Divine Luck: SSS-Rank Battle Maid Harem

The crowd was silent at Zach's flourish and exaggerated announcement. Speechless.

They didn't know what the Nyasm Desert was, nor what it had to do with Zach's guild. It was confusing and not as epic as they had expected.

A few quick speculators wondered if maybe it had anything to do with the recipes that could be found nowhere else. Were they from this Nyasm Desert? Perhaps. Zach slipped out a few finishing words before leaving the stage. He didn't care about the dull reaction or others' opinions of the name he had come up with. He had altered it a little after summoning Mandra, but it didn't change the essence or the most important part.

After he left, a mellow round of applause filled the field, but it was short as Derot took Zach's place and went into a little more detail about their plans for the future and what it would mean to support and shop at the Nyasm Desert Guild's branches.

Zach, on the other hand, was mostly done with the party, so he prepared to leave with his maids.

However, a sweet voice called out to him before he could do so.

"Zacharia!" Rienne greeted him with a wave, nervously grabbing her dress with her other hand.

"I was worried I wouldn't make it, but I got here just in time to hear the end of your speech." She glanced around. "It seems your guild is going to be a pretty big hit, huh?"

"Yeah, I hope so," Zach said uncertainly as he looked Rienne up and down. Her dress was beautiful and exquisite. It showed off her ankles, wrists, and shoulders, and the airy light blue material made her seem almost like a fairy or a spirit. She had also applied more makeup than she had worn last time he saw her.

It was an official event, so it wasn't strange that she made sure to look great. But the way she was looking at him was the strange part.

"..."

"..."

Zach and Rienne looked at each other in silence for several moments, confused about the other's intentions and reactions.

In Zach's mind, Rienned had refused to see him for the past week or two after Soara put the fear of death in her. Why was she suddenly at his party in a fancy dress and greeting him as soon as she could with a slightly nervous smile?

In Rienne's mind, she had been busy with her training, so she hadn't known about what Zach was up to. But afterward, she had heard from her grandmother and servants that Zach had visited the Imperial Palace almost daily to look for her. Why was he suddenly now not interested in seeing her face?

"Did—?" "How—?" The two said at the same time, interrupting each other.

"You—" "What—?" They did it again.

Zach let out a quick breath of air too short to be called a sigh and gestured for Rienne to go first.

"I…heard you wanted to see me? I was so busy with training that I shut out the rest of the world. Sorry about that." Rienne awkwardly held her upper arm as she apologized.

"No, no problem. I just wanted to give you a proper apology for what my familiar did to you."

"Apology? There's no need for that. What she did actually helped me a lot." Rienned hurriedly shook her head, rejecting Zach's sincerity. She understood why Zach thought he needed to apologize, but there truly was no need for that.

Her proficiency with life spirit magic had skyrocketed, and her connection with her life spirit had improved by leaps and bounds. Even if that hadn't happened as a consequence of Soara's actions, she still couldn't blame Zach or Soara. As her connection with her life spirit improved, she had an easier time understanding it. Experience tales at empire

Comparing Soara to a spirit hadn't been very nice. It completely denied the hard work, suffering, and hardship she had endured to achieve her position. It was like comparing a completely self-made billionaire to a millionaire trust fund baby. Someone who had climbed to the top of the Empire with their own strength to someone who had been born the child of a noble.

"I see…" Zach nodded. If Rienne didn't want or need an apology, he wasn't going to insist. Still, why had she come here then?

"Is that it…?" Rienne asked after a moment of silence.

"Is what it?" Zach asked.

"Is that the only reason you wanted to see me?" She clarified.

"...What other reason would there be?" Zach questioned doubtfully.

Rienned was silent as her grandmother's expression while telling her all about how Zach had been by every day looking for her, waiting for her, flitted through her mind. She sighed.

"Nevermind. I appreciate the thought, Zacharia. It's a nice party, but since I only came to see you, I think I'll take my leave here."

Zach could tell Rienne was disappointed all of a sudden. He didn't know why she was disappointed, even if he had his suspicions as to what she had come here expecting now. He sighed a little. He still felt guilty, even if Rienne said it was fine.

He glanced at Alzara and his maids. He wanted to spend some quality time with them as well. But they would be by his side for the rest of his life. After he left the capital, he didn't know when he would get to see Rienne again. There wasn't anything special between them.

But Rienne had helped Zach meet the Empress Dowager, who had helped him summon Mandra and finalize a deal with the Imperial Palace for his guild. He owed her more than she thought or knew.

"I was actually about to leave as well. Come with me," he said.

Rienned would probably be fine even if he didn't comfort her. But was there a reason not to be nice? For whatever reason, Rienne was in a bad mood. If Zach could do something about that, why shouldn't he?

Rienne looked at Zach with an expression clouded with uncertainty.