Aris and Silvia didn't stop crying for almost fifteen minutes, so I left the house and stepped outside to give the ladies some personal space.

"Maa, am I doing the right thing?" I sighed, sitting at the doorstep. "Now that I think about it, why did Nymeria and Ume come to my mind when Silvia was about to kiss me?"

I moved my hand toward my aching chest, where my heart was filled with longing.

"I want to see them," I murmured, pulling my knees closer to my chest and resting my chin on them.

"Kyaaaa!!!" Aris and Silvia's scream suddenly echoed from inside the house.

I immediately burst in to see what happened — and inadvertently created a huge misunderstanding.

Jambavan and Vyaghra had emerged from a shadow on the floor in front of the ladies, who were clearly not in a condition to present themselves. They were hastily pulling on gowns that hadn't yet fully covered them. My blazer and shirt lay on the bed beside them as I entered, my upper body bare.

"Y-you rakeshell," Vyaghra muttered, glaring at me. "You dare bring women to warm your bed after being engaged with Her Majesty?"

"Vy-Vyaghra, I can explain—"

"Her Majesty will hear of this and decide whether to cut your throat or your genitals."

The moment my family jewels were 1111threatened, a chill ran down my spine.

"Jambavan, you know I wouldn't do something like this," I blurted, turning to Jambavan. "Please help me persuade him."

Jambavan, analyzing the situation with his no brain and only muscles, tapped Vyaghra's shoulder as he spoke,

"We can't blame the brat, Vyaghra. He is a young kid and might be in his matin' period. He needs to release his heat to focus properly."

"This idiot!" I exclaimed, slapping my forehead in frustration. "You're only making it worse."

Vyaghra's eyes shifted to Aris and Silvia, who were now sitting in their proper attire. Their eyes were reddened and swollen from sobbing, while strands of hair clung to their damp cheeks.

"Raj, did you force them into this?"

"Watch your tongue, Vyaghra," I warned in a cold tone.

Both Vyaghra and Jambavan suddenly flinched at my response. They knew me as a young, nonchalant person who never spoke to them sharply. This was the first time they saw me respond so harshly in a serious tone.

As the atmosphere inside the house turned tense, Silvia murmured, breaking the silence,

"S-Sir Morning Star didn't force us to do anything. We came here of our own accord."

"Also, it was us who forced ourselves on him," Aris added. "But he rejected our embrace, saying he has a fiancée."

"So that's what happened!" Jambavan sighed. "Ay already knew that Raj won't betray Her Majesty's trust."

"Hmph, just a moment ago you were accusing me of being unable to control the heat inside me."

Vyaghra turned to me and apologised in his usual formal tone.

"Forgive me for not hearing your explanation and doubting your character."

"Forget it," I sighed. "Tell me, what brings you here?"

Vyaghra, being the straightforward man he was, directly ordered the ladies sitting on the bed, "We need to discuss something in private."

"Oh sure, we were about to leave as well," Silvia babbled quickly, handing me the shirt and blazer I had lent them.

"Thanks again for saving us, and forgive us for forcing ourselves onto you."

Before I could reply, the duo had already burst out.

"Why did they come in wearing my clothes when they already had spare clothes of their own?" I murmured, wearing the shirt and putting the blazer into the inventory.

"If yer confused over somethin' like this, then ya have a lon' way to go to understand a woman's heart," Jambavan clicked his tongue, shaking his head.

"Rather than wondering over useless things, shouldn't you two put your brains on more important tasks?" Vyaghra ordered, his voice laced with disappointment.

"Ohh! I almost forgot, Vyaghra is a virg—"

Clang...

Before Jambavan could finish his statement, Vyaghra's daggers were already clashing against Jambavan's claws, sparks radiating from the point of contact.

"If you have a tongue, that doesn't mean you can blurt anything you want!" Vyaghra muttered.

"Hahaha, did Ay just strike a nerve there?" Jambavan smirked, provoking him further.

Vyaghra's voice turned into a deep growl as his inner mystic tiger began to emerge.

A black aura emitted from his body while an equally imposing crimson energy shrouded Jambavan's.

There was no way my poor, barely-standing stone house, which was already on the ventilator support of logs and slabs, could withstand the godly aura of these bastards.

The moment their Soulforce erupted, my house took its final breath and went down with a loud thud.

Its ceiling and walls fell on my head as I whispered, tears almost brimming in my eyes, "Knock it off, you bastards..."

---

"It was yer mistake."

"You were the one who provoked me unnecessarily."

The duo started at it again, so I spoke up, creating a temporary truce.

"Besides flattening my house, do you two have any other purpose for your visit?"

"Oh right, we are here to share the intel we found and discuss the next step of our plan," Vyaghra replied, ascending three chairs from the shadows.

Since my poor house was already dead, we had moved to Vyaghra's house beside mine, which was left vacant after he left for the Grade 2 Soul Stone mines.

"Raj, have ya explored mine number 10 as Ay mentioned in yer mission?" Jambavan asked as we sat down on the chairs.

"Yeah, I did. I couldn't reach the other end of the tunnel, but I found out the true identity of the leader of the Forlorn City mines."

"Who is it?"

"It's the City Mayor's son, Victor Kale. However..." I spoke further, taking a brief pause, "I think there is a whole organization behind these mines, and Victor Kale is just a piece on the chessboard."

"So it won't end with just taking these mines down," Vyaghra murmured.

"Who told you we are closing the mines?"

I rose from the chair and declared, my voice turning serious, "I will become the new leader of the Forlorn City mines, and I have already prepared a plan to do it."