I woke up feeling groggy and had no desire to get out of bed, but the bright sunlight streaming through the window of my room in Stardust Garden seemed determined to wake me.
I pulled the cover over my head and lay there, ignoring the annoying knocking that grew louder by the moment.
The peaceful morning didn't last long. A voice cut through my lazy morning.
"How long do you intend to sleep, you lazy bum?"
I removed the cover and saw Kaguya standing there by my bedside, her eyes looking at me like I was some useless NEET.
"Tch, why the heck do I have to see your face first thing in the morning? And have you never heard of the term 'knock before you enter'?"
Kaguya's gaze didn't falter at my sassy comment.
"I knocked several times, but His Majesty couldn't be bothered to answer."
"Ugh… Fine, fine, I get it. I'm waking up now," I said, sitting up in bed and stretching my arms. "But you know, you should try being a little gentler. Your future partner is going to have a hard time otherwise."
For a brief moment, Kaguya's expression froze. Then she clicked her tongue and turned away.
"Stop being stupid and get going. Everyone is waiting for you at the dining table."
…Yeah, I figured that would hit a nerve. Still… someone has to push her eventually.
I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind. Kaguya had already left the room. I walked through the long corridor that leads to the dining room and opened the heavy oaken door.
I could see Astraea, Alise, Kaguya, Lyra, and Filvis sitting at the dining table.
"Oh! Arin! Good morning!" Alise greeted me with her usual cheerfulness.
I greeted her and the others as I took my seat as well.
The dining table was already filled with breakfast. A large wooden platter sat in the center, stacked with thick slices of toasted bread, the surface glistening with melted butter. Beside it was a bowl of freshly cut fruit—apples, berries, and a few slices of orange that filled the room with a faint citrus scent.
A small pot of scrambled eggs rested near Astraea, still steaming, while another plate held strips of grilled bacon and sausages. Someone—probably Lyra—had already stolen a few pieces, judging by the suspiciously uneven pile.
There was also a basket of warm rolls and a jar of honey placed beside it. A kettle of tea sat near the middle of the table, along with a pot of freshly brewed coffee whose rich aroma lingered pleasantly in the air.
I looked around the table, noticing Ryuu and the others' absence.
"Where is Ryuu?"
"She hasn't left her room yet," Lyra replied, holding a slice of orange. "'Too tired,' she said. It's pretty rare for her to take a rest."
I nodded, understanding the situation.
"And what about the rest? I don't see Reze and the others."
"They left early in the morning to help out Shakti and the other Ganesha Familia members with sorting out all the findings we had at the casino," Alise answered and went back to eating her bread.
"Speaking of which, what happened after all that commotion?"
Seeing that Alise had gotten busy with her food, I decided to ask Filvis.
Filvis gave a nod, acknowledging my question, as she answered.
"After Ted's identity was revealed, he confessed everything honestly. He happened to witness the real Terry Cervantes' death during his visit here and took on his identity, bribing the officials from Santorio Vega," she said.
"Santorio Vega obviously cut him loose, happy to push the narrative that they are blameless for what happened. In short, the casino is going to remain functional just as before. All that will change is the owner."
I frowned, biting on the bread with slightly more force than necessary.
"That city is pretty shameless."
Filvis hummed in agreement, an expression of disgust clear on her face.
"True, but we still get an upper hand in negotiation. That will help us to have more say in how the casino will be operated from now on. The guild will be the one negotiating with them."
"And what of the victims?"
"They will be given hefty reparations and sent back to their homelands," Kaguya spoke calmly.
"…I see…"
Astraea, sensing my mood, spoke up.
"Are you not satisfied with it?" she asked.
I looked up from my plate and shook my head.
"Obviously, I am not happy. …I don't think I will be happy even if they are given a death sentence. All of this just left a bitter taste in my mouth."
Kaguya snorted lightly.
"If you expect justice to taste sweet, you're going to be disappointed for the rest of your life. The world rarely gives clean endings. This is about as good as it gets—Ouch! What was that for?"
Kaguya had chosen the worst possible moment to show her cynicism, which only made me more annoyed. I leaned toward her and pinched her waist.
"Don't mind it. I was just annoyed," I said as she glared sharply at me.
"Well, I do mind it!" she snapped, trying to pinch me back. I deflected her hand with my spoon, which only made her glare at me even more.
Astraea folded her hands gently on the table as she watched our banter.
"Justice rarely leaves people satisfied, Arin," she said softly. "Sometimes it only prevents things from becoming worse. What matters is that those who were harmed are given a chance to rebuild their lives. That is the most we can do for them now."
Yes… that is far easier to accept than Kaguya's blunt realism. Still, Kaguya isn't wrong either.
After that, we moved on to lighter topics, like how each of us would spend our day. As our meal ended, I rose from my chair.
"Thanks for the breakfast, Astraea. It was amazing as usual. Now I should get going."
Alise and the others also left to take care of the casino incident aftermath and to give others a break from their shifts.
Only Filvis and I remained in the dining hall, and she also got up.
"If you are headed to Twilight Manor, then let's go together. I had plans to meet with Lefiya today," she said as we started walking together.
The street had already started to get busy with a lot of traffic. The conversation about yesterday's incident had started to spread among the populace, though for the most part it was just another topic to indulge in gossip.
"Lefiya huh…" I muttered.
Filvis, noticing something was wrong, inquired.
"Are things still not good between you two?"
"Well, rather than good or bad, it's more like she's sulking and always avoids me whenever I try talking to her."
At first, I thought she would return to her usual self after my and the girls' relationship solidified. But it turned out she was sulking more than usual.
"Can you please try to talk some sense into her?" I requested. "I don't mind if she just calls me a pervert or anything like that, as she used to do. I just want us to start talking again."
Filvis smiled and gave a nod.
"Of course. I am sure she wants to talk to you just as much; she is, as you said, just sulking."
"Thank you."
Filvis gave a gentle nod as I expressed my gratitude.
"Filvis?!"
Just as we crossed the market street, a surprised voice called her out. A voice that we both recognized.
Turning back, we saw an elven girl with golden-yellow hair tied in a ponytail. She walked over quickly, making her way through the sea of people that had started to fill the market street.
"What a coincidence to meet you here," she said.
"Indeed, I was just coming over to meet you as well," Filvis replied.
I hesitated but still called her out.
"Hey, Lefiya—"
"Hmph!" she scoffed, turning her face away.
This little…!
I reeled in my intrusive thoughts that screamed to give her a good smack.
Lefiya, taking my silence as a victory, held Filvis's hand in hers and started pulling her along.
"I am glad you remember our promise, now let's go!"
"But Lefiya, I think Arin wanted to talk with you."
"Hm? I don't know anyone going by the name of Arin. Now let's get going."
She pushed Filvis from the back as Lefiya turned around to show me her tongue like a child before turning forward again as they both disappeared in the crowd.
I sighed.
"Oh well, at least I confirmed that she isn't truly angry. And just being a spoiled brat."
And I also confirmed words aren't going to work; I need to beat some sense into her.
I started walking toward the Twilight Manor again, only to freeze when another familiar voice rang out behind me.
Mob A, along with his other Mob friends, walked toward me.
Fuck my luck…