"Young man, you're quite something. I've got high hopes for you!"
Before they parted, the old carriage driver gave Greg a heavy pat on the shoulder. With a subtle smile that mixed admiration and encouragement, he tossed out those cryptic words.
"Huh? Uh... thanks?"
Greg was stunned by the pat. Though he had no idea what specifically the old man had high hopes for, he nodded subconsciously and offered his thanks.
He watched as the old man drove the carriage away, humming an off-key tune, disappearing contentedly into the distance as the dusk deepened. Only then did Greg turn back to the three girls beside him.
The sky wasn't completely dark yet, but the lights of the City of Glory were already beginning to twinkle like stars.
Greg cleared his throat and made a suggestion:
"It's not too late. Why don't I... treat you all to dinner at The Golden Crucible? Consider it... fulfilling my promise from last time."
He was referring to the feast he had promised Victoria in front of Chloe's shop to convince her to help him.
Although his solo subjugation of the Undead Knight had been exposed, and he could foresee being pushed into the center of public scrutiny once he returned to the academy, it wasn't all bad.
At the very least, as the primary person who had actually resolved the incident, he would be able to collect a substantial commission from the academy and the city administrators.
This money would be enough for him to completely escape his previous state of financial distress. For a while, at least, he wouldn't have to worry about basic survival or magic materials.
Furthermore, he had originally planned to secretly check on his maid, Allie, after returning to the city tonight, so a quick dinner wouldn't interfere with that.
The only thing he needed to be careful about was not letting Allie find out.
While Greg did intend to bring her here for a meal later, he still technically owed her three gold coins.
If she found out that he was spending money at such a high-end restaurant with three other girls while still owing her money...
Perhaps she really would kill him.
"Hmph! Since you put it that way..."
Victoria stood with her hands on her hips, a mischievous glint flashing in her gray eyes as she intentionally dragged out her words:
"Then I won't be polite! And I certainly won't care if your wallet survives! I'm going to have a massive feast at The Golden Crucible and eat until you're broke!"
Hearing that Greg, who was usually such a cheapskate, was actually going to make good on his promise, Victoria immediately tossed the unpleasantness from the tomb to the back of her mind, her spirits soaring.
There was nothing a big meal couldn't fix. If there was, then he'd just have to treat her to another one!
Silvia also immediately showed a look of longing and anticipation, her pink eyes sparkling.
When she and Victoria were growing up in their small rural village, their food usually consisted of roasted potatoes, black bread, and the occasional wild herb soup.
Later, after receiving sponsorship from the Holy Church of Light to enter the academy, their lives improved, but the stipends they received after passing through various levels of administration were quite limited.
On most days, they ate the basic set meals at the academy cafeteria. Occasionally, they would go to the commercial street to improve their diet, but they would only choose small shops with good value. They had never stepped foot into a high-end establishment like The Golden Crucible, which was rumored to be incredibly expensive.
"Then... shall we head out?"
Seeing that both girls agreed, Greg turned and took the lead, walking toward the commercial district where The Golden Crucible was located.
However, after only a few steps, he realized something was wrong.
When he said he was 'treating them as promised,' it clearly should have only included Victoria and Silvia.
Yet, the corner of his eye and his clear perception told him that the footsteps following behind weren't two sets, but three.
The blonde-haired, blue-eyed Catherine was currently following them with a composed expression, as if she were also one of the invited guests.
To be honest, Greg had been quite surprised and confused when he saw Catherine in the catacombs earlier.
Based on his knowledge of the original work, the character Catherine Roman was the quintessential business genius and behind-the-scenes manipulator.
Her main story arc revolved almost entirely around commercial expansion, family struggles, building intelligence networks, and the development and promotion of the Screech series of magic conduits.
Aside from a few unavoidable battles in her personal story line, she rarely personally participated in missions that required fighting.
To her, time was money. Personally going down to fight the Undead was clearly the option that least served her interests.
Is this... Miss Catherine? Aren't you usually occupied with a thousand things, with a schedule tighter than the Headmistress's?
How are you so free today?
And... do you really need a free meal from me?!
Greg was ranting frantically in his head.
Victoria and Silvia might not have a clear concept of the wealth and power Catherine represented, but he knew very well.
Right now, although Catherine hadn't been officially established as the sole heir of the Roman Merchant Group due to the massive success of the Screech magic conduits, the scale, profit, and influence of the merchant guild she operated independently were already at the forefront of the capital's business circles.
To her, a restaurant of The Golden Crucible's level was probably no different from a roadside snack stall to an ordinary person. She could probably buy the entire restaurant without blinking an eye.
She had absolutely no reason or need to crash his pathetic little thank-you dinner.
Besides, Greg had already drawn a clear line when he signed the contract with her last time. So what exactly did she want now?
...
After a moment, Catherine seemed to notice Greg's gaze and stopped in her tracks.
Did she finally realize?
Greg felt a wave of relief, thinking this shrewd merchant's daughter had finally realized it wasn't appropriate for her, an outsider, to follow them, and was about to take her leave.
However, after Catherine stopped, she didn't look at Greg. Instead, she turned slightly, her calm gaze sweeping over Victoria and Silvia, and spoke in a professional, gentle tone:
"Dining at The Golden Crucible is indeed a good choice, however..."
She paused, her azure eyes scanning them:
"The Golden Crucible is a fairly famous high-end restaurant in the City of Glory, and it has certain requirements for guests' attire and etiquette. Going there directly in our current... outfits might be a bit improper."
At her reminder, Victoria and Silvia subconsciously looked down to inspect themselves.
What they were wearing were the standard female uniforms of Glory Cael Magic Academy.
The main body was a clean white, tailored to fit well and highlight the youthful aura of the girls. The collar, cuffs, placket, and hem were decorated with steady black piping and embroidered with the academy's small emblem.
The lower half was a knee-length pleated skirt, and beneath the skirt were black sheer tights tightly wrapping their slender legs, with the academy-issued black leather shoes on their feet.
The uniform was well-designed and made of solid materials; it was elegant and beautiful in its own right, a symbol of the academy's status and decency.
However, at this moment, these uniforms that were supposed to be neat and pretty were in a sorry state due to the intense battle in the cemetery that afternoon.
The white fabric was stained with unidentifiable dark smudges, there were tears in the hems and cuffs from thorns or claws, and the tights were snagged in several places, revealing the fair skin underneath.
While it didn't hide the girls' natural beauty, the word 'decent' certainly didn't apply to them right now.
"Ah!"
Silvia was the first to cry out, her cheeks instantly turning bright red. She subconsciously grabbed her stained skirt, her pink eyes filled with embarrassment and bashfulness:
"Then, then Victoria and I will head back to the dormitory to change our clothes right now..."
Girls always want to look their best, especially in front of someone they like.
Earlier, they had been immersed in the excitement of finishing the mission and the upcoming feast, so they hadn't noticed. Now that Catherine had pointed it out, the feeling of being disheveled rushed over them.
At this moment, Silvia just wanted to find a hole to crawl into, or fly back to the dormitory immediately to wash herself thoroughly from head to toe and change into her neatest, prettiest clothes.
Catherine looked at Silvia's embarrassed state and Victoria, who was also awkwardly tugging at her wrinkled sleeves. She shook her head slightly and softened her tone:
"Returning to the dormitory to wash and change now before heading to the restaurant might be a bit tight on time, and it would inevitably be rushed."
She shifted the topic, proposing a seemingly more convenient solution:
"How about this? There happens to be a small apparel shop under my name nearby. We can go directly there and pick out a few sets of fitting clothes to change into."
"Eh? Go to... go to Senior's shop to change?"
Silvia looked up, a hint of hesitation and unease flashing in her pink eyes:
"That... would that be alright? It's too much trouble for Senior, and those clothes must be very expensive..."
She was worried about troubling Catherine and couldn't afford the prices of a high-end shop.
"It's no trouble at all."
Catherine smiled and said:
"Today's mission gave me many new... insights and gains. Consider these few sets of clothes as an extra reward I'm personally paying you. Please don't refuse."
Her reasoning sounded perfectly logical. It both saved the girls' faces and met their practical needs while appearing generous and proper, ensuring they didn't feel burdened.
Seeing the sincerity in Catherine's eyes, most of Silvia's unease vanished. She nodded gently and said in a small voice:
"Then... thank you, Senior."
And so, Victoria and Silvia immediately followed Catherine in a different direction with high expectations.
Greg, trailing behind, watched this scene with his mouth twitching slightly, feeling speechless.
He could naturally see that Catherine's proposal, on the surface, was a thoughtful way to help Victoria and Silvia out of their predicament.
But in reality, this undoubtedly bound the few of them together.
He didn't want to have any more unnecessary involvement with this deep-thinking future Business Empress.
But what could he say in this situation?
Could he jump out and object, saying, "No need to change, let's just go eat while we're all dirty"?
That would seem both unreasonable and bizarre.
Seeing that the three girls had already walked some distance, Catherine even turned back and glanced at him with those azure eyes that seemed able to see through people's hearts, her expression unreadable.
Greg sighed in his heart and, as if accepting his fate, started walking and followed them with a grimace.
He knew he had been trapped by her open scheme, yet he couldn't refuse.
Walking ahead, Catherine noticed the sound of Greg's footsteps finally following. The corners of her mouth curled up in a barely perceptible, slight arc.
"He followed after all..."
She had naturally read the subtext in Greg's earlier gaze, but how could she pass up such a perfect opportunity to observe Greg Sass up close?
Using the 'need to change into decent clothes' as a reason was perfectly logical and impossible to refuse, especially for young girls who cared about their appearance.
This way, Greg either had to leave alone or follow along.
Based on her preliminary judgment of Greg's current behavior patterns, there was a high probability he would choose the latter.
The cost of a few sets of clothes in exchange for more valuable information and observation time... this investment was very worthwhile.
Catherine's mood was inexplicably pleasant now.
Because it was the first time someone had been so unwilling to dine with her, she found it somewhat amusing.
Rate on N.U.
