Chapter 246: A Real Welcome

Within the guild that evening, when everyone had returned from different guild activities that had kept that engaged.

Dungeon activities had significantly slowed down. There wasn’t actually much to be dealt with these days.

The guild members were currently settled into their usual corners, talking amongst themselves or simply relaxing after a long day.

Ambrose and Amelia sat alone together in a far corner of the room, away from the others. They hadn’t spoken much to anyone since joining Ravens Grave, and neither had any one really spoken to them too.

After what looked like a brief conversation between Aiden and his wives, he then proceed forward to the center of the room.

He called everyone’s attention.

“Everyone, I want to talk to you all about something.”

The room gradually quieted as heads turned toward him. The Captain inclusive.

Aiden took a breath, then began.

He told them about Rin, the half demon and the events that led to her being born. Katherine and Piers exchanged looks, remembering the day they had rushed into the dynamic dungeon in a bid to save Aiden and Laela.

Aiden carried on and told them the rest of the story and his final decision.

There was this chill and quiet in the room, and people exchanged certain glances between themselves.

Then Aiden added finally, “I want you all to help nurture her human side.”

However Piers spoke up almost immediately.

“Hold on,” he said, raising one hand. “I need to think about this carefully.”

Now his expression grew more serious.

“How can we be sure she’s not tied to the Demon Lords or the Demon King? Aren’t demons like that by nature?”

Katherine nodded in agreement.

“We have to think about this carefully,” she added. “Yes, her human side might still be human, but we can’t throw away the fact that she’s a demon too.”

They both spoke the minds of majority of the mages in that room.

Katherine continued. “So my first question is, how powerful is her demon side?”

Aiden sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

“I understand your concerns,” he said. “But I’ve been with this person for a while now. If she was working with the Demon King or his demon lords, I would have known by now.”

He paused, then sighed again before answering Katherine’s question.

“And to answer your question, Captain… she’s really powerful.”

Katherine’s eyes narrowed slightly. “How powerful?”

“She was strong enough to best both Thamoryn and Oberon.”

The room erupted in astonishment.

Several members’ eyes widened in shock, alarmed by what they’d just heard.

Katherine shook her head slowly.

“This half-demon is too dangerous, Aiden,” she said.

Aiden expected this reaction to an extent, but before he could respond, Arianna and Laela glanced at each other, then stood up from where they’d been sitting.

Laela stepped forward first, and spoke in a calm voice.

“You should stop looking at the negatives only,” she said, addressing the room. “If you keep doing that, you’ll only see Rin as something to be feared.”

Arianna moved beside her and added:

“Laela and I have both met Rin, and she’s such a likable soul. Instead of seeing her power as dangerous, what if this same person could use all that power for good?”

The room went quiet again, and most of them looked like they were in thoughts.

Then Aiden spoke up again, and a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

“And I mean, we were all able to put up with prime Kayden back in Xathia. How hard could a half-demon really be?”

The entire guild burst into fits of laughter. They didn’t see that one coming.

Kayden threw both hands out to the side, with a frown on his face. “Hey man! I thought we were friends now?”

The Young Prince shook his head and turned his face to the side, muttering under his breath while trying not to smile.

Piers leaned back in his seat, grinning widely.

“Prime Kayden was such so insufferable” he said between laughs. “Always looking mad about something.”

Fred chimed in from across the room:

“Sorkin, do you remember after we cleared the dungeon, when Kayden spent hours arguing with a five-year-old who mocked his hair?”

That set off another round of laughter, and even Kayden couldn’t help but smile too. That Kid had really got on his nerves that day.

Aiden smiled as he watched them all go on and on for a moment.

When the laughter finally began to die down, Katherine recovered first and wiped at the corner of her eye with one hand.

She looked at Aiden and shook her head, still smiling faintly.

“Alright,” she said. “Your demon friend will always be welcome here.”

Aiden nodded in acknowledgment.

“Thank you, Captain.”

Given that they were now in the spirit of acceptance, Piers turned his head toward the far corner of the room where Ambrose and Amelia were still sitting separately from everyone else.

He raised his voice a bit and called out to them: “You two can stop being such sad loners and join the rest of us!”

A few people chuckled at that.

Ambrose hesitated for a moment, glancing at Amelia beside him. Amelia shrugged and simply stood up without a word, then walked over towards the others.

Ambrose followed after her a moment later, looking awkward but willing.

This was the guild’s proper welcome, as a few members began shifting aside to make room for them to join the group.

——

The following morning…

Aiden had just stepped into his Pocket Domain, looking over towards the bed Rin lay on.

She had been reading one of the books, but the moment she noticed him approaching, she closed it and set it aside.

“Rin,” he began. “I’m finally going to take you out of here.”

Rin’s eyes widened immediately, and her entire expression lit up. She stood quickly, almost stumbling over herself in her excitement.

“Wait—really?” she asked. “I didn’t think it would happen this fast.”

Aiden smiled and nodded.

“Well, it’s happening,” he said. “And right now, everyone in the guild is waiting on you.”

Rin nodded enthusiastically, with her face flushed with both nervousness and excitement. “Okay,” she said quickly. “I’m ready.”

Aiden stretched his hand forward, and a blue portal opened up before them.

Then he gestured toward it. “After you.”

…

The portal opened directly into the main room of Ravens Grave.

The tables were already set, and every member of the guild was seated with plates in front of them, waiting patiently as Bernard moved between the tables preparing to serve the morning meal.

The moment the portal appeared, every head turned toward it.

Rin stepped through first, and for a brief second, she froze.

Her eyes swept across the room, taking in the dozens of faces now staring at her.

Aiden stepped out beside her a moment later and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

“Everyone,” Aiden said. “This is Rin.”

There was a pause.

Then Piers raised one hand in a casual wave.

“Welcome to Ravens Grave,” he said with a grin.

Katherine nodded from her seat near the head of the table.

“Good to have you here,” she said simply.

Laela stood up immediately and walked over toward Rin with a warm smile on her face.

“Come sit with us,” she said gently, gesturing toward where she and Arianna had been sitting.

Arianna waved as well, smiling brightly.

Rin looked between them, still clearly overwhelmed, but she nodded slowly.

Elena turned toward Bernard, who was already reaching for another plate.

“Bernard, one more plate for Rin, please,” she called out.

Bernard nodded without hesitation and quickly set another plate down at the table beside Laela and Arianna.

Rin walked over slowly, guided by Laela’s hand on her arm, and sat down carefully between the two women.

She glanced around the room again, with an uncertain expression and then slowly a smile formed.

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