"Do you really have to do that?"

"What?! Didn’t you see her taunting me first?"

Luka observed the angry Luvia, who remained atop Reina while struggling to accept how differently he treated her compared to Galatea.

He couldn’t find the right words to be a little less aggressive toward Luvia, but he struggled.

It was only a few hours ago that she stabbed him in the chest.

Despite the system telling him she wouldn’t betray him, and going to the extreme of stopping her from harming him. It wasn’t enough to change his mind completely, but after having sex, there was a change in his own thoughts.

Everything was just a little complicated.

As if unable to stand his silence, she spread her arms and shouted.

"I was your first woman!"

Her sudden shout didn’t scare or shock him.

He hoped Galatea and Iris might have heard what she shouted to end the need for him to balance the three.

’She hits me where it hurts.’

"Grrrr!"

Even Reina growled at him.

"Neigh!"

Furia snorted as she raised her front hooves in support of him, going against the wolf.

The two muscular beasts both glared at each other, while Luvia remained fixed on Luka, her golden eyes shimmering in the growing darkness.

He shook his head and met her glare.

"What do you want?"

"What do you think I want?"

"No clue, that’s why I asked."

"...?"

There was a moment of silence.

Then she leapt from Reina, landing beside him.

Tap!

Luvia stood before him, much like Galatea a few moments before, glancing up at him with both arms folded under her chest.

"Do you really mean that?"

"What would I know about you? We’ve barely spoken."

Her eyes opened wide as she seemed about to speak, but paused. "No, no, you’re right..."

’This might go in a horrible direction if I don’t take action.’

He quickly grabbed both her shoulders, gripping tight as she met his gaze once again, her golden eyes darting from left to right, scanning his face.

"I cannot promise not to be close to other women, especially Galatea and Iris. My goal needs them both to succeed."

Luvia’s golden eyes grew dull as she slumped, listening to his words.

"But..."

He gripped her shoulders tighter, lifting her to face him.

She struggled at first but eventually raised her face to meet his gaze.

"You are also included in those I cannot let go now."

"Ah...?" Her mouth dropped.

’Is this going to work?’

Luka couldn’t help but doubt himself.

There was only so much relying on past stories between the knights and mercenaries could help him. He lacked experience, and so did Luka before him... what made it worse was that he’d slept with this elf.

Although sex carried a significant meaning.

It clearly meant something immensely more important to her.

Because he penetrated too deeply, somehow it bound their souls.

He slipped his hand from her shoulder, slowly tracing her delicate cheeks.

"Do you mean it?"

She leaned into his palm, stroking across it with her lips as she spoke.

"How could I throw you away, isn’t it impossible now?"

Whenever he focused his senses to listen to the thump of his heart, he could also hear the faint pulsing of another, which he assumed was hers. It quickened each time he spoke, then slowed during the long silence in between.

Luvia shifted away, narrowing her eyes as she bit her lip. "I know it’s impossible to understand me and how I changed so suddenly after what happened..."

Her words trailed off as she fell forward, hitting her forehead against his chest as she mumbled her true feelings.

"It’s not like I want to be this extreme, suddenly. Whenever you speak to others, it’s like someone tossed my insides into a blazing furnace, melting my insides. I’m going crazy after only a single day!"

"Awooo!"

Reina followed her confession while sniffing at Luvia’s back and neck with a gentle nuzzle, but she nudged or prodded Luka with her nose and claws.

"I cannot change instantly."

He placed his hand around her face and spoke honestly.

"But if you stay beside me... I hope that I can at least avoid hurting you too much."

Time could heal most wounds.

But that was something neither of them had spent together.

He knew nothing of her, and she knew nothing of him.

They could only spend time together and take things step by step.

"Then, promise you won’t toss me away the moment you sleep with that damn knight and crazy ginger bitch!"

She peeked up from between her silver hair, the gold orbs shimmering brighter than before, showing her growing confidence and increased ease.

"I cannot throw you away, I swear."

’I would be a fool to lose such a constant source of Envy and Lust!’

"Mm."

Luvia accepted his words, nodding before she pushed away from him.

"Luvia?"

"It’s okay... just let me take some time to think."

Her body faded into the darkness as she stroked Luka’s cheek one last time, before even the sound of her breathing vanished.

Luka remained silent on the spot, his eyes closed as he took deep breaths to adjust his mind and focus on the matter at hand.

’Forget women, tonight I will fight a Goblin Shaman.’

The first step towards making Babylon a city, instead of a small village or town.

Although he could enjoy these moments of fleeting peace, he couldn’t become too absorbed by them, for soon the world would become a hellhole where monsters would threaten the very existence of everything he holds precious.

He narrowed his eyes into sharp, red slits and glared at Reina, causing the wolf to shift back and whimper.

"Wuuu!?"

"Reina, I will ignore your actions earlier, but hope you can protect Luvia on tonight’s mission."

"Wuff!"

She sat on her hind legs and nodded.

"Good, no matter what might happen to me, prioritise her life and safety."

"Awooo!?" The wolf reacted like a human, her eyes opening wide with a soft, yet concerned howl. Luka ignored this and just stroked her thick chest fur, slowly threading his fingers and clearing the knots.

"Don’t worry, I am strong."

He then glanced at Furia and smiled. "I’ve decided to ride you tonight, Furia. Are you looking forward to some action?"

"Neeeigh!"

She proudly shook her head, glancing at the wolf before leaning over the wooden poles blocking her inside the stable.

"Do you want me to stroke you too?" He chuckled.

Unexpectedly, the horse snorted, flaring her nostrils as she nodded.

In the dark stables, while preparing his mind for battle, Luka enjoyed the silky fur of his two mounts, gently brushing Furia’s cheek and nose while squeezing and stroking Reina’s fluffy ears as she lay down.

"I don’t want either of you to get hurt tonight, if something goes wrong. Please, drag Galatea and Luvia out to a safe spot—understood?"

"Woooo!"

"Nnnnneiiigh!"

"Please."

Both animals appeared to protest his request, but the moment he glanced at them with a soft, affectionate gaze, they became silent. The pair quickly accepted his apology and request, despite their slight protests, with a nibble and a kick to his shin.

"Thanks, my lovely girls."

He gave both of them one last hug before glancing at the emerald and sapphire moons hovering low in the sky.

Luka closed his eyes.

He listened to the distant rustle of leather, the clang of metal boots hitting wooden flooring, the swish of swords leaving their scabbards and the soft twang of Vaun and her fellow hunters maintaining their bowstrings.

The camp was preparing for battle.

A battle against a force almost triple their size.

"The time is now."

Luka unhooked the wooden gate, leaping onto Furia’s back as he rocked back with her sudden leap.

Heart open.

His mind focused.

He called out to the universe.

"No force can stop my unbreakable will, neither god nor divine! In this battle, I will unleash everything I have and show my people, my father, my brothers—That I have returned for vengeance!"

His eyes shimmered with a faint flicker of Magenta as he snapped Furia’s reins, trotting towards the northern gates where most knights awaited him.

’I will never accept defeat—there is only one true path, and that is victory.’