite. Slowly, she turned to glare at him."You. You're the reason I couldn't sleep."
Damien blinked."Me?"
"Yes, you!" she snapped. "Because you kept banging Haruhime all night and forgot we share a damn wall!"
Damien raised an eyebrow."Oh. You heard?"
He tilted his head slightly."Well… whose idea was it that our rooms be so close?"
Hestia shot to her feet."That was before I knew you planned on turning the palace into a battlefield of bed springs!"
Before Damien could reply, Aisha stepped into the dining room, caught the tail end of the conversation, and immediately turned around.
"Where do you think you're going?" Hestia barked.
Aisha paused, then turned back slowly."Ah… just remembered I had… somewhere to be?"
"Cancel it," Hestia said, grabbing her by the wrist. "You and I have work to do today."
Aisha sighed, already resigned."Of course, Goddess. As you wish."
Damien chuckled."I was going to ask how life in the Familia is treating you, but I see the paperwork is already taking its revenge."
Aisha laughed."Anything is better than Ishtar, that's for sure."
She allowed herself to be dragged halfway to the office before glancing back over her shoulder."Besides, waking up to your pretty face every morning gives me motivation to work harder."
She blew him a kiss.
"NO FLIRTING WITH DAMIEN!" Hestia shouted, yanking her away even faster.
Damien shook his head, amused, and finished his breakfast in peace. Once done, he stood and headed for the exit.
He stopped when he noticed Samira waiting by the door.
She turned, bowed deeply, and spoke with clear respect."Good morning, Captain."
"You know you don't have to bow every time," Damien said gently.
"I know," Samira replied, straightening. "But I choose to. Especially after you conquered one of the Amazonian Twins. A warrior far stronger than me."
Damien nodded slightly."An Amazonian thing, then?"
"Yes," she said without hesitation. "And as someone who wishes to mate with you one day, I will need her permission."
Damien raised an eyebrow, surprised but saying nothing.
"That isn't why I came," Samira continued, her voice firm now. "I want to grow stronger. I heard about your upcoming expedition. I want to take part."
He studied her for a moment."It's not that I doubt your strength," Damien said. "I'm more concerned with keeping this place secure. You're someone I trust to do that."
She lowered her gaze, but nodded.
"The expedition is still a month away," he added. "When the time comes, I'll let you know."
Samira exhaled softly, relief flickering across her face."Thank you, Captain."
Damien gave her a final nod and stepped outside, the doors of Hestia Palace closing behind him as the day truly began.
...
"From what I've seen… this should be enough," Damien said, glancing over the gathered supplies.
Loki crossed her arms, her expression thoughtful."No… it looks that way," she replied. "But you never really know."
"The Dungeon is unpredictable," Riveria added calmly. "Things can change quickly. It's always better to bring more supplies than you think you'll need." She paused, her gaze sharpening. "And on the deeper floors, monsters begin targeting supplies directly. They're far more intelligent down there."
At that, Damien narrowed his eyes. He opened his inventory, examining it closely. It was almost entirely empty. Only a few spare weapons, pieces of armor, and supplies meant solely for himself occupied the space. Roughly ninety four percent of it remained completely unused.
Without another word, Damien placed his hand on the supply cart.
It vanished instantly.
One of his inventory slots filled, and his weight limit adjusted accordingly, now showing ninety two percent remaining.
Loki and Riveria exchanged a sharp look.
"What the hell?" Loki asked. "What just happened?"
Riveria turned fully toward Damien."What… did you do?"
Damien grinned."I think I just found a solution to our supply problem." He gestured to the empty space where the cart had been. "That cart that was here… how many supplies did it have?"
"For everyone?" Riveria considered for a moment. "Around two to three days worth. If rationed carefully, maybe a full week. Why?"
Damien's grin widened."Then I could hold around forty five of those on me."
They both froze
"Don't ask how," he continued. "It's just something special I can do. That would mean roughly ninety days of supplies. We're estimating the expedition to last about three months, right?" He tapped his chest lightly. "With this, I can carry all spare supplies myself. Everyone else can move with only the active supplies."
He looked between them."That means fewer people guarding carts, and more adventurers ready to fight at all times."
Riveria raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed."I see. This is truly revolutionary. With this alone, the expedition will be smoother, faster, and far safer than any before it."
Loki broke into a wide grin."Damien… every time you show something new, you make me regret not stealing you into my Familia."
She laughed, then grew serious.
"But this?" she said. "This is special. For the first time… I actually have hope that this expedition will surpass all the others."
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