Chapter 814 – No Catch

The dinner itself was kinda light.

Not in quantity.

Hell no.

The table was filled, completely, with mortal food. Not infernal cuisine, not mana-infused delicacies, not soul-infused dishes that screamed power and dominance.

Just...

Food.

Real food.

Steaming rice, grilled meat glazed with sweet soy, bowls of soup with herbs floating on top, crispy fried dishes, fresh fruits cut neatly, sauces, spices, desserts stacked at the end like a quiet promise.

Simple.

Warm.

Alive.

Lux stood at the head of the table for a second longer than necessary, his gaze sweeping across the room.

They were all here.

Naomi sat relaxed, leaning back slightly in her chair, one leg crossed over the other as she lazily stirred her drink. She looked... normal. Grounded. Like the chaos of Hell didn’t exist when she was here.

Rava sat beside her, posture composed, expression calm. Not cold. Not distant. Just... content. Like a storm resting beneath still water.

Ely leaned slightly forward, curious eyes already scanning the dishes, her fingers lightly tapping the table as if deciding where to start.

And then...

Mira.

Her tail swayed slowly behind her, relaxed, her smile soft but confident as her golden eyes immediately found Lux the moment he stepped in.

Sira came in next.

Late.

Of course.

Hair still slightly messy, posture loose, completely unbothered by the fact that she looked like she had just gotten out of bed, or... something close enough.

She didn’t even hide it.

Just walked in like she owned the room.

Which, to be fair... She probably thought she did.

And then, a soft yawn.

Lullaby.

Barefoot.

Half-asleep.

She drifted into the room like a ghost that decided dinner might be worth waking up for, her steps slow, her eyes barely open.

"...Food..." she murmured.

Lux exhaled softly.

"...Of course."

Everything felt... Normal.

Too normal.

And somehow, that made it feel more unreal than anything else.

He pulled out his seat and sat down, finally allowing himself to drop the weight he carried outside this room.

"Alright," he said casually. "Eat."

That was all it took.

The table came alive.

Not chaotic.

Not loud.

Just...

Comfortable.

Naomi reached first, grabbing a piece of grilled meat and taking a bite without hesitation.

"Mhm. Okay, this is good," she muttered.

Rava followed more gracefully, picking her portion with care.

Ely leaned forward immediately after, already excited.

Sira didn’t even bother with elegance, she just took what she wanted. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Lullaby... rested her head on the table first.

Then slowly reached for food without lifting it.

Lux watched.

Quietly.

A faint smile tugged at his lips.

"...This is ridiculous," he muttered under his breath.

And yet... He didn’t hate it.

Not even a little.

Mira leaned slightly forward, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at him.

Her tail swayed once.

Twice.

Relaxed.

"I got the key, Lux~."

That pulled his attention immediately.

He looked at her.

"The key to the Dragon Mountains?"

His brow lifted slightly.

"I thought you’d need more time."

Mira smiled wider.

"My grandpa agreed."

Lux paused.

"...That was fast."

Too fast.

He narrowed his eyes slightly.

"What did you say?"

A beat.

"...Or do?"

Mira tilted her head, playful.

"Hmm~ not much."

She tapped her cheek lightly.

"I only told him about you~."

Lux’s expression flattened.

"...About me."

"Mhm."

"And what exactly did you say?"

"That you’re the Underworld CFO."

Silence.

Lux blinked.

Then frowned.

"...And he believed that?"

Mira laughed.

Bright.

Unbothered.

"No."

Of course not.

Mortals rarely believed things like that.

"But," she added, leaning slightly forward, eyes glinting, "he challenged me to a duel."

That made Lux pause.

"...He did what?"

Mira’s smile sharpened.

"I fought him."

A beat.

"And I knocked him out in three movements."

The table went quiet for half a second.

Then... Naomi snorted.

"...That’s brutal."

Ely blinked.

"Your grandpa?"

Mira nodded casually.

"Mhm."

Sira smirked.

"Sounds about right."

Lux stared at her.

"...You knocked out your grandfather. In three moves. And he gave you the key?"

"Yes."

Lux leaned back slightly, exhaling.

"...Just like that?"

Mira’s tail swayed again.

"There’s a sleeping power in the Dragon Mountains," she said, her tone shifting just slightly, less playful, more grounded.

"Something that belongs to the dragon clan."

Her gaze locked onto his.

"So, Lux..."

A small smile.

"You’ll get the power."

A pause.

"And I’ll revive the sleeping dragon. For the clan."

She leaned back slightly, completely confident.

"How’s that?"

Lux didn’t answer immediately.

He looked at her.

Then at the table.

Then at everyone else.

They were eating.

Talking.

Relaxed.

Like this was just another dinner.

Like they weren’t standing in the middle of something much bigger.

His fingers tapped lightly against the table.

A habit.

A rhythm.

Processing.

Calculating.

But this time... There was something else mixed in.

Something warmer.

Something that didn’t come from strategy.

"...That’s efficient," he said finally.

Mira grinned.

"I learned from you."

Lux huffed softly.

"...That’s concerning."

Naomi leaned back, raising a brow.

"So what’s the catch?"

Mira shrugged.

"No catch."

Sira chuckled.

"There’s always a catch."

Mira’s smile didn’t fade.

"...Maybe."

Lux watched her carefully.

Then exhaled.

"...We’ll take it."

Because power like that?

He couldn’t ignore it.

Wouldn’t ignore it.

His gaze lowered slightly.

"...One step at a time."

But even as he said that... He knew.

Things weren’t slowing down.

They were accelerating.

And somehow... Sitting here.

At this table.

With them... Was the only place where it felt like he could breathe.

Even if just for a moment.

Lux set his glass down and glanced around the table. "So... when are we going?"

"This weekend," Mira replied brightly.

Ely perked up. "Oh! Then I can come with you guys."

"Me too!" Naomi added with a grin.

Rava nodded calmly. "I have nothing urgent to handle, so count me in."

Lux raised a brow. "Why does this sound like a picnic?"

Mira’s tail swayed. "Because it is a picnic."

He looked toward Lullaby. "What about you, Lulla?"

She shook her head gently. "I can’t... I just talked with Gula."

"Mira blinked. "Gula?"

"Gluttony’s daughter," Lullaby explained.

Lux leaned forward slightly. "What did she say?"

"She wants to help. But we need to do something this weekend."

Sira smirked. "Hmm, interesting. Then I’ll join you, Lulla."