Judas turned his head, his purple eyes meeting her soft grey ones.
"I guess so."
He replied curtly... neither warm nor cold, just enough to acknowledge her.
Ever since the ambush from the Freya Familia happened, Judas had decided to keep his distance from this seemingly ordinary gray-haired waitress.
Still, because she was one of Ryuu's closest friends, he couldn't exactly ignore her outright.
That would cause more trouble than it solved.
'For some reason, my instincts are telling me to be wary of her.'
It wasn't paranoia. It wasn't fear.
It was instinct.
Deep, sharpened intuition.
Was it because she seemed connected to the Freya Familia?
Possibly.
But then why didn't he feel the same about Mama Mia or Anya?
They were also affiliated with Freya, yet his senses registered nothing from them.
No danger, no hidden tension.
Syr, however...
'My gut feeling... it's almost never been wrong. Syr is definitely connected to Freya in some capacity.'
Noticing the faint caution in his gaze, Syr's smile wavered ever so slightly, the edges tightening.
"Haha..."
Her laugh sounded light, but there was a tiny ripple in it... like a mask slipping for just a second.
"Judas, what's with the sudden cold shoulder? Did I do something wrong?"
Syr asked with a pitiful expression, her grey eyes widening like a helpless puppy.
Judas let out a quiet sigh.
"It's nothing, Syr. I'm not angry at you or anything."
He replied calmly, taking a small bite of his food.
"Really?"
Syr brightened almost instantly, relief softening her features.
She opened her mouth... probably to pester him with more questions... but Mama Mia's voice boomed across the entire tavern like a war drum.
"What the hell are you doing slacking off? Get back to work!"
Her glare alone was strong enough to make any lower-level adventurer piss their pants..
Syr flinched... not from fear, but from reluctance... then released a defeated sigh.
"I'll see you later, Judas."
She said softly before hurrying off, tray in hand.
"Do you know that girl?"
Ais, who sat beside him, asked between chews, her voice slightly muffled as she spoke while eating.
"Just acquaintances."
Judas answered before finally focusing on his food.
"Bwahaha... the person who drinks the most gets to touch Riveria's boobs!"
Loki's drunken voice entered his ears.
Naturally, Judas ignored it and continued eating.
The rest of the celebration went on without major incidents.
Aside from the awkward interaction with Syr, there was no drunken rant from Bete making fun of Belle, no commotion, no drama.
Everything remained lively; everyone celebrated to their hearts' content.
By the time the night ended, several Loki Familia members staggered out of the tavern with flushed, drunken faces.
"Hehehe~ Lalalala~ Woohoo!"
Predictably, Loki was the most wasted of them all... babbling nonsense nonstop as Gareth carried her over his shoulder.
"Why am I being carried by this hairy old man? Riveria! I want Riveria to carry me!"
Loki whined, flailing her limbs dramatically.
"If you want to be knocked unconscious, be my guest."
Riveria replied coldly, her glare sharp enough to cut glass.
As they made their way back toward Twilight Manor, Judas slowed his steps.
His eyes narrowed as he noticed a pair of familiar figures walking down the opposite side of the street.
"Mother, I don't know what's gotten into you, but I'm not complaining. It's been a while since we took a walk together. It's... nice."
A soft, familiar voice drifted through the evening air.
"It's because this city is too noisy for my liking. But... I suppose it's not bad to do things like this once in a while."
There... moving through the warm glow of street lanterns... were Belle and Alfia.
'Oh...'
Judas realized the situation quickly.
They were walking north; Belle and Alfia were walking south.
They were eventually going to cross paths.
And if Judas noticed this, then so did the three Loki executives... and Alfia herself.
Although the Zeus and Hera Familia had left a permanent mark on Orario's history, the truth was that most adventurers today had never actually seen a member of those legendary familias in person.
At most, they had only heard the stories... tales of impossible strength, unmatched feats, and heroes spoken of like myths.
It had been fifteen years since their expulsion.
A lot can change in that span of time.
Which was why, for Bete, Tiona, and the others, when Alfia stepped into their line of sight, they didn't recognize her at all.
But for Finn, Riveria, and Gareth... who were once victims that had suffered constant beatings from members of the Zeus and Hera Familia during their reign...
Their bodies visibly stiffened.
Their expressions froze.
As if a ghost from the past had suddenly materialized in front of them.
"Hm?"
Tiona raised her brow in recognition as she spotted the familiar white-haired girl with red eyes.
"Miss Argonaut! Surprised to see you here at this hour," she said with a friendly smile.
In contrast to that warm exchange, a silent standoff formed between Alfia and the Loki trio.
"Hmph."
From the very beginning, Alfia hadn't even bothered to open her eyes.
Even now... despite Finn, Riveria, and Gareth being some of the strongest figures in Orario... she still treated them like juniors beneath her notice.
After giving Judas a brief glance, Alfia simply continued walking.
No greetings.
No acknowledgment.
Not even to the people she hadn't seen in fifteen years.
"Ah... wait up!"
Belle flinched and hurried after her aunt.
"It was nice seeing you all,"
Belle added with a polite bow, though her eyes drifted toward Judas more often than anyone else.
Just like that, Belle and Alfia slipped into the flow of the crowd and vanished from sight.
"Aye... she's the same as ever."
Gareth muttered with a sigh of relief.
"Even now, my thumb's still ringing... Alfia the Silence. Strong and aloof as always."
Finn said, shaking his head.
Riveria said nothing, but Judas noticed the subtle tension in her grip around her staff.
"So that's Alfia from the Hera Familia?"
Bete asked, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple.
"Who is that woman? Why did the captain and the others react like that?"
Raul questioned, confusion written all over his face.
The lower members shared the same baffled look.
Despite the unusual encounter, the Loki Familia set the matter aside and headed home.
However, some lingering feelings remained.
'Alfia... one day, we'll surpass you.'
The competitive flame, which they thought had long been burnt out, was set ablaze once more.
But what they didn't know was the real reason why Alfia had left so abruptly.
'Dammit.'
Alfia cursed internally, pressing a hand against her chest as if that could quiet the rapid hammering of her heart.
Her expression remained cold and unreadable, but... her ears betrayed her.
A faint, unmistakable shade of red was beginning to spread across them.
The image of Judas' face from earlier lingered in her mind.
Her cheeks heated further.
How infuriating.
'He didn't even bother to greet me, his master.'
She thought with clenched fist.
How completely unacceptable.
"He has gotten too bold."
Alfia muttered under her breath, crossing her arms in a defensive motion Belle had never seen her make before.
"Um... Mother? Are you... are you blushing?"
Even the narrator didn't know where Belle suddenly gained the courage to ask that question.
But what was certain was that Belle snapped her mouth shut the moment Alfia's icy glare turned toward her.
Had the Loki trio seen her expression right now, their jaws would have dropped to the floor.
...
A few hours later.
Back at the Twilight Manor, Judas... on his way to his room... crossed paths with Finn in the hallway.
"I've already sent a letter to the Freya Familia's Folkvangr."
Finn said with a small smile as he walked past, giving Judas a firm pat on the shoulder.
"You'd better bring your A-game. Tomorrow's going to be a big day."
With that, he continued down the corridor.
Judas exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of the night settle onto his shoulders.
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