The sun was sinking into the western sky.
In place of the fading crimson glow came the blue dusk, the hazy full moon, and countless cheerful bursts of laughter.
Every tavern rang with merry shouts, followed by roars and boisterous laughter.
Orange lamplight spilled from open windows, accompanying the silhouettes dancing across the paved streets.
Walking side by side through the avenue, Isis and Alicia made for an especially eye-catching sight.
After all, Isis's appearance was outstanding even by any standard—not to mention that he bore a faint resemblance to Riveria.
For his part, Isis was truly seeing the city for the first time. The goods displayed in the shops lining both sides of the street were dazzling, each one tugging at his attention.
Alicia walked beside him and watched as he stopped at a stall selling glowing minerals, picked up the brightest stone, and held it toward the light for inspection.
He stood there studying it for nearly half a minute.
She did not rush him.
She simply watched, and suddenly realized something very simple.
This child was only twelve. It was his first time in Orario. Everything on this street was new to him.
"Senior Alicia, what kind of ore is this?"
He turned back and held the stone up toward her.
"Frost Crystal Ore. It comes from below the eighth floor of the Dungeon. It glows under moonlight. It has no practical use, but it isn't cheap."
She paused a beat.
"Because it's pretty."
Isis lowered his eyes to the price tag, then put the stone back.
"Pretty is pretty, but it's not worth it."
He let out a helpless sigh.
All he could say was that once he had money in the future, he was definitely going to splurge properly.
Alicia resumed walking. After two steps, the curve of her lips grew just a little more pronounced than before.
After spending the day with him, she found herself beginning to admire the boy.
Capable, gifted, gentle in temperament.
He probably took after his mother—Lady Riveria's elder sister. Otherwise, he would not have grown into someone so warm and refined.
Such an outstanding child…
All of a sudden, Alicia thought of some of the picture books and novels she had read.
Isis really did fit the role of the male lead rather well.
A fleeting flush passed across her cheeks.
"This should be it, right? Open-air seating, two-story building, the biggest place on the street…"
Isis stopped in front of the entrance. The tavern before them was easily the largest building along the road.
The sign above it read: The Hostess of Fertility.
"Yes, this is the place."
"Whenever the Familia returns from an expedition or has something to celebrate, we usually come here."
Alicia gave a small nod and casually shared a few amusing stories from within the Familia.
Isis also noticed something.
Once she had left the Dungeon—or rather, once she was no longer in a tense environment—Senior Alicia did not seem nearly as cold and distant.
There was more softness and gentleness to her now.
"I see…"
Isis nodded in understanding.
"Senior Alicia, let's go in."
"Mm."
Alicia gave a small nod.
The moment they entered the tavern, the first thing Isis saw was the broad-shouldered dwarven woman behind the counter, serving food and drinks to customers. She was presumably the proprietress.
A glance toward the kitchen showed a catgirl waitress with feline ears hurrying back and forth, busy to the point of near chaos.
As for the staff moving among the customers and taking orders, they were, naturally enough, all female servers.
Every employee in the tavern was a woman.
At that moment, Isis felt he finally understood where the tavern's name came from.
"Welcome."
"Eh… Lady Alicia."
The voice came from the side, accompanied by a sweet smile—the kind of voice that made people want to respond the moment they heard it.
A silver-haired waitress with long wavy hair approached. The look in her eyes when she saw Alicia held genuine familiarity—not the practiced warmth of a server, but the real kind that came from seeing someone you knew and being honestly pleased they had shown up.
"It's been a while, Syr."
Alicia's tone carried the easy warmth reserved for acquaintances.
"It's not one of your Familia's celebration days, is it?"
"I'm here to have a meal with this child."
At Alicia's answer, Syr's gaze naturally shifted to Isis.
"An elven boy…"
There was real curiosity in her voice.
"The Loki Familia has even picked up a newcomer like this now?"
There was no particular malice in the remark, but Isis felt something hidden inside those words—something he could not quite read yet.
"Yes, Isis, this is Syr—"
Before Alicia could finish the introduction, Syr smiled brightly at Isis.
"Syr. Syr Flova."
She greeted him warmly.
"Isis."
"Please take care of me, Miss Syr."
With a smile, Isis reached out and shook her hand lightly.
And at that exact moment, their eyes met.
Then Syr paused.
It was not an obvious pause—just the kind that would be missed if one was not paying close attention. For less than half a second, something in her expression seemed to empty out, and then she recovered at once.
Neither Isis nor Alicia noticed the change at all.
Syr turned to lead the way, her tone light and cheerful.
"This way, please."
Alicia followed, with Isis half a step behind.
Warm light spilled down from above into the corridor. Syr walked ahead, her silver-white hair giving off a faint shimmer beneath the lamps.
Once they were seated, Syr began introducing the tavern's signature dishes to Isis—special stewed meat, seasoned vegetable soup, and other house specialties.
"Senior Alicia, is there anything you don't eat?"
"You can decide. I've had pretty much everything on the menu."
Alicia replied with a soft, gentle smile.
Syr leaned closer to Isis and lowered her voice, though not by much.
"Alicia orders the seasoned vegetable soup every time she comes. You only need to know that—you don't have to say it out loud."
"I can hear you, Syr."
Alicia's voice came from across the table, calm as if she were simply commenting on the weather.
Syr straightened up, looking not the slightest bit embarrassed. If anything, she seemed even more delighted.
"It doesn't matter if you heard. It's not like you're going to stop ordering it anyway."
Alicia did not refute her.
That in itself was an answer.
Sitting beside them, Isis quietly marked down the seasoned vegetable soup on the order without saying anything.
"Very well. Please wait a moment."
With that, Syr took the menu and left.
Even after stepping out the door, the bright, sweet smile on her face did not fade. Instead, she unconsciously began humming a tune.
She had not expected it…
That young elf had given her such a surprise.
She had seen many souls.
So many that she had thought there was no color left in this world that could make her pause.
And then that elven boy had walked in and met her gaze.
In that instant, she had seen a luster of soul she had never encountered before.
As deep and unfathomable as an abyss—
yet with light inside it.
An existence that defied common sense.
Not the kind of light that blazed fiercely, but a light sunken into the deepest depths, shining quietly.
The fusion of light and darkness, producing something called…
Chaos.
It was not crude or muddled, but black and white intertwined, like a work of art so beautiful that one could not help but lose oneself in it.
A soul like that was utterly unprecedented.
Even the "kingly brilliance" once displayed by the girl Ari had not captivated her as much as this moment did.
"Isis…"
"This is making me rather excited to see what comes next."
-------
April Special Days *Sale 20%*
patreon.com/RuneA
-------
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (114 Chapter (Simulpub-Full) )
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (400 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (254 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (140 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (158 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (400 Chapter)
My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (140 Chapter)
The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (172 Chapter)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(80 Chapter)
Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live (261 Chapter) (Ending)
Zenless Zone Zero The Random Kamen Rider (200 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino (120 Chapter)
Naruto: I Can Synthesize Summoning Beasts (96 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi (140 Chapter)
My Wife is a General, but I'm an Emanator of Abundance! (160 Chapter)
Type-Moon: My Nine-Fold Path (140 Chapter)
Uma Musume: They're Peeking at My Diary, and All of Tracen is Panickin (Ending)
The Wild History of Type-Moon world (70 Chapter)
Reborn in Conan, But I Refuse to Be the Bad Guy (80 Chapter)
Ruan Mei is begging me to go back? But there's no going back anymore (140 Chapter)
Just a Slacker at Tracen Academy (165 Chapter)
Survival in Blue Archive (70 Chapter)
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Doma Wasn't Hated Today, Either (100 Chapter)
The Vibe of This Chat Group is a Little Off (100 Chapter)
Heartbreak Simulator: I Broke Them and Made Them Cry (80 Chapter)
The Talentless Trainer Doesn't Want to Restart (80 Chapter)
A Journey Starting as a Quincy (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: The Master of Romance Obstruction (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: You Can't Be a Hero Without a Little Chemical Enhancement (40 Chapter)
Honkai Impact 3rd Your Boyfriend is Really Amazing (40 Chapter)
Warhammer 40K: My Fiancée, Fulgrim (180 Chapter)
Classroom of the Elite: Trying to Capture Me! (120 Chapter)
Genshin Impact My Named Senji Muramas (150 Chapter)
A Chef, the Vice-Captain of the Rocks Pirates? (160 Chapter)
Naruto : My Uchiha Girlfriend is Too Tsundere (130 Chapter)
Type-Moon: Reincarnated in a Lostbelt, I Became the Alien God (90 Chapter)
The Way These Horse Girls Look at Me Is Terrifying! (160 Chapter)
Naruto: Tsunade's Deskmate (130 Chapter)
I Just Want to Live a Normal (50 Chapter).
Genshin Impact: A Hundred Confessions? It's Just a System Task (70 Chapter)
OnePiece : Starting as a Veteran of the Roger Pirates (60 Chapter)
Uma Musume : I Have Special Horse Taming Techniques (190 Chapter)
Uma Musume : My other self is a Horse Girl (130 Chapter)
Jujutsu Kaisen : All Affection Stats Maxed Out (200 Chapter)
Satou Kazuma's Decision to Live by Swindling, Starting from Re:Zero (60 Chapter)
Bleach : Ichigo! Take Over the Soul Society (89 Chapter)
Crossover Anime: The Master of Plagiarism with a 'Love Obstacle (140 Chapter)
Arknights Succubus Nurturing System, But I'm a Quiet Office Worker (90 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: Using My Personas to Break the Hearts of Players (50 Chapter)
One Punch Man : i am King? (150 Chapter)
Genshin: My Stats Are Irresistible (70 Chapter)
Naruto: Master of Dream Fulfillment! (70 Chapter)
Why Are All My Chat Group Friends Spin-Off Characters? (130 Chapter)
Arknights : Batman System (30 Chapter)
Chat Group: Swapping Bodies with the Bad-Ending Herta from the Start (80 Chapter)
DanMachi: Why Did My Dungeon Turn Into a Soulslike Game? (130 Chapter)
Losing Money on Uma Musume...What Do You Mean You Actually Won? (120 Chapter)
I'm Gotou Hitori—Who Are You? (40 Chapter)
Were You Ever Even a Uma Musume? Stop Making Things Up! (78 Chapter)
Moon Project: A Full-Time Love Adventure for the Lobotomy Corporation (75 Chapter)
The Leisurely Days of the Hyuga Main House (65 Chapter)
Arknights : A Draco Surviving in a Matriarchal Terra (189 Chapter)
Arknights: What if My Luck Is Too Good? (135 Chapter)
Honkai: The Romance System Only Shows Up After I Marry Mei (55 Chapter)
Arknights: Who Are You Calling Repressed, X?! (145 Chapter)
The Chat Group Only Arrived After I'd Cleared the Game (102 Chapter)
Gojo Satoru Flat-Out Refuses to Admit He's a Supporting Character (40 Chapter)
Chat Group Isn't Supposed to Be Like This! (30 Chapter)
If You're Moriarty...then Who Am I? (140 Chapter)
Uma Musume: Since I "Can't See," They Take Turns Stealing My Underwear (50 Chapter)
Arknights: Why Are All My "Brothers" Girls? (54 Chapter)
Danmachi: Start Training Haki (59 Chapter)
Emiya Shirou's Rebirth (30 Chapter)
I Can Get Stronger Just by AFK'ing—So I Joined a Chat Group (50 Chapter)
Endfield: I Can Always Pull Out One Yuan (65 Chapter)
Limbus Company : I Started a Company in Project Moon (50 Chapter)
Lobotomy: Do Cooks of Alley 23 Dream of Bloodfiend Knights? (50 Chapter)
DanMachi: Freya Familia's "One-Blade Shura" (60 Chapter)
DanMachi: Emiya, the Great Hero Becomes the Protagonist (90 Chapter)
TYPE-MOON: One Special Instance Every Week (40 Chapter)
From Danmachi: The Abundance Apothecary (70 Chapter)
Lord Shadow Descends on DanMachi (90 Chapter)
Fuse with Me, Exusiai! (41 Chapter)
Honkai: Star Rail — After I Die, I Forge Their Madness (60 Chapter)
DanMachi: The Last Zeus Familia (95 Chapter)
Endfield: Arknights Heroic Spirit Summoning (75 Chapter)
Toyokawa Family Finances (105 Chapter)
Starting From DanMachi to Become Stronger (90 Chapter)
DanMachi: My Familia Is Made Up Entirely of Heroines from Every World! (75 Chapter)
Arknights: My Intel Refreshes Daily (110 Chapter)
Digimon : I Never Meant to Do Evil, Even Though I Wasn't Chosen (40 Chapter)
Miss Holmes Could Never Be the Losing Heroine! (40 Chapter)
Takayama Gamu at Tracen Academy (40 Chapter)
Legendary Trainer Takes on MYGO (40 Chapter)
Arknights : Yandere Game: The Operators Have Come Knocking (100 Chapter)
Arknights: This Dating Sim Is Seriously Wrong! (120 Chapter)
Arknights : Ch'en Hui-chieh, I'm Done Being the Good Guy! (50 Chapter)
Type-Moon: Wasn't This Supposed to Be a Family Simulator? Why Am I the Family Heirloom? (40 Chapter)
Honkai: Star Rail : The Trailblazer Only Wants a Peaceful Life (45 Chapter)
Arknights: The Unlucky Dad? But I've Got the Chronicle of Time! (55 Chapter)
The Wheelchair War God Is Speedrunning Hogwarts (50 Chapter)
DanMachi: The Elemental Blaster of Orario (45 Chapter)
Playing Honkai in Star Rail (30 Chapter)
As an Alien, I'm Solo Leveling in Warhammer 40K (30 Chapter)
Arknights: A Symbiote's Survival Guide (70 Chapter)
My Yu-Gi-Oh! Deck Is Built Entirely from Stuff I Picked Up (30 Chapter)
I Can Hear the Thoughts of Uma Mutsume (30 Chapter)
Dead-Men Chat Group: Winning the Resurrection Bracket (40 Chapter)
Zenless Zone Zero: Saving the World While Falling in Love! (40 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: My Breathing Techniques Can Be Leveled Up (50 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it