"Tia…" Kenley remained silent.

  "Master, Tia has already received an abundance of your care, and it makes Tia feel deeply uneasy," Tia averted her head, lacking the courage to meet Kenley's gaze directly. It seemed as if uttering these words required a great deal of her inner strength.

  "It's alright, Tia. You are mine, and these are all gifts I offer to you," Kenley pushed the stone back towards her once more.

  "No! Tia refuses!" Tia appeared to be irate, her chest heaving slightly with emotion.

  "Why?" Kenley inquired.

  "Master, don't you truly understand?" There was a tinge of melancholy in Tia's eyes.

  Kenley held his tongue. It wasn't that he failed to comprehend Tia's sentiments; rather, he deemed the enhancement of their strength to be of greater significance.

  "Master, you are always like this. You fail to realize that substantial rewards can indeed bestow boundless courage, yet unwarranted gifts will only foster the growth of base desires. If such occurrences were sporadic, they might be tolerable, but when they happen repeatedly, Tia simply cannot accept it!" Tia declared with resolute conviction, clearly demonstrating her own principles and stance.

  Kenley felt a constriction in his chest. Indeed, as Tia had pointed out, if one persistently gave without making any demands, it would only render the recipient overly reliant on them for every aspect of life. While being depended upon wasn't inherently negative, it could give rise to a multitude of issues.

  Tia was a princess of distinct character and firm principles. In this regard, Kenley held her in high esteem. However, currently, both of their levels were rather low.

  Within the imperial city, a count lurked in the shadows, eyeing them with malevolent intent, and nearby, there was a band of adventurers with ambiguous motives. In a world where light and darkness coexisted in a delicate balance, the most pressing matter for their survival was to elevate their strength as expeditiously as possible.

  Nevertheless, this gave rise to a new predicament. His excessive preoccupation with strength enhancement had caused him to overlook the feelings of those close to him. While focus could render one powerful, an overabundance of it could lead to the erosion of one's fundamental humanity.

  "I see…"

  "Tia, you are truly a resilient princess with unwavering principles and a well-defined moral compass," Kenley couldn't help but praise her.

  Upon hearing Kenley's words, a delicate blush crept across Tia's fair cheeks, and it seemed as though her earlier anger dissipated instantaneously. Yet, she still asserted firmly,"My master, you possess genuine wisdom, and I trust that you comprehend. Tia does not mean to oppose you. I merely hope that you will refrain from such actions in the future. What Tia desires, Tia will strive to attain through her own efforts, rather than relying on charity."

  She aimed to enhance her standing in Kenley's heart through this approach, rather than devolving into a docile and dependent figure.

  Kenley couldn't help but inwardly marvel at Tia's uniqueness. Encountering Tia in this world was truly a blessing.

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  Just then, Kenley suddenly interjected,"You are mistaken, Tia. This is not charity."

  "But Master, how is this any different from charity?" Tia's countenance darkened slightly upon hearing these words.

  "I intend to fashion this stone into two betrothal rings, as a testament to our love," Kenley said, a gentle smile gracing his lips.

  Tia was jolted by surprise. She had never anticipated that Kenley would utter such words.

  The air seemed to still in that moment, and the two of them locked eyes in a profound silence.

  Tia felt her vision blurring, and unshed tears welled up in her eyes, almost imperceptible.

  Tia's heart, which had long been dormant, inexplicably began to quicken its pace. What was this strange sensation?

  She was rendered speechless, as if something had been deeply implanted within her heart, like a seed taking root and sprouting, awaiting the blossoming of flowers.

  "However, if you think this is not to your liking, Tia… then I shall temporarily retain…"

  Kenley opened his mouth and slowly articulated these words. Then, he began to retract his hand that held the magic crystal core. But before he could finish his sentence, Tia, like a child whose most cherished possession had been snatched away, swiftly seized the magic crystal core from Kenley's grasp.

  "No! Tia thinks this is wonderful!"

  Gazing at the crimson magic crystal core in her hand, Tia's pretty face flushed a deep red, resembling a ripe apple.

  "Truly?" Kenley smiled.

  "Mm!" Tia's voice was soft and tender, yet it carried a palpable undertone of unwavering determination.

  "Very well, then you shall safeguard this crystal core for now. Once we return, we shall seek out Master Smith and commission him to craft the rings," Kenley proposed.

  "But Master, haven't you been avoiding Master Smith as of late?" Tia asked, a look of bewilderment crossing her face.

  It seemed that Tia had indeed noticed. Indeed, dealing with Smith was no easy feat, but Kenley was confident that he possessed numerous strategies to pacify him.

  "Have no fear. There are few challenges in this world that can confound me," Kenley gently stroked Tia's head.

  "Mm!" Tia smiled sweetly once more.

  "Good. Let us now direct our attention to the Demonic Moles. I recently retrieved the magic crystal core, and without it, they must be in a state of utter disarray. Shortly, we shall eliminate these Demonic Moles one by one," Kenley said as he unsheathed his sword.

  For he had already spotted a Demonic Mole peeking cautiously out of the cave entrance…

  He wondered how the bottle of aphrodisiac potion he had spilled earlier was faring. By now, during his conversation with Tia, the effects of the potion should have fully subsided.

  After all, the lair housed Demonic Moles of all sizes, and that bottle of aphrodisiac potion was incredibly potent. He suspected that even the elite Demonic Mole would be enraged beyond measure.

  The scene was too vivid and intense to even contemplate.

  "Wait, what on earth is happening?" Kenley was taken aback, for he observed that the Demonic Mole that emerged was still connected to another. It appeared that their genitals were intertwined.

  How could such a thing occur? Kenley wore an expression of astonishment. He shook his head. Evidently, the effects of the potion had been overpowering, and these Demonic Moles must have been thrown into a state of chaos. He couldn't help but wonder what the elite Demonic Mole's reaction would be upon witnessing this peculiar sight.

  "Tia, let us hold off on the attack until they have moved a sufficient distance away from the lair," Kenley narrowed his eyes.

  "Understood!"

  Moments later, the two Demonic Moles that had ventured out to search, whether drawn by the missing magic crystal core or not, soon distanced themselves dozens of meters from the cave.

  No additional Demonic Moles emerged from the cave. At this distance, eliminating these two Demonic Moles would ensure that even if new ones were to emerge from the cave to offer support, it would likely be too late.

  "Attack!" Kenley dashed forward with a swift motion!

  "Charge, Blunt Strike, Drift——!" Kenley executed a series of skillful maneuvers with practiced ease. Coupled with the increase in his base strength after leveling up, he swiftly dispatched one of the Demonic Moles.

  "Fireball! Blood Claw! Bloodlust!" Tia coordinated seamlessly with Kenley, and together, their combined attacks soon brought the two Demonic Moles crashing to the ground.

  Just then, the ground trembled violently.

  What was going on?

  With a resounding bang, the previously smooth ground erupted, and an elite Demonic Mole, as massive as a small hill and sporting white whiskers, emerged from the earth, its eyes ablaze with fury!

  It was the elite Demonic Mole!