It was a bit after the sage was gone and Noa decided to retire. Two knocks sounded on the door of my room and I opened it up. Thankfully, Dawn and I were just reading the stuff that Noa had forced me to carry around so nothing was wrong.
The door swung open, and standing on the other side were two familiar figures. One young girl with brown hair and another with a deep red.
"Young master, we're here to collect this month's payment."
What payment?
"Cough it up, young master. Or we'll have you pay in other ways."
"You can't do this! Just one more week, please, I'll pay it all."
Didn't matter, I was going to play along.
"Kukuku," Lily scoffed. "It's been months, what guarantee do I have that you will pay me back in a week, huh?"
She came closer and held my hair.
"I oughta take you away and make you pay, with your body."
"Horrible, miss Lily. You take it too far!"
"Nope, it's the normal development?"
"I agree, that's how this stuff goes."
"Then both of you are unhinged. Tell them, Miss Dawn!" Sophia, huffing, asked Dawn for some clarification.
"It seems like the usual route to me too."
"The whole gang is the same," Sophia sighed. "Anyway, we're here to borrow you for today, lord Eugene."
"Yeah, pay with your body."
"Drop that crude joke already, Miss Lily."
So uptight.
I looked back at Dawn once and she waved me away. "Get lost, I still need a week or two to recover."
Of course, both Lily and Sophia had heard of what happened with Dawn as well after the prinicipal's little stunt.
"Well then, all yours for today."
Only for today.
The path to strength was not ending anytime soon.
***
The first place I was dragged to was the Sachertorte faction's cat cafe. Again.
At this rate I was going to fun more than half of their faction's activities for the upcoming festival. From what I had gathered, this festival was not all that different from a cultural festival, it was only faction festival since the main events were factions pitting against each other and their facilities and budgets getting changed accordingly.
The chime of the bell spread and the door opened up.
"Welcome," the shopkeep said, her ears twitching. When she saw me, she stopped. I could tell her entire body had frozen over. "You're here with two more ladies."
"Young master, pay up." Lily crossed her arms and nodded. Sophia too smiled and walked straight toward the divide where all the cats waited.
If only I hadn't wronged them. It's all over once I am done with these rats.
Sighing, I walked over to the reception and tossed over ninety gold coins.
"It's 240."
"Excuse me?" I said. "What for exactly?"
"Scumbag tax."
"I'll raze this place to the ground."
"It's because those ladies also came here yesterday and put it all on your tab.
"Haah…"
Fine.
"If you want a break down of costs then come two hours later, when my colleague is around. I promise there's no scumbag tax."
"…"
"Just a little."
I slammed down two hundred and walked away. What a displeasing shopkeeper.
After stepping inside the shop, I picked up the black cat from before, held it in front of me and started speaking.
"This damn shopkeeper of yours is displeasing as hell."
"I can hear you!"
***
Lily was pretty pissed. She dragged us all over the academy city, not just the floating archipelago. I brought them both multiple dresses, jewelry and food just to name a few. All of their stuff was also mine to carry.
Seriously, this was more than enough to pay back for two-months of ignorance. Come tomorrow I was going to bother them for two more months out of spite.
We were now back to Sachertorte faction, passing by the cat cafes to fetch some cake for back home.
"Haah, I am satisfied now." Lily muttered. "Oh, young master, ice cream."
"Fetch it yourself."
"Please!"
"That hasn't worked even once and you've still tried seven times. I'll pay so go."
Lily pouted and walked away. "Come along, Lady Sophia."
"Nope, I'll stay here this time."
"You want me to carry three alone?"
"I'll eat three on my own, Lily. Go bring five."
Lily frowned and dashed away, calling us horrible.
I turned to Sophia and smiled.
"So, are you satisfied too?" She clearly wasn't. "I did something wrong, so I'll do anything you ask."
Sophia shook her head.
"You didn't do it without justification, Lord Eugene. Weren't you the one who said that tricking people for the greater good was just normal? You've done the same."
I guess I did say something like that back when we were trying to catch one of those crows' underlings. It was quite funny how people changed over time. The change itself was especially clear to me nowadays.
It wasn't a bad thing…
Even if those outside gods do come in here, even if the world and everything else changes because of it…
It wasn't such a bad thing, was it?
Maybe it was.
Maybe it wasn't.
I couldn't tell. A lot of things were out of my control. Would growing stronger really bring it all in?
I didn't know that either.
"What are you thinking so suddenly?" Sophia called.
"Nothing,"
If change was going to be rough, then strength was going to protect things from being harmed.
For a reason I didn't used to think of before.
I thought, I should get stronger.
"That said, I do have a request. Please don't think of it as me asking for you to pay up for things."
"No, tell me, what is it?"
"That…" Sophia sighed and hesitated. "Refuse if you want to, of course, but the Fonias twins in our class are really bothering me to introduce you to them."
My cousins, legally.
"They are bothering you, huh?"
She had already told me about this before, but I ignored all of it.
"Yeah, it's gotten worse since you got back to normal. I know it can be tough, but… I'll just refuse them sternly."
"No." I crossed my arms. "I'll meet them."
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