I miscalculated. I'm an idiot.

"If it's okay, I'd like to reintroduce ourselves. We're the adventuring party Resurrection. My name is Adem."

"I didn't ask last time since we only introduced ourselves. Why do you call yourselves Resurrection?" Walter asked.

"You've never heard of us?" Adem asked, "We're trying to find the secrets to the [Raise] spell."

When Erik and Duan invited him and Elin to a party meeting, Walter agreed. Elin secretly shot him a look right after. She thought it was a problem. The romantic mood pushed Walter to take charge of the situation, and he mistakenly placed Elin in an awkward position.

"We're honored you would consider combining teams," Elin sounded like a diplomat.

The tension didn't ratchet up until they arrived at the guildhall.

Erik and Duan left to arrange a conference room. At that point, Walter noticed a witch at a table staring at him. She waved and leaned forward to rest her chin on her hands.

Her forearms framed her chest like a triangle. Her angle revealed her cleavage, and her breasts jiggled. No bra. Naturally, the lust side of the scales added weight with a loud click. The tips of Elin's ears reddened, but Walter could tell from the look on her face she wasn't embarrassed. She was pissed, but she quickly hid it.

"May I know who you are?" Adem asked. Fortunately, he failed to notice the shift in Elin's demeanor.

"I am Elin Folcey, and this is my supplier."

Well, I guess I'm nameless now.

Erik called out, they received a room, and Adem turned towards them.

"You know," Elin whispered. If he could drink the sound of her voice, he'd be poisoned, "Now that I think about it, when you stared at me outside, the scales didn't tip."

The flow of the moment prevented Walter from making a rebuttal, and the two parties crowded through the conference room door. Walter thought the room was spartan, and it contained just a coffee table and two couches.

Elin and Adem sat on mirrored sides of the table, in the center of their respective couches. Team leader versus team leader. Well, Walter and Elin hadn't discussed who was in charge, but it might as well be her, de facto. Adem, on the other hand, clearly possessed the authority on their team. Was it strength that determined leadership?

After formal introductions, Walter learned Rebecca was the witch's name. Her proportions matched those of a voluptuous fanservice character, created to be stared at. What was that game again? The cut of her dress revealed deep cleavage and thigh up to the hip. When she sat on the arm of her side's couch, she crossed her legs, and the slit opened to reveal the underside of her legs. Just how far could he see?

Wait! I won't be tricked!

Walter willed his attention to everything in the room but Rebecca, and somehow he avoided causing the scales to imbalance. While he did so, he desperately searched his HUD to enable censorship. No such luck. I'm doomed, aren't I?

"I would like to ask why you approached us," Elin said. Walter noticed she used a secretarial tone.

"When we noticed your strength in the training yard, we came to a unanimous agreement," Adem explained, "I have never seen swordsmanship so powerful from a woman. What style is it?"

Elin folded her hands in her lap. Did his comment bother her?

"It's the Falling Feather style. I inherited it from my mother."

Falling Feather? He recognized the name but knew it wasn't from Sorcery Chronicle. Maybe? It could be from the fourth installment because it over one-hundred job classes, and he might have missed some details.

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"So it's true, you're Lady Elin Folcey," Erik asked. Adem cleared his throat as his subordinate talked out of turn.

"That's correct, but I ask you not to speak blithely about it. I have no wish to draw attention."

Adam complied, but only after he silently thought about it, "Of course, we'll respect your privacy."

"I have a question," Rebecca asked, and she pointed at Walter, "What's he to you?"

Everyone turned to stare at Rebecca after her brazen prying.

"None of your business," Elin wore a fake smile, "Why?"

"Because I'm interested in him."

The collective jaws in the room dropped.

"Walter, are you her exclusive supplier? You signed a contract with her?" Rebecca continued her interrogative attack.

"Well, no," Walter admitted.

"Reb, let's not--" Duan started.

Rebecca cut him off, "Everyone's curious, right? Don't you think it's better to get a potential complication out of the way? So, Walter, if you're not her exclusive supplier, then why aren't you peddling to other adventurers? Would you consider selling goods to me? You'll make more money than selling to a single person."

Rebecca's verbal feint, the phrase about personal interest, changed its offensive nature, and she went for the business-only route. Still, it was clear to Walter she had ulterior motives. But what are they? Rebecca's audacious come on flustered him. Why would she? That was the problem. He habitually curled his fingers over his mouth while he stared at Rebecca, trying to suss out her motives.

Am I overthinking this? No, not this time. This isn't an anime, and I'm not the main character with a harem. We've never met before, and it's a miracle someone like Elin likes me.

Elin interrupted his thoughts with a sigh of relief.

Walter looked at her quizzically.

"Nothing, I'll tell you later."

"Are you going to answer?" Rebecca asked and crossed her arms.

"Because I like her."

Elin's face glowed bright pink, and she twitched. Rebecca's face paled. Duan, in the back, grinned and lifted a thumbs up.

Thanks, bro.

"Walter," Elin hissed.

"It might cause problems, but I don't want to hide it."

The shade of her face continued to develop, shifting from pink to deep red. She stammered, "We have to tell my brother."

For a moment, Walter jerked in fear. The idea of Brother Favian lifting him over his head and breaking him over a knee played out in his imagination. Wait, she doesn't know we talked already.

"I'll do it," confidence surged in Walter's voice.

Although I made the situation more dramatic, I think I smoothed things over with Elin.

For the second time, everyone's jaw hit the floor. Duan's thumbs-up became a fist of solidarity.

Thanks, bro.

"Does that satisfy your curiosity, Reb?" Adem asked.

Rebecca made a, "Hmph," sound then she said, "I suppose it will."

"Before we move forward with joining parties," Adem said, "I would like to test your combat ability."

"I have no problems," Elin said. Under her breath, she remarked, "I don't think anyone can take me down right now."

When they got to the training yard, Elin asked Walter, "Is my face still red?"

Her blush cleared up, but Walter lied, "Nope, still glowing."

It returned at his underhanded provocation.

"Jeeze," she pressed her palms to her cheeks.

This is too funny.

"My name is Adem Rolfe, and I'll be your opponent!"

Elin responded by saluting, lifting the sword to her face, and walked onto the mat.

It was a battle cry, but she sounded happy. Walter saw this leaping attack before. The tip of her wooden sword collided with his tower shield with a clang.

"What power!" Adem rocked back but kept his footing.

"Do you not know about the Falling Feather style?" Elin ducked, "This isn't strength."

With his line-of-sight obstructed by his own shield, he shifted it to the side and immediately regretted his mistake.

As fast as he made a weakness in his stance, Elin capitalized on it. When she ducked, she slid at an angle and jabbed him in the side. After a groan of pain, Adem jumped backward for space.

"She dented his armor," Rebecca's eyes bulged, "With a piece of wood."

"Well, how's that?" Elin asked.

"It's dangerous, I'll admit. If you're willing, then let's merge parties," Adem beat on the front of his shield, "But I need to regain some of my honor. Try that first attack again."

Elin saluted and twisted her toes into the mat.

Again, she lept.

"[Aegis]!"

The tip of her wooden sword crashed into his shield, and it splintered like she struck a boulder. Adem didn't move an inch.

"How's that?" he asked.

"Adequate," she quipped after examining the shattered stick in her hand, "I think joining parties would be beneficial. What do you think, Walter?”