"What do you mean?"

"I mean I like you."

"What kind of like?"

"The kind between a man and a woman."

"Ah?"

"...Can you react normally? I think I mentioned before, when I restore my country, I'll ask you to be my Co-Ruling Emperor, right?"

"That did happen, but wasn't that like the 'I'll take you gaming' kind of invitation?"

"Of course it wasn't that kind of invitation. First, being a Co-Ruling Emperor is a highly honorable title, not something given out casually. In the earliest Solomon Empire, the two Co-Ruling Emperors had to be incredibly close, completely unconditionally trusting war buddies; but since the establishment of hereditary succession after the Fifth Epoch, you can basically understand it as a couple."

"So...can I take this as a marriage proposal?"

"Of course not!" Thira unusually got shy and annoyed, stomping on him hard, "I'm hinting that you can propose to me! But only after I restore my country."

"But, Thira..." Aske hesitated for a while, and ultimately repeated the explanation he had once given to Nora to Thira verbatim.

"...So because I eventually have to go back, it really isn't right to delay your marriage." He hadn't finished speaking before Thira shouted:

"No way!"

"Why?"

"What if you don't return?" Thira argued confidently.

"Then you can find someone else to be Co-Ruling Emperor," Aske said.

"The problem is how do I know you won't come back?" Thira said, "What if I wait many years without hearing a word from you..."

"Then you find someone else," Aske said.

"And then you suddenly come back," Thira said.

"That just proves we're not meant to be," Aske said.

"Jerk."

"How am I a jerk?" Aske chuckled helplessly, "A true jerk would be..."

"Alright, I don't care about your opinion," Thira interrupted him, "Bottom line, you're not allowed to leave. If you need to confirm your mother's situation, when you can go back, I'll have someone go in your place, won't that work?"

Eh, this might work... Aske was slightly moved, then realized:

"Wait, what if it's a one-way return ability? You go back and can't return..."

"Then I really can't let you go," Thira said, eyes widening, "What would I do if you left?"

"Don't talk like you're my creditor." Aske said helplessly,"I don't owe you money."

"You don't owe me money, but you took me from Constantinople and now want to abandon me irresponsibly?" Thira said in a plaintive tone.

"What do you mean 'took'? I was rescuing you!" Aske was almost speechless with frustration.

"Rescuing me? If it weren't for you, I would have taken the royal helicopter to Sirius!" Thira said excitedly, "Then maybe I could have met other handsome guys there!"

"You can still meet other handsome guys if you go to Sirius now!" Aske, provoked, said.

"Fine, I'm going now!" Thira pretended she was about to leave.

"I'm sorry, I was wrong, don't go..." Aske hurriedly grabbed her.

"If you're going to leave, then I'll leave now; you find someone else to fight the Bronze Dragon for you." Thira used this to threaten him.

"Alright, alright, I won't leave." Aske could only say.

"I see." Thira immediately said suspiciously, "You're planning to settle me down and then suddenly leave, right?"

Aske: .......

Seriously, why do I still bother lying to Thira.

"Don't be so guarded against me." He tried to persuade her, "Look, how high level were you before? I helped you reach Demigod Rank, trained you to be a super strong Arcane Mage, at least trust me a bit more, okay?"

"Wait a minute." Thira started to shirk responsibility, "Originally, it was because your team needed an Arcane Mage, so I reluctantly joined. Besides, even without being a mercenary, I could live a prosperous life in Sirius!"

"How about this." Aske decided not to entangle the 'who benefits who loses' matter and changed the topic, "I help you restore your country, you help me fight the Bronze Dragon, how does that sound?"

"How about this, I won't restore my country, and you don't go back, how's that?" Thira proposed an amendment.

"Are you really not planning to restore your country?" Aske was surprised, unsure whether to be angry or tearful.

"Even if I don't restore my country, there's still my sister." Thira said seriously, "But there's only one Aske in this world."

Aske: ???

Oh no, I'm a bit moved.

Seeing him silently refusing to answer, Thira also felt some sadness and heartache, her eyes involuntarily turned red:

"Aske, you've been here close to three years now. Don't you feel that all the memories we created together are worth keeping you here?"

Aske was silent for a moment, then asked her:

"Then, Thira, if I were with you, but later had to go to another realm for some reason, and someone there wanted me not to return, would you want me to listen to her or ignore her?"

Thira was silent at his words, unable to answer.

"In the end, life is just about making choices." Aske summed up, "What's unchanging is our desire to achieve the best result, willing to risk it for that."

"If I choose to stay here, I forever lose the chance for the best outcome. Conversely, if I choose to return, I still have a chance to try and come back again. Thira, you're smart enough to understand my choice, right?"

Thira: .......

Seems like there's indeed some sense in what he's saying.

..............

"So you just let him persuade you like that?" Medea laughed coldly with disdain.

"Because he's right, too." Thira defended Aske, "If it were me, I'd also want to balance both parents and lover. To give up on parents for the sake of love, without trying to achieve the best result, I certainly wouldn't be willing to."

"What? That's his best outcome!" Medea said, covering her face, "Think about it, for him, it indeed is, but for us, letting him stay here means he won't leave 100%; going back, it's uncertain if he'll return! Isn't the choice clear?"

"True." Thira pretended to have just realized but actually had thought it through.

Yet she couldn't be as selfish as Medea, directly asking Aske to give up returning for her sake. Wait, if Medea herself isn't going to approach Aske but wants me to do it, maybe it's because she doesn't want to be the bad guy.

She was suspiciously mulling over this when she saw Medea impatiently waving her hand, saying:

"Forget it, I'll go talk to him personally. Next week, we'll find some time, and you draw the other girls' attention away, then I'll seize the chance to persuade Aske."

"Next week?" Thira pondered and asked.

"Yes, I have some work to wrap up." Medea responded without changing her expression.

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