“Cough. Do you want something to drink?” Ace asked. 

“Sure, just give me whatever is there,” Tommy gloated with his teeth showing, then he looked at Jiushi, “Should I put up a barrier?” 

“Please do so, Nii-chan,” he answered. 

Tommy sat down and put his palm on the table. In the next moment, sigils appeared around his hand and formed a magic circle. It lightened up for a second, then extinguished and melted into the surface. Retracting back his hand he looked at Jiushi, who had planted himself across him, “It’s done...Now tell me, is that guy a legacy wielder?” 

“Nii-chan is quick to pick up things.” Jiushi didn’t look surprised at all, “You must have seen the sigils in his eyes.” 

“I did see a glimpse of it, but didn’t recognize them. Moreover, the pressure the sword gave of was insane. Such a strong artifact must be at least in the top hundreds of the ranking. Now that I think about it, the only time I felt paralyzed like this was either with you, or—HOLY SHIT!’ 

Tommy looked incredulous at Jiushi, who averted his eyes, then at Ace, who brazenly came back with a beaming smile. 

“No wonder you two wanted me to set up so many barriers...Arghhh!" Tommy’s face distorted into a muddy mess of despair. 

“Being perceptive can be disadvantageous sometimes,” Jiushi commented. 

“Boo-hoo, you don’t love me, Momo!” Tommy complained, sobbing on the table with teary eyes. 

“Eh, what did I do this time?” Jiushi gave him a surprised look as he took the cup of water Ace had brought him. 

“You two made me, an innocent bystander, into an accomplice to treachery!” Tommy continued while pointing at them. 

“That’s slander, Nii-chan,” Jiushi retorted. 

“True, we didn’t tell you anything, you found out everything by yourself,” Ace added. 

“Sure, just like the few other times I got dragged into the mess you two made,” Tommy complained. 

“You’re reliable, unlike Ace. And we really need your help this time.” Tommy wanted to complain more, but seeing Jiushi’s pale lavender eyes as he pleaded, he sighed.  

They got even paler, he thought, and, did he overuse his ability again? 

Making up his mind, Tommy put his hand back onto the table and set up two additional sound barriers. “Ok, now I feel safe to talk about confidential information.” 

The corners of Jiushi’s mouth arched into a slight smile, and he began to narrate what had happened on earth. Ace wasn’t needed, so he went back into the kitchen to make dinner. During the entire narration, nothing but Jiushi’s calm voice and the noise of kitchenware clacking was audible. Tommy remained silent like a mediating bodhisattva statue. 

“That’s the story,” Jiushi concluded. “Do you have any questions?” 

Tommy held up his chin, “Just to confirm I understood everything right; You went to earth to find the last legendary legacy, but instead, you found a super rooster that led you to Harem God, who coincidentally happens to be the vessel of wanted legacy. Said guy also happens to be a hunk and willing to do naughty things with you two...” 

“That’s what's important to you?” Jiushi looked blankly at Tommy who he recognized as his big brother. 

“I’m joking, but...I don’t think it’s just a coincidence. Athanasia especially sent Ace to earth when we needed the last artifact, and then you even find a compatible vessel? Rather than coincidence, it’s a pretty smart scheme.” 

“So, you thought so too?” Ace chipped in as he came out of the kitchen with food, “I can’t wrap my head around what she was thinking by doing so.” 

“Has she ever made sense to us mortals?” Unlike Ace, Tommy hadn’t directly spoken to the goddess Athanasia yet, but his impression of her wasn’t too enthusiastic. Her words and actions had a great impact on the war against the demon race. In the eyes of a normal human being, however, the results weren’t always in favor of mankind. “But seriously, what had you guys planned to do by withholding the information regarding Harem God? You don’t want to betray…leave Vanguard, right?”  

Ace's face darkened, “I don’t want to leave Vanguard. My goals still align with them, but I can’t let them exploit him as they had done with Jiushi.” 

“Phuuu,” Tommy relaxed and sacked into his chair. “I already thought I had to leave the camp tonight, and start my life as a wanted criminal.”  

“Pfft— So you would have left your life in Vanguard behind for us? I’m not shameless. You still haven’t gotten a boyfriend yet, how could I demand you to become a vagabond?” Jiushi mocked. 

“You really don’t love me. How can you jab at my sore spot??” Tommy looked at Jiushi baffled.  

“I kid, I kid. But did you hear anything from Jerry?”  

Tommy’s momentum was stopped instantly and he faltered like a withered flower. 

“No…he hasn’t messaged me at all,” he responded. “Why do you remind me of something so depressing? That jerk had partnered with me for so long, yet he suddenly switched sides. I know he is desperately searching for his family, but he’s not the onl—“ 

“Cluck.”  

Tommy looked dumbfounded at the familiar rooster suddenly appearing on the table like a feather. With his gawking mouth still open from pausing in the middle of his sentence, he stared at the male chicken that was picking food from the plates on the table. Sin’s arrival meant only one thing—Harem God finally came out! 

The three men turned around, and indeed the person in question stood there. Not greeting anyone, he walked to the table, grabbed Sin, and placed himself at the master seat. 

~Silence~ 

Ace wanted to break the ice and start a conversation, but Harem God beat him to that and raised his hand for a timeout. He took out a crumpled piece of paper from his pockets and laid it on the table. 

—Mute again

The three looked at him; Tommy with confusion at the meaning, Jiushi with dead fish eyes, and Ace barely held in his laughter. For the first time, Harem God had difficulties meeting their eyes, not because he felt guilty for attacking them earlier, but because he was troubled by a complex mix of awkwardness and discomfort when looking at them. 

tiaf

TTwTT already so much time has passed since the last update also I have news~

In a few days, the BL Palace community will hold a one-day BL & Writing Workshop, happening on Saturday 24th July!

Details here: https://www.scribblehub.com/read/217122-boys-love-newsletter/chapter/311826/

I will totally not be the closing NSFW art stream!

Kidding, I am and probably will draw Harem God in some lewd pose, as always...since nobody comes after me I probably will draw for at least an hour |.o) taking requests for lewd poses