Eina slowed as she stepped into the church. Her eyes swept across the hall, searching for Lili. But the moment she spotted Luthar, she abandoned that idea.
Thinking that talking to him would be far easier than talking with Lili, who always seemed to take personal pleasure in docking her salary.
When she approached, she hesitated, her eyes flicking to Luthar's face. Where his mask used to be, bandages now covered part of his face. She pushed down the urge to ask about it and simply lifted the file in her hand.
"There's something I need you to look at," she said. "You really should see this."
She held out the file.
Luthar took it without a word and opened it.
Silence stretched between them as he read.
"This is our current financial state," Eina said. "At the rate we're spending, we won't even have money left to buy a piece of bread soon."
No reaction. Only the soft rustle of another page turning.
"And if possible… I'd like to switch back to my old clerk position," she continued. "The current work is far too complicated, and the study books I've been given aren't making things any easier."
She paused briefly.
"I'm not complaining. It's just… I believe someone else might be better suited to handle this."
Luthar closed the file with a quiet snap.
"Even if you don't want to be the accountant, you still need to study those books," he said calmly. "Our business is growing more complex by the day. That extra knowledge will save you a lot of trouble later."
Eina didn't argue. She knew it was pointless.
"So how are we maintaining operations and new purchases?" Luthar asked, looking up at her.
Eina answered without hesitation. "We've started borrowing from Hephaestus to keep buying materials."
Silence followed once more.
Eina watched him carefully, hoping for some sign—an order to slow down, a plan to reopen the shop, or any new venture that could bring in more money.
But there was nothing.
"Continue procurement," Luthar said simply, handing the file back to her. "If it's still not enough, you can borrow from Freya as well."
Eina's brow furrowed slightly. "That would be too much. You still have to pay back that money, right? Shouldn't we stop now before it's too late?"
"No."
That was all.
Eina took the file back slowly, suppressing a sigh. At least he hadn't suggested taking what they needed without paying.
"Then I'll go and speak with Freya, as we are in need of more funds," she said.
Luthar didn't respond. To him, the shortage of funds was a temporary limitation, nothing more.
The current expenses were only a temporary burden. Once the transport business was secured and resource extraction began properly, their financial situation would change entirely.
Without another word, he turned and continued deeper into the structure, leaving the matter behind as if it had already been resolved.
He made his way toward the upper room without slowing. When he stepped inside, he could see the new changes.
What had once been a plain room with little more than a table and wooden chairs had been altered into something more comfortable. Sofas now lined the walls, softer lighting replaced the harsher fixtures, and shelves had been set along one side.
Luthar took a seat without complaining about the wasted resources.
The silence did not last long.
The door opened a short while later, and Hephaestus stepped inside, looking like someone who had forgotten to sleep for a few days.
Her gaze lingered on him for only a moment before she crossed the room and sat opposite him.
"How long is it going to take?" she asked.
Luthar looked at her.
She tilted her head slightly toward his face.
"That."
His hand rose briefly, brushing the bandages along his cheek.
"Six days," he said.
Hephaestus watched him for a moment, then spoke, her tone carefully casual.
"So if something like that can be healed… what about damage tied to divinity? The kind that doesn't fade with time?"
Luthar looked at her.
There was no need to ask what she meant.
"In theory, yes," he said. "But if you ask me now, it's not possible."
For the first time, something in Hephaestus's expression shifted.
Not enough to call it hope.
But enough.
"Why?"
Luthar's voice remained even.
"Because healing something properly requires understanding it first. Even with my own injuries, I had to spend time studying before attempting treatment. Something tied to divinity is far more complex. I would need time to study it to design the correct method."
He paused briefly.
"But it would take time," he said. "A lot more than this."
That answer was plain, almost clinical.
But it was enough.
Hephaestus leaned back slightly, a faint smile touching her lips.
"That's fine," she said. "It's not like I'm going to grow old in a few years. I have time."
Luthar said nothing.
A few quiet moments passed before Hephaestus glanced toward the clock.
"She should be here soon."
Luthar gave no response. There was no need. The meeting had already been arranged, and waiting changed nothing.
A short while later, footsteps sounded from beyond the hall. The door opened without ceremony, and Loki stepped inside with her usual easy confidence, Finn Deimne following just behind her.
Loki's gaze swept across the room once before settling on Luthar. It lingered briefly on the bandages covering part of his face, but if she found it surprising, she gave no sign.
"Well," she said lightly, stepping further inside, "looks like you got a new look."
Luthar didn't answer.
That only seemed to amuse her.
For a moment, her gaze flicked toward Hephaestus before returning to him.
"I'll save everyone some time," Loki said. "I'm not here to complain about the Guild."
The room quieted.
Loki's usual smile remained, but there was nothing careless in her eyes now.
The silence stretched briefly before Loki gave a small shrug.
"Before we start, I want to know," she said, "are we going to drag this conversation all night long, or can we skip the boring parts?"
Even Finn Deimne glanced at her at that, clearly realising she had just discarded everything they had discussed on the way here.
They had come prepared to feel things out carefully, to test the waters and secure the best possible position before committing to anything.
But she just ignored all of it within seconds of walking through the door.
Author's Note: on Pa rteon you can 45+ og this FanFiction and new evil, whose 31 chapters are already uploaded
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