Chapter 65

“Whoa, I’m so full.”

In a quiet spot away from the bustling market, Riana, who had eaten to her heart’s content, proudly patted her slightly protruding belly. Though, given her naturally slim figure, it didn’t really stick out much. It was still fascinating how she could eat so much without her stomach bulging noticeably.

Is that… magic?

“Are you satisfied now?”

“Yeah! And don’t worry about whether I’m satisfied or not. Just being out after being cooped up in the Magic Tower for so long is already fun, and it’s even better because I’m with Kairon and Abelin. And…”

Riana reached out, gently pulled my face closer, and whispered secretly into my ear.

“Don’t worry too much about the cost of what I ate. The Magic Tower will cover it.”

“Wait, really? Is Lady Rostia covering it?”

“Pretty much. If someone with an outing permit goes out, as long as the cost isn’t ridiculously high, the Tower’s budget covers it. Rostia said that proper rest for members actually boosts the Tower’s efficiency. Practical stuff, you know?”

“That’s so admirable. I thought all mages were rigid, but to have someone like her…”

“Heehee, you look way too impressed. Make sure to praise Rostia when you see her again. Even though she’s an Archmage and used to compliments, she still gets happy no matter how big or small the praise is.”

It was such a relief to see Riana’s smile never leaving her face since we left the Tower.

“You look great, Riana. Your pretty face looks even prettier when you’re smiling.”

“Thank you. But Abelin is way more beautiful than me. Even the way she narrows her eyes while bickering with Kairon is charming.”

“Oh my, what are you talking about…”

“Anyway, it’s all thanks to you, Abelin. I’ve been sticking to the two things you told me.”

To make Riana happy after being stuck in the Tower’s rigid routine for so long, Abelin had given her two pieces of advice.

First, never let a woman go hungry, so we made sure Riana was always full and never felt hunger.

Second, we didn’t set strict schedules, letting her sleep as much as she wanted and take her time to relax.

With no restrictions, she could laze around and eat to her heart’s content, making it impossible for her not to be happy.

“Hehe…”

“Stop laughing weirdly, Kairon. You look like an old man.”

“Ugh, I’m still too young to be called an old man! Besides, I can’t help it. Riana feels like a little sister, but also like a daughter to me.”

“A daughter, huh? If you ever have a daughter, do you think you’ll treat her as well as you treat Riana?”

“I don’t know. But I’ll do my best. Bright kids grow up under bright parents, after all.”

“Hmm, I see.”

As Abelin nodded, her eyes sparkled with satisfaction.

“Why are you making that face?”

“It’s nothing. But what if you have a son instead of a daughter?”

“What do you mean? It’s obvious. Daughters take after their fathers, and sons take after their mothers. So if my son looks like my beloved wife, I won’t be able to help but love him!”

“Aha…”

For some reason, the corners of Abelin’s lips curled up even more.

“Wow… that expression just now was really pretty, Abelin!”

“Huh? What expression did I make…”

“Heehee, a pretty person making a pretty expression!”

“T-this…”

Abelin couldn’t help but gently pinch Riana’s cheeks.

“Is this what being a doting father feels like, Kairon? It’s like this warm, bubbling feeling inside…!”

“Kind of, yeah. By the way, how many years apart are you and Riana…?”

“Hehe… huh?”

Riana, who had been happily laughing, suddenly froze.

“Riana.”

“Master…?”

In the quiet, seemingly empty spot, Ronos strode over and stood before us.

“What are you doing here without my permission? The Tower Master might have given you an outing permit, but I, your master, did not.”

“W-well…”

As expected, in front of her sky-high master, Riana’s happy expression vanished, replaced by a cowering one.

“What’s the matter?”

“You all…”

As Abelin and I stepped in front of Riana, Ronos openly showed his anger.

“Do you lack basic common sense and morals? If you were going to take Riana out, you should have gotten permission from me, her master!”

Hah, a demon talking about common sense and morals.

I almost clicked my tongue but held back, speaking as politely and calmly as I could.

“I deeply apologize for taking your beloved disciple out without permission.”

“Hmph, of course you should. You’re shameless, but at least you apologize quickly.”

“But since we’re here, could you grant us permission? You know how Riana is treated by the other mages in the Tower.”

“…Hmph.”

Hearing about Riana’s treatment, Ronos calmed down and showed a surprisingly composed attitude.

“Just for a little while. I’ll allow her to take some time to relieve the stress she’s built up.”

“If that’s the case, I’ll allow it. Since she’s taking a break, she might as well rest well. It’ll help her focus more on her magic training later.”

“…!?”

This was completely unexpected.

I thought he’d throw a fit, but instead, he considered Riana’s situation and even allowed her to go out.

For a moment, I was shaken…

‘No. Remember what happened when we defeated Sophia.’

Sophia was not only a devoted nurse in the Vanguard but also perfectly acted as a warm and lovely woman.

Thinking back to that time, even if a demon shows a human side, you can’t trust it.

Demons can be burned and destroyed, but the people hurt by their cruel acts will carry those memories forever. Never forget that!

“Thank you for understanding. Then, may I make one more request?”

“You’ve already been granted permission. What more do you want to ask?”

“Well…”

If Ronos is trying to act like a strict but warm-hearted master, then I just need to throw him a solid bait.

So, the decisive move I chose was…

“I want to take Riana to the Vanguard.”

“What…!?”

The effect was immediate!

As soon as I mentioned taking Riana to the Vanguard, Ronos’s calm face turned red and twisted in anger.

“That’s absolutely out of the question! I allowed her to go out, but now you want to take her away? What kind of logic is that?”

“But you know, don’t you? Riana’s goal is ultimately to join us. And spending some time with the Vanguard would be a great experience for her.”

“A great experience? Riana is far from ready for actual combat! If something goes wrong, will you take responsibility?”

“Of course, I will. I promise that Riana won’t get hurt.”

“Ha, a promise? What can you possibly stake on that? Humans can’t even see a day ahead! How can you, weak humans, offer anything? No, this won’t do. Riana, come back to the Tower with me right now.”

“Huh? Master, but…”

“I said come back now! The selection for High Magician is coming up. We don’t have time for this!”

A heavy silence fell.

After what felt like an eternity, Riana slowly spoke.

“No.”

“What? What did you just say?”

“I said no. I want to rest. Being out here made me realize how harsh and exhausting my training has been, always hating someone and pushing myself. I almost forgot that I started learning magic to help my dad and the Vanguard. So, no more!”

As Riana clearly expressed her refusal, Ronos’s expression began to change.

“R-Riana… to your master…!”

The expression on his face was…

None other than a pout.

“Where did my obedient Riana go? You know everything I do is for your sake, not mine. But if you don’t like it, just say so. How can you be so harsh to me… Sniff…”

Oh my god. Not only is the demon pouting, but he’s also starting to cry and sob pitifully.

Oh, how can such a terrible thing happen in this world…!

Even though we knew it was an act, the three of us couldn’t help but be swayed.

As humans with too much emotion, we couldn’t help it.