In the early morning, a cacophony of noise drifted in from outside the window.

  Sunlight, like golden gossamer breaking through the clouds, was carefully spread into the room by the Mother Goddess. The wooden, classical-style furniture, bathed in its glow, seemed to gain a more tangible presence. From outside, the melodious sound of an organ played softly, as if the spirits of the Elven Lake were celebrating a grand festival with their gentle music.

  Amidst the enchanting melody, Kenley slowly pried open his heavy eyelids and stretched lazily.

  He lifted his head and glanced at the clock on the wall—it was already seven in the morning. The curfew should be lifted by now, right?

  Just then, something felt off.

  He noticed that Tia was lying on her side, dressed in nothing but the simple nightgown provided by the inn, pressed closely against him. His arm, which had been casually resting, had somehow ended up wrapped around her slender waist. The ambiguous intimacy of the scene instantly jolted Kenley awake.

  But what truly shocked him was Sylph.

  She wasn't on the bed either. Instead, she was nestled right behind Tia, clinging tightly to her.

  Good grief. In the end, none of the three of them had slept on the bed. If he had known this would happen, he might as well have slept out on the streets.

  What frustrated him even more was the realization that he had spent the night in the same bed as Sylph. If the Elven King were to witness this scene, Kenley could only imagine how eagerly he would want to kill him on the spot.

  Only now did Kenley finally get a clear look at the elven princess's face. Yesterday, the dim lighting and her hood had obscured most of her features, leaving only a vague impression.

  Sylph was facing Tia, while Tia faced him, giving him a perfect view of her delicate countenance. Her golden hair, as lustrous as woven silk and precious jade, cascaded beneath her like a luxurious tapestry. Clad in a pure white nightgown, she lay curled up like a small angel, exuding a beauty so pure that it felt almost sacred, beyond desecration.

  Her exquisite features were enough to topple nations. Her long, soft lashes trembled faintly, perhaps fluttering in the midst of a sweet dream. Her elongated ears bore the elegance unique to elves, and her gentle breaths made it impossible to disturb her slumber. Even in deep sleep, she was utterly captivating.

  She was not tall, her petite frame fragile and delicate, as if she had no bones at all. Her smooth, snow-like skin, illuminated by the morning's soft light, shimmered like fine porcelain. Tiny, starlike particles swirled around her—an enchanting glow born from her extraordinary affinity with the elements, manifesting as photonic wisps of ambient magic.

  Kenley found himself momentarily entranced.

  Two such stunning beauties lay quietly before him, yet he felt not the slightest trace of desire.

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  All he had was admiration—like gazing upon two exquisite porcelain figurines—serene, tranquil, and ethereal.

  Accompanied by the melodious organ music drifting in from the window, Kenley felt as if everything in this world—this sky, this land, this very space—had become more beautiful.

  "Time to get up!" With a blink, Kenley abruptly sat up. There was still much to do today—completing the dwarves' task, fulfilling the Golden Scissors commission, and pursuing the path of a potion master.

  He walked to the washroom and splashed his face with cold water, shaking off the last remnants of drowsiness.

  If this were a game, he could have completed all these tasks in less than an hour. But this was reality—there was no accelerated time, no convenient shortcuts. Everything had to be done step by step.

  The moment he stepped out of the washroom, he found that both of them had woken up as well.

  As soon as Sylph saw him, a faint blush spread across her face. She turned away deliberately, avoiding his gaze as if she were actively trying to keep her distance.

  And then, without warning, Tia threw herself into Kenley's arms.

  The sudden movement startled him.

  "Tia? What are you doing?" Kenley asked in shock.

  "Did I scare you, Master?" Tia lifted her large, watery eyes, blinking up at him innocently.

  Kenley was instantly at a loss. Faced with such an expression, there was no way he could resist. Add to that Tia's breathtaking beauty, and truly—how could any man resist such a test?

  "…Not scared." His words came out slightly stammered. Though this wasn't the first time a girl had hugged him, it still made him a little flustered. After all, Tia was only the second woman to ever embrace him. He hadn't completely outgrown his youthful awkwardness just yet.

  Tia giggled sweetly."Master, I know I can be a little willful, but I wanted to discuss something with you."

  "What is it?" Kenley was slightly surprised. At the same time, he noticed that at some point, Sylph had already put on her cloak, her head lowered as if she didn't dare to look in his direction.

  "Well, Master, Sylph wants to team up with us. She's also an adventurer—a ranger, actually. She's skilled in reconnaissance and tracking, which would be really useful for hunting treasure and prey. So, Master, what do you think…?" Tia spoke in a coaxing, almost pleading tone.

  So that's what this was about.

  Kenley inwardly chuckled—after all the times he had helped Sylph, no wonder she was acting this way now.

  He seriously considered the possibility of forming a party with her. As a professional player, Kenley had extremely high standards for teammates—anyone who didn't meet the gear requirements was out, anyone lacking skill was out, anyone who misallocated their stat points was out, and anyone with poor synergy was definitely out.

  In the world of gaming, dungeon runs were all about efficiency—fast, ruthless, and precise.

  Of course, exceptions were made when carrying new guild members or assisting them with non-boss missions. But otherwise, standards had to be upheld.

  "Sylph." Kenley called her name, not immediately answering Tia's request.

  Sylph tensed as if she had been struck by lightning. She shot to her feet, stiffly responding,"Here!"—only to realize a moment later how unnecessary her reaction was. A deep blush crept onto her face as she quickly sat back down.

  "What am I even doing? Why am I reacting like this? It's not like he's a thief or something…" She scolded herself internally.

  "Sylph, aside from being a ranger, do you have any other skills?" Kenley asked.

  He knew very well that elves possessed an extraordinarily high affinity for the elements. It was unlikely that she was only a ranger.

  "Huh? What do you mean?" She blinked, momentarily confused.

  Kenley didn't get annoyed. Instead, he patiently rephrased,"I mean, aside from being a ranger, can you use magic? Do you have abilities related to elemental control?"

  "Oh, that's what you meant. Yes, I'm also an Elementalist." She finally understood.

  Kenley couldn't help but inwardly sigh. Just what was this elven princess thinking about? Why did she seem so absentminded whenever he spoke to her?

  What he didn't realize was that Sylph's gaze upon him had turned increasingly fleeting and dazed—as if she were caught in some kind of trance.