Show Me Your Stats!

What the…? Something smells really nice…

Dragged around by Janus, Ayra suddenly realized that he smelled surprisingly good. For someone without a home, was he really wearing such an expensive luxury as perfume? She sniffed again, curious—only to freeze in shock the moment she felt the weight of something solid against her thigh.
Is he… carrying something between his legs?
“That’s it! Stop it for real now!”

She tried to kick him in the shin, but Janus smoothly dodged out of the way. The next moment, his lips curled into a mischievous grin as he grabbed Ayra by the waist again and effortlessly lifted her into the air. He spun her around several times before finally setting her down. A couple of passersby clicked their tongues, shaking their heads before continuing on their way.
Dizzy, Ayra staggered before finally snapping. Her pale cheeks flushed red as she lunged at Janus, grabbing at him. She had originally intended to grab his collar, but curiosity got the better of her, and instead, she yanked off the strip of cloth covering his eyes. Beneath it, Janus’ crimson eyes curved into amused crescents.
“Did you do something to the fabric? Or was it just so old it had holes in it?”

Annoyed and worked up, Ayra threw out the accusation. She stretched and folded the cloth, even holding it up to her own eyes to check for transparency. Watching her, Janus chuckled like he found the whole thing adorable.
That laugh made Ayra’s face heat up.
The cloth was just an ordinary piece of fabric—nothing seemed unusual. Still, she wanted to be absolutely sure.

“Wait a second.”
With a calm voice, Ayra pulled at her robe, covering her own eyes with a section of the thick fabric. It was heavy and dense enough that there was no way to see through it. Satisfied, she ran her fingers along the cloth, and as soon as she did, the material split apart with a clean, precise cut—like it had been snipped with scissors.
Her eyes sparkled with the same focused excitement she always had when conducting an experiment.

Janus’ gaze swept over her face, lingering briefly before he casually remarked, “Go ahead.”
“This time, I’ll tie it myself.”
“Do as you wish.”

His voice was relaxed as he lowered his head slightly, allowing her to work.
Eagerly, Ayra tied the freshly cut cloth over his eyes—but the moment she did, she hesitated.
Binding a piece of fabric around someone’s head was a much more intimate action than she had expected.

She tried to be as careful as possible, but strands of his soft hair brushed against her fingers, and the warmth of his skin lingered against her touch. His ear—just as warm as his hands—gently pressed against the edge of her palm. Her fingertips trembled slightly before she could stop them.
“Alright. Try again now.”
Suppressing the strange flutter in her chest, Ayra stepped back, making sure to stay far enough away that Janus wouldn’t grab her again.
With a sharp smirk, Janus started walking once more.

This time, Ayra had thoroughly blindfolded him—there was absolutely no way he could see. Yet his steps were as smooth and effortless as before.
Not once did he stumble.
Not once did he bump into anything.

He walked as though his sight had never been taken away.
And just like that, he arrived at the mercenary office and flung open the door like he owned the place.
Ayra followed closely behind, her shortened robe trailing slightly.

“Hey, isn’t that Janus?!”
“What’s with the blindfold? Guys, look who just walked in!”
“Janus! Why the hell has it been so long since you’ve come around?!”

The moment he stepped inside, the mercenary office exploded with noise. Mercenaries surged forward to greet him, crowding around as if they were dogs excitedly running up to their owner.
Whether they were old friends or not, they all clamored to get his attention.
And Ayra understood why.

There was something about Janus that naturally drew people in. It wasn’t just his good looks—it was an inexplicable magnetism, a presence that demanded attention.
If he were on Earth, he’d have been a superstar, she thought absently, watching from the sidelines.
Meanwhile, Janus untied the blindfold and brazenly waved it in Ayra’s direction.

The movement caught the mercenaries’ attention, and suddenly, all eyes turned to her.
One of them jerked his chin toward her.
“And who’s this?”

“My employer.”
“Oh, a client!”
Immediately, the mercenary’s attitude shifted. Smiling broadly, he stepped forward and extended his hand.

“Welcome! Is there anything in particular you’d like to know about the mercenary office? I’m Nadal.”
Ayra shook his hand while quickly scanning the interior. Since this mercenary office was funded by a wealthy estate, the building was luxurious, and the atmosphere inside was comfortably warm.
“What kind of services are you looking for? As long as you’ve got the money, we’ll handle anything—escort missions, monster hunting, assassinations, full-scale wars, you name it. If you sign a group contract, we even offer additional services. Since you came with Janus, we’ll make sure to treat you well.”

As he spoke, Nadal’s gaze flicked toward Janus with something more than just respect.
It was admiration.
No—adoration.

Anyone could see it written all over his face.
But Janus, either oblivious or pretending to be, only tilted his head and asked, “Is that really necessary?”
At Janus’ words, Nadal leaned in slightly and gave him a wide, knowing smile.

“What? We’re friends, aren’t we? This much is nothing between friends.”
Huh? Ayra tilted her head slightly. Is it just me, or does this feel a little… clingy for just friendship?
Ah, right. He did say he came here to find a lover.

Over the past few days of wandering around the city with Janus, how many potential romantic candidates had they run into? The thought made Ayra strangely uncomfortable. It seemed her fondness for Janus had grown quite a bit in just a few days. But… was it really just simple fondness?
She stopped herself before going any further down that line of thought, shaking her head as if burned. Nadal shot her a curious glance, and she quickly forced her mind onto a different track.
After a rather long conversation with Nadal, Ayra learned that hiring mercenaries was incredibly expensive and that they came from all sorts of different estates. Some were dispatched as official forces from their territories, while others worked independently. There were even a couple of mages among them, though they seemed fairly mediocre, making it unlikely they were from Labyrinth.

Still, I should be careful about their backgrounds.
No matter what, mercenaries were still a group of armed combatants. If something went wrong, she could be unknowingly inviting enemies into the estate. That said, the mercenary office itself was a useful resource for a lord to have access to. Ayra made sure to keep that in mind.
After they left the mercenary office, Janus continued leading Ayra around, introducing various places. And each time, Pebble diligently worked in the background, flashing notifications like [Shop and NPC information updated!]

This isn’t an RPG game… These are real, living people, not NPCs!
Annoyed, Ayra poked the little system spirit perched on her middle knuckle.
“Aren’t you taking this whole game interface thing a little too seriously?”

In response, Pebble popped up a system message.
[Tip! The user’s most frequently enjoyed hobby was RPG games.]
Since the artificial spirit was modeled after her subconscious, it was basically her own fault. But that didn’t make it any less irritating. She grumbled and pressed down on Pebble to chase it off her hand, only for Janus to suddenly stop walking.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t claimed my reward for winning the bet yet.”
Ayra flinched, having half-forgotten about the bet.
She hesitated before pulling the instrument from her subspace inventory. She had lost, so she was supposed to play something for him—but it was an instrument she had never even seen before.

“I don’t know how to play this.”
“That’s fine. Just strum it however you like—I’ll have fun mocking you for it. Let’s see if you can make a living as a musician.”
Janus’ crimson eyes gleamed with amusement as he teased her. He certainly didn’t look the type to hold a grudge, but he must have taken her past criticism to heart.

Ayra experimentally plucked a string. Twang… plunk…
After a couple of attempts, she simply shoved the instrument back into her inventory.
Janus’ eyebrow twitched, and his lips curled upward, as if to say, See? I told you so.

Ayra felt compelled to defend herself.
“I never really wanted to make this bet in the first place.”
“Whatever. I wasn’t expecting much anyway.”

His indifferent shrug made her chest feel a little tight, and his casual dismissal bruised her pride just a bit. It was a bet she didn’t particularly want, but she had lost fair and square. After a brief moment of deliberation, Ayra made her decision.
“Give me a little time, and I’ll play it properly. Just one week.”
“Well, do whatever you want.”

Despite being the one who proposed the bet, Janus seemed to lose interest in an instant. His fickle attitude sent a chill through Ayra’s stomach.
“Hey, if you’ve got time, buy me dinner tonight.”
Janus grinned, lightly tapping her on the shoulder. Ayra, without hesitation, responded brightly, “Okay!”

And then, a few seconds later, she frowned, realizing her own reaction.
He’s just a temporary guide showing me around the estate. Why the hell am I feeling like this?