The Author's Viewpoint
Chapter 165 - Sister-in-Law?!

Chapter 165: Chapter 165 - Sister-in-Law?!

Lily had worked with Orion, Elias and Oriana on a Tier 4 Rift Expedition—explaining how she and Oriana had progressed so quickly. Fortunately, it had been a standard rift, not an Emergency-class one. Still, even that was no easy task. The monster density inside had clearly pushed the limits of what a Gaia Guardian could normally handle.

It was becoming clear: Deadbay City was desperate. So desperate that even a Rift Tier 4 expedition had been staffed with three Gaia Guardians.

But what surprised Tave most was that Lily had adapted. She had learned to form hand seals with one hand—an impressive feat on its own.

More than that, she’d shifted her focus away from healing to a fighter role, compensating for her limitations by letting another support handle recovery duties. It made sense—casting complex support skills with just her left hand wouldn’t have been reliable in the chaos of battle.

It was genuine progress. Impressive.

In turn, Tave shared his side—the Emergency Rift, the storm, the massive bird Skarathor that Elincia brought down. The deaths of their comrades. The cost.

Out of ten, only five had survived.

And of the five who didn’t make it... four of them were human.

"That you made it out of an Emergency Rift alive at all... that’s something no one ever expects," Lily said softly.

Then she glanced toward him again, more alert now. "So... you encountered a Named Demon. And now those demons are... somewhere in Dissidia?"

"Yes," Tave replied.

Lily’s expression darkened with concern. "Shouldn’t we report this to the City Lord? Or at least tell Lady Oriana—she can help escalate this."

She paused, then added more quietly, "I mean... maybe Deadbay isn’t ready for another major battle. But there are strong forces in the capital. We don’t have to face this alone."

The problem was clear: too many things in this world had already diverged from the original story. Moving a large force without a clear strategy could lead to chaos. If the demons interpreted it as an act of aggression, they might respond even more violently.

Bringing in more people didn’t always mean better odds—not in a situation like this.

That was why Tave was holding back... keeping this information to only those he trusted.

Was it reckless? Maybe. Maybe it was naïve to think he could shoulder this alone.

But Elincia was here. Reinforcements from the Vensalor Kingdom were already on their way. And the forest elves, well, their strength far exceeded anything the Dissidia Kingdom could provide.

His biggest bet now... was on Vanya.

Her presence was both a threat to him, and his greatest advantage.

He inhaled deeply, grounding himself, because soon... everything would change.

Soon, Elincia would know. And so would the higher-ups from the Vensalor Kingdom. The moment they realized Vanya had been in in a Pact with a Human, the most likely outcome was obvious:

Vanya would be taken back to Vensalor Island.

And when that happened... Tave would be taken with her.

He’d be brought before the King. That was inevitable.

Well, he forced a small smile. Look on the bright side. At least he’d get to visit the floating island sooner than expected. And maybe... he’d even get the VIP treatment.

But all of that could wait.

Right now, he still had time. A few days, maybe. Just enough to track down those demons, and uncover the scale of what they’d already spread through the Dissidia Kingdom.

Because if he waited too long... It might already be too late.

Tave continued sharing everything he had experienced inside the rift, this time focusing more on what had happened between him and Panpan—or rather, Vanya.

"The young forest elf lady? The pretty one?" Lily responded with a curious tilt of her head.

Tave nodded, and as he went on, Lily’s expression slowly shifted into one of awe.

"She’s... so graceful," she murmured, clearly impressed.

But then Tave got to the crucial part—the moment when they had no other choice but to form a bonding Pact. And when the truth about Vanya was finally revealed.

"What?!" Lily stopped walking abruptly. She turned to face him, and her cheeks were noticeably red.

"Why?"

She blurted. "D-does this mean I’m getting a sister-in-law?!"

Tave immediately reached out and clamped a hand over her mouth. "Shhh—hold your enthusiasm, Lily!"

He let her go after a second.

"Tave... are you serious? You made a Pact with—" She didn’t get to finish. His hand went right back to her mouth.

"Tave... she’s the crowned—" Again, she couldn’t finish her sentence.

After a pause, Tave sighed. "Can you stay calm for one second? Let me explain why this isn’t something you need to get excited or hysterical about."

"I mean..." Lily responded, her eyes gleaming. "She’s so beautiful... so elegant, kind, and graceful... How did you get so lucky to end up in a situation like this?"

"Lucky? You think that was lucky?" Tave scoffed. "My life was on the line every second inside that place. One wrong move and I could’ve died. That’s not luck."

"Still... you survived. And now you’re bringing back what might be the biggest jackpot every man in Yunatea dreams of."

Well, Tave couldn’t argue with that. Anyone who learned he had made a Pact with Vanya would probably despise him. Some might even be mad enough to hunt him down.

Vanya Zylven, the Crowned Princess of the Vensalor Kingdom. And Tave now had direct access to the Blessing, the Echo from the World Tree, something only royal bloodlines of the Vensalor Island possessed.

Yeah... that was beyond just good fortune. It was next-level jackpot kind of luck.

"I bet you’ll be paying for this luck in full," Lily added dryly. "Like... every rift you enter from now on turns into an Emergency Rift."

"Thanks, Lily. That was uplifting," Tave replied flatly.

They resumed walking, though Lily still hadn’t quite managed to calm down. She walked beside him, still buzzing with excitement, her head spinning from the revelation she’d just heard.

"Then I’m never doing another Rift Expedition again," Tave said firmly.

"You really got traumatized by that, huh?" Lily replied with a faint smirk.

"It’s more than trauma," Tave exhaled. "I knew Rift Expeditions were never meant to be easy... but we were already on the brink of death the moment we set foot on that massive flying beast."

He fell silent for a moment, gaze steady ahead.

"Leveling fast doesn’t have to come through Rift Expeditions alone," he continued. "There are monster-dense regions, remote and far from civilization. If you go in with a solid team, built on trust and balanced roles, that works too."

He glanced at Lily.

"But that also means leaving the city. Leaving behind your friends... your family."

And in times like this, with the Dissidia Kingdom under such a looming threat, that wasn’t a decision to take lightly.

Still, Tave’s voice held a quiet shift of resolve.

"Hunting down those elite demons... the Named Demon... that could also boost our strength. It’s worth it."

Lily tilted her head slightly. "So, what are you going to do now?"

Tave gave her a small smile, his eyes focused. "I want to visit Mr. Fokil, the blacksmith. I need a few things from him."

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