Ch.103103. Date with the Wolf

“Wow, look at that. They’ve drawn wings on the wall.”

What I really hated while walking through the streets was the feeling that this time with Findenai wasn’t all that bad.

The way she would glance around, stop me whenever she spotted something unusual, and then giggle saying how fun it was.

It gave me a strange feeling, like I was watching a grown woman who was unusually innocent for her age.

“Ta-da. Isn’t it awesome? Fucking beautiful.”

Findenai stood in front of the wall with wings painted on it.

The way she smiled brightly and spread her arms wide made me think it wasn’t so bad after all.

‘What a strange feeling.’

So I found it quite fascinating. An inexplicable emotion was peeking out from within my chest.

If I had to name one person in this world who I’d never expect to evoke such feelings in me, I would have confidently said Findenai.

Yet her innocent expressions weren’t unpleasant to look at.

“Oh my, what a beautiful girlfriend you have!”

Just then, a mustached man cut in beside us. He had a magic camera hanging around his neck, seemingly making a living by taking photos of tourists for money.

“Would you like me to take a picture of your pretty girlfriend?”

“Ugh. Way to ruin the mood.”

Perhaps thinking some random peddler was interrupting our time, Findenai frowned and turned away from the painting.

“Sure, take one.”

I readily took out a gold coin from my pocket and handed it to the photographer. Findenai stared at me with her mouth open in surprise.

The photographer immediately grinned broadly and raised his camera. Findenai, who had been standing awkwardly, moved in front of the painting with some hesitation.

The painting created an optical illusion as if white wings were spread behind her back.

The photographer adjusted the focus a few times before carefully pressing the shutter.

With a click, a photo emerged from the camera.

Like a Polaroid camera, the kind that produces photos instantly must be quite expensive—it showed how serious the man was about photography.

Perhaps that’s why the photo turned out quite beautiful.

Thinking it came out well, I was about to give it to Findenai when the photographer glanced at me and spoke.

“Um, I could take more photos. How about one with your girlfriend?”

It seemed the gold coin I gave him exceeded the price for one photo. The photographer didn’t want to give change.

“No.”

“Ugh!”

But since both Findenai and I refused simultaneously, the photographer looked disappointed and was about to return the change.

“Take one of him alone. You’re making him pay for photos but not taking his picture?”

Findenai suddenly grabbed my wrist and pulled me over.

I ended up having my picture taken with the wings, as the photographer didn’t miss the opportunity and quickly focused his camera.

“Haah.”

Click.

A photo was taken while I was sighing.

With a whirring sound, another photo emerged. The photographer nodded with a satisfied smile.

“You two make such a handsome couple—the photos came out beautifully!”

I could tell from his expression that it wasn’t just flattery, but it didn’t really matter.

As I walked toward them, Findenai snatched the photo and whistled as she tucked it into her pocket.

“Why are you taking that?”

When I questioned why she was taking my photo, she responded confidently.

“You can keep mine, master.”

“…Master?”

The photographer’s expression suddenly froze. The eyes that had been looking at a somewhat unique but handsome couple now changed to a gaze that saw crazy people engaging in some kind of kinky play in public.

“I-I’ll be going now.”

He left in a hurry. He seemed to think we were engaged in some sort of peculiar roleplay.

“Sigh.”

“Why the fuss? What should I call you then? You didn’t like it when I called you oppa earlier.”

“…Call me Deus Verdi.”

“Okay! Deus!”

Calling me “master” when she’s not even wearing her maid outfit in public leads to strange misunderstandings.

Actually, we’d already received plenty of misunderstandings due to Findenai’s revealing maid outfit, so why did this suddenly bother me?

I don’t know.

Honestly, I was already too accustomed to Findenai’s behavior for it to matter.

But somehow, being misunderstood while in normal clothes irritated me.

“Deus, let’s go!”

“If possible, don’t call me by name.”

“You’re being so stingy.”

Findenai clicked her tongue, saying I was being cheap, and continued through the streets with even more enthusiasm than before.

I absentmindedly put my hand in my jacket pocket and found the photo of Findenai that the photographer had taken.

A photo of her with an awkward expression.

I wanted to return it, but Findenai had already moved on to somewhere else, so I missed the timing.

“Wow, what’s this?”

Findenai stopped at a large bulletin board in the city. There were small pieces of paper, pens, and thumbtacks placed there, with hand-sized papers stuck all over the board like Post-it notes.

“They’re collecting citizens’ opinions on what to do for the upcoming Artists’ Day?”

Findenai started reading various notes with interest.

“Drawing contest, big cleaning, fireworks, concert? Ugh! All boring stuff.”

She immediately grabbed paper and pen, scribbled something, and pinned her note right in the center.

“Done, let’s go.”

After that, she lost interest and walked away. I was curious about what she wrote, so I took a peek.

– Arena.

She’d written something completely ridiculous. Since it would never be approved anyway, I just ignored it and moved on.

“We should head to Purcheni’s rooftop now.”

“Oh right, we have to see some kid’s concert.”

Thanks to her following along without complaint despite not being particularly interested, we arrived at Purcheni’s rooftop on time.

“I thought it was something special, but it’s just a coffee shop?”

Findenai found it uninteresting, but the building itself was quite impressive.

A concert on the rooftop of the blue building called Purcheni.

A blue piano was placed in the center of the rooftop so that guests at the terrace could naturally listen to the performance.

It was a place that matched well with the summer that had arrived along with the clear blue sky.

Findenai and I took seats a bit away from the piano and ordered our drinks.

“Ugh! It’s bitter!”

Findenai, who had ordered some random coffee from the menu, took one sip and stuck out her tongue in disgust.

I figured she wouldn’t know coffee varieties, as she only knew how to smoke tobacco.

The bitterness of the coffee seemed quite shocking to her, and she looked for water, wanting to rinse her mouth.

I gently pushed my tea toward Findenai.

Despite it being hot, she drank it without hesitation and smiled with satisfaction.

“Oh, this is delicious!”

“Give me the coffee. Don’t waste it.”

“Ohhh?”

I took her coffee and brought it to my lips. Findenai made a fuss, but the coffee tasted better than expected, so it wasn’t a bad exchange.

“Deus is flirting!”

“…”

I knew she wouldn’t listen even if I told her not to call me by name, so I just ignored her.

That seemed to annoy her, as Findenai crossed her legs, sipped her tea, and continued to prod me.

“But Deus used to be a playboy, right? Did you go on dates with women like this back then too?”

“Don’t ask.”

“Tsk, I’m just curious. Just curious. I don’t have that kind of experience.”

“…”

Sorry, but neither do I.

That Deus wasn’t me but the previous Deus. I took a sip of coffee to indicate I wouldn’t speak about it, and Findenai gave an interesting smile.

“Actually, I’ve been in bedrooms with several men before.”

Had she been involved with Resistance members?

It seemed like a story that could kill time until Owen the performer arrived.

“I had to pretend to be a high-class prostitute a few times for undercover work.”

“You?”

When I responded with surprise, Findenai giggled and answered.

“It’s perfect for assassinating high-ranking officials in the Republic of Clark. Plus, I’m pretty good-looking, you know?”

“…”

Responding to all this would only encourage Findenai. Even though I ignored her, she continued.

It was just like a drunk old man reminiscing about the past with an increasingly loud voice—all just boasting about her past exploits.

“You see, I go into the bedroom with them, right? Then they start unbuckling their pants like horny dogs. They proudly pull out something the size of their pinky while drooling, and that’s when I grab the axe I prepared under the bed and chop off their groin.”

A chilling story from a man’s perspective.

But Findenai was dead serious.

“All the men who went to the bedroom with me met the same fate. They couldn’t even touch me before they were pissing out of their asses.”

“…”

Then she rested her chin on her hand and looked at me with a rather serious expression.

“If, when I first became your maid, you had demanded such things from me, I would have done the same to you.”

“I don’t make such demands.”

When I dismissed her with the obvious response, Findenai laughed as if amused.

“You never know. You might have been the only man to enter a bedroom with me and come out alive.”

Findenai pulled out the citron from her teacup and chewed it instead of tobacco, showing an uncharacteristically gentle smile.

“Well, it’s just a hypothetical.”

“A useless hypothesis.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know.”

Silence fell for a moment.

We didn’t particularly talk, but the cool breeze blowing on the rooftop announced the arrival of summer.

Sometimes, just experiencing the same thing without conversation can lead to understanding each other.

I might be starting to understand this woman called Findenai a little bit.

Especially today.

Now more than ever, when she’s showing a slightly different side of herself.

At that moment.

[You two look like you’re having fun.]

The Dark Spiritmaster appeared suddenly, arms crossed, glaring at me with disapproval.

I had told her to watch Owen, so her presence here might mean Owen had arrived.

As I looked around, the Dark Spiritmaster, who had been sulking just a moment ago, suddenly made a fuss as if she’d forgotten something.

[O-Owen has been kidnapped! We need to go save him!]

“Haah.”

[It seems he had some debts. Loan sharks took him because he couldn’t pay. I know where they are.]

I sighed as I got up from my seat. Findenai, who had been staring blankly at me, seemed to realize something and grinned.

“Aha, so your usual ghost friend told you something?”

[…]

The Dark Spiritmaster’s surprised expression. She clearly shouldn’t be visible, so how did Findenai know?

“You’re a Black Mage who talks to yourself all day—how could I not know? So what’s going on?”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity, and I gave Findenai an order.

“Time to get back to work.”

She laughed heartily, gulped down the rest of her tea, and slammed the empty cup on the table before answering.

“A fight, right? Let’s hurry, master!”