Harem Online: My Party Is Full of Beautiful Celebrities-Chapter 77: Is that a title for a devil?

As good as it felt to have a woman’s soft, heavy breasts pressing against his arm, Martin did not like being used as a tool to scare people off. What made it worse was that Crimson Halo did not seem in any hurry to let go. She remained close at his side as though that place belonged to her already, her fingers resting lightly on his arm while curious glances kept sliding their way from nearby players.

She noticed those looks too. Of course she did. Yet instead of stepping away, she lifted her eyes to his and studied him in silence, her gaze narrowing until the air between them almost seemed to hum.

Now, that’s a funny expression.

His amused look finally made Crimson Halo release his arm and take a step back, though not before leaving him with the clear impression that the delay had been deliberate.

"I haven’t thanked you properly yet," Crimson Halo said, dipping into a graceful curtsy. "So allow me. You handled that rather neatly. It did not look like your first time dealing with tiresome men."

Of course. You must have shown off for countless women. Shooing men away with bodyguards behind you, that is.

Martin chuckled. "It’s been a long time. I used to break noses for men who pestered girls."

Crimson Halo blinked. Oh? He said that so plainly it almost sounded true. How curious. Either he is far rougher than he appears, or he knows exactly what kind of impression he leaves behind.

*He really was troublesome. One moment he sounded almost self-deprecating, and the next he let something rougher slip through so naturally that she could not tell whether it had been deliberate.

Crimson Halo had spent years around polished liars, smiling predators, and men who mistook charm for substance. She had learned to read people quickly.*

Yet this one refused to settle neatly in her mind.

"How’s your experience with games?" Martin asked as he turned and started walking again, with Crimson Halo still clinging to his arm.

As an actress, linking arms was second nature to Crimson Halo, so she did it effortlessly.

"None at all, I’m afraid," Crimson Halo replied, somehow making even that sound elegant. "Though I am very good at taking care of people. I learn their habits quickly, remember what pleases them and what does not, and make use of it all to keep them comfortable."

"That’s amazing. I can barely take care of myself," Martin admitted with a chuckle. "But you’re right. If you learn our party’s habits and how we fight, it’ll be easier for you to take care of us. That’s a great quality to have."

"I’m pleased to hear that. I had much the same thought," Crimson Halo said with a small, satisfied nod.

"Healers, or rather Oracles, start with three skills: Heal, Barrier, and Purify," Martin explained as they drew close to the Light Tree. "Those are simple enough on paper. What separates average healers from good ones is cooldown management and positioning. The best ones know where to stand before trouble starts, not after."

Crimson Halo glanced at him from the side, still linked to his arm. "You explain things very neatly. How reassuring."

Martin looked ahead. "That depends on whether you listen as neatly as I explain them."

A faint smile touched her lips. "How strict. You do not sound like a man helping a beginner for the first time."

"Maybe you do not sound much like a beginner either."

That made her look at him properly.

That tone again. It was calm, clear, and annoyingly practiced. Men who live ordinary lives do not usually speak with that kind of ease when guiding others. Either he has spent a long time managing people, or he has spent just as long pretending not to.

It does sound like he prepared himself. How thoughtful. That made him more interesting.

As they walked, Martin’s thoughts slid back to the Hidden Level One Dungeon. If Crimson Halo was serious about becoming an Oracle, then testing her there would tell him far more than any polite conversation could. Just then, he received a sudden message from Cassandra Selfmore.

In that instant, nothing else mattered to him.

Martin simply asked Crimson Halo for a moment and froze in place, his eyes on Cassandra’s chat window as he typed back about his recent discovery.

[Cassandra Selfmore: You never let me handle my business in peace in the real world, Martin Ross. Your discovery is another great asset for my guild. It will let Night Espresso monopolize the crystal market on a much larger scale. We’ll also be able to level our crafting and miscellaneous players more easily this way. Well done, and thank you.]

[Emperoar: I’m excited to see the guild develop, Miss Cassandra! May I ask you for a favor?]

[Cassandra Selfmore: Ask away.]

[Emperoar: Chaos’ older sister is with me. I want to see if she can handle being a healer in the Hidden Level One Dungeon. Could you invite her to the guild so I can take her there?] 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

In the restaurant Cassandra had chosen to grace with her presence, her lips curved upward.

She sat alone by the window in a booth that had somehow become hers the moment she settled into it, one leg crossed over the other, her back straight and elegant against the seat.

The warm amber lighting softened the sharp beauty of her face without dulling it and only made her look more untouchable. Her dark hair fell neatly over one shoulder, and the delicate movement of her fingers around the cup of fantasy coffee was calm enough to suggest patience.

The slight narrowing of her eyes said her mind was already moving three steps ahead.

Alexandra’s older sister? Must be Katherine. Cassandra tilted her head a fraction, the motion small and graceful, while her gaze remained fixed on the system window in front of her. A dangerous woman if left to drift on her own, not because she was reckless, but because she was the sort who noticed too much, remembered too much, and knew exactly when to act. But if Martin managed to draw her into his orbit, she would be a valuable addition to the guild, even if she turned out not to be a capable player at all.

Katherine was no ornament. She had been moving through the business world since her teens, and trouble seemed to gather around the men whose offers she turned down. Later, those same men had a habit of being exposed. Cassandra did not believe in that sort of pattern happening by accident.

The woman had judgment. That alone made her worth noticing.

The faint smile on Cassandra’s lips deepened at the thought of Martin drawing yet another unusual woman into his orbit. It was becoming a habit of his. With one quiet sip, she set her cup down without a sound. If Martin managed to pull Katherine closer to himself, then even a mediocre player could become a worthwhile asset. If not, Cassandra would at least learn something useful from watching the attempt.

More than anything, she had no reason to refuse that favor.

[Cassandra Selfmore: Her nickname?]

[Emperoar: Crimson Halo.]

Crimson Halo? Is that a title for a devil?

Her gaze lowered for a brief moment, amused. Though the name suggested a crimson aureole above her head, Cassandra knew Katherine’s reputation and read it as devil’s horns instead. A quiet smirk touched her mouth, elegant and cold, before she let the thought go. Yet another celebrity had entered Martin’s orbit, and Cassandra could only wonder whether Katherine would be the last or merely one more name in a growing pattern.

She took another slow sip of her coffee and logged out.