The two of them walked on foot toward the villa of the Snow Goose Adventure Team.
On the way, Kafni suddenly said, "Be careful with that Aiko."
"What do you mean?"
Lin Da was stunned for a moment.
He and Aiko, even though he had left the team, were still friends.
The one to be wary of, should be Lia, right?
Kafni shared what she had heard and seen within the Adventurer's Guild.
...
"Aiko was sneering?"
Lin Da found it unbelievable.
He imagined Aiko weeping in his arms with a bizarre expression of smiling while crying, and he couldn't help but shudder.
"You saw it wrongly?"
"No! My eyesight is fine."
Kafni said, "In my opinion, that Aiko is definitely no good."
"How so?" Lin Da reflected.
Stiffening a finger and with a serious face, Kafni continued, "Think about it, if she really cared about you, why didn't she stop that Lia when you were still in the team? She knows all about Lia always giving you a hard time, right? Otherwise, why would she say 'always standing by your side'?"
Lin Da reevaluated and found it to be true.
Aiko rarely stood up for him during his arguments with Lia; it always seemed coincidental, appearing only after Lia had left.
For instance:
Suddenly remembering that her hair clip was left in his bedroom;
The cooling magic array in her room not working, asking him to check it out;
The new clothes she bought didn't fit… always very normal reasons.
There's a saying, follow one cockroach, and you'll find a whole nest at home.
After learning this minor doubt from Kafni's mouth, Lin Da delved deeper and uncovered more suspicions about Aiko.
Aiko had volunteered to join the Snow Goose Adventure Team three years ago, but for someone with her background as a Light Mage trained at the Holy Light Church, tremendously talented, there was no reason for her to choose the still-developing Snow Goose Adventure Team.
Lin Da secretly inquired about her background and learned she was from the neighboring city, from the prestigious Thornbush family, her father being a level 30 Star-ranked adventurer, with many Iron Level teams within the family.
Why would someone like Aiko leave the Holy Light Church to join a poor and struggling Snow Goose Adventure Team?
Lin Da had initially pondered these suspicious points as well.
But after numerous adventures together, becoming real teammates, he no longer doubted her.
Having a common goal of reaching the top of the World Tree was enough.
After being reminded by Kafni, Lin Da then became alert.
"Thanks for letting me know,"
he said to Kafni.
He would be more cautious around Aiko in the future.
If possible, he did not want to be enemies with Aiko.
Afterward, Lin Da straightened his clothes and set off for the Snow Goose Adventure Team with the youthful and beautiful Kafni, with her long, white legs.
If everything went smoothly, he would be able to get his leave certificate before nightfall.
"The moment has finally come,"
Lin Da thought, feeling somewhat excited.
A team truly his own, teammates truly his own, without the likes of the annoying Lia...
Just thinking about it made him feel thrilled.
...
The location was a tranquil and wealthy neighborhood, inside the living room of the large villa belonging to the Snow Goose Adventure Team.
A pair of clumsy, highly inflexible high heels were casually tossed behind the door.
Like a toy bought for play once and then discarded due to boredom.
Lia sat on the sofa, her feet wrapped in thin black stockings, aching and exhausted.
She took out a palm-sized strawberry cake she bought on the way and began eating with an air of satisfaction.
After returning to the villa, for some reason, the others had all left to attend to matters, and Aiko was taken away by Klyne to go clothes shopping.
Only Lia was left, and she instantly stopped pretending, devouring the strawberry cake with a smug expression all over her face.
Did you see her perfect performance at the Attacker's press conference, Lin Da?
Without him, the Snow Goose Adventure Team is still top-tier!
Lia scooped up a bite of the sweet and sour cake covered in strawberry jam and thought delightfully as she popped it into her mouth: By next month's strategy for the eleventh layer, and the twelfth the month after that, we'll catch up to the Ice Flower Adventure Team. By year's end, we'll be the strongest adventure team in White Dove City!
Her haughty gaze drifted occasionally toward the mansion's door.
This was the time when 'no one was around'.
In a little while, Lin Da should be coming over.
Lia figured he was most likely coming to apologize.
There might be a chance he'd talk about other stuff, but she would definitely reject him anyway.
After wiping the cake from her lips, Lia walked over to a full-length mirror to straighten herself up.
Then she sat upright on the sofa and pulled out a book thick as a brick.
It would be perfect if Lin Da pushed open the door just as she was earnestly turning a page.
At that thought, Lia's lips almost curled up to the heavens.
The book was filled with knowledge about Magical Creatures—how to fight them, their weak points, the environments they prefer... the text was dense and detailed.
Five minutes later.
Lia's eyes were sore.
Studying was just too exhausting.
She'd study some more after resting a bit.
She always found anything with words quite vexing.
Right then, the door chimed.
And then, it was pushed open!
Lia quickly picked up the book again.
She arched her eyebrow slightly, feigning indifference as she looked in that direction.
As expected, it was Lin Da who walked in from outside.
But, there was someone else with him.
Seeing that person, Lia's face instantly changed.
The big-bear woman from the Adventurer's Guild, why was she still with Lin Da?
Lin Da brought an outsider, blatantly, to the Snow Goose Adventure Team's mansion?
Certainly not to beg her to add that person to the team!
Enraged, Lia gritted her teeth, her fingers leaving deep indentations on the book.
Her sideways glance fell on Kafni's face.
She saw a mature and seductive woman, with a tear mole near her eye emitting a fatally alluring charm.
Her chest could be dubbed grandmaster level; moving like water bags, jiggling back and forth.
Ten times hers.
Lia's eyes narrowed, her face cold as frost.
While Lia was looking at Kafni with full hostility, Kafni was curiously observing the redhead girl.
Being stared at with such a murderous glare right from the start, Kafni was extremely annoyed.
What the hell are you looking at!
Through others' eyes, Lia was a Young Lady.
But in Kafni's eyes, there were only two types of people in this world: hero workers fighting the Demon King and the rest were just a bunch of ants waiting to be rescued.
In honor of a certain hero who gave up his bed for a month, she'd help him this once.
Kafni scornfully glanced at Lia's flat chest, then reached out her hands and hooked Lin Da's arm.
It was her first time doing something like this, and Kafni was clearly uncomfortable.
She endured the heat in her cheeks, hooked the corners of her mouth at Lia, revealing a provocative expression.
Your unwanted former teammate, I'll straightforwardly clamp them with my breasts!
...