“Hey, do you remember anything after I told you that I’m really fond of you?”

Currently, an hour or so had passed since Minerva and I went back home while lewdly holding hands. And as of right now, the two of us were relaxing together in my room in order to escape from the rest of the house. No, it was more accurate to say that I was preventing Minerva’s embarrassment from blowing up since the whole household didn’t actually go out of their way to bother us. 

“Well, not really,” she replied while awkwardly squirming. 

“What do you mean by that?” I asked, curious on whether she noticed that I had passed out on her bed before. 

“I umm.... had a dream,” she answered, now blushing. “It was a really nice one too.”

“Uh, was I in it?” I wondered, drawing the conclusion that the cause of her awkwardness was due to the nature of the dream.

“Yeah,” Minerva admitted. “It was a really nice dream where we were living together.”

I blinked boredly for a bit before answering. 

“We already live together, remember?”

“Well in the dream you would always cook for me when I finish with work,” Minerva said wistfully.

“That’s also a part of our reality,” I pointed out. “Minerva, are you sure you aren’t going senile?”

“Ah, now I remember,” Minerva declared, ignoring my previous comments. “After dinner you would give me a massage and ask me about my day. Then we’d snuggle in bed together with you kissing me lightly before we fell asleep.”

“How do you even fall asleep in your dreams?” I pondered, quite off topic at this point. 

“I don’t remember that part,” she replied while looking quite happy. “I just remember the nice warm parts.”

“It’s pretty similar to our regular life,” I told her. “If you want, we can do the stuff in your dreams when we get back to Damask. Well, I’ll still spend time with Sekh, but I’m planning to split the week roughly in two.”

“Please do,” Minerva said while nodding her head vigorously. 

“This is a bit of an odd request, but can I rub your head?” I asked the overly cute Minerva while she was looking excited.

 Caught off guard, Minerva blinked for a bit, blushed, and finally nodded timidly in agreement. 

“I knew it, you are super cute,” I declared happily while running my hand through Minerva’s silver hair. 

“Am I as cute as Sekh?” Minerva asked shyly while looking up at me. 

“Yeah, I’d say so,” I replied. “Well each of you have your own appeals, so it’s not really an easy comparison. But the bottom line is that you are, in fact, super cute.”

Minerva seemed delighted by my response, now gently bobbing her head while smiling happily. And although the sight of her made my heart skip a beat or two, I started wondering about how the clerks at the Bureau would react to seeing even a fraction of this. 

Although Minerva was certainly affectionate towards people, I don’t think anyone at the Bureau had seen her giddy like this. And I’m certain that this scene would be jarring for the clerks to say the least.

“Hey, you want to go out for a date before we leave Tyros?” I asked Minerva. 

“Sure,” Minerva said excitedly. “I already know some good places for us to go to.”

“I’ll leave it to you then,” I replied with a smile, quite content that Minerva was gaining some confidence. 

Of course this wouldn’t be the only outing I would have in Damask. I still had plans with Sekh and I had also promised to meet with Gaius, the youth that I had fought for my position in the committee. 

The rest of the day went on relatively fine. Although everyone was still dealing with the sudden news of the change in relation between Minerva and I, I felt that they took it well in stride. The most fortunate part was how everyone had a silent agreement to tease me instead of Minerva, which I found mildly amusing.

Two days later, the first of my very important meetings took place: my date with Sekh. Around an hour before noon, the two of us departed from the house, both dressed in light winter clothing. Sekh had a cute knitted coat while I was wearing a slightly less cute coat. As for our destination, it was the seafood restaurant that Cornelia had taken us to when we first arrived in the city. 

“Hehe, it’s just the two of us this time,” Sekh giggled while I led her towards a table. 

“Sekh, you’re the one that brought Zeph along with us,” I pointed out. 

“I know,” Sekh said without any guilt. “But there's a time for friends and there’s a time for us.”

“Speaking about the division of time,” I started. “I’m planning to split my time in half for you and Minerva. And I know that I’ve been with you longer, but I need to prevent blatant favoritism. Is that alright with you?”

“Well, do you love me more?” Sekh asked while narrowing her eyes. 

“I’m not answering that question,” I sighed. “Favoritism normally just causes harm in relationships like this. I really just want to make sure that both of you are happy.”

Smiling, Sekh rose from her seat and gave me a peck on the nose. 

“You’re super cute right now, Azel. But I want to promise something too. I’ll make sure that both Minerva and I will make you happy as well.”

“Thanks Sekh,” I said warmly. “I’m really happy that you’re with me.”

“Unfortunately we’re in public right now,” Sekh mockingly complained. “So we’ll have to hold off on most displays of affection.”

“Most?” I wondered. “You still want us to feed each other right?”

Instead of answering, Sekh just thrust her fork into my hand with a knowing look. Well I don’t mind it at all, I just find it strange how she overly enjoys the act of us feeding each other. 

Once the food arrived, the two of us indulged ourselves in our semi-regular activity. As for the rest of the restaurant, most people only paid us a quick glance before chalking us up as two young idiots in love, something that I can’t really deny. 

The rest of the day was mostly spent relaxing, which meant sitting leisurely at home while eating snacks. Apart from that, I also visited Gaius’ home to schedule when I would come over for dinner. The decided date was in two days, though it seems that his family had already started making preparations. 

But more importantly, my date with Minerva was tomorrow, which meant I had to prepare. Compared to Sekh, Minerva was clearly more of a romantic. Plus this would be our first date, so I’d like to make a good impression. 

“Oh, so you’re already asking for advice?” Cornelia teased me when I went to her with a few questions. 

“Well I think I know her quite well,” I said while rubbing the back of my head. “But I’ve never really had the chance to know what type of style she prefers from men.”

“Just dress casually,” Cornelia told me. “Last time I checked, Minerva prefers people who aren’t full of themselves. Besides, she likes you a lot so just don’t do something particularly stupid and you’ll be fine.”

“Thank you,” I replied. “But I really want to ensure a good experience for her.”

“You’ll make a great husband for her,” Cornelia insisted. “Just let things take their time and let us know when you two are ready. You already have family approval after all.”

“I can tell,” I answered. “And I appreciate the help as well.”

“Don’t worry, it’s my job after all,” she replied. “I’ll also make sure to take Sekh and Zeph out while you’re gone.”

“Did you have to go this far for Cadmus?” I wondered.

“Not at all,” she sighed. “He just comes home with some girl every once in a while. Then next thing you know, they’re married.”

“Some people are just like that,” I commented. 

But now that I think about it, I wonder what it would be like for me to visit my own family. At this point I had pretty much cut ties with them, so much so that I didn’t consider their approval necessary for my possible future marriages. Still, it doesn’t seem to matter since everyone more or less understands the tenuous relation between my family and I.

The following day after breakfast, I went back to my room to prepare for my day with Minerva. After some careful selection, I picked out a simple yellow coat with white pants. 

When I got downstairs, Minerva wasn’t there yet, something that continued for around ten or so minutes. Finally, the person in question arrived downstairs wearing a beautiful silken red dress, something made possible by the slightly warmer weather in Tyros. 

“You look really great,” I said with an easy smile. “Honestly makes me feel a bit shabby in comparison.”

“No, it’s fine,” Minerva said nervously. “You look great yourself too.”

“I’m glad then,” I replied while still grinning. “Shall we go then?”

“Sure,” Minerva answered. “I’ll lead the way.”

“If you’re leading then I think it might be a good idea for us to hold hands,” I teased. “After all, it would be quite bad if I got lost.”

Minerva blinked for a bit before extending her hand out while blushing.

Gently, I grabbed her hand and smiled encouragingly at her. And despite my charm, she still appeared quite nervous about the matter but proceeded nonetheless. 

Our first stop for the day was a library within the inner district. Compared to the place that we regularly visited in Damask, this location was a fair bit larger. Though there was no adjacent cafe so some sacrifices had to be made.

Within the stone building, the two of us walked along the oaken wood floor in search of books that interested us. But because we weren’t planning to split up, I ended up getting pulled into the romance section. 

“You don’t have to stay with me, you know?” Minerva said while I was going around with her. 

“But that defeats that point of the date,” I explained. “Besides, it’s fun as long as I’m with you.”

Looking down towards the floor, Minerva pouted, which I could fortunately see. 

“It’s a bit upsetting that such a cliche line just worked on me.”

“I am pretty good right?” I continued, trying to suppress a smirk. 

“Yeah,” Minerva replied warmly. 

“Normally this is where Sekh and I start having a verbal spar,” I thought. “But I guess each person has a different reaction.”

As we were walking around the library, we both saw the familiar sight of Atticus, Minerva’s mentor, browsing about on his own. Yet the moment that he turned to face us, he simply looked, blinked, nodded, and then turned back away. During the entire silent exchange, Minerva was waving at him to no avail.

“He’s either trying to give us as much time to spend with each other,” I began to explain. “Or he has no clue what to do in this situation.”

“It really can be either option,” Minerva sighed.

“Let’s assume the best and say it’s the former,” I insisted.

A short while later, the two of us left the library for lunch. The place where we arrived was a fancy cafe, which had coffee so I was happy. 

“I haven’t been here before, so do you have any recommendations for me?” I asked Minerva when we sat down at a table. 

“The smoked meat sandwiches are really good here,” she told me. 

In the end, Minerva ordered a sandwich consisting of roast beef, mustard, and onions while I got my own sandwich with grilled chicken, pickled spicy peppers, and onions. Thus the both of us would be sharing bad breath after this meal. 

“Hey, can we try feeding each other?” Minerva requested when the waiter left our table.

“Huh?” I uttered in surprise. “How come?”

“Well I see you and Sekh do it a lot, so I wanted to try it out,” Minerva explained shyly. 

“You know that you don’t have to try to compete with her,” I pointed out.

“That’s not the point,” Minerva continued. “I just want to see what the appeal is.”

“Alright,” I conceded. “I’ll feed you first, ok?”

After receiving a nod of approval, I picked up her sandwich and guided it towards her mouth. To my slight surprise, Minerva closed her eyes before chomping down, the pressure causing the juices to slightly leak onto one of my fingers. 

Once she separated from the sandwich, Minerva opened her eyes and began to chew. As she was doing so, I looked down at my pointer finger, which was now slick with juices, and licked the liquid right off, provoking a blush from Minerva. Of course I cleaned my hands with a napkin after, but I got tempted by the aroma emanating from my finger. 

“I’m sorry, I can’t do this,” Minerva said after swallowing. “I really like it, but it’s too embarrassing in public.”

“Wait, so I have to eat my sandwich like a normal person then?” I jokingly complained. 

“Yeah,” Minerva said apologetically. “I’ll make it up to you later, but I really can’t do this.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” I insisted. “Seeing that cute reaction from you was enough. Plus I’m rather fond of behaving like a normal person. It’s just that living with Sekh doesn’t provide me with many opportunities to do so.”

Giggling, Minerva smiled and continued to eat her sandwich, which must have tasted quite good based on my small sample.

The two of us continued dawdling about at the cafe after our lunch, now sipping on juice mixed with mint, the main purpose was to snuff out the potential of onion breath. 

“Hey Minerva,” I called out to her as we were relaxing. “What do you think about me revealing my identity when we go back to Damask?”

Minerva looked at me with her big red eyes while scratching her cheek thoughtfully. 

“Do you have a reason for wanting to do so?”

“Well I thought it would be necessary eventually,” I answered. “More importantly, the reception I got in this city was fairly tame so I’m feeling a bit hopeful about my prospects.”

“You remember that the region of Damask has a history with the war, right?” Minerva pointed out. 

“I know,” I sighed. “But it’s better to fix things sooner. I honestly think that hiding my identity might have been more negative in the long run for my reputation in Damask.”

“Maybe,” Minerva commented. “Well it’s important to consider that you did help out a lot of people in the city and I think most people who already know you have a favorable stance towards you. So I think a reasonable amount of people will be accepting of you.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” I told her. “Still, I know that there are going to be people upset by this, but I want to get it over with as soon as possible.”

“That’s good,” Minerva said warmly. “But just remember that no matter what happens, I’ll be there for you.”

I don’t exactly know why, but hearing this from her made me feel incredibly relieved and warm. 

“Azel, you’re turning a bit red,” Minerva pointed out, looking quite surprised.

Without speaking, I just went over to Minerva and pulled her into a tight hug, my chin now resting upon her shoulder. 

“Thanks,” I whispered into her pointed ear. “That really made my day, even if it was cliche.”

“A-ah, it’s okay,” Minerva stuttered. “I’m really glad that my lame line could make you feel so happy.”

“It’s the feelings behind the words that matter,” I pointed out while smiling brightly. 

A while later, after the two of us returned home, both very content with how we spent our day. Of course the delighted looks on our faces were noticed when we got back, a few teasing comments being shot in our direction. 

On the next day at dinner, I departed the Considia household by myself to go to Gaius’ home. Although Minerva asked to come along, Gaius’ family hadn’t been told of such a development so I thought it would be impolite to bring her along. More importantly, Cadmus had told me that Gaius’ family was genuinely looking forward to working with me. 

So after entering Gaius’ house, I was warmly greeted by his parents, grandparents, and siblings. The treatment was actually fairly similar to how Minerva’s family treated me. So I have no doubt that they have some favor to ask of me. This assumption proved to be quite accurate when we sat down for dinner.

“Sir hero, we have a request for you,” Gaius’ father began as the food was laid out before us. “Is it possible for you to take my son with you to Damask to develop his military talent?”

“Sure,” I replied. “Damask can always use competent personnel. However, I can’t promise that Gaius will receive a high rank at first. If I’m being honest, he’ll probably be assigned the position of a low ranking officer. It’s also inevitable that he’ll have to do paperwork for a fair portion of his time, though he’ll also get his share of field experience.”

“That’s fine,” Gaius replied. “I’ve already begun making preparations to leave so you’ll see me in Damask soon.”

Although his parents seem less enthused at the prospect of their son having to slowly climb the ranks, they nonetheless agreed. For the rest of dinner, I explained to them the possibilities of Gaius’ future in Damask.

Based on my evaluation of him, I deemed that Gaius would likely start off as a low ranking officer, though he could end up as a regular soldier if he failed his interview. Additionally, I made it clear that I would not provide any unfair help as that would defeat the purpose of a learning experience. 

“So you’ll be going to Damask separately?” I asked Gaius when dinner had finished. 

“Of course, I wouldn’t want to intrude on your group,” he told me. “My presence would ruin the harem atmosphere after all.”

Quite unfortunately, his statement was very true. In fact, I had been in that position once and I would consider it to be uncomfortable for all parties involved.

“Sure, sure,” I waved off. “But make sure that your entourage isn’t too small. Although I’ve been sending out more patrols, I can’t completely guarantee the safety of the road to Damask.”

“It’s fine,” he answered. “I’m not that stupid. And if I do get attacked, I’ll just fight off my aggressors and use it as an opportunity to get an early promotion.”

“Promotions aren’t worth much if you die,” I pointed out.

“Don’t worry about it,” he replied. “Now I’ll try not to take up anymore of your time since you have Cadmus’ sister waiting for you at home after all.”

Seeing the slightly irked look on my face, Gaius put his hands in the air to form a mock surrender.

“Sorry, I just saw you two at lunch today. I was going to interrupt but then I saw you feeding her.”

“Watch out for suspiciously well armed bandits on your way to Damask then,” I joked in a flat tone. 

“Ah I get it,” he laughed. “I’ll make sure to erase that memory from my mind  in that case.”

“Well you can't erase a memory that doesn't exist, but go on," I said with a shrug, provoking a grin from Gaius.