Danté slips the orb and pendant back into his pocket. He keeps his gaze on Ace.
"Relax, working yourself up over it won't speed up their downfall."
Ace knew he was right, but damn it, whenever those damn cultist bastards were mentioned, he couldn't help himself. Those psychos were the ones who put his entire village through hell and were now coming for his sister; hell be damned if he wasn't to get mad!
"...You're right, but damnit."
"Like I said, don't get worked up. They haven't been making any significant movements as of late, and they are under the direct watch of the Ares Faction leader. They wouldn't do anything stupid. They aren't our priority right now."
Ace closes his eyes, terrible memories flashing through his mind, of the years of suffering his people went through, and the suffering of him and his sister. He reopens his eyes, his gaze full of anger and resentment but also vigour and determination.
"Right, it's not their time yet. They'll get what they deserve soon enough."
Ace tightens his fist, his gaze sharp and his resolve set. Danté nods softly with the corners of his lips slightly raised. This was the Ace he knew.
"Let's go downstairs, Emilia's waiting. Oh, and I sent a kid this way earlier, some pig was beating him up, and I got annoyed."
Ace looks at him, surprised, very surprised at that. He was a lazy, inconsiderate, crude, and cold bastard...but he helped someone of his own will?
"You? You helped someone by yourself, of your own will? No way, you did?"
Ace smiles widely, folding his arms and looking at Dante with a proud dad kind of look. Danté's face soured, knowing what was coming, a twenty-minute monologue on how to be a hero and whatnot.
"Hah. It feels good, doesn't it? I told you, helping people-"
"Don't bother with the monologue. Let's go downstairs, I'm hungry."
Ace doesn't get to finish before Danté walks off. He laughs before finishing up in the bathroom and pulling on a shirt.
****
Downstairs, everyone was gathered in the eating area. It was still an hour before opening time, so they had some time to leisure. Serena and Akira sat at a lowered table, talking happily as they ate what Emilia served. Danté joined, sitting on the barstool by the counter, watching Emilia as she moved around.
"...What are you making now?"
She turned back to him, a warm smile on her lips, a smile he couldn't get out of his head even if he tried. He swallows softly, her golden brown hair and sun-kissed eyes, oh, she was just perfect.
"Just something light to start the day. And the kid you sent by here, I healed him up and sent him to the monastery for shelter. I asked Sister Jane to take care of him in a letter."
He nodded softly; he was entranced but barely managed to pull himself together. He cleared his throat, breaking his eyes away.
"That's good, he was beaten pretty badly."
"He was, it's sad that someone would do that to such a fragile-looking, defenceless child."
She walks over to him and rests her hand on his, a smile on her face and her eyes warm as sunlight. His heart sped up; he could've sworn she could hear it.
"Thank you for helping him. I'm happy you're becoming more compassionate by the day- it's awesome!"
His face turned red; it was unbelievable, such a stoic person could be flustered by simple skin contact. It was quite funny to Ace, who was coming in to join. He sat across from Danté. A smirk on his lips, he was too easy to tease like this.
"Are you ok, D? You look a bit red there, is it a fever?"
"Fever?"
Onara glances at Ace before looking back to Danté. She rested the back of her hand on his forehead, then his cheeks, and he pulled back violently, even more embarrassed.
"I'm fine. It's not a fever, just a little hot."
He shoots Ace a nasty glare, and Ace shrugs with a knowing smirk. Akira and Serena laughed after witnessing the scene; Emilia was the only oblivious one. They sat and enjoyed their meals; the atmosphere was peaceful and warm, just how it should be.
Soon, the tavern opened up and slowly people filled the inside, some came for an early day drink, and others for a quick rest before heading to their mercenary work. The tavern stayed busy all the way into the evening time but somehow Emilia never seemed out of energy.
****
Akira came up beside Emilia and tugged her apron. She looked scared and confused. Emilia stoops down.
"Hey, hey-- what's wrong?"
"Big sis Emilia, the men over there keep saying strange things. I don't like it."
Akira points to a table, there sat an old, scrawny man with a disturbing look in his eye as he watched Serena and a younger one who wet his lips, watching the other women. Shivers went down her spine, and alarm bells went off in her head. She pulls off her apron and hands it to Akira.
"Go get Serena, and you two play in the other room, ok?"
Akira nods and walks off. Emilia steps back and grits her teeth. She waits patiently for the two girls to be out of the room. She walks over to the man with a cold smile.
"I see you're not quite enjoying what I cooked, considering you haven't touched it in over fifteen minutes."
The man jolted slightly in surprise, and the old man cleared his throat with an awkward look.
"A-Ah, it's just not like my wife makes that's all."
"I see."
She clears her throat before speaking loudly.
"Dear customers, I apologise, but due to delayed shipment of some ingredients we won't be open for much longer today. It pains me to say, but I hope you understand."
Some of the customers groan and complain, but they eventually clear out. The younger man gets up to leave, and the smile on her face drops, her gaze now like ice.
"No, not you, you stay here."
"Huh?"
The men looked at her perplexed. One of them tried to push past her but groveled with a pained scream; his forearm was getting crushed by her devastating grip.
"GAAAHK!"
"Oh dear, didn't I make myself clear enough?"