Refusing My God’s Advances

After bidding Shelli and Lyra farewell, I stretched my limbs and prepared to head out for my morning training. As I made my way down the stairs to head outside, I couldn't shake off the excitement of testing my newfound abilities and stat improvements.

While I hadn't gotten any new skills or Skill slots, I had 5 Skill Points I could use, meaning I could replace Paint now. I also had a ton of Material Points, but the one I was most interested in was the single Character Point I had. 

As much as I wanted to use them right away, I would save that for tonight in bed. I really enjoyed looking over everything with Shelli. So, I decided that I would make a ritual out of it each night.

"You are awake?" Aria asked from the kitchen as I came down the stairs.

I turned my head in her direction and finally smelled the food that was cooking. 

"Mmm, that smells really good," I said, walking over to find Aria hard at work cooking.

I wanted to be surprised, but the girls had kind of numbed me to their countless talents. Considering Aria was a princess, I had never expected to see her wearing an apron working hard over a hot stove. Still, yesterday I watched Shelli skin and gut an animal, something I couldn't do without instruction.

"You must be hungry after sleeping so much," Aria laughed, and I couldn't help but blush a little bit. She looked so radiant at that moment, and it was hard to take my eyes off her.

"Is there something wrong? What are you blushing?" she asked but then seemed to panic. "Have I exposed myself in some way?!"

I laughed, resisting the urge to slap my hand over my face. "Sorry, your beauty always seems to catch me by surprise. When you laughed, I just couldn't look away," I said with embarrassment, feeling my face heat up.

"Oh..." Aria said, her voice trailing off as a complex look started to form on her face. 

Then as if my words just registered, Aria blushed so hard that I thought she was either going to pass out, or finally surpass the beet! She was instantly facing away from me, but then all hell broke loose.

When I moved fast, I created a breeze. Maybe if I ran in a circle I could really kick up a gale, but the single turn from Aria caused hurricane-force winds. The force ripped everything off the stove, counters, and even the shit out of the cupboards.

Time slowed to a stop as my adrenaline kicked in, but I was frozen in place. Aria, on the other hand, let out a sigh, shaking her head. Then, the princess slowly walked around and picked everything out of the air, putting them back where they belonged. Once she was done, Aria reached out her hand, and a black and gray spell circle formed.

"Stabilize," Aria whispered softly, and then time snapped back, and I was blown off my feet. 

Once the wind stopped, and I got up, I noticed that nothing had moved after time had started. Whatever magic that was, it seemed really strong to be able to hold everything around you in place. I could think of multiple uses for that magic, but for some reason, I knew I was not able to learn a spell like that for a long time.

"Leon! I am so sorry!" Aria apologized, rushing over to help me up. "I didn't mean to do that. I just got a little flustered, and my control slipped."

I chuckled, brushing off my clothes. "No harm done. It was just a little unexpected windstorm. Your magic is impressive."

Aria blushed again, looking down. "Thank you. It's a spell I developed to control chaotic situations. But let's focus on breakfast now. I hope you like pancakes."

While we enjoyed the breakfast Aria had prepared, I asked her where everyone else was.

"Mary is out training the demons. Daryle is being Daryle, and using exploring the island as an excuse to hide from Danielle," Aria explained, but then gave me a meaningful look. 

Before speaking, Aria bowed her head to me. "Thank you for spending so much time with Danielle. I have been keeping a close eye on her for Daryle's sake, and I fully expected her to try and sneak into his room last night. After waiting past midnight, I left a detection spell on her room and went to bed. I was never woken up, and Daryle seemed in a good mood when he got up. That can only mean that you must have gotten through to her somehow."

I shrugged, finishing the food in my mouth. "I don't know about getting through to her yet, but I have been trying. Daryle has kind of grown on me, and he always wants to help me out. Danielle is actually pretty good-looking, and out of all of the girls, we kind of have the most in common. That's not to say I am falling head over heels for her, or that I like her more. It's just that she likes the technical stuff, but I like that you are all different."

Aria smiled and nodded. "I don't mind accepting her into our group. This also will let Daryle actually marry the woman that he wants."

"Oh? Daryle has someone that he likes?" I asked, and Aria smiled, letting out a short giggle.

"It has always been a weird thing. Daryle has always acted like he liked me, but I know deep down inside, he knew something like that was never possible. Yet, now that I think about it, he might have done it out of kindness to me. He might have taken it too far a few times, but he learned his lesson. The woman he really liked is Danielle's assistant, Rosily," Aria explained, and I shook my head laughing.

"Of course, it is her assistant! Who else could it be?!" I exclaimed, but then narrowed my eyes at Aria in a playful way. "Let me guess? This assistant is hiding on that warship that is parked on our front lawn?"

"No, she is working with Danielle in her lab. Rosily knows all too well how Danielle feels about Daryle and knows how volatile she can be. Danielle has no idea about them," Aria explained, and I let out a long sigh, leaning back in my chair.

So, this was about more than just Daryle freedom from his sister's affections. It also was so that Rosily and Daryle could be together without Danielle killing her for having feelings for her brother. 

What a complicated situation. I couldn't help but find it a bit amusing, though.

"Love sure has its own twists and turns, doesn't it?" I remarked, and Aria nodded.

"Yes, it can be quite complicated. But enough about that. What are your plans for today?" Aria asked, finishing her breakfast.

"I need to test out my new stats and abilities, and also train a bit with Daryle. I want to see how well we can work together in combat. After that, I'll have to gather some materials for Ashagan's golem body modifications," I explained, laying out my plans for the day.

Aria nodded in understanding. "Sounds like a busy day. If you need any assistance or if there's anything I can do, just let me know."

"Thanks, Aria. I appreciate your support," I said, offering her a smile.