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“It’s an interesting name; I like it. Thank you Aisha.” Desmond expressed with a sincere smile. To Desmond’s surprise, Aisha shook her head and dismissed Desmond’s thanks. “I’m afraid it’s inappropriate for you to thank me, Desmond. This is just part of my thanks. As I said before, you did much more than save my life, something as simple as a ring is far from enough to reward you.”

Aisha was unexpectedly serious as she spoke, but Desmond still tried to insist since he hadn’t helped her out for a reward or anything like that. Much to Desmond’s frustration, Aisha was very stubborn and determined. “Although the ring may seem like a valuable thing, all I invested in it was a handful of metals and a dozen hours. How could that compare to all the life I have ahead of me, thanks to you? With my talent and natural gifts, I will be able to create tens of times more powerful artifacts in a matter of years. No matter how you look at it, this ring barely qualifies as a way to make me feel better about this debt.”

What could Desmond do? It’s not like he could tell Aisha that her life wasn’t valuable, so he didn’t need to be rewarded for saving her. He wasn’t trying to insult her. From another point of view, life is the most valuable thing one has as an individual; Aisha could not be considered wrong.

But that created another problem, how did Aisha intend to pay him? She couldn’t be thinking of giving herself up as a reward, could she? Desmond hoped that wasn’t the case, as tempting as the idea was. It would be too difficult to turn down that kind of reward, making his love life even more complicated.

Although Aisha couldn’t tell what Desmond was thinking, she at least deduced his train of thought, so she took the initiative to explain. “Truth be told, any number of treasures or artifacts won’t be enough; these will all have the same flaw as the ring. As such, I can only offer myself as a reward.”

As soon as he finished listening to Aisha, Desmond didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. This kind of cliche scenario was too much for him to bear with a smile. Ignorant of what Desmond thought, Aisha continued. “From today until the day my core stops burning and the magma that runs through my veins cools down, I, Aisha, will be your ally; I will put all my skills at your disposal. As the ancient laws of my clan say, the debt of a daughter must be recognized by the tribe. From now on, Desmond Astrid will always be welcome in the sacred lands of my clan.”

There was a solemn air around Aisha, a conviction and sincerity that would only be seen in people with truly pure hearts. Under those eyes that seemed like burning embers, Desmond felt a little small.

Desmond remembered the first time he met Cecilia and how her saintliness made him feel inferior, which was why he initially disliked her. Although Desmond had matured and changed his mind since then, people like Cecilia and Aisha still gave him this feeling of unattainable purity.

.....

Another detail that Desmond noticed was that Aisha used that ancient language again. Still, for some reason, this time, he could understand every word. Moreover, this was different from the hunter’s book translating for him. That language was strange yet beautiful, with a low guttural tone that somehow gave a sense of seduction when it left Aisha’s lips.

“It’s like listening to a force of nature speak... the language of magma and fire.” Desmond thought on a whim. In a way, though more complex than Desmond had expected, this was a good result. God only knew what a headache he was having when he thought Aisha was referring to something else when she said, “I can only offer myself.”

Since Aisha had gone to such lengths to thank him, it would be too hypocritical and rude of Desmond if he continued to refuse. To begin with, Desmond had already felt a strong need to get in touch with a blacksmith he could establish long-term relationships. Otherwise, the hunting association was going to swindle Desmond to death.

Having thought to the end, Desmond realized that this friendship with Aisha might be the greatest treasure he had ever found. In Aisha’s own words, it took her only a handful of metals and a couple of hours to create the ring, , an artifact second only to the sword, in Desmond’s hands.

As a member of a race renowned for its godly talent in forging and creating artifacts, Aisha’s future was destined to be among the best in such a field. For Desmond, a friendship with Aisha, founded on sincere gratitude, was something that could only bring immeasurable benefits.

For such a friendship, with a girl so warm and sincere, Desmond would respond with that same warmth and sincerity, even if no benefits were involved. “In that case, I can only be grateful to have such a beautiful and talented friend like you.”

A strange, amused gleam in Aisha’s fiery eyes for a second when Desmond spoke the word “Friend,” but she made no comment. Aisha simply smiled and gave Desmond a bear hug with enough force to make his ribs crack a little.

Only now did Desmond realize how ridiculously strong Aisha was. Desmond estimated that she was only a level below that werelion regarding physical strength. “Looks like she wasn’t lying when she said that her race has enormous innate strength.” Desmond thought as he realized Aisha’s physical power did not match her Aura level.

As seemed to be usual for Aisha, her graceful-featured face expressed her momentary surprise, and following the same pattern as before; she changed the subject out of the blue. “Come to think of it, what are you doing in these mines, Desmond? Are you exploring for treasure like me?”

Desmond had already started to get used to this forgetful girl, whose mind jumped from one subject to another, so he wasn’t surprised. “I have my attention on the gems in these mines, but I also have something to do here, so I have to go to the lower section of the mine.”

Aisha glanced at the hunter’s book strapped to Desmond’s waist and nodded with understanding. Desmond wasn’t surprised that she recognized the book, Aisha’s origins were far from simple, but he still caught that hint of disdain emanating from her for a second.

Although that subtle feeling arose instinctively from Aisha, Desmond still inferred many things by relating them to his other discoveries. “As expected, she has a negative opinion of the association. That contempt was not directed at my identity as a hunter but at the association itself. The same thing happened with Titania and Katya. What do these three people have in common? That they are all members of superior races. There is definitely something fishy about the association, and I believe it is more complex than I thought. I’ve been noticing the clues for a while now, the way their rules and other restrictions seem to create a subtle cage around the hunters. The association limits and controls the potential of the hunters, tying them down through benefits, but that would not be enough to make a bad impression on people of Titania’s caliber.”

Desmond was having a bad feeling that only got worse with time. To begin with, he always found the association’s existence too strange. However, there were many reasons, all of which could be summed up in one sentence: it was too good to be true.

Desmond also acquired that phrase from Katya, whose prophecies could not be ignored. She spoke about a false balance and about those who broke their promises. Despite being infinitely ignorant about the secrets of destiny and having too limited a base to attempt to understand a being like Katya. The first thing that came to Desmond’s mind when he heard that prophecy was his first meeting with Elisa.

Back then, and from then on, when Desmond asked about the reasons for certain rules or restrictions of the association, Elaisa always answered in the same way. As if it were a mantra that would remain unflappable no matter how many times it was questioned. “To keep the balance.” Elaisa always answered.

“Forget it; I’m too insignificant to get involved in things of that scale. Besides, I have very little information at my disposal right now; any guess of mine is no different from shooting arrows in the dark.” Desmond thought as he sighed and shook his head in resignation.

Showing curiosity and a hint of genuine concern, Aisha asked. “Is your mission complicated?”

Aisha’s voice snapped Desmond out of his daze; he hadn’t realized he had gotten so lost in his thoughts. “Sorry, I was thinking of something else. Actually, my mission should be pretty easy; the only difficulty is reaching the bottom of the mines. Since I intended to explore these mines, there is no difference between my two goals regarding the course of action.”

Aisha nodded in understanding, and giving her large breasts a couple of pats; she offered to guide Desmond on his way to the lower section of the mine. In Aisha’s words: “I have made at least three trips to the lower region of these mines, so I have a good understanding of this particular area. I’m also here to find treasures, and my combat strength is still somewhat decent; I’ll definitely be of help to you. Also, it would be too sad if we broke up as soon as we met; Since I have to go home in a couple of days, I should use the time to explore this place with you.”

Aisha had the experience, the knowledge, and the skill, and she was a stunning beauty; Desmond didn’t know of anyone who would turn down such help. “Although it was unexpected, it seems like my journey will only be more interesting from here on out.” Desmond thought with a smile.