Leona and Rean were still reeling from the aftermath of the dungeon chaos, only now things had taken a very peculiar turn.
A priest explained the situation with the kind of tone people used when they had already given up halfway. The demonic energy was gone, purified completely. But the lingering, alluring scent problem was another matter. It wasn't something holy power could neatly erase. It messed with the mind, not the body. So for now, the only solution was a protective barrier placed around Leona.
And then came the best part. Rean was the one who ended up restrained, both hands chained to suppress any sudden impulses. The priest warned them to avoid anything indecent until the high priest arrived with a better fix.
Both Leona and Rean stared in shock. They were thinking the exact same thing. What kind of disaster did this man imagine happening in this room?
Naturally, the gods were having the time of their lives. Restraint His Love called the scene wild and intense, especially with Rean tied up. East Over West casually pointed out that Rean was obviously the one weak to pheromones. Cavity King went as far as saying whoever started the pheromone idea deserved an award.
Between heavy breaths and pure irritation, Rean finally demanded to know what pheromones even were. The gods happily explained it like it was a fun science lesson. One person became a walking bottle of irresistible perfume, and the other lost all sense of reason over it. All for population growth, of course.
Leona, instead of being horrified, immediately saw opportunity. If pheromones worked like that, then maybe Rean could be the one to carry a baby. Scene Crafting Artisan confirmed it was technically the point of the trope. Leona didn't hesitate. She suggested Rean should be the one giving birth.
Rean yelled that she'd completely lost her mind. Unfazed, she reasoned that mages moved less than knights anyway, so logically it made perfect sense for him to handle pregnancy. Then she leaned closer with a dangerous smile and offered to help.
Rean looked genuinely terrified. That made Leona burst out laughing, tears and all, admitting she'd never actually do that. She did, however, want to help him, just not in whatever scenario his brain had jumped to.
Before Rean could protest, Leona raised her fist midair. She explained this whole mess was because of the scent. No smell, no problem. And without a nose, smelling wasn't really an option.
Her logic was so insane that Rean panicked for his nose's survival. While Leona eagerly talked about making it quick and painless, Rean seriously considered whether surrender was worth it.
In the end, pride won. Using his magic, he snapped ice chains around Leona's arms and removed his own restraints. Just like that, the tables turned.
Leona immediately pouted, accusing him of using magic over a harmless joke. Now free and very done with everything, Rean slowly walked toward her like a man who had reached his limit. He reminded himself of everything he'd suffered, from being flustered because their hands were stuck together, to being drenched by seawater, and now losing his mind because of her sweet scent.
Holding her chin, he smirked and told her to beg for forgiveness. Maybe then he'd let her off easy. When she didn't respond, he teased her, asking where all that confidence went.
Instead of an answer, she sneezed directly into his face.
She apologized casually, saying she tried to hold it in, but the chains were too cold. Then she asked what he was saying, because she'd been too focused on not sneezing to hear him.
But as always, her thoughts took a sharp left turn. She announced she had a brilliant idea. Rean shut it down immediately, saying her ideas were usually worse than a kindergartener's. She ignored him anyway and asked how long he could keep the ice magic up. When he admitted maybe thirty minutes in his current state, Leona suggested giving him a cold. A stuffy nose meant no smelling pheromones.
Even the gods couldn't defend this anymore. They commented on the hopelessness of the situation and the intense secondhand embarrassment radiating from Rean's suffering. He had gone from a nose-breaking plan to a snot shield in the space of a minute.
Suddenly, the high priest arrived in a hurry after hearing there was trouble. What he walked into was Leona chained up and Rean standing over her. From his point of view, Rean looked one step away from pouncing. He panicked and immediately cast divine judgment.
Thunder struck Rean in a blinding flash.
When the light faded, the pheromone effect was gone. Rean stood there disheveled while the high priest apologized profusely for misunderstanding the situation. Rean didn't argue. He said he understood why it looked bad. Truthfully, it wasn't entirely wrong. His earlier words about making Leona beg replayed in his head, right on cue for Captain Trashbag and Spinny Spin Spin to tease him endlessly, repeating his own words.
Leona thanked the high priest for always helping them. Nathaniel humbly replied that they were the ones who had suffered the most, facing demonic beasts head on. The exchange of laughter between the two immediately stirred jealousy in Rean. He walked past the high priest, declaring that the examination was over and that he was leaving.
Left behind, Leona noticed something strange. One of the familiar voices was missing. Then it hit her. It was the angel.
When she asked the gods, they explained the angel had gone to investigate the vampire clan and the demon king. With the angel being busy, the gods wouldn't be visiting the channel for a while.
Leona decided that meant peace. Nothing annoying would happen for now.