After completing his purchase at the counter, Draco made his way back to Riveria and Eina.
The morning sun was climbing higher into the sky, casting long, sharp shadows across the bustling stone-paved streets of Orario.
Draco carried a few neatly wrapped parcels under one arm, containing various rare ingredients and celebratory goods he had managed to secure.
Eina seemed flustered for some reason, her cheeks flushed with a faint pink hue, which made Draco a little bit curious about what the two women had talked about while he was away.
He offered a questioning look, but decided against pressing the matter.
After all, there were more important things to do.
After his talk earlier in the morning with Bahamut, Draco had updated his status and was unofficially the first level eight adventurer in the past two decades.
This was big news, and also part of the reason Draco planned to host his return party and level up in the Bahamut Familia estate.
It was going to be private, with only familia members involved.
Of course, only he and his goddess Bahamut knew of this at the moment.
So while his other Familia members were still resting from their grueling patrol duties, he had gone out shopping for the things that were needed.
Initially, he and Bahamut were meant to go together, but Ouranos…..true to his word…..had sent a messenger to inform Draco of a meeting between familia captains at the guild headquarters by noon.
Additionally, there was going to be an emergency meeting between the gods around the same time.
This quickly put a damper on Draco's plans as his and Bahamut's afternoon was suddenly taken up, meaning they only had the morning and possibly late evening free.
And there was no telling how late the meeting would run.
The other members were extremely exhausted and were probably going to sleep in till the late afternoon.
So, Draco and Bahamut had changed the plan accordingly: Bahamut would make preparations at home while he would go shopping for the things they lacked.
It was on this shopping trip that he had run into Riveria, and then later together they met Eina.
Sadly, it was time for them to part ways.
Bidding a quick farewell to the two women, Draco exited the retail store, making his way back to the Bahamut Familia estate.
There was still a lot to do, and the clock was ticking down to the noon meetings.
...........................…
Meanwhile, after parting ways with Draco, Eina nervously followed Riveria around the store. Apparently, Riveria had run out of some dungeon supplies and needed to restock.
It was why she had come to the store in the first place, but she had gotten sidetracked running into Draco and Eina.
After getting all she needed, Riveria and Eina headed for the Loki Familia home.
The building was located on the northern edge of Orario.
It stood on the side of a backstreet, one block away from North Main.
Long and thin, it was as if the builders had to squeeze it onto the spot, maximizing every inch of available land.
Several pointed towers protruded from the roof like a line of spears standing on end, supplementing one another in a defensive architectural marvel.
Of course, these bronze towers were nothing compared to Babel, but they were still tall enough to make someone stretch their neck to look up at them.
The very tips of the towers were dyed by the morning light, gleaming like polished metal.
It was a dwelling carved from flames and pride.
"Lady Riveria, welcome back," the guards greeted in unison, snapping to attention.
"Excuse me, this person with you… is she with the Guild?" one guard asked, his eyes lingering on Eina and recognizing her familiar uniform.
"She is the daughter of a friend. I request that you overlook her position," Riveria replied smoothly.
After being briefly questioned by the male and female guards at the doorway, Riveria and Eina walked into the building.
The two of them looked as though they could be sisters, walking side by side down the stone corridors.
In reality, Riveria was many times older than Eina.
Elves lived the longest of all the races of demi-humans, at least in the current era.
"I suppose it's a little late for this, but… but are you sure this is all right?" Eina asked, feeling the nervousness she was suppressing bubble up and threaten to spill over.
"What is?" Riveria asked, tilting her head slightly without breaking her steady stride.
"Inviting me, a member of the Guild, into a home like this… If private information about Loki Familia became public because of me…" Eina trailed off, her ethics as a Guild employee warring with the awe of trespassing into the inner sanctum of one of Orario's top-tier Familias.
"Do not speak of impossibilities, Eina. If I felt you had the potential for something like that, I would not have brought you here. Or perhaps you are trying to insult me?" Riveria scolded gently, though there was no real heat in her voice.
"N-no, not at all…" Eina stammered, a bit taken aback by the level of trust being placed in her hands.
More and more childhood memories came flooding back into her head as she followed Riveria through the main hall and into a spacious reception room.
The room itself was completely open to the hallway and decorated in a calming, light orange color scheme that radiated warmth.
There were many expensive-looking sofas and round tables draped in fine cloth, arranged to encourage intimate gatherings.
While every furnishing there was of the highest quality, it seemed less a formal reception room than a tranquil space for repose and conversation.
Eina got a good feel for the overall atmosphere and mood of Loki Familia just by looking around this room...it was surprisingly homelike for a house of warriors.
'Hey, not bad. I wouldn't mind living here myself…. Hmm?' Eina's thoughts trailed off abruptly.
She noticed something as her gaze reached the far corner of the room.
It was an armchair facing away from her, positioned toward a large window that let in the morning rays.
There seemed to be a big fluff of golden string attached to the side of it.
No, not string… blond hair.
It was the back of someone's head, their hair flowing down the side of the chair and sticking out in a radiant cascade.
The person sitting there slowly turned her head to face the elves, movement unhurried and fluid. Eina suddenly swallowed a lump of air, her breath catching in her throat.
"Welcome home, Riveria."
"Yes, Ais. I have returned," Riveria replied with a warm, maternal smile that softened her usually stoic features.
The speaker was a beautiful girl, even younger than Eina.
What stood out more than her soft, delicate features was her solemnity.
Still, her eyes glimmered like pools of pure gold on her face, captivating and deep.
The word "innocent" seemed to fit her very well, painting a picture of purity untainted by the cruelties of the world.
A noble beauty and a childlike purity seemed to coexist seamlessly within her.
As Eina had said once before to herself, just seeing the girl's beauty made her heart skip a beat.
"Who is… that person?" Ais asked, her voice soft like chiming bells, tilting her head in genuine curiosity.
"I… um, I'm…" Eina stuttered, her composure completely abandoning her.
Despite seeing Ais many times in the guild when she checked in after dungeon descents, they had never actually spoken on a personal level.
To the Guild receptionist, Ais Wallenstein was an icon, the Sword Princess, a living legend. Meeting her in a casual domestic setting was almost too much for her nerves to handle.
"She is like a member of my family. You two, introduce yourselves," Riveria interjected warmly, formally bridging the gap between them and introducing Eina.
Ais and Eina followed suit and exchanged cautious greetings.
Ais didn't break eye contact with Eina as she spoke, her words clear and concise, devoid of any unnecessary pretense.
Without any armor or heavy equipment on, Ais looked remarkably like a very sheltered girl rather than the apex predator of the labyrinth.
She was quite feminine, with a slender body wrapped in a pure white one-piece dress that hugged her frame gracefully.
It accentuated her generous bosom, as well, adding a touch of mature womanhood to her otherwise youthful appearance.
Ais's bare feet resting against the floorboards were like alabaster, smooth and vibrant, catching the light filtering through the tall windows.
Simply… breathtaking.
As Eina sat down, a strange, tangled emotion gripped her chest.
Eina didn't feel right, looking at Ais this way.
Even though he wasn't here, and even though this was just an innocent meeting facilitated by Riveria, it felt like she was somehow wedging herself between Bell and Ais.
The thought of the young, white-haired boy who held such a passionate, driving admiration for the blonde swordswoman flickered in Eina's mind, making her feel inexplicably guilty.
Moving slowly and carefully so as not to betray her inner turmoil, Eina walked around the plush armchair and took a seat on the sofa facing her.
Riveria joined them a moment later, settling gracefully into a seat with a low wooden table situated comfortably between the three girls.
"Ais, have you purchased replacements for the items used during the last trip? We set out in ten days," Riveria asked, her tone like a mother checking if her child was ready for the school year.
"Yes… I'll go tomorrow."
Ais's voice was muffled by her knees; she was holding them to her chest while sitting in the chair.
Her words sounded dull, like a bell fallen on its side.
Eina could tell something wasn't right.
She glanced over at Riveria, only to see a look on her face that the high elf often gave Eina years ago…..a warm, motherly expression.
Eina finally worked up the courage to say what was on her mind.
"Um, Lady Riveria?"
"What is it?"
"Don't you think that Ais looks… a little upset?"
Eina couldn't feel any energy coming from the girl, her face half-hidden behind knees covered in white cloth.
Even her hair seemed to be missing its usual luster.
It hung limp over her shoulders.
Eina hadn't known the girl for long, but she could tell Ais was very sad.
Riveria laughed quietly at Eina's question, letting a rare smile onto her lips.
"Oh, she is just mad that a certain dragon-boy is getting way too far ahead. Well, that and recently another boy she's been interested in for a while apparently ran away from her." Riveria's shoulders shook as she laughed again, teasing Ais about the situation.
Eina, on the other hand, didn't feel like this was a laughing matter.
"That's terrible…" she said, her hand on her forehead.
The image of Draco came to mind at the mention of dragon-boy, even worse it seemed that Ais was also interested in another unknown boy.
It was a mess, a total mess….
It looked as though the chances of her cute little subordinate getting together with Ais was rather low.
Eina decided to hide this information from Bell and seal it within her memory.
"…Lady Riveria. About the reason I came here today…" Eina asked, getting to the main issue.
"Oh yes, my apologies. Let's call her here."
A still-smiling Riveria stood up and walked to a cupboard in the corner, returning with a familiar bottle in hand.
"Um… Lady Riveria? Weren't you going to summon someone for me…?" Eina asked in confusion.
"It would be a waste to go looking for her. She has always been very elusive; I don't know how much time finding her would require. It would be more effective for her to come to us," Riveria replied with a mischievous smirk.
Before Eina could ask another question, Riveria removed the lid of the wine she'd brought out. Soon, the surprisingly sweet smell of the wine filled the reception room.
"Wow… a frosty smell," Eina muttered.
"I may be quite accustomed to it, but this smell still has that effect," Riveria said.
Eina enjoyed the aroma for a moment before realizing that Riveria was holding out a glass in front of her and took it out of reflex.
Before she knew it, Riveria was pouring her a drink.
Eina was on the verge of passing out from shame and embarrassment.
Feeling bad that Riveria had gone through the trouble, she cautiously raised the glass to her lips.
'By the gods…!' Eina screamed internally.
Her eyes shot open the moment the wine reached her tongue.
It was heavenly.
Too heavenly.
It was so sweet that her tongue almost went numb.
But somehow it had a smooth, almost melting texture.
Its sweet bouquet instantly filled her nose.
The aftertaste was so invigorating that her very consciousness seemed to be tossed around inside her head until the very last drop.
That feeling made its way into her body, right down to the tips of her toes.
'No wonder so many people like this wine…'
In just one gulp, Eina learned firsthand where the wine's reputation came from.
"I know that smell…"
It was only a heartbeat after Eina put the Soma wine to her lips.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
The sound of excited footsteps drew ever closer, as if being pulled in by the smell of the alcohol.
"Hey, you… is that Soma?!"
With that, the vermillion-haired goddess, Loki, appeared from around the corner a second later.
"She has arrived," Riveria said.
"So that's what you meant by her coming here…" Eina said, her eyes wide in surprise.