Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: Blueberry
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Some days later, one day.
I went to Luna's office to give my report...
Once things wrapped up smoothly, Luna turned to me.
"Aiden. What are you doing today?"
Tomorrow was our one day off per week.
"Nothing in particular?"
She flashed a mischievous smile at my response.
"Then come on a secret outing with me today."
Come to think of it, it had been a while since my last incognito trip.
Lately, because of Taylor, I hadn't even been able to go home. I'd been hoping for a chance to check in.
If Luna came along, that was even better.
She'd keep Taylor from pulling any weird stunts while we were together.
"Sure, why not? I was thinking of stopping by the house anyway."
Summer wasn't an issue, but spring had already arrived.
With so many newcomers lately, I felt uneasy about not checking in more often.
Bandits might break in, or vagrants could have taken over the place.
In fact, rumors were circulating that Vain's public safety had deteriorated quite a bit due to the influx of people.
But I hadn't been able to go home because of that Taylor woman.
"Really? Then come to the training grounds after work."
I nodded at Luna's words.
"Got it. See you later."
A few hours passed, and as soon as my work was done, I headed to the training grounds.
The training grounds were empty.
Luna must not be here yet.
With that thought, I walked over to the flower bed nearby.
The flower bed was budding.
They'd look pretty nice once they bloomed.
"Aiden, you're already here?"
I turned at the familiar voice, and there she was—a stunning beauty with golden blonde hair and blue eyes.
"Yeah..."
But wasn't she too pretty?
Luna's radiant golden bob, her perfectly harmonious eyes, nose, and mouth.
Plus, her slightly cat-like features gave her an irresistible charm.
"Huh? Aiden, why's your face like that? You look dazed. Are you sick?"
She strode over and placed a hand on my forehead...
"You're just so beautiful. How can you be this pretty?"
She crossed her arms and pouted cutely, rolling her eyes at me.
"Ugh! Why are you like this lately? I'm not that pretty!"
Still, she seemed secretly pleased—her ears were tinged pink.
"But I'm serious, no joke. Your vibe's totally changed."
No exaggeration—it really had.
The black-haired Luna was pretty, but this gave off a brighter, more vibrant feel.
Luna stroked her bobbed hair at my question.
"Wasn't it blonde last time too?"
"But it wasn't a bob back then."
The long blonde suited her well too...
But the bob definitely fit her better.
"Hmm... really?"
She gave a sly, enigmatic smile, as if pondering something.
"You aren't planning to... do it again, are you?"
Luna asked with a hurt expression.
"Don't you want to do it with me, Aiden?"
"It's not that... but all morning? No thanks."
Having to endure that all day really left my head pounding the next day.
"Guess not... Fine. From now on, I'll make sure you eat stuff that's good for you."
With that, Luna scooped me up effortlessly, as if it were routine.
"Will healthy food really do the trick?"
"If not, we can always exercise. How about learning to handle mana while we're at it?"
She headed slowly toward the Grand Duchess's palace wall.
"What good would it do learning now?"
Luna, Charles, and Jin had all told me before—my constitution wasn't ideal for swordsmanship.
Something about needing to train from childhood.
"We're about to hop the wall, so shh."
With that, Luna vaulted over the wall in a blur.
It was an experience I'd grown used to by now.
The first time had been terrifying.
Leaping over a wall more than 3 meters high in one go was no joke, but now it was fine.
-Tap...
She landed lightly and set me down.
"But... do you think I could actually handle mana?"
"Hmm... Swordmaster's out of the question, but... maybe mana user level in about ten years?"
Luna paused, lost in thought.
Ten years was way too long.
Was I spacing out? She shot me a displeased glance.
"Anyway, no more training talk. Today, it's just you and me."
"Okay, okay. So what are we doing?"
"First, let's look around nearby. They say public safety's gotten shaky lately. Then grab some tasty food... hmm..."
She scanned the area, then pressed close and whispered mischievously in my ear.
"And you get a taste too?"
"Ah...! No way!"
I stepped back at her unexpected words, and Luna licked her lips.
"Why not? I want a taste."
I had no idea where she was picking up these naughty lines lately.
I waved my hands at her playful self.
"Where do you even learn stuff like that?"
Luna giggled with a smile.
"It's a secret. Anyway, let's go."
She tugged my hand, pouting impatiently.
Led by Luna's hand, we explored Vain city.
Tents and overflowing crowds everywhere.
A massive pot bubbling with some unidentifiable soup.
The atmosphere felt different from before, which puzzled me.
What was that soup even made of?
Gazing at the viscous liquid emitting a bizarre smell brought back tough memories from the past.
Back when I'd just arrived here.
Broke as could be.
In desperation to eat, I'd tried that soup once...
But the indescribable taste had me spitting it out after one sip.
A woman tossed in a dirt-caked carrot whole.
That was tame, at least.
Some nasty ones even dumped their household scraps in.
Anyway, that foul-smelling soup served as the city's free cafeteria.
Boiling any scraps and water filled hungry bellies for nothing.
Luna grimaced at the sight and whispered in my ear.
"Is that stuff even safe to eat?"
"I... dunno? I couldn't stomach it."
In winter, it was too cold to sleep outside, making it tough. But now that the weather had warmed...
Tents for the homeless had sprung up again.
On a massive scale, too.
"More than last year, right?"
"Yeah... definitely more."
Major merchant guilds and companies were funneling people into Vain.
Naturally, large-scale housing was being built to accommodate them—but construction didn't finish in a month or two.
Minimum ten months, often a full year.
So housing shortages were inevitable.
"Guess that explains why the Interior Ministry's pushing to hire more guards due to worsening security."
I nodded at Luna's words.
"Yeah... we need to figure something out."
If this filthy situation dragged on, an epidemic could break out—disaster.
"We do."
After that, we wandered the market with Luna, gauging the mood.
A bustling, vibrant market overall.
Seeing the huge number of merchants—unlike before—it really hit home how much the Grand Duchy was growing.
Not many came here in the old days.
"What? Why's wood prices skyrocketing?"
"Iron ore's gone up a ton lately. So iron goods followed."
"Sigh... prices change daily. Who can afford to buy?"
As Vain boomed rapidly, so did prices.
It was temporary, sure...
But benevolent ruler Luna always kept it in mind.
And sure enough...
She whispered in my ear.
"Any way to fix that?"
"Right now, the iron mines aren't running smoothly..."
The Grand Duchy had tons of mines.
But lacking basic infrastructure at iron sites kept people from relocating there.
So guilds and merchants had to ship ore from afar at huge cost.
Most iron was imported.
"Hmm... can't let this go on forever..."
I racked my brain watching Luna fret, but...
Merchant guilds and companies weren't fully operational yet—tax revenue was short.
Existing debts were cleared by selling all the yangyangju, but...
It took time for the brew to mature.
I snapped her out of her frown.
"I'll think on it separately. Let's look around more first?"
"Yeah! I know you'll come up with something good, Aiden."
Luna beamed, heaping on the pressure.
"Haha..."
I could only smile awkwardly.
Then Luna picked up a cherry from a nearby fruit stand.
"Heh, these are perfectly ripe."
"Oh? Newlyweds, huh? I'll give you a deal—grab some fruit for dinner."
Luna blushed at the shop auntie's words.
"Do I... look like a bride?"
The bold, spirited Luna usually, but "newlywed" embarrassed her.
Her shy voice and expression were rare treats.
"You bet. Groom, come check these out too. Cherries are great this year, and the strawberries are super fresh."
The strawberries caught my eye—bright red and ripe.
"Good for a lady's skin, they say. And delicious! Have a bite, bride."
The owner deftly handed Luna a strawberry.
She took it with a stunned look, glancing at the owner, who grinned.
"Go on, try it."
Prodded, Luna shyly bit in—and her eyes widened.
"The flavor's so intense!"
"Yup! Fresh-picked yesterday."
Seeing Luna delighted, I asked,
"How much for the strawberries?"
"10 silver a basket."
A basket of strawberries for 10 silver?
Prices had really shot up.
Anyway, Luna seemed to want more, so I paid...
"Young man! How about these?"
"These?"
"Blueberries. Great for a man's... vigor."
The auntie covered her face bashfully, turning red.
She trailed off, but the implication was clear.
Luna eyed the blueberries intently, then looked at me seriously.
"Aiden... let's get some blueberries."
Her voice carried strange emphasis.
I sighed inwardly and bought them too.
After dinner at a new restaurant nearby, we headed to my house.
Clean exterior.
With house prices hitting new highs monthly, just looking made me smile.
Finally getting proper value.
It had skyrocketed from before.
Used to be, I'd have to pay to offload it.
Tax reform was the right call.
"House prices have really climbed lately, huh?"
Luna read my mind.
I grinned broadly at her.
"Great news. Really..."
"You still planning to sell?"
I nodded.
"They're rising more. Later?"
I unlocked the door and stepped in.
The cleaned interior from last time greeted us.
"Hehe..."
Comfy sofa.
I lay back...
Long time no visit—dust was everywhere?
Luna held the fruit basket.
She set it on the table in front of the sofa, frowning.
-Swipe...
She ran a finger along the furniture.
"Aiden? Looks like we need to hire a cleaner sometimes."
"Haha... I'll think about it later."
She nodded at me.
Luna sat beside me with a bright smile.
"Yeah. Sounds good."