In the midst of Ewaan recounting Yuuna's memories, she regained consciousness. Realizing she was in someone's embrace, she instinctively pushed him away.
The unexpected push made Ewaan lose his balance, causing him to fall off the bed with a thud, resulting in the Spellshield dissipating.
Panicking, she stammered, "W—where am I? A—and why were you hugging me just now?" Her voice quivered with confusion and defensiveness, eyes darting around the unfamiliar room.
Ewaan got up slowly, rubbing his head where he hit the floor. "Relax, and think back." he said gently, trying to soothe her panic. "What's the last thing you remember doing?"
Yuuna took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "I was... I was trying to convince you to help me save my mother... and when you asked...!!" Her eyes suddenly widened, with her expression has shown a sign of realization.
Ewaan, standing on his feet, asked, his voice steady but firm, "Now do you understand why you're here?"
She nodded neutrally, her brows furrowed in confusion. "But that doesn't explain why you were hugging me," she questioned, her voice tinged with suspicion.
Scratching his head, Ewaan furrowed his brows and replied, "About that... Try to feel the crest," he gestured to his neck to suggest the back of her neck, "and tell me what you discover..."
Confused, Yuuna stared at him for a moment before complying, closing her eyes to concentrate on the crest behind her neck.
As she felt the change in ownership, her eyes widened in realization. With a mix of shock and disbelief, she exclaimed, "Ewaan Tempest? That's you! S—so... you did make me your sla—"
Interjecting, Ewaan spoke with a gentle yet firm tone, "Ah-aa, I will not use that term. Rather... a Bonded! Yes!"
She sighed, closing her eyes and tilting her head. With a hint of resignation in her voice, she muttered, "It's the same thing..."
Ewaan's tone carried a weight of sincerity as he spoke. "Well, I didn't had any other choice. To wake you up sooner, I had to make this decision... And," His expression turned serious, as he continued, "I received a skill called ‹Revocation›, which means I can free you anytime you desire."
Surprised, Yuuna looked at Ewaan with wide eyes, her expression a mix of confusion and curiosity. "I—I don't get it, why would you tell me this?" she asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
Sighing, Ewaan's expression softened but furrowed brows carried on. "Look, It's putting a bad taste in my mouth just thinking about ordering someone around without their consent as it is." he explained, his voice filled with a sense of moral discomfort.
Reassuringly, he continued, "Don't get me wrong, I've decided to save your mother regardless of whether you're Bonded to me or not..."
With widened eyes, Yuuna continued to gaze at him with surprise, and moments later, tears fell from her cheeks.
As she tilted her head down, wiping her tears away, there was a vulnerability in her movements that touched Ewaan's heart.
He hesitated for a moment before slowly approaching her, and reached out as if to pat her head, but stopped short as Yuuna spoke up, a small smile appearing on her lips.
"Thank you," she whispered, her voice tinged with genuine gratitude. "I'm glad the Gods have chosen the Hero wisely this time!"
Shocked, Ewaan panicked and took a step back, his words stumbling out in a rush. "Uh... Um..." His eyes darted around nervously as he tried to collect his thoughts. "I—I don't get what you mean by saying that..."
With a gentle smile, Yuuna's face lit up as she remarked, "Hehe~, I see even the calmest waters can ripple when touched by unexpected currents..."
Then, looking at Ewaan intently, she added, "When I discovered your aura inside my Slave Crest, beside your name, there was also 'Hero' tagged along." She was calm yet a hint of wonder was gracing her features.
Standing from the bed, her expression turned serious yet determined. "And I request that you keep me by your side and continue to be my master! Because I realized, after becoming your sla—no, after bonded to you, a surge of power emerged inside of me, and I've somehow grown stronger!" Her voice carried conviction and resolve.
With a piercing gaze, Ewaan locked eyes with Yuuna, his words carrying weight. "My path ahead is fraught with challenges and dangers, as you well know the responsibilities that come with being a Hero. Are you truly prepared to stand by my side, despite knowing all this?"
With Yuuna's unwavering conviction evident in her eyes, Ewaan found reassurance.
A small smile played on his lips as he acknowledged her determination. "As you wish, my bonded, Yuuna."
He turned and began, "Now we should go to the—" but suddenly stopped, sensing Yuuna's aura fading. Realizing she had vanished, he lowered his head with a soft smile. "Looks like I'll be calling the girls alone, then. Time to head to the town's celebration!"
– Being bonded to me indeed strengthened her, granting her one-tenth of my power. But it also revealed hidden information that even my maxed-out Appraisal couldn't uncover before...
Ewaan mused, reflecting on the stats he saw earlier when Yuuna had made her request to stay by his side.
〘PROFILE〙〘Skills〙
〘YUUNA KANON〙〘Shadowmancer〙
〘Level 52〙
〘17 Years〙〘Female〙〘Katzlein〙
__________________________________________
〘Class: Ninja〙
〘Attribute: Dark〙
__________________________________________
〘Strength: 1620〙 〘+1370〙
〘Constitution: 1650〙 〘+1480〙
〘Dexterity: 3000〙 〘+1430〙
〘Intelligence: 2100〙 〘+465〙
〘Wisdom: 1130〙 〘+370〙
〘Magic Points: 26500〙 〘+6120〙
__________________________________________
〘Affiliation: Adventurer from the Adventurers Guild, Bonded to Ewaan Tempest〙
〘Criminal Record: Assassination of the Lucania Governor Kim Daeun, Commander Hua Mei, Captain of the Red Regime Eric Lawson〙
〘SPECIALTY: Stealthy Infiltration, Assassination, Close-quarters Combat, Shadow Manipulation, Enhanced Senses and Reflexes〙
〘WEAKNESS: Light Magic, Reliance on Darkness, Katzlein Instinct〙
__________________________________________
✥ Favoured By The Goddess Of Darkness
✥ Currently The God Of Judgement Bestows His Divine Gaze Upon Her
✥ Currently In Possession Of Tier-1 Artifact Twin Daggers ‹Twilight Blades›
✥ Currently Empowered By Ewaan Tempest's Passive Skill ‹Soul Link› And ‹Dual Power Amplification›
°°°
Ewaan approached the girls' room, raising his hand to knock, but noticed the door was slightly open. He hesitated for a moment before deciding to enter, not anticipating the consequences.
As he stepped inside, he froze, his eyes widening in shock. The girls were in the middle of undressing, preparing for a bath.
Seeing him, they let out a shocked scream that echoing through the hallway.
"Ewaan! What the heck are you doing here?!" Ayaka yelled, scrambling to cover herself.
"You pervert! Couldn't you do us the courtesy of knocking before entering, huh?" Ayami shouted, her tone dripping with anger.
Ewaan, still flustered, held up his hands defensively. "The door was already opened, I—I swear!" He took a step back, his face burning with embarrassment. "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to—"
"Ewaan, get out!" Maya shouted, her face flushed with embarrassment.
"Just get out!" Ayaka yelled, throwing a towel at him.
He quickly shut the door and retreated down the hallway, "Can't believe my own words came to bite me like that!" he sighed, leaning against the wall. "This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder. Sigh..."
°°°
A few minutes later, the girls came down the hallway, now dressed and clearly still annoyed. Ewaan straightened up as soon as he saw them, his face a mix of embarrassment and earnestness.
"I'm really sorry about earlier," he said, bowing slightly. "I truly didn't mean to barge in like that."
Ayami crossed her arms, studying him for a moment before sighing. "Alright, we believe you. It was probably just a misunderstanding."
Ayaka, still a bit embarrassed about earlier, remarked, "Just... be more careful next time."
Hearing them, he felt a sigh of relief. "Thank you, I will, definitely." He then with a curious glance at the girls, asks, "By the way, how did you manage to get hot water for a bath?"
Ayami smiled, saying, "We combined my fire magic with Maya's water magic. It's a pretty effective way to heat water with no effort whatsoever."
Maya added, her eyes twinkling with a hint of pride. "I thought of it right after I got some water skills from the book you gave me!"
Ewaan's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "That's impressive! I never thought you could utilize your fusion magic to fuse your skills with others, Ayami!" he said, genuinely impressed.
Crossing his arms and nodding, he added, "Prepare some hot water for me as well, after we come back from the celebration, of course."
"Oh! This reminds me!" Ayami suddenly spoke, stepping closer to Ewaan. Her eyes bore into him, and her voice was edged with suspicion.
"What was up with that book you gave Maya, huh? You can use magic without incantations and have weird things that nobody has ever seen before or heard even!"
Her sudden movement and the question caught Ewaan off guard. He blinked, momentarily speechless, trying to gather his thoughts.
Ayami crossed her arms, her intense glare unwavering. "What are you really hiding, Ewaan?"
••• ••• •••