The Demon Egg in the center of the table pulsed gently with a faint light, almost as if it were breathing. As Princess Alora stepped closer to it, the egg reacted, moving slightly as though responding to her presence.
“This egg is adorable…” Alora cooed, softly stroking the surface of the egg. “Has Broken been treating you well, baby?”
In response to her gentle touch, the egg’s faint light flickered more rapidly, as if excited by her words.
“I’ve gotten into big trouble because of this egg,” Broken muttered, glancing at the egg with a mixture of amusement and frustration.
The egg shook more vigorously, almost as if it understood his complaint.
Alora placed both of her palms near the egg, and a soft energy began to flow from her hands into it. Broken watched intently as the faint light within the egg slowed its flickering, growing steadier and more peaceful, as though it were enjoying the Mana being gently supplied to it.
[The Hatchling loves this Mana-it could feed on it all day. It’s so rich in magic, far purer than what it usually absorbs.]
Broken furrowed his brow as he read the notification. While he had been the one supplying Mana to the egg until now, the creature inside had the nerve to compare his Mana with the Princess’s.
My Mana is Divine Champion’s mana, you know, he thought, feeling slightly offended.
“Well, my Mana’s running low now,” Alora said with a light giggle after spending several minutes feeding the egg her energy.
“Don’t overdo it, Princess. We don’t need to finish hatching it tonight.”
“No, it’s fine. This is quite fun, and I’m curious about the baby that will come from this egg.”
“That’s surely a Felhorn, Princess… the same type of demon we fought that day,” Broken replied.
Alora laughed softly. “Yes, but this one’s a fresh hatchling, so we can teach it not to say meow every time it finishes a sentence.”
“I’d definitely support that idea,” Broken agreed with a grin.
Broken checked the progress of the egg, and it had reached 98%. Just 2% left. He swore to himself that if the egg demanded anything strange at this point, he would lose his patience entirely.
“So, I suppose you can leave the egg in my room. I’ll supply more Mana to it once I’ve recovered,” Alora suggested.
Broken nodded at her offer. “Thank you for your generosity, Princess.”
“Yes, I know. I’m very generous,” she replied with a giggle.
A few minutes later, Mercy returned with a wooden chest, and Alora carefully placed the egg inside for safekeeping.
“Lionell will escort you to your room,” she continued. “But if you prefer to stay outside the castle, that’s your choice as well.”
Broken had plenty of time to wait, and honestly, he was tired after spending the whole day in the carriage. He needed a good rest. He headed to the guest room prepared for him, and it was by far the best room he’d ever stayed in during his time in Yunatea.
But then it hit him-despite all the times he’d worked on blacksmithing projects at the palace, he’d never slept in such luxury before. The thought quickly faded, though, as exhaustion overtook him. He drifted off to sleep, logging out of the game for the night.
***
Leon stepped out of his gaming room and headed towards the kitchen, where he spotted Lily sitting and enjoying her fruit salad. He walked over and sat down beside her.
“Hi, bro… feeling better?”
Leon reached over to grab a piece of fruit from her bowl, but she slapped his hand away.
“Jeez, your hands are dirty!” she exclaimed, then speared a piece of fruit with her fork and offered it to him. He took it, chewing thoughtfully.
“How was yesterday with Uncle, Lil?” he asked.
“Uhm… yeah, it was fun! I really missed him,” she replied, her face lighting up with enthusiasm. “He said next time he’s going to introduce us to his fiancée.”
“Really? That’s interesting. I haven’t seen him in ages either,” Leon said, clearly intrigued.
Lily nodded as she fed Leon another piece of fruit. “Leon, why hasn’t Freya come by in a while? It’s been more than four days, you know. This might be the longest she’s gone without visiting. Are you two not getting along or something?”
“Huh?” Leon was caught off guard by the sudden question. He hadn’t even realized how long it had been since Freya last came over.
“I guess she’s just been busy? Her job is mainly to help me when I need it.”
Lily sighed, her concern evident. “Call her. Find out where she is. She’s helped you a lot in the game, right?”
Leon nodded slowly, realizing Lily had a point. He glanced at the clock-it was already 9 p.m. He hesitated, wondering if it was too late to call, but then remembered how Freya usually stayed at his place until midnight or later. She even rented a room on this floor. Still, it seemed like she wasn’t around this time.
Leon took his phone and dialed Freya. After a few rings, she picked up.
“Why are you calling me so late, huh?”
“Hey, Lily was asking why you haven’t been by in a while,” Leon replied.
Freya sighed on the other end. “Then why didn’t Lily ask me herself? You’re wasting your time.”
“Alright, fine. I’m asking. Why haven’t you visited? I miss you,” he said with a slight smile. “Shut up,” Freya responded. “Tell me, what’s the real reason for calling me this late?”
“I just wanted to check on you, see how you’re doing.”
“That’s bull, we just met in-game earlier.”
“Well, game and real life aren’t the same, right?”
Lily suddenly shouted toward the phone. “Freya! Come with us on a weekend getaway!”
“Hey, Lily…” Freya raised her voice slightly in response. “I’d like to, but for some reason, I’m not really interested.”
“Yes, come with us, Freya. I’m insisting,” Leon added.
Freya laughed on the other end. “You two are suspicious. Don’t treat me like some lonely girl who needs company, okay? I’m busy, so don’t get any weird ideas.”
“Well, alright,” she continued after a pause. “But I guess I could consider it… if Leon insists.” Lily chimed in again with a playful shout, “Yes, Freya, Leon really misses you!” “Oh… I’m not surprised to hear that,” Freya responded with a teasing tone. “He should owe
me a lot of thanks.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Alright, I’ll come over later. Bye,” Freya said, and the call ended.
As Leon hung up, Lily giggled.
“Hazel wanted to join too,” he said.
“Don’t worry, Hazel has a shoot this weekend, so she won’t be able to come,” Lily replied.
Leon nodded and sighed. “I’m so hungry…”
“Let’s grab some fast food outside, bro,” Lily suggested.
Leon looked at her, slightly amused. “After eating fruit?”
Lily giggled. “Well, a little cheating is fine. I’m craving something like that.”
“Sure, let’s go. What do you feel like eating, sis?”
Lily stood up and grabbed her jacket. “I know a cool spot to hang out at night. It’s open indoor
seating, but with a great view outside. It’s not far from here.”
They walked out together, the air cool and pleasant. It was a simple outing, a small moment of fun, but Leon was enjoying this spontaneous adventure with his sister.