Chapter 104
Chapter 104
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: A Date with the Wolf
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"Wow, look at this. Someone drew wings on the wall."
Strolling through the streets, what I truly hated was the feeling that this time with Pindenai wasn't half bad.
She'd glance around furtively, and whenever she spotted anything even slightly unusual, she'd stop dead and burst into giggles, calling it hilarious.
It felt strange, like watching an adult woman who was disarmingly innocent for her age.
"Ta-da. Isn't it badass? Super pretty, right?"
Pindenai dashed right up to the wall with the wings drawn on it and struck a pose, spreading her arms wide with a grin.
It really didn't look bad at all.
*What an odd feeling.*
That was why I found it so peculiar. Some inexplicable emotion was stirring in my chest, peeking out cautiously.
If I had to name one person in this world I'd never feel this way about while living in it, I'd say Pindenai without hesitation.
Yet her innocent expressions weren't unpleasant to behold.
"My, what a lovely couple!"
That's when a mustachioed man butted in beside us. He had a magic camera slung around his neck and seemed to be one of those photographers snapping shots of tourists for pay.
"Shall I take a photo of that pretty girlfriend of yours?"
"Ugh, buzz off. You're ruining the mood."
Was she annoyed that some street vendor had interrupted and wasted their time? Pindenai scowled and turned away from the drawing.
"Sure, take one."
But I readily pulled a gold coin from my pocket and handed it to the photographer. Pindenai gaped at me, her mouth hanging open in surprise.
The photographer broke into a wide grin and raised his camera. Pindenai, still flustered, awkwardly glanced around before stepping in front of the drawing.
The artwork behind her created an optical illusion of white wings spreading from her back.
The photographer fiddled with the camera a few times, adjusting the focus, then carefully pressed the shutter.
*Click.*
A single photo emerged from the camera with the sound.
It was the instant-print type, like a Polaroid, which must have cost a fortune, but it showed how serious the man was about his photography.
And sure enough, the photo that came out was stunningly beautiful.
I thought it turned out great and was about to hand it to Pindenai, but the photographer glanced at me and spoke up.
"Um, I could take more if you'd like. How about one with your girlfriend?"
The gold coin I'd given him must have been more than the standard fee; he clearly didn't want to give change.
"No thanks."
"Eek!"
But Pindenai and I refused in unison, so the photographer looked disappointed as he started fishing for change.
"Take one of him alone. You make me get photographed but won't do it yourself?"
Pindenai marched over, grabbed my wrist, and dragged me forward.
Suddenly, I was the one posing in front of the winged wall, but the photographer had already seized the opportunity and was quickly focusing.
"Sigh."
*Click.*
My photo came out mid-sigh.
The photo slid out with a whir. The photographer nodded, beaming with satisfaction.
"You two are such a handsome pair—the photos come out perfect!"
His sincerity shone through his expression, not just empty flattery, but it wasn't important anyway.
As I walked toward them, Pindenai snatched my photo and whistled, tucking it into her pocket.
"Why are you taking that?"
I questioned why she was keeping my photo, and she shot back defiantly.
"You can have mine, Master."
"...Master?"
The photographer's face froze instantly. His eyes, which had seen us as a quirky but attractive couple moments ago, now viewed us as deranged perverts playing kinky games in public.
"Uh, I-I'll be going now."
He bolted in panic, clearly thinking we were into some special fetish.
"Sigh."
"You're overreacting. So what should I call you? You hated 'Oppa' earlier."
"...Call me Deus."
"Okay! Deus!"
Calling me "Master" out here, even without her maid outfit, was bound to spark weird misunderstandings.
No, we'd already gotten plenty of those from her revealing maid costume. Why was it suddenly bothering me now?
I had no idea.
Honestly, Pindenai's getup was so familiar by now that it didn't faze me.
But getting misunderstood in plain clothes like this just rubbed me the wrong way.
"Deus, let's go!"
"Don't use my real name if you can help it."
"You're so damn stingy."
Pindenai clicked her tongue, calling me cheap, then bounded ahead with even more energy than before.
I slipped my hand into my jacket pocket, and her photo from earlier slid right into my grasp.
Her awkward expression captured in the shot.
I'd meant to give it back, but she'd already darted off elsewhere, so the moment passed.
"Wow, what's this now?"
Pindenai had stopped in front of a massive bulletin board in the city. It had stacks of small papers, pens, and thumbtacks laid out, covered edge-to-edge with palm-sized notes like sticky posts.
"Gathering citizens' ideas for Artist's Day?"
Intrigued, she started reading them over.
"Sketch contest, big cleanup, fireworks, concert? Ugh! All crap."
She grabbed a paper and pen, scribbled something furiously, and pinned it smack in the center.
"Done. Let's go."
Then she lost interest and took off. Curious what she'd written, I sneaked a peek.
- Arena fights.
Total nonsense, predictably. It'd never get approved anyway, so I ignored it.
"We should head to the rooftop at Purucheni soon."
"Oh, right. That kid's recital or whatever."
She didn't seem thrilled but followed without complaint, letting us arrive at Purucheni's rooftop right on time.
"I thought it'd be something cool, but it's just a coffee shop?"
Pindenai sounded disappointed, but the building itself was impressive.
A concert on the rooftop of the blue-hued Purucheni.
A blue piano sat in the center of the roof terrace, positioned so the guests could enjoy the performance naturally.
It suited the summer sky and season perfectly.
Pindenai and I took seats a bit away from the piano and ordered drinks.
"Ugh! It's bitter!"
She'd picked a random coffee from the menu, took one sip, stuck out her tongue, and grumbled.
I'd figured a girl who only knew cigarettes wouldn't know coffee varieties.
The bitterness must have shocked her; she rummaged in her mouth like she wanted to scrape it out and reached for water.
I quietly slid my ordered tea her way.
Even though it was hot, she downed it without a care and smiled contentedly.
"Ooh, this is good."
"Give me your coffee. Don't waste it."
"Ooh?"
I took her coffee and sipped. She fussed dramatically, but the coffee tasted better than expected—a decent swap.
"Deus is seducing me!"
"..."
I'd told her not to use my name, but she wouldn't listen anyway, so I ignored it.
Unhappy with that, she crossed her legs, sipped her tea, and kept prodding me.
"But Deus, you used to be a total playboy, right? Did you go on dates with girls like this back then?"
"Don't ask."
"Tch, just curious. No big deal. I've never done this stuff."
"..."
Sorry, but neither have I.
That playboy Deus was the old one, not me. I sipped my coffee to signal I wasn't answering, and she grinned mischievously.
"But honestly, I've been in bedrooms with guys a few times."
Had she locked eyes with resistance members or something?
It seemed like decent filler chat until the performer Owen arrived.
"For disguises, I've played high-class whore in brothels a few times."
"You?"
My surprised reaction made her chuckle.
"Perfect for assassinating Clock Republic bigwigs. Plus, I'm not bad-looking, right?"
"..."
Responding to all this would just encourage her. Even ignoring it, she kept going.
Voice rising like a drunk uncle reminiscing, it was all tales of her past exploits.
"So, you go into the bedroom with them, yeah? They yank down their pants like horny dogs, drooling and proudly flashing their pinky-sized junk. That's when I grab the axe hidden under the bed and slice off their balls."
Chilling from a guy's perspective.
But Pindenai was dead serious.
"Every guy who's gone to a bedroom with me met the same end. They never even touched me—ended up pissing themselves from the ass."
"..."
Then she propped her chin, staring at me with unusual gravity.
"If, back when I first became your maid, you'd demanded that from me... I'd have done the same."
"I wouldn't demand that."
"Duh, don't state the obvious," she dismissed, then laughed like it was funny.
"You never know. You might be the one guy who goes into a bedroom with me and comes out alive."
She plucked the citrus slice from her teacup and chewed it like a cigarette, flashing an uncharacteristically soft smile.
"Anyway, just a hypothetical."
"Useless one."
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
Silence fell briefly.
We weren't talking much, but the cool rooftop breeze announced summer's arrival.
Sometimes, sharing an experience without words fosters understanding.
Right now, I might be starting to understand this woman, Pindenai.
Especially today.
Especially seeing this slightly different side of her.
Then.
[You two look like you're having a blast.]
The Black Necromancer appeared out of nowhere, arms crossed, glaring at me discontentedly.
I'd told her to watch Owen, so if she was here, maybe he'd arrived.
I scanned around, and she jolted as if remembering something, suddenly panicking.
[Oh! Owen's been kidnapped! We gotta go save him!]
"Sigh."
[Guess he had debts. Loan sharks dragged him off since he couldn't pay, but I know where.]
I sighed and stood. Pindenai, watching blankly, realized something and smirked.
"Ah, your usual ghost buddy tipped you off?"
[....]
The Black Necromancer looked flustered. It shouldn't be visible to her—how'd she know?
"A black mage muttering to himself all day? Not hard to figure out. So, what's up?"
I couldn't help chuckling in disbelief and ordered Pindenai.
"Back to work."
She laughed heartily, chugged her tea, slammed the empty cup on the table, and replied.
"Fight time? Let's go, Master!"