Chapter 197

In the hallway, before entering their respective rooms.

Tirmy spoke to Espard and the students.

“Thirty minutes.”

“?”

Yusina and Sion could not understand immediately and tilted their heads.

Roan explained on her behalf.

“She means we should unpack, rest, and meet here in thirty minutes.”

*Click*—

As soon as Roan finished speaking, Tirmy entered her room.

It meant he was correct, so they could just understand it that way.

“How does that translate to all of that? Sometimes there’s someone who understands Professor Tirmy’s words, and it’s truly fascinating.”

At that rate, it was not a matter of understanding her words, but rather inventing them.

Yusina tilted her head as if it were very bizarre, opening her room door.

Then, pausing as she went inside, she wore a sly expression and spoke to Sion.

“If you’re lonely, come to unni’s room anytime, Sion~”

“Uh, ah, no, thank you!”

Sion shook her head side to side, her face flushing red.

While the words sounded like an invitation to hang out together, the expression on her face conjured up some ominous imaginations.

“Fufufu, otherwise I might raid your room!”

“Kyaaa!”

*Slam*—!

When Yusina spoke while half-clenching and clawing her hands like a wild beast, Sion shrieked and darted into her room.

“See you later then, Roan~ You too, Uncle~”

Yusina watched Sion, finding her cute, then waved to Roan and Espard before entering.

Roan also split from Espard shortly and entered his room.

The rooms on the top floor, the seventh floor, were all high-class executive suites.

“I’ve never stayed in such a suite before…”

Roan surveyed the interior—the luxurious furniture and decorations—with a novel expression.

He recalled seeing illustrations in “God and Devil” and dreaming that he would make a lot of money someday to sleep in a hotel room like this.

Although he had never imagined he would actually step into that illustration, let alone a real hotel.

Standing in the room wrapped in silence by perfect soundproofing, with an open view of Gilsberg at a glance, Roan fell into a strange sentimentality!

[Wow! The top of the spiritual beast tower is mine!]

*Krrr*—!

Even as the excited divine beasts cried joyfully and roamed around the suite, he could readily enjoy that much.

‘Even a nice room like this would surely have been hell if I had come with Demona and Hector. Truly horrible.’

Roan smirked, thinking of the two who would have made all sorts of fuss and noise had they been here.

For some reason, it felt a little empty without them around—

‘What kind of crazy thoughts are these!@#)@)!^!@!’

Crazy thoughts should have limits; to think he would feel the empty void of Demona and Hector!

Roan recalled the scene he had experienced when he obtained the Prophet’s Eye and swore again and again.

Once he graduated from Akerandir, he would cut all ties with those two!

There was no way he would let himself stupidly present a wedding gift like the future Roan did.

‘And a Feistal Amulet of Eternity, no less. Indeed.’

Recalling the treasure handed over to the demon while shedding tears of blood back then, Roan unwittingly flared his energy.

*Rumble*———!!!

‘I’ve memorized that bastard’s face, so if we meet later, I’ll teach him a harsh lesson!’

It was a demon who had incurred a massive grudge without even knowing it, over something that hadn’t even happened yet.

Bel, who was playing at the top of the spiritual beast tower, and Charlotte, who was meditating on her knees in a corner, stared at their master in bewilderment and exchanged glances.

Why is Master acting like that again?

I do not know either.

Indeed, Roan performing incomprehensible actions was nothing new.

…Actually, these were not thoughts divine beasts born only a few days ago would normally have.

Roan, who had been smirking and fuming all by himself, soon calmed his anger on his own.

‘Now that I’m here, there is something I must do!’

That was none other than washing in a bathroom constructed with a modern layout!

To tell the truth, Akerandir’s bathrooms were decent, but from Roan’s perspective as a modern person, they were highly inconvenient.

*Swoosh*—

Roan was on the verge of tears as he stared at the bathroom where warm water gushed from the showerhead simply by turning the faucet.

***

After washing up, the thirty minutes they had agreed to meet had almost passed before he knew it.

“Bel, Charlotte. Let’s go have dinner.”

[Dinner! Dinner!]

*Krrr*—

Having been unable to eat properly in the carriage, the divine beasts were exceptionally delighted by the mention of dinner.

Roan placed Bel on his shoulder, held Charlotte’s hand, and walked out of the room.

‘Now that I’m out, I should buy a suit of clothes to wear.’

Roan thought as he looked at his attire, still wearing his uniform because he had no appropriate clothes to wear.

He would be going out occasionally now, and Akerandir’s uniform was bound to stand out.

When he walked outside, Sion was already waiting for the others.

“Ah, Darc.”

“Have you been waiting long?”

“No. I just came out.”

Although she said that, seeing her face light up upon seeing Roan suggested she had been waiting for quite some time.

*Click*—

“Oh, everyone came out early.”

Next was Espard.

Though Espard had changed his clothes, he was dressed more like a hunter or an adventurer rather than a Saint, as usual.

“It’s about time for the thirty minutes to be up.”

At Espard’s words, Roan glanced to check the time.

Exactly twenty-nine minutes and fifty-five seconds had passed since they had separated.

“5, 4, 3, 2.”

“?”

As Roan counted down the seconds, Sion tilted her head in confusion.

“1.”

And when Roan finished counting,

*Click*—

“Hmm.”

Tirmy opened her room door and walked out.

Tirmy, the human clock who did not permit even a single second of inefficiency!

Only then did Sion realize that Roan had measured the thirty minutes, looking astonished.

At that rate, it felt like she had deliberately waited in front of the door for it to hit exactly thirty minutes.

‘T-The world of efficiency is truly far and rugged!’

Sion was already growing fearful of the dueling classes she would take as an upperclassman.

Roan smirked and said to Sion:

“You don’t have to go that far.”

“Ah… Whew.”

“Anyway, Senior Yusina is late.”

Roan thought it was unexpected.

Although Yusina was usually clumsy and playful, she wasn’t a person to be late for an appointment.

Especially when she knew Tirmy’s personality all too well, there was no way she would delay.

Roan approached Yusina’s room and knocked.

“Senior Yusina. The promised thirty minutes are up.”

*Clatter*—!

At that, a loud racket resounded from inside the room.

Urgent noise, as if someone had tripped.

— W-Wait a minute!!

Following that, rustling sounds echoed, then rapid footsteps!

*Click*—

The room door swung open roughly.

Yusina’s slightly flushed face popped out through the gap.

“Huff, huff. S-Sorry. But…”

“Yusina, did something happen?”

Espard asked Yusina with a worried expression.

Even in a seemingly peaceful world, one always had to be wary of attacks by heretics and black mages.

Especially if they were the highest echelon of the Empire, a Saint and a Saintess.

Yusina nodded with a serious expression.

“Yes. A very big event occurred.”

“It can’t be. I don’t feel any aura of heresy or black magic…”

Espard placed his hand on the flail at his waist and approached the room.

Yusina swallowed hard and continued:

“The bathroom here is too nice…”

“…”

Hearing her words, the companions stared with their mouths wide open, looking dumbfounded.

“You startle me, Yusina!”

“That’s right, Saintess!”

Espard and Sion, who had been extremely tense, bellowed in frustration.

But Yusina said ecstatically, paying them no mind:

“H-How does warm water gush out just by pulling the handle? The floor is warm, and moisture doesn’t build up… I wish Akerandir’s bathrooms were changed like this.”

She seemed to like the room’s bathroom quite a lot.

Indeed, even from the perspective of Roan, a modern person, it was considerably convenient and luxurious, so to the people of this world, it must have been a whole new world.

“Sigh, anyway…”

Espard shook his head, wondering who could ever stop Yusina.

Yusina came out of the room giggling, perhaps feeling embarrassed himself.

As expected of a fourth-year, she was dressed in civilian clothes she had brought to wear outside.

It was a sky-blue dress that matched Yusina’s bright appearance well.

“Wow…”

Sion marveled at Yusina’s vibe, which was completely transformed by a single set of clothes.

Yusina lightly grabbed the hem of her skirt, spun around, and asked Sion:

“Why? Is it pretty?”

“Yes…”

“Don’t be fooled.”

“Roan!”

Yusina glared at Roan as if asking how he could say such a thing.

She felt rather hurt that he spoke of her as if she were some magic beast bewitching people, even though she had dressed up in her own way.

“You ruined the mood, so take responsibility.”

“…What do you mean by that.”

“Isn’t that how you normally say it?”

Yusina had spoken simply, but Roan felt a strange sense of déjà vu upon hearing it.

“Let us set off.”

“Yes, Professor~”

Of course, she cheered up quickly, though.

In any case, all five of them were gathered now.

*Click*—

Roan skillfully pressed the button to call the elevator.

“Oh, no matter how many times I see it, it is fascinating. To think we can go up and down without stairs.”

“Where did you learn such things, Roan? It’s not in the Pope’s Palace, nor at the academy.”

“I read it in a book.”

When Roan replied indifferently, Yusina and Sion tilted their heads.

‘I read it in a book too, but it didn’t teach it in such detail…’

They say there are people who learn more even when looking at the same thing. Were they talking about Roan?

Or did he read a different book?

But the operation of the elevator wasn’t important right now.

*Ding*—

After boarding the arrived elevator, Yusina asked Espard:

“Uncle, where are we going? Do you know any restaurants?”

“Hmm, I know a few, but… since Roan and Sion are here too, shall we go to the Gilsberg Restaurant?”

“Oh! I’ve been there before! It’s really delicious!”

Yusina rejoiced.

As restaurants named after locations usually were, the Gilsberg Restaurant was a famous establishment boasting a long history and delicious taste.

Situated between the square where this hotel was located and the market, its location was also quite good.

“Let us go.”

Since Tirmy’s permission was also granted, there was no reason to hesitate further.

Yusina nudged Sion’s arm and said slyly:

“You know, this kind of food tastes even better when eaten on someone else’s dime.”

“Ah, I see.”

‘Why are you taking that seriously…’

Roan glared at Yusina with a look that said she was teaching the kid great things.

Indeed, food expenses during voluntary service could be covered by school funds.

Exorbitantly luxurious meals were naturally out of the question, but the Gilsberg Restaurant was within the allowed range.

However, those were certainly not the words a Saintess should utter.

*Ding*—

Just then, the elevator arrived at the lobby.

The square in front of the hotel was bustling with even more people than when they had entered.

“Wow, there are even more people.”

Sion spoke, looking around in fascination.

The estate of the Beatrice family did not have a very large population compared to its reputation.

This was due to their somewhat exclusive family customs.

Therefore, Sion had probably rarely visited a city of this size, except perhaps for the capital of the Ricardo Kingdom.

“Usually, a city is at its liveliest from evening to early night.”

As the scenes he had only seen in the game unfolded before his eyes in reality, Roan surveyed his surroundings, captured by a strange sentimentality.

“Hahaha, this must be Gilsberg for the first time for Roan and Sion, right? It’s a reasonably large city, but there are many cities larger than this in the Empire. It would be good to travel once you graduate.”

Espard said, looking at the two of them with endearing eyes.

Especially so because Roan, despite appearing to know everything, seemed like an absolute boy at times like this.

“T-There are many cities larger than this?”

Sion asked back doubtfully.

To her, this city already seemed large enough.

“That’s right. Be careful, Sion. If you lose the group, you might get lost!”

“…!”

Although Sion did not show it much, she closed the distance with Espard with slightly hurried steps.

She held Noeul-ie tightly in her arms, with Pallang-ie perched on top of her head.

“Don’t scare her too much.”

Roan spoke to Espard in a calm voice.

While they should be careful, the Gilsberg Restaurant and Jane’s Horn were famous places that anyone walking down the street would know if asked.

“Hehe, Roan too… well, Roan should be fine.”

Espard had tried to scare Roan too, but soon gave up.