Art and Vix didn’t come back for dinner that night. That didn’t come as too much of a surprise to Arwin — if only because Rodrick had told them that he highly doubted that the two would be back tonight. He was confident that Art would take time to research if Rodrick had been lying about the threat to their father or not. When he determined that it was a real hit order and not made up, he would likely return to speak with the Menagerie in a few days. That meant they had some time to get their eggs in a row and get back to their preparations for the Proving Grounds, which were growing closer with every passing day… even if the Secret Eye hadn’t actually been nice enough to tell anyone when the damned tournament would be taking place yet. Even after Vix left, the air in the tavern was a little uneasy. Arwin and the rest of the Menagerie didn’t blame Rodrick for what he’d done at all. None of them were saints. There were times when one had to step into the shadows to keep the light shining — but tension didn’t evaporate from the air quite so quickly. Everyone went off to busy themselves with something just to calm down from that night’s events. Lillia still had dinner to work on, Rodrick and Anna had more research to do, and Reya joined in with the imps to help with the dinner rush. Arwin took the time to head back to the Infernal Armory. He had a lot of plans for the equipment he’d make for the Phoenix Circle and Olive, but it wasn’t the best time to start yet. That would be best saved for the morning. Instead, Arwin’s gaze lingered on the inactive Soul Guardian that stood at the back of his forge. It needed its core — and it was more than just the armor. Verdant Inferno had asked for a core quite some time ago. He’d still yet to figure out how to make one, but that was very quickly becoming one of his top priorities. The Mesh rewarded little as much as challenging oneself to the point that they discovered something new. But, for that night, Arwin focused on the strange anti-magic swords that he’d gotten from Twelve. He was convinced they would be instrumental. There were a great many forms of magic that worked in more ways than he could count. All were dangerous and powerful. Arwin hesitated for a few seconds before he responded. “I think I’d have to see the other teams.” “That’s a fancy way of saying probably not.” “Not as things stand,” Arwin corrected. “I haven’t made them armor yet.” “You’re going to go all out, then? That’s a bit dangerous, isn’t it?” Arwin let out a slow sigh. He stared up at the ceiling — or rather, the darkness directly before of his face. There could have been anything in front of him and he wouldn’t have known. He idly ran a hand through Lillia’s hair as he pondered her question. “I am,” he finally said. “And yes, it’ll be dangerous. But I don’t think we can let that hold us back any longer. Rodrick is a good example of that. I still don’t know everything he’s capable of. Far from it — but he’s not holding back. He knows what’s at stake, and we’re the ones with the most to lose here. It’s not fair for us to play it safe while he’s putting everything on the line.” “Aren’t you worried about what the guilds will do if they find out the full extent of what you’re capable of?” “They’ll find out eventually,” Arwin replied. “I’m not going to go shout my abilities to the world. I’ll take every step I can to make sure nobody can figure out what our full strength really is, but we can’t afford to play it safe forever. The Adventurer’s Guild certainly isn’t just waiting around. When the time inevitably comes that real trouble lands on our doorstep, we need to be able to fight back. I don’t want to be on the backfoot anymore.” Lillia scooted up to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. “If that’s what your call is, then I Discover more novels on NovelHub - your gateway to endless stories. It’s a lot easier for me to push my power in secret. The changes aren’t quite so… apparent. Not unless someone attacks the Devil’s Den, that is.” “It’s not an impossibility.” “I know.” Lillia’s tone darkened. “We both have to be a little more proactive with our power and pushing our limits, don’t we?” “We do. But, fortunately, we’re in a very good spot to that. Money’s not a problem anymore, and we both have just about everything we need to work at full tilt. You’ve got a steady flow of customers—” “—and a garden. Keep growing the inn. I’ll focus on improving my crafting. Then I’ll make all of us new armor or update your old stuff. The greatest limit on crafting classes is lack of resources, and we don’t have that problem right now. If we’re both pushing what we can do and discovering new things about our classes, we’ll advance quickly. And even if our opponents are stronger than us, powerful equipment can seriously shore up that difference.” “You sound like you’re preparing for something.” “More like doing what I should have been from the start,” Arwin replied. “I’ve got plans for Olive and the Phoenix Circles’ armor — but I need to figure out how to make a core first.” “I thought a core was for your Soul Guardian ability?” A smile crossed over Arwin’s lips. “It is. Mind helping me out a bit tomorrow? I think your expertise might go a long way in figuring things out.” “Of course. Maybe it’ll give me some inspiration.” “Thank you.” Arwin gave her a kiss on the forehead. “I’ve already got some ideas that I think should have some potential.” “I’m looking forward to seeing them, then. And if you can make more than one Soul Guardian, I want one for the Devil’s Den.” “Look at that. I didn’t even have to convince you. That’s unfortunate. I was fully prepared to.” Arwin’s cheeks heated and he cleared his throat. Lillia’s gentle laughter barely reached his ears through the muffling darkness filling the room. She convinced him, and soon after, the two were fast asleep, entangled together in a ball of limbs and a tail with a hope that the following morning would come slower than promised. But, when the following day dawned, they rose with determination on their minds.