Volume 2 – 1. Returning Home
After Ava was called back and the two of them collected their share of the reward, Lucien left the building without bothering to browse the nearby stalls.
Ava naturally fell into step beside him.
She glanced sideways at him, a faint smile playing at the corner of her lips. "What's with the long face?" she asked. "What did you and Razor talk about?"
Lucien let out a quiet breath.
"If I could tell you, Razor wouldn't have asked you to leave."
She blinked once before a soft laugh escaped her.
"Fair point."
The conversation faded, and Lucien lowered his eyes to the black note resting between his fingers. An inverted triangle, printed in muted silver-gray ink, occupied its center. A small stylized eye sat in the upper-left corner, while a string of identification characters ran neatly along the bottom edge.
Compared to the upward-pointing triangle he'd received after his first encounter with the Hollow Knight, this one represented a considerably larger reward.
I could buy some decent gear with just this one note...
His grip tightened imperceptibly.
...I should be happy.
Instead, Razor's words kept replaying in the back of his mind.
"Don't look so depressed."
Ava bumped his shoulder lightly with her own, a teasing smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
"I'll cheer you up tonight."
The deliberately suggestive tone, paired with the equally playful look she gave him, drew an involuntary smile despite himself.
"Isn't that just your excuse to get 'cheered up' too?"
She laughed without the slightest hint of embarrassment.
"You got me."
“Well, I'll gladly accept the offer.”
The moment the words left his mouth, the image that accompanied them flashed through Lucien's mind, and a faint warmth spread across his face. Only now did he realize how easily his thoughts drifted in that direction. Compared to the person he'd been on Earth, that desire came far more naturally to him now. It had to be the original Lucien's lingering habits influencing him.
Ava caught the subtle change in his expression and let out a soft, satisfied laugh.
“Hehe. Sounds good.”
The exchange, lighthearted as it was, eased some of the weight that had been pressing on his mind ever since he left Razor's office.
Looking back, Ava had always been like that. Her bluntness and easygoing nature had a way of cutting through his tension without even trying. Lucien wasn't much different by nature—he'd always preferred speaking plainly himself—but ever since arriving in this world, he'd found himself constantly holding something back. Around Ava, he never felt the need to.
He glanced at her, curiosity surfacing.
“Come to think of it, what are you planning to do from here on?”
“Hm?” She tilted her head, giving him an amused look. “Why the sudden question?”
“I'm just curious.”
“Well...” She looked ahead for a moment, genuinely considering it. “I like traveling. Staying in one place for too long isn't really my style.” A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “This city's probably the safest place I've found so far, and getting treatment here is easy, but I still think I'll leave eventually.”
“I see...”
She turned the question back on him.
“How about you?”
Lucien fell quiet, giving it more thought than he'd expected.
If he had to put his priorities in order, becoming stronger through the System came first. After that came uncovering the truth behind the System itself, his transmigration, and the Eclipse. And once his agreement with the Twilight Covenant was fulfilled...
...if the answers he sought were here, he could even see himself staying in this city.
One thing he did want to do was seek out the Illuminators—the followers of Aléthris, whose pursuit of knowledge surpassed that of any other order.
Temple Vigil was probably the best place to start. As long as he avoided the northern districts, where his Inferni blood would earn him little more than suspicion or outright rejection, there was a good chance he could learn something useful. Besides, he'd already promised Sylphie and Kira he would accompany them there later today.
After thinking it over for a moment, he finally answered.
“I think I'd like to fix this city.”
As he spoke, his eyes drifted toward the enormous tower rising above Vel'Sharim's skyline, impossible to ignore no matter where one stood.
“Sooner or later, I'll probably be sent to scout that place.” He paused briefly before adding, “Besides, I don't really have a problem living here. It'd be a hassle if everyone just kept dying.”
Ava glanced at him, one eyebrow lifting.
“A hassle how?” she asked. “Most of the people living here are ordinary humans. Their deaths should benefit you more than they hurt you. I didn't think you cared about that sort of sentimentality.”
“Well...”
The words caught in his throat.
Perhaps the original Lucien wouldn't have cared.
The current one clearly did.
Ava studied him for a second before a knowing grin spread across her face.
“Heh, I didn't know you had such a cute side.”
Lucien felt warmth creep into his cheeks.
“Oh, shut up.”
She answered with nothing more than an amused giggle.
“Alright, alright.” She held up both hands in mock surrender before tilting her head. “Then what are you planning to do about that particular power of yours?”
…The System, huh?
Lucien thought for a moment.
“I'll keep developing it as long as it proves worthwhile.”
He had no intention of turning it into a service for the masses. That would only overwhelm him. Instead, he'd rather be selective, choosing only a handful of people when the opportunity made sense.
At the moment, his strongest connection was with Seren, and the "perk" he'd gained through their relationship still hadn't been put to much use.
He probably needed to spend more time exploring it—whether together with her or on his own.
“Is that so?” Ava smiled faintly. “Well, just don't forget about our contract.”
“Sure, sure.” Lucien waved a hand dismissively. “I'll prioritize you over any potential new clients.”
“Hehe. Why, thank you.”
The lighthearted exchange reminded him of another problem entirely.
He still had no idea what to do about Sylphie and Isolde.
Sylphie had already told him she wasn't opposed to the purification method involving physical intimacy, yet he was still hesitant to take that step. Unlike Seren, he barely knew her. More importantly, he had no idea what would happen if someone with Inferni blood became that intimately involved with a Nephilim. He doubted the heavens would strike him down simply for "defiling" one of them, but the uncertainty lingered all the same.
Then there was Isolde.
That one was even simpler.
She would never willingly agree to it.
At his current level of understanding, Lucien was half convinced she'd bite his dick off out of sheer spite if he ever suggested something like oral sex. The contract between them prohibited either side from inflicting physical harm, of course, but he had the distinct impression she'd gladly accept whatever divine punishment followed if it meant doing exactly that.
The thought alone made him quietly abandon the idea.
Kira and Thane presented a different problem.
There was obviously no chance he wanted to pursue physical intimacy with either of them, but then how was he supposed to deepen those relationships through other means? Friendship? Shared experiences? Casual conversations?
How exactly did the System measure intimacy outside romance?
And how close would they have to become before it started reducing their Corruption passively?
Just thinking about it left him mentally exhausted.
...Well, I suppose I'll figure it out by talking to them.
It wasn't much of a plan, but it was better than endlessly speculating.
By the time he'd reached that conclusion, he and Ava had arrived in the Consortium District.
Not long afterward, they found themselves standing in front of Edric's house. The familiar multi-story building stirred an unexpected sense of comfort within him. It wasn't his home, yet after only a few days, it had already begun to feel strangely close to one.
...Right.
How long am I actually going to be able to stay here?
He had started taking it for granted that he was living under the same roof as Edric and Seren.
Realistically, though, that arrangement probably couldn't last forever.
“Hm.” Ava tapped a finger lightly against her chin. “I did say I'd cheer you up tonight, but I doubt they'll let me stay here. You already have an agreement to spend the night with Seren, don't you?”
It seemed the same thought had crossed her mind.
“Yeah.”
Neither he nor Seren had any intention of having sex tonight. They wanted to confirm that physical intimacy itself wasn't necessary for reducing Corruption.
Ava clicked her tongue in mock disappointment.
“What a shame.”
“Hey, you could always ask,” Lucien said with a small shrug. “There's probably a spare room.”
He knocked on the door as he spoke, calling out his name.
“...I suppose you're right,” Ava murmured.
A moment later, footsteps approached from inside, and the door swung open.
Seren stood on the other side.
The reserved expression she usually wore softened immediately when she saw the two of them standing there, a gentle warmth settling into her features.
“Welcome back, both of you,” she said, relief evident in her voice. “I'm glad to see you made it back safely.”