"Cassandra, just forget about your pillow!" Daphne said, trying to pull Cassandra away from the metal fence.
"B-but I can't sleep without it..." Cassandra replied, tears welling up in her eyes.
Daphne pulled again, but Cassandra stubbornly refused to release her grip. Feeling helpless, Daphne spoke in a worried voice, "Cassandra, let go already! What if someone sees us—?"
"I see you," a sudden voice interrupted.
Both Daphne and Cassandra froze in place, their eyes wide. Almost mechanically, they turned toward the source of the voice.
There stood a familiar man with white hair and striking blue eyes, smiling at them.
It was none other than Lioro, Captain of the Hestia Familia—one of the two most talked-about adventurers currently in Orario. He was said to be stronger than the flame demon, Yourichii.
Both Cassandra and Daphne's minds went blank. How had they ended up meeting the final boss?!?
Daphne's heart pounded with inexplicable nervousness and fear. She had seen Yourichii single-handedly destroy her Familia members with ease. The image of facing such an overwhelmingly superior enemy, with no hope of survival, was seared into her memory.
And here, standing before her, was the same man who had easily stopped Yourichii's attack with nothing but his bare hands.
Daphne's mind was racing.
Cassandra! Why didn't you listen to me and leave quietly?!?
Meanwhile, Cassandra was staring at Lioro with unfocused eyes. He noticed their reactions and, without missing a beat, his smile faded into a more serious expression.
Daphne swallowed nervously, her heartbeat pounding in her chest. Then, without warning, Lioro suddenly locked his gaze onto her. Daphne forgot how to breathe as her heart thudded wildly in her chest. Lioro narrowed his eyes slightly, then raised his arms at lightning speed.
"Bo!"
"Kyaaa!!!" Daphne screamed, falling onto her back and raising her arms in defense. She squeezed her eyes shut, trembling with fear. But then, she heard a muffled chuckle.
"Puff~"
Lioro burst into laughter, wiping a tear from his eye.
Daphne stopped shaking, her eyes slowly opening. She hesitantly peeked ahead and saw Lioro laughing, holding his stomach. She realized then that it was just a prank.
This person... the captain of the Hestia Familia was messing with her!
Her face turned beet red with embarrassment and shame. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she tried to steady her racing heart. But tears involuntarily welled up in her eyes.
"Sniff."
It was all a joke to him, but to her, it had felt like a life-and-death situation. She wiped her tears away, feeling a mix of sadness and defeat. Just as she was about to get up, a shadow appeared before her.
"You're crying? Hm, did I go too far?" Lioro asked softly, offering her a hand.
Daphne looked at his hand. After a moment's hesitation, she took it. The next instant, Lioro effortlessly pulled her to her feet with a firm, steady grip.
"You alright?" he asked casually, tilting his head.
"Yes..." Daphne said, her voice quieter now.
"I hope you won't mind," Lioro added with a small smile, "but I just couldn't resist seeing how scared you looked after seeing me."
Daphne, feeling her heart slow down, turned her head away, her usual personality slowly resurfacing. "T-That wasn't funny at all... My heart nearly stopped..."
"Hm? Really?" Lioro tilted his head, rubbing his chin. "But your scream was pretty cute. You went 'Kyaa~~'."
Daphne blushed, her face turning crimson.
Meanwhile, Cassandra, who had been staring at Lioro with an absent look in her eyes, finally spoke in a low voice, "I didn't see you..."
Lioro, still focused on her, turned his head. "You didn't see me? What does that mean?" he asked, intrigued.
"You... didn't come in my dream," Cassandra said, her eyes alight with something strange. "Even back then, in my dream, I saw the flame burning everything to ash... but for the first time, it changed. My dream didn't come to pass. You appeared and stopped the flame..."
The intensity in Cassandra's gaze grew. She moved closer to Lioro, her curiosity deepening as she observed him like he was some kind of ghost.
Lioro felt her breath against his face and, realizing she was getting too close, lightly flicked her forehead.
"Ouch!" Cassandra recoiled, rubbing her forehead and crouching down, muttering, "I-I didn't see this either... there was no dream about pain or meeting you here..."
"So you can't see me in your dreams?" Lioro asked.
"Y-yes! It's the first time something like this has happened! Y-you... what are you?!"
Daphne, momentarily forgetting her own nervousness, jumped back to her feet and got dangerously close to Lioro's face. "W-what are you?!"
Lioro placed his hand gently on her face and pushed her back, creating some distance. Ignoring Cassandra, who was still trying to get close, Lioro glanced at his ring, which had been glowing that morning. Initially, he thought it might have been Freya sneaking around at night, but now he realized it had something to do with Cassandra's prophetic ability.
It seemed the ring was preventing her from seeing him. This effect, "Prophetic Immunity," had been engraved on the ring. Lioro doubted it had anything to do with him being from another world, as Yourichii, also from another world, had still appeared in Cassandra's dreams.
Interesting power... But is it only limited to this world? What would happen if I took her to another world?
Lioro looked at Cassandra with renewed interest. She, too, was staring at him, her eyes unblinking.
Daphne, standing to the side, suddenly felt like a third wheel.
"Want to join my Familia?" Lioro asked suddenly, extending his hand toward Cassandra.
"Yes!" Cassandra replied instantly, completely unlike her usual meek self.
Daphne blinked, stunned by her friend's sudden shift in behavior. What happened to her quiet, introverted personality? she thought. The corners of her mouth twitched. Don't tell me she's fallen for him...
Cassandra was indeed interested in Lioro, but the reason was far from what Daphne had assumed. Having suffered from her cursed prophetic ability for decades, for Cassandra, Lioro was the one variable she had been desperately hoping for. He was someone her ability couldn't predict!
"Let's go. I'll introduce you to Goddess Hestia," Lioro said, gesturing for Cassandra to follow.
Seeing her friend following Lioro like a trance, Daphne couldn't help but feel left out. How can she just forget about me?!
Seeing they were about to walk away, she hurriedly called out, "W-wait!"
Lioro stopped and turned to look at her.
"W-what about me? Can I join too?" Daphne said, her voice small, almost a whisper.
"You want to join?" Lioro asked, not exactly enthusiastic.
"I-if possible..." Daphne muttered, quickly sending Cassandra a hidden signal with her eyes.
Cassandra, snapping out of her daze, turned to Lioro. "C-can you please let Daphne join too?"
Lioro shrugged. "Hm, alright."
The three of them made their way inside the Hestia Familia mansion. However, before they could find Hestia, they were approached by Yourichii, who suddenly started apologizing to Cassandra.
"I'm sorry for what I did..."
"I-I-it's alright! P-please raise your head!" Cassandra stammered, waving her hands in a panic to stop Yourichii from bowing further.
"I'm sorry..."
"It's fine! Really!" Cassandra said quickly.
After meeting some other Familia members who gave them curious glances, they finally found Goddess Hestia.
"New members, give them a Blessing," Lioro said, pointing to Daphne and Cassandra.
Hestia gave him a silent glare. Lioro remained unfazed.
Hestia wanted to hit him but held herself back. Turning to Daphne and Cassandra, she spoke.
"Wait, weren't they from the Apollo Familia?"
"Yes, they were enchanted by your divine beauty and decided to convert."
Daphne and Cassandra exchanged doubtful looks.
"D-divine beauty?" Hestia stammered, stunned.
"Yes, yes! So go ahead and quickly give them a blessing!" Lioro urged.
With a sigh, Hestia finally acquiesced and ushered them into the room. But just as she was about to lift Cassandra's shirt, she froze, slowly turning her head to see Lioro staring at them intently.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Hm? Oh, don't mind me. Go on with the blessing," Lioro said casually, his expression serious.
Hestia raised her fist and, with all her strength, smacked him across the head.
"Get out, you pervert!"
"Tsk, you're no fun," Lioro complained, rubbing his head as he walked out of the room.
Daphne stared, dumbfounded. This captain of the Hestia Familia seemed... unreliable.
Cassandra had Seer as one of her abilities, along with Expert Healer, making her a pretty decent auxiliary member. As for Daphne... well, she was more or less normal.
As Lioro was leading them to meet the other Familia members, a faint voice drifted out from a nearby room. It sounded oddly familiar to him.
He paused mid-step, and Cassandra and Daphne looked at him, puzzled. Without a word, Lioro moved silently toward the half-open door and peeked inside. What he saw left him stunned.
"I-I made this... w-would you like to try some...?" Ninya stuttered, holding out a freshly baked apple pie with a nervous smile.
Lioro blinked, unable to believe his eyes. This... this was straight out of a third-rate romance novel!
But the most surprising part? The one she made the pie for!
"Levi?! Goddammit, Levi! You short-ass bastard, are you also after my sister?!" Lioro cursed under his breath, already imagining their future together. Levi and Ninya? His mind was already racing with images of their marriage. *This bastard better treat her well!*
While Lioro was lost in his thoughts, Levi frowned, looking at the pie in Ninya's hands. He wasn't exactly a fan of sweet things. In fact, he almost hated them. He also had a thing for cleanliness, and seeing Ninya covered in flour and dough was not exactly his idea of a pleasant moment.
Levi opened his mouth, ready to refuse the pie, but then his eyes caught something. A familiar face, peeking out from behind the door—a face that made his blood run cold.
It was Lioro, his boss.
Lioro was making a "cutthroat" gesture at him, signaling one clear message:
Take the pie, or die.
Levi's mouth twitched. 'Shit...' He quickly grabbed the pie from Ninya's hands, the chilling sensation easing up almost immediately.
"Thank you..." Levi muttered hurriedly.
Ninya's face lit up, delighted. "P-please let me know if you like it! I-I'll make more for you!"
"Alright..." Levi replied, forcing a smile.
Ninya smiled brightly, her cheeks pink, before turning and leaving the room. As she passed through the door, she almost bumped into a familiar figure.
"B-Brother?"
"Ninya, I was just passing by. What are you doing here?"
"M-me? N-nothing! I-I was just... I was just..." Ninya stammered, trying to think of an excuse.
Lioro smiled at her calmly, pulling out a golden bangle from his inventory. Seeing the item materialize out of thin air made Cassandra and Daphne's eyes almost pop out of their sockets.
Lioro ignored their astonishment and approached Ninya. Using his experience, he imbued the bangle with a special effect and handed it to her.
"Here, sister. Take this."
"Huh?" Ninya looked at the bangle in confusion but, after a moment, she slipped it onto her left arm. The instant she did, a pleasant wind surrounded her, and all the dirt and dough on her clothes vanished, leaving her looking perfectly clean.
---
Item: Golden Bangle
Tier: Medium
Description: A simple accessory blessed by the divine smith to help his sister attract her love.
Added Effect: Constantly cleans the user from dirt, debris, etc.
---
The sight of Ninya now perfectly clean left everyone, including Lioro, a little stunned. Levi, especially, would likely go crazy over this—a clean freak's dream come true.
Lioro chuckled, watching the transformation. "I gave it to her so she could keep things... tidy. You know Levi is a complete clean freak, right?"
Cassandra and Daphne exchanged a look, trying to wrap their heads around what they'd just witnessed.
"Thank you, brother!" Ninya said, hugging him tightly before running off, her face bright with happiness.
"These are our new members—Daphne and Cassandra," Lioro said, gesturing toward them. "Help them get familiar with the others."
"Ok! Thank you, brother!" Ninya chirped as she led the two new recruits away, leaving Lioro behind.
As they left, Lioro headed toward Elsa's room. After a brief conversation with her, they began planning a trip to the frozen world to attend Anna and Kristoff's wedding in a few days.
"The time is too short... I still haven't found a gift for Anna..." Elsa said with a distressed expression, brows furrowing as she glanced around the Orario market in search of something special.
"A gift? You don't need to worry about it; I've got it covered," Lioro replied casually, waving his hand as though it were no big deal.
Elsa's eyes lit up. "You have something prepared? Let me see!"
Lioro blinked as Elsa moved closer, her face inches from his. He then waved his hand again, pulling out several dresses and luxury items from his inventory.
He robbed a lot of stuff from Classroom Of The Elite World including several famous cloths, jewellery etc shops.
Heh there were even several nice bikinis....
Lioro stopped and instinctively looked at Elsa imagining her in those.....
What a wonderful image
"Wow!" Elsa exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement as she examined the modern-world items that Lioro had gathered. "These are amazing!"
"Pick something good for Anna," Lioro said, waving it off with a smile. "And take whatever you like. I have plenty more varieties."
"Thank you, Lioro!" Elsa said, smiling warmly at him.
Before he could say anything, a soft kiss landed on his lips. Elsa hugged him tightly before quickly turning to the items, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
Lioro touched his lips, still feeling the warmth of the kiss.
That... felt nice, he thought.
Feeling his heart beat faster as he watched Elsa's back. After a quiet moment, he sighed, releasing the breath he had unknowingly been holding.
-------
P.S : It's not dropped, it will never be dropped, just delayed.
If you're interested: patreon.com/nkc_reaper