Shadow Slave

After the five of them walked inside, Nephis remained silent for a few moments as she looked around. Although her face was still and stoic as ever, Sunny could have sworn that he noticed a hint of curiosity reflected in her cold grey eyes.

After a while, she asked:

"This is your home?"

Due to her sheltered upbringing, Changing Star had probably never been in a normal residence. Strangely, she was someone who had only experienced living in upscale manors and squalid Dream Realm slums, with nothing in between.

Still, Sunny was not discouraged. He grinned and nodded proudly.

"Yes. Bought it fair and square, with the contribution points from my first research paper. I own this place!"

Nephis hesitated.

"What happened to the walls?"

His smile dimmed a little.

"...Effie happened."

Of course, he had long cleaned the mess that the huntress created after Ascending. However, Sunny had been too preoccupied with other matters to enact proper repairs. As the result, the guest bedroom only had a flimsy curtain covering its irregular-shaped entrance, but no door.

'Maybe I should get to it…'

Sunny cleared his throat, then gestured at the living room section of the main space.

"Make yourself comfortable. I'll make us something to eat."

some time, thinking. For some reason, Sunny had a strong desire to cook up something special. Nephis must have been sick of eating monster meat for

produced a number of ingredients and laid them out on the cooking surface, then

rice… fried rice should do the job. Omurice?

a poignant moment. Cassie was finishing describing

response was only mildly aggressive. Sky Tide of White Feather took most of the blame for his escape and the consequent death of Saint Cormac. That did

and then

Sunny's contact in the government acted as an intermediary to arrange a peaceful negotiation. It seems that

The blind girl sighed.

tremendous. If they can't get all of us, they are determined to at least make sure that we don't pledge allegiance to their competitors. Of course, now that you are here, the situation has become even more fraught with tension. Valor

smiled weakly, and then said in an

I'm sorry to have to burden you with all that right after

few moments, then shook her

You were right to

look appeared

the conversation silently. He was darkly perplexed by the fact that his life had turned out in such a way that encountering words like "loyalists", "government contact", and "allegiance"

Changing Star with

get what our problem with the great clans is. What's your problem with them? I thought

looked at her without

"They want me dead."

huntress blinked a

"What? Why?"

Changing Star shrugged.

to ask

while, thinking. After some time, she

"So was Caster…?"

Nephis simply nodded.