"Young man, you’re not bad at all. I have high hopes for you!"
Before parting, the old coachman gave Greg’s shoulder a firm pat, a subtle smile blending appreciation and encouragement on his face as he uttered those out-of-the-blue words.
"Huh? Uh... thanks?"
Greg stood there dazed by the pat. Though he didn't quite understand what the old man thought so highly of him for, he still subconsciously nodded and offered his thanks.
Watching the old man drive his carriage away while humming an out-of-tune tune, disappearing contentedly down the end of the road as the evening mist thickened, Greg finally turned back to look at the three girls beside him.
Night had not fully fallen, yet lights were already beginning to flicker across the City of Glory here and there.
Greg cleared his throat and offered a suggestion:
"It’s not too late yet. How about... I treat you all to dinner at the Golden Crucible? Consider it... fulfilling my promise from last time."
He was referring to the big feast he had promised in front of Chloe’s shop to convince Victoria to help.
Although his solo subjugation of the Undead Knight had already been exposed, making it predictable that he would be pushed to the storm center of public opinion once back at the academy, it wasn't entirely a bad thing.
At the very least, as the primary person who essentially resolved this incident, he could collect a substantial commission fee from the academy and the city administrators.
This money was enough to completely free him from his previously strapped financial state, leaving him with no need to worry about basic survival or magical materials for quite a while.
Besides, he had originally planned to secretly check up on the maid Allie after returning to the city tonight anyway, so having dinner along the way wouldn't set him back.
The only thing he needed to be careful about was not letting Allie find out about this.
Although Greg intended to bring her out for a meal here later as well, he still owed her three gold coins right now.
So if she found out that while still owing her money, he took three other girls out to spend at such a high-end restaurant...
Perhaps she really would kill him.
"Humph! Since you put it that way..."
Victoria rested her hands on her hips, a sly light flashing in her gray eyes as she deliberately dragged out her tone:
"Then I won't stand on ceremony with you! And I definitely won't care whether your wallet lives or dies! I'm going to eat a huge meal at the Golden Crucible and eat you broke!"
Hearing that a cheapskate like Greg was actually going to honor his promise and treat them, Victoria instantly threw all her displeasure from the catacomb to the back of her mind, glowing with vitality.
There was nothing a big meal couldn't solve; if there was, then make him treat them to another one!
Silvia also immediately showed a look of longing and expectation, her pink eyes glistening brightly.
When she and Victoria grew up in a small rural village, their food usually consisted of only baked potatoes, black bread, and the occasional wild herb soup.
Later, with financial support from the Church of Light, they entered the academy. Though their lives had improved, after passing through layer upon layer of hands, the subsidy finally handed down to them was quite limited.
On ordinary days, they mostly ate the most basic set meals in the academy cafeteria. When they occasionally went to the commercial street to treat themselves, they would only choose budget-friendly small shops, never having set foot in an expensive high-end establishment like the legendary Golden Crucible.
"Then... shall we head off?"
Seeing both girls agree, Greg turned around and led the way toward the Market District where the Golden Crucible was located.
However, after walking just a few steps, he sensed something off.
Because when he said 'treating them according to the promise,' it clearly only included Victoria and Silvia.
Yet the corner of his eye and his crisp perception told him that the footsteps following behind were not two, but three.
That blonde-haired, azure-eyed Catherine was also following alongside them with a completely composed demeanor, as if she were one of the invited guests.
To be honest, when he had seen Catherine in the catacomb earlier, Greg had already felt exceedingly surprised and bewildered.
Based on his knowledge of the original game, the character Catherine Roman was the quintessential archetype of a business genius and behind-the-scenes controller.
Her main storyline almost entirely revolved around commercial expansion, family struggles, intelligence network construction, and the R&D and promotion of the Screech series of magic conduits.
Aside from a few unavoidable battles in her personal story line, she herself rarely participated in tasks that required fighting and killing.
To her, time was money. Personally going into battle against the undead was clearly the option least aligned with her interests.
"No, wait... Miss Catherine, aren't you usually busy with a thousand duties a day, with a schedule packed tighter than the Headmistress's?"
"How do you have so much free time today?"
"Besides... are you really hurting for the money from my single meal?!"
Greg grumbled crazily in his heart.
Victoria and Silvia might not have a clear concept of the wealth and power Catherine represented behind her, but he understood it crystal clear.
The current Catherine had not yet been officially established as the sole heir of the Roman Merchant Group due to the massive success of the Screech magic conduits, but the scale, profits, and influence of her independently operated chamber of commerce were already ranked among the top tier of the royal capital's business circles.
To her, a restaurant of the Golden Crucible's tier was probably no different from a roadside food stall in the eyes of an ordinary person; she likely wouldn't even bat an eye at buying the entire restaurant.
She had absolutely no reason or need to come piggyback on his meager thank-you dinner.
Furthermore, Greg had drawn a clear line after signing the contract with her last time, so what on earth did she want now?
"..."
Before long, Catherine seemed to notice Greg's gaze and came to a stop.
Did she finally realize...
Greg felt relieved, thinking this shrewd merchant heiress had finally realized it was somewhat improper for an outsider like her to follow along and was preparing to take her leave on her own initiative.
However, after stopping, Catherine didn't look at Greg. Instead, she turned slightly, her calm gaze sweeping across Victoria and Silvia as she spoke in a warm, professional tone:
"Dining at the Golden Crucible is indeed a fine choice, but..."
She paused, her azure eyes sweeping over them:
"The Golden Crucible is considered a quite famous high-end restaurant in the City of Glory, and it has certain requirements regarding guests' dress etiquette. Heading straight over in our current... attire might seem a bit improper."
With her reminder, Victoria and Silvia subconsciously looked down to inspect themselves.
What they wore were the standard female student uniforms of Glory Cael Magic Academy.
The body was pure white, tailored neatly to accentuate the youthful aura of young girls, while the collar, cuffs, lapels, and skirt edges were trimmed with solid black piping, embroidered with the academy's miniature emblem.
The lower half featured a knee-length pleated skirt, beneath which sheer black pantyhose snugly wrapped around their slender legs, with academy-issue small black leather shoes on their feet.
This uniform was exquisitely designed and made of solid materials, inherently elegant and beautiful—a symbol of status and dignity at the academy.
Yet at this moment, this uniform that should have been neat and beautiful was in utter disarray from the intense battle in the cemetery earlier that afternoon.
The white fabric was smudged with hard-to-identify dark stains, the hem of the skirt and cuffs had tears sliced by thorns or claws, and the pantyhose had several runs, revealing fair skin beneath.
Although it didn't hide the girls' natural beauty, the word 'dignified' certainly had nothing to do with them right now.
"Ah!"
Silvia was the first to let out a soft gasp. Her cheeks instantly flushed bright red as her hands subconsciously clutched her dirty skirt, her pink eyes filled with embarrassment and shyness:
"Th-Then Victoria and I will head back to the dormitory right now to change clothes..."
Girls always wanted to look beautiful, especially in front of someone they liked.
Immersed earlier in the excitement of completing the mission and anticipating a big meal, she hadn't noticed.
Now pointed out by Catherine, that sense of disheveled embarrassment rushed up instantly.
Silvia wanted nothing more right now than to find a hole in the ground to crawl into, or fly straight back to the dorm to wash herself clean from head to toe before changing into her neatest, prettiest clothes.
Watching Silvia's flustered look, as well as Victoria awkwardly tugging at her crumpled hemline, Catherine shook her head gently, her tone softening slightly:
"Returning to the dormitory right now to wash and change before heading to the restaurant might be a bit tight on time, and it would inevitably feel rushed."
Changing the topic, she offered a seemingly more convenient solution:
"How about this? There happens to be a small clothing shop under my name nearby. We can go straight there and pick out a few fitting outfits to change into."
"Huh? G-Go to Senior's shop to change?"
Silvia raised her head, a trace of hesitation and unease flickering in her pink eyes:
"Th-That's so embarrassing... It'd be too much trouble for Senior, and those clothes must be very expensive..."
She worried about causing trouble for Catherine and couldn't afford the prices of a high-end store.
"It won't be any trouble."
Catherine smiled softly:
"Today's mission brought me quite a few new... insights and gains. Consider these few outfits as extra personal payment from me to you. Please don't decline."
Her reasoning sounded completely logical and reasonable, protecting the young girls' pride and practical needs while appearing generous and elegant, placing no psychological burden on them.
Seeing Catherine's sincere gaze, most of the unease in Silvia's heart vanished. She nodded gently and said in a low voice:
"Then... thank you, Senior."
And so, filled with anticipation, Victoria and Silvia immediately followed Catherine, turning toward another direction.
Watching this scene from behind, the corner of Greg's mouth twitched slightly, leaving him completely speechless inside.
He naturally saw through Catherine's proposal. On the surface, it seemed to bail out Victoria and Silvia with thoughtful consideration.
In reality, however, it undoubtedly bound the few of them firmly together.
He didn't want to have any more unnecessary involvement with this deep-minded future Business Empress at all.
Yet what could he possibly say under the current circumstances?
Jump out and object, saying, "No need to change clothes, let me treat you all while we're covered in dirt like this"?
That would seem both unreasonable and somewhat bizarre.
Seeing that the three girls had already walked ahead a distance, Catherine even glanced back, giving him a half-smile with those azure eyes that seemed capable of reading human hearts.
Greg let out a sigh in his heart, stepping forward resignedly as he braved it out to catch up.
He knew he had been trapped by her open scheme, yet he couldn't refuse even if he wanted to.
Walking ahead, Catherine sensed Greg's footsteps finally catching up, and the corner of her lips curled upward into a barely discernible arc.
“He really followed after all...”
She had naturally read the subtext in Greg's earlier gaze, but how could she possibly pass up this prime opportunity to observe Greg Sass up close?
Using 'needing appropriate attire' as a reason was reasonable, logical, and impossible to turn down—especially for young girls who cared about their appearance.
This way, Greg either had to leave alone or had no choice but to follow along.
And based on her preliminary judgment of Greg's current behavior patterns, he would most likely choose the latter.
The cost of a few outfits in exchange for more valuable information and observation time... this investment was very worthwhile.
Now Catherine's mood had inexplicably brightened a bit.
Because this was the first time someone so desperately didn't want to have dinner with her, she found it quite amusing.
Rate on N.U.
