Deep in the Dungeon of Despair, amid the stench of rotting undead along the stairway to the higher floors, Bastion held the fragile Lilia, searching for a way to comfort her.
Suddenly, he realized he hadn't gotten to the bottom of the issue yet, so he decided to probe further.
"This isn't really about your rank-up, is it?" he asked, steadying his voice as best he could.
"I just…" Lilia's breath hitched, her tears hot against his chest. "I don't think the group needs me."
Bastion frowned. That wasn't the whole truth. He could sense there was more behind her words, things she wasn't saying. He tilted her chin up gently, his eyes searching hers.
"What's this really about, Lilia?" he pressed, still fumbling in the dark.
Her lip trembled as the dam finally cracked. "You haven't been giving me anything to do lately. I feel useless… like a liability compared to the others."
He shook his head, refusing to let her continue. "That's not true. I always ask for your help with magic circles. At the academy, you helped me with enchanting. And just recently, haven't we been working on a communication device together? You've been with me through all of it. So tell me the truth, Lilia… what's really bothering you?"
She broke then, her voice raw and almost childlike. "I'm scared you'll realize you don't need me anymore… and then… I'll lose this place I've found with you."
"It's not just the group, Bastion. It's you! You're the only one who's ever made me feel like I belong, like I matter, and I'm terrified that one day you'll wake up and realize I was never worth keeping around."
Her hands clenched against his chest as her voice rose. "And when that happens… when you leave me behind—"
"I would never leave you behind, Lilia," Bastion interrupted.
"But Seraphina said our future will be long, and our relationship will need more than love to keep it together. I want to be strong enough, useful enough, so that you don't abandon me."
Bastion remembered his time with Lilia at the library when Seraphina was trying to convince her to join his harem. He couldn't believe she had been eaten up by Seraphina's words since then.
She choked on her words before suddenly shouting, "I love you, Bastion! I love you, and I can't stand the thought of you abandoning me!"
She was about to continue when Bastion leaned in and kissed her. He wouldn't allow her to spiral any further into doubt, so he cut her off before she could say more.
One hand cradled the back of her neck as he pressed his lips to hers. She responded almost instantly, melting into his chest while his other hand settled at the small of her back.
He continued to distract her with mounting passion as he thought furiously on how to remove the doubts in her mind.
It was true what Seraphina had said to Lilia back then. Their long lives needed more than simply love to continue. They needed an undeniable bond with purpose and reason beyond the trappings of love to keep them together.
He obviously couldn't say that to the very fragile Lilia, who was deeply in love with him. As true as his perspective was, it wouldn't remove her doubts.
He thought about it from his own perspective and dived deep into his own thoughts. He obviously loved every one of the girls with him in one way or another, but what if they abandoned him in the future?
He would let them go and be happy with their lives.
He had been in love and fallen out of it once before, so he rationalized that he would be fine with or without them. Love was fleeting when it fought against time. Unfortunately, his rationale didn't help with Lilia's doubts so he thought about the others.
Seraphina was a confident young woman who had been used to a life of loneliness, so she didn't have a problem being "abandoned." Elyra was his shadow and ensured he would never be able to abandon her, given how dependent she had made him on her.
He received a chuckle from Elyra for his thoughts through their telepathy.
Bastion knew there wasn't a single, simple solution. He couldn't just tell Lilia she was strong enough; words alone wouldn't erase the fear lodged deep in her heart. What she needed was proof, experience that would show her she mattered, that she had a purpose beyond her doubts.
He realized he would have to guide her, step by step, letting her see the results of her own actions, celebrating each small victory until her confidence began to outweigh her fear. He would have to be patient, steady, and unwavering, showing her through both words and deeds that she wasn't alone, that she was indispensable to the group and to him.
And if that wasn't enough, he would have to let his love for her be visible, a constant anchor she could cling to whenever doubt threatened to pull her under. Only by combining reassurance, guidance, and shared experience could he hope to shield her from the spirals of self-doubt that haunted her.
In short, he couldn't erase her fear, but he could help her carry it together.
Bastion pulled away slightly once he felt Lilia had calmed down. He cupped his hands around her cheeks and stared deeply into her eyes before speaking.
"Lilia, you're not useless, and you're not a burden. Every step you take, every spell you cast, every time you stand with me, it all matters. I need you here, not because you have to prove anything, but because you are important to this group and to me. I love you. I would never abandon you, and we'll get through this together," Bastion said, firmly.
"Okay," she replied dreamily, still dazed from the aftermath of their passionate kiss.
"Good. Now, how far are you from reaching level 3 in all your skills?"
Lilia suddenly woke up from her bliss before quickly looking away.
Bastion narrowed his eyes at her reaction realizing that she had likely been ready to rank up for a while now.
"Lilia?"
With a sigh, Lilia revealed her status. "Status."
[Name]: Lilia
[Age]: 25
[Class]: Mystic Water Mage (Rank 2)
[Ability]: Mystic Water
[Rank]: Apprentice
[Level]: 100 (120)
[Health]: 40/40
[Mana]: 110/110
[Strength]: 40
[Dexterity]: 40
[Vitality]: 40
[Intelligence]: 110
[Wisdom]: 90
[Charm]: 40
[Status Points]: 0
[Arts]: Water Magic 3, Spell Weaving 3, Enchanting 3, Summoning 3, Staff 2, Runes 2, Cooking 1, Cleaning 1, Traps 1
[Skills:]: Water Barrier 3, Water Curtain 3, Mystic Mend 3, Mystic Veil 3, Mystic Downpour 3, Summon Familiar (Misty) 3, Frost Ray 3, Mage Hand 3, Shocking Grasp 3, Minor Illusion 3, Amplify 3, Dash 3, Dodge 3
[Skill Points]: 75
Not only had she reached Level 3 in all her skills, she had even leveled up her Arts to 3, except for Rune, which was new to Bastion.
"When did you get Runes?" he asked, surprise flickering in his voice.
"I found a book in your library about Runes with special properties," she explained, her fingers fidgeting slightly. "When I started practicing them, they activated like spells, but they required more mana and more practice to execute. It's similar to Spell Weaving, except you can do it on the spot to produce the phenomena you need. I figured it might lead to a new class if I got it to Level 3, which is why I've been waiting to rank up."
"You know," Bastion said softly, "if you want to delay your rank up to open up your options, I'd be more than happy to support you."
"But… you'd be spending more money on me," she said, her voice tinged with guilt.
"Didn't you get money from the Kingdom? You have more than enough to buy a thousand skills or spells if you want."
"I also didn't want to delay my rank up for too long," she admitted, her eyes briefly meeting his. "I don't want to be left behind."
"Where are we going that would necessitate you being left behind?"
"You know what I mean."
"It doesn't matter. Just focus on yourself, okay? Take all the time you need," he said firmly but gently, giving her a reassuring smile.
"Okay."
"Are you ready to head deeper into the dungeon?" Bastion asked.
"Yeah."
"Alright, let's go."
Bastion summoned his Diamond Steed before heading off with Lilia through the dungeon's floors in a rush. As for the Rank 2 skeleton mages who were tossing Fire Balls at them, Bastion made sure to leave a wide distance so he could dodge the Fire Balls thrown their way.
Lilia helped by erecting Water Curtains that prevented them from getting hit from behind as they passed through, leaving massive steam explosions in their wake.
A few more hours of rushing through the dungeon later, they finally reached a deep enough floor for Rank 3 enemies to start appearing, but the problem remained.
"Why are there still Apprentice ranked skeletons everywhere?" Lilia complained.
Even on the floor where Rank 3 liches began to show up, the area was still filled with Apprentice ranked skeletons, Rank 1 zombies, and Rank 2 skeleton mages. It was a massive army, making it difficult for a small party like Bastion's to gain meaningful experience.
They couldn't use their heavy weaponry without wasting valuable ammunition, but without it, they couldn't clear the floor efficiently due to the sheer number of mobs.
They could focus their fire on the Rank 3 enemies, but even then, the expenditure wouldn't be justified. The floor was overwhelmed with more lower ranked undead than the distribution of higher-ranked ones could make worthwhile.
"It'll take us at least a thousand years to reach Rank 3," Lilia calculated.
"That's if we had mountains of ammunition. If not, it would take our lifespans if we only rely on this dungeon," Bastion added.
"No wonder your father was in a hurry to leave. With only this dungeon to allow them to grow, they wouldn't be able to reach Rank 3 before they run out of lifespan. Not to mention the fact that the dungeon isn't even dropping good loot."
"I don't know, maybe you can get a class as a necromancer," Bastion teased.
"Please don't. I don't want to be associated with those nutjobs."
Jokes aside, their future prospects were looking quite bleak. They could certainly reach Rank 2 easily enough but reaching Rank 3 is impossible. They would have to look elsewhere to get the experience they would need.
"Let's go. There's nothing more for us here."
With their investigation complete, they decided to retreat and resume their tour of the territory. Bastion still had many places to visit and nobles to put in their place in order to solidify his rule over the duchy.
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