Women, Sometimes You Just Have to Be Ruthless~

"Come on in." Syr invited the two inside once more.

Lefiya and Ais stepped through the doorway, only to freeze in their tracks, nearly tripping over the sight before them.

The floor of the main hall was packed so densely with cardboard boxes that there was barely a sliver of space to stand; even the staircase leading upstairs was half-swallowed by the mountain of containers.

"This...?" Lefiya scanned the room in astonishment, still processing what had happened.

Just then, footsteps echoed from the stairs.

Thor was descending with a box overflowing with miscellaneous items. Seeing the two frozen at the entrance, he didn't stop, though his tone held a hint of apology: "Is it that late already? Just a moment, I'll be finished soon."

"Lord Thor, what... exactly is going on here?"

Lefiya managed to squeeze a step forward through the gaps, gesturing toward the mountainous luggage.

Thor sighed. "Sorry, the night training we planned will have to be delayed."

He glanced at Syr, who was still organizing her belongings. "Syr suddenly decided to move in permanently tonight, and she brought... well, all of her personal items. We're just busy sorting through them."

The two stood speechless, staring at the hall that had been all but submerged by boxes.

Just how many personal items does Miss Syr have? Did she empty out the entire shop?

Even Ais felt the quantity was absurd.

Hearing Thor's grumbling, Syr puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction. "Lord Thor, that's so mean. You make it sound like my personal belongings are just a burden~"

"I am a member of the Thor Familia, too. Isn't it perfectly normal for me to move in?"

Thor set the box in his hands in a corner, intending to toss it all out later.

He shook his head helplessly. "Would a normal person bring this many belongings after knowing my residence is so small?"

"But these are all things I consider absolutely essential..." Syr replied casually, showing no sign of self-reflection.

Lefiya and Ais exchanged glances, reading the same thought in each other's eyes.

Lefiya took a deep breath. "Would you like us to help?"

Ais nodded silently beside her.

Thor looked slightly surprised. "Are you sure?"

"At this rate, it's going to take forever to finish, isn't it?" Lefiya looked around at the piles of boxes. "If we help, we can get it done much faster."

Thor looked relieved. "That would be a huge help."

He pointed toward a stack of tightly sealed boxes to the south. "Then, could you please help me sort through those over there?"

Only then did the two notice the stack of boxes that reached nearly to the ceiling.

Lefiya walked over, curious. "What are these?"

"Oh, those?"

Syr poked her head out from behind a mountain of boxes and glanced over.

"Those are my very private personal items, like my undergarments and such. I originally wanted Lord Thor to help me organize them, but he wouldn't, and I didn't have the time myself..."

Thor rubbed his forehead, retorting irritably, "I'm a man, for heaven's sake. How could I possibly help you sort those?"

His voice was laced with exasperation.

He could roughly guess what was inside those boxes.

Syr, however, didn't mind at all. She popped her head out from behind another pile of clutter and winked playfully. "Lord Thor is special, after all~"

Her tone carried an air of natural, easy intimacy.

Seeing Syr's carefree attitude, Thor knew there was no point in arguing and let out a long, defeated sigh, giving up on the conversation.

He needed to check on how Bell was doing with the furniture upstairs and lend a hand.

"I won't be back down for a while," he said before turning away. "You two... just help Syr get those sorted."

With that, he hurried up the stairs and vanished around the corner.

Ais and Lefiya exchanged a look and didn't waste any time.

Ais headed straight for the stack Syr had pointed out.

Lefiya stood on her tiptoes and pulled down the most securely wrapped box from the very top of the pile.

The box was swaddled in several layers of thick kraft paper and sealed with tape so tightly that not a breath of air could get in, giving it an inexplicably precious feel.

This box is sealed so tightly—is there something valuable inside?

She struggled for a moment to tear through the layers of tape, and the moment she flipped open the lid—

The neatly folded styles of clothing inside instantly came into view!

Lefiya felt her head go "buzz," and her face flushed as if scorched by fire, the blood rushing to her head in an instant!

Almost as a reflex, she slammed the lid shut with a loud thud, using so much force that the box jumped.

W-what did I just see!?

The sudden commotion immediately drew the attention of Ais and Syr nearby.

Ais was in the middle of moving another smaller box when she stopped at the sound, looking with confusion at Lefiya's stiff back and ears that were practically steaming. "What's wrong, Lefiya?"

Lefiya kept her head down, not daring to look at Ais, let alone Syr, as if she had committed some grave sin. She could only shake her head frantically, stammering, "N-nothing... it's, it's just..."

She had absolutely no idea how to bring it up.

In the end, overcome with extreme embarrassment, Lefiya couldn't help but turn to Syr, her eyes filled with a mix of desperate pleading and immense confusion. "M-Miss Syr, t-this..."

Her gaze kept darting toward the "culprit" of a cardboard box, her cheeks burning so hot she felt like she might ignite.

Syr saw the box in Lefiya's hands and the girl's near-spontaneous combustion, and she understood instantly.

Far from feeling any awkwardness at having her privacy breached, she let out a soft giggle, a faint blush rising to her own cheeks.

Yet, it was a look of composure, perhaps even tinged with a sense of longing. "Hehe~ Lefiya, you know, sometimes a woman has to be unscrupulous when it comes to love~"

Lefiya's young heart took a hit of ten thousand tons.

A-are these... really fabric?! They barely count as a few threads and wisps of tulle! Can something like this... can something like this really be worn in front of a man?!

At the same time, a strange sense of shock sprouted deep within her heart.

Watching Syr's composed, one might even say courageous, attitude made her feel a wave of dizziness.

S-so amazing!

That level of frankness and initiative was, to her, like something from another world!

If it were her... let alone wearing them, just the thought of appearing in front of Thor with these things...

Lefiya shook her head violently; the mere idea was enough to make her faint from shame!

Lefiya scrambled to reseal the box with the tape she had torn off.

"...I-I'll leave it to Miss Syr... to organize this box yourself..."

She truly lacked the courage to handle the garments inside.

The next two hours of sorting and moving felt like a release for Lefiya.

She threw herself into the manual labor with all her might, clumsily helping to move boxes and shift furniture, panting with exhaustion, wanting nothing more than to use her fatigue to wash away that indelible shadow of fabric from her mind.

With everyone working together, Syr's vast, ocean-like collection of "necessities" was finally settled.

Soon, the interior of the somewhat dilapidated and empty house was completely filled and replaced by the items Syr had brought.

The old, stiff sofa was replaced by a soft, spacious new one.

The coarse pottery cups and bowls were swapped for exquisite white porcelain tea sets and dinnerware with gold trim.

Even the cutlery drawer in the corner was filled with sets of gleaming knives and forks.

When the last box of sundries was put away, Thor looked around at the transformed living space, feeling a moment of daze.

Although it had taken some time, thanks to the furniture Syr brought, the base now possessed a distinct sense of luxury.

Syr looked at the renovated territory with satisfaction and clapped her hands. "Hehe~ Now it looks like a comfortable, warm home~"

It was already 11:00 PM by the time everyone finished tidying up.

After the items were sorted, a freshly changed mattress was laid out on the sofa in the first-floor hall.

That was the bedding for Bell.

Although the conditions were still somewhat meager and they couldn't provide Bell with a separate bed, he looked quite happy with his new quilt.

His sensible nature made Thor's heart ache a little.

Following that, the group climbed the stairs to the second floor.

Everyone's gaze was immediately drawn to the double bed at the far end of the room; it was likely the most expensive piece of furniture in the entire base.

On the wooden floor, about five or six meters from the foot of the bed, two mattresses were laid out tightly side-by-side.

These were prepared for Ais and Lefiya; even though it was for night training, they still needed a place to sleep.

Thor's gaze swept across the second-floor space, his brow furrowing imperceptibly before finally settling on the only large bed.

"Where am I sleeping?"

Almost the moment his words fell, Syr pointed without hesitation to the center of the spacious bed.

"Here."

"...And you?"

"Also here~"

Thor was silent for two seconds.

The next moment, he turned around decisively.

"I'll sleep on the sofa downstairs with Bell."

Seeing Thor lift his foot to head downstairs, Syr grew anxious.

She lunged forward, her slender arms instantly wrapping around one of Thor's, pressing tightly against him.

"How could that be? There is no reason for a deity to be wronged by sleeping on the sofa."

"Is that so? Then you go sleep on the first floor." He offered an alternative.

"That won't do~"

The answer was entirely expected.

She was here now, and what she sought was never a comfortable bed, but the warmth at Thor's side and that presence she found so captivating.

Watching the unwavering light of determination in Syr's eyes, Thor sighed silently.

If he continued to waste breath on such a trivial matter, the "dream training" he had arranged for the other three tonight would likely go down the drain.

"Forget it... we'll talk about sleeping arrangements later." Thor temporarily set aside the headache-inducing little dispute.

He looked up again, his gaze sweeping over Ais, Lefiya, and Bell.

"Now, it is time to begin your nighttime training..."

His voice was not loud, yet it carried a unique, calm power that instantly pulled everyone away from the small, daily entanglement.

The three who had previously been drifting on the sidelines also revealed serious expressions.

Was it finally starting?