The Grimoire had placed a completely new task in front of me, herculean even. Either vanilla or kinky, which direction was a man to go.

"Both..."

I said, staring up at the sky.

"Both is good."

Was there ever any doubt in that? Any person who could think would agree with me and come to the same conclusion. Both was perfect.

***

Keeping those thoughts within my head I went by the rest of my time quite normally. Before I knew it, the next day had rolled over as well. It was time for the usual grocery run for me.

"Delka, list your tasks again."

"Chocolate milk in the evening, then some meat, soup, and bread which you have already prepared, I have to stir and serve, is that right?"

"Correct. And...?"

"And...?"

"You study, brat."

I flicked Delka’s forehead and turned headed out of the doors. Today, only Jake was coming along with me while John stayed back to help train Treska. Their day would come too.

Jake and I played rock papers scissors and chopsticks. Then I eventually started humming and singing and Jake used his helmet as a drum. Passing our time like this we finally reached the city of Serenia again.

Passing through the gates, and toward the market. I had a bunch of things that I wanted to stock up on today, from cocoa to shallots. We were running out. The number of mouths had increased most of all.

Maybe I could buy things for the kids as well. Something different. Jake and I went around the market places, we bargained at the stalls then went to textile shops as well.

"Would the kids like to decorate their rooms?"

"...!"

Jake swung his arm around lightly, then pointed at the sword on his waist.

"Ah, that too."

We entered an armoury as well. A few wooden swords for practice for Treska, and then some other things. After our shopping spree was over an Jake was left with a bag that was too big for me and too small for him, it came time to part ways.

"Alright, here’s some coin." I handed Jake a pouch full of money and the living armor almost jumped up and down in joy. It was palapable how happy he seemed.

"You know the way?"

"...!"

It was great. We both shook hands once, and then went our separate ways. Jake had taken off to the brothel, where he would definitely either be turned away from or where he would achieve nothing and come back.

What was he getting all worked up for anyway? Not like he had anything.

I made my through the streets that I had remembered last time and found myself closing in on a small building up a tiny hillock in the city. The view of the rest of these parts were clear from here, while buildings lined up the side that was close to the raised ground.

The center one, one slightly pink, lit by the yellow lamps outside and decorated through green pots and pink flowers around it under the evening sky.

In front of it, was a familiar face. A beautiful lady, with a sharp jaw and sharp nose but eyes that looked as mellow as rivers looked calm.

She stood in a long coat today, in her hands was a single bag of groceries. She met eyes with me, and I saw her.

Both of us smiled lightly.

"Hi again," I said.

"Hey, Axel."

"Looking cute today."

"Hah... wanna come up?"

I nodded and walked over to Nea, taking the bag from her hands. We both started walking upstairs to her room which was on the upper floor of this building. She opened the door past the stairs and led me into the big, wide house.

As soon as we stepped inside, a burning stench hit my nose.

"Sorry," Nea said, her voice low and soft as before. "I messed up cooking a while back. I was out on a second trip."

The bag that I was carrying was filled with simple stuff. Eggs, rice, some leeks, carrots, shallots, a bit of what looked like ground meat.

"Did the recipes not help?"

"They did, I just ended up messing everything up today..."

That was not very good. I pressed my lips together.

There was something off.

Something was seriously off.

"Have a seat, do you want some water—"

I placed a hand on Nea’s shoulder and guided her to the dining table. She seemed to be a little shocked. When I sat her down, she turned her head to the side—

"Axel... I—"

I had left her alone and was filling water in a cup for her first.

"Here, would something warm help? Should I heat up some milk?"

"Ah..."

Nea took the glass, her eyes widened. She nodded softly at my words, and I turned back to the kitchen counter.

What was going on?

Was something the matter?

The air around her was off. Very off. She seemed almost tired. I couldn’t do anything with her in this kind of vibe. I didn’t want to either.

Since one was being domestic anyway, one must go all out! Or so I thought in my mind as I unloaded her bag and started filling the groceries up on their right places. Carrots, Shallots, Book.

Book.

[Take her out]

A page was open. The Grimoire was there inside her grocery bag, a bunch of cotton was on its top and two lenses framed like old people’s reading glasses were across its cover.

The heck.

Again, this thing was going off and was at it as ever.

A sigh left me. Alright, this was fair.

"Nea!" I yelled. "I don’t know what’s on your mind, but something is clearly bothering you."

"Ah... don’t worry. It’s nothing serious."

"You don’t get hounded in the city, do you?"

"What does that mean...?"

"I mean any secret admirers or stalkers, or colleagues who would say things after seeing you?"

"N-no. Nothing like that? Just you."

I chuckled at that. Look at this haughty chick saying just you, as if I was an admirer.

With a start, I went over and ruffled her hair and then held my hands out, she took them and stood up on my nudging.

"Let’s go out for dinner. We’ll have food at a good restaurant."

"What... why, all of a sudden?"

"I don’t know what’s on your mind, I won’t pry too much either. You can tell me whatever you’re comfortable with whenever."

"I-its not like that," she flusteredly moved her hands and shook her head. "I didn’t mean to be rude—"

"You are not! It doesn’t really matter what happened to make one sad, I mean, to many people it does, but being sad doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy and have some fun either way."

"Ah..."

"Let’s go out. When was the last time you have treated yourself anyway?"

Treated herself, yup. I would pay but then again, I thought the girl should always pay for the first date, even more so when we were going somewhere expensive on her account.

What? That wasn’t what was happening at all? Whatever does that mean. Naysayers.

"Alright, it’s decided. There’s a great restaurant in the center of Serenia, it’s called the Blue Danube."

"T-the place that aristocrats go to...!"

"Yes! And they have amazing steak, and they also sell an insane troll meat dish that apparently makes everyone’s eyes roll back the first time they bite into it."

Nea drooled. For how bad she was at cooking she sure loved food. As I would expect from a knight of her stature.

"We’ll have all of that! And then we can go on a small walk if you’d like, yeah?"

"That... sounds good, but I don’t want to impose like that—"

"Enough out of you. You said it sounds good, so lets do it! Be a little impulsive!"

And so off we set. I quickly wrapped her up in a scarf, put her coat on again, made sure she her hair was set in a beautiful way (girls got really mad if their hair looks bad in such place, my mother had told me this) and made our way through the city toward the Blue Danube.

There were various goals in my mind. I wanted to know whatever was happening that was making the vice leader of one of the strongest knight order so sad. I was also hoping for us to be in a good mood and at least start by getting to first base in public.

Unfortunately, my plans were not going that smoothly.

That same night, in the Blue Danube. A bunch of forces were coalescing.

I was not aware of it at the time, but it made sense.

The presence of a certain 7-foot-tall being.

The presence of knights from the strongest knight order of the Duke.

The presence of a Bishop. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

and the presence of the Corduil Elimination Force’s higher ups.

All of them, along with soft girly Nea and me, an innocent little petty thief.

Whatever could go wrong, that night.

Went wrong.