Chapter 6
THE LONG-AWAITED DINNER PARTY ended with Luminaria getting far too drunk. Apparently, the training from earlier in the day had been quite stressful, and she was eager to blow off some steam. The maids had to carry her away.
Mira had indulged heavily herself, and Lily escorted her to her room.
“Kinda sucks being able to hold my liquor so well,” Solomon muttered. With both his companions shuttled off to bed, he returned to his office to do more work.
***
The sunlight leaking through the curtains reflected off the floor, banishing the last vestiges of the night from Mira’s room. The maids had been up and busy for hours already, and now most gathered in the lounge as their morning chores were completed. One maid found herself entranced by Mira’s defenseless sleeping face, and crept close.
“Miss Mira? Time to wake up, Miss Mira.” The maid addressed her in a whisper, putting a hand on her exposed white shoulder and shaking the summoner gently. Mira groaned and barely opened her eyes. She saw the canopy’s embroidery and the pale face of Lily leaning over her like a ray of gentle moonlight. “Good morning, Miss Mira.”
“Mmh… Mornin’.” She sat up, willing her heavy eyes to open. “Wh’ time is it?”
“It’s currently 9:40 a.m.”
While Mira’s body tried to drag her back off to sleep, Lily peeled the bedding off, baring her body that was covered only by a black negligee. The smooth, black silk did a fantastic job of emphasizing her fair skin and long, flowing silver hair. The salacious contrast of it was a crime of Lily’s own doing, as she had changed the tipsy Mira into this little black number the night before.
Without taking her eyes off Mira, Lily began pulling her out of bed.
“Goodness. So late already…?” Due to last night’s festivities, she’d woken up much later than expected. If she was to head out this morning, Mira would have to rush through her morning routine.
***
Once she’d finished basic grooming, Lily dressed Mira in her new clothes. Seeing herself in the mirror, Mira cocked her head at the unfamiliar black negligee—but Lily’s presence in itself told her all that she needed to know.
From there, Lily led Mira to the dining hall. Breakfast had passed, so it was rather empty. The only people who remained in the hall were the cooks preparing lunch and maids looking to pilfer sweets for tea breaks.
“Wait here, please,” said Lily as she pulled out a chair.
Mira obediently seated herself, and the maids soon brought her late breakfast.
“Thank you for the souvenirs and treats, Miss Mira.”
“They were delicious.”
“Thank you for thinking of us!”
Mira replied with a soft smile, “As long as you’re happy, I’m happy.”
Lily poured black tea into a china teacup. “I forgot to tell you yesterday, but thank you for your help with Miss Amarette. We got the measurements done right away.”
Mira recalled that Amarette, acting Elder of the Tower of Necromancy, had taken a liking to her outfit and asked to be put in contact with the maids. For their part, the maids had already been waiting for an opportunity to make clothes for Amarette, and Mira had handed them the opportunity on a platter. Her popularity was skyrocketing.
“Sure, sure,” she answered quickly and wet her lips with black tea. She dug into her breakfast as the maids fussed about her.
***
Mira left the dining hall after her meal, and the maids busily dispersed. It seemed they’d been shirking other duties to take care of Mira. The small summoner left them to their chores and made her way back to Solomon’s office.
Solomon put his documents down and looked up as she entered. “Hey, good morning. You look well-rested.”
“I slept like a log,” Mira answered cheerfully as she plopped down on her usual place on the sofa. Perhaps as expected of alcohol fit for kings, the hangover was nearly nonexistent.
“Good to hear it. Here, I forgot to give you this… Your reward for the last mission.” Solomon picked up an envelope on his desk and tossed it toward the sofa. It arced through the air and landed next to Mira with a slight metallic jingle.
“Ooh. My purse was getting light.” She picked it up and dumped the contents out into her hand. Inside were ten gold coins: 500,000 ducats.
“I look forward to more souvenirs,” Solomon said shamelessly.
“Oh, please… Well… I suppose if I find anything worth buying.”
Solomon really did look forward to Mira’s souvenirs. The items and stories she brought back allowed him to feel the joys of travel vicariously through her, as if drinking from a bottle of her destination’s essence.
Mira rolled up the empty manila envelope as she considered the point of her last mission. “So, were they able to date the wood shavings?”
“I just got a report regarding that. It’ll take more time, but they think they can do it.”
“Hrmm. I’m glad that wasn’t a waste of effort.”
Mira would have run back to her tower and cried herself to sleep in Mariana’s arms if she’d learned that all the effort she’d just gone to was for naught. But lucky for her, the castle’s scholars were truly a cut above.
“Now you can begin your next mission on a high note.” Solomon grinned at her teasingly. Mira let out a long, exaggerated sigh and rose from the plush couch.
“Okay, fine. See you tomorrow.” Mira placed her hands on her hips and stretched, rolling her neck to loosen it up. Solomon mused inwardly that she didn’t act her apparent age much at all, though he also knew he was one to talk. The need to stretch was infectious, and he rolled his neck as well.
“See you tomorrow. Oh! Cleos has been busting his butt over in your tower. Be nice to him, okay?”
“Oh ho, really? Don’t worry about it, I’m always nice to him,” Mira said with a wave as she walked out of the office.
She wondered what had happened with Caerus and his goons, but they weren’t worth stopping to ask about. That was Solomon’s problem now.
***
Mira departed from Lunatic Lake and had landed at Silverhorn by the afternoon.
At the top floor of the Tower of Evocation, she elatedly opened the door to her room and savored the feeling of returning home. Inside, she saw Mariana holding a basket.
“Miss Mira! Welcome home.” Mariana smiled sweetly and bowed.
“Thanks,” Mira responded. She instantly felt more relaxed. A moment later, Luna lolloped over and jumped up for Mira’s attention. “Ooh! I see you’re doing well, too.”
Mira caught the pure rabbit in her arms and nuzzled it, breaking into a smile. It was so cute! After getting her fill of Luna’s cuddly softness, Mira sat on her sofa and asked Mariana, “Were there any issues during my absence?”
“None at all, if you don’t count Luna not getting along with Miss Lythalia…” Mariana answered after some thought, gazing at the rabbit in Mira’s hands.
“Oh, really? Well, pure rabbits are timid. There’s not much we can do about that.”
Pure rabbits almost never showed themselves in front of people. They were known to flee from any noise. Mira’s special relationship with the holy beast Pegasus must have drawn Luna to her, and she imagined that Mariana was simply favored by extension. Mira’s assumptions, of course, were quite incorrect.
“Well, it’s not that. Um, Miss Lythalia’s expressions of love are a little too intense…”
Lythalia loved the adorable creature so much that when she’d first spotted it, she was like a woman possessed. Luna invariably kept her distance.
“I see…”
Lythalia was also a zealous fan of Danblf, so she was shocked to learn Mira’s true identity. Luna’s rejection must have been quite a blow.
I feel a little bad…
“Incidentally, Mariana—were you about to go shopping?” Stretching out on the sofa, Mira looked at the empty basket in Mariana’s hand. It was her favorite style of shopping basket. Mira recalled that Mariana had several in different colors.
“Yes. It’s not all that urgent, though, especially now that you’re home,” Mariana answered. She put the basket down on a nearby rack and removed the apron she’d donned for her outing. She was ready to focus on Mira.
“Oh, don’t worry about me. I’ll just be relaxing here for a while. Prioritize your own business, please,” Mira replied as she stroked Luna, already feeling listless.
Mariana wouldn’t stand for it. “No! You’ve just gotten home from your trip, and you’re tired. No errand is more important than taking care of you,” she declared, resolute in her convictions. She’d shifted entirely to service mode.
Mira still felt guilty for interrupting her errands. After a moment of thought, she finally hit on a new proposal. “Well…why don’t we go shopping together?”
If she stayed home, Mariana would never leave.
“Oh, no. I could never trouble you like that, Miss Mira.” Mariana’s sense of duty was battling against the intriguing word together.
“Lazing about all day might be fun, but shopping with you sounds far more productive. I’m tired, but it’s more that I’m tired of work. Besides, I still haven’t gotten a good look at the new city. What do you say? Would you like to show me around while we shop?”
Mira still hadn’t gotten to enjoy the sights of Silverhorn as a tourist destination. She was actually speaking from the heart. Mariana couldn’t refuse.
“Very well. I would love to show you around.” Mariana still seemed conflicted, but there was a slight smile on her face.
***
Mira and Mariana left the tower together and walked along the main street. Luna stayed at home, as she was skittish of crowds.
Mariana had intended to shop for the perfect decor to ensure the ideal feng shui arrangements for Luna’s new home.
“That’s a big responsibility,” Mira mused.
If it was for the sake of Luna’s health and happiness, Mira would have to get a little more serious about this shopping trip. But as she was an amateur when it came to interior design, all she could do was tag along with Mariana.
Mariana strolled down the main street, entering shop after shop. She only bought one or two things from each one. All of them were general stores, and based on how the employees treated her, Mariana must have been a regular. There were several stores that seemed to have sections devoted specifically to her personal design needs. It seemed to be far from the first time she’d shopped for such things.
Mariana had adjusted well to life in this city. Mira felt strangely safe alongside Mariana as the woman spoke familiarly with the shopkeepers, though she bristled at any male shopkeepers who seemed to get a little too flirty with her assistant, using her glare to make her displeasure clear.
They explored the city with Mariana acting as the perfect guide, pointing out shops with cheap items, shops with high-quality wares, shortcuts, roads that would lead to the Adventurers’ Guild Union, and the like. After a while, they arrived at another home goods store. It seemed this was today’s main destination.
The spacious shop smelled pleasantly of wood. Tables and chairs were displayed prominently near the entrance. The first price tags Mira caught sight of were staggering, but as they went deeper into the store things got more reasonable.
As she wandered the aisles, Mira came across a display full of colorful clothes and robes. The clothes were arranged behind a glass door, and were so well-displayed that Mira thought they must be very high quality. Yet she could see no prices listed anywhere. She cocked her head curiously and happened to catch sight of an item tag, which told her everything she needed to know.
“Ooh, is this a wardrobe?” she wondered aloud. “It almost looks like a display shelf.” The clothes were simply meant to show how the furniture ought to be used.
“That item has gained popularity among nobles recently,” Mariana explained. “On top of making it easier to pick out clothes, it also allows the clothes inside to be a part of your interior design.”
“I see…”
The wardrobe was wide and not very deep, so it could only be placed in bigger rooms, but the way it displayed the clothes made it a formidable item for any interior design. One could change how their room looked just by switching out the clothes inside.
I want this!
Mira’s room in the tower had plenty of equipment she’d chosen during her Danblf era just because they looked cool. A display cabinet would be the perfect thing to show them off. But when she saw the price, her jaw nearly hit the floor: two million ducats! She gave up—keeping up with noble trends was clearly beyond her means.
Mira and Mariana continued to browse the store, looking at curtains, shelving, and wardrobes. Mira felt like a newlywed picking out furniture for her first home.
After an hour of having fun window-shopping, they purchased some items for Luna and gave their address for a delivery order. With that, Mariana had finished her errands.
“Well, we’ve taken the time to come out here. Do you know any less popular sightseeing spots?”
It was only a bit past midafternoon, so they had plenty of time until nightfall. Mira wanted to see as much of her new hometown she could. Right then, her stomach began to growl—come to think of it, they hadn’t even eaten lunch!
“Miss Mira, my apologies!” Mariana looked horrified to have failed to notice Mira’s hunger. “Let’s hurry back and—”
Her words came to a halt as she looked out at the plaza across the road. It was full of food stalls and sightseers. But what really drew her eye was the clientele.
“Miss Mira, would you like to eat over there?” Mariana asked. Mira turned to look, and her eyes began to sparkle.
“Ooh, street food! Good idea. Let us go!”
Mira made a beeline for the plaza.
***
The food stall plaza served as not just a sightseeing spot, but a date destination as well. The crowd was full of couples.
Mira proceeded through the crush of people, looking into each stall to see what she wanted to eat while Mariana followed along a little closer than usual. After a few minutes of looking, Mira stopped at a stall that served korotamayaki. There was a couple flirting brazenly in front of it, but Mira paid them no mind as she approached with Mariana in tow.
Korotamayaki looked exactly like takoyaki. Where it differed was the filling: instead of octopus meat, it could be filled with various other ingredients.
I can’t get enough of that saucy scent!
Takoyaki was the true star of food stalls, and if korotamayaki was a derivative of it…
“I choose this one. Mariana, have you decided what you want?” Mira quickly turned to the fairy.
“I think I would like it, too.” She wanted to have what Mira was having.
Mariana actually had many tastes similar to Mira’s lately. Even her underwear already perfectly matched Mira’s, down to the color.
“I see, I see. Then what would you like inside?”
Mira elbowed the lovey-dovey couple in front of the stall aside and looked at the posted menu. When Mariana followed suit, the person running the stall piped up in surprise, “Ooh?! If it isn’t Miss Mariana! I’m honored. Let me know whatcha want, okay?” The kind old man at the stall bowed to Mariana and then looked down at Mira with curiosity.
It seemed the aide of Mira’s tower was famous. He assumed that she was probably some researcher’s daughter who Mariana was babysitting.
Totally oblivious, Mira gazed at the menu with Mariana.
“Okay, I’ve made my decision,” Mira said ten seconds later. “What about you, Mariana?”
Mariana’s eyes landed on a particular item on the menu. “I’ll take the cheese mi—” Before she could finish, her ears perked up at the passionate couple from before.
“Ooh, that looks good!” said one lover.
“Wanna try it?” asked the other.
“Yeah!”
“Okay. Open up.” She popped a morsel into his mouth. “Do you like it?”
“Yeah, it’s delicious! How about I return the favor?”
This kind of flirting was a cliché routine, but it seemed it was still going strong. The tradition had survived the transition to this world.
Mariana, who had been casually eavesdropping on the pair, knew what she had to do. “Miss Mira, which have you chosen?” she asked.
“I went with the cheese mix.”
“Then I’ll have the green onion mochi.” Mariana quickly scanned the menu again and chose her second option without hesitation.
“One cheese and one green onion mochi, got it. Comin’ right up!” The stall keeper got right to cooking. With skillful movements, he flipped the ingredients and cooked them into perfect little balls. Mariana watched, entranced.
***
The pair accepted their completed korotamayaki and sat on a bench at the dining space in the center of the food stall plaza.
Mira stuffed one in her mouth right away and cried, “Mm, that’s good!”
Mariana tried one of her own. Then she said invitingly, “This one is delicious, too.”
“Yours is green onion mochi, yes? Glad you love it!” Mira threw another bite of her cheese mix into her mouth.
Mariana stared, remembering the sight of that passionate couple exchanging bites. This wasn’t going as planned. It was time to try plan B.
“Actually, I was debating whether I should try this or the cheese mix before,” she hinted. Acting so bold like this was new territory for her.
“Is that so? Well, would you like to try a bite of mine?” Mira asked, clueless as to Mariana’s ulterior motive.
Finally, Mariana saw her path to victory. “You don’t mind?” She was eager, but she had to stay cool. She couldn’t rush this.
“Why not? Sharing food is another joy of food stalls, after all. Here.”
The words Mariana had been waiting for…
Mira held out not a ball of korotamayaki to feed to Mariana, but the entire container. Mariana froze.
Mira cocked her head. “Hrmm? Something wrong?”
“Oh, um, nothing. Thank you.” Though disappointed at her failure, she didn’t let it show. Mariana plucked one of the balls from the container and ate it. “This is delicious, too.”
“Isn’t it? I think so.” Mira grinned.
The fairy stared back at Mira and plotted her next move. “But I can’t just take from you, can I? Miss Mira, would you like to try mine?”
It was natural to return the favor, wasn’t it? Mariana wasn’t yet ready to accept defeat.
“Oho, really? I was rather interested in yours. I’d be glad to take one.”
Consent created opportunity. And as her aide, it was already ideal for her to serve Mira rather than to let Mira serve herself. Mariana stabbed at a ball of korotamayaki with a toothpick and made ready…
Only to miss.
“Mm. These green onion mochi balls are stupendous!”
Mira had snatched the container from Mariana’s hand and eaten one of the balls with lightning speed. Mariana sat stupefied, toothpick still in hand. Mira didn’t seem to notice the look of astonishment on her face.
***
“Mm, that was delicious. But I don’t think it was enough to fill me up,” Mira muttered once she’d finished her korotamayaki. She began eyeing the stalls again. Six cheese balls were enough for a snack, but they weren’t a proper lunch.
Mariana seemed rather dejected, but just being able to be next to Mira allowed her to rebound. Furthermore, Mira’s remaining hunger offered a ray of hope. She scanned their surroundings while she thought up her next plan of attack. A pair of girls nearby seemed to be good friends. Mariana’s ears picked up the sound of their conversation.
“Oh, that looks tasty! Hey, let me have a bite.”
“Whaaat? You’d better gimme some of yours, then.”
The two argued playfully over the size of bites that were taken and received, and Mariana watched them closely. She was struck with a realization: they were friends rather than lovebirds. But the actual item they were eating had potential.
Those things are called crepes, aren’t they? Mariana thought to herself.
The friends were exchanging bites with crepes in hand. Since the crepes were folded over to keep all the filling inside, one had to remain holding them as they brought it directly to the other person’s mouth. She’d been let down by the bite-sized korotamayaki, but the crepes would win the day.
“Miss Mira, might I suggest something sweet?” Mariana asked.
“Sweet? Yesss. That could be a good idea.” From salty to sweet—a flavor progression that was as old as time.
Mariana pointed to the crepe stall as if she’d just spotted it. “That one looks nice, doesn’t it?”
“Oho, crepes? Perfect.”
They were just big enough, and they had plenty of different flavors. Finding this the ideal choice for her current hunger level, Mira stood up and headed straight for the crepe stall. Mariana followed her, waiting for her opportunity to strike.
Mira stopped in front of the stall and stared down the menu. Mariana peeked out from behind her and swiftly made two choices in case hers overlapped with Mira’s again.
“I would like the chocolate banana milk, please.”
“I’ll have the mixed berry yogurt, please.”
“You got it. Coming right up.”
The woman at the stall began making the crepes. She spread the batter thinly over the teppan grill, and before long, it was baking in a perfect circle. She then put the ingredients in and folded up the dessert with quick, neat movements. The pair watched her skillful hands, waiting excitedly for their orders.
***
Crepes in hand, Mira and Mariana returned to the seating area in the center of the plaza.
Mira took a bite of her crepe the moment she sat down. Her face lit up. “This is exquisite.”
Mariana took a bite of hers as well and added, “Yes, they’re lovely.”
She watched as Mira took a second and third bite. She’d already used the excuse that she couldn’t choose between items at the korotamayaki stall. This time she’d just have to ask for a bite directly like the girl she’d observed. Or…
“Mariana, what’s got you staring so much? Could it be…that you’re interested in my chocolate banana milk?!” Mira assumed that Mariana’s eyes were locked on her crepe out of envy. For Mariana, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“Umm, yes! I’ve never eaten these ‘crepes’ before, so I was curious,” she answered swiftly. She wasn’t lying, either—she’d really never eaten them. This was her first time seeing them made too, so she was rather interested.
“Ah, right. You’ve never had crepes before? Then you’d best try this one, too. It’s deliciously sweet.” Mira held the confection in her hand out to Mariana. If one wanted to share a crepe with another, this was the only way to do it.
“Okay…I’ll have a bite.” Mariana tried to calm her fluttering heart as she readied her aim and approached Mira’s crepe. Finally, she took a hesitant bite.
“It tastes wonderful.” But the moment itself was even better.
Mira watched Mariana, then smiled and said, “Doesn’t it? I say it does.” Then, she turned expectant eyes to the crepe in Mariana’s hand.
“Go on, Miss Mira. It’s your turn.”
“Oho, really? Then I’ll have a little bite…” Eyes sparkling, Mira took a generous bite from Mariana’s crepe—more like a chomp. “Mm. The sour-sweet flavor is fantastic!”
Mira smiled, satisfied. Her cheeks were stuffed with crepes. She’d probably been aiming to get some of Mariana’s mixed berry yogurt from the start.
“You certainly love food, Miss Mira.” Having succeeded in feeding and being fed by the small summoner, Mariana wiped away the cream left on Mira’s lip and smiled gleefully.
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