The evening air hung thick with the warmth of the day as the village offered its finest hospitality to the Heroes. The merchant's inn, usually reserved for rare travelers, had its doors thrown open for them. After a long day of battle and confrontation, the other three were quick to fall into deep, exhausted slumber. Anyi, however, lay awake, staring up at the wooden beams of the ceiling, his mind spinning.

His thoughts drifted to the interrogation of Masi, the slime cleaner, and the revelation that had come to light.

[Creature: Slime King

The Slime King, a Class 3 monster, was a looming presence in the forest. Unlike its smaller, more harmless counterparts, it was a mother to countless slimes, spawning them continuously. A lumbering, terrifying beast, it devoured everything in its path, unlike any slime they had yet encountered. For a novice Hero, encountering the Slime King was tantamount to a death sentence. The creature was as dangerous as it was large.

Run. Do not fight. Escape.]

But the situation was spiraling, and Anyi knew he couldn’t halt the investigation now. The momentum was too great. To simply announce there was no need to continue would draw suspicion, not only from the villagers but from the other Heroes and believers as well. Besides, this was part of the world’s natural course.

In reality, the way forward for a Hero was far from the straightforward, clean path of defeat monsters, discover the boss, fight the boss. It was much messier than that.

It was more like: fight small monsters, discover the big threat, fight more small monsters to gain experience, consider whether or not to fight the boss.

That’s how things worked here. Heroes had to be careful, calculating. Charging into the forest to face a monster like the Slime King without proper preparation would be nothing short of suicidal. And yet, many would try.

The Bestiary’s warnings weren’t foolproof. It was there to offer guidance, not to dictate the future. Many young Heroes had ignored its advice, and their names were now lost to the annals of history.

And why? Because Class 3 monsters—whether they were slimes, goblins, demons, or skeletons—were the bane of new Heroes. These creatures served as a natural selection, a filter of sorts. The foolish and reckless would perish, leaving only the careful, the strong, and the cunning to advance.

For many, it was the first trial that led to their downfall. Heroes, Anyi knew, were not immortal. When one fell, another would rise. A new generation, gifted with the same abilities, the same strengths and weaknesses. But for Anyi and his team, they were the first of their kind—the first generation. And the stakes were higher because they had yet to understand the full consequences of failure.

Anyi's thoughts drifted toward sleep, the exhaustion of the day finally weighing down on him. There was one major difference in this life compared to the one before—he slept far more peacefully now. Perhaps it was the comfort of his new companions, or perhaps it was knowing that he had the chance to rewrite his fate.

...

Morning crept in slowly, the first rays of light barely kissing the edges of the room. The scent of the air, familiar yet unmistakable, stirred Anyi from his sleep. Even before he opened his eyes, he knew someone else was in his bed. The faintest hint of lavender, the warmth of another body beside him—it could only be one person.

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He opened his eyes slowly, turning his head just enough to catch sight of Ariana lying peacefully at his side, her chest rising and falling softly with each breath.

'Why? Why would she crawl into my bed?'

Anyi’s mind raced for an explanation, but none came.

With a soft sigh, he closed his eyes again, deciding that perhaps the best course of action was to pretend he wasn’t awake at all.

'I’ll deal with this later..... Wait no,' he thought.

Anyi let out a long sigh, staring up at the ceiling once more, the weight of the situation pressing on him. It wasn't that Heroes falling in love would bring any dire consequences, but it was the awkwardness that came with it—the assumptions, the "private space" others would start to give them. The way people would start treating them differently, as if their relationship meant they needed to be tiptoed around. The very thought of it made Anyi feel exhausted, like Ariana was a chain around his neck that he could never quite shake off.

"Hey, Holy Maiden, get out of bed." His voice was quiet but insistent, and he poked Ariana’s cheek softly. Her face was soft, almost squishy, and Anyi couldn't resist teasing her more. "Get out of bed, get out of bed, get out of bed..."

He poked again and again, a smirk playing at his lips as Ariana mumbled something incoherent, her eyes fluttering open before she closed them again, pulling the blanket tighter around her.

"Ugh..." She yawned. "Morning, Anyi... five more minutes."

Anyi sat up, staring at the blanket-wrapped figure next to him. 'No explanation? No apology?' he thought, raising an eyebrow. His patience wore thin, and in one swift motion, he yanked the blanket off and grabbed her face.

"First explain why you're in my bed," he said, squeezing her cheeks just enough to make his point.

Ariana winced, batting at his hand. "It hurts! Ow, ow, ow! Fine! I'll talk!" Anyi released her, crossing his arms as he waited. Ariana giggled, rubbing her cheek. "It's warm, that's why," she said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Anyi stared at her, deadpan. "Warm? That’s your reason?"

"And it's not the first time," Ariana added casually, her smile unfazed by Anyi's growing exasperation.

It clicked. She had taken his past words too literally. He had once told her not to casually sleep in someone else's room, so she had decided his room was the exception. **Of course, she would.**

"Next time..." Anyi began slowly.

"Next time?" Ariana leaned forward, curious.

"I'll lock the door," he finished, voice flat and resigned.

Ariana blinked at him in confusion, genuine curiosity lighting up her eyes. "Why? Isn't it nice to sleep together? It's warm, and I like the smell."

Anyi resisted the urge to smack his forehead. 'Of course, it’s not that simple,' he thought. He sat up fully, crossing his legs as he prepared to explain, seriously this time.

"Listen, Ariana," he began. "When a man and a woman share a bed, it has a specific meaning. It makes others think that we’re... involved in a special way."

Ariana cocked her head. "Special how?"

Anyi pinched the bridge of his nose. "People will start thinking we’re more than just companions. They’ll see us as... well, more intimate than we are. And when that happens, they'll give us space. They’ll start treating us differently, leaving us alone more often, like we’re... a couple."

Ariana blinked, digesting his words slowly. "But we wouldn’t ask them to avoid us," she said, confused.

Anyi sighed, rubbing his temples. "No, but people do that anyway. When they think there’s something special between two people, they avoid them, even if we don’t ask for it."

"Ah..." Ariana nodded slowly, though it was clear from her blank expression that she didn’t fully grasp the social implications. Anyi wasn't sure if she ever would.

Suddenly, the peace of the morning was shattered by a loud knock on the door.

"Dong! Dong! Dong!"

"Heh! Heh! Heh! Anyi! Are you up yet? Big trouble! The Holy Maiden is missing!" Layton’s voice rang from outside, his tone frantic.

Ariana's eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to speak. "I'm—"

Before she could say another word, Anyi's hand shot out, clamping over her mouth.

"Sigh... Don’t say a thing," he whispered, shaking his head.