"What happened? You really care that much?"
Grani leaned closer to Iris, her face full of teasing mischief.
"I'm not 'caring' about what Leon did!" Iris shot back. "I care about the whole cause-and-effect! Look—your estate is three kilometers from mine, right? That's not the kind of distance where you just 'happen to run into someone'!"
Faced with Grani's smug grin, Iris averted her eyes.
Grani reached out and pinched Iris's cheek.
"Tsk tsk tsk—your face is warm. How innocent."
Iris swatted Grani's hand away, her expression dark.
"Hurry up and tell me!"
"Okay, okay, I'll tell you."
Seeing Iris on the verge of exploding, Grani finally stopped messing around.
Iris was cold to most people, but she had no defense against Grani's prank-loving personality.
"Back then, I was doing my daily magic training. It should've been close to 1 a.m."
Grani began recounting carefully.
"Then the familiar at the door suddenly reported that a human was outside—carrying an elf—asking to meet."
"Carrying?" Iris froze.
"What else?" Grani said. "You were unconscious."
"Fine. Keep going."
"I used a detection spell and saw—wasn't that you? So I went out to look. Then Leon started introducing himself. Want to guess what he said?"
"Stop dragging it out!"
"Haha, okay. He said he was your lover."
"???"
Iris grabbed Grani by the collar in a panic.
"H-he really said that? Why would he say that?!"
Grani giggled. "Hehehe—oh Iris, you're so easy to fool. Actually, he said he was your party teammate."
"Hmph! If you do that again, I'm not talking to you!"
"Aww, my adorable Iris, don't be like that. It was just a joke—just for fun."
"Then keep talking! And don't make that kind of joke again!"
"After that, there wasn't much," Grani said. "He was extremely polite, and he showed proof of his identity as a court mage. Even if someone visits late, you still have to receive them, right? Especially when they brought you here."
"Alright… so you still don't know how he found you?"
"He didn't say, but I'm guessing—if he's your friend, he probably asked around about your social circle. Knowing you're close to me isn't strange."
"That's fair."
Iris still felt unsettled, like she'd forgotten something important.
"Oh, right—Leon is still in the guest room. Do you want to see him?"
Thump! Iris tried to stand up from the bed, but she stepped wrong and tumbled off the side.
Damn it—why am I getting this flustered over him?! Is it because he beat me last night, and then caught me at the critical moment so I wouldn't get hurt? I've never been that intimate with a man before!
Calm down. He's so goal-oriented—maybe it was all part of his plan. If I care too much, I'll fall right into it!
Iris's little moment of panic made Grani burst into laughter all over again.
"I really like that human's looks," Grani said, still laughing, "but your big sister has to warn you to be careful. You're not as steady as I am. I'm not afraid of being tricked, but you're easy to fool. Humans are the smartest race on the continent. Even if their overall status and strength are lower than ours, they often covet our beauty and do things like kidnapping and seduction."
"Then why were you acting so lovestruck just now?" Iris said, deadpan.
"That's different," Grani laughed. "Being tricked by a handsome guy and being tricked by a bad person—are those the same thing?"
Iris pouted. One day you'll get fooled clean.
Still, Iris admitted to herself that she did need to be wary of the possibility of Leon luring her into a trap—or worse.
But since she'd made a wager with him, she couldn't just ignore it. She was someone who kept her word.
A dungeon… she'd never gone with anyone besides her mother before.
Fine. I'll probe his intentions first.
…
In the reception hall.
Leon sat on one side of the sofa in formal attire. Across from him sat Grani and Iris, each on a side.
They sat left and right, legs crossed, showing long pale calves and delicate ankles.
Both wore light-colored, everyday-style slip dresses.
With beauty like theirs, anything looked good.
Grani's beauty was sweet with a hidden sharpness; Iris's beauty was proud with a touch of softness.
As for their posture and expressions—there was only one word: elegant.
No extra expression at all.
Of course, to Leon—who knew these two characters well—that "elegance" also carried a faintly amusing edge.
A beastwoman maid served red tea.
"This is a fine beverage from the Eastern Kingdom. Please enjoy."
Grani gestured gracefully.
Iris, equally composed, offered her thanks.
"Leon, I have to thank you for healing my injuries yesterday and bringing me here for Grani to look after. I hope you won't take my loss of composure last night to heart. As agreed, I will join your party."
She intended to use this to figure out whether she'd been fooled. Thinking back, she was increasingly convinced that cheque had been suspicious—she just lacked proof. And the cheque was already back in Leon's hands.
Leon was surprised. He hadn't even brought it up, and Iris had agreed so quickly.
Was that because her affection had risen to 50%?
Fifty percent was indeed decent—but it wasn't enough to turn into a "lover" state.
At 50%, it usually meant high friendliness. But sometimes even rivals could reach 50%—mutual respect despite being enemies.
Above 60%, there was a slight chance of crossing into romance.
But depending on personality, even 70% or 80% might still not become lovers.
At 80%, with a little push, romance usually happened.
At 90%, you were talking about lovers who'd survived life and death together—long-term love and companionship.
At 100%, it meant unwavering devotion.
As for above 100%… that probably required stacking multiple buffs and major events.
For Leon, affection mainly mattered for smoother quest completion—and for the heroine talents unlocked after 90%.
If he could reach 100%, it would probably trigger extra rewards.
This panel was his only "cheat"—he had to use it well.
As an aside, Leon remembered a post he'd seen on game forums in his previous life:
If a character above C-rank reached affection above 100%, it would trigger a mysterious reward.
And the higher a character's plot weight, the harder their affection was to raise.
For B-rank characters, only a handful of players had ever successfully "cleared" them.
For A-rank characters—even single-A, whether plot-A or potential-A—Leon had never heard of anyone succeeding.
For S-rank, forget it.
As for Grani, her character panel hadn't activated. Probably her plot rank wasn't high enough—or lower-tier characters required specific conditions.
But even without a panel, Leon knew Grani very well.
She was a popular supporting character.
She was Iris's colleague and "older cousin," polite to everyone, with exceptional social skills.
Among the elven diplomats stationed in Holsha, she was mainly responsible for communication with the royal court—an extremely important role.
That was Grani on the surface.
In reality, beneath that polite exterior was a personality like a little devil.
With outsiders, she was impeccably courteous.
With close friends, she loved teasing them relentlessly.
And when it was time to act, she was proactive and aggressive—never once dropping the ball in crucial scenes.
Her story presence followed Iris's, appearing in Parts One, Two, and Four.
After the final battle of Part Four, she gained a legendary epic for helping Iris and the other heroines save the world, becoming a seventh-tier legend.
Of course, the world was saved—but most weaklings still got wiped out. So Leon's goal remained unchanged: become the strongest.
Even if it meant growing more "wings," and even if he accidentally got dragged into a jealous harem war—so be it!
"Leon," Iris said, seeing him seemingly lost in thought. She chose to open the conversation herself. "I know it's a bit rude to ask, but are you really a first-tier mage? Why is your mana so abundant? And how are you casting so fast?"
She intended to probe him indirectly—see if he slipped up, see if something about him didn't add up.