Several days had passed since their rest.
Su Lun planned to complete the task Lyra had given him: delivering her confession letter to the Loki Familia.
As he stepped out of the gate and onto the bustling commercial streets, he noticed Valentine's Day decorations hanging everywhere.
It was clear that Lyra had chosen Valentine's Day to confess to Finn. However, out of her own shyness and inability to face him, she could only rely on Su Lun to pass the message along.
Su Lun couldn't help but want to complain about this.
For the person involved to ask someone else to deliver their love letter instead of confessing in person was a bit... subtle. Could that even be called a confession?
Then again, considering Lyra's lack of formal education...
It was perfectly in line with her clumsy approach to romance.
But since it's Valentine's Day... Su Lun thought as he walked.
He needed to prepare gifts for Alise and Ryuu. Perhaps, using the "Mystery" development ability he had recently acquired, he could create a life-sized chocolate statue that provided different buffs for the two of them?
After Su Lun had walked a considerable distance, Kaguya also stepped out from the gates of the Starlight Garden. She intended to secretly tail him.
"This one shall see where exactly you are going," Kaguya muttered, her voice laced with a hint of teeth-gritting irritation as she perched on the roof of a shop, her eyes fixed intently on Su Lun's distant figure.
In truth, Kaguya could have accepted either Ryuu or Alise becoming Su Lun's lover.
However.
Su Lun had actually accepted both of their confessions and had taken it for granted that he was now the lover of both.
Kaguya had grown up in the Far East. As an assassin for the imperial court, she had seen all sorts of dark sides to the world. Theoretically, polygamy was common in the Far East, but Kaguya still found it hard to accept that her two closest friends had both become Su Lun's lovers.
What a joke.
If that was the case, what was she supposed to do about the small spark of goodwill in her own heart?
"I'll see what you're up to on Valentine's Day," Kaguya talked to herself, her temper flaring. She had clearly forgotten about the errand Lyra had entrusted to Su Lun.
Meanwhile, a sneaky figure had already begun following from a different, more secluded direction.
That figure was the "Black Cat," Chloe Rollo.
Chloe was currently tailing "The Myriad" Su Lun, watching him from a distance.
Hehe, a mere Level 2—how could he possibly discover me? The Black Cat felt a sense of pride in her heart.
However.
Su Lun sensed a gaze. It wasn't the viscous, uneasy feeling he had felt back at Babel, but it carried a faint trace of killing intent.
He looked back, but found no one following him.
Su Lun scanned the street, but there was nothing unusual in the heavy flow of people in the commercial district.
Impossible.
He had a fair amount of confidence in his instincts. He became suspicious; someone was definitely stalking him.
Was it an assassin from the Evils, or someone else with an ulterior motive?
Su Lun's expression remained unchanged, but his pace quickened. He needed to lure this person out. As for the location... an alleyway would be best.
Rewinding the clock slightly.
Just as it was Valentine's Day, young men and women were buying various gifts for those they liked, and Ryuu and Alise were no exception.
Shortly after Kaguya had left to tail Su Lun, a loud explosion echoed from the kitchen of the Starlight Garden.
BOOM!
The kitchen was now unrecognizable. Ryuu had tried to use a pressure cooker to melt chocolate, but she hadn't controlled the heat properly. It had resulted in a massive explosion, spraying liquid chocolate all over the ceiling.
"Eh? Why did this happen again? I followed the timing perfectly..."
Ryuu let out a pitiful cry. She had planned to spend the morning making Valentine's chocolate for Su Lun, only for another disaster to strike.
"Ryuu? Did something just hap—"
Alise rushed into the kitchen, her words cutting off as she saw the chocolate liquid dripping from the ceiling and the mangled remains of the pressure cooker. It was obvious Ryuu had caused another explosion.
Alise was speechless.
"Ryuu, if you can't make it, let's just switch to a different food. You don't actually have to make the chocolate yourself," Alise advised.
Ryuu wore a stubborn expression. She had wanted to make it herself; she felt it would show more sincerity.
"Alise, aren't you planning to give a gift to Su Lun?"
"I am! Of course I am. But actually, I haven't decided what to give yet."
Alise gave a mischievous smile. On previous Valentine's Days, she had usually been on patrol with the other members. Now, because the Evils were lying low, the public safety had improved significantly, so they didn't have to patrol. She finally had time to think about a gift.
Ryuu watched Alise stand there lost in thought for a while before she couldn't help but ask.
"Should we go ask Goddess Astraea and see if she has a solution?"
"Good idea."
The two walked to Goddess Astraea's room, where she was quietly reading a book.
Seeing the two of them arrive together—and noting the tips of Ryuu's ears were red and her clothes were stained with chocolate—the Goddess understood immediately. The only thing that could make Ryuu and Alise look so troubled at the same time was likely something related to that young man.
"What has happened?"
Ryuu lowered her head in embarrassment. "Goddess, I failed in my attempt to make Valentine's chocolate."
Alise also stepped forward, clasping her hands together with a playful yet distressed look. "I haven't decided what to give Su Lun either. I feel like I want to give him everything, but nothing feels special enough. So, we came to ask for your opinion, Lady Astraea."
Goddess Astraea smiled, her gaze moving slowly between the two. She thought for a moment. As a Goddess of Justice and a virgin goddess, she had zero experience in romance.
Realistically, it was difficult for her to give these two advice. She thought that since it was about one's feelings, spending private time with a lover was probably the best gift of all. But having no experience herself, she wasn't sure if that applied.
"However, you've come to discuss gift-giving with me... I have no experience in love, so I cannot offer much in the way of advice," the Goddess said with a hint of awkwardness.
Ryuu and Alise looked at each other. That's right.
They had almost forgotten their Goddess was a virgin goddess. Asking a virgin goddess what to give a sweetheart felt like a wasted effort.
"In that case, why don't we go for a walk together and see if there's anything suitable on the streets?" the Goddess suggested on a whim. It felt like she had rarely gone out for a stroll on Valentine's Day.
The three of them headed to the bustling commercial district. Amidst the festive streets decorated with lanterns and banners, Ryuu, Alise, and Astraea began to browse.
As the three of them were buying ingredients at a roadside stall, a familiar figure appeared in the distance.
My : https://p*tre*n.com/Noctra418 Danmachi: My Magic Style is Different from Yours (Simulpub – Ongoing)