After dinner, the atmosphere in Arx Inn grew calm again. The fire crackled softly in the hearth, casting warm light across the simple wooden walls.
Luke sat at a chair near the table, closing the inventory book he had been recording. He sighed, then turned his gaze to Nyx, who sat not far from him. The demon girl was busy arranging small sticks and dried leaves, trying to make a simple wall decoration with a serious, focused expression.
"Nyx," Luke finally spoke carefully. "I need to talk to you about something."
Nyx looked up, her hands stopping. She set her little DIY craft on the blanket covering her body, then stared at Luke with wary eyes.
"What is it?"
Luke paused, choosing his words. He explained what Arx had told him about the staff bond, a formal connection between the innkeeper, the inn, and core staff.
The bond would allow Nyx to grow alongside the inn. As Arx Inn expanded, she would grow stronger too. She would gain access to the system, resources, and new abilities.
On the other side, Luke would always be able to sense her presence, physically and emotionally, if Nyx was in danger.
She listened without interrupting, her crimson eyes studying Luke's face as if searching for honesty.
"Is there a catch?" she finally asked.
Luke smiled faintly, appreciating her caution. "It needs complete trust from both of us. If there's doubt, it won't work."
"And if it works?"
"Then you become part of this place permanently. Only if you want to."
Silence fell again, the crackling fire the only sound between them.
"Luke," Nyx said softly. "I already trust you. You saved me."
Warmth filled Luke's chest. Not many people in his life had ever given him such trust, not even his family back on Earth.
Here, he had to survive. And now, having the inn and staff to help him run this strange business was the only way forward.
Still, he hesitated, asking once more, really to himself: "Once we do this, there's no going back. You sure?"
The demon girl looked straight at him without hesitation. "I'm sure."
Luke drew a deep breath. "Alright. Arx, how do we do this?"
"Hmmm, okay," Luke said, sitting straighter. "I, Luke Dawn, accept Nyx as the first staff member of Arx Inn. I promise to protect her, support her, and treat her as family."
"And I, Nyx, accept the role of staff at Arx Inn. I promise to serve loyally, protect this place, and stand by Luke's side," she said, following his example.
As the words left them, something shifted inside Luke. He could now sense Nyx's presence and emotions, her fears, her excitement about the inn, all blending into a new awareness. It didn't overwhelm him. He simply recognized them.
A brown system panel appeared before him.
[Staff Bond Established]
[Nyx has been registered as Core Staff Member #1]
[Analyzing Nyx's capabilities…]
[Optimal Role Detected: Assistant Manager]
[Granting Role to the staff]
Suddenly Nyx's eyes went blank and her body stiffened.
"Shit! Nyx!" Luke leapt from his chair, rushing to catch her as she slumped from the sofa, holding her tightly. "Arx, what the hell is happening?"
"Don't worry? She looks like she's dying!" Luke shouted, panicked.
The panel shifted.
[Skills granted to Assistant Manager]
[Skills Acquired: Bookkeeping (Basic)]
[Skills Acquired: Customer Service (Basic)]
[Skills Acquired: Inventory Management (Basic)]
[Passive Ability unlocked: Innkeeper's Assistant – Enhanced learning speed for hospitality-related tasks]
Nyx suddenly gasped, her eyes focusing again. She looked at Luke, amazed.
"I… I know things now. How to record data, how to track inventory. It just appeared in my head," she said in awe.
Luke exhaled in relief. "Yeah. It gives you a foundation. I can teach you the advanced stuff later."
Nyx flinched. "Wait… was that…?"
She looked around, then back at Luke, her expression a mix of wonder and confusion. "I can hear the inn talking. This is so weird!"
Luke chuckled. "You get used to it. Trust me. Arx has opinions about literally everything."
"You're a smartass, that's what you are."
Nyx covered her mouth, laughing softly. "You two really bicker like an old married couple."
"Hey!" Luke protested, though grinning.
"Oh great, now you're ganging up on me," Luke said, shaking his head.
Arx explained that only core staff could communicate directly with him. Regular staff could still be recruited, but without special bonds, system access, or mental links.
"It makes sense," Luke muttered in agreement. They couldn't trust everyone this deeply.
Nyx lowered her head, whispering. "So… I'm special?"
"Yes," Luke echoed at the same time.
She fell silent, eyes glistening. She said nothing, but her smile said everything.
—
Luke returned to his room, and Nyx went to hers, accepting that she should sleep in her own chamber now, as an assistant manager. She had grown, no longer the frightened child she once was.
Lying down, Luke stared at the ceiling, thinking about the bond, the connection, and the weight of responsibility he now carried.
Then he remembered to check his status, something he had forgotten though the system had mentioned it before.
"Status," he whispered.
A brown panel, not the blue ones he'd seen in comics or anime, floated before him, casting a soft glow across his face.
[Luke Dawn – Monster Innkeeper]
[Inn Stage: Foundation]
[Class Skills: Hospitality Magic (Dormant), Sanctuary Creation (Basic), Staff Bond (1/?)]
[Personal Skills: Accounting (Expert), Cooking (Advanced), Cleaning (Intermediate), Customer Service (Intermediate)]
[Passive Abilities: Sanctuary Sense (knows when inn and staff are threatened)]
[Core Staff Members: 1]
[Nyx (Demon/Succubus – Mature)
Role: Assistant Manager
Bond Strength: 89%
Skills: Bookkeeping (Basic), Customer Service (Basic), Inventory Management (Basic)
Communication: Mental Link Active
Status: Stable]
"This is really complete, lol," Luke muttered in awe.