[Irja has been removed from the 'Allies' list]
[Rank 2 Transcendent Irja has been added as your Companion]
[Received a Passive Skill from Rank 2 Transcendent Irja: Enhanced Energy Molding]
[Enhanced Energy Molding: A simple enhancement derived Transcendent's ability which was shared to those connected to her. 20% faster Energy Molding which allows for quicker Skill Activation(Elemental Spells included) and repurposing energy under the influence of your Energy Manipulation/Control]
With her adamant decision despite my constant discouragement, Irja successfully convinced me to take her with me.
As soon as my mind and feelings eased up on the idea, my System worked automatically and without any manual input to remove her as an ally and add her as my new Companion.
The somewhat vague feeling of the convergence of our destiny soon followed after that. While staying in that position, my lips naturally dropped on hers while Irja closed her eyes, ignoring the System notification surfacing in her mind and the sudden surge of energy that delivered the full Support Bonus on her.
The kiss lasted for more than 3 minutes that when our lips separated, Irja had a hazy look as her eyes opened only to be stuck staring at my face.
I did try to discourage her. Perhaps it was partly because I was thinking that it might be impossible to let her understand everything about me and partly testing her whether she's telling the truth or not about her interest in me.
But no matter what I said, even after telling her that I could possibly become the Dark World's enemy in the future without telling her that there's a possibility of me opposing that Zaraya and the two other Great Ones with him, she stayed true to her choice.
In fact, she even laughed about the idea of me being the whole world's enemy, calling it the biggest joke she heard in the last 50 years. In her eyes, I'm still only a Rank 1 who has Rank 2 capabilities. That kind of strength was meager enough to be considered an elite of this world.
But upon noticing my seriousness, she shut up and carefully explained why she thought of that.
She's not wrong, anyway. Talking big like that as a Rank 1 Transcendent, if it was heard by an Exalted, I would be swatted down for my arrogance.
After that, I tried more things to discourage her but at the same time as that, her real thoughts about me that she refused to tell me in words gradually laid out before me.
Her interest in me. It was truly just her curiosity at first. However, after that day she confronted me, it became multiplied thanks to how I fooled her into confusion which deepened the mysterious veil surrounding me.
Apparently, she talked about it to Klement who was like her father figure despite their constant bickering which I witnessed before. He advised her to stop and if she's truly interested in knowing me better, she shouldn't do it forcefully like confronting me once more and just let fate run its course.
He was right about that. If she continued confronting me, I would surely steer clear of her.
That's why she stopped her curiosity despite me trying to act normally around them.
And when she saw me in that restricted space, she thought that fate really made our paths intersect once more.
Although she's still restraining herself by then, she's slowly inching towards me. And that explained her constant attempt at speaking up for my sake.
Thinking about ways of how I could put down my unconscious guarding against her, she ended up expressing their gratitude that Klement also wanted to convey but had no chance to do so.
That event was what really relaxed my guard against her.
And the next events followed.
With her interest at max, every little thing that I did was all captured in her eyes which added up to her growing affection towards me.
Swooping in to save me during that time when I rescued the ambushed scout and carrying me on her back afterward. It was also influenced by her interest. Although she kept denying it when teased by Monady, it was clear to everyone in our team.
During our fight against Rowena, the reason she wanted to take Rowena down along with her was that she thought I died. She was busy recuperating at that moment that the only thing she saw was the spray of my blood as I flew across from where I was standing in front of her to that ruined structure.
Perhaps her vision darkened at that moment and she hastily decided to do that. Luckily, I managed to stop her in time.
The result of that fight against Rowena was what pushed her to the decision of following me. We had too few interactions but most of it was at a dangerous time where one of us could die at any moment. And I think the way I saved her not just once but twice cemented my image in her.
Ah. And even if she's always angry when reliving those two instances, the way I administered the medicinal pills to her was also a factor.
In the end, we ended up at this point where I stopped restraining myself to accept the thought that like her, the experience we shared led for me to get drawn towards her.
-
-
"I thought you were alone…"
Two hours later, Monady showed up and saw us still entangled with each other. With a monotone voice, she was about to turn around upon seeing it as if she saw something she shouldn't.
And this time, to get back at all her teasing, Irja called out to Monady, "What's the hurry? Aren't you here to see this guy?"
"With you here, I now understood why he refused my invitation. There's no point in me persuading him."
"Why not add me into the mix? You know, he might change his mind if we can still be together."
At this point, I opted not to speak anymore and let Irja satisfy her petty revenge at teasing someone.
But this girl, what will she do if Monady really does that? I'm not changing my mind to get mixed up in their tribe.
There are only a few hours left, all that's left is to wait for Alwyn to show up and finish the last stretch on my Pathway's progress. I'm about to reach the 5th stage of the 4th realm.
Perhaps noticing that Irja was trying to get back at her, Monady smirked as she told us the true purpose of her coming here to meet me. "Do you know? If you were not here, I would be offering myself in return for recruiting him to the tribe. I planned on taking him as my husband. You don't want that, right?"
With a vein appearing on her temple, Irja snapped. "… You vixen! As I thought, you have that kind of plan. Then what changed your mind. Can't you just use your identity as someone valued at your tribe?"
"What do you think of me as? We all spent life or death experience together, there's no way I will exert that kind of influence on you two… Ah. Scratch that. Perhaps from what I planned, it will appear that I'm using my influence on him. By the way, why are you silent there, Ember?"
"Nothing. It's quite entertaining watching you two. In truth, you two became good friends during that time."
That's what I can see upon observing the two of them. Back at that space, if Irja's not by my side, she's with Monady, discussing things with her.
"Huh? Where did you pick that up?" Irja immediately flared at what I said but she's not denying it.
On the other hand, Monady put on a meaningful smile as she observed the two of us. "I see. You also managed to grasp that woman's personality. No wonder. Anyway, if you change your mind, my crystal is on you. My offer still stands until I contact and say it's not anymore."
After saying that, she turned around once more while still having that meaningful smile on her face before disappearing from our sight.
That woman, she's great at teasing. That last sentence she left behind… It made Irja more incensed that I needed to take her to clean up another ruin and vent what she's feeling to the statues before she calmed down.
With her increased stats, even if I only stood behind her, nothing could threaten her any more.
With the increased Support Bonus, her Energy Molding went up higher than before and added to that, she transformed to her Vibrant Spirit Form. Together with her 4 Lesser Spirits, she cleaned up a slightly larger ruined fortress in less than an hour…
-
-
When Alwyn showed up 30 minutes before the appointed time, her eyebrows raised upon seeing Irja.
"So are you saying… you'll take her with you?"
"That's the case."
Upon hearing my answer, Alwyn facepalmed and looked at Irja. "Did he tell you his origin?"
"Yes…"
"And you're still following him?"
"… Yes"
Seeing Irja this timid that's unlike her usual flamboyant attitude, I could finally see some of her cuteness.
Well, Alwyn is an Exalted. Although she's used to Klement, another Transcendent is a different story.
"You. I don't know what happened within this week. But to turn someone suspicious of you into a follower… You're really something, Daisuke." With an expression of not knowing whether to be amazed or angry, Alwyn clicked her tongue.
In the end, she respected my choice and escorted us to the entrance of this Dimensional Space.
It's time to go home.
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