Lyra's thoughts were in turmoil. Numerous possibilities swirled in her mind, yet she didn't know whether she should voice them aloud.
Yes, she had been clashing with Evilus frequently as of late, inevitably crossing swords with more than a few enemies. But based on her years of experience, no matter how many battles she fought, there was simply no way her stats could have improved this much in such a short time.
Nothing particularly out of the ordinary had happened during this period… except for one thing.
Under the pressure and stress of the recent days, she had secretly gone to share dinner with Akira a few times.
And yet, she had never imagined that that would become a way to increase her stats.
Akira… was far more "useful" than she had thought.
A faint, meaningful smile curved on Lyra's lips, a sly glimmer of satisfaction hidden deep within. She bit her lower lip lightly, and before she realized it, flashes of memory from those moments with Akira replayed vividly in her mind. Her body temperature seemed to rise ever so slightly.
'I must find a proper opportunity to thank him… thoroughly.' Her eyes flickered with a strange light.
Seeing Lyra's hesitation, Astraea's eyes narrowed with an almost mischievous glint, and she spoke in a half-joking, half-probing tone, "Lyra, if you don't tell me, I'll have no choice but to guess on my own. Who knows? I might guess wrong and then some very strange rumors might start spreading."
If it had only been Astraea in the room, Lyra wouldn't have been so flustered. But now, not only was that accursed Kaguya present, there was also an innocent, clueless elf who would blurt out anything that came to mind. Under such scrutiny, Lyra found her words stuck in her throat.
She turned to Ryuu first.
"Ryuu, whatever you do… please, don't scream later." Her tone was firm, almost threatening.
Ryuu blinked in surprise but quickly nodded. "O-Of course. I understand."
Her overly serious tone made Ryuu tense. If Lyra was being this cautious, then the matter must involve something extremely important, perhaps even scandalous.
Lyra drew in a long, deep breath, crossing her arms tightly over her chest as if bracing herself. Then, with a mixture of nerves and resolve, she spoke, "Before… at night… Akira would… do it with me. A few times."
The room went deathly silent.
Ryuu's eyes went wide, her mouth parting in stunned disbelief. It was as if her brain momentarily short-circuited. The urge to scream rose instantly but she remembered Lyra's warning and clapped her hands over her mouth just in time. Her face burned crimson, a mix of shock and something she refused to name.
This… this… this…!
She knew Lyra's interest had shifted to Akira some time ago, but to already have gone that far? Wasn't that too fast?! Were all these pallums this… aggressive?!
Unbothered by Ryuu's wide-eyed innocence, Lyra continued, her tone now calmer and more analytical, "As for the stats… my guess is that Akira's energy entered my body. The magic contained within was absorbed, part of it strengthening my physique, and the rest transforming into my magic power. Am I wrong?"
She passed the parchment to the black-haired girl standing nearby. Kaguya studied the sheet, the corner of her lips curling despite the sleeve she lifted to hide it.
"Oh… so that little guy has this kind of effect? How unexpected."
Ryuu snapped out of her daze and turned toward her usual verbal sparring partner.
"Kaguya… you… you're not planning to go after Akira too, are you?!"
Kaguya arched a brow as she said, "What's with that look? I didn't start anything. You, stone-headed elf, should worry about your own business before accusing others."
"Sorry, I couldn't help it." Lyra spread her hands with a helpless shrug, though her smirk suggested she was enjoying herself.
The others now knew her little secret, so they would no doubt make their move on Akira sooner or later. That simply meant she had to work fast, find a way to monopolize him a few more times before he was swarmed. Her mind was already calculating.
"You sly little…!" Ryuu sputtered, unable to form a coherent retort.
Seeing the atmosphere spiraling into chaos, Astraea sighed softly, clapping her hands to regain order.
"All right, all right. Everyone seems to have a lot of ideas. But for now, let's focus on the matter at hand, after all, the others are still waiting outside. Also, whether this is true or not, I must emphasize, do not let outsiders hear about it. Understand?"
Her tone grew serious at the last sentence. While she trusted her children, this method of growth was far too unique. If word spread, the uproar would be immeasurable. Many familias already coveted Akira, with this secret, they would go to any length to claim him. If that happened, it would be disastrous.
"Yes!" The three answered in unison.
The noise in the room gradually settled, the tension giving way to thoughtful silence.
Astraea asked with a warm smile, chin resting on interlaced fingers, "So, does anyone wish to rank up now?"
The three exchanged glances. No one answered immediately.
After a moment, Kaguya broke the silence. "Not this time, Astraea-sama. I'd like to test whether this effect truly works."
Ryuu stared at her in disbelief. "Kaguya… you can't be serious!"
Kaguya scoffed. "Don't lump me in with you, stone-head. A golden opportunity to grow stronger is right in front of us, only a fool would let it slip away. Besides, I want to uncover the exact secret behind this."
Her gaze sharpened with determination as she turned to Astraea. "Astraea-sama, please grant me this chance."
Astraea's smile remained gentle, though her deep blue eyes shimmered with something unreadable.
"As your goddess, I won't stand in your way. But remember, we are moving against Evilus soon. Do not push Akira too far. Everything must be done according to his will."
"I understand." Kaguya said solemnly. "I will be careful and I won't let things spiral out of control."
After making her declaration, Kaguya tilted her head ever so slightly, casting a sideways glance at Ryuu with a faint smirk tugging at her lips.
She said pointedly, "Unlike some people, who only know how to worry but never seize an opportunity when it's right in front of them."
Ryuu's cheeks immediately flushed crimson. Her emerald eyes narrowed in offense, and she opened her mouth, ready to fire back with a sharp retort but before she could speak, Lyra lightly raised a hand, stopping her in her tracks.
Lyra, watching the tension rise, let out a long, helpless sigh.
"Alright, enough." She said, rubbing her temples. "No more bickering. Since Kaguya has already made up her mind, the only thing we can do now is support her."
Her gaze sharpened in the next moment as she said, "And you, don't think you're getting away with just watching from the sidelines. You're too timid to make a move on Akira yourself, so just wait until we create the perfect opening for you."
Ryuu added in a slightly worried tone, "Still… Kaguya, have you really thought this through?"
Kaguya waved a delicate hand dismissively, her expression calm and confident. "Don't worry. I have my own plan."
In truth, though, despite her confident tone, she was anything but certain. Even as a member of the Gojouno family, she had learned much about Akira's techniques and had trained extensively, but this was still uncharted territory for her.
Yet, when she imagined the possibility of her strength growing by leaps and bounds, especially after seeing Lyra's significant improvement, her competitive spirit roared to life. That same burning desire to win was enough to push her into giving it a try.