Gacha Leveling

Matthew woke up with the soft glow of the morning light coming through the windows barely impeded by the curtains.

He didn’t open his eyes. He just turned to the side and cuddled with Faralynn’s warm body. She snuggled into his embrace taking in his smell.

That’s when Matthew heard a quick tapping on the floor.

"You two look really cute." Faralynn’s voice was acidic and filled with sarcasm.

Matthew opened his eyes and saw Mia’s golden hair spread around his arms instead of his Fianceé’s silver one. He turned slowly to see Faralynn standing in front of the bed with her arms crossed around her chest, with a scary look on her face and stomping her feet quickly on the floor.

"So... For how long does my fiance intend to embrace one of my best friends in front of me?" Faralynn’s tone was threatening.

"Sorry! Lynn! I thought it was you!" Matthew quickly let go of Mia who complained in a moan, turning to the other side and hugging a pillow still half asleep.

He sat up right on the bed while Faralynn walked slowly towards him. Her boots made an ominous noise with each step.

She grabbed his face, pressing his cheeks and making his mouth turn into a duck’s beak.

"I know." She looked at him with a half teasing smile, half angry.

The elf then bit him very hard on the shoulder, bruising his skin with the shape of her teeth.

Matthew didn’t push her away, but just gently held her hair keeping her from going too far.

"What was that for?" Matthew asked, a bit aroused by her possessiveness.

"I’m just jealous." She said, sitting on his lap and embracing him.

"You’ve been odd lately." Matthew noted. "When Mia is around me."

"It’s complicated." She sighed.

"What is?" Matthew asked, embracing her and gently kissing her neck.

"I know she’s in love with you. So... Whenever you two are together I’m taken by this jealousy that I can’t control." The elf said while closing her eyes and feeling his affection on her skin. "But at the same time... Mia is one of my best friends. I hate picturing her face in pain if I tell her to back off. And I’m scared of losing her friendship. You know it’s not easy for me to make friends." Faralynn said in a sad tone.

"But it’s not fair to you that this keeps happening." Matthew sighed. "It’s my fault really. I shouldn’t have given her the liberty to be so close."

"No you shouldn’ve." Faralynn poked him with her elbow. "Your sister is right, you know? You’re a jerk." She chuckled.

Matthew laughed.

"She also calls me a man whore."

"That you are." Faralynn laughed as well, biting his hand that rested on her shoulder.

"I’ll tell her to keep her distance." Matthew said, resting his head on hers.

Faralynn didn’t answer that. Her eyes focused on the distance in deep thought.

"Lynn?" Matthew called her, trying to look into her eyes.

"Oh? No, it’s nothing." She woke up from her thoughts and got up from his lap. "Let me talk to her first."

"You sure? I know how you can be." Matthew got up as well and stretched his back.

"She’s listening to us anyway, aren’t you, Mia?" Faralynn smiled.

Mia slowly turned with tears in her eyes.

"Tif... Can you excuse us for a moment? We need some privacy." Faralynn told Matthew.

Matthew just nodded and went to get some breakfast.

Downstairs Karynn and Kazan were already in the kitchen. While Karynn cooked some eggs and sausages, Kazan read a paper newspaper.

"You should just learn how to use a phone, ufa." Karynn admonished him.

"I don’t like them." Kazan was succinct.

"It’s so much easier than reading the paper. Look! I learned to use it in just a couple of days." She showed him her expertise by moving between apps on her phone.

"Good morning." Kazan recognized Matthew to shift the conversation.

"Don’t you agree, Lord Matthew?" Karynn’s attitude towards him changed drastically after last night.

"Just Matt is fine." He smiled at her and then turned to Kazan: "Good Morning."

"Sorry. Matt." Karynn bowed her head politely. "But don’t you agree? He should learn how to use his phone properly!"

"It is very convenient." Matthew agreed, sitting across the table from Kazan and serving himself of some coffee.

Kazan simply ignored both of them, drinking some coffee and reading his paper.

"What do you want to eat, Matt? Lady Faralynn told me to make some toast, eggs and sausages for her and Lady Mia. Should I make some for you too?" Karynn offered.

"You know how to make french toast?" He asked.

"No. I don’t even know what that is." The priestess replied.

"Let me show you." Matthew said, getting up and preparing the ingredients. "Mom taught me how to make it a long time ago... But it’s been ages since I last did it myself."

Mia and Faralynn came into the kitchen stairs holding hands. Mia’s face was wet with unwashed tears. They sat silently by the table. Karynn and Kazan bowed to the duchess politely as soon as she got in.

Karynn quickly took the frying pan and served both women with the food she prepared.

Matthew was still frying his french toast.

"What you’re making, Tif?" Faralynn asked him, while Mia cleaned her face with a napkin.

"French toast." He said.

"Oh! Can I have some?" Mia asked, her voice was a bit wavering from crying, but overall in high spirit.

"Sure. Want some too, Lynn?"

"I never had it." She confessed. "What is it?"

"It’s toast fried on eggs and milk." Karynn explained.

"I make them sweet." Matthew added.

"I’ll want some." Faralynn said.

"Allow me to assist you, Lord Matthew." Karynn said politely since Faralynn was in the room.

Karynn learned quickly how to make the dish. Hers came out even better than Matthew’s. She served her father with a smile, urging him to try that human recipe.

After breakfast, Faralynn went to the school to deal with some paperwork Professor Claude couldn’t do on his own. Karynn and Kazan followed her as bodyguards.

Mia went home refusing to tell Matthew what Faralynn and her talked about after he left. But, by the way her face went red, it got him really curious.

Matthew himself went back home running, which was very fast for him. Depending on traffic, even faster than going by car.

He bathed and changed clothes the night before in Faralynn’s house, but he disliked the elven clothes he got. Their shirt collar was too wide and he didn’t feel comfortable showing that much of his shoulders. Especially since Faralynn marked him with her teeth.

He didn’t have much time at home. As soon as he changed into his own clothes, Tina called him, asking him to come to the Black Tower laboratory.

Sarah and Ffyr went along with him in his car. Despite being able to cover such distances on his own, driving was still more comfortable for him.

The security of the laboratory was tight. Much tighter than the school or anywhere else he even went to. They even got a sample of his blood to make his entry register.

When they finally got in, Erin and Helen were already there.

Tina brought them to a room where tests were being made on the sword. Her boss, a man named Donavan, interviewed him about the Deep Backcountry dungeon and the circumstances that led him to find the sword.

"This is definitely the katana the Sage made for Orpheu." Donavan said after getting all the information he wanted. "And the Northern Star simulacrum you fought does really sound like her."

"What are you thinking?" Tina asked, seated by Matthew’s side while Sarah distracted Ffyr, talking about nothing in particular.

"Creating a simulacrum of the Northern Star at such precision is not outside the Sage’s capabilities." Donavan pondered. "Sending the sword through dimensions certainly is also something she could do."

"Are you saying that the Sage herself set it up?" Matthew asked.

"Why would she do it?" Erin asked, sitting at a small couch with Helen.

"I think she’s sending a message." Donavan tapped the table in deep thought. "There’s more engravings on the sword than there were since last time we serviced it here."

"You think she used it to write a message?’ Tina asked.

"Yes." Donavan said. "The Northern Star simulacrum and the sword itself were meant to draw attention of the Black Tower. The engravings need someone more knowledgeable than myself to understand them." Donavan pondered.

"We need to send it to England?" Tina asked.

"We do." Donavan nodded deep in thought. "Can we ask you for a favor, Matthew? The Tower will pay you well."

"Depends." Matthew said.

"Could you go with the sword to our base in England? The tower doesn’t have any party in the country at the moment. Not to mention that you are the one who found it. You might’ve seen something important that I’m missing. I’d like you to retell your tale to our vice leader."

"Alright." Matthew agreed.