Lin Gui stood stuck in the middle, his lips twitching slightly as he looked at the crowd of residents before him.
Their expressions were... incredibly strange.
It was as if they were trying their hardest to squeeze out a friendly and gentle smile, yet because of their nervousness and guilt, they only looked stiff. The upward curve of their lips was unnatural, and their eyes were darting around, filled with urgency.
A few tall beastkin half-demons tried to bow to show their friendliness, but their movements were so clumsy that they looked like they were about to pounce instead.
The human middle-aged woman who had been pointing a pitchfork at Theia yesterday was currently clutching a basket of fruits and vegetables. Her knuckles were white from the force, her face was flushed bright red, and her lips trembled, though no words came out.
The entire attic was permeated with a strong yet awkward atmosphere of "seeking reconciliation."
Lin Gui turned his head wordlessly and glanced back at Theia, who was still clutching his mage robe.
"I say..."
His voice still carried the raspiness of someone who had just woken up, along with a full measure of helplessness.
"You're just going to push me out like this?"
Theia poked half her head out from behind his shoulder, her blood-red eyes blinking.
She sounded perfectly justified, and even a bit frustrated that he wasn't doing more: "Otherwise, what?!"
"Hurry up and use that mouth of yours to claim connections like you did yesterday!"
"Do it like the hero who stood up for me last night when I was at my weakest!"
Her tone was urgent, as if she were prompting a disappointing weapon to finally perform its function.
Lin Gui fell silent for two seconds.
Then, he slowly closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
When he opened them again, his eyes were written with "weary to the soul."
A hero?
Claiming connections?
His performance yesterday was clearly a calculated move born of desperation, a bit of borrowed prestige to get through the situation. Yet in this girl's mouth, it had somehow become some sort of heroic deed.
And she expected him to do it again on the spot?
Looking at the distorted expressions and eager eyes of the residents in front of him, Lin Gui felt his headache worsening.
Stalling like this wasn't a solution.
Lin Gui rubbed his throbbing temples and reached back to grab Theia's wrist as she held onto his robe.
With a gentle tug, he pulled her out from behind him.
"Come here, I need a quick word with you."
He spoke in a low voice and, ignoring her slight resistance, pulled her to a corner of the attic, turning their backs to the crowd of eager and awkward residents. Lin Gui lowered his voice and got straight to the point.
"They should be here to apologize."
"Apologize?" Theia glared at him suspiciously, clearly not believing it. "They were at each other's throats with me yesterday, and today they're apologizing?"
"Look at what's in their hands."
Theia took a peek before replying, "Fruits, vegetables... and a bone."
A bone???
Lin Gui squinted over with confusion.
He happened to see the werewolf from last night holding a... bone tied with a bow.
Lin Gui: "..."
He coughed and withdrew his gaze, then continued, "Now look at their expressions. Don't they look full of regret?"
Theia frowned as she recalled, then replied, "I think they look more like... they really need to pee."
Lin Gui: "..."
Having no choice, Lin Gui could only be blunt.
"I went out last night to the City Lord's manor to monitor the movements of that demon named Morpheus."
"During the conversation, they confirmed my identity as 'Roger's nephew.'"
"Thinking back on their attitude toward me yesterday, they felt regret and informed the residents. That's why they all rushed over here first thing in the morning to apologize."
Theia blinked. "Morpheus? That pureblood demon?"
"Yes."
"So... you went above his head to eavesdrop last night?"
"Mhm."
Theia fell silent for a moment, appearing somewhat convinced, but her brow soon furrowed again.
She carefully poked her head out from Lin Gui's side and looked at the crowd of residents again, just in time to catch several gazes that were quickly cast toward her, trying their best to look friendly yet appearing awkward.
She snapped her head back as if she had been burned.
"But I still feel like something's wrong," she whispered, the doubt in her blood-red eyes lingering. "If they're feeling guilty, it should be toward you, me, and Eve."
"But why do I feel like... they keep looking at me?"
Lin Gui opened his mouth, then paused for a split second.
Immediately after, his face took on a serious and certain expression.
"It's an illusion!" he said with absolute conviction.
"You're just being too tense."
After whispering a few more sentences in the corner, Theia finally gave a reluctant nod.
She pushed against Lin Gui's back as if pushing a moving shield, slowly inching back in front of the residents.
Before Lin Gui could even open his mouth to warm up the room—
A small figure among the residents lowered her head and carefully squeezed through.
It was the green-haired half-demon Forest Elf, Winnie.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her hands were nervously clasped in front of her.
When she looked up, her eyes, which had a hint of dark red, were filled with clear apology and trepidation.
"S-Sorry..."
Her voice was thin and weak, yet she tried her best to speak clearly.
"Yesterday... we shouldn't have treated you like that."
"The peace Avalon has today is too precious. We were too afraid that it would be broken by bad people."
"We really didn't know you were..."
She took a deep breath, as if summoning all her courage.
Then, she reached out a slightly trembling hand toward Theia.
"Um... if you're willing..."
"Would you... would you like to come over to my house for a bit?"
Her gaze was pure, carrying a sense of careful anticipation.
Theia looked at the hand reached out to her, and her body stiffened slightly.
The dream from last night had suddenly appeared before her eyes.
For a moment, she was stunned.
She had been thinking about how she would have to work hard on her own to integrate into this group of various races living in harmony.
She thought she should do what she saw in storybooks, relying on her day-to-day kindness to slowly lower the other party's guard.
Then, after a sudden disappearance or an accident, it would evoke a sense of loss in them for the warm-hearted little elf.
After going through some thrilling adventures, they would eventually accept her through a stroke of luck.
And yet...
I haven't even made my move yet!
How is it that you, who I viewed as the final reward, have already packed yourself up and thrown yourself at me first?
Did you all forget the harsh words you said to me last night?
This isn't how the rhythm of a storybook goes!
Theia's mind was so full of questions that she was slow to respond to Winnie's outstretched hand.
Seeing this, Lin Gui simply and decisively reached out.
He grabbed Theia's wrist and, without letting her argue, pulled her hand forward.
He gently pressed it into Winnie's waiting palm.
"Wait—!"
Before Theia could react and pull away, Winnie seemed to hit a switch.
Her originally timid gaze suddenly became firm.
In the next second, her fingers closed, tightly gripping Theia's hand.
And then—
She gave a sharp tug!
Winnie's strength was unexpectedly great.
Despite being a Low-tier Transcendent, Theia was actually pulled into a stumble, falling forward.
"W-Wait! What are you doing...?!"
Theia cried out in surprise, trying to steady herself.
But the surrounding residents had already gathered around in a display of coordination.
It wasn't an encirclement; instead, they formed a friendly yet unyielding human wall that vaguely separated her from Lin Gui and Eve.
"Please don't be afraid..."
"We really mean no harm..."
"We just... want to show you around Avalon..."
"And show our apology."
Amidst the chorus of whispers, Winnie held Theia's hand tightly. Her head was down, yet her steps were very fast.
The crowd bustled around them, moving toward the stairs.
Theia struggled to look back at Lin Gui.
Panic and confusion were mixed in her blood-red eyes, along with a trace of questioning that said, "Are you calculating against me again?"
Lin Gui stood where he was, unmoving.
He only gave her a slight wave of his hand.
His grey eyes were as calm as still water.
It was as if he were saying: Go on, it's fine.
In the blink of an eye, Theia was half-invited and half-led down from the attic.
The sound of footsteps mixed with whispers gradually drifted away.
The attic became quiet once again.
Only Lin Gui and Eve remained, the latter quietly watching from the window with a smile in her eyes.
Once the footsteps of the residents had completely faded and silence returned to the attic, Eve turned around from the window and looked at Lin Gui.
With a trace of a faint smile on her lips, she asked softly, "Did you... do something yesterday?"
Lin Gui let out a long, nonchalant yawn.
He casually pulled off the old mage robe he was wearing, crumpled it into a ball and tossed it aside.
Then he turned around and stuffed himself into the narrow bed in the attic.
"Not really."
His voice came from under the covers, muffled and heavy with exhaustion.
"I originally planned..."
"To use the fact that we can cross the Wailing Corridor as a bargaining chip."
"I was going to talk to them to get them to accept Theia."
He paused, appearing to roll over.
"Who would have thought..."
"Before I even had a chance to make my move..."
"They came knocking on the door themselves."
His tone was flat, devoid of any discernible emotion.
Eve could hear the overly calm frankness in Lin Gui's voice.
Her eyes flickered as she asked softly, "You... don't seem very happy?"
"It's a bit early to be happy."
Lin Gui's voice came from the bedding, sounding muffled.
After he finished speaking, he remained silent for a moment.
The edge of the blanket shifted, and he revealed a pair of awake eyes.
His gaze went past Eve and toward the window.
It landed on that towering, pitch-black Demon King Pillar that seemed to support the entire Veil of Concealment.
"Avalon's safety is entirely tied to this pillar."
His voice was very low, as if stating a cold, hard fact.
"And the pillar's owner, Demon King Gusion, has left."
"The residents accepting Theia is a good thing for her."
"But if Avalon itself..."
He paused, his eyes fixed on the majestic yet solitary giant pillar.
"Were to collapse and be annihilated because of Gusion's departure or because he met with an accident outside..."
"Then all the acceptance and kindness now..."
"Will be completely meaningless."
His worry was realistic.
So realistic it was almost cold.
In this deadland, all beauty was built upon the protection of a powerful existence.
And when the protection itself was teetering...
This brief peace might just be an illusory gap before the storm.
Rate on N.U.
