In front of the large carriage heading to Crownhall, a weird confrontation was taking place with me as a buffer. Pink-Haired Lesbian and the Tower Master were staring each other down.
However, the meaning behind their stares were completely different. Pink-Haired Lesbian’s gaze was that of a wildcat, while the Tower Master was more like a hamster cornered by a cat.
The Tower Master hid behind me before glaring at Pink-Haired Lesbian. After she had been caught by ‘Kraken’ once, her vigilance seemed to be at 100%.
Then she patted me on the back and asked.
"⋯⋯Why is she here?”
“I was planning to hang around with just Tower Master but...”
"I requested it. Mr. Crazy Wizard generously allowed me to join when I told him that I would report the unauthorized movement of the Sublimation Awakener to the higher-ups."
"⋯⋯That’s blackmail?!”
The Tower Master's twin tails spiked up.
The Pink-Haired Lesbian respectfully knelt on one knee before offering a rose to the Tower Master as she spoke soothingly. She adjusted her facial muscles to give the most charming look possible. Her glasses glinted with sunlight."I simply wished to spend even a moment with a lovely person. Please forgive my greed. But the burning fire in my heart that grew stronger each time I think of you is now uncontrollable⋯⋯."
"⋯⋯Heu-et.”
The Tower Master melted slightly under Pink-Haired Lesbian’s passionate gaze. How dare she try to extend her sinister claws towards our Tower Master.
Slap. I pressed Pink-Haired Lesbian’s face back with my hand, firmly holding her back. She warned me coldly.
“You’re leaving fingerprints on my glasses. You might get destroyed, Mr. Crazy Wizard.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m doing this to piss you off. Now, hop on, hop on. Let’s go. The coachman is waiting.”
"Uh, eung⋯⋯!"
I led Pink-Haired Lesbian and the Tower Master onto the carriage. Since there were no students traveling to the capital during the semester, this large carriage was exclusively for the three of us. It would be a comfortable ride.
I meticulously cleaned Pink-Haired Lesbian’s glasses. She flirted with the Tower Master as soon as she was bare-faced without her glasses, so I was about to kick her shins, but she quickly wrapped her legs around mine before positioning herself and mounting me.
Then she pressed fingerprints into my face as if she was taking revenge for leaving my fingerprints on her glasses. It felt somewhat like a face massage, which was nice.
I tried to physically escape, but she stopped me at every turn. Faced with this, my competitive spirit flared. However, I was no match for her in close combat.
As I was about to start a magical battle, the Tower Master cutely slapped Pink-Haired Lesbian with her hands, before asking her to let go of me. Pink-Haired Lesbian returned a satisfied look. The trip didn’t seem like it would be boring.
We played Halli Galli along the way. The Tower Master absolutelysucked at it.
Ding.
"⋯⋯Heuat!"
“It is, five bananas”
Actually, the Tower Master wasn't that bad, but we just did too well. I had exceptional brain power and Pink-Haired Lesbian was physically talented.
I remembered the tiny scratches on the backs of the cards to identify the fronts, and Pink-Haired Lesbian could just react quickly and ring the bell.
The Tower Master was stuck between two whales and got obliterated.1
She held her swollen hand and whimpered, so Pink-Haired Lesbian and I comforted her together. We silently agreed to let the Tower Master win three times.
"Ah, I thought it was grapes."
"Oops, was it strawberries⋯⋯?!"
Pink-Haired Lesbian and I were skilled actors. The Tower Master initially doubted if we were losing intentionally but soon enjoyed the thrill of victory.
Watching the Tower Master excitedly smack Pink-Haired Lesbian’s hand filled me with joy.
The rest was omitted.
Pink-Haired Lesbian earned a date with the Tower Master by promising not to report me to the higher-ups. More precisely, she would tag along whenever the Tower Master and I went somewhere.
The Tower Master seemed excited about the idea of the three of us hanging out, having grown quite close to Pink-Haired Lesbian after the games we played together in the carriage. After all, when was the last time the Tower Master had friends to hang out with?
I preferred moving in a group of three because it was livelier and more fun.
However, she seemed a little disappointed.
I told her we'd hang out with just the two of us next time, and her disappointment vanished. Seeing the happy Tower Master was a beautiful sight.
Nice, she’s happy. Time to make her even happier.
===============================================================
Meeting someone as high-ranking as the Second Prince required time. You couldn’t just drop by like visiting your neighbor and say, “Hey, I’m here. Come outside!”. At minimum, you had to wait a few days
Thanks to that, we had time to enjoy the capital city of the Empire, Crownhall.
None of us were picky about sleeping arrangements. Even a rough straw bed could feel like a five-star mattress with illusion magic. So we checked into a decent hotel before unpacking.
"Shall we go now?"
“Eung⋯⋯!!"
The Tower Master nodded enthusiastically. She was so excited that fluffy cotton candy-like illusions swirled around her. Then she looked at me and started taking deep breaths.
"Hoo⋯⋯ Heup⋯⋯."
“Are you nervous?”
"⋯⋯A l-little.”
“I might also be feeling a bit nervous.”
I casually dropped some bait to the flustered Tower Master, which she immediately took.
"⋯⋯Why?”
"Thinking about going on a date with Tower Master made me nervous a bit too?”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯!!"
Thumpthump. I could feel the Tower Master's heart pounding. Her face was as red as a tomato. The additional hit worked well.
I wasn't really lying, As I was a bit nervous too, though not as much as the Tower Master. I didn't know why, but.
I had a desire to create a romantic atmosphere. It was a sudden impulse. I took the Tower Master's hands and gently pulled her closer.
And──.
“Let’s go. Are you not coming?”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
"⋯⋯Uh, ah, eung! Let's go! Let's go⋯⋯!!"
The Tower Master scurried away. Feeling embarrassment from external stimuli, she couldn't stand it and ran away.
I calmly packed my things. Although I had visited Crownhall to make research funds through my Virtual-Hologram tours, it had been a long time since I last came..
I heard rumors that the Second Prince was quite active, so it might’ve changed a lot. This trip would uncover some interesting points.
But we faced a significant dilemma before we left. It all started with a casual remark from Pink-Haired Lesbian.
“How would we walk?”
“For that, you alternate taking steps with each foot to⋯⋯."
“I mean our walking formation.”
Walking formation.
There are many different positions for walking in a group. A typical one is the high school girls' ‘Crane’s Wing’ formation, which blocks everyone's way with its high defensive power.
Pink-Haired Lesbian was asking in what formation we should be in when moving. This was a crucial matter. The Tower Master didn't realize its importance, evident with her head tilted in confusion, sprouting a question mark.
Pink-Haired Lesbians' suggestion turned her question mark into an exclamation mark.
“How about Mr. Crazy Wizard on my left and the Tower Master on my right? Let's walk holding hands side by side."
"Your desires are way too blatant."
"⋯⋯⋯⋯!!"
Realizing the issue was about who would be within reach for physical contact, the Tower Master started thinking, before walking over and holding my hand tightly.
"I, I want to hold hands with you. I want to hold hands⋯⋯."
“Tower Master, I want to hold hands with you.”
"But, that’s a bit⋯⋯."
"In that case, I'll have to link arms with Mr. Crazy Wizard."
"N, not that⋯⋯!!"
The Tower Master closed her eyes tightly before offering her hand to Pink-Haired Lesbian. Thus, our formation became Pink-Haired Lesbian - Tower Master - me. This was… how should I put it?
“Don’t we look like a family on an outing?”
“Indeed.”
"?"
With the smallest person in the middle, we looked like parents walking with their young daughter. Though the Tower Master didn't look that young.
Since the Tower Master seemed happy being stuck between friends, it was good enough.
===============================================================
Pink-Haired Lesbian and Tower Master’s interests were complete opposites.
Pink-Haired Lesbian was more interested in accessories than I thought. She picked up a hairpin from a stall, clipped it to her bangs, before asking me.
"How do I look? Doesn’t it look good on me? It seems perfect for me."
“It doesn’t match well with your suit.”
“Of course, I'll pair it with a pure-looking dress⋯⋯ or to decorate a casual outfit.”
"I see."
She would definitely look good with a slightly moist expression, given her natural beauty. I nodded in agreement, and Pink-Haired Lesbian bought the accessory straight up, without haggling.
She picked up a flower-woven bracelet and asked the Tower Master.
“I'll buy one for you too, Tower Master. How about this? A bracelet.”
“I, I kind of don’t like⋯⋯ bracelets.”
The Tower Master waved her hands in refusal. I thought it might be a polite refusal, but her expression showed that she genuinely disliked accessories.
Thinking back, I hadn't seen her ever wear anything other than a hairpin. Maybe it was pure confidence in crushing others just with her own natural beauty.
Or perhaps there was a different reason.
Meanwhile, the Tower Master loved destroying things. We saw a scammer rigging a game to make some money. Pink-Haired Lesbian and I were planning on just passing by, but then.
“I’ll be back soon.”
Tower Master crushed the scammer's business within 10 minutes.
"I, I hid the ball on the left⋯⋯!!"
The scammer was mesmerized by the more advanced scamming technique. He slammed his hand on the table, stood up, before pointing at the Tower Master and raising his voice.
"Th, this is a scam!! You, you cheated right?!"
"You, you w-were the one who⋯⋯ was t-trying to scam. Eung⋯⋯ then, doesn’t that mean scamming is fine as long as you don’t, get caught?."
The Tower Master stammered a line from a manga. She seemed really excited.
And what happened next was predictable. Big thugs hiding in the shadows of the alley came out demanding money, but they ended up unconscious on the ground with a single wave from the Tower Master.
Pink-Haired Lesbian's attempt to gain points from the Tower Master by heroically stopping the thugs failed. They were subdued before she could even intervene.
I caught Pink-Haired Lesbian awkwardly pretending that she didn't raise her fist.
"Mr. Crazy Wizard, don’t make fun of me."
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Stop raising your eyebrows.”
Later, we passed by a magic artifact shop where a salesman was eagerly touting pedestrians.
"This is a shield engraved with 『Melberton's Field of Reduced Accuracy』 developed by the renowned wizard Melberton of the Purple Magic Tower! Anyone who can break this shield will receive 10 gold!"
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
It was unfortunate that the Magic Destroyer,Yuna 'Walking Destruction' Violetiris from the Purple Magic Tower, happened to pass by.
“Sugar coating⋯⋯."
The Tower Master's eyes lit up. She still hadn't forgotten that satisfying feeling.
"Miss, are you going to try? Just now, even a seasoned mercenary with ten years of experience faile──"
Pop. Po, po-pop. Boom
The 『Melberton's Field of Reduced Accuracy』 was destroyed, and so were the artifact shop’s profits. The shop owner, with a devastated expression, offered a pouch of 10 gold, which I politely declined. After all, it was honestly more our fault than theirs.
I replaced the shattered 『Melberton's Field of Reduced Accuracy』 with a simple illusion spell. It was a Hypnosis Magic that made people think of sheep when they looked at it.
It was better than the sugar coating from before.
“Hehe⋯⋯ crispcrisp ”
“I’m really proud of you. Tower Master.”
Pink-Haired Lesbian used this opportunity to shower the Tower Master with compliments and ruffled her hair. The Tower Master purred like a cat in response.
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
The Tower Master's urge for destruction never crossed the line of playfulness, but this time it bothered me a bit. So I decided to tuck this away in my mind for future reference.
What did I do, you ask?
“Oh. Mr. Crazy Wizard, over there.”
“Oho⋯⋯."
I admired the pretty women passing by. Maybe it was because we were in the Empire's capital, but there were many people showcasing experimental fashion. Some wore hats as tall as three heads, or shoulder pads that reached their ears.
Then, a very boldly dressed female mercenary walked by, and I felt a sense of boldness and grandeur from her outfit. Pink-Haired Lesbian and I stared in awe, only for the Tower Master to pinch my side hard.
Since she was breaking any Pain Reduction spell that I casted in real time, it just hurt like it normally would.
It was fun. Objectively, there wasn’t really much to it. We just walked around and looked at things.
But when you’re with friends, literally anything could be fun. Time flew by, and the sun was already setting.
“And now let’s⋯⋯."
“Yes, now it’s time.”
“”To the bar with the short uniform skirt.””
Pink-Haired Lesbian and I spoke in unison. Our resolve resonated, and we were filled with infinite courage. Even if the Tower Master pinched and twisted my thigh, I shall not back down.
"⋯⋯You’re actually a pervert.”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
⋯⋯I shall not back down!
We continued walking together.
The main streets of Crownhall were bustling with people. Seeing the same faces over and over again at the tower and academy made it less exciting, but walking through this city made it clear that we were in a fantasy world.
Mercenaries in leather armor, inn receptionists that would invite us for some warm stew. The typical scenes from novels were alive and moving.
Countless details that couldn’t be described with text were visible. From the scratches on armor, I could tell that mercenary tend to put his right shoulder forward in fights. That receptionist wore a smile, but couldn't hide the boredom in her eyes.
Life becomes a material. I could use anything in TRPGs someday by observing everything around me like this.
And that boy with the bucket hat pretending to be swept by the crowd while deliberately moving towards me would also make for good material.
The boy intentionally ran into me. I generously accepted it.
Bump.
"Aht, I'm sorry! Excuse me!"
The boy bowed at a 90 degrees angle before running into the crowd. It was such a classic scenario that it made me feel a bit nostalgic.
I leisurely checked my belongings. Sure enough, my money pouch, which had been resting in my pocket, was gone. Nice dexterity.
Pink-Haired Lesbian asked me curiously.
"Why did you let it happen? You could have stopped him."
"I want to interrogate him. It won't take long, just wait a bit."
I wanted to gather new models and professional knowledge to implement pickpocketing events.
Well, couldn’t this also be a rather fateful connection? I triggered the magic I had casted on the boy to make himreappear in front of me after running far enough to think he had gotten away.
At that time, I didn't know.
I didn't know that this would turn into such a big deal.
***
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