An awkward silence hung in the room after Tiyara's sudden revelation, but it was soon broken by Eve, who somehow managed to recover from her stunned state.
"W-what!?" Eve exclaimed, her voice trembling slightly with embarrassment.
Tiyara chuckled softly, clearly enjoying herself, as she had said it intentionally to tease Eve, who was now as red as a tomato.
"W-w-what a-are you saying, Tiya? I d-don't have those kinds of feelings for my master! He already has a fiancée!" Eve stuttered, pulling her arm away from Tiyara to hide her blushing face.
The woman's smile grew wider as she watched her friend become more flustered.
"But powerful, wealthy men often have two or more wives, don't they?" the tanned woman continued teasing.
"Y-yes, b-but still, I c-can't. I'm just a servant," Eve said, stuttering as she hid her face behind her hands.
"Heh~"
Seeing her friend on the verge of breaking from embarrassment, Tiyara decided to stop teasing and gave Eve the space to compose herself.
A few minutes later, Tiyara sat in the same table as Raziel and Eve awaiting the bottle of expensive wine she had ordered.
She was chatting with Eve about her latest mission, where she had eliminated everyone inside a clandestine red powder factory. Tiyara described how she stealthily infiltrated the facility, hiding in the shadows and taking out individuals one by one.
When she finally confronted the factory boss, Tiyara crippled him by breaking his limbs before tossing him into the red powder grinder. She then ignited the entire facility, leaving no trace behind.
These people had dared to compete with a powerful gangster family, offering a superior version of red powder drug that threatened the family's business. Unwilling to lose their spot on the market, the gang hired a skilled cleaner to eliminate the competition.
Eve listened with animation, eating some grilled meat as if she were hearing about a heroic adventure.
Meanwhile, Raziel listened with a stiff smile, his gaze fixed on the tanned woman. Her eyes, once eerie with dark sclera and glowing golden irises, now appeared normal with white sclera and subdued golden hues. Despite the shift, her presence remained as captivating as ever.
Her occasional glances, paired with a strange sideways smile, made Raziel's skin crawl. Beneath the guise of her "friendly" demeanor, he could feel a chilling, sadistic presence radiating from her.
Eager to join in on the brutal storytelling, Eve began describing how she had killed a gangster with a simple toothpick. Her nonchalant tone and the graphic details made Raziel feel a shiver of unease.
The assassin duo halted their grim storytelling when Tiyara attempted to include Raziel in the conversation, asking him a bit about himself.
Raziel gave only simple answers, mentioning how he spent most of his time sleeping or reading something interesting. Tiyara, sensing that the conversation lacked depth, leaned forward with a mischievous grin and decided to ask a more personal question.
"So, young master Raziel, is it true that your fiancée is really that beautiful?" Tiyara asked, her playful smile never wavering as she looked at him.
Sensing the hidden malice in her question, Raziel decided to answer cautiously. He didn't want to give Tiyara any ammunition for her teasing.
"Oh, she is. Sometimes, I even mistake her for an angel without wings," he said sarcastically, casting a glance at the tanned woman, who covered her mouth with her hand, a playful smile curling on her lips.
"Ooh~ so you really love her, huh? Just make sure you don't forget about Eve. She might end up feeling like a lonely puppy and come crying to me later."
Tiyara picked up on his sarcastic tone, sensing that he might not hold the same affection for his fiancée as Eve had claimed.
Upon hearing Tiyara's remark, Eve looked at her, this time angrily.
"Let's talk about something else, Miss Tiyara. I don't like discussing my fiancée without her presence," Raziel suggested, trying to change the subject.
The woman nodded, her slight disappointment masked by the gleam of mischief still flickering in her eyes as she searched for another opportunity to tease him, much like she did with Eve.
After finishing their meals, Raziel and Eve bid farewell to Tiyara, who remained sipping her wine.
Raziel expressed his intent to explore the black market, hoping to discover something worthwhile. As he and Eve prepared to leave, Tiyara leaned back in her chair, a faint pout gracing her lips.
Despite her efforts, none of her playful jabs had managed to disrupt Raziel's calm demeanor, leaving her with a lingering sense of dissatisfaction.
Tiyara found Raziel intriguing, quite different from how Eve had painted him. Her curiosity led her to invite him to visit again, even going so far as to give him a guest pass and a VIP key, ensuring he was always welcome to return.
Raziel hesitated, trying to refuse politely, mentioning that the leader of the place might be upset with Tiyara for offering him such privileges, as he wasn't one of their own.
Both girls laughed at the same time, dismissing his concerns without a second thought. Once the laughter subsided, Eve, noticing his confused expression, reassured him, "Don't worry about it, little master. Tiyara is the leader."
"WHAT!?"
Hearing this really caught him by surprise.
* * *
Two hours later, Raziel found himself in a weapon store nestled within the black market zone, inspecting an array of artifacts with keen interest.
Meanwhile, Eve was deeply engrossed in selecting a new crossbow, her gaze occasionally drifting toward the staircase that led to the archery testing area on the store's second floor.
Raziel remained somewhat dazed after uncovering Tiyara's true identity. Thankfully, Eve had ensured the woman didn't develop a negative opinion of him.
Despite their limited presence in the game, the Mortis Syndicatus was an exceedingly dangerous faction. Being seen in good light was far better than nothing.
Lost in thought, Raziel strolled through the store until his gaze landed on a wall adorned with swords, each tagged with a hefty price. None of them managed to pique his interest.
In this world, only two weapons were considered worthy of purchase, hailed as the ultimate divine treasures for an aura user.
One of these two treasures is called Ciste Geneve, a golden sword blessed with infinite growth and an overwhelming ability known as God's Will, capable of slicing through a mountain as effortlessly as cutting butter.
Sadly, obtaining it is no simple task, as the sword is currently sealed within the Divine Cave, a mystical place that only appears once every few years.
In the original plot, toward the end of the game, Erick accidentally discovers a cave teeming with powerful monsters, clears it, and claims the Ciste Geneve. The sword becomes his most formidable weapon, ultimately playing a key role in his defeat of the ancient demon.
The other treasure is an enigmatic artifact named Void Custode, considered a great enigma in around the world.
Some players have stumbled upon hidden dialogues alluding to the weapon, and developers have confirmed its presence in the game. However, despite extensive efforts, no one has managed to uncover how to acquire it.
Hackers have attempted to search for clues within the game's code, but they have been unsuccessful.
While playing the game, Raziel didn't even bother searching for it, assuming it was likely an intentional marketing ploy or perhaps just the developers trolling.
Since Raziel didn't find anything interesting, he decided to call Eve and see if he could track down that shady seller again.
He had already checked a few other spots looking for rainbow stones, but none of the vendors had ever heard of them.
Raziel walked out of the store with his friend, making their way through the bustling black market streets. The girl beside him kept rubbing her cheeks against a newly purchased crossbow, softly murmuring about testing it that night, which left Raziel feeling a bit uneasy.
As Raziel was distracted by Eve's peculiar actions, a man in a black robe with a red cloth covering his mouth bumped into him, causing both of them to tumble to the ground.
"Hey! Are you blind?!" Eve shouted angrily, quickly preparing a bolt for her crossbow.
Raziel quickly got up and stopped Eve, telling her it was just an accident. He then went to help the man, who accepted but couldn't help trembling a bit under Eve's sharp glare.
The two exchanged apologies, but Raziel stayed silent, his gaze fixed on the man. He recognized him as the same shady seller who had sold him the rainbow stone before. Without wasting any time, he quickly asked the man about the rainbow stones.
Upon hearing Raziel's question, the strange man glanced around nervously before pulling him into an empty alley.
Eve trailed behind, ready to confront the suspicious man, but before she could act, he spoke in a gruff voice, "Oh, stranger, I didn't realize you were one of my customers..."
He paused for a moment, then opened his robe and said, "Here, take a look."
On the sides of his robe were several nearly transparent pockets, each filled with unique items: tiny cups of powder in different colors, strange plant leaves, and various types of stones.
"Master, I didn't know you were into drugs..." Eve said, her tone laced with distrust as she pointed her crossbow at the shady seller's head.
"I'm not interested in drugs. I need those stones over there. Besides, give me this crossbow before someone gets hurt," Raziel said, taking the weapon from Eve's hands.
"Noooo, please give it back, little master! I swear I won't aim it at anyone," she pleaded, trying to grab her weapon back.
He simply tossed the crossbow into his storage ring, causing Eve to fall to her knees, grumbling in frustration.
Ignoring his childhood friend's complaints, Raziel bought all the rainbow stones from the seller at a bargain price. After all, the poor guy still didn't realize how valuable they truly were.
Raziel tucked the nine rainbow stones into his ring, thanked the seller, and pulled Eve out of the alley. With his main task done, it was time to head home.
As the duo arrived home, Clarice greeted them with a troubled expression. Raziel immediately sensed that something was off as he stepped inside the house.
Just as he suspected, sitting on the couch in the living room was a very familiar figure, drinking tea with a visibly angry expression.
"What the hell are you doing here, Sylfi?" Raziel asked, caught off guard by the unexpected presence of his supposed fiancée.
Noticing his stunned expression, Sylfi set her tea cup down on the table, stood up, and walked toward him, holding what looked like a newspaper she had pulled from her interdimensional ring.
She then angrily grabbed his collar and growled, "You want to know why I'm here? I'll tell you, but first, read this, asshole!"
Still confused, Raziel took the newspaper from her. As he began reading, a big headline caught his eye: "Polemic Affair of Sylfi Valternorth: Who Is Her New Lover?"
"Oh..."