CHAPTER 278: CHAPTER 277 - OMNI’S BUFFET AND LIA’S SURPRISE.

Some time later, when everyone was done eating.

Omni’s black blade glinted in Raven’s hand as he stepped toward another pile of weapons.

The dragon had tried to keep her calm and had a faint smile of someone expecting a man to strain himself lifting a single greatsword, but she couldn’t keep it up for long.

Now, she was literally at a loss for words, as she saw Raven casually stab Omni, the god-slaying sword, into a jeweled halberd.

CRUNCH.

The halberd’s shaft snapped. Its glittering blade dissolved into shadow and vanished into Omni’s edge like a steak being devoured by a starving wolf.

The dragon sighed, feeling like her tax had increased by one percent every time Omni ate a weapon.

By now, the tax was almost at sixty percent.

"Ohhh, yeah," Omni groaned in satisfaction. "That’s the good stuff. Mmm—bit of mithril, touch of soulsteel—melts in your mouth, don’t even gotta chew."

"Another minute to digest it?" Raven asked, his brow raised.

"Of course," Omni replied, his voice muffled as if he were chewing something. "Gotta enjoy it to the last piece of the treat."

Raven sighed, but so did the dragon.

The only difference was that the former was a sigh of resignation, while the latter was filled with relief.

The dragon had only one thing to be relieved about, and it was that Omni needed some time to digest the weapon.

If it weren’t for that, she didn’t know how many of her weapons would’ve already vanished.

Soon, Raven stabbed the sword into another sword.

CRUNCH. SLURP.

Gone.

The dragon’s brows twitched. "...One minute’s already—?"

"Yes," Selena, who was now sipping her drink, said smoothly without looking away. "Now, he’s eating them. Again."

Clara sighed softly, shaking her head at the dragon. "He did ask you twice before he began."

Siris was also sitting some distance away, staring at how Omni stabbed into other weapons while she twirled her dagger.

"My daggers can’t do that," the stab freak muttered, her voice rising. "Omni. You don’t happen to have a brother or sister, do you?"

Omni paused mid-chew, making Raven raise his brow. "You have siblings?"

The way Omni had paused made it clear that there was something. That meant he had siblings.

The god-slaying sword, however, acted like nothing happened.

"Nah, I ain’t got no siblings," Omni said casually. "And even if I did, I’d have eaten ’em. Strictly business, you know? For the taste of blood... and maybe ’cause I don’t like sharing the spotlight."

Raven didn’t buy it.

He had sensed Omni’s hesitation a while ago, so he knew there was something or someone he was hiding, but he decided not to pry.

"Aw, too bad." Siris slumped on the heap of gold, still fiddling with her dagger.

It was then that Jessy’s brows shot up. "Do you eat all weapons?"

"Only the good ones," Omni replied cheerfully.

Rufus was squinting at the pile, muttering calculations. "If he keeps going at this rate, he could clear... maybe thirty percent of her hoard in an hour. Impressive efficiency."

Jake just folded his arms and stayed quiet, but his lips twitched like he was hiding a smile.

Alex pointed dramatically. "That’s theft!"

Nibbles, perched on his shoulder, squeaked something in agreement before diving for a stray gold coin.

The corrupt panther slinked closer, sniffing at a half-eaten spearhead before flinching back when Omni snapped at it.

Graye patted its head, calming it down.

Cluckles waddled over, scarf fluttering. "Cluckles says... this is a sin. A delicious, glorious sin."

The dragon’s molten eyes darted between her vanishing treasures, her jaw tightening.

She opened her mouth, closed it, then finally muttered, "...I... don’t even..."

Another CRUNCH cut her off.

Omni belched. "Ooh, that one had a spicy enchantment. Burned goin’ down."

Selena’s calm gaze slid toward Raven. "How long are you planning to do this?"

"Until Omni’s full," Raven replied without looking up.

The dragon’s claws flexed against the stone. She was about to say something sharp—

—But then, her head tilted slightly, a flicker of surprise in her molten gaze.

"...Human. The girl is about to wake."

Raven froze mid-stab, glancing toward the golden-marked door.

She wasn’t lying—he could feel Lia’s magic stirring now, steady and warm. An hour had passed without him noticing.

With a faint click of his tongue, Raven yanked Omni free of the latest victim and rested the sword against his shoulder. "We’re done."

Omni grumbled but didn’t resist as Raven dismissed him back into his tattooed form.

"Fine, fine... but you better take me treasure hunting again, boss."

Raven was already striding toward the quiet compartment.

Behind him, the dragon stared at the partially-emptied weapon pile, still trying to decide whether she’d just been robbed... or fed an unforgettable performance.

...........................

The faint sound of a latch clicking open stirred Lia from her slumber.

Her eyes fluttered, heavy at first, before the world came into focus—soft golden lamplight spilling across the velvet bedspread, the faint scent of incense in the air.

Then there was Raven.

He sat in a simple chair beside her, leaning back, one leg crossed over the other, his arms folded as if he’d been there for a long while.

When their eyes met, something in his gaze softened—barely, but enough for her to notice.

"You’re awake," he said quietly. "How are you feeling?"

Lia stretched her fingers slightly, realizing the strange, weightless warmth in her chest. "...Stronger. Healthier. Like I could run ten laps without breaking a sweat."

She smiled faintly. "It’s... nice."

They sat like that for a while—her still recovering, him just watching. The silence stretched, not uncomfortable but... heavy with something unspoken.

Eventually, Lia looked down, her voice dropping to almost a whisper. "You didn’t have to do this."

Raven tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing. "What do you mean?"

"I mean..." she sighed, fiddling with the blanket, "I sacrificed a third of my life for you because I wanted to. Not because I wanted you to feel guilty, and definitely not because I wanted you to... go through all this trouble."

Her gaze lifted, earnest and unflinching despite the softness of her tone. "I would’ve been happy with one thank you."

For a moment, Raven just stared at her, unreadable.

Then he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his hands reaching for hers.

His palms were warm as they closed over her fingers, grounding her.

"Lia," he said, his voice low but steady, "when we first met, I thought you were... annoying."

She blinked. "Wow. Romantic start."

A faint huff of amusement escaped him, but his eyes didn’t waver. "You were loud. Too stubborn for your own good. Always pushing into places you shouldn’t. Yet somehow... You kept ending up beside me anyway."

His grip on her hands tightened slightly. "Then, without me noticing, you grew on me. So much so that by the time I realized it, I didn’t mind it anymore. I... liked it. Liked you being there."

He paused, searching her expression before continuing.

"But then everything happened—one fight after another, no time to breathe. And before I could even think about what that meant... You went and burned a third of your life away for me."

Her breath caught, but he pressed on, his tone carrying a rare edge of intensity.

"So no—what I did wasn’t out of guilt. It’s because I can’t imagine losing a hundred years with you."

Her eyes widened, the words sinking in, and before she could respond, Raven shifted closer—so close she could see every fleck of gold in his irises.

"I don’t want to imagine any years without you," he said quietly.

Then he let go of one of her hands—only to reach into his coat pocket.

When he pulled his hand back, a simple ring sat in his palm. Not flashy, not encrusted with jewels—just a sleek band of dark metal with a faint, swirling glow in its depths.

He slid it on her ring finger, making her gasp as he continued, still holding her hands.

"Lia... I don’t know how it happened or when it happened. Heck, I still can’t believe it happened. But somehow, I know it did."

Raven tightened his hold on her fingers, and with a deep breath, he declared, "I love you, Lia."

Lia’s throat tightened instantly, hot tears pricking her eyes. She covered her mouth with one hand, a trembling laugh escaping her. "You’re... you’re serious?"

"I’ve never been more serious," Raven replied without hesitation.

Something in her broke—in the best way. The relief, the joy, and the months of tension all crashed over her at once.

She lunged forward, throwing her arms around his neck, nearly knocking him back in the chair. "I—I love you, too, you idiot, I do!"

Her lips found his, urgent and warm, tasting faintly of the tea he’d been drinking.

His arms came up around her, pulling her in without hesitation, his fingers curling into the fabric at her back like he wasn’t letting go.

When they finally broke apart, she was still half-laughing, half-crying.

"I can’t believe you," she sniffled, swiping at her eyes. "Making me cry like this."

Raven’s smile was small but real, brushing a thumb across her cheek. "You’ve made me do worse."

She laughed again, this time through the tears, and hugged him tighter. For the first time in a long while, the world outside didn’t matter.

Only this did.

...........................

Outside the quiet room, Clara leaned with her back against the golden-marked door, arms crossed, her expression neutral enough to fool most people.

But the faint twitch of her fingers against her sleeve betrayed her mood.

"Well," she muttered under her breath, voice dripping with forced casualness, "guess we’ve got a new sister now."

Beside her, Selena exhaled slowly, one shoulder pressed to the doorframe. "Mhm."

Her tone was calm—too calm—the kind of stillness that came when she was locking something away deep inside.

She tilted her head, catching Clara’s sideways glance. "You sound thrilled."

Clara’s lips curved in a faint smirk that didn’t reach her eyes. "Oh, I’m ecstatic."

They both went quiet again as muffled laughter and low voices slipped through the wood.

The sound of it made something twist in Clara’s chest—not anger exactly, but an ache she couldn’t quite ignore.

Selena’s gaze stayed forward, her eyes unfocused, but she could feel it too.

She’d been with Raven through fights, nights, and moments of raw vulnerability... and yet those three words, the ones that just left his mouth for Lia, had never been given to her.

Not once.

Clara clicked her tongue quietly. "Hmph. Lucky her."

Selena’s lips pressed into a thin line. "It’s fine. He... says it in other ways."

"Sure," Clara said dryly. "Like risking his life. Saving us. Holding us when we’re bleeding out. That sort of thing."

Selena didn’t respond right away, her fingers brushing over the edge of her skirt in a restless motion. "Still... hearing it wouldn’t hurt."

Through the door came another faint sound of Lia’s laughter, bright and soft.

Both women stood there in silence for a moment longer.

They didn’t hate Lia, nor did they feel bad about her joining.

Well, maybe Selena, contrary to what she showed, didn’t really like it, but she wasn’t against it either.

The only problem was that they had never heard Raven say those words to them, and they wanted to hear him say that to them.