As time passed, Lilithra urged Raphael to open The Chalice as usual, reassuring him not to mind them as much and to stick to his routine. Both she and Ascalon helped out as customers poured in for late breakfasts or early lunches, while Selorien entertained Athanya’el at the counter.

The little Goddess had her own phone now—thanks to Raphael—which caused Ascalon to feel conflicted. On one hand, he was happy to see her adapting more to this new world, delving into its technology and customs; but on the other hand, he couldn’t help but think he was being overtaken!

He had been in New Lumingard for longer, yet he still hadn’t learned how to use a phone properly, nor did he have one. Meanwhile, there was Athanya’el, who seemed like a natural fiddling with the little contraption. It was a mundane feeling of jealousy, though it was mostly amusing rather than worrying!

Ascalon chuckled at the thought, earning a giggle from the two girls seated at the table he was serving. He found it a bit embarrassing that he would show himself distracted in front of the customers, so he quickly set down their plates, bowed politely, and moved on.

While they worked leisurely, the front door chime signaled the arrival of a new customer, and both Ascalon and Lilithra prepared themselves to greet them. But instead, they found Lyra had finally arrived! She was wearing the same cute dress she had brought the first time they had met in The Chalice—the day she had asked them for help.

As soon as she realized who it was, Lilithra skipped ahead joyfully and embraced Lyra with a tight, abrupt hug. The Felinae whimpered in surprise and blushed, but quickly reciprocated the hug.

“Lyra! We’ve missed you!” Lilithra exclaimed as she rubbed her cheeks against Lyra’s hair in an affectionate, yet overly enthusiastic gesture. Lyra, whose blush deepened slightly at Lilithra’s actions, smiled with glee as she replied.

“I—I-ve missed you guys too!” The Felinae revealed with a slight stammer, a product of her usual shyness. Lilithra then pried away from the hug, and grabbed her hand to guide her further into the establishment. As they passed, Ascalon nodded at her in greeting, and Lyra waved at him, just as Lilithra raised her voice.

“Uncle! We’re taking a break!” She declared as she headed for the stairs, her voice attracting both Selorien and Athanya’el. The elf got up and stretched as he followed behind his friends, and the tiny Goddess, guided by curiosity, joined him.

“Got it.” Raphael replied as he placed a glass on a table, casting a glance toward Ascalon. “Go ahead, I can handle it from here.” He said with unmatched confidence, letting the knight know he could indeed take care of the whole tavern by himself.

“I shall help out afterward.” Ascalon responded with a deep bow, before hurrying behind Lilithra and the rest. After heading up the stairs, the group found themselves in Lilithra’s room, which was as chaotic and full of plushies as always.

“T—this is my room, Lyra!” Lilithra explained, blushing slightly as she pushed the pile of stuffed animals to the side of her bed. “Sorry, since the main hall is full, I thought it would be more private here… uhm, take a seat wherever!” She urged everyone, and Lyra timidly sat on her bed.

Athanya’el headed for her own resting place, climbing on it and sitting with phone still in hand, but with her eyes eagerly fixed on the group. Selorien yawned and plopped himself in a corner where a few cushions were stacked, while Ascalon simply remained standing by the door.

As soon as everyone was ready, Lilithra sat at Lyra’s side and spoke up again. “Alright, so, uh… how have you been?” The girl asked awkwardly, clearly feeling conscious about the meeting being in her room. Still, it was her idea, so she had to put up with it.

“Oh, I’ve been fine, t—thanks for asking. How about you, guys? I’m sure you’ve been busy…!” Lyra exclaimed as she fiddled with her thumbs and smiled shyly, perhaps referring to their whole Guild creation ordeal.

“Everything’s been fine and dandy!” Lilithra replied with a cheerful voice. “When did you get back?” She asked curiously, tilting her head.

“Oh, uhm, a few days ago…” Lyra responded with a slight downcast expression, but brightened up as she seemed to recall something. “Oh, right! Congratulations!” The Felinae beamed with glee, her cat ears twitching cutely as she produced a plushie from her network inventory.

It was a small, green dragon with a smug expression and a pair of tiny wings on its back. She placed it tenderly in the bed, between her and Lilithra, whose eyes sparkled with excitement.

“For me?!” Lilithra questioned as she quickly grabbed the stuffed dragon, hugging it tightly.

“Yes, hehe! S–sorry it’s not much…” Lyra said as she fidgeted, yet it was clear that Lilithra was delighted by the gift.

“Thank you so much!” She responded, and then placed the plushie alongside the others, her collection growing again. Ascalon and Selorien watched with warm stares, while Thany eyed the stuffed animals curiously. Just then, Lyra’s voice garnered everyone’s attention.

“Uhm… so… about your Guild!” She stammered, her cheeks blushing a bit. “I would like—I would love to join, please!” Lyra bowed, her hair and other features bouncing slightly. Everyone but Thany smiled with glee, yet their earlier worries lingered, and Lilithra was the one to voice them.

“Uhm, we would love for you to join us, of course! But… what about the Fluffy Warriors…?” Lilithra asked reluctantly, and Lyra’s ears dropped slightly. The room fell silent for a couple of minutes as the Felinae readied herself to answer.

“Well… my brother disbanded it.” Lyra stated plainly, causing the rest to feel both confused and surprised.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Why?” Ascalon blurted out, voicing the question in everyone’s minds. Lyra sighed as she looked up to the knight, and then began recounting a talk she had with Levi a few days prior.

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Both Lyra and her brother were finally back in New Lumingard, at their spacious house and Guild base. Their arrival was met by dubious stares by the few Fluffy Warriors that still lingered in there, seeing that Levi had arrived on a wheelchair, pushed by Lyra.

“What happened to you?” They asked with shocked expressions.

“Now you worry?” Levi replied with a deep frown, scoffing as he urged Lyra to guide him further inside.

“W—wait, tell us what the hell happened, Levi!” One of the Guild members spoke up with a loud voice, causing Lyra to tense up. Levi gripped the wheelchair’s handles tightly, trembling slightly and visibly angered.

“You don’t have the right to ask that!” He growled, causing the other Fluffy Warriors to step back. “Everyone, get the hell out!” Levi commanded with a strident voice, and the rest complied reluctantly.

“Levi…” Lyra whispered as she saw everyone leave, their dumbfounded and offended stares prompting her to shrink slightly.

“Don’t worry about them—none of them helped you out, did they?” Levi stated in a calm voice, sighing softly. “If it weren’t for you I’d be dead, Lyra, remember that—and forget about them.” He declared proudly, and Lyra nodded with teary eyes.

Afterward, Levi rested for a bit, while Lyra cleaned up the mess left behind by their Guild members. With Levi out of the picture, it seemed they had all grown lazy and indifferent, which was simply baffling.

The next few days were troubling for Lyra, since Levi turned away every Guild member that decided to visit, and in a most unfriendly manner. It seemed like her brother didn’t care for them anymore—though, who could blame him? No one had cared enough to go and save him either, aside from her. And as such, time went on.

“Wow! They did it, Levi!” Lyra suddenly exclaimed one day, showing her phone to Levi. It was Selorien’s text, letting her know Lilithra’s Guild had been established. She looked so incredibly happy, and Levi took notice of that.

It was around then that he made a decision.

“Lyra, I’m going to disband the Guild.” He declared, causing Lyra to drop the broom she was holding at the time.

“Eh?! W—why?” She questioned with clear confusion, though she kind of knew deep down.

“Look at me, Lyra.” Levi said in a low voice, gesturing with his hands to his motionless legs. “I can’t lead a Guild like this—not the way I want…” He admitted in a dejected tone, showing a weak smile.

“Oh, Levi…” Lyra whispered as her eyes teared up, her hands clenching the hem of her dress.

“But, honestly? I don’t even feel that bad.” Levi added, causing her to tilt her head. “It’s actually freeing…” He continued, his smile widening. “I want to start over from scratch!” The small Felinae declared, and Lyra opened her eyes wide. She wasn’t expecting him to say that at all.

“I know there are healers that can fix me easily, but it won’t be easy to find them.” Levi leaned forward, his expression turning more serious. “So how about I wait until you can heal me yourself? In the meantime I want to just… rest.” He sighed deeply, a content smile appearing again on his lips.

Lyra was perplexed by his words, as she hadn’t considered the possibility of her being the one that could heal him. But thinking more deeply, it made sense! She just had to develop her healing skills more!

“Okay…! I’ll do my best, Levi! In the meantime, I’ll help you as much as I can, too!” Lyra proclaimed as she clenched her fists tight, resolve burning fiercely in her eyes.

“No. You’ve already done enough, Lyra… you know, you should think more about yourself.” Levi stated, with Lyra arching an eyebrow in doubt. “You should join their Guild, you know? It would help us both.” He suggested with a bold smile, and Lyra opened her eyes wide in surprise.

While she wanted to remain by Levi’s side, the idea of joining Lilithra and the rest tugged at her heart…

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“...and so, I would like to join you! I was reluctant at first, but… Levi managed to convince me!” Lyra declared as she furrowed her brows, showing a resolute expression.

“I want to grow stronger—strong enough so I can heal my brother! And I—we think you can help us with that!” She paused, taking a big breath after talking for so long. Everyone waited patiently until she was ready to continue.

“I—I know it’s a selfish reason, but! I really, really want to join you guys…!” Lyra continued, her eyes tearing up slightly. “I’m such a bad sister…!” She whimpered, feeling conflicted, and Lilithra placed a hand on her shoulder.

Ascalon pondered about her feelings, as his chest stung at the sight. She wanted to be there for her brother, but also wanted to be with them, her interests clashing against each other. But, wasn’t there an easy solution for that?

“How about inviting Levi, too?” Ascalon suggested, and everyone perked up with surprise, with Lyra looking as if he had just revealed the solution to an impossible problem.

“B—but what about his own Guild…?” Lyra asked with beady eyes, and Lilithra let out a thoughtful ‘hmm’ at her side.

“What if he joins temporarily? Until he’s healed!” Lilithra exclaimed with cheerfulness, causing Lyra to consider her words. “We’re also going to get a Guild base soon! So you guys could move there together!” She declared, completely sure that they would get their own place soon.

Ascalon nodded at her words, backing up her declaration, while Selorien smiled from his corner. The one that had been silent all along decided to finally chime in, too.

“You mortals worry about such little things!” Athanya’el stated, garnering everyone’s attention. Then, her stomach growled, and the rest couldn’t help but giggle, the tension around them easing up immediately.

The tiny Goddess blushed slightly and smiled as she jumped out the bed, rushing to the exit and likely going to ask Raphael for food. Ascalon was a bit worried about her, thinking that perhaps she might get tired soon, but found her actions endearing so he let her go without complaint. Meanwhile, Lyra was silently but steadily readying herself to speak up.

“Alright…! I’ll try to convince him!” The cat girl exclaimed with energy, her ears twitching above her head. “But for now… can I join?!” She leaned closer to Lilithra, pressuring her with her overwhelming presence. Lilithra was slightly taken aback by Lyra’s boldness, but smiled happily as she fiddled with her interface.

“Ah!” Lyra jolted in place, raising her finger slowly in the air. With a bit of hesitation, she pressed on something, and a notification window appeared before everyone.

Lyra Summers has joined the Guild!

Everyone watched the screen with a mix of elation and warmth, while Lilithra squealed with joy alongside Lyra.

“Welcome, Lyra!” They all exclaimed in unison, and Lyra beamed as her cheeks reddened.

“Thank you, everyone… I’ll do my best!” She declared with utmost confidence, ready to live up to her brother and her new Guild’s expectations!