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This morning, after parting ways with Shirou at the crossroads, Lefiya continued on her own. The elf girl glanced back, watching Shirou's figure slowly recede into the distance, heading towards the Hestia Familia mansion. A faint warmth lingered in her chest, but she quickly brushed that feeling aside—she had other matters to attend to.
With light yet determined steps, Lefiya headed towards her destination for the day: the Hermes Familia home base. The streets of Orario were still bustling with merchants, adventurers, and pedestrians, but Lefiya remained focused, only occasionally brushing aside her flowing, light brown hair so it wouldn't obstruct her view.
Finally, after walking for several minutes, she arrived in front of a large building that stood out from the surrounding houses and shops. Her eyes widened in amazement.
"This is... the Hermes Familia home base, right?" she murmured softly, as if confirming it to herself.
The building stood majestically with a striking classical style. Its walls were made of dark brown wood, covered in intricate carvings that seemed to tell stories of gods and humans. Stained glass windows in blue and green reflected the morning sunlight, shimmering beautifully like neatly arranged jewels.
On one side of the building rose a small, round tower with a pointed spire, adding an elegant, almost noble impression. Sturdy stone and wood stairs led directly to the main entrance, while small balconies on several floors were adorned with pots of fresh green plants, making the atmosphere feel more lively.
Lefiya could sense a distinct aura from this place—a mix of luxury and... cunning. It was as if this building, for all its beauty, hid secrets not easily guessed.
"Truly fitting for the god Hermes," she whispered under her breath, her lips forming a thin smile. She knew that god was flamboyant, playful, but also full of tricks. And this home base reflected all of that perfectly.
She took a deep breath, gently patting her cheeks to psych herself up. "Alright, Lefiya... time to go in."
With steady steps, she climbed the stairs one by one towards the main door of the Hermes Familia home base.
In front of the grand, magnificent door, Lefiya took a moment to calm herself, then raised her hand and knocked softly. Knock... knock... knock. The sound of the heavy wood echoed, making her heart beat faster.
The door creaked open, and a figure she completely didn't expect appeared before her. A young Amazoness woman with healthy, tanned skin, a tall and sturdy build, and an exotically beautiful face. Her long black hair cascaded beautifully, partially covering the right side of her face, giving her a mysterious air. A pair of sharp purple eyes stared straight at Lefiya with a hint of curiosity.
Her attire also made Lefiya blink in surprise—a tight purple top that only covered her chest, loose, flowing, translucent light purple harem pants, and various gold ornaments adorning her stomach and chest. Gold earrings swayed gently with her every movement, adding a seductive aura to her appearance.
Eh... w-who is this? I've never seen a Hermes Familia member like this before... Lefiya thought to herself, feeling slightly nervous.
The Amazoness grinned slightly and leaned against the doorframe. "Oho, a sweet little Elf has come. What business brings you here, hm?" Her voice was deep, soft, and seductive—as if every word carried a flirtatious tone.
S-sweet?! Lefiya felt her face grow hot. Instantly, she remembered her friend Tione, who also often acted flirtatious... but somehow, the Amazoness before her felt more intense, more seductive, as if she knew how to make the person she was talking to lose their footing.
"I-I... I came to see Asfi..." Lefiya stammered in reply, her hands gripping the hem of her uniform skirt tightly.
"Ohhh, so you're Lefiya, huh?" The Amazoness tapped her chin with a mischievous smile. "Asfi did mention that a pretty Elf would be stopping by. Let me introduce myself, I'm Aisha Belka. I just joined the Hermes Familia after... well, the Ishtar Familia disbanded."
Lefiya's eyes widened in recognition. "Ah... n-nice to meet you, Aisha."
Aisha stepped aside, making way. "Come on in. No need to be so shy, darling~" Her fingertip suddenly touched Lefiya's cheek softly, stroking it briefly as if teasing her.
"Ehhhhhhnhhh!" Lefiya reflexively took half a step back, her body stiff and her face flushed bright red. She even let out a small sound of surprise.
Aisha covered her mouth with her hand, then giggled amusedly. "Fufufu, your reaction is so cute. No wonder Asfi said you need looking after. If you were somewhere else, you might have already become someone's plaything."
Meanwhile, Lefiya, still trying to calm her wildly beating heart, could only hold her hot cheeks. Why... why do I feel like this woman is even more dangerous than Tione?!
Aisha casually waved her hand, inviting her inside, seemingly enjoying every second of the young Elf's flustered state.
"Wait a moment, I'll call Asfi first," Aisha said, turning her head towards the inside of the house, her soft voice mixed with its usual teasing tone. She leaned her body against the doorframe, her long hair swaying slowly with her movement. "Seems like she's busy in the workshop in the basement."
"O-oh, okay..." Lefiya nodded awkwardly, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief after Aisha was no longer clinging to her. She clenched the hem of her uniform skirt, trying to calm her still racing heartbeat. Calm down... she's just one of the Hermes Familia members. Nothing to be afraid of... right...?
Not long after, light footsteps were heard approaching. From inside emerged a woman with neatly styled pale blue hair, wearing white clothes with distinctive wizard accessories. Asfi Al Andromeda, the woman known as Hermes's right hand, finally came out of the basement.
"Lefiya? Have you been waiting long?" Asfi asked in a soft but formal voice, her gaze as serious as ever.
"Not at all, I just arrived," Lefiya replied quickly, offering a reassuring smile.
Asfi gave a small nod, then glanced briefly at Aisha, who just smiled mischievously. "In that case, let's get straight to it. Follow me to the workshop," Asfi said.
With a light, authoritative movement, she turned around and started walking towards the stairs leading to the basement. Her steps were firm, unlike Aisha's earlier seductive ones.
Lefiya glanced towards Aisha one more time, and the Amazoness just waved her hand with a flirtatious smile, as if saying Be careful~.
Oh dear... if this continues, I'll be exhausted before anything even happens... Lefiya thought to herself, then hurriedly followed Asfi down the stairs to the workshop.
The basement felt like a different world from the grandeur of the Hermes Familia home base above. As soon as Lefiya's feet touched the last step, her eyes widened. The workshop was spacious, its walls lined with sturdy gray stone covered in shelves full of glass bottles, scrolls of paper, and carved wooden boxes. On the long tables filling the central part of the room, various magic tools lay scattered: colorful crystal balls, small daggers with intricate carvings, silver talismans, and even strange metal molds glowing faintly. In the corner of the room, a small furnace with a steady blue flame burned, surrounded by metal tubes containing mysterious liquids. The scent of hot metal and magical spices mixed into a distinctive, pungent odor.
"Waaah..." Lefiya's lips spontaneously fell open. She looked around in full admiration, her steps slow as if afraid to disrupt the atmosphere. "Amazing... I've never seen a place like this before."
Asfi smiled faintly, her tone remaining calm. "This is my workspace. All the aids and magic equipment I create are born here. From simple smoke bombs, defensive talismans, to more complex magic tools. Hermes gives me complete freedom to create anything as long as it's useful."
Lefiya turned, her eyes shining. "So... all of this is your own work?"
Asfi nodded, then pointed to a shelf containing small purple crystals. "Those are catalyst stones. If used correctly, they can strengthen spells. And over there..." she pointed to a side table full of shiny black metal, "raw materials for weapons."
The elf approached curiously, her slender fingers touching the small silver balls stacked on the table. "These... what are these?" she asked innocently.
Instantly, Asfi's hand shot out, grabbing Lefiya's fingers and pulling them away from the object. "Be careful!" Her tone was sharper than usual. "That's a bomb."
"Eh—a b-bomb!?" Lefiya immediately got goosebumps, her face pale. She quickly pulled her hand back to her chest.
"Relax, the one you just touched is only a smoke bomb," Asfi explained more softly, though her gaze remained sharp. "But there are various other types here... explosive bombs, flash bombs, even some laced with poison. If you touch the wrong one..." she let the sentence hang.
"Eeeekkk!" Lefiya shuddered, her ears even twitching in panic. "I almost blew myself up..." she mumbled, pale as a sheet, holding her pounding chest.
Asfi sighed, then released her hand. "Next time, don't just touch things in someone else's workshop. It's dangerous."
"Y-yes... I'm sorry..." Lefiya bowed deeply, her cheeks red with a mix of embarrassment and fear.
Asfi glanced at a wooden shelf behind her for a moment, then pulled out a small object from a black box. The object looked simple: a small, sleek, jet-black helmet, only covering the forehead area like a headpiece. There were no excessive carvings, just a faint gleam from its smooth metal surface.
"If you want to try something safe, there's this," Asfi said in a flat tone.
Lefiya leaned forward, her eyes wide with curiosity. "May I try it?" she asked eagerly, her curiosity overcoming the fear she had just experienced.
Asfi gave a faint smile and then shook her head slowly. "I won't lend this one out directly. Let me demonstrate first." She lifted the helmet to her forehead, adjusting it just above her eyes.
As soon as the black metal made contact, Lefiya blinked—and instantly, Asfi's figure... vanished.
"Eh!? EHHHHH!?" Lefiya jumped, her ears standing straight up. She looked right, left, and even took a few steps back, panicked. "A... Asfi!? Where did you go!?"
A flat voice, yet sounding slightly amused, came from the empty air. "I'm still right here, Lefiya."
"Uwaaaahhh!" Lefiya gave a small jump, her expression both shocked and panicked. "Y-you vanished! I can't even sense your presence at all!"
A few seconds later, the air in front of her shimmered faintly, and Asfi reappeared, removing the helmet from her forehead. "This small helmet functions as an illusionary camouflage device. It merely makes me invisible, you see."
Lefiya swallowed hard, still holding her hand to her chest. "That's... that's incredible. It's not magic, but like... a man-made supernatural power."
Asfi put the helmet back into its box, her eyes cool but with a hint of subtle pride there. "Magic equipment can do things that are sometimes impossible for ordinary spells. And this is the reason I keep working here—to create things that can even surpass the limits of traditional magic."
Lefiya was still trembling slightly, her ears twitching unconsciously. "Really... I feel like a little girl who stepped into a dream world..." she murmured in awe.
With irrepressible excitement, Lefiya grabbed the black helmet from Asfi's hand. "I'll try it!" she said cheerfully. Asfi just sighed, half reluctant, but allowed it.
Once it was put on, Lefiya's body immediately vanished from sight. She giggled softly, then mischievously poked Asfi's side with her index finger. "Hehehe, Asfi, can you see me now?"
"Ugh, Lefiya..." Asfi clicked her tongue, her expression remaining calm but her eyes twitching slightly at the antics.
Lefiya stifled a laugh and quickly scurried to the side of the room, standing in front of a tall mirror on the workshop wall. She leaned towards the glass, but all that was reflected were the tables, chairs, and shelves full of equipment—without a trace of her own shadow.
"Eh?! I... I'm really gone! No shadow at all!" she exclaimed with shining eyes, her pointy ears wiggling excitedly. She spun around in front of the mirror, having discovered a new toy.
"Just don't bump into the bomb shelves, I don't want to clean up an explosion," Asfi replied flatly, crossing her arms over her chest.
Finally, after playing to her heart's content, Lefiya took off the helmet and carefully returned it to Asfi. "Thank you, that was... truly an amazing experience," she said sincerely, her cheeks still sweaty from the euphoria.
However, her curiosity hadn't subsided yet. She glanced hesitantly at Asfi and asked, "But... aren't you worried about letting an outsider like me into this workshop? What if I tried to imitate or steal your ideas?"
Asfi snorted softly, her tone full of confidence. "Go ahead and try if you can. Even if an outsider like you possesses the Development Ability 'Mystery,' its function is never the same. Every user has their own path—no one can copy my creations exactly."
Lefiya nodded quickly, trying to hide her unease. (That's true... but not for him.) In her heart, she immediately thought of Shirou. If Shirou saw it with his Magecraft, couldn't he perfectly imitate this helmet and Asfi's magic tools?
Her thoughts spun faster. If only Asfi knew… if she truly realized Shirou's power… she would surely be stunned. Just imagine, all these intricate devices, supposedly impossible for anyone to copy, could probably be replicated by Shirou with ease from just a single glance. A tingling sensation spread through Lefiya's chest, a mix of pride and the urge to laugh, like she was harboring a huge secret that made her feel special because so few knew about it. She almost smiled to herself, but quickly suppressed it to avoid looking suspicious in front of Asfi.
But Lefiya immediately shut those thoughts away tightly. She didn't want Asfi to suspect, let alone find out about Shirou's secret. So she just lifted her face, trying to offer a normal, albeit stiff, smile. "Yes, of course… that makes perfect sense," she said, her voice trembling slightly, and her hands unconsciously clenched the hem of her skirt. Her nervousness was mixed with a warm feeling of pride—as if she herself was guarding a priceless treasure, the secret of Shirou that others couldn't comprehend.