236th Episode
Saria is not stupid.
At least, Ray did not think so.
Having spent nearly ten years trapped inside the dungeon, Saria’s way of thinking and sensitivity had become rather unique.
Still, Saria acted quite normally in truly important situations. Occasionally, she would experience a bit of “buffering,” but now she was capable of holding normal conversations.
Of course, when Saria was with someone she felt comfortable around, she tended to mix up her sentence structures to her liking, but Ray didn’t mind that much.
However, Saria’s unusual affection for her nephew and the ways she expressed it were difficult for Ray to endure.
If only they saw each other more often, the intensity of her affection might have lessened, but that was realistically impossible.
Since they rarely met face-to-face, every time they did, Saria was eager to boast about her nephew.
“…”
The aftermath of the previous day’s disaster still left Ray feeling disheartened.
The expressions on the students’ faces as they looked at Ray were quite peculiar.
Meanwhile, Instructor Nelson from Izhise gathered all the third-class students ahead of their first outing outside.
“Don’t cause any trouble out there.”
Nelson repeated this warning ad nauseam before finally dismissing the students.
All the third-class students excitedly prepared for their outing.
Even though going out into the Imperial Capital wouldn’t allow them to do anything extraordinary, just leaving the Izhise grounds helped ease their pent-up feelings.
Ray neatly put on his uniform after leaving his room and attached a brooch near his chest.
Izhise students must wear their uniforms even while on an outing. If caught changing clothes and hiding their identity, the consequences would go beyond a simple warning.
“Well, see you later.”
“Yeah, sure.”
After Aaron left the room, Ray exited the dormitory shortly afterward.
As soon as Ray stepped out of the dormitory, he encountered Saria standing near the entrance.
“…”
Ray wiped his face.
An indescribable sense of suffocation filled his chest.
She wasn’t like a mother sending off her child on a kindergarten field trip—so why was Saria standing here?
On the other hand, upon spotting Ray, Saria approached him and extended her hand.
“Hand.”
“…You want me to hold your hand?”
Saria nodded.
Finally losing patience, Ray reacted.
“No…! Aunt…!! I’m nineteen years old now…!! Nineteen!!”
Considering his memories from his past life, Ray’s mental age likely surpassed Saria’s.
Regardless, by local standards, Ray was almost twenty.
“At my age, it’s embarrassing…! It’s awkward when you treat me like a child in front of others!”
Saria slightly opened her mouth in response to Ray’s heartfelt protest.
She alternated her gaze between her outstretched hand and Ray, then displayed a disappointed expression.
“Puberty has hit my nephew…”
“No, Aunt, I went through puberty a long time ago!”
“Ray’s rebellious phase has arrived…”
Though Saria listened, she knew that children going through puberty often reject their guardians’ touch.
She thought her nephew would be different, but eventually, Ray also entered his rebellious phase.
Saria became melancholic, but Ray stood firm on his stance this time.
“I won’t walk around holding your hand. And please don’t grab me in front of others and start boasting about me!”
“…Is your nephew ashamed of his aunt?”
“…”
When Saria seemed ready to burst into tears, Ray smacked his forehead.
Despite her attempts, Ray firmly maintained his dignity.
“Holding hands makes me embarrassed.”
“…Then I won’t hold your hand. Alright?”
“Yes, yes. And please don’t grab me elsewhere in front of others either.”
Saria grew gloomy again.
Nevertheless, Ray refused to compromise.
Ultimately, Saria promised to restrain herself from boasting about her nephew, and together they left Izhise.
In any case, Ray ended up going out with Saria.
*
There were plenty of simple entertainment options near the Imperial Capital.
But neither Ray nor Saria were particularly interested in such things, so they headed to a restaurant first.
Ray and Saria sat down at a restaurant where part of the wall was made of giant glass.
Although there was no price list, and they didn’t know how much the food would cost, both had ample funds, so they weren’t concerned.
When the waiter came to take their order, Saria’s lips twitched.
She clearly wanted to boast about her nephew but managed to control herself.
Thanks to her restraint, Ray avoided being embarrassed and placed the order smoothly.
Soon, the food arrived, and as Ray twirled his fork around the pasta, he asked Saria:
“Did you come to Izhise alone?”
“I came with Diorica. She’s still in the capital.”
“Ah, Lady Jusephin.”
Ray wondered if he should visit and greet her but shook his head. He decided it wasn’t necessary to go that far.
While eating, Ray continued talking with Saria, catching up on recent events.
Saria didn’t know that Ray had received the Medal of Merit for the Empire, so Ray had to weave some lies into his story about what he’d been doing lately.
About a third of the meal had passed when Ray glanced outside and spotted someone familiar.
It was Jusephin.
Jusephin was walking along the street, stopping in front of shops selling food or jewelry, looking around nervously, and moving on when it became awkward.
Eventually, she stopped in front of the restaurant where Ray was eating.
Upon noticing Ray inside, Jusephin’s eyes locked with his.
“…”
“…”
Without much thought, Ray gestured for her to come in.
Jusephin hesitated to refuse but noticed Saria sitting beside Ray and shuffled awkwardly into the restaurant.
Ray pointed to a chair and asked:
“Have you eaten?”
“Not yet, but…”
“If you don’t have other plans, why don’t you eat with us?”
Ray suggested this mainly to reduce the awkwardness they’d inevitably encounter since they’d see each other regularly in the future.
He also wanted to clear up any misunderstandings related to his interactions with Saria—though there wasn’t really much to misunderstand.
Still, when Jusephin heard the invitation, she looked around the restaurant anxiously.
Ray quickly clarified,
“The instructor will cover the meal.”
“Aunt.”
“…My aunt will cover it.”
“Um… Thank you…”
Once assured by Saria, Jusephin sat down, fidgeting with her fingers and glancing nervously at Ray and Saria.
Nevertheless, the seating arrangement was settled, and soon Jusephin’s meal was placed on the table.
After thanking Saria, Jusephin began eating.
The atmosphere at the dining table was bound to be awkward, but after some hesitation, Jusephin spoke to Ray.
“Um… Ray?”
“Yes?”
“Why did you invite me to eat with you?”
“Just because?”
“Um… Is there another purpose…?”
“…”
Frowning involuntarily, Ray pressed his eyebrows.
Why was she reacting so strongly to something as simple as inviting a fellow student to share a meal?
Facing Jusephin, who was nervously wriggling her fingers, Ray spoke clearly:
“Jusephin, I don’t even care whether your name is Jusephin or Busephin.”
“My name is Jusephin.”
“Right, Jusephin. I simply invited you casually since we happened to meet. We’ll be seeing each other frequently in the future, so having a meal together isn’t a bad thing, right?”
“Our nephew is kind.”
Suddenly interjecting, Saria added a comment, causing Ray to feel slightly uneasy.
“…So, Jusephin, what I mean is, don’t misunderstand. There’s no hidden agenda.”
“O-oh, is that so…”
Realizing she had overinterpreted Ray’s intentions, Jusephin turned beet red.
Watching her gulp down water unnecessarily, Ray felt that Jusephin was… pure in many senses.
Positively speaking, she was innocent and straightforward; negatively, she lacked worldly wisdom and was somewhat naive.
Ray bluntly asked,
“Why are you so naive?”
“I’ve been told I’m naive quite often.”
Admitting this openly, Jusephin made Ray chuckle.
Shaking his head several times, Ray didn’t want the atmosphere to remain awkward, so he actively started leading the conversation.
This prompted Jusephin to occasionally open up about her circumstances, though nothing particularly remarkable emerged.
If anything stood out, it was that her parents had lost their fortune in business and were heavily in debt, including to their family clan.
To avoid being cast out from the family, Jusephin’s parents needed to find money, but fortunately, her successful admission to Izhise provided some relief.
Though the repayment period was extended, they still had to pay off the debt in the long run.
Judging from this, Jusephin seemed reluctant to spend even her maintenance allowance comfortably.
To Ray, this worry was unnecessary.
If one excelled academically at Izhise, the royal family actively resolved minor issues faced by students.
“If you do well within Izhise, your debt problems will resolve themselves.”
“Really?”
With just one word from Ray, Jusephin lightened up and relaxed her expression.
Seeing Jusephin’s mood change so easily, Ray shook his head.
“And don’t reveal personal stories that could become weaknesses in front of others.”
“…!”
Jusephin stiffened suddenly, regretting her earlier openness.
Looking at the person in front of him who seemed a little unhinged, Ray wondered if she could successfully graduate from Izhise and find her place.
*
Johanna ventured out to a perfume shop.
Delun accompanied Johanna to the store, and despite the door being open, the sweet scent permeated the shop.
The shopkeeper, recognizing their Izhise uniforms, greeted them warmly.
Johanna listed five perfumes recommended by the owner and said to Delun,
“Smell them and pick a good one.”
Delun complied.
The five expensive perfumes favored by nobles each had distinct characteristics, but Delun found it hard to decisively say which was the best.
Scratching his head, Delun asked Johanna,
“They’re all good, but do you have a particular preference? Describe the vibe you’re looking for, and I’ll use that to help choose.”
Johanna pondered for a moment, then, blushing, stammered,
“Karen…”
“What?”
“The smell Karen gives off…”
“…”
Delun looked at Johanna with a world-weary expression.
Johanna immediately flared up.
“Why?! Why are you looking at me like that?!”
“No, um, Miss Johanna…”
Delun himself felt disheartened and trailed off.
Due to Johanna’s continued anger, Delun eventually recalled the body scent he used to notice when close to Karen and picked a few perfumes accordingly.
After Delun selected some perfumes, Johanna accepted them happily, sprayed a few spritzes on her neck, and tested them.
Ray sometimes buried his face in Karen’s neck.
Thinking perhaps Johanna was doing this out of memory, Delun pinched the bridge of his nose tightly.
Feeling irked, Johanna lightly kicked Delun’s leg.
Anyway, after enjoying her shopping with her maintenance allowance and finishing dinner, Johanna returned to Izhise.
However, as she approached the main gate, she noticed a few third-class students lying prostrate with their heads on the ground.
Curious about why they were behaving this way, Johanna blinked as second-class students approached from the gate.
“Hmmph!”
One of the second-class students sniffed and widened his eyes.
“Perfume? A third-class student already using perfume-?!!”
Johanna realized she should’ve done the same.
Recalling the rules, second-class students reminded her that third-class students were restricted from external adornments.
Both Johanna and Delun, held responsible for their actions, apologized for their mistake and were about to bow their heads when the second-class students’ attention shifted toward the gate.
Ray was confidently entering alone, having gone out with Saria.
And on Ray’s chest shone a comically large brooch.
One of the second-class students pointed at Ray’s brooch and shouted.
“Hey, you brat!!!!!”
“?”
Ray raised a question mark above his head, while Delun became very interested in observing the unfolding situation.
Meeting (1)
