Finishing up in the underground stone chamber was simple.
Leo had the earth elementals bury Markus’s remains and that pile of ashes right on the spot, then restored the stone walls to their original state, so that it was as if nothing had ever happened.
By the time they returned to Blackwood Town, night had already fallen.
The town was brightly lit.
Having just survived a monster attack, the townsfolk showed no sign of fear—instead, they were still celebrating into the night.
Bonfires were once again lit in the open square, and the aroma of food drifted through the air.
Alfred had arranged everything in advance.
Leo spoke a few words, thanking everyone for their hard work over the past days, and said that this would also serve as a phase-end celebration banquet.
He then officially announced the start of the banquet.
He introduced the Stoneheart Squad to the townsfolk, declaring that they would henceforth be the guardians of Blackwood Town.
Kaiden and the others were a little overwhelmed by the honor, but felt an even greater sense of belonging.
The atmosphere at the banquet was lively.
Leo had a few mugs of ale, then found an excuse to leave early.
He needed to rest.
His mind had been stretched too taut, and he needed to relax a bit.
He led Irina to a newly completed wooden house.
“It’s late tonight. You can stay here for the night.”
Leo pushed open the door.
“The furniture isn’t complete inside yet, but the bed is newly made, and the bedding was just bought from the town—it’s clean.”
At present, this was the best guest room in town, other than his own.
Irina nodded and poked her head inside for a look.
The room wasn’t big, but it was neat and filled with the fresh scent of wood.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Leo said.
“Get some early rest. There’ll be a lot to do tomorrow.”
He finished speaking, then turned to leave.
Irina watched his back, opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end swallowed the words.
Leo closed the door.
Irina stood alone in the room, listening to the raucous sounds from outside, feeling somewhat unreal.
She lowered her head, amber eyes full of complicated emotions.
Too much had happened today.
A monster tide, an Elite Monster, a summoner’s duel, and… Homeland.
For the first time in this world, she felt at ease.
After a moment, she took a deep breath, as if steeling herself, and turned to twist open the door.
She poked her head out furtively, looking around.
There was no one in the corridor.
She rose onto her tiptoes and quietly stepped outside.
She had barely taken a few steps before running straight into someone.
“Ah.”
Irina jumped in fright, almost letting out a scream.
It was Nia, holding a tray with hot milk and some toasted bread.
“Miss Irina, where are you going?”
Nia’s tone was gentle, but her eyes carried a hint of inquiry.
Seeing Irina’s sneaky look, and remembering how the young master had spent so long today with this unfamiliar but beautiful girl, she instantly formed a guess in her mind.
“I… I just came out for a walk,” Irina stammered in explanation.
“Is that so?”
Nia smiled.
“I thought you were going to find the young master.”
Irina’s face flushed red at once.
“No, it’s not that, I wasn’t!”
“The young master’s room is in the castle over there. Take the stairs to the top floor, and it’s at the end of the left corridor.”
Nia ignored her protests completely, directly pointing the way.
“This is your midnight snack. I’ll put it in your room for you.”
Without waiting for Irina to say anything else, Nia walked into her room and set the tray on the table.
“Remember to eat when you come back. Goodnight, Miss Irina.”
Nia came out, gave her a polite bow, and turned to leave.
The whole process flowed smoothly, never giving Irina a chance to interrupt.
Irina stood frozen in place, her cheeks burning.
This maid… definitely misunderstood something!
But why wasn’t she angry, and instead felt a bit guilty?
She bit her lip, glanced back at her room, then looked in the direction Nia had indicated.
In the end, she stamped her foot and headed away from her own room.
***
On the other side, in Leo’s room.
He was leaning against the headboard, chatting with Alice.
“So, how did it feel supervising the reclamation work today?”
“Reporting to Master, the efficiency of hoeing was lower than expected.”
Alice replied with perfect seriousness.
“My strength attribute is more suited for combat. During farming, my control isn’t fine enough, so it’s easy to break the tools.”
“Pfft.”
Leo couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Sending a T0 Unit to hoe the fields was definitely a waste of talent.
“Alright, from now on, leave that grunt work to the skeleton soldiers and earth elementals.”
“As you command.”
Alice nodded, then suddenly leaned in closer.
Her silver hair cascaded down, her ice-blue eyes quietly gazing at Leo.
“Master.”
“Mm?”
“Do you require your ‘routine inspection’ tonight?”
As she spoke, her body moved closer, her warm breath brushing Leo’s cheek.
Leo’s heart skipped a beat.
Here it comes—the daily quest refresh.
Before he could respond, Alice naturally lowered her head and pressed her lips to his.
The kiss was light, but carried an undeniable insistence.
When it ended, a faint, nearly invisible blush tinged Alice’s cheeks.
“Last night… I thought it was quite nice too.”
She spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.
“Tonight, please allow Alice to continue serving Master.”
With that, she kissed him again.
Just then—
Bang!
The door was flung open.
“Leo! I have something to discuss with you—uh?”
Irina spoke as she barged in, and immediately saw the two embracing on the bed.
The air froze instantly.
Irina was rooted at the doorway, unable to advance or retreat.
Leo and Alice separated.
Alice remained calm, simply stepping quietly aside to tidy her collar, as if nothing had happened.
Leo’s expression was rather complicated.
He sat on the bed, massaging his forehead as he looked at the petrified Irina.
“Tell me, Irina, don’t you know to knock before entering someone else’s room?”
“I—I didn’t know you two were doing… that!”
Irina snapped out of it, her face flushing all the way down her neck.
Her gaze darted between Leo and Alice, finally settling on Alice, her eyes filled with shock.
“And—and Alice, isn’t she a summoned creature? Summoned creatures can do things like that?!”
It overturned everything she understood as a player.
“Ahem.”
Leo cleared his throat, trying to regain a shred of dignity.
“Normally, no. But Alice is a sentient unit, extremely rare, you know? About as rare as a top-tier summoner like me.”
“I don’t believe you at all!”
Irina retorted, but still closed the door and walked inside.