Shion regaining her freedom today was nothing short of a joyous event.
But many challenges still lay ahead for Rohan’s group.
The question remained—was the Shion Testarossa who had once existed in Tigrova still officially "alive"?
How would they handle running into a security officer who recognized Shion's appearance?
She hadn’t committed any crimes, so there was no reason to bow her head or act suspicious—but it was still something to consider.
'Well, that’s a problem for later.'
In truth, these issues were vague, distant concerns.
Even Shion's guilt regarding Noah was something they would deal with eventually, but not now.
For now, there were far more pressing matters in Rohan’s mind.
First, strength.
Shion and Clara were both prodigies, their talents guaranteeing rapid growth.
On top of that, their rivalry would naturally push them to improve even faster.
Rohan had to keep up.
No—he had to surpass them completely.
And second, Shion’s clothing and housing situation.
But with his bounty reward about to come in, that would soon be a non-issue.
Clara had even offered to live with Shion once they secured a place, solving the problem in an instant.
After leaving the ruins, Shion’s belongings were even sparser than Clara’s, and her clothes were practically rags—they had left them behind.
Which meant, until they went shopping today, she would have to wear Rohan’s clothes.
"I’ll call around noon. Until then, just relax and think of this as your home."
"Mm...!"
"Understood."
By the time they returned to the dorm, the sun had just begun to rise.
Rohan glanced at Shion—she had drunk water but hadn’t eaten properly.
She was still visibly weakened from hunger.
"You’ve been starving for a while. Let’s start with some porridge, Shion."
"Porridge?"
Shion blinked as Rohan pulled out an instant rice pack from the shelf.
It was hardly even "cooking."
Just pour some white rice and water into a pot—
Turn on the heat and stir constantly to keep it from sticking.
"If you want to enjoy dinner later, you should at least get something in your stomach first."
Even if mana-enhanced bodies ignored basic hunger, it wouldn’t hurt to take precautions.
Hearing Rohan’s explanation, Shion idly toyed with her hair and nodded.
"...Sorry for the trouble."
"Trouble? This barely takes any effort."
This was just another form of employee benefits.
After all, a precious recruit needed proper care to stick around.
As Rohan stirred the porridge, he glanced at Clara, who was watching from the side.
"Clara, is there anything you want to eat?"
"I-I'm not hungry... I'll wait until lunch..."
"If you feel like eating something, just text me. I’ll get something delivered."
"Okay...!"
With two spectators watching his every move, the simple porridge was soon finished.
Rohan ladled it into a bowl and handed it to Shion, making sure she understood:
"Even if it tastes bad, force yourself to eat it. Got it?"
Shion averted her gaze but gave a small nod.
Satisfied, Rohan grabbed his uniform, slung his bag over his shoulder, and headed for the door.
"I’m heading out. Take a bath and get some rest. Call me if anything comes up."
As they stood by the entrance, seeing Rohan off—
Shion and Clara felt an odd sense of fulfillment.
They had no idea how long they stood there, lost in thought.
It was Clara who snapped back to reality first.
With a small, sheepish smile, she spoke up.
"Shion unnie... Can I take a shower first while you eat?"
"Of course."
After watching Clara disappear into the bathroom, Shion took a seat at the table.
She carefully scooped a spoonful of the plain rice porridge and took a bite.
And—she smiled.
'Did he tell me to force it down?'
Rohan had said so, but there was no need for that.
It wasn’t something she had to shove down unwillingly.
It was warm.
It was comforting.
Did food always feel this warm when someone made it for you?
By the time she finished, the bowl was completely scraped clean.
"Haa..."
With a comfortably full stomach and warmth settling in her body, she felt at peace.
After washing her dish and sitting idly at the table—
A figure wrapped in towels darted past.
Clara.
Not wanting to accidentally expose herself, she had wrapped herself entirely in towels.
She peeked her head out from behind a wall, just enough for her wet violet hair to be visible.
"...Unnie, you’re going to wash your clothes, right?"
"Hmm, that would be best."
"Then just toss them in the laundry basket when you shower. I’ll run the machine."
"I can do it myself."
Shion got up from the table and walked toward the laundry area.
Clara nodded and grabbed a hairdryer.
As the dryer whirred, blowing warm air through her damp hair—
She suddenly heard Shion calling her name.
"Clara. Are you busy?"
"Just a second...!"
Maybe Shion was confused about how to use the washing machine?
Clara guessed as much and walked toward the laundry area.
And then—
She saw it.
Shion.
Holding Rohan’s clothes from the laundry basket.
Sniffing them.
Sniffing them.
One second to process the situation.
Two seconds.
Three.
“U-Unnie?!”
Just witnessing it was enough to leave Clara in shock.
Even when she was alone, she had never dared to do such a thing.
And yet, Shion—not only doing it so openly but even calling her over to see it—was beyond comprehension.
The fact that Shion was only in her underwear made it seem even more questionable.
“What...?”
Clara was frozen in place, unable to finish her sentence.
Shion, as if genuinely confused by her reaction, turned to her and asked,
“Does Rohan use cologne? It’s unexpected, considering how meticulous he seems.”
“Oppa... cologne...?”
Clara swallowed hard as Shion casually held out the clothes for her to smell.
Just the thought of doing something like this had always made her hesitate when she was alone.
But now—Shion was practically shoving the opportunity at her.
“...”
Following Shion’s suggestion, Clara cautiously took Rohan’s clothes and sniffed them.
And the result?
There was no cologne.
Just a faint scent of skin and the lingering traces of sweat.
But that was enough.
The subtle, natural scent made her head feel light, a warmth spreading from her chest down to her stomach.
Clara buried her face in the fabric for far longer than she should have.
“...It’s a unique cologne. Should I say the scent is thick...? It’s addicting.”
Shion’s casual remark snapped Clara out of her trance.
She immediately looked up, feeling caught.
With an awkward, helpless smile, she thought—
‘Unnie...’
So this is what love was for an elf?
Her mind was completely broken before she had even realized her own emotions.
And if she did realize them... how would she even function after that?
Clara’s thoughts raced.
But one thing was certain.
If she ever let go of the thin string of reason she was barely holding on to—
She would be far worse than Shion.
Much, much worse.
That night, Shion and Clara slept soundly on Rohan’s bed.
The warmth of the blankets, their bodies pressed close—
The two girls knocked out completely.
It wasn’t until noon, when Rohan called, that they finally woke up and started getting ready.
“Unnie, is it uncomfortable?”
“No. The size is big, but that makes it even more comfortable.”
Shion was wearing Rohan’s hoodie and training pants.
She felt strangely excited.
And the lingering scent of Rohan on the fabric—
Breathing in brought happiness.
Breathing out prepared her for more happiness.
For once, no goggles, no ponytail.
Just light gear strapped on, and with Clara at her side, she silently slipped out the dorm window.
They arrived at the fast food franchise in the central district—
Where Rohan was already waiting for them.
Seeing him, the girls instinctively sped up.
“You two sleep well?”
“Yep! I slept with Unnie until just now!”
As he fixed Clara’s messy hair, Rohan turned to Shion.
“You ate, right?”
“...It was delicious.”
Rohan smiled and nodded.
And Shion thought to herself.
Did he think she was just being polite?
Or did he realize she meant it?
She had never cared about things like that before—
But now, the thought stuck in her mind.
“Since we need to keep in touch, how about we buy you a smartphone after lunch?”
“!”
Shion’s eyes widened in surprise.
Clara, genuinely excited, clapped her hands together.
Shion was obviously about to refuse out of guilt.
So Rohan explained why she needed it.
After a brief back-and-forth, she finally reluctantly agreed.
And then—she hesitated before asking something.
“If... if I have a smartphone... that means I can call whenever I want? I can hear your voice? Talk to you anytime...?”
“Of course. And since we don’t know if your old records in Tigrova are still active, I’ll just set up a new one under my name.”
He casually led the way forward.
As they walked, Rohan pondered what to get the two of them for lunch.
“...What about clothes? Should I give Clara my card so you two can go shopping later?”
Even if he didn’t have much money, he could cover their expenses.
But Clara’s interest was elsewhere.
“Oppa, you’re not coming with us?”
“...It’d be weird if I tagged along, wouldn’t it?”
Of course, he was a little worried about sending them off alone.
But Shion’s baggage had included some... personal items.
There were definitely things she wouldn’t want a guy seeing.
So, as he firmly decided to sit this one out—
Both Shion and Clara suddenly grabbed his sleeves.
Tug. Tug.
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A synchronized movement.
“Oppa... come with us. Okay?”
“...Come with us.”
Their round, pleading eyes looked up at him like two kittens.
“...”
Rohan was about to give in—
But—
“Ah! Clara!”
A familiar voice.
Rohan and Clara immediately recognized it.
Turning toward the source—
Two very distinct figures stood out among the crowd.
One, as always, eyes closed, sword in hand—Ichinose.
The other, flicking her pure white tail as she observed them with curiosity—
Noah Frozenheart.