Selene's expression sharpened into something almost predatory.

  "My strong and rigid Austin," Selene said proudly, as if announcing a title, "is the very reason I left my faction."

  Lira blinked once, slow and disbelieving.

  "That is absurd," she snapped, the polite mask cracking. "What business would a trollop like you possibly have with Austin?"

  Austin's eyes widened slightly.

  Trollop?

  Okay. We're not just flirting anymore. We're in full royal insult territory.

  Selene only smiled wider.

  "I have conducted plenty of business with my sweet Austin," she said, and then—because Selene was Selene—she tilted her chin up toward him with a slow, deliberate, seductive glance.

  Austin nearly choked on air.

  He coughed, trying to cover it as a laugh, while Lira's eyebrow twitched like it had been punched.

  Selene continued, voice sweetening with every word like she was enjoying the burn. "Since joining Austin's faction, we have talked until dawn." Her fingers tightened around his arm in a soft squeeze. "And we have even shared quite a few… intimate moments."

  She let her voice drop to a sultry whisper, the kind that made Austin's skin prickle.

  "And oh," Selene murmured, "were they delightful."

  She looked up at Austin again, playful and unapologetic, like she'd just tossed a match into dry grass and wanted to watch it catch.

  Lira scoffed loudly, the sound crisp with disbelief.

  "Intimate," she repeated, slow and incredulous, as if rolling the word around to see if it was poison. "You left your faction for Austin?"

  Selene nodded with maddening confidence. "Maybe my handsome Austin has simply stolen my heart," she replied without hesitation. "And I had the guts to act on my feelings toward him."

  Austin blinked hard.

  Heart.

  That was… aggressively straightforward, even for Selene.

  It was one thing for her to flirt and tease. It was another thing to say something like that out loud, in public, with an entire plaza as an audience.

  Lira's complaints about Selene being bold and insensitive suddenly felt very, very accurate.

  "How dare you…" Lira hissed, and the words came out with a heat that didn't need magic to burn.

  Selene smirked, utterly pleased with herself. "Think of this as me doing you a favor, Lira. Your father would never approve of you being with a commoner anyway."

  The word commoner hit like a slap.

  Austin felt it in his gut—an old, familiar sting he hated admitting existed. He wasn't noble. He wasn't from here. And no matter how strong he became, people would still use that word like a weapon.

  Lira stiffened, fury flashing in her eyes.

  "My father," Selene continued, voice light and cruelly triumphant, "has no more say in the matter due to my current faction status."

  Lira's gaze sharpened to something dangerous. When she spoke again, her voice was low enough that it felt like the quiet before a storm.

  "Must you really continue your brashness outside the academy walls?" Lira said. "Your magic is far beneath mine." She leaned forward slightly, the air around her seeming to tighten. "And as the heir, I am not afraid to exercise my power."

  Selene didn't flinch.

  If anything, she relaxed further into Austin, as if she found the threat amusing.

  "If a war between our nations is what you want," Selene said coolly, "then by all means." Her eyes gleamed. "Throw your little fireballs my way."

  Austin froze.

  Whoa, whoa, WHOA.

  He was suddenly very aware that he was sitting between two noble heirs who could probably turn him into ash or ice or a smoking crater if they decided today was the day they stopped using words.

  I am not trying to die by fireballs, Austin thought, glancing around with mounting alarm.

  The air felt thicker. Not just humid—charged. Passersby slowed. A beastman walking by pretended he wasn't watching while very obviously watching. A dwarf at the next table ducked behind his mug like it could shield him from politics and magic.

  It felt like one spark—one wrong phrase—could ignite an all-out duel in the middle of the plaza.

  Austin considered breaking it up. He really did.

  He imagined himself standing between Selene and Lira, hands raised, trying to calm them down while they hurled royal-level insults and possibly actual fireballs.

  Then he imagined the fireball.

  He decided against it.

  Way too much trouble.

  Better to let them burn themselves out.

  So Austin leaned back in his chair as if he were relaxing on a normal lunch break, lifted a hand, and casually waved the server over.

  "Another Flame-Braised Cleftwing, please," he said, voice calm and polite, like he wasn't sitting in the middle of a political powder keg.

  The server approached, took one look at the two noble girls radiating lethal tension, and went visibly pale.

  "Yes—yes, of course," the server stammered, nodding too fast. They retreated like their life depended on it.

  Austin returned his attention to his empty plate with the calm focus of a man who had decided his priorities.

  Food first.

  Political catastrophe second.

  A few minutes later, the server returned with his new meal, sliding the dish in front of him with a nervous smile that didn't reach their eyes. The glaze sizzled faintly, steam rising in fragrant curls. The smell—smoky, rich, mouthwatering—cut through the tension like a blade.

  Austin's eyes lit up.

  Man, this food looks so good, he thought, admiration genuine.

  At this point, he wasn't even fazed. The girls could have summoned dragons behind him and he probably would've just shifted his plate to avoid the flames.

  He ate.

  Not slowly. Not politely.

  Happily.

  He was about three-quarters through the plate, chewing with contentment, when Lira abruptly turned toward him.

  Her expression was stern now—almost grave.

  Austin blinked, mid-bite. "What's up?" he asked casually, as if she hadn't just threatened magical warfare five minutes ago.

  Lira stared at him like she was asking a question that mattered more than pride, more than rivalry.

  "Is it true?" she asked, voice tight. "Have you given your heart to this harlot?"

  Austin froze mid-chew.

  The food in his mouth suddenly felt like a rock.

  He swallowed carefully, set his fork down with slow precision, and wiped his hands on the cloth beside his plate. His heartbeat thudded once, heavy.

  Then he let out a long sigh—deep enough that it felt like it came from the very bottom of his exhausted soul.

  "First off," Austin said, exhaling hard as if he could blow the tension off the table like crumbs, "you need to relax with all these statements about you and me being romantically involved."

  He turned his head toward Selene as he said it, trying to make his tone firm without sounding cruel. The plaza had gone back to its normal rhythm around them—vendors calling, boots on stone, laughter in the distance—but at their table, it still felt like the air could shatter if someone spoke too sharply.

  Selene inhaled dramatically and pressed a hand to her chest like he'd driven a dagger straight through her heart.

  Her eyes went wide. Her lips parted. She looked like an actress mid-scene.

  "But our connection, Austin…" she whispered, voice trembling with fake tragedy. "Our intimate moments…"

  She batted her lashes slowly, as if the entire plaza was her audience and she intended to win them over by sheer performance.

  Austin nearly choked on the last of his bite.

  She wasn't lying about the kisses—he'd definitely enjoyed them, and his body was more than willing to remind him of that fact at the worst possible times. But kisses weren't a contract. They hadn't sat down and defined anything. They hadn't even had a real conversation about what they were doing beyond surviving the dungeon and flirting like it was breathing.

  And he was not about to declare Selene as his woman in front of Lira—especially not during… whatever this was.

  "In all honesty," Austin continued, forcing himself to keep going before Selene could derail him again, "Selene and I are… well… just factionmates." He held up a hand preemptively when Selene's mouth opened. "We have shared some intimate moments in the form of kisses, yes. But I don't even know what that means yet."

  His gaze flicked briefly to Lira, then back to Selene.

  "And I wouldn't go as far as to say we're in a romantic relationship."

  Selene's smile twitched. The tiniest crack in her confidence. It was gone in an instant, replaced by a practiced smirk, but Austin saw it.

  He pressed on.

  "I needed a healer for my faction," he explained, voice calmer now, more logical. "Selene showed up with an undeniable proposal to join. In return, I've been teaching her my techniques for clearing the dungeon. That's probably why she's been… schooling everyone in the academy."

  He tried to make it sound harmless. Transactional. Reasonable.

  Lira nodded slowly, her expression easing just a fraction as she weighed his words. The tension in her shoulders loosened enough that Austin could breathe again.

  But Selene didn't nod.

  Selene's eyes sharpened.

  "Austin, wait," she said, suddenly serious—so serious it snapped the playful act clean in half. "We can't share our ways with Lira."

  Austin frowned. "Why not?"

  Selene leaned closer, lowering her voice as if the table itself might be bugged. And as she leaned in, her chest pressed lightly against his arm—subtle, deliberate contact that sent Austin's brain stuttering for half a second.

  "The Elandros and the Renn are not on the best of terms," Selene murmured. "I would prefer that our strategies stay between the two of us."

  Austin's mind short-circuited.

  Okay… yeah. Lira might've been right about Selene using her assets to get what she wants.

  He was still processing that uncomfortable thought when Lira's voice cut through the space like a blade.

  "Just say the word," Lira said quietly, her eyes locked on Selene, "and I will end Selene."

  The words weren't shouted.

  They didn't need to be.

  They landed with cold weight, the kind that made nearby noise feel far away.

  Selene scoffed, chin lifting. "Ha. As if you could."

  Austin looked between them.

  Two stunning girls. Both heirs. Both powerful. Both radiating enough stubborn pride to make the table feel too small.

  And somehow, for very different reasons, both of them were now tied to him.

  Austin set his fork down with slow care. The clink against the plate sounded loud in his ears.

  He'd been joking earlier about harems and attention and "happiness," but sitting here now—with Lira threatening to end Selene and Selene casually provoking her like it was entertainment—he felt the weight of what he was doing.

  These two absolutely did not get along. That much was obvious. Their words weren't just petty insults. They carried history. Politics. Bloodline pride.

  But Austin didn't want to lose either of them.

  Lira had been kind to him from the beginning. Helpful. Genuine in a way most nobles weren't. She'd treated him like a person, not a tool.

  Selene was… complicated. Fierce. Bold. Sometimes manipulative. But she'd also been there beside him, healing him when he should've collapsed, laughing with him, messaging him every morning like she couldn't stand the distance. And if he was being painfully honest with himself…

  Selene was becoming something he didn't know how to label yet.

  And deep down, even if it was ridiculous, even if it was selfish…

  He wanted something more with both of them.

  The thought burned like a guilty spark.

  He'd joked about living the harem life, sure. Kara was friendly. There were other women he'd noticed in the city—prospects, possibilities—but he'd kept his distance. Mostly because he was still trying to stabilize his life here. Money mattered. Security mattered. And he'd always assumed that kind of dream was something you earned later, once you weren't one bad dungeon run away from bleeding out on wood.

  But right now?

  Right now he had two heirs practically bristling at each other over him like he was a prize.

  Austin's mouth curved before he could stop it.

  Maybe that harem idea of mine… could start right now.

  The spark turned into something dangerously hopeful as he looked at them: Lira's controlled fury, Selene's possessive confidence.

  Neither willing to yield.

  Neither willing to leave.

  "I have the perfect plan!" Austin declared suddenly, loud enough to cut through both of their glares.

  Both girls blinked.

  Caught off guard.

  The silence that followed was so abrupt it felt like the world paused to listen.

  Austin sat up straighter, adopting the tone he used when he'd figured out a dungeon exploit—confident, practical, as if this was just another puzzle to solve.

  "Lira," he said, "would you like to come to the fifth floor of the dungeon with us?"

  Lira's eyes widened.

  Selene's arms tightened around Austin's arm, as if she could physically prevent the idea from happening.

  "I can show you all the strategies I've learned on the earlier floors," Austin continued quickly, leaning into momentum. "And hopefully that'll help you and your team at the academy catch up."

  Selene threw her hands up in dramatic horror, blond hair swishing with the motion.

  "The Elandros and the Renn Sovereignty working together?" she exclaimed. "There must be another option, my sweet Austin!"

  Austin shrugged like this was obvious. "Well," he said, voice mild, "you can always go by yourself while Lira and I explore the fifth floor alone."

  Selene froze.

  You could practically hear the gears in her head grind.

  She stared at him like he'd just threatened to take away her favorite toy.

  And—no surprise—her stance flipped instantly.

  Selene released a long, theatrical sigh. "I suppose going to the fifth floor together is… not such a terrible idea." She fluttered her lashes. "And how could I simply leave my master without a healer?"

  Lira hesitated. Her anger had faded, but uncertainty still lingered in her eyes like smoke after a fire. "Are you sure about this, Austin? I would love to see the strategies you've made… but to work with her?"

  Austin softened his voice. "Trust me, Lira." He glanced at both of them, expression firm. "All I ask is that the two of you set aside your differences while we're in the dungeon."

  He held their gazes one at a time.

  "Get along," he said simply. "Just while we're down there."

  Then he turned back to Lira, and his tone grew quieter—more sincere.

  "You've treated me well since the moment I arrived in this city," he said. "Now it's my turn to reward you."

  Lira's cheeks flushed a soft shade of pink. Her lips curved into a shy smile that made her look younger for just a moment—less heir, more girl. And for a heartbeat, Austin got lost in her violet-blue eyes.

  Until Selene jabbed him in the side with an annoyed huff.

  Austin flinched. "Ow."

  Selene's smile returned, sweet but sharp. "Alright then, master," she said, voice smooth as velvet. "I promise to behave."

  Then her voice dropped into a sultry purr as she dragged her fingers down his arm—slow, deliberate, sending a flustered jolt straight through him.

  "But I expect a thick reward after our dive, handsome."

  Austin swallowed hard, suddenly very aware of how public this was.

  Lira's eyes narrowed again, but she didn't object.

  And with that, the three of them headed toward the dungeon.

  To absolutely no one's surprise, the tension didn't disappear.

  Not even a little.

  Selene and Lira refused to stand next to each other, as if the air between them was toxic. Instead, they each claimed one of Austin's arms—Selene on his right, Lira on his left—holding onto him like he was a rare artifact someone might steal if they blinked.

  Austin walked between them like a man being escorted by two rival queens.

  The stares were immediate.

  Adventurers slowed mid-step to gawk. Civilians whispered behind their hands. A pair of students in academy uniforms stopped completely, eyes wide. A dwarf hauling a crate turned his head to look and promptly tripped over the edge of the cobblestone, swearing loudly as his crate clattered.

  Austin couldn't blame them.

  If he'd seen a guy walking with two noble heirs clinging to him like that, he would've stared too.

  Perfect, he thought smugly as they passed through the crowd. Step one of my harem is complete.

  Then reality nudged him in the ribs.

  Now I just need them to actually get along.

  That part might be harder…

  …but Austin Lucas was nothing if not determined.

  He lifted his chin, walking toward the dungeon like he was marching into destiny.

  I'll make my dream come true, he thought fiercely.

  My harem dream will prevail.

  Chapter thirteen

  As Austin walked down the street with one noble heir on each arm—Selene clinging to his right like she owned the concept of possession and Lira holding his left with quiet, stubborn dignity—he felt the strangest sensation creeping up his spine.

  Not danger.

  Not nerves.

  Excitement.

  Because somewhere beneath the absurd stares, the whispers, and the occasional tripping pedestrian, a familiar itch had sparked behind his eyes.

  A notification.

  It had been sitting in the back of his mind like a blinking icon on a screen, waiting for him to acknowledge it. He'd felt it earlier—right when the cooldown on his Limit Break ended—but he'd been on his way to meet Selene at the dungeon then, and before he could check it, Lira had appeared and the entire day had turned into… whatever this was.

  But now?