Riveria's mother, Clarice—well, how should one put it? The two of them standing together give off a strange feeling of being reversed.
Riveria had always been the serious one, the pillar of discipline that led Loki to affectionately dub her "Mama-san." At first glance, Clarice seemed just as dignified as her daughter.
But after only a few words, she revealed her true colors. Beneath that royal exterior, she was an innocent, romantic, and lively girl. Worse yet, she had immediately taken it upon herself to play matchmaker, having clearly set her sights on Leon as the perfect son-in-law.
Riveria had originally brought Clarice over to thank Leon for his help, but Clarice quickly steered the conversation back to marriage.
The sight made Riveria turn a deep shade of crimson. After stammering out a forced apology to Leon, she practically dragged her mother away.
"Leon, you really have a lot of charm." Hephaestus teased from her seat next to him, her tone dripping with sarcasm as the two elves vanished.
"Yes, she really is very charming." Hestia chimed in.
Though she had mostly come to terms with Leon's magnetism, she still felt a prickle of annoyance and needed to vent.
On the other side of the room, Tsubaki watched the two goddesses verbally double-team Leon. A wicked smile appeared on her lips as she enjoyed the show from the sidelines.
Leon could only offer a hollow silence.
...
Not long after the elves departed, another guest arrived.
"So, the Freya Familia wants to join the expedition as well?" Leon sat on the sofa, stroking his chin as he looked at Fels sitting opposite him.
By now, the reception room was quiet. Hestia and the others had already headed off to bathe and prepare for bed.
"That is the situation. Leon, what do you think?" Fels nodded, his voice echoing from beneath his cloak.
"I have no objection. I hold no hostility toward the members of the Freya Familia. As long as Finn and the others are okay with it, I don't care." Leon replied with a faint, effortless smile.
"Then there is no issue. I have already visited the Twilight Manor. Even though the Freya and Loki Familias are rivals, Finn is a man who understands the big picture. He is willing to cooperate for the sake of the expedition and said he would persuade his party members." Fels said, his tone sounding uncharacteristically emotional.
When Ouranos had sent Fels out as an envoy, he had prepared himself for a long, arduous negotiation. He had expected to spend hours appealing to their reason and emotions. Instead, both Leon and Finn had agreed with almost startling ease.
"Then it's settled." Leon said, nodding.
"I will have the Guild fully cooperate in preparing your supplies. We will figure out the logistics of the sales later." Fels stood to leave, but paused.
His voice turned grave. "We only hope that you can grow as strong as possible, as quickly as possible. The promised time is approaching. I hope you can deal with the One-Eyed Black Dragon soon."
"Leave it to me." Leon promised.
"Oh, right. The Kali Familia might be coming as well." Fels added as a parting thought before vanishing into the night.
"The Kali Familia? Tiona and Tione's old home?" Leon mused, watching the empty doorway.
—
Meanwhile, at the Twilight Manor, the halls were hushed. It was late, and most of the residents had already retired to their bunks.
Riveria had quietly led Clarice to a guest room, deciding it was best to wait until morning to introduce her mother to Finn and the rest of the leadership.
"Riveria, are you really not going to consider my suggestion?" Clarice asked.
"Leon... well, I really like him. I think that child is perfect for you."
Riveria remained silent, focused on laying out the bedding for her mother. She was performing her duties as a daughter, but her mother's constant chattering was wearing thin.
"Mother, I really haven't thought about those things yet." Riveria finally said, turning around with a weary sigh.
"You can't just keep avoiding it forever. After all, you are the last royal descendant. You must shoulder the responsibility of carrying on our bloodline." Clarice replied, her expression softening into a gentle, knowing smile.
Riveria froze.
The words hit home with uncomfortable precision. She had spent so long focused on her duties as an adventurer and searching for her mother that the concept of "legacy" had been pushed to the back of her mind. But now that her mother was back—resurrected and safe—that old excuse was gone.
"And Riveria, you know the truth of it. As royalty, finding a partner among our own people who you can actually connect with—without them drowning you in resentment or suffocating respect—is nearly impossible." Clarice continued, sensing her daughter's resolve wavering.
Riveria frowned.
Her mother was right. She had always been frustrated by the way other elves treated her like a distant idol rather than a person. How could she ever build a life with someone who wouldn't even look her in the eye?
But Leon... Leon was different. From the very beginning, he had treated her like an ordinary person. He didn't care about her title or her royal blood.
And, if she were honest with herself, she did have a good impression of him.
If I truly have to pass on the bloodline... he might be the only option.
"Mother... let me think about it." Riveria sighed.
Clarice's eyes lit up. She had seen the shift in her daughter's eyes. She didn't just want Leon as a son-in-law because he had saved her life, she was genuinely impressed by his character. She was convinced he was the only elf or man worthy of her daughter.
'I'll have to work even harder these next few days.' Clarice thought happily as she helped tuck in the sheets.
'Maybe I'll be holding a grandson sooner than I thought.'
Leon, completely unaware of the royal schemes being plotted against his bachelorhood, had already drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, he woke early. He had promised Wiene he would visit her, and since he hadn't seen her since returning from the previous expedition, he planned to head into the dungeon immediately.
However, before he could leave, Belle and the others arrived and they weren't alone. They had openly brought Wiene and several other Xenos to the surface library.
"Wait... has the surface already accepted them?" Leon asked, stunned.
Wiene was already clinging to his waist, happily rubbing her face against him.
Standing before him were Ray and several other female Xenos. Belle and her party had gone into the inner courtyard to get their status updated, leaving Leon alone with the Xenos.
He had envisioned a future where humans and Xenos lived together, but he had estimated it would take at least six months of careful diplomacy. To see them standing in the sunlight after only a month was staggering.
"Thanks to Belle-san and the adventurers of Rivira, many people have accepted us. Staying on the surface for a few days is perfectly safe now." Ray explained gently, folding her talons politely.
"I see. That's wonderful." Leon said, a genuine smile breaking across his face.
"We have to thank you, Leon-san. If it weren't for your actions back then, the people of Rivira town wouldn't have stood up for us." Ray added.
"That was all you. I just pointed the way. You did the hard work." Leon waved a hand dismissively.
"No. Without your words, we never would have had the courage." Ray insisted, and the other Xenos behind her chimed in with eager agreement.
"Alright, alright, I'll take the credit." Leon laughed, holding up his hands in surrender.
Just then, a figure emerged from the shadows of the inner courtyard.
"Leon-sama, may I speak with you in private?" Mikoto stood there, her expression uncharacteristically earnest.
"Hm?"