"I've never been in a familia where the captain is that much stronger than his lieutenants," Ryuu said quietly, her blue eyes steady as ever.
Damien paused mid-drink, ale resting against his lips. He swallowed, then leaned back in his chair with a faint smirk. "Really? I don't see myself that much stronger than you guys. I'm still Level Four. Just like you, Ryuu."
Samira narrowed her eyes slightly. "Do levels even matter to you? Considering what you can do?"
Ryuu nodded once. "They do matter. He's simply… an exception."
Damien blinked, then chuckled under his breath. "This feels like praise. But neither of you looks particularly happy. So which is it?"
Samira crossed her arms. "The first comment was praise. The rest is frustration."
"Oh?" Damien leaned forward, elbows on the table, interest clearly piqued. "Now this is interesting. You're unhappy with my actions? Pray tell. What grave sin have I committed?"
Ryuu exhaled slowly, fingers tightening slightly around her cup. "It's not that you did something wrong. It's what you haven't done."
Samira picked up where she left off, her voice firm. "Ever since the Amphisbaena fight, we haven't worked together once. We're supposed to be a familia. But you go off alone, winning battle after battle. The recent Balor fight included. We're not saying we're on that level yet. But we want to be. We want to fight with you. Learn from you. Not watch from the sidelines while you carve legends by yourself."
The room grew quieter.
Damien stared at them, genuinely surprised by the bluntness. For a moment, he simply studied their faces. There was no resentment in their eyes. No envy.
Just determination.
"That…" Damien rubbed the back of his neck. "That's annoyingly accurate."
He leaned back again, gaze lifting to the ceiling.
"I have been neglecting you girls quite a bit."
The admission came without defensiveness. Just honesty.
He set his mug down with a soft thud.
"Fine. You want to fight?" A faint grin tugged at his lips. "Then I'll take you to one."
Samira straightened immediately.
"Samira. Go call Tiona. Tione. And Ais."
He stood up.
"Us six. We'll go together."
Ryuu's eyes widened slightly, surprise breaking through her calm composure. "You're… taking us?"
Samira blinked. "Really? Like… now?"
Damien rolled his shoulders as if preparing for a casual stroll rather than a deadly expedition. "Yes. Now."
His eyes gleamed with something sharp and challenging.
"Chop chop. Go get them."
...
"Fighting with Damien! This is gonna be exciting!" Tiona practically bounced as she walked with Tione and Ais, following Samira.
"Did he say where we're going? I don't think Finn's going to like us not being in camp," Tione said, frowning slightly.
"No… all he said was that we'd train somewhere. Not sure exactly where," Samira replied.
"Training… with Damien… good," Ais said, her eyes lighting up.
"I know, right! Let's go!" Tiona's excitement was practically contagious, her steps quick and eager.
...
"Special training? Hmm…" Finn looked thoughtful. "We did plan to spend three days in the Grey Forest. As long as it doesn't take more than that… then sure. Besides, it's a good idea to keep the girls sharp and ready."
Gareth, ever unbothered, raised his ale. "At this point, might as well train me too! Hahaha!"
Riveria's gaze sharpened. "The only thing you need training in is self-control. You drink every second."
Gareth laughed and drained his cup. "Keeps me sharp! Hahaha!"
Riveria sighed, shaking her head. Then she turned to Damien. "Can I join?"
"Of course!" Damien replied with a grin. "I was about to ask anyway."
"Good. I need to get away from this drunkard," she muttered, following him.
"Don't use me as an excuse to spend time with your lover! Hahaha!" Gareth shouted after them, laughing uncontrollably.
Riveria smacked his head with her staff and didn't even glance back as she walked after Damien.
...
By the time they reached the clearing near his tent, Tiona practically leapt at him, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug, immediately following with a deep, lingering kiss. Damien's hands rested on her backside to keep her from toppling over.
"Someone missed me," he said, a teasing grin on his face.
"YES! I did! Seeing you fight… ugh, I'm already getting so excited!" she breathed, pressing herself closer.
Damien chuckled and gently set her down. "Okay, okay. You need to relax… we'll do that some other time. For now, I've got something fun planned for all of you. But I need you to stay quiet about it. Something secret from the Guild… and the Gods. Promise me that, and I promise you a good time… and a lot of training."
The girls exchanged glances and nodded. Most of them were his lovers, so none of them questioned him. Ryuu, not a lover, merely trusted Damien's judgment as a fellow familia member.
"Looks like you're all in agreement? Good. Then come. Follow me," Damien said, turning toward the path ahead, a spark of excitement in his eyes.
...
"Where are we going? I'm pretty sure no monsters spawn in the Grey Forest," Riveria said, her brow furrowed as she followed Damien.
Damien held the key tightly, its faint glow pulsing in his hand. "Indeed… but we're not going to the Grey Forest. Instead, we're heading somewhere special. A place I usually train in."
The key flared brilliantly, and a massive magical gate materialized before them. Red energy spun around it, twisting and coiling like liquid fire. Damien's grin widened. "There we go."
The girls stopped in their tracks, eyes wide at the sudden apparition.
"Don't forget," Damien said, turning to face them, "this is a secret. Inside here… is a dungeon. A special mini-dungeon. You can consider it an extra floor." He let that sink in before continuing. "There will be monsters, and the biome inside is completely different. Be prepared these monsters are very strong. And to leave this place, we'll have to defeat a boss monster. On the level of a Monster Rex… or maybe even stronger."
The girls' faces went pale, a mixture of awe and shock flashing in their eyes.
"Damien… I need to know more," Riveria said, stepping closer, her voice tight with curiosity and concern.
Damien chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Oh… I see. Looks like I'm going to have to explain everything in detail, huh… well… damn."
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