The Dragon and the Stalkers
Although an unexpected matter had been tacked onto Ha-yan's magic evaluation, our group didn't need to spare it a single thought.
More precisely, Ha-yan and Yang Ho-jin had nothing whatsoever to concern themselves with. As for me, I was certain that if I just dropped by for a moment on the day itself, sized up those guys' levels, and made it clear exactly how far out of their league the girl currently holding the seat they were after really was, the whole fuss would die down on the spot.
And while we did end up having to return to the underworld a day earlier than planned—aside from the evaluation day itself—whether it was six days or five, we still had more than enough time to tour Osaka.
We even had time to spare for a side trip to Kyoto if we felt like it.
But for today, we decided to properly enjoy the travel itinerary Ha-yan and I had missed out on yesterday.
Ah. Everyone knows Osaka summers in Japan are pure hell, right? And we're going to wander around in that insane weather? Are we crazy?
Seems like everyone forgot we have a very conveeenient little magic for that.
"Hehe. Everyone else looks like they're about to collapse and die. I don't feel a thing."
"Not much mana drain?"
"I've got a pretty big mana pool myself, you know? Nowhere near yours, Siu, but I can keep a spell like this going twenty-four seven."
Nearly every Japanese person walking past us was either under a parasol or wiping sweat with a handkerchief, but Ha-yan, Yang Ho-jin, and I were strolling the streets of Osaka as if the blazing sun didn't exist at all—sweat? What sweat?
We were just wearing sunglasses because the sunlight was a bit too bright for our eyes.
And right beside us, Yang Ho-jin...
"Ehehe... Crepes look so good..."
...was following along with both hands full of Japanese street food, a blissful expression on her face.
I'd heard she sometimes got Rhea's permission to go out and have dinner with the other homunculi, but given the nature of her current job, those chances didn't come around often.
At most it was the occasional teachers' dinner at school, and even those had basically dried up lately with all the chaos piling up.
So she was throwing herself into this foodie trip even harder than the rest of us.
As long as she did her job properly, I was happy to buy her whatever she wanted.
Just like right now.
While happily munching her crepe, Yang Ho-jin casually sidled up next to me and whispered,
"Mmmph. M-Master. What should we do about those kids who've been following us since the moment we left the hotel? Want me to just fling them somewhere else right now?"
"Leave them. If they were planning to mess with us, they wouldn't be tailing us this clumsily. Looking at the blonde and silver hair, it's obvious they're following us because of that thing in a few days."
"So we just leave them?"
"Let them do their thing. If they come talk to us, Ha-yan or I will handle it. You just keep doing what you're doing and ignore them. Finished the crepe? Want me to get you some bread this time?"
"I shall devote my life to the work!"
At my last words, Yang Ho-jin vacuumed up the crepes in both hands in an instant and looked up at me with eyes desperately craving the next snack.
Ha-yan and I both burst out laughing brightly at the sight.
"I found this neighborhood café in Japan that makes ridiculously good bread! Let's go there, have some coffee and bread, and take a little break!"
"Aaaah!! Young lady!!! I shall serve you for eternity!!"
And so Ha-yan led us into yet another world of snacks, and I followed the two of them at a leisurely pace with a fond smile.
"Hmm. The adults' words can't be wrong, right? My parents said if we miss this chance, there won't even be scraps left next time."
"Obviously. It's not just any mage—it's a chance to learn magic from someone who holds the title of Archmage."
"Ugh... B-but don't you think they already know we're following them?"
The people Yang Ho-jin and Cha Siu had noticed but chosen to ignore.
Three people who had been trailing Cha Siu's party ever since they left the hotel.
Two girls and one boy who looked about Lee Ha-yan's age, exchanging opinions as they followed.
The boy had the typical handsome mixed East-West features and a sharp, confident air about him.
One girl was blonde with classic Western features and a rather athletic build.
The last, the silver-haired girl, was the shortest of the three but had the most voluptuous figure. Her expression and demeanor, however, screamed timid.
"Teave. Did your family give you any special instructions? Like bribes, or approaching them to talk in advance?"
"You already know that. They said they'd strip our qualifications on the spot if we did. There's no info on the evaluation for becoming that person's disciple anyway, so whatever. Did you finish preparing for the evaluation? You too, Lily, and Silvi next to you."
"Ugh. Dunno. Casting itself is fine, but if they ask for applications my head's gonna explode."
"I-I prepared too... but I'm not sure..."
"Still, that noona is seriously enviable. We're busting our asses just to become disciples once, and she's just here sightseeing."
The boy called Teave muttered while staring at Lee Ha-yan with pure envy.
And that same look was shared by the two girls called Lily and Silvi.
But the two girls had another look in their eyes as they watched the pair—something only girls would have.
"A handsome master with insane ability. Isn't this totally like something out of a novel? I'm stuck learning magic from a scrawny old grandpa."
"I-I'm learning from my mother... That's why I finally got to come outside for the first time in ages. If it weren't for you two, I really would have just stayed home forever..."
"So? You don't like it, Silvi? You hate hanging out with me like this!!"
"Uuuu!! Th-that's not it...!!"
Well, these three could also be called childhood friends of a sort.
Unlike Cha Siu and Lee Ha-yan, who became childhood friends with zero external motives, these three had become childhood friends for social appearances and various family reasons—but still.
And these three had been told by their families to become Cha Siu's disciple by any means, or at the very least create some point of contact with him.
Unlike those who brought a homunculus, or Lee Ha-yan who came with her master Cha Siu for the evaluation, none of them had a master or anyone to look after them accompanying them.
"Tch. We suffered so much coming all the way here alone from our countries, and that unnie just lucked out with a good master and is living it up. I'm so jealous."
Lily muttered her complaints while flipping her blonde hair back, but Silvi beside her jumped and clapped a hand over her mouth.
"B-be careful! Even little complaints like that—he might be able to hear everything!"
And Teave next to them agreed with Silvi.
"Haven't you heard the famous stories? When those old fogeys in the Magic Ministry badmouthed him a little while confirming he was in Korea, he teleported straight from Korea all the way to Antarctica and showed up. Those old guys were on their hands and knees begging for mercy."
"I-I know that! But I can still complain this much... Privileges are still privileges."
Even after Teave's warning, Lily pouted a little with a face that said she couldn't help it.
She still had the typical kid thoughts like, I have that much money too, so if I'd brought maids I could've been comfortable too.
Of course Teave and Silvi had the same thoughts, but they weren't voicing them.
Anyway.
The sight of three people cheerfully touring the streets of Osaka while another three trailed after them was a bit bizarre yet amusing situation.
And of course—
"Complaints. Well, I guess they could feel that way."
Just as Teave and Silvi feared, Cha Siu was already hearing every word of their conversation crystal clear.
Cha Siu casually asked Lee Ha-yan, who was hearing the same thing.
"What do you think about that conversation?"
Ha-yan also had magic cast so their dialogue flowed into her ears like white noise through Cha Siu.
"They can think that. It's plenty understandable. Strictly speaking, bringing Ho-jin along was only possible because you requested it, right?"
"Yeah. I said I wouldn't go otherwise."
"That is a privilege."
"It's only natural to me. Leave you alone? Not a chance."
Cha Siu took it for granted that humans would show this kind of "consideration" to a dragon like him.
Lee Ha-yan sighed once more at the fact that her boyfriend still lacked proper social awareness and said to him,
"That's just your thinking. Those kids might not be on your level, but they're still pretty rich and powerful in the magic world, right? Ho-jin, isn't that so?"
"Ah. Yes yes. I just got the info from Lady Rhea. The boy is Teave, a scion of a powerful family in the Magic Ministry's judicial branch. The blonde girl is Lily, heir to the number one company in various magic materials businesses. And the silver-haired girl is Silvi, from the family with the best alchemy skills on Earth. They're all kids from families that hold high positions in the magic world."
"If even kids like that are complaining, doesn't that show just how huge the benefits we're enjoying are?"
Lee Ha-yan asked Cha Siu this time with quite a bit of expectation(?), but—
"Nah. Not really."
"...Haaah."
Completely shattering that expectation was our Cha Siu, who was still sorely lacking in social studies.