Chapter 480: First date

“Clan Head… are you sure about this?”

Bom’s voice was laced with concern as she stood just a few steps behind the man she called grandfather.

Her arms were crossed, but her brows were furrowed—not in defiance, but in disbelief.

“What do you mean, Bom?” Beon replied without turning, his tone as calm and commanding as ever.

“Well…”

She hesitated, watching as he carefully placed another dungeon core atop the first.

A low hum of unstable mana filled the room, one core pulsing with a cold, dark energy while the other radiated a sharp, heated glow.

The two clashed against each other like opposing storms—but despite their dissonance, Beon’s steady hand and precise mana refinement made them settle.

The cores fused into a controlled equilibrium, forcibly stabilized by his overwhelming presence.

“That,” Bom said, gesturing toward the cores, “is exactly what I mean.”

Beon didn’t respond immediately. He merely raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to elaborate.

“Forcing Brother-in-law to clear a high-level dungeon without using his mana is already borderline insane. But now you’re layering two separate dungeon cores on top of each other? You’re basically doubling the danger!” she snapped. “That’s not training anymore, that’s borderline attempted murder!”

Beon scoffed under his breath.

“There are secrets in this world you’re better off not knowing, Bom. And if the kid can’t survive something like this, then he’s not worthy of your sister.”

Bom narrowed her eyes.

“You know that isn’t true. You’re not still holding a grudge, are you? Acting like a sore loser just because he embarrassed you during training?”

“Tch. I’m not,” Beon muttered, his tone defensive despite his stern façade.

He stood and finally turned toward her, his expression unreadable.

“This might seem excessive to you, but it’s necessary. If he truly wants to understand the essence of the Hidden Blade Technique—not just perform the form, but internalize it—then being on the edge of life and death is the quickest medicine. Pain, pressure, and survival sharpen the body in ways calm practice never could.”

Bom didn’t look convinced.

“That may be true, but this is still overkill. You already refuse to let him use his mana, and now you’re sending him into what’s basically a double-core dungeon? I mean, come on, where did you even get that second core?”

Beon exhaled sharply through his nose, eyes glinting.

“Again. Best if you don’t ask. Not all knowledge is meant for your age.”

“That’s your way of saying you did something shady,” Bom muttered under her breath.

“I heard that.”

“I didn’t say anything~” Bom quickly backtracked, her lips twitching upward in a forced smile.

Beon squinted at her but moved on.

“This isn’t the first time I’ve done something like this. I had Seo go through a similar experience, and she came out of it just fine. Stronger, even.”

“Seo?” Bom blinked. “You mean my pure little sister, who you had clear two C-rank dungeons, not even at the same time, and with full mana access? That Seo?”

“…It’s still similar,” Beon muttered stubbornly, turning his back again as if that would end the argument.

“This unreasonable geezer…”

“What was that?” Beon said, barely glancing over his shoulder.

“Nothing at all~” Bom sang sweetly, backing away with mock innocence.

Bom let out a long, resigned sigh as she stood nearby, arms crossed, watching her grandfather with skeptical eyes.

Beon remained entirely focused, his expression calm and calculating as he steadily merged the two dungeon cores together.

The process, which should have been dangerously unstable, was proceeding far too smoothly.

Normally, dungeon cores were extremely sensitive artifacts—removing one from its original dungeon should cause it to crack or dissolve entirely.

And yet, the second core in Beon’s hands remained perfectly intact, humming with quiet power, even as its unstable energy signature gradually aligned with the first.

It was eerie how stable the fusion had become.

Bom narrowed her eyes slightly.

She wasn’t particularly gifted in magic, but she knew enough to understand that what her grandfather was doing shouldn’t be possible.

Especially not for someone like Beon, who was more well-known for his swordsmanship than arcane knowledge.

She leaned against the nearby stone wall, resting her chin in her hand. “This should’ve exploded by now…”

Still, she knew better than to pry.

If there was one universal truth in the world, it was that trying to make sense of her grandfather’s methods only led to migraines and existential dread.

She’d learned that the hard way after asking one too many questions when she was younger and ended up cleaning explosive soot off the ceiling for a week.

So, she let the curiosity die quietly in her chest.

A brief silence passed between them as the light from the fusion pulsed faintly, casting deep shadows across the room. She frowned a little.

’Poor Brother in-law~’

Even though she found it amusing to tease him—and genuinely enjoyed how flustered he got around her sometimes—this was a little much, even by her grandfather’s brutal training standards.

That said… a small part of her admitted there might be some benefit in it.

The two dungeon cores were practically polar opposites in nature—one dark and volatile, the other bright and pure.

The clash of such energies would likely cause infighting among the dungeon monsters themselves, at least based on her own personal assessment.

That alone could reduce the pressure on Riley, forcing the creatures to compete with one another before even reaching him.

Of course, the idea of him walking into a literal monster warzone wasn’t exactly comforting either, but still… it might balance out.

Sort of.

But despite everything, Bom didn’t believe her grandfather would allow Riley to die—not really.

He was strict, yes, and often unreasonable… but never heartless.

At the very least, if things truly spiraled out of control, Beon would step in.

Eventually.

“…Still,” Bom drawled, smirking as she stepped a little closer to her grandfather and leaned in with mock sweetness. “If something does happen to Brother-in-law, I’ll snitch on you to Seo, okay~?”

Beon’s hand twitched ever so slightly in the middle of placing a binding seal on the core.

His face remained blank, but the subtle tick in his jaw betrayed the irritation he was trying to suppress.

“Don’t test me, girl,” he muttered under his breath.

Bom giggled. “I’m just saying~ she’s been very sensitive about him lately. Imagine what she’d do if she found out you sent him into a suicide dungeon—mana-less on top of that.”

Beon exhaled sharply through his nose but said nothing.

“…Besides,” she added with a teasing glance, “aren’t you the one who said Riley might not be ’worthy’ of her? Shouldn’t you be trying to keep him alive so he has a chance to prove himself?”

He grumbled something under his breath.

Bom smirked triumphantly.

Her work here was done.

And that was all the silent help she could give Riley.

…

“Uhm… girls…”

Riley’s voice came out slightly strained as he looked around at the group of beauties practically glued to him.

“Yes?”

“Hm?”

“Yeah?”

“Hn.”

Four different tones, four different personalities—but all answered in perfect, eerie unison.

Riley blinked.

They were all staring at him now, their eyes locked on his face with expressions ranging from innocent to vaguely smug.

Snow tilted her head slightly with calm curiosity, Alice smiled gently, Liyana had that usual sly glint in her eyes, and Rose’s golden gaze seemed neutral, but her subtle lean closer betrayed her thoughts.

“Aren’t you guys a bit too close…?” he asked, voice almost a whisper now. “There isn’t really much space left for me to breathe here.”

He winced a little as they all tilted their heads—synchronized again, like it was some kind of unspoken pact.

The way they looked at him made it clear what they were thinking: So what?

At the moment, the five of them were walking down the lively streets of Hamen City.

The sun had just begun its descent, casting warm hues across the cobblestone roads and charming storefronts.

Around them, people whispered and stared—how could they not?

To Riley’s right, Snow was quietly holding onto his arm, her white hair fluttering as she matched his pace with grace.

To his left, Alice clung a bit tighter than usual, hugging his arm like it was her personal pillow, her cheek occasionally brushing against his shoulder.

Slightly ahead but still within reach, Liyana leaned her back against his chest, occasionally glancing up at him with a teasing smile as if tempting him to say something.

On the opposite side, Rose mirrored her behavior—stoic but clearly positioning herself as close as she could get without literally climbing onto him.

To any passerby, the sight was nearly surreal.

A lone young man encircled by four goddess-tier beauties, each with a different aura but one thing in common: they were utterly, shamelessly, attached to him.

“Hehe, don’t you like it, Darling~?” Liyana purred, her crimson eyes twinkling with playful mischief.

Riley cleared his throat. “Well, I don’t exactly hate it, but… aren’t you girls uncomfortable? It’s kind of cramped.”

“Nope. Not at all,” Liyana replied with a quick smile, like the answer had been obvious from the start.

Alice chuckled softly, her tone thoughtful. “Hehe… since this is our first official date with everyone together, maybe we should’ve planned the route better. Walking like this is a bit… difficult.”

The other girls fell quiet, their expressions shifting as they wordlessly agreed.

It had sounded fun at first—spending the afternoon together as a group.

But now that they were here, they couldn’t help it.

The idea of taking turns or keeping some respectable distance felt wrong.

Instead, they each tried to get as close to Riley as they possibly could, as if the other girls weren’t even there.

Even Rose and Liyana, who typically never saw eye to eye, were both secretly dissatisfied.

Snow and Alice had gotten to Riley’s sides first, claiming the prime spots by his arms.

Neither Liyana nor Rose said anything—but the occasional glances they gave each other spoke volumes.

This was supposed to be their first proper group date—just Riley and his girls enjoying a simple outing together.

But somehow… it wasn’t going exactly how he imagined.

He let out a quiet sigh, invisible to the affectionate crowd clinging to him.

Not that he hated it.

Being surrounded by beautiful girls—one pressed against his left arm, another hugging the right, with two more practically walking in sync with his every step—it was, admittedly, a majestic feeling. Something out of a painting. Or a very suspicious dating sim.

But the stares from the crowd around them?

Those, he could do without.

Every passerby seemed to be either burning holes into him with envy, glancing over with curiosity, or outright shooting daggers of disbelief and low-key murderous intent.

He wasn’t even doing anything flashy—just walking.

That’s what made it worse.

“But now that we’re all here… where should we go first, Darling?” Liyana asked with a playful smirk, tugging slightly at his sleeve. “Hehe, since this is a date with all of us together, you’re gonna have to take charge and take responsibility, okay~?”

Riley smiled lightly.

He had actually planned to let the girls take the lead today—to let each of them pick a place they wanted to visit and invite the others along, so they could all naturally grow closer without him needing to force anything.

But if they wanted him to be the leader this time… then so be it.

“Then how about… we head to Liyana Street first?”

“H-Huh?!” Liyana froze, her confident smile faltering. “M-My street? Why there?! That’s… embarrassing, Darling!”

The other girls perked up at the same time.

“There’s a street named after you?” Rose asked, her usual calm tone tinged with mild disbelief as she turned to look at Liyana.

“Really?” Alice said, eyes wide. “You’re famous enough for that!?”

Even Snow tilted her head slightly in curiosity. “I suppose even my father has his rivals then… My father might’ve done the same if I were less… rebellious.”

Liyana let out a tiny whimper, her cheeks puffing as she shrunk behind Riley for a second before muttering, “I-It wasn’t my idea, okay? Papa had the whole district reorganized and just—put my name on the place. I haven’t even gone there since the sign went up!”

“But still,” Alice giggled, “that’s so cool~ I’m jealous.”

“It’s impressive,” Rose said simply. “Even I’ve never had a street named after me… not that I’d want one.”

Snow chuckled lightly and returned her gaze to Liyana.

“Still… if it’s named after you, maybe it’d be nice to start our date there.”

Riley chuckled softly, watching Liyana squirm with a blush on her cheeks.

This was probably the first time he’d ever seen her genuinely flustered—and not just from teasing.

She was always confident, always provocative with her words, but now? She was shy.

It was… cute.

“Although the name ’Liyana Street’ might sound dramatic,” he said with a grin, “it just shows how affectionate your father is toward his daughter. Honestly, it’s kind of sweet.”

Liyana pouted harder but said nothing.

“And hey, didn’t you say you wanted to get closer with your sisters?” he continued, casting a glance at the other girls. “Then visiting the places, we used to enjoy back then might be a good start. I think it could be memorable. Let them see your world a little, you know?”

Liyana fidgeted. “W-Well… even if you say that—”

“Let’s go,” Rose said, cutting in without hesitation. Her tone was flat, but her golden eyes glimmered with curiosity.

“Hehe~ I’m actually quite curious too,” Alice chimed in cheerfully. “I wonder what kind of place helped raise this version of Liyana~”

“So, it’s your childhood sweet street in a sense hmm….?” Snow mused, her tone unreadable as she touched a finger to her chin. Then she nodded with a faint smile. “Alright. Let’s hurry and go before it gets crowded.”

With everyone in agreement, Liyana had no choice but to silently concede.

She crossed her arms and turned her head, cheeks still warm.

“Fine. But you better hold my hand the entire time we’re there, Darling,” she huffed. “If anyone recognizes me, I want them to know who I’m with.”

“Sure,” Riley said with a shrug.

…But the moment he said that—

He felt the grip on both his arms tighten noticeably.

Alice on his left squeezed down just slightly harder, her fingers subtly lacing in tighter with his, while Snow on his right adjusted her position to press her shoulder flush against him, as if declaring territory.

He glanced at them.

Both were smiling.

But those smiles… were not peaceful.

They were the kind of smiles that said, “Try letting go of me and see what happens.”

Rose, slightly ahead of them now, tilted her head back just enough to give him a side glance.

She wasn’t holding him physically, but the sharp glint in her eyes told him she wasn’t planning to play fair either.

Even Liyana—who was supposed to be the one he was offering to hold hands with—looked like she was about to argue her way into his other arm if given half a chance.

Riley sighed inwardly.

It seems no matter how he tried to please them; someone was going to be slightly dissatisfied.

This date might turn out more intense than I expected…

Still, as he looked at their faces—each of them excited, curious, even slightly competitive—he felt something else welling inside him too.

It wasn’t pressure.

It was warmth.

And maybe… just maybe, even if the day got chaotic, it was still going to be a pretty good one.

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