V7.C1 A nostalgic date in Horaud town
Start of Volume 7 - Tales of an Emperor
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Next day, Leo sat on the dining table, sipping tea as he watched Irene talking to Eri. Her smile squeezed his brain into remembering the promise he made while conquering the Melusine Labyrinth.
“Irene, wanna go on a short date?”
Irene's hands holding the spoon froze for a brief moment. A rare blush appeared on her face.
“Then we’ll head over to the Empire for now. We can’t leave all the work on Lily and her mother.”
Eri said and dragged Tio and Hearst out of the dining room.
He waved at them with a smile. Shea, Shizuku and Yue had taken Myu to Heiligh Kingdom. Shizuku, being an admirer of cuteness, immediately came to like Myu. Even in Heiligh she wanted to talk to Myu but her reserve attitude prevented her.
He also forgot to bring up the topic of who will become the new Queen. He sweatdropped imagining Yue and Eri butting heads for the title.
“Sure. Let's relive some old memories.”
So before going to Edlesel, the island where Dragonmen resided he decided on a date which would end up him meeting Irene's uncle. He naturally wanted to formally introduce himself as Irene's future husband. He also wanted to spend more time with her which he hadn't done for a while.
Coming to Horaud Town, he cast an illusion barrier to stop the commoners from pestering him. Holding Irene's hand, he stepped closer and cut through the excited crowd forming in nearly every street.
The streets decorated with colorful lights, new stalls and then the statue standing tall in the center of the plaza created a festive atmosphere. The statue was none other than Leo with twelve golden wings on his back.
And the reason for their excitement was… 'God's Grace’.
“How fascinating. For Leo to make so many people happy without lifting a finger, I am truly awed.”
“...”
As she said, today was a celebratory day for God's descent and solving the impending crisis brought by Evil God Ehit. His and Liliana's acting attained a result far from his imagination.
Shaking his head, he continued passing through the streets. Nothing interesting caught eyes. However, he truly enjoyed the warmth transmitted from the soft hand in his hands.
As they neared the Adventurer Guild, he settled on dining at the familiar inn. Looking at the words written on the wooden board, his lips formed a soft smile.
Leit Inn, huh. I couldn't even read the last time I was here…
(Look at you talking like an old man.)
'I'm technically more than a hundred years old, so you can call me Old man.'
(...)
“It sure brings me back to the day I gave you three thousand Luta,” Irene giggled. “Which you bastard still didn't return to me.”
“You have me now. That's quite the bargain for three black coins, isn't it?”
Irene cracked a pleasant smile. The people around began whispering. Since his barrier was active their eyes only saw an average looking couple standing in front of the inn.
Leo shook his head and pulled Irene inside the inn. The food here tasted just average. The cooking of Shea and Remia increased his standards by a wide margin. The couple nonetheless enjoyed it with a nostalgic smile.
Stepping out, the couple passed through the streets and arrived at the adventurer guild.
---
Inside a short cabin, a bald old man eyed the mountain of papers with his single eye. He sighed after calculating the time needed to sign all of these.
“That girl sure found someone unbelievable. Who could have thought he would become the new God…”
The young man seemed different from others but even he didn't imagine what transpired yesterday.
“On top of that he even revived the former Queen who died in presence of hundreds.”
He shook his head and grabbed the topmost document from the pile. Moments later, the only sound left in the room was of a pen scratching the paper.
*Knock!* *Knock!*
Disturbed by the knock on the door, he put down the pen and shouted, “Come in!”
The door opened and a very familiar figure entered. Loa hurriedly got up from the chair.
“I-Irene!”
“Long time no see, Uncle. How are you doing?” Irene greeted with a smile.
“I'm fine. This young man…”
The handsome young man beside her slightly bowed.
“It's nice to meet you again. I'm Leo.”
Cold sweat dripped down Loa's face as he quickly bowed, touching his head with documents in the process. “I-I'm sorry for not recognising your majesty.”
Only the higher-ups of Heiligh Kingdom knew about this man's true identity and he was also counted as one of them.
Irene turned to Leo with a troubled smile. “Please Uncle, don't act so formally. He is still the same Leo who met you here.”
Loa raised his head, the young man showed a faint smile without an ounce of arrogance. He beckoned them to sit on the chairs on the other side of the table while he emptied the documents.
Leo pulled out the seat for Irene. Smiling, she took a seat. He also followed her and sat down.
What am I supposed to say now…?
The former berserker assassin now known as God wrecked his brain for eloquent words. He unconsciously squeezed the armrests of the chair causing them to creak.
Suddenly, Irene’s hand gripped his left hand. The sweat on her hands showed her anxiety. He soothingly squeezed her hand and turned to her Uncle.
“So Uncle, I was here to… ask for Irene's hand in marriage.”
“Sure. I was going to ask you about your progress.”
The couple turned to each other with an astounding look before they stared at Loa.
Loa also stared at Leo as he explained, “What? Irene never took an interest in any man beside you. I even forced her to match her with some nobles but all she did was cripple them.”
Irene couldn't find any words to say. The aura around Uncle showed he stated the truth. All her life she bitterly resented her uncle for nothing. He was trying to look after her in his way. The warmth from her hand brought her back to reality.
“...I'm sorry,” she apologized.
Loa shook his head. How could he not notice the grievance inside his niece? However, with his serious temperament, it was impossible to sort it lest he end up distancing her even further.
“Inform me when you decided on the date. I'll be there.”
“We will,” Leo winked at Irene. “Then I'll be leaving you to discuss.”
Saying his piece, he disappeared from the spot. Irene looked speechless till Loa called out to her. She decided to clear out the misunderstandings with her Uncle.
---
Leo appeared in a hallway, directly behind a woman. Her long black hair fastened with a red hairpin; her striking kimono tied with an orange obi tempting him to pull it.
Sadly, now wasn't the time nor place for this since the woman looked busy talking to a blonde beautiful woman. That didn't stop him from placing his chin on her shoulder and wrapping his hands around her waist.
“Goshujin-sama?”
“Hmm, how is the progress here?” he asked Lulu who was casting an envious look at Tio.
The woman being envied had no idea. She was busy restraining herself from jumping at Leo. The racial change only increased those impulses. She glanced at the former Queen and noticed a really familiar glint in her eyes. It was the same eyes she used to look at other girls before Leo proposed to her.
She also sensed the familiar scent on her, the typical scent of her own kind, Dragon. Furthermore, this woman was also the future saintess of Leo's church.
She swiveled her head and as she expected, a wet sensation enveloped her cheeks. Her eyes squinted, lips curled, showing a beautiful smile.