After finding Demeter back at the Familia home, Genichi finally let out a quiet breath of relief.
She was standing in the courtyard, a watering can in hand, carefully tending the crops she had planted herself.
The glow of the setting sun fell across her, turning her honey-colored hair into a warm gold.
She looked so peaceful. So beautiful.
Genichi stood a short distance away, watching her, and a complicated emotion flickered through his dark eyes.
Demeter seemed to sense his gaze and looked up at him.
The moment she saw how tense he looked, the smile on her face trembled slightly, and worry immediately rose in her amber eyes.
"What happened?"
She set down the watering can and quickly walked over to him.
Genichi was silent for a moment, then told her everything that had happened in the Dungeon.
Of course, he did not tell her that "Enyo" was actually Dionysus.
At least, not yet.
"...That's what happened."
When he finished, he looked at her.
"I'm worried they might try to capture you and use you to threaten me. So I came back."
Demeter's brows drew tightly together.
She knew exactly what that meant.
The dark faction had already set its sights on Genichi.
They knew she was his patron goddess.
They knew she was his weakness.
If they really did capture her to threaten him...
Demeter did not dare think further.
"Then maybe..."
She hesitated before speaking.
"Shouldn't we just report this to the Guild?"
Genichi shook his head.
"It won't help."
His voice was calm, but the refusal in it was absolute.
"There's no evidence. Even if the Guild wanted to act, they would have no grounds."
He paused.
"And even if we did have evidence, how can you be sure they don't have people inside the Guild?"
Demeter froze.
The Guild had people from the dark faction inside it?
"The Guild was infiltrated by the dark faction a long time ago. It's full of holes."
Genichi's voice continued.
"I can't even be sure that if I handed over this information right now, the dark faction wouldn't know about it the very next moment."
Demeter fell silent.
She knew he was telling the truth.
For the dark faction to have remained hidden in Orario for so many years without being completely rooted out, there had to be all kinds of reasons behind it.
And among them, there had to be dirty hands inside the Guild.
If the Guild really did have their people inside it, then reporting this would not only fail to help, it would alert them.
"Then what do we do?"
Demeter looked up at him.
Her amber eyes were full of worry.
Genichi looked at her and was silent for a moment.
Then he slowly spoke.
"Demeter."
"Hm?"
"If they ever capture your other Familia members and use them to threaten you..."
He paused.
"Would you give in?"
Demeter froze.
She had never thought about that before.
Those members of her Familia might not be as special as Genichi, but they had followed her for many years. They were still some of the people closest to her in this world.
If they were captured and used to threaten her...
Would she give in?
Demeter fell silent.
A long, long silence.
Genichi did not push her.
He simply stood there and waited for her answer.
After a long while, Demeter took a deep breath and looked up at him.
A complicated emotion passed through her amber eyes.
"If it were before..."
Her voice was soft, but perfectly clear.
"I would have given in."
Genichi said nothing.
He knew she was telling the truth.
With her gentle nature, and the way she cared for her children, she truly would have yielded.
To save them, she would have paid any price.
"But..."
Demeter paused.
"It's different now."
She looked him straight in the eye.
"As long as they don't capture you and use you to threaten me..."
Her voice grew firm.
"I won't give in."
"Why?" he asked.
Demeter smiled.
It was a gentle, radiant smile, like the warmest sunlight of spring.
"Because you're the most important person to me."
Genichi fell silent.
He looked at her, at the undisguised emotion in her amber eyes, at how serious she was in a way that almost hurt to see.
After a long pause, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly into a faint smile.
It was so slight it was almost impossible to notice.
But Demeter saw it.
She knew it was one of those rare moments of softness from him.
"Then..."
Genichi spoke.
"You need to protect yourself."
He paused.
"Right now, you're my only weakness."
Demeter blinked in surprise.
His only weakness?
Her?
"If something happens to you, my Falna will be locked."
Genichi continued calmly.
"And once the Falna is locked, I'll become an ordinary person. My techniques would still be there, but you know what it would mean to lose the power boost from divine grace."
He looked at her.
"So you have to protect yourself."
Demeter's eyes began to redden.
Of course she knew what it meant for his Falna to be locked.
Now, she had become his one and only weak point.
If she really cared about him...
Then she absolutely could not let anything happen to herself.
Demeter took a deep breath and forced down the emotions surging inside her.
Then she looked up at Genichi.
Her amber eyes were full of resolve.
"I know."
Her voice was quiet, but utterly certain.
"I'll protect myself."
She paused.
"So don't worry."
Genichi looked at her and gave a small nod.
"Good."
Night fell.
Inside the room, Genichi sat by the window, looking out at the moonlight.
Demeter had already fallen asleep.
But he could not.
His thoughts were in turmoil.
Everything was telling him the same thing.
He was running out of time.
Dionysus might make his move soon.
And right now, he was still only Level 5.
His growth had already been fast, but for the storm that was coming, it was not enough.
Not nearly enough.
Genichi took a deep breath and forced down the impatience inside him.
He had to move faster.
He had to become stronger.
He had to reach a level where he could protect himself before that mad god made his move.
If Level 5 was not enough, then he would reach Level 6.
If Level 6 was not enough, then he would reach Level 7.
One day...
He would stand at the very top of this city.
And when that day came, neither Dionysus nor Freya would be able to threaten him again.
Genichi tightened his grip on the sword in his hand and looked out at the bright moon beyond the window.
In those dark eyes, a blazing fire burned.
(End of Chapter)
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