Chapter 197
Late afternoon.
It was around the time when those who had finished their daily tasks were getting off work.
Franz also wrapped up what he was doing and neatly organized his desk. He gathered the scattered documents into one pile and returned the fountain pen and stamp he had used to their proper places.
['Then, should I slowly get off work?']
Thinking that, Franz looked out the window.
The sun was setting between the pure white clouds.
If he had been defeated by the Demon God, he would never have been able to see such a sunset again.
Suddenly feeling proud, Franz smiled.
It was then.
The door to the Magic Tower master’s Office opened, and Arian came inside.
“Arian, are you done with work?”
“Yes, I’m about to get off work now.”
“Good work. Get home safely.”
Franz stood up.
If Arian had finished all her work, there was no reason for her to stay in her seat.
Then, should I go to my room and get some rest?
Just as he was thinking that.
“Magic Tower master, would you like to have dinner at my house…?”
“Dinner?”
“Yes, though it can’t be helped if you have plans later.”
He didn’t really have any plans later. He was thinking of going out to eat anyway.
However, if there was one thing that bothered him…
“Are we eating alone, just the two of us?”
Franz was worried about Yuna and Hera.
Of course, the two of them could somehow manage to get a meal. There was a restaurant just a short walk from the Magic Tower, too.
But wasn’t it entirely because of him that they were staying in the unfamiliar Magic Tower? He couldn’t help but be concerned.
“I already invited Yuna and Hera, so don’t worry.”
“I see.”
As expected of Arian, perhaps.
He was just grateful that she had thought of it first.
Anyway, if he were with those two, there would be no reason to refuse the invitation.
At that moment, Arian slowly took a step forward and stood right next to Franz.
It was a distance so close that they would touch if she took just one step, no, half a step forward.
“Or did you want to have dinner alone with me, Magic Tower master?”
Arian said, gazing up at Franz intently.
It was definitely a joke. More accurately, it was a joke mixed with sincerity.
No matter how dense people were, if someone wagged their tail in front of them for days on end, they couldn’t help but notice something.
“…Sometimes?”
“…Pardon?”
Flustered, Arian’s eyes widened.
It was only natural for her to be flustered, seeing the man who hadn’t budged no matter how much she attacked him finally showing signs of wavering.
“Go on ahead. I’ll get ready and follow.”
With those words, Franz went into his room. And he pulled at his hair.
['What the hell did I just say…']
Normally, he would have definitely brushed it off as a joke, but for some reason, those words just popped out.
This was all because of that damn Demon God. Because he had experienced death while fighting that guy, he ended up developing unnecessary feelings.
After regretting it for a while, Franz let out a short sigh and gathered his thoughts.
First of all, getting ready to go out was the priority.
Meanwhile, Arian, who was left alone in the Magic Tower master’s Office, was just staring at the tightly closed door.
It still didn’t feel real that Franz had said such a thing.
But contrary to her mind, her body was definitely reacting.
Her lower abdomen tightened.
['Did I have alcohol at home…?']
Arian left the Magic Tower master’s Office while making such a wicked plan.
* * *
Having finished getting ready to go out, Franz left the Magic Tower. Even though it was called getting ready, he had just dressed up a little more than usual.
Before he knew it, dusk was creeping over the world. The sun had already crossed over the mountain ridge, leaving only its traces in the sky.
As he walked leisurely down the street, the Magic Tower members who had gotten off work occasionally greeted him.
Of course, their expressions weren’t very good.
It was only natural. It was no different from running into the company boss on the street after getting off work.
Franz wasn’t ignorant of their feelings, so he didn’t pay it much mind.
Not long after, Franz arrived in front of Arian’s House.
Arian’s House was quite massive, befitting a place where a Ducal young lady lived. It was enough to rival any decent baron’s mansion.
[Come to think of it, is this my first time?]
He had known Arian for quite a long time, but this was his first time going inside her house.
Moreover, hadn’t he said something weird just before? He felt nervous for no reason.
But it was too late to turn back now. He had no choice but to accept it calmly.
Huu-.
Taking a long sigh and steeling his resolve, Franz raised his hand.
Knock, knock, knock…
He knocked on the door a little forcefully, just in case they couldn’t hear.
Then, not long after, the door opened.
“The Magic Tower master has arrived.”
“He’s finally here.”
The ones who greeted Franz were Seri-ah and Zeni-ah.
They were dressed in flowy dresses, as if they had wanted to dress up in their own way.
Their hair was braided and pinned up differently than usual, but the styles were different, making it easy to tell them apart.
Because their lips were strangely red, it seemed they had also put on makeup.
“It suits both of you well.”
Franz offered them a compliment.
They would be disappointed if he didn’t notice after they had tried so hard to dress up.
“The Magic Tower master’s unobservant eyes are useful at times like this. Right, Seri-ah?”
“…”
“Seri-ah…?”
Seri-ah just stared blankly at Franz despite Zeni-ah’s call. The tips of her scarred ears were slightly red.
It was then.
“Seri-ah and Zeni-ah, who’s here?”
From inside the mansion, Arian peeked her head out and asked.
Soon spotting Franz, she smiled brightly and approached the door.
The two little kids blocking the entrance naturally stepped aside.
“Magic Tower master, please come in.”
“Excuse me, then.”
Franz followed Arian into the mansion.
The interior of the mansion was just as luxurious as the exterior. Should he say it had a restrained elegance rather than being extravagant?
Franz hated extravagance so much that he disposed of all the ornaments in the Duke Esteban’s Residence, so it could be said that the Residence perfectly suited his tastes.
“It’s a wonderful mansion.”
“Thank you for looking upon it favorably.”
Arian gave a light nod.
No matter how trivial, a compliment was a compliment, so she must have felt good.
“Where are the others?”
“They’re waiting over there… More importantly, don’t you have anything to say to me?”
Arian pouted her lips in dissatisfaction.
He didn’t even have to ask to know what she wanted. It was just a little difficult to say.
Seri-ah and Zeni-ah were little kids, so it was fine, but wasn’t Arian a grown woman? He couldn’t help but be careful with his words.
Moreover, having built a wall against romance his entire life, he found it even more so.
“Your clothes and hair suit you well.”
“Hmm, you pass.”
Arian seemed to ponder for a moment before showing a smile.
Does passing mean there’s also failing?
Since he had already passed, it didn’t really matter, though.
“Shall we go, then?”
“Yeah, everyone must be waiting.”
Arian took the lead, and Franz followed her.
Seri-ah and Zeni-ah naturally followed behind.
At the place they soon arrived, Yuna and Hera were naturally waiting.
“Franz, welcome.”
“We’ve been waiting.”
Yuna and Hera also looked like they had dressed up to the nines. Their naturally made-up faces and their carefully chosen outfits showed it.
“It suits both of you well.”
Having learned from his earlier conversation with Arian, Franz immediately offered a compliment.
The hard part was only the first time, so it wasn’t particularly difficult.
“Thanks. I should go around like this from now on.”
“T-That’s a relief, then…”
Yuna smiled brightly, and Hera lowered her head as if embarrassed. Though her ears, which she hadn’t managed to hide, were twitching.
Looking at the two of them, Franz let out a chuckle and took a seat in a suitable spot.
Following him, Arian, Seri-ah, and Zeni-ah sat down, and not long after, food began to appear on the table one by one.
“Arian, thanks for the meal.”
Franz expressed his brief gratitude and began to eat.
The food was excellent overall. It was good enough to make one believe it came from a high-end restaurant.
It was the food of the chef in charge of the Ducal young lady’s meals, so it was only natural.
“It’s delicious…!”
“It suits my tastes well, too.”
Fortunately, the food seemed to suit Yuna and Hera’s tastes as well.
Meanwhile, Zeni-ah and Seri-ah…
“If it’s this, it can rival sandwiches.”
“That’s right. It’s a very excellent taste.”
The food seemed delicious to them, too, though he didn’t know why the object of comparison was sandwiches.
“Make sure you both chew your food well.”
Franz said that as a joke.
However, the answer that came back was completely unexpected.
“What are we, kids? We’re probably around the same age as you…”
Countless question marks popped up in Franz’s head.
Judging by their appearance alone, they were clearly teenage girls, so why were they saying such things?
Even so, the reason he couldn’t think of a retort was that he had never directly asked them their age.
At that moment, Hera spoke.
“Franz, Half-Elves grow a bit slower due to the influence of Humans.”
“Could you explain a bit more in detail…?”
“The growth rate of pureblood Elves is similar to that of Humans. Their growth is mostly finished by their late teens. But Half-Elves are different. Since they live a bit longer, their growth is slower.”
Franz was confused. It felt like the common sense he had taken for granted had been destroyed.
Whether they knew his feelings or not, Seri-ah and Zeni-ah were wearing triumphant expressions, though.
Perhaps this was all just a prank by them.
How much time had passed since then?
The enjoyable meal finally came to an end.
“Yuna and Hera are sleeping over here, but what will you do, Magic Tower master?”
“I should head back.”
No matter how close they were, sleeping at a woman’s house still felt a bit uncomfortable. It felt completely different from sleeping in the same villa.
“Then, could you come over here for a moment before that?”
Arian took a step towards somewhere, and Franz followed her without knowing why.
The place they arrived at was a dark room with a bed standing alone in it.
“What’s in here…”
Click-.
Before he could even finish his sentence, the sound of the door locking was heard.
Startled, Franz turned his head, and there stood Arian with a flushed face.
“Magic Tower master, you said your mana core was shattered, right…?”
It seemed Arian had drunk a bit too much alcohol.