Vaan gave Dahlia a short kiss after she pulled her head towards him. But afterward, he pulled away and shook his head without any intention to proceed further.
“Not now, Dahli. Wash up and get dressed. I want to take you out to the city for breakfast. Of course, I’ll also be the one to pay,” Vaan stated. “It’s not too late for us to play for a bit after.”
“Oh?” Dahlia uttered with surprise at first, but then her eyes quickly lit up with excitement and anticipation the next moment. “Alright~! Give me a moment, Vahn.”
Right after getting up, she cast a few spells to rinse her face and wash her body.
Afterward, she rummaged through her closet and picked out a lovely green and white renaissance dress before she turned to look at Vaan, who had pulled a chair over to sit down and watch her.
In that instance, Dahlia’s face turned red from embarrassment and shyness. She was seemingly more feminine and submissive.
“Don’t look! I’m trying to change,” Dahlia blushed.
“Why not? It’s not like I haven’t seen everything already,” Vaan replied with a grin.
Dahlia was unable to refute. Not only had Vaan seen everything, but it was also normal for women to flash or walk around topless in some parts of the city. However, those kinds of women were confident, unlike herself, who was still learning to become more confident.
Nevertheless, Dahlia eventually changed in front of Vaan after some back and forward struggle and hesitation.
Afterward, they set out for the city together, leaving the academy early in the morning when most witches and servants were still fast asleep.
Vaan took everything with him, including the bag of clothes, weapons, and equipment.
Upon arriving in the heart of the central district, they had breakfast at one of the popular cafes under Dahlia’s recommendation, Generous Morning Joint.
It cost Vaan sixteen silvers for two meals.
Although the food couldn’t compare to the academy, it was better than most commoner food.
Vaan quickly understood that while it was a popular establishment, it was only considered so among commoners. It still fell behind by a margin in comparison to the truly top wealthy diners that actually served spiritual food.
Dahlia had chosen the place to not hurt Vaan’s wallet, even though it was not necessary. Even so, it couldn’t be denied that she was quite considerate.
Nevertheless, after they enjoyed their meals together, Vaan took Dahlia to the Witch Union Bank for another withdrawal.
It was then that Dahlia realized how much money Vaan possessed.
“Next time, there’s no need to consider the cost of food, Dahli. We can afford to eat some spiritual food like wealthy people do, even without the academy discount,” Vaan stated as they left the bank.”
“Mmm, alright,” Dahlia nodded before she asked, “What do you want to do now? Are we going back to the academy, or…?”
“Didn’t you want to play?” Vaan slightly smiled and said, “Let’s book a nice room to enjoy ourselves.”
Shortly after, Vaan took Dahlia to the Peaceful Gentlemen Inn and booked a room for a day, costing him another ten silvers, which he easily paid in full.
Afterward, Vaan took Dahlia to their room to enjoy themselves…
…
…
…
Helia’s Castle
After everyone unboarded from their magic airships in the outer courtyard, the Grand Inquisitor’s troops lined up into groups, the combat witches and the aura users, each consisting of fifty people.
None were weaker than Mid-stage Senior Witch and Mid Rank 2 Aura Masters.
“You’ve brought quite a fair bit of force for this punitive expedition, Marquis Ember,” Helia Ashenborn welcomed Ember Killian and Astoria Braveheart’s arrival. “Are you sure this will be enough troops?”
“Definitely enough to clear out the small fries obstructing our path in the Red Goblin Mountains. As for the doggies, Headmaster Astoria and I are the main fighting force for the job,” Ember stated and added, “Besides, you planned to join us, did you not, Lord Helia?”
“I did,” Helia nodded and said, “However, I didn’t expect you to arrive so soon in the morning, Marquis Ember. How about joining me for some breakfast in the hall while my people rally the additional troops from the city?”
“If you’re not in a hurry to venture into the mountains, I believe an additional two hundred—No, three hundred mercenaries for hire will prove helpful on this dangerous endeavor,” Helia added.
“Three hundred mercenaries? Even if you want to help us, that won’t cost you a small amount of wealth, Lord Helia,” Ember mentioned with surprise. “Do you have too many mana stones to burn, or do you have something else to gain from this?”
“Well, what can I say? Conquering the mountain has always been a dream of mine,” Helia smiled and said, “And I do happen to have a lot of mana stones to spare after my new business started blooming, especially thanks to Headmaster Tabitha.”
“She paid me a lump sum just for some priority reading,” Helia chuckled before suddenly pausing.
“Speaking of this matter, it’s quite interesting. The Delarosa Household’s representative, Vahn Cadieux, has a similar given name as Vaan Raphna from the book.”
“What kind of person is this Vahn Cadieux? Since when did the Delarosa Household have such a person?” Astoria hurriedly asked, jumping right in Helia’s face before Ember held her back.
“Calm down, Headmaster Astoria. It’s just a similar name. You can’t expect someone with similar sounding names to be the same person, right?” Ember calmly stated. “These sorts of names are all too common.”
“That’s right. It’s as Marquis Ember says,” Helia agreed before mentioning, “They are just variations of Varan, that monstrous Rank 5 Aura King of the Great Rathalos Dynasty.”
“We don’t speak of those names here, Lord Helia. If word spreads and people learn more about the south, you might just earn yourself an audience with Her Majesty,” Ember warned.
“Right, that was my mistake,” Helia quickly reflected. “…Anyways, what do you think about my earlier suggestion, Marquis Ember?”
“Sure, I’ll be more than happy to join you for breakfast as we wait for the additional helping hands, Lord Helia,” Ember replied and turned to Astoria. “What about you, Headmaster Astoria?”
“I am of the same opinion,” Astoria replied half-attentively as her mind dwelled on the name Vahn Cadieux.
…