"You…?!"
Kurose Akira's eyes flew wide open as he stared in disbelief at the unfamiliar woman who was biting into his neck.
"Akira!"
Lucia and the others rushed forward instinctively, but Akira raised his hand, stopping them.
Because he could clearly feel it—
The restless, violent blood that had been churning within him was gradually calming down.
Even more strangely…
He felt no discomfort at all.
Her sharp fangs seemed to carry a numbing effect, dulling pain to the point where he could barely feel anything.
At the same time, Akira confirmed her identity.
She was the Legendary-rarity vampire adventurer from Fiona Xu's guild.
"Shaa~"
The woman loosened her bite, gently brushing her fingertip across the wound on Akira's neck. She then lifted her finger to her lips and slowly licked away the lingering blood.
Only then did she speak, her voice soft and unhurried.
"How do you feel now? A little better?"
"…Yeah. Much better. Thank you."
Akira nodded sincerely.
After having his blood drained, he could clearly feel his body becoming lighter, more relaxed—an effect that surpassed even the Moonlight Ritual he had undergone before.
"Petico, you actually drank this man's blood?"
A surprised voice rang out from the entrance of the Celestial Consort Guild's hall.
A girl with blue twin-tails had appeared. Seeing Petico feeding on Akira, her eyes widened in astonishment.
"His blood is… somewhat special," Petico replied calmly. "And this was something the Guild Master asked me to do."
"Ohhh~ so that's how it is."
The twin-tailed girl grinned mischievously, lightly touching her lips with a fingertip.
"You always kept your distance from men—I thought you were scared of them or something. But if it's the Guild Master's order, then yeah, you do need to work on that~"
"Lanlan, don't say strange things."
"..."
Akira stood quietly to the side, listening to their exchange.
Only now did everything click.
So Petico hadn't bitten him on a whim—it had been Fiona Xu's instruction.
"Oh? You're already here?"
At that moment, the teleportation gate flared with light once more.
Two figures stepped into the hall—Guren and Azkman.
With their return, Akira finally understood.
Fiona Xu had taken the Celestial Consort Guild members out together earlier.
Including Guren, Azkman, Petico, and the blue-haired twin-tailed girl, Akira had now seen four members of the Celestial Consort Guild.
According to what Fiona Xu had previously said, the guild's main combat force consisted of eight core members.
Adding the Life Mage Kailynn and the Holy Church's Saint Delorie, there were still two members he hadn't met yet.
What surprised Akira, however, was something else entirely.
He realized—
The adventurers of Fiona Xu's guild all seemed to be… women?
Just as that thought surfaced, the teleportation array lit up again with brilliant white light.
This time, Fiona Xu herself stepped out, leading four more adventurers into the hall.
"You've already arrived?" Fiona Xu said with a smile as she approached Akira in high heels. "I thought you might come a bit later, so I took them out for a short trip. Sorry to keep you waiting."
Akira shook his head and naturally shifted his gaze to the four adventurers behind her.
Among them were the two he hadn't met before.
They looked strikingly similar and each had a pair of cat ears.
Twins?
Cat-ear girls?
…Cute.
"I'll go put some things away," Fiona Xu said. "Please, have a seat for now."
With that, she turned and walked into the inner chambers.
Akira nodded and sat down on one of the plush sofas.
Lucia and the others sat closely beside him, while the members of the Celestial Consort Guild took seats opposite them. The gazes of both sides met in the open space between.
No sooner had they settled in than quiet chatter began among the Celestial Consort Guild members.
The cat-ear twins leaned close together, whispering to each other, their eyes frequently sneaking toward Viola at Akira's side—clearly intrigued by her.
Meanwhile, the Holy Church's Saint, Delorie, seemed… off.
Her gaze kept avoiding Akira's side of the room, as if she didn't dare make eye contact with them.
This struck Akira as odd.
He turned his head slightly toward Lucia.
Lucia sat calmly beside him, white gauze lightly veiling her gold-and-crimson eyes, her presence cool and distant, yet faintly mysterious.
Noticing his look, she asked softly, "What is it?"
"Nothing."
Akira shook his head gently and looked away.
He wasn't familiar with the hierarchy of the Holy Church's saint system and didn't know whether there were strict distinctions in status.
But judging from the demeanor and bearing of Lucia and Delorie…
He arrived at a tentative conclusion—
Lucia's status was far higher than Delorie's.
"Please enjoy your tea."
At that moment, the Life Mage Kailynn approached and served tea to Akira and the others.
"Thank you."
Akira accepted the cup politely.
A rich green-tea fragrance wafted up immediately, mixed with an overwhelming aura of life that made his mind feel refreshed and clear.
[Life Green Tea (Rare): After drinking, gain +50% Life Recovery!]
Just as Akira was about to savor it—
"Disgusting! It's that female dragon's aura! Take it away—take it away!"
Marei Rhine suddenly complained, her face twisted in disgust as she shoved her teacup back.
She clearly couldn't tolerate the life-aspected energy within it.
Akira sighed helplessly and pulled Marei Rhine's tea over to his side.
Anything connected to that Life Dragon triggered an uncontrollable revulsion in her.
He took a sip.
Instantly, the rich tea aroma bloomed across his tongue, like spring itself dancing in his mouth.
A faint green glow wrapped around his body, filling him with an indescribable sense of comfort.
"This tea is excellent."
Akira set the cup down, smiling in satisfaction.
At that moment, Fiona Xu emerged once more from the inner chambers.
She looked at Akira and said, "The high-risk demon lair extermination operation is expected to begin in about an hour. At that time, I'll activate the teleportation array and send the adventurers of our two guilds to their respective battlefields."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"As for the detailed personnel assignments, we'll need to discuss them carefully. However, since this involves the core secrets of both guilds, we'll need to sign a confidentiality contract first—to ensure that neither side's interests or privacy are compromised."
"That's fine," Akira agreed without hesitation.
Fiona Xu then gestured for him to follow her. "Please come with me. There's a suitable room inside for signing the contract."
"Alright."
As Akira and Fiona Xu entered the inner chamber, Delorie—who had been sitting quietly—felt a wave of unease surge through her heart.
She stood up anxiously, her eyes fixed on Lucia across from her, emotions churning violently inside.
Until yesterday, she would never have imagined—
That the supremely exalted Pope of Light would one day step into an adventurer guild… just like her.
As Delorie stared at Lucia, a voice suddenly echoed directly within her mind.
"Do not forget what I told you yesterday. You understand, don't you… Delorie?"
Delorie immediately lowered her head.
In her heart, she replied with utmost reverence:
"Yes… yes, Your Holiness."