The two stared at each other for a long moment. Alise looked away shyly, her lips parting slightly. "It's all Roland's fault for making a perfect Captain like me act this way. You have to take responsibility."
"And I heard what you and Maryu were saying in the hallway this morning. I didn't realize you and Lady Astraea were already that close." So close I'm almost jealous. I'm the one who found you first and invited you to the Familia.
"Aren't you close with the Goddess too, Alise?" Roland asked softly.
"It's different. We're all family, but your relationship with her is different. I... I don't want to fall too far behind. I want you to like me too!"
With that, Alise leaned down and crashed her lips into Roland's. It was a brief, clumsy contact, and she immediately pulled away with a red face, letting go of his hands to run.
Roland reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her back. He wrapped his left hand around her waist and leaned in. Alise's eyes widened, her hands hovering over his back, unsure whether to push him away or enjoy the unprecedented sensation.
After a long moment, Roland finally released Alise.
"Does this prove that I've already fallen for you, Alise?" Roland asked with a brilliant, sunny smile.
Alise's face was completely flushed, a hint of tears shimmering in her eyes. She nodded silently, whispering a soft "Pervert" under her breath.
Roland laughed heartily. "Well then, shouldn't you head to the showers? If you wait any longer, the others are going to come looking for you."
"I know, I know... hehe..."
As Alise stood up with a silly grin, preparing to leave the hall with Roland, they spotted two heads peeking through the crack of the door: the "Cunning Rat" and the "Useless Elf."
Seeing they were caught, Lyra let out a mischievous snicker, while Ryu, her face flaming red, let out a small "Uwaa!" and immediately bolted.
"Ryu, wait for me!" Seeing her partner flee, Lyra quickly shut the door and chased after her.
Now completely fearless, Roland leaned in and whispered into Alise's ear, "Whoops, looks like they saw us. What are you going to do now, Captain?"
Alise slapped her own cheeks a few times to snap out of it. Once she regained her composure, she said with high spirits, "It's fine! Just leave it to your flawless Captain. I'm heading out first!"
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My : https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Danmachi : Mage's Infinite Journey (168 Chapters – Ongoing)
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Just as she pulled the door open, she added with a shy glance, "Next time, it's your turn to sleep in my room. Got it?"
Do they really think I'm some kind of functional body pillow? Roland wondered.
"Got it, got it... but I can't guarantee what might happen," Roland replied with a devious smirk identical to Lyra's. Alise's face reddened again as she imagined exactly what he meant. She slammed the door shut and fled to her room, leaving Roland alone in the hall.
"Geez, now I'm almost too nervous to go sleep in Maryu's room tonight," Roland thought. Before this, he could have pretended he was just being used as a pillow, but lately, too many things had happened that were severely lowering his resistance to temptation. "I don't want to spend the whole night using my mana to force myself to stay calm. Whatever, I'll just let nature take its course."
Late at night, the manor was quiet. Roland stood in the hallway and opened the pocket watch Astraea had given him. The glowing hands pointed to ten o'clock.
With light but nervous steps, he headed toward Maryu's room. Standing before the closed door, he took a deep breath and knocked softly. A moment later, the door opened to reveal Maryu's gentle face. She smiled warmly and whispered, "Hehe, Roland really is a boy of his word. Come in, quickly."
This atmosphere feels as scandalous as a secret affair. I'm actually a bit scared, Roland thought.
Entering the room, his gaze instinctively fell on Maryu. She was wearing loose, comfortable pajamas similar in style to Astraea's. It made sense; in the entire Familia, only Maryu's "Justice" could rival that of the Goddess.
Maryu gently took Roland's hand and led him to the edge of the soft bed. With her curvaceous figure in a charming "duck sit" position, she began fixing the pillows and blankets. Her silhouette was even more pronounced as she leaned over. Once finished, she lay down like a lazy kitten, opening the warm covers and patting the empty spot beside her with an expectant gaze.
Roland climbed into bed and lay facing her. After a while, Maryu spoke cheerfully, "Roland has the same wish as I do, right? To have everyone live together safely forever."
"Though I talk about making everyone part of my harem, I know that's just my possessiveness at work," Roland admitted directly. He wasn't sure how the others truly felt or if they took it as a joke. Aside from the three who had already shown their feelings, Roland lacked the experience to read a woman's heart through subtle actions alone.
"It is my wish, but it's born from a selfish desire to keep you all to myself."
Maryu smiled and moved closer, her warm breath brushing his face. She gently stroked his pointed ears. "To speak so bluntly about your desires... you really are a strange half-elf, Roland."
After a pause, Roland decided, "I planned to wait longer before telling everyone my secret, but since I already told Lady Astraea, one more person won't hurt. Maryu-姐, I'm not a human from this world. I traveled here from a world without gods."
Maryu didn't fully grasp the logistics, but she understood that he had been forced to leave his home. "Is that why you value us so much? Because you don't want the pain of losing family to happen to us?"
"Yes," Roland replied. "Even though I now have strength comparable to a Level 5 or 6 adventurer, I still can't guarantee that everyone will always be safe."
"True, no one can guarantee everything goes as planned," Maryu mused. "But that's why we should cherish the present, shouldn't we? As adventurers, we are destined to face storms."
Maryu pulled Roland into her embrace. "I'm not a strong adventurer. I can only stand in the back and heal, being protected by everyone. I hate that."
Roland patted her back. "Everyone has their strengths, Maryu. Supporting everyone from the rear is far from insignificant."
They held each other in silence. After a while, Roland looked up. "Maryu, for someone as possessive as me, can I really bring you all happiness?"
Maryu froze for a second, then smiled, stroking his hair. "Roland, don't you realize? From the moment you came to us, you've already brought us so much joy. As for wanting us all to yourself... that's up to your heart. These things aren't easily decided by others anyway."
Roland took a deep breath. "Then, if I really decide to be that selfish, would you still love me?"
Maryu's cheeks flushed slightly. "...I already do. Ever since I heard how much you do for us, I started loving you. I think everyone feels the same."
"I see... I know what I need to do now. Thank you, Maryu."