Aslan roughly understood why Lumel and Ereta were acting this way.
Just recalling Ereta’s behavior in the wizards’ city not long ago made the situation fairly predictable.
It had ended in failure, and not only Aslan’s happiness but also an entire city was devastated. However, Aslan was a man who had some experience with marriage.
He knew that what Ereta was doing stemmed from a kind of jealousy.
Thus, Aslan understood and empathized with why Ereta was behaving this way. He thought it was something Ereta could do.
However, he couldn’t comprehend why Lumel was acting this way.
Was it because her breasts were too large, making personal boundaries unclear?
That probably wasn’t it. Ultimately, they were body parts that could carry sexual implications, so they weren’t meant to be pressed against others so casually.
Moreover, right now, Lumel was deliberately pressing her chest against Aslan’s arm.
They hadn’t known each other for very long, and Aslan didn’t recall doing anything that would inspire such affection from Lumel. At least, that was how Aslan saw it.
Since all the triggers originated in Lumel’s mind, Aslan had no way of guessing. Looking troubled, Aslan glanced back and forth between Lumel and Ereta, intending to tell Ereta that there was nothing going on between them.
“Aslan sir.”
Lumel, who had been hugging Aslan’s arm and pressing her chest close, intertwined her fingers with his, causing Aslan to flinch and pause.
“…Yes?”
Looking at her, Aslan saw Lumel smiling softly with a hint of mischief. She playfully grazed Aslan’s fingers with hers, teasing him with a flirtatious smile.
Feeling the soft texture of her skin or the faint calluses on her fingertips, Aslan blinked repeatedly, caught off guard.
Aslan couldn’t understand what was happening.
At first glance, it seemed like Lumel was provoking Ereta’s jealousy, but the reason wasn’t clear.
Because the action was so unexpected, Aslan wondered if there might be another explanation beyond mere jealousy.
His thoughts were interrupted when Ereta’s teeth grinding became audible.
Turning his gaze, Aslan saw Ereta gripping a broomstick while twisting her lips.
Rather than trying to separate them with words, she appeared ready to lash out.
Ereta wasn’t someone who often engaged in conversation or arguments; instead, she had a history of eliminating those who crossed her.
Considering this, her current reaction was quintessentially Ereta-like.
‘Tiamat…!’
The situation was confusing. Aslan found himself caught between Lumel’s delusions and Ereta’s rage, eventually seeking refuge in the reliable presence of Thor Mull.
Thor Mull, upon meeting Aslan’s gaze, took a few steps back and shook his head lightly, as if saying, “This is your interpersonal problem; deal with it yourself.”
“What… What is this? What is happening…?”
Angie seemed equally confused, mirroring Aslan’s reaction, while Phey watched the scene expressionlessly.
Even disregarding Angie and Tiamat, since Phey’s mood wasn’t good either, Aslan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his other hand and thought:
‘Something must be done. I can’t let this go on.’
Not knowing the situation or understanding the dynamics didn’t matter. Aslan had hunted countless monsters whose very existence was obscure.
What mattered was observation and analysis. Aslan observed Ereta first, who seemed unaware that Aslan was looking at her as she gripped the broomstick tightly while staring at Lumel.
She emitted a palpable aura of hostility reminiscent of a growling beast before speaking.
“Would you kindly remove that vulgar display and release Aslan? He looks uncomfortable.”
Her polite tone contrasted sharply with the deep-seated malice in her demeanor. But politeness was limited to her words alone.
With an elevated stance, ready to wield the double-handed axe strapped to her back at any moment, Ereta prepared to strike from a diagonal angle. In the narrow prison corridor, dodging such an attack wouldn’t be easy.
Blocking it would mean being bisected by the brute strength of Ereta, renowned for her valiant combat skills. Sensing Ereta’s escalating aggression, Aslan suddenly felt his arm freed.
Lumel had released her grip on Aslan’s interlocked fingers and pulled away from where her bosom had been pressed against him.
Had she stepped back then, things might have been fine, but Lumel stood facing Ereta with the same fierce expression she had when they first met.
Standing about 10 cm taller, Ereta tilted her head slightly upward to look at Lumel, while Lumel lowered her gaze condescendingly toward Ereta.
When Ereta clenched her teeth in response to the disdain and mockery in that downward glance, Lumel spoke.
“In my view, it seems you’re the one making Aslan uncomfortable. And besides, what position do you think you have to interfere between Aslan and me…?”
“Hold on, hold on. Everyone, please calm down…”
In a hurry, Aslan placed his hand over Lumel’s mouth to silence her, but instead of calming down, the opposite effect occurred.
Seeing Aslan cover Lumel’s mouth, Ereta reacted more strongly, glaring fiercely at Lumel, while Lumel resented Aslan’s interference.
As a result, the confrontation intensified.
Ereta’s murderous intent spread like rolling snowballs toward Lumel, returning as equal hostility. The air between them brimmed with a palpable desire to kill each other.
As Aslan gently pushed his hand away, Lumel stared at Ereta, and Ereta prepared to attack while maintaining eye contact.
If they were ordinary women, the tension might not have been so severe, but these two were experts in blunt weapons and spears.
Calculating weak points based on their stances, considering effective angles of attack, predicting incoming strikes, assessing potential techniques, and planning deception—both were mentally preparing for combat.
Amidst the palpable atmosphere of imminent death, Lumel silently grabbed the chair she had been sitting on earlier, while Ereta gripped the broomstick loosely.
A fight was about to start. Once begun, it would be irreversible. Aslan and Tiamat were fully aware of this fact.
Tiamat approached to intervene, perhaps realizing the situation differed from his expectations, but stopped when Ereta briefly glanced at him before focusing on Lumel again.
Ereta’s axe-wielding skill surpassed Tiamat’s brawling technique by several levels. Recognizing he couldn’t stop Ereta, Tiamat looked at Aslan, who bit his lip under the weight of Tiamat’s gaze.
“Hold on!”
Though unsure if this was the best course, Aslan wasn’t about to leave things as they were.
Aslan, who rarely raised his voice, shouted loudly, causing Ereta to widen her eyes and stare at him.
“We didn’t gather here to fight among ourselves. Not in the long term, nor now. You know, Ereta, what my goal is.”
As Aslan looked at Ereta and said this, Ereta continued fidgeting with the broomstick, loosening her lips slightly while glancing sideways at Aslan.
“Lumel lady, please stop as well. For my face’s sake.”
After uttering those words, Aslan realized the gazes of the two women fixed on him were far from ordinary.
Among the traveling party, Ereta had always held a dominant position.
From her days as a priest, she had always obtained what she desired, never failing to secure it.
Even the favor of the deity she served was entirely hers alone.
Now, however, she was experiencing a type of loss she had never encountered in her life.
The deity had abandoned her and died, and Aslan still wasn’t fully hers.
Meanwhile, the appearance of a rival was unbearable for her.
Lumel’s situation was similar.
Having already lost her family, her land, and the noble lifestyle she once enjoyed, her attachment to “what belonged to her” had become abnormally strong.
Under such circumstances, accepting a rival was impossible for Lumel.
Thus, neither could back down, even for Aslan’s sake.
By the time Aslan realized he had spoken incorrectly, the two women had already started confronting each other. As their gazes filled with hostility, Aslan quickly surveyed his surroundings and sighed.
If a fight broke out, using available means, he might be able to halt it after the first exchange.
But given that both were veterans, holding them back for long would be impossible. Especially without weapons.
If he had weapons and the intention to kill, it might be possible, but killing a comrade was unthinkable for Aslan, something he couldn’t even contemplate. Thus, Aslan intervened again.
“Hold on, just calm down. Ereta, I understand what’s going on…”
“Do I?”
In response to his attempt to mediate, Ereta gave a desolate laugh.
Caught off guard by her desolation, Aslan watched as Ereta slowly transformed her desolate laughter into a sorrowful smile.
“If you understand, then say it clearly.”
Above that sorrow, a streak of hostility emerged as Ereta spoke.
“You’re confusing everyone else.”
Lumel snorted derisively in reply.
“I don’t know who you are, but it’s obvious that you’re an inconsiderate person capable of troubling Aslan this much.”
“…What did you say?”
“If you insist on getting hurt unnecessarily, I won’t stop you.”
An implication that Aslan’s choice was obvious and her victory assured. Ereta noticed this subtle hint and tapped the broomstick with her fingertips.
Lumel mocked even that.
“How barbaric. Are you the type to resort to killing whenever something doesn’t go your way? Surely Aslan appreciates such barbarism.”
While Lumel mocked her, Ereta gnashed her teeth, unable to refute the statement despite recognizing its truth. Both women’s gazes turned toward Aslan.
Ereta looked at Aslan with pitiful eyes, appearing anxious, while Lumel watched confidently.
Watching the two women, Aslan swallowed hard.
He understood how things had escalated this far and what they wanted.
The problem lay precisely there.
Aslan wasn’t ready to choose anyone yet.
Having already lost Rowena, Aslan instinctively knew that losing another lover would be his end. Even with his exceptional mental fortitude, he was certain he couldn’t endure a second farewell.
Thus, Aslan avoided responding to romantic advances and largely ignored Ereta’s aggressive courting.
Still, pretending to accept one side wasn’t an option.
Both Ereta and Lumel were companions for the journey ahead, and Aslan didn’t want to toy with their feelings.
Even if the choice were fake or real, the repercussions would surely arise, and Aslan lacked the ability to withstand or evade them.
Given his fear of loss, neither option was ideal for Aslan, who closed his eyes to ponder.
Sweating profusely, he contemplated whether he should use foresight to select the best option from all possible answers.
While contemplating this, a sudden twist of fate caused Aslan to open his eyes.
Turning his head in the direction fate indicated, Aslan noticed that Phey and Tiamat, known for their heightened senses within the group, also turned their heads.
Following their gazes, others followed suit.
Through the small window of the prison cell, which opened low to the ground, the morning sky was clearly visible beyond. However, something was crouching there, casting a shadow.
It was something unique.
Something with black crystalline skin or bones.
Only after observing it for a while did Aslan and Lumel realize it was oddly familiar.
Of the two, only Aslan deduced its identity.
“Found it.”
The peculiarly broken voice triggered a sense of familiarity in Aslan.
“Thor Mull…?”
Not long ago, Thor Mull had appeared as a martial monk, but he was no longer human.
Creak, crunch!
Squeezing his bizarrely transformed body through the small window, Thor Mull wriggled free through the bars, wielding a black spear in one hand and rolling an odd orb that presumably functioned as eyes.
“Found it, aah.”
The strange orb locked onto Lumel before Thor Mull charged forward.
The target was obvious. The spear blade gleamed with a sinister black light as it lunged toward Lumel, who widened her eyes and stepped back.
Crack!
Grabbing and throwing a chair as she retreated, the chair collided with the spear blade. The chair shattered into splinters, scattering wood chips everywhere.
As Thor Mull retracted his spear amid the fragments, Ereta swung her axe.
The axe swept in a smooth curve, striking Thor Mull and sending his slender frame flying into the prison wall.
Boom! Amidst the scattered stone shards, Thor Mull twitched momentarily before Ereta’s axe carved through the air again.
Crack!
The line traced by the axe split Thor Mull in half, and the severed halves dissolved into black liquid, ceasing movement. Despite the evident abnormality, Ereta remained composed.
When Thor Mull’s remains melted completely into a puddle of black goo, Ereta turned her head slightly to look at Lumel and smiled.
The meaning behind that smile was unmistakable even to Aslan: “You’re useless, but I, unlike you, am helpful to Aslan.”
The moment Lumel saw that smile and clenched her lips in frustration, chaos erupted in the guardhouse above.
The commotion and cries of pain were clearly audible even from the lower-level prison. Clearly, it was an ambush.
Aslan saw this as an opportunity.
“This isn’t the time for us to fight among ourselves. This attack is undoubtedly targeting Lumel. They’ll likely swarm this location soon.”
When Lumel turned to look at Aslan, he put on a determined expression and spoke.
“We need to help the guards repel the attackers at the guardhouse. That’s why I gathered my companions.”
Before Lumel could respond, Aslan turned his head first.
“Phey!”
Upon hearing his name, Phey immediately set down Aslan’s weapon and Lumel’s weapon and armor as if expecting the request.
“I figured Aslan might need them anyway.”
“Good job!”
Phey grinned confidently, and Aslan nodded approvingly at her.
His satisfied expression following the praise seemed to ease his concerns, prompting Phey to add slyly:
“Yeah, Phey doesn’t unnecessarily drain Aslan’s energy and does her job well. Phey is the best, right?”
The intent was clear. As Ereta and Lumel’s expressions hardened, Angie blinked, watching the three of them.
“What… Why are they fighting?”
In response to Angie’s innocent question, Tiamat sighed deeply, casting her a sympathetic glance.
