"I'm thinking of spending a few days with you all, then I'll go train in the wilderness," Rio replied casually, grateful for the more normal conversation. As he thought about it, he couldn't help but reflect on the unique women he had met in his life so far. Each one seemed more extraordinary than the last.
1
In Rio's mind, Sophia was perhaps the most normal among them, although even her sister Kyra was far from ordinary. Nyla, however, took the crown for being the craziest. Layla's caring and loving nature always warmed his heart, while Lia's protective instincts could cause a river of blood for his sake.
And Helia? She was the one who drew his blood for the love of her brother and later nearly died because she believed he was gone.
Then there was Eve, a stunning amalgamation of all his girls. She possessed the grace of Lia, the loving and empathetic nature of Layla, and the bold and audacious energy of Nyla, shamelessly making her way into his life and heart.
Despite their quirks and unique qualities, Rio appreciated the diverse and loving connections he had with each of these women, and it made his life all the more enriching.
As these thoughts were going through his mind, Rio heard Lia say, "I was also planning to train and reach the next stage soon. Although Helia has already reached the Silver stage and could accompany me, it's not safe to venture into the wilderness alone to fight those beasts. I don't want to risk her life without being certain that we can handle them, especially since we would only be two of us."
"Why?" Rio furrowed his brows and inquired. He knew very well that both girls were very strong and could take on multiple opponents alone, so he couldn't understand why Lia said it would be dangerous.
"Silver stage beasts are much stronger than those in the Yellow or Red stages. It's hard to take one down, even at my current strength. We would need a group to hunt them, even the normal silver-stage beasts," Lia answered gently, trying to explain to Rio the difficulty of fighting such beasts alone.
Rio leaned back on his couch, taking a contemplative sip of his tea as he considered Lia's dilemma. His gaze drifted to the steaming cup in his hands, deep in thought.
"Then why don't we help Layla and Nyla reach the Silver stage? Once they do, we can all hunt together," Rio suggested, his voice filled with conviction.
He recalled the impressive displays of strength from both girls during the tournaments. Nyla had taken down AI special beasts in the national military competition, while Layla had fought valiantly against Rio himself in the international tournament. He still felt fortunate to have defeated Layla, which was only possible because she hadn't known about his battle technique art. He was well aware of their strong capabilities.
Rio knew that trust didn't come easily, and they couldn't just involve outsiders in their quest for safety. However, Layla and Nyla were his wives, and having them as Lia's team members would undoubtedly benefit them all.
He was confident in his ability to support her during their hunting adventures, having recently bested a strong Silver stage warrior. However, he couldn't quite understand why Lia was concerned about facing normal Silver stage beasts alone. He knew she was far stronger than Ambrose Havenglow and hoped that their upcoming adventures would reveal the answer.
As Lia listened to Rio's suggestion, she considered his proposal with a thoughtful expression. She knew that with Layla and Nyla by her side, their combined power would make hunting Silver stage beasts much safer. With Rio's added strength, they could form a formidable team, capable of taking on even the most challenging opponents.
"You have a point, Husband," Lia mumbled, nodding in agreement. "Yes, we should do that. Helia should be enough to help them reach the Silver stage."
As Helia listened to their conversation, she decided to ask the question that concerned her the most, "Don't you also need Red stage stat points?" she asked the boy, her eyes hopeful as she thought about the possibility of him joining them. She wanted to see him more often, but she didn't know if he would actually agree to come along. She also didn't have the courage to speak her mind and share her feelings openly with him.
"Yup, I do," Rio admitted in a casual tone. However, he didn't plan on joining them. He knew that it would require them to share their beast cores with him, thus slowing down their progress. The boy was capable of going solo without worrying about slowing down the progress of his loved ones.
"Then we can all go together," Helia proposed, finding some courage to fulfill her heart's wish without letting anyone know. However, she was careful to make it seem like it was for the benefit of everyone, not just her personal desire.
"But who will stay at the castle if we're all gone?" Rio asked, concerned as Helia's suggestion implied that everyone, including Lia, would be going on the adventure. He understood the importance of having someone stay behind to ensure the safety of the Castle.
"Father will be here. This will be our first adventure together, so we shouldn't miss it," Lia said with a soft smile. She could easily see the desire in Helia's eyes that she wasn't able to express openly, but Lia appreciated her suggestion. This tour might help them develop better and teach them how to work as a team, which was necessary for their future endeavors.
Upon hearing that Lia had already made the decision to leave the castle to Emperor Dylan, Rio simply nodded in agreement with their plan to hunt together and help Nyla and Layla ascend to the silver stage.
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Edited By: TheWhiteSnow
[SnowNote]
