“Haha, Sister Li Jia~ That tickles~”
Aya Jiu’s cheeks flushed crimson from the teasing. She clutched Li Jia’s clothes tightly, pressing her small head against the soft, ample curve of her chest.
Then, as if in playful retaliation, she rubbed her head against it.
For a moment, it was hard to tell who to envy more.
But Aya Tone had no time for envy; four troublesome guests awaited his attention inside.
He pulled Li Jia towards the house.
As they walked, he whispered, “Help me get rid of them.”
Li Jia seemed puzzled, but a slight arch of her brow registered as she took in the scene in the living room.
‘A pre-dinner drama to savor?’
Her gaze met Aya Tone’s.
‘All of them?’
Aya Tone nodded.
Receiving his affirmation, Li Jia released her embrace, handing the small child to Aya Tone before striding forward to wrap an arm around Fire Wushuang’s shoulders.
She didn’t know the other three, but Fire Wushuang was a familiar face!
Moreover, this girl had been the team’s linchpin since childhood. ‘Catch the ringleader first.’ Finding her was the right move.
No one knew what she whispered into Fire Wushuang’s ear, but the latter’s usually placid face suddenly contorted in fright.
She then bowed to Aya Tone and, pulling a bewildered Lin Ling along, made her exit.
Judging by their haste, ‘fleeing’ might have been a more apt description.
Seeing this, the other two women said little, simply bidding farewell before following suit.
Though they didn’t understand why Fire Wushuang had left with Lin Ling without a word, they were close friends. The fundamental trust between them meant there had to be a reason for such abrupt departure.
“Impressive…” Aya Tone couldn’t help but marvel, realizing his “payment” hadn’t been in vain.
“Time to eat, time to eat.”
However, upon seeing the lavish spread on the table, his heart sank.
‘No way…’
“Big White, they must have eaten already, right…?”
“No.”
Aya Tone was speechless.
‘Damn it… Aya Jiu mentioned they arrived this afternoon, so of course they haven’t eaten!’
But now that they were gone, he couldn’t very well call them back.
So, he reluctantly told Big White, “Well, Big White, save a little of each dish, and send the rest over to them.”
Their presence at the apartment suggested they likely lived nearby.
Having Big White deliver food would be a form of compensation.
After dinner.
Aya Tone looked at Li Jia curiously. “What did you tell my sister? Teach me your ways; I’ll try it next time.”
“It was nothing much, really. I just told her you were their teacher, and then they left.”
“Huh?”
“WHAT!!!”
Aya Tone’s eyes widened, and in an instant, he felt as if his world had collapsed.
He pointed a dumbfounded finger at Li Jia’s nose, utterly unable to utter a single word.
‘I asked you to get rid of them precisely to prevent my identity from being exposed!’
‘You, on the other hand, went straight to the root of the problem. I can’t say you were wrong, as the desired effect was achieved.’
‘But… you accidentally took out an ally along with the target during the attack.’
“I was just teasing.” Seeing Aya Tone’s distraught expression, Li Jia found it amusing, silently lamenting that he wasn’t in his female form.
However, she knew that with Aya Jiu at home, Aya Tone couldn’t possibly transform.
“Fire Wushuang, that child, I’ve known and ‘bullied’ her since we were kids. I just scared her a bit, and then she ran off.”
“You really didn’t say anything?”
Hearing that his secret hadn’t been betrayed, Aya Tone instantly revived, full of vigor.
‘As long as my disguise isn’t blown, it’s fine.’
‘How much longer can I keep it hidden, though…?’
There was no such thing as an airtight wall in this world; the more people who knew a secret, the less of a secret it remained.
From the moment Li Jia had unveiled his disguise, he had already anticipated that his true identity would inevitably become known to more and more people.
But not yet.
“Regardless, thank you.”
“So, can you transform now and let me hug you?”
“Get lost!”
****
The next day, at the Vermilion Bird Guild.
The door to the President’s office burst open with a loud ‘bang,’ having been forcefully kicked.
Aya Tone stormed to the desk, his small hand slamming down with a sharp crack.
“Your sister living in Heavenly Fate Apartments—that was your doing, wasn’t it?”
He wouldn’t believe for a second that Fire Finch hadn’t played a hand in this!
Fire Finch set down her pen and glanced out. Her secretary, understanding the cue, promptly closed the open door, leaving the two alone.
“Wushuang told me those three girls came from humble backgrounds, so I thought I’d help if I could. I just didn’t expect…”
She had heard about last night from Li Jia and admitted her oversight.
She offered an apology.
Fire Finch’s demeanor, so uncharacteristic, left Aya Tone momentarily bewildered.
It was too unfamiliar, unlike the Guild President he knew.
“It’s nothing, really. Just give me a heads-up next time.” His anger, in truth, had been doused by a bucket of cold water the moment he learned the three also sought to save money.
His understanding of Lin Ling and the other two had always been limited to them being his juniors, fans, or students.
Perhaps his pockets had grown too plump recently, making him forget that not everyone was wealthy.
“Next time, absolutely!” A glint of successful scheming flickered in Fire Finch’s eyes.
‘I knew it. Aya Tone, with his sharp tongue and soft heart, could never resist such a pitiable tale.’
Yesterday she hadn’t thought much, creating a big mess, but she had expected Aya Tone to come looking for trouble today.
‘And here he is…’
“Oh, and the favor you asked for last night? It’s done.”
“Understood…”
Leaving the guild filled with remorse, Aya Tone happened upon the four women arriving for their gathering.
As her gaze fell upon Lin Ling and the other two, she hesitated, words catching in her throat, before a wave of guilt washed over her.
“W-well, about that…”
“I’ll transfer your share of the dungeon earnings directly to your accounts.”
The three women blinked in surprise.
Ye Liu’s mind raced, frantically analyzing the implications of her words.
Lin Ling, however, didn’t overthink it. Her face fell as she wailed, “Teacher, is it because we disturbed Uncle Aya last night that you’re planning to send us away?”
To her, this sounded suspiciously like a farewell, a clear sign they were being told to go their separate ways.
Ye Liu, equally reluctant, gripped Aya Tone’s arm, refusing to let go.
“I’m not sending you away. I just feel bad letting you work for free,” Aya Tone sighed. For the sake of his students’ pride, she couldn’t be blunt.
As for the events of last night, they were naturally pushed to the back of her mind.
She even tacitly accepted the premise of playing two roles.
‘Uncle it is, then.’
In the subsequent dungeon runs, Aya Tone completely altered her teaching methods.
Not only did she meticulously demonstrate techniques firsthand, but she also specifically took the time to create individual spaces for them to battle B-rank monsters.
Her focus was entirely on giving her utmost.
The moment the B-rank monster’s head was severed, Aya Tone felt a thrill even greater than if she had done it herself.
Pocketing the B-rank magic core, she happily told the group, “A B-rank magic core is worth tens of thousands. If we kill a few more, each of you should earn over a hundred thousand, which should help improve your lives.”
These unexpected words momentarily stunned the three women.
But the healing light that followed immediately erased their worries, making them feel as comfortable as if they were basking in a winter hot spring, causing them to squint their eyes in bliss.