*Knock Knock*

Hearing a knock on my bedroom door I got up from my bed and answered it.

In doing so I saw Leonmitchelli standing on the other side.

"Yes?" I asked her.

"Can we talk?" She asked me.

"Am, sure." I said.

I then moved out of the way and let her in, closing the door as soon as she was inside. I then moved back over to my bed while Leonmitchelli took up the chair from my desk.

"So, what do you need to talk about?" I asked her.

"The situation between you and Ryuu." Leonmitchelli said. "And please don't say there's nothing there. We've all noticed it."

Hearing this I put a wry smile on my face.

"So, why is she avoiding you?" Leonmitchelli asked me.

"It's like this." I said. I then explained the whole situation of how I caught Ryuu sleeping while holding my hand back in the dungeon, and that's why she's been basically avoiding me ever since.

Even at dinner earlier she didn't look me in the eye and left the table as soon as he was finished. Giving me no chance to talk to her at all.

I could've chased her down, but given all that happened to today I decided to leave it for later.

"I see." Leonmitchelli said. She then sighed. "REally, that elf is such a handful. Avoiding you over a thing like that."

"Hey Leon don't be like that. Ryuu is an elf, and you know how elven values are." I said. "She's really embarrassed about me seeing her in that situation. Since despite everything Ryuu is still really pure when it comes to matters of sex and such things related to it."

"Yeah, I got you." Leonmitchelli said. "So anyway now that I understand the situation can you just leave everything to me? I'll get her to back to normal with you."

"Sure, please and thank you." I said.

Because I know Leonmitchelli can do this.

"Thanks." She said. "Well that's all I had to say."

Leonmitchelli left my room, and once she did so I went back to bed.

A smile on my face.

This is why it pays to have good friends.

---------------------------------

Entering the guild I spotted Rose at the front desk and immediately started walking towards her, a bright smile on my face.

Ryner and the rest of the guys in the familia trailing behind me, carrying the Goliath's magic stone.

Due to the talk Leonmitchelli and I had last night we decided to split into two groups today.

The guys would come to the guild and deal with all the procedures for our familia defeating the Goliath and collecting the benefits from it.

While the girls are shopping for supplies like food for the Owl House and other things.

Works for me.

Especially if this will get Ryuu to look me straight in the face again.

Reaching Rose at the counter I gave her a wink. "Hello Rose, as beautiful as ever." I told her, flashing her a smile.

"Welcome back." Rose said, ignoring my compliment as usual.

'One day Rose. One day.' I thought. I will break through her armor and make her respond to my comments.

And I'll wait as long as it takes.

Especially since I have decided I want Rose to be a member of my future harem. She's just my type.

So yeah, I'm going to get through to her no matter what.

"Thanks for the warm welcome back."  I said, giving Rose a cheeky smile.

Her brow twitched at my words.

'Yes, progress.' I thought.

"So anyway we're here to turn in this magic stone. It's from the Goliath we defeated." I explained to her.

When I did so Rose's eyes went wide for a second before her mask of indifference came back.

"You guys defeated the Goliath?" Rose asked.

"We sure did." I told her. "So how do we process this baby?" I asked her.

"One moment. There is a form for doing so." Rose said.

She then walked off to retrieve it.

As she did so Rogue walked up to me shaking his head.

"So not only Shakti and Ryuu, but also Rose is in your sights as well?" He asked me.

"Yes." I answered shamelessly.

"Looks like you don't have any shame huh?" Rogue asked.

"Not true, I do have shame. Just not where this topic is concerned." I said.

As I did so I noticed several people looking in our direction and whispering.

More specifically they are looking at Gaul.

Who at the moment has a dark cloud of depression hanging over his head and is crouching towards the ground, rubbing his finger back and forth along the floor.

The reason for this is because last night after Athena got down updating our status's and leveling up those who were ready, it was discovered that Leonmitchelli obtained magic.

Which means out of our original group Gaul is the only one who doesn't have any magic yet.

Hence his current mood.

"Oh Gaul stand up. Everyone is looking at us." William told him.

"Ah, whatever." Gaul said. A hollow-look in his eyes. "It doesn't matter anyway."

"Gaul no need to be so down." Diluc told him. "You're not the only one without any magic. Neither I, William, or Rogue have any either. So we're all in the same boat."

"Yeah, but that's only for now." Gaul quickly countered. "After all you and William are only still level one and Rogue is almost ready to level up, so whose to say you won't gain magic when you do? Unlike me who is level three and still has no magic whatsoever." He said. The cloud of depression getting heavier as he did so. "Magic, I want it."

Looking at Gaul I put a wry smile on my face, as did Ryner.

We can't say anything to him. I gained a new magic spell, and Ryner did as well. So yeah. Us talking to him would only make things worse.

I'll have Athena deal with this when we get back.

Deciding to let Gaul be for the moment I turned back around and watched as Rose returned with the paperwork that she spoke up.

Once she did I filled it out quickly and we turned over the Goliath's magic stone as well as the other magic stones we acquired on this most recent expedition.

In doing so we got a total of 2 billion valis.

The Goliath's magic stone is worth a pretty penny.

Securing our funds we prepared to leave the guild.

But as we did so we ran into some familiar faces.

Alise, Kaguya, and Neze. Along with one other hiding behind them.

"Oh hey Morax, fancy running into you guys here." Neze spoke up.

"Yep, the same." I said.

"So, from the money you have I take it this most recent expedition went well?" Kaguya asked.

"It did." Rogue answered. "It went really well."

"Yeah." Ryner added.

"Oh, do tell?" Alise asked.

"To put it simply we not only defeated the monster rex Goliath but a lot of us also leveled up." I quickly explained. "I for example am now level three."

"Oh, so cool." Alise mused. "Kaguya, Neze, as soon as we get back we're planning another expedition and taking on the Goliath when it respawns. We can't let our allies get too far ahead of us."

"Fu, yes captain." Kaguya said.

"Sure thing." Neze said.

"Alrighty then." Alise said, putting a smile on her face. She then turned to me. "Morax, we're not going to lose to you guys."

"Sure, bring it on." I said.

Since us and the Astrea familia have a friendly competition going on.

After I met Alise's challenge, as usual, I looked at the person behind her once more.

Catching me doing so Alise moved out of the way and exposed the person behind her back.

The moment I laid eyes on her I couldn't believe it.

Since the person behind Alise's back is none other than Filvis Challia.

I'd know the dark-haired and red-eyed elf anywhere.

"Eh, Morax why are you staring so hard at our newest recruit?" Alise asked me, a grin on her face. "Could it be you got captivated by her beauty at first sight and are now in love with her?"

"No." I said, snapping out of my daze. "It's just I've never met an elf with black hair is all."

"Well they are rare." William spoke up.

"Yes, we are." Filvis spoke softly.

"So, she's your newest recruit?" Ryner asked.

"Yep." Alise said, nodding her head. "We came to the guild today to get her registered."

"Which we really should get to. So please excuse us." Kaguya spoke.

After that us and the Astrea females parted ways.

As we walked back toward the Owl House I could only think one thing.

The butterfly effect is all too real.

Originally Filvis was supposed to be part of that prick Dionysus's familia. But now things have changed. She's joined the Astrea familia.

All I can say is good for her.

Since if there was anyone who got fucked over hard in the original story it was Filvis.

Forced turned into a monster hybrid, and unable to kill herself. She brought terror against her will and in the end was killed by her best friend/possible love interest Lefiya.

Since I'm pretty sure Lefiya might be a lesbian.

Given all her intense fantasies about Ais.

But back to the point.

I cried when I read her final moments in the Sword Oratorio light novels.

So I'm glad she won't end up that way.

Even if she did join the Astrea familia who is slated to die within a few years.

Which is not going to happen. I've come to see those girls as friends, and their not dying on my watch.

I swear it.

Since I know now the butterfly effect is real I'll use it to my advantage.