The group returned to the Deep Miners outpost shortly after their expedition's end. Most went straight to wash and rest afterwards. Lilin reported her findings to Brevin and soon, the news of Eclipsium and Vespera spread fast through the community. With more sites to mine, the prospect of fortune began to fill people with energy and excitement.

That was well and good—as long as those Netherling Cryptids could be kept in check.

Still, all things considered, things seemed fairly positive in general despite everything else going on right now.

Celebrations began to emerge here and there as people began gathering in small groups to discuss plans moving forward. Evelyne had excused herself and left ahead of the others—Orby's power supply had nearly run out, and she needed to recharge its mana cell immediately before any further damage could occur due to prolonged lack of upkeep.

Ebonheim stood apart from the main hubbub as others mingled, watching these proceedings with a faint smile. As much as she wanted to join in on the merriment, her duties beckoned.

And after spending most of this week underground, the need to breathe in some fresh air grew stronger by the minute.

----------------------------------------

She emerged from below along with Serelle and Orin through a hidden tunnel disguised amongst thick foliage. Lush trees and undergrowth framed either side of its mouth where the trio exited. The faint sound of revelry echoed faintly off the cavern walls still present behind them before fading completely the further away they walked.

Ebonheim breathed deep the crisp, sweet air of the forest.

"Ahh~" She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sense of liberation washing over. "Nothing like fresh sunlight warming your skin after spending too long cooped indoors."

Serelle laughed beside her while stretching languidly after adjusting her glasses atop the bridge of her nose. "I must agree wholly. All I wish for now is a nice bath followed by a long nap afterward."

Orin yawned and rubbed his eyes as though sharing that sentiment without voicing it. He ran a hand through unkempt hair before turning toward them both. "Shall we head back to town together then? Unless either wishes to return first alone."

"I don't mind the company," Ebonheim said with a smile. "It's not a long trip anyhow. I'd appreciate you both escorting me there in the meantime."

They made their way back to town by meandering leisurely on foot, enjoying a scenic route beneath the great trees' shady canopies high above. Along the way, Orin prattled on about his various research projects and experiments, though his focus remained primarily fixated upon the Vesperia deposits they stumbled upon underground and their potential uses.

"I admit I am rather enthusiastic about its discovery. Vespera is not just a raw resource used for magitech. Arcane practitioners value its properties to refine mana cores and imbue items with magical properties far beyond other ores. We tend to use other mineral deposits for specific aspects of craftwork. For example: Mithril tends to resonate with protective wards while silver has strong affinity with spells channeling elemental magic. However, Vespera allows us to imbue any material without compromising its integrity or function. It provides almost limitless potential for experimentation."

He continued on his rambling for a good half-hour before pausing as if suddenly recalling something important. "Oh. Right. "Before we spread the news to everyone else, I must insist that you do not give Evelyne and her guild any special privileges towards the ore deposits."

Ebonheim cocked her head slightly to one side, curious. "What do you mean by that? Why would I even consider giving them preferential treatment?"

Orin folded his arms over chest and frowned toward her before elaborating. "You two have been spending quite a bit of time together lately...so forgive my bluntness when saying so, but I wouldn't put it past her or others at Les Artisanats d'Éclaires getting ahead if there comes a chance. There're more than enough rumors circulating already about certain advantages your relationship might garner them compared to others."

Ebonheim blinked. "W-wait, what?! What kind of rumors have spread around? What exactly are people saying?!"

Orin cleared his throat awkwardly before answering back. "Well...it's no secret that Evelyne has taken more than just a professional interest in you. There're all sorts of speculation among townsfolk regarding what goes on between you two during those private meetings of yours."

Ebonheim stopped walking and gaped open-mouthed at Orin's words. Meanwhile, Serelle snickered behind cupped hands.

His explanation did little to quell Ebonheim's rising embarrassment at the implication of what people were talking about behind their backs.

"It's n-not like that at all! We spend most of the time just talking. Sure, she sometimes gets a little...affectionate at times..." She trailed off uneasily towards Orin's skeptical gaze before continuing. "B-but our relationship is platonic! There are no benefits involved whatsoever! Besides, why would anyone care or start gossiping over such a trivial matter anyway...? A-and stop laughing Serelle! W-what about you two hmm? Surely, others must whisper things regarding your friendship as well?"

Serelle chuckled while resting a hand casually across Orin's shoulder in a half-embrace. "That's a silly comparison, my dear goddess~ Orin and I have known each other for many years now so people have become used to our closeness. There are already established precedents towards explaining why we spend extended periods of time in each other's company. However, your and Evelyne's relationship remains relatively fresh...hence its intrigue for people to interpret in various ways. Unfortunately..."

She sighed and patted Orin's arm tenderly. "There will always be people who are interested in the private lives of influential figures—even if they aren't fully accurate or truthful."

Ebonheim furrowed her brow and huffed irritably. "You sound awfully casual about this whole situation."

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Serelle shrugged her shoulders and offered a small smile. "Why wouldn't I be? Orin and I hold no particular secrets regarding ourselves...at least, nothing overly scandalous worth hiding or gossiping about. It doesn't bother us if people talk amongst themselves—nothing ever comes of those discussions outside idle chatter and boredom-induced fantasies."

Ebonheim groaned quietly and resumed moving once more towards town along the faint trail amidst dense forestry framing their path.

Serelle linked arms with Orin and followed along. "Regardless, rumors aside, no one would be surprised if you took Evelyne as your mortal consort."

That brought about an even stronger reaction than previous comments. Ebonheim nearly tripped over herself while sputtering wildly, "T-to do what now?!"

Orin arched an eyebrow at that response. "Strange. I didn't think gods could get embarrassed considering their normal disposition and all. But Serelle has a point. While rare, it isn't unprecedented for deities to take mortals as their spouses. It has happened once or twice throughout our history. Although there're certainly more reasons behind such unions than solely love alone."

Ebonheim's cheeks flared hotter. She raised both hands and furiously waved them in front of herself, trying desperately to push aside images appearing within her mind's eye—a particularly vivid one showing her embracing Evelyne beside a lake somewhere beneath the sunlight filtering through clouds drifting lazily past.

"N-now wait a minute here! W-whatever reasons you might imagine...that is NOT the case here!"

"If you say so," Serelle replied mischievously. "Nonetheless, all the speculation isn't necessarily bad. People appreciate witnessing such connections developing. Besides, we all have certain...needs." She squeezed Orin's side teasingly before giggling loudly while sidestepping away from his swatting attempt. "It would be perfectly natural for a deity such as yourself to seek similar companionship too."

Orin grunted and rubbed his ribs where Serelle had prodded at. "I think she gets the picture already. But I must correct you on one detail. There has never been a deity that so closely resembles us until Ebonheim. So I wouldn't compare this situation as being analogous to other deities, despite me agreeing with you."

"Fair enough," Serelle admitted with a wry smile flashing quickly across her lips. "I concede that point."

Their back-and-forth banter left Ebonheim flustered and uncertain about her feelings.

She hadn't considered those sorts of...relations...between herself and others yet. Her role as their goddess always occupied her mind foremost, taking precedence above all else. It meant focusing solely on ensuring their prosperity rather than considering deeper desires lurking underneath.

She was no stranger to the topic of romance. Sometimes, she would watch couples enjoying each other's company during her nighttime strolls through town. Other times, she would act as a counselor when relationship issues occurred among residents needing her guidance for resolution. It was one of her least favorite responsibilities given, its often...emotional intensity.

Don't get her started with the occasional young man asking her advice toward wooing a potential love interest! Those discussions tended to grow awkward really fast. But even without any romantic experiences of her own—and no desire seeking one presently—didn't make the topic unpleasant altogether either.

Now that Orin and Serelle brought up the idea out loud though...

Ebonheim shook her head briskly. Enough on that subject. She'll discuss these things later—if necessary—at a more appropriate time and place than right now.

"So," Orin chimed in, drawing her thoughts back towards present affairs. "Regarding the Vespera."

She nodded and replied calmly despite her cheeks still warm under their stares. "Alright, alright...I will take whatever precautions possible to avoid anyone receiving special treatment regarding ore mining. Regardless of what gossip circulates..."

He nodded curtly while adjusting his bag slung around his back. "Excellent. Glad to hear. Otherwise, you would also have to contend with me courting you too then."

A shocked exclamation escaped Serelle's mouth before she erupted into laughter loud enough to scare birds roosting overhead away from nearby trees. "Oh, goddess! That sounded ridiculous coming out of your mouth!"

Orin huffed and brushed aside a stray lock from his brow before replying. "It's no joking matter Serelle. I'm capable of being a formidable rival in love if pressed."

Serelle managed to control her laughing long enough for a sarcastic remark. "Oh my~ You do? But the fact that I had no feelings of jealousy after hearing you say that—despite knowing your intentions were purely playful—speaks volumes about your ability to woo others, I dare say."

"You don't think I would stand a chance?" he asked wryly.

She giggled softly before smacking him lightly atop his shoulder in a gesture of playful affection. "To woo our goddess in particular? Doubtful. She would surely see right through your pretenses...or any pretense for that matter."

Ebonheim rolled her eyes while listening to their banter.

She never thought Orin was the type to jest this way. His demeanor always presented him as quite serious—almost dour—by contrast towards Evelyne's exuberant presence. She'd known those two were rivals at one point in time. The competition still rages between them even after settling in her domain, but Orin often struck Ebonheim as more straightforward and pragmatic than passionate compared to Evelyne.

Perhaps their friendly rivalry runs deeper than merely professional ambitions alone. Perhaps there are other reasons influencing their behavior towards each other that she hadn't considered properly before now. If so...would Serelle consider herself entangled within their unique relationship too?

Wait, she was shifting into counselor mode too easily now wasn't she? Ugh. She couldn't help herself sometimes though. Especially when presented with interesting questions regarding relationships among her followers' dynamics...or lack thereof in this specific case perhaps.

Not her fault entirely...she was relatively new to learning the intricacies behind mortal interpersonal interactions. She had a lot to catch up on after all—especially regarding matters of love and courtship. She'd only existed for several years after all.

A fact that only the original settlers were privy to. Otherwise, her creation from their collective wills would have come as a great shock among newer immigrants. It would've raised questions regarding her nature and origin which Ebonheim prefers staying private for the time being. Explaining how she came into being probably wouldn't end well once folks outside town learned how she arose from prayers and desires alone.

"In any event," Orin stated in a louder voice—as if hoping others would take his earlier teasing more seriously than they originally had done thus far. "My interest is solely professional and nothing more..."

"Of course," Ebonheim smirked, deciding to play along. "Whoever said otherwise?"

Serelle giggled again while nudging Orin alongside his ribs as they resumed walking. "I believe she just shot you down."

He shrugged her hand away before replying flatly. "Yes...a real shame...and a major blow to my ego, for certain. Whatever shall I do...?" He pressed the back of his hand against his forehead in mock exasperation. "Woe is me! For my affections were denied outright and swiftly!"

"Oh? I didn't know you had a knack for theatrics!" Serelle tittered merrily beside him while clapping her hands in delight. "Color me impressed indeed!"

Their banter continued throughout the journey all the while Ebonheim listened in mild amusement despite certain topics making her uncomfortable initially. It seemed as though their verbal sparring session had only just begun. But she didn't mind so long as its focus remained upon teasing each other rather than herself further.