Judas exhaled softly through his nose.
'So we've reached that point in the timeline...'
He stood up from his seat, dusting off his pants before glancing over his shoulder.
Lefiya was still looking at him... quiet, contemplative, and strangely appreciative.
'She was strangely defensive when it came to Ais.'
Judas thought. But now, it seemed he had left quite a positive impression on her.
At their first meeting, Lefiya had treated him politely, the same as any other new member.
However, after he got closer to Ais, whenever she gazed at him, it looked like she was about to spit fire.
'A lesbian?'
Judas scratched his cheek, deadpan.
He didn't discriminate based on anyone's preferences.
The anime had already shown a fair share of such 'unique' people, with Loki being the most prominent example.
'Didn't Apollo try to go after Bell's ass in season 2?'
He eventually shrugged. Whatever people liked was their business.
"Right, everyone, you heard our loud goddess."
Riveria's calm yet authoritative voice rolled through the room.
"Let's clean up and prepare to head out."
The command instantly mobilized the group.
Books were snapped shut, quills tucked away, papers stacked.
Lefiya blinked, snapped out of her thoughts, and nodded quickly, picking up the books they had taken out and placing them back on the shelves.
Judas turned his head and saw that Riveria and Alicia had already finished tidying up.
'They really do give off the vibes of a mother and an older sister.'
After some time, they eventually headed out.
Judas followed at a slower pace, hands tucked into his pockets.
The halls of Twilight Manor buzzed with excitement... members shouting, laughing, scrambling to get ready.
The whole building felt alive.
He stepped out into the courtyard just in time to see Loki riding on Ren's shoulders like a drunken goblin queen, waving a bottle she definitely wasn't supposed to have yet.
"We dine! We drink! We cause chaos!"
Loki cheered, earning a few chuckles from those who heard her.
"Judas! What are you doing by yourself? Walk with us!"
Tiona's cheerful voice called out.
He looked over.
The main group of executives had already gathered... Ais, Tione, Finn, Gareth, the whole lineup.
"Right, be with you."
He joined the group, matching their pace as they made their way toward the Hostess of Fertility.
The evening sun draped Orario in warm shades of gold, the streets buzzing as adventurers unwound from the day's dungeon runs.
Lamps flickered to life, illuminating the path to the tavern.
The familiar wooden sign came into view.
"The regular customers are here nya~!"
Chloe's voice sang out as she eyed the incoming flood of powerful adventurers.
Heads turned. Whispers rose.
"The Loki Familia?"
"The Giant Slayers..."
"Look! The Sword Princess!"
"Whoa—this is my first time seeing them up close..."
The tavern buzzed with excitement as the Loki Familia entered like celebrities.
It was then that Chloe and Anya... caught sight of a familiar figure slipping in through the tavern door along with the Loki Familia.
A certain black-haired boy stepping through the doorway.
Their furry ears twitched.
Their eyes cut sideways... in perfect synchronization... toward the kitchen door where Ryuu emerged carrying a tray of drinks.
Then back to Judas.
Then to each other.
A slow, devilish smile spread across both their faces at the exact same time.
"Hehe."
"The Elf Slayer, Judas Spade, has made his arrival, nya~~~!"
Anya announced loudly, throwing in extra emphasis just to ensure the entire tavern heard.
Heads immediately turned.
The tavern went dead silent for half a heartbeat... before erupting into excited whispers.
"Elf Slayer?"
"Wait! That rumor is true?"
"Bwahaha! You bet your ass that's true. I was there when it happened."
"What, really?"
"Looking at the elf waitress's reaction, it seems the rumors were true."
"The legend! The legend is real!"
Judas froze mid-step as he felt dozens of eyes snap toward him.
He wasn't embarrassed... more like mildly annoyed, the same way someone might feel after stepping on a wet floor with socks.
Beside him, Loki burst into laughter.
"Pfft... Elf Slayer?! Another title? You're really popular, Judas!"
Riveria's eyebrow twitched so sharply it was a miracle it didn't slice the air.
Lefiya turned red on the spot, sputtering silently.
Tiona covered her mouth, trying... and failing... not to snicker.
Bete let out an aggressive "huh?"
Finn and Gareth had the same reaction, gazing at Judas with surprised eyes as if saying, "Wow, really?"
And Ryuu?
Ryuu stopped mid-stride, the tray still balanced perfectly in her hands.
She blinked once... twice... then her expression turned flustered.
And her ears?
They had turned completely red.
Meanwhile, the catgirls continued their theatrics.
"Everyone, please welcome nya~ the boy who slays elves with nothing but pure charm and danger!"
"Truly a fearsome predator, nya~!"
"Oh, for fck's sake!"
Judas snapped, louder than he intended.
Half the tavern stopped and stared again.
Tiona nearly doubled over laughing.
Ais tilted her head, confused as always, as if trying to calculate how exactly he could "slay" an elf.
Just as Chloe and Anya were about to continue... everyone felt magic power being gathered.
Judas pointed his finger toward the two catgirls as a magic circle manifested under his feet.
"Meow?"
They let out confused squeaks before being encased in a block of ice.
Mama Mia... who would usually kick anyone out for causing trouble in her tavern... only nodded when she saw this.
"Well, that was deserved."
"Make sure to let them out quickly, or we'll be short-staffed."
She turned around and continued her duties.
...
After a couple of minutes had passed, Judas had finished explaining the situation.
"What? You actually got to touch Ryuu-tan's breast?"
Loki's reaction came instantly... eyes wide, jaw dropped, and a face full of pure envy.
For some reason, she immediately reached out to grope Ryuu under the ridiculous pretext of, "Since Judas got to touch them, I should too!"
Of course, the goddess of mischief received a tray to the head for her troubles.
Clang!
"Guh—!"
Ryuu didn't even break her calm expression as she delivered the strike.
It was clean, efficient, and full of quiet fury.
Meanwhile, Chloe and Anya... freshly thawed from their icy prison... were now kneeling in front of Judas.
"Meow~ We're sorry, meow~"
Their tails drooped like punished kittens.
"Cheers!"
A chorus of voices rang throughout the tavern, mugs clinking together loudly.
The atmosphere immediately warmed as the celebration finally went into full swing.
Judas glanced around, watching everyone dig into their meals, chatting, drinking, laughing.
The energy was infectious.
He couldn't help but smile a little.
He swept his gaze around the tavern, searching for a certain white-haired rabbit.
'It seems she's not here.'
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
It made sense... since the original timeline had already shifted, it wasn't surprising that some events would change as well.
'Well, it's not like I'm one of those protagonists who rely on knowledge from the show just to get ahead.'
Just as he lifted his spoon to take his first bite...
"It's been a while, Judas."
Syr approached him, wearing her signature smile.
For some inexplicable reason, a subtle tension hung in the air.
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