Chapter 90: Magic Tower (8)

In a way, it was a date.

A date just for her and me.

Sylvia looked a little surprised that I was hitting on that woman.

“Why? Does something seem strange?”

“I thought she wasn’t your type.”

“I like all women. You know that.”

Sylvia was currently tying my tie for me. Lumia was busy running around again today for a pointless search of the Magic Tower. Blushing, Sylvia tightened the tie and asked.

“Out of all of them, who do you like the most?”

“Sylvia.”

“Hehe……”

Sylvia beamed, her arms twisting bashfully at the words saying I liked her the most. I ruffled her hair and looked at my reflection in the mirror. Wearing a neat suit, it was hard to believe I was once a slave.

“You look dashing.”

“Really?”

Looking in the mirror like this, my painful past brushed past my back like a hazy silhouette. Memories that wouldn’t fade, no matter how happy I became. Childhood memories had a way of ruining people like this. I forced a smile and turned around.

“What does that woman like?”

“I think she likes sweet things. She always has candy or something like that on her.”

“Anything besides food?”

Sylvia thought hard, then shook her head and said.

“She’s not the type to just blurt out her preferences, so I don’t really know. I’m sorry.”

Come to think of it, Sylvia and she weren’t that close. I told Sylvia it was okay and added,

“It’s fine, Sylvia. What’s the big deal if I don’t know everything she likes?”

There was no problem. Once I got her on the bed and pounded it in, the game would be over. I put the magic tool I received from Krik-Sai into my small handbag. Krik-Sai’s magic tool required me to infuse magic power to activate it, so it didn’t emit any special magic power on its own. I grabbed my bag and said to Sylvia.

“I’m off then.”

“Hehehe……”

When I said that at the door, Sylvia smiled so happily, scratching her cheek. Her goofy grin, with her butt sticking out, looked so innocently carefree that even I couldn’t help but laugh.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s just like we’re a married couple.”

I chuckled and closed the door again. Then, I pulled Sylvia into an embrace and kissed her forehead. Next, I kissed the bridge of her nose, and finally, our lips met as I pushed my tongue in. Sylvia wrapped her arms around my neck as if she’d been waiting for this, fully engrossed in the kiss. Ten minutes behind schedule, I opened the front door once more.

“I’m leaving now.”

“Have a good trip!”

Her bright voice echoed behind me. I felt a strange sensation. Tilting my head at the peculiar feeling resonating in my chest, I grabbed the handle and descended the stairs. Because the woman was waiting in front of the Magic Tower.

*****

Near the Magic Tower, a massive commercial complex had been established for the wizards and those who worked at the tower. The restaurants offered a diverse menu, seemingly hinting at the layered structure of the Magic Tower.

She and I had arranged to meet in a spacious plaza just before entering the restaurant district. Even though I arrived 15 minutes before our scheduled meeting, I could see her standing far off in the middle of the plaza, casting a long shadow in the early afternoon sun.

She had done her best to prepare for the date. Her clothes were neater than usual, with a well-matched color scheme, and her stockings smelled like they were brand new. Her hair was glossy, and she had put special effort into her makeup, making the skin tone on her neck and face subtly different.

She wore glasses and clutched her bag tightly. Already fidgeting before I arrived, she saw me coming from afar and ran towards me as if she couldn’t wait any longer. It was like calling a puppy with a click of the tongue, and she came running towards me, panting, looking up at me with eyes full of anticipation.

And then, with a very tense expression, she asked me,

“H-have you been waiting long?”

“…..Huh?”

Wasn’t the question supposed to come from me? The woman, tilting her head for a moment and wondering if something was wrong, suddenly looked startled, shook her head, and said, her face turning bright red.

“Ah, that…! Look at me, I’m so scatterbrained! Ah, well, I haven’t been waiting long!”

Thanks to her awkward, self-initiated question, she found herself in the bizarre situation of asking and answering herself. I had actually arrived a little earlier than the scheduled time. Glancing at the clock tower in the distance, I nodded and said to her.

“Were you waiting? Sorry about that. As for the restaurant, where should we go?”

There were various types of restaurants, but I found it difficult to decide on a menu. So, I decided to leave the choice up to her.

“This is my first time here, so do you happen to have a favorite dish? Since I’m treating, I’d like to choose something you like.”

“Oh, well, you don’t have to go that far……”

When a guy’s handsome, anything he says tends to increase his appeal. The woman, looking quite pleased, glanced around and pointed to a restaurant with tables and chairs set up on a terrace. Even from a distance, you could hear the loud sounds of something being stir-fried, and a warm, sweet aroma wafted from the place.

Passersby nearby swayed as if entranced by the smell, before regaining their senses and continuing on their way.

“How about that one? It’s the most famous restaurant around here.”

“I’d love that. Shall we go together then?”

“Yes.”

She walked slowly behind me, looking down at the ground. I matched my pace to hers, making eye contact or striking up conversations.

“Your outfit looks amazing today.”

“Ah, r-really? Y-you look amazing too, Oppa.”

“Evan.”

“Yes?”

“Feel free to call me Evan. I’m used to people calling me by my name.”

The woman’s face turned beet red. She blinked, hesitated for a moment, then called my name in a very small voice.

“E-Evan……”

“Yes.”

“Ah……!”

The woman seemed pleased just by calling my name. I pulled out a chair for her, sat her down, took the menu, and called a waiter. The waiter had a diligent appearance and even suggested recommended dishes for me, who knew little about the menu.

I decided on the menu based on the staff’s recommendation and looked back at the woman. Actually, the woman didn’t seem very interested in eating today. She acted as if she had walked all the way to this plaza solely for the purpose of admiring my face. This was because, even now, instead of actively talking to me or expressing herself, she was spending her time stealing glances at my face or fidgeting with her fingers, ruminating on her feelings.

“What kind of research do you mainly do?”

“Huh? Ah, me?”

So, even when I asked about her research, she was startled a beat late and delayed her answer until I nodded. She awkwardly fiddled with her hands and said,

“I’m researching in a slightly different direction. Have you perhaps heard of mana bombs?”

It was a weapon I had never heard of. I had been a slave, and fortunately, my life hadn’t involved war. I said,

“Ah, I think I’ve heard of them.”

She seemed pleased that I had at least vaguely heard of them. She smiled a little brighter and began explaining mana bombs.

“Mana bombs aren’t actually used only as weapons of war. They’re quite commonly used in mining or construction, but previous mana bombs often malfunctioned or had excessive firepower, leading to many casualties, you see? So, what I’m researching is an application of the formulas from Mage Mendel Krautz’s mana compression theory. This theory states that there are principles to compressing mana, right? By applying the first principle among these, it’s a method of compressing mana onto a single point and then annihilating it internally. If you do this……”

She was explaining her main research topic quite passionately. Women who are passionate about their work are always great. Of course, I couldn’t understand even half of what she was saying.

What on earth is this mana compression theory? Why is this woman explaining mana bomb theory so passionately to me on a date?

As I just nodded with a pleased expression, she stopped explaining, looked startled, scratched her head, and said,

“Ah, that… I-I’m sorry. Was I talking too much?”

“No, not at all. It was really interesting. It’s a field I don’t know much about, and you explained it so well, I found it incredibly engaging.”

“Oh, r-really?”

She wore a genuinely delighted expression. I nodded and asked,

“You must have been a top student at the academy.”

“That’s right. Believe it or not, I ranked within the top 5 in the entire school.”

“Wow, that’s impressive. I heard the Magic Department at the academy is incredibly difficult.”

“Oh, it wasn’t… it wasn’t that bad. Um… I was just lucky. Sylvia-yang was the top student in the Magic Department, so I’m nothing compared to her.”

“Your order is ready.”

The flow of conversation was interrupted. I accepted the plates and thanked the waiter. She looked at the food that had arrived, along with the champagne. I poured champagne into a glass and asked,

“Do you like alcohol? My little sister seems to be holding up okay, so I feel like having a drink today.”

The woman nodded shyly.

“….Yes. I like it.”

“Shall we make a toast then?”

“Yes.”

The clinking of glasses echoed.

This woman was planning on drinking a lot today.

Just enough to cloud her judgment a little.