On the other side of the coffee table, Bishop Carvey looked at Midir with great interest. He didn't understand why the terms offered from Jade City were so exceptionally generous this time; to him, they seemed impossible for anyone to refuse.
“Well... I have to admit, it's a very tempting proposal. However, I have no intention of joining the Church for the time being. My apologies.”
Bishop Carvey's face, which had been brimming with expectation and joy, instantly froze upon hearing Midir's response.
But he immediately composed himself, displaying the grace and composure expected of a Chief Bishop.
Seeing Carvey's strange expression, Midir sighed and continued.
“It's not a matter of the treatment. It's just that I still have many personal matters to attend to. It's impossible for me to stay settled within the Church.”
“We can also grant you the utmost freedom; you wouldn't need to stay in any one place...”
Bishop Carvey was eager to say more, but Midir simply shook his head. Only then did the bishop realize he was losing his composure.
“Your Excellency, there's no need to be so anxious. Once I've settled my affairs, perhaps I'll pay your Church a visit. It won't be too late to talk then, will it?”
Upon hearing this, Bishop Carvey's tense nerves finally relaxed. He thought to himself: as long as it wasn't an outright refusal, there was still a chance. At the very least, he could give a reasonable report to the Holy Lord.
Thus, he smiled and took an exquisite communication stone from his pocket, handing it to Midir.
“In that case, I shall await your good news. Please accept this communication stone. Whenever you decide, you can contact me through it. Of course, if you wish, going directly to the Church headquarters in Jade City would also be excellent. I will ensure everything is properly arranged.”
Midir politely accepted the egg-sized communication stone, nodding his thanks, and then tucked it away into his storage space.
In the time that followed, the atmosphere of the tea party became relaxed and pleasant. Bishop Carvey did not mention recruitment again, and the three of them chatted for a while like friends.
Before long, after a pleasant farewell, Bishop Carvey left the Duke's Manor.
Once he was gone, Aila alertly straightened her back. She pricked up her slender ears, and after confirming no one was around, she relaxed her posture and turned to Midir, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and concern.
“See? I told you so~ They really did come to recruit you. Honestly, I never thought they'd offer such a high price. What's even stranger is that you didn't seem interested at all.”
Midir chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.
“What you told me before made sense. There's no such thing as a free lunch. If I really agreed to join the Church, I probably wouldn't be as free as I am now.”
As he spoke, he continued to lower his head and eat the pastries on the table. The hunger brought on by sleeping for several days straight was still quite uncomfortable, and the large plate of snacks was disappearing at a rapid pace.
When the last pastry was stuffed into his mouth, Midir patted his stomach with a satisfied expression.
“Midir, I didn't realize you could eat so much! By the way, your conversation with Carvey just now didn't seem like your usual style at all. I thought you weren't good at handling these social interactions.”
Aila looked at the empty plate and asked curiously.
“I learned that from Blake. Back in Lionheart City, weren't there people trying to recruit me? I always let him brush them off for me, so I picked up a few things. It came in handy today, didn't it?”
“Oh~ So you're actually quite clever. What do you plan to do next? Why not just go with the flow and return to the Violet City-State with me to officially join up?”
Aila laughed and slapped his shoulder hard, nearly causing him to spill his tea.
Midir put down his teacup with a helpless look.
“Stop teasing me, My Lady. You know my situation. Everything will have to wait until I figure out who I am.”
“Hehehe~ Fine! I'm just joking! So, your next step is the Valley of Ice, right? Are you going alone?” Aila asked with a bell-like laugh.
Midir nodded firmly.
“Yes, that's for sure. Originally, I was worried the environment there would be too harsh for Blake and the others to follow. But things worked out well—Rosal left with Phoenix, and as for Blake, he doesn't look like he'll have any free time anyway, right?”
“True, he's been incredibly busy these past few days, but this experience is undoubtedly a valuable trial for him. Since you don't have any other plans for now, why don't you let this lady accompany you?” Aila's words held a mix of playfulness and sincerity.
“If possible, I could set out today... Huh? What? You're saying you want to come with me? Did I hear that right?” Midir looked bewildered; this was truly unexpected news.
Ignoring Midir's surprise, Aila patted her chest confidently and continued.
“I've already reported this to the group. After all, I've just recovered from a serious illness and helped resolve such a major incident; taking a vacation is only fitting. Besides, didn't you plan to visit the Sing-Song Forest? How can you go without a guide?”
Midir looked at Aila's confident expression. Though he felt a bit helpless, he also felt a trace of warmth. He chuckled.
“With a walking encyclopedia like you by my side, I'd be more than happy to have you. But... why do I get the feeling you just want to slack off and play for a while?”
“Hiss! Are my intentions that obvious? Being too smart isn't always a good thing~ But don't you think about slipping away on your own! And you'd better not miss a single cent of the reward this lady deserves!”
Aila laughed even more brilliantly, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she threw a punch at his chest.
The punch carried no real force, hitting Midir's solid chest with a soft thud, feeling more like a tickle.
“I knew your motives weren't pure. But as a guide, you'd better do your job well. Don't forget, I already paid a one-gold-coin reward!” Midir teased, a playful glint in his eyes.
“Huh? You actually still remember that one gold coin? How long has it been? That's long gone! No, no! This is a matter of principle!”
Midir feigned deep thought and then said seriously, “How about this then? Room and board included. You won't lose out that way, will you?”
Aila frowned slightly and feigned dissatisfaction. “Midir, you're so stingy! You should know this lady is worth a fortune. How could I be bought by such petty favors?”
Midir threw up his hands in mock helplessness. “Please, with your wealth, you're much better off than a pauper like me.”
Aila glared at him and was about to retort when Midir changed the subject. “Speaking of which, the dining room at the Duke's Manor shouldn't be closed yet, right? I'm still hungry.”
“...Are you some kind of starving ghost? Didn't you eat enough just now? And don't you dare change the subject!”
“You have to understand, I was unconscious for days. I've used up a lot of energy.”
...
Amidst laughter and banter, the two left the room to continue discussing their upcoming journey. Sunlight streamed through the window, adding a touch of warmth and anticipation to the adventure about to begin.
After some in-depth discussion and planning, Midir eventually accepted Aila's suggestion. They decided to leave the Azure Fortress with Ronald at dawn in two days.
Rate on N.U.
