“Johann, how do I look?”
“You look great.”
I turned to see Millia twirling around while bursting into a fit of giggles. She seemed pleased with my answer, admiring her outfit in the mirror as she spun.
“Yo, Yo-hann…”
“What is it?”
“I-I wore it too…”
…I’ve been thinking this for a while, but I feel a strange sense of rivalry with Millia.
I’m not quite sure why I feel that way.
Anyway, I awkwardly looked down at Elisa, who was shyly spinning around in front of me.
I couldn’t help but let my eyes drift to certain areas, but I quickly looked away and complimented her.
“You look good.”
“Th-thank you…”
“See, clothes really can make a difference. Elisa, I told you that you should dress up more, right? You look really pretty like this!”
“Viola is pretty too.”
“No, I’m not that beautiful…”
“Elisa is right. You are pretty.”
“…Uncle, is it going to get dangerous like this? Already… No, you must know what you’re doing…”
What does that mean? I let out a confused sound and watched Viola’s back as she walked away. I had no idea what she was talking about.
With a question bubbling in my head, a lovely voice called out to me.
“Johann, did you do something to Viola?”
“No, I didn’t really do anything.”
“Is that so…?”
Karina looked at Viola, who was checking out other clothes with her arms crossed. It wasn’t a worried gaze… more like a slightly unfamiliar one. It didn’t seem malicious, but had a touch of unease?
To divert Karina’s attention, I cleared my throat intentionally and called her.
“Ahem, Karina. How about that outfit?”
“It feels strange to wear something like this after almost always being in priest robes.”
…her figure is something else. The way the clothes were made considering her mature physique could draw a dozen heads.
“Karina. You should wear an outer layer as much as possible.”
“Huh?”
“It’s definitely necessary.”
“Right, Karina-nim.”
“Huh?”
When did you arrive?
Renny was nodding beside me. Did she come over because she heard Karina’s name? She was supposed to be next. I slowly looked down at Renny, who had a completely different style today.
“Stop staring like that. It’s creepy.”
“Oh, sorry, Renny.”
“Don’t call me ‘noona’! It gives me the chills!”
“Noona…?”
But her reaction is entertaining.
As Karina looked bewildered, Renny jumped in excitedly.
“Did you know this guy is 19? 19!”
“Nineteen… years old?”
Karina stared at me in disbelief. Her expression was overwhelmingly cute, but still… do I have to explain? It’s not exactly something to clarify.
It’s just surprising.
“Am I… the same age as you?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“I’m sorry, but it’s no joke.”
Karina’s head turned like a malfunctioning robot, facing Renny. Renny sighed and shrugged, then directly asked me.
“You’re not lying, right?”
“I’m exactly 19. I’ll be twenty soon.”
“…I thought you were at least five or six years older.”
Karina’s honest confession felt a bit sad. In other words, she meant I look old. Of course, my face being disfigured and scarred doesn’t help me look my age.
“I wasn’t trying to trick anyone. Honestly, my age doesn’t really matter.”
“That’s true. It’s just a bit surprising that you have such abilities at that age… but thinking about that deserted island makes it somewhat understandable.”
“Still, being 19… feels strange.”
“Is it that strange?”
“It’s like finding out your uncle is actually the same age as you.”
“…that’s quite touching.”
“Huh? What are you all talking about? Include me!”
“We were talking about Johann being 19.”
Viola looked up at me, seemingly astonished by Renny’s answer. What’s up with everyone’s reaction? Just because someone’s 19 doesn’t mean they can’t be one.
“Really? Johann’s that young? Call me ‘noona’!”
Why is she so keen on this? I stared at Millia, who wanted to be called ‘noona’ for some strange reason.
“Is there a reason I should?”
“I’m the oldest here!”
I’ve never seen a girl brag about being older before. I chuckled at the sight of this kid acting like a grown-up.
“Big dreams, Millia noona.”
“Did you hear that, Karina?”
“…that gave me goosebumps.”
“I-I did too.”
“…let’s stop this conversation.”
“Eh, why? I think it’s fun~”
“That makes me sad, so let’s drop it.”
“Tch. Fine.”
Millia pouted, holding my hand as if asking for some comfort. To lighten her mood, I ruffled her hair playfully and approached Lady Matilda, who was coming towards us.
“Oh my, what are you all talking about?”
“Just some casual chatter.”
“Hoho, I see. This is the time to enjoy life. Make the most of it.”
What does that mean?
“I’d like to settle the bill.”
Now that Sif has arrived, it’s time to go somewhere else.
“That’ll be 30 gold coins.”
“Here you go.”
I pulled 30 gold coins from my pouch and placed them on the counter. Matilda looked approvingly at the gold coins and smiled at us.
“I hope you come visit again.”
————-
“Johann, is this enough?”
“That should be sufficient.”
So, is shopping wrapped up for now? I briefly checked the kids trailing behind me, carrying their clothes, shopping bags, and various camping gear before deciding on the cafeteria as our next stop.
Since we’re out, it wouldn’t hurt to have dinner too.
Part of the reason was to treat Karina, who couldn’t usually go out, to a meal.
“I’ll get dinner at the Blue Horizon restaurant.”
“Isn’t that super expensive?!”
“I heard it’s definitely at least 3 gold coins per person…”
“Hey, is that too much of an expense?”
Renny asked worriedly, clearly feeling uneasy about me shouldering all the costs.
“Don’t worry about the money. With what I’ve got, I could build another Yeomyeong-gwan.”
Honestly, I could probably build ten more.
As long as I have the materials, I can whip it up myself.
“But you’re taking on too much. I’ll cover the restaurant costs.”
“Forget it. It’s a hassle to calculate, just let it slide.”
“I have money too, you know.”
“Karina, there’s no need to feel burdened. Just think of it as a gift.”
“A gift…”
Maybe it was the impact of the word gift, but Karina nodded with a strange expression.
“I’ve never been anywhere like this in my life…”
As we heard Viola’s voice, we stepped into the restaurant. Once we entered, all eyes were on us.
What, why, what?
Do they have a problem?
When I glared at them, everyone quickly pretended to be busy, avoiding my gaze. If you want to see, stop acting scared!
“Welcome, Sir Quartz.”
“Can I leave my things here?”
“Of course.”
As a well-dressed old gentleman snapped his fingers, three waiters came out, carefully taking our bags away somewhere. With that, my hands were free, so let’s go to our seats.
“I’ll go to the reserved area.”
“Right this way.”
“Don’t look around too much; just follow me.”
If they show they’ve never been here before, people might laugh at them. I briefly scanned the diners on the 1st floor as a semi-threat and stepped up to the 2nd floor.
The second floor had a terrace with luxurious awnings and a fantastic view of the city that was appreciated by many.
“Over there.”
“I’ll call the waiter to order shortly.”
“Understood.”
Once the manager departed, we settled into our seats. Naturally, Karina and Millia sat beside me. If they’re told to sit freely, this is what would happen.
“Um, I’ve never been to such a fancy restaurant.”
“As a saint, you must have often been invited to banquets.”
“I have been treated by the royal family, but… I’ve never eaten in a place surrounded by familiar people like this.”
Karina seemed moved by her first experience, her eyes turning misty. Sitting next to her, Millia looked around curiously like a little puppy.
…Now that I think about it, I need to make something to cover Millia’s neck before we leave.
It’s a size a bit too small for rigorous activities.
“Lu, Lewis, you can see the Academy from here!”
“Shuri, calm down.”
“How much material could I buy with tonight’s bill…?”
“Uh, could I buy a lot…?”
“Everyone, pay attention.”
At my words, everyone turned to face me.
Good.
“I’m bringing you all to this restaurant to remind you that the dungeon we’re heading to is definitely not an easy place.”
Dungeons are filled with unexpected dangers.
Entering an exploration with a half-hearted mindset can entangle not just yourself but your companions as well, so it was essential to reiterate what we already knew.
“A dungeon is a place no one can anticipate. No matter how thorough the investigation, unexpected variables can pop up, so everyone must not let their guard down before this dungeon exploration. Got it?”
“Yes!”
“Understood!”
Their voices merged as one. I had a satisfied look on my face as I delivered my last remark.
“Let’s hope this isn’t our last memory.”
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.