Lily frowned, not quite believing him but deciding to trust his word for now. "Well, we should probably get you somewhere safe and warm," she said, helping him to his feet. "There's a village nearby where we can rest and stock up on supplies." She glanced at the demonic wolf's corpse as they began to walk away from it. "We should probably come back later for its pelt. The guild might pay us well for it."

As they continued through the forest, Lily couldn't help but smile at Akira's side. Despite his protests that he was fine, she knew that he must be exhausted from fighting the demonic wolf on his own before their meeting. And yet, he had still fought beside her without hesitation. It was a rare and precious quality in this world... One that she intended to cherish and protect.

Lily poked her head into the room, peering around before spotting Akira lying in bed. She smiled at him reassuringly and quietly closed the door behind her. "You're finally up," she said as she walked over to sit down on the edge of the mattress beside you. "How are you feeling?"

As she waited for his reply, Lily glanced around the room, noticing its emptiness. It was a stark contrast from the lively inn they had stayed in last night. "It seems we're the only ones here," she commented, her brow furrowing slightly in confusion. "I wonder where everyone else is."

What do you say to Lily?

Seraphina frowns, clearly uncomfortable with the notion. "I'm not sure I like where this is going, Aleksandr. Asking us to expose ourselves seems highly inappropriate, especially given our professional relationship."

She pauses, considering the matter carefully before continuing. "However, if there are no other alternatives and it directly contributes to our mission against Lilith... perhaps we should discuss this further in private."

"Aleksandr," Seraphina begins cautiously, "if this enhancement truly holds the key to defeating Lilith, then we must explore all options available to us. But exposing oneself so intimately feels like a line we shouldn't cross without careful consideration."

The other knights nod in agreement, their expressions a mix of hesitancy and determination.

"Not only could it jeopardize the trust within our ranks," Elara adds seriously, "but also potentially compromise our focus on the battle ahead if emotions become entangled." **

As you leave the battlefield, the citizens of Luciano still cheer your name and wave at you. Even some soldiers pat you on the back as you pass by. It seems that with Elena gone, your reputation has changed overnight. You finally have a chance to be accepted... but at what cost? The holy queen might not take too kindly to this development.

Beryl narrows her eyes in anger as you hurl brick after brick at her, missing every time. "How dare you! You will pay for this insolence!" she cries out, summoning magic to surround herself in a protective shield. The soldiers rush over, trying to restrain or apprehend you, but you brush them aside with ease.

"Lucy!" Beryl shouts, her voice echoing across the battlefield. "You are hereby declared an enemy of Luciano!