A hidden vista, almost visible yet teasingly obscured by the swaying steam and the lush greenery. Occasionally, smooth, supple skin would peek through, shimmering with a brilliant luster.
The eroticism of the clothed.
The pinnacle of the art of the glimpse.
It set my imagination ablaze.
In spite of myself, my eyes began to gleam with a predatory intensity. This was bad for my eyes—and even worse for my brain. The overstimulation was undeniable.
A direct hit to the dome, a total shock; a counter-strike in my pants, a charge from me, and a follow-up in the sheets.
The morning after my triumphant advance, we entered the Labyrinth as usual.
"Since we had the entrance exam yesterday and today is another half-day off, would it be alright to stay on the same floor as yesterday?" I asked.
"It cannot be helped, I suppose," Sherry replied. "Well, we will be moving up from tomorrow onward anyway."
We aren't actually going up, you know, I thought. Well, I suppose eventually we will. It was difficult to argue the point. That was just how things were. Tomorrow’s winds would blow tomorrow. I chose to interpret her response positively, since I had effectively received Roxanne’s consent as well.
"Yes. I believe the same floor is fine," Roxanne agreed.
"Doing it, I am," Miria said.
"I think it will be fine," Vesta added.
We spent the early morning and part of the forenoon in the Labyrinth. It felt like it might turn out to be a hot one—possibly the hottest day of the year so far. I hadn't noticed at first thanks to Vesta’s naturally cool skin, but the rising temperature was becoming obvious. On a day like this, I would have preferred to spend the whole time inside the relatively cool Labyrinth, but complaining wouldn't change our plans. It was time to get ready to head out.
"It looks like it’s going to be a scorcher today," I remarked.
"Yes," Roxanne said. "I have lectured Miria thoroughly, so she should be fine."
Indeed, if one went fishing on a day this hot, they might be tempted to jump into the water to cool off. It seemed Roxanne had seen right through Miria’s likely behavior patterns. Incidentally, the concept of "sea bathing" didn't seem to exist in this world. Venturing into the open water was generally considered dangerous due to the presence of monsters.
"Since it’s a holiday, I’ll give you your allowances. Even though it’s only a half-day, it’s five silver coins, just like before."
"Thank you very much."
I handed the coins to Roxanne first. The order of precedence was important in all things.
"Roxanne, you've bought so many necessary things for the household lately. This time, you should buy something for yourself."
"I will."
The amount was the same for everyone, but Roxanne didn't seem to have any complaints about that. If possible, I would have felt more at ease if they didn't enter the Labyrinth too much on their own during their time off. Entering the Quratar Labyrinth cost money, after all.
"Next is Sherry. The Lodge seems expensive, so this might not be enough. I’ll be there for the ceremony anyway, so if anything happens, don't hesitate to come find me."
"Yes. Thank you very much."
Sherry tucked the silver coins into her Item Box. I was heading to the Lodge for the initiation ritual myself, so if an emergency arose, I'd be able to handle it.
"Miria, use this money to cover whatever fishing gear you need. We’ll head to the shop after this."
"Yes, I will. Thank you, I do," Miria said.
Strictly speaking, since I was the one who ate the fish Miria caught, it was only right that I pay for her supplies. Miria never made such demands, however. Perhaps I should buy her a new fishing rod eventually.
"I'll give some to Vesta as well. You're free to use it as you like."
"This much? Is it truly alright?"
"Use it however you wish."
"Thank you very much. This is the first time I have ever possessed my own money."
As an owner, I was responsible for providing a slave's food, clothing, and shelter. Up until now, Vesta had likely never felt the need to carry her own coin.
"Well then, let’s disperse. Sherry and Miria, come with me."
"Understood. Could you wait just a moment?"
Sherry and Miria went to the room they used for storage. Miria grabbed her fishing gear, while Sherry prepared papyrus and writing utensils. If I recalled correctly, she had bought those with her own pocket money as well. It was good to see that not all of her allowance vanished into drinking money.
"Miria, ready for the fishing shop?"
"Yes, we are."
"Alright. Let's go."
The two of them returned, and after being seen off by Roxanne and Vesta, we warped to the Lodge.
"Please take care, Master. We shall be heading out as well," Roxanne said.
"Yes. Please take care," Vesta added.
"Right."
It seemed Roxanne and Vesta were going out on foot. I was slightly worried about whether Vesta knew the way, but with Roxanne by her side, it wouldn't be a problem. Once they hit the main street, it was a straight shot.
"Ah, Michio-sama, Sherry-sama, Miria-sama. Welcome," Sebastian greeted us immediately upon our arrival. The angle of his bow was characteristically deep. He had memorized our names perfectly, though he likely expected me today. However, Miria was surely an unexpected guest, to say nothing of Sherry. Miria was carrying a full set of fishing gear, after all; the sight must have left him wondering what on earth we were planning.
"I'd like to let Sherry browse the Reference Room. Is that alright?"
"Understood. I shall call the person in charge. Would you mind waiting a moment?"
Sebastian signaled to a man in the back, who departed at a brisk pace. He wasn't running, but he moved with such efficiency that he disappeared in the blink of an eye.
"Is there anything else you require?"
"No, nothing in particular."
"Very well. We can provide parchment, writing utensils, and light snacks if you request them."
Parchment, I thought. I wondered if five silver coins would even cover the cost of that.
"I have brought my own writing utensils, but..." Sherry began.
"Of course, you are more than welcome to use those," Sebastian replied.
It seemed bringing your own supplies was perfectly acceptable. How conscientious. The man who had left returned shortly with a woman. They were fast—the woman was practically jogging.
"This Sherry-sama wishes to use the Reference Room. Please guide her," Sebastian commanded.
The woman bowed toward Sherry. "Understood. Sherry-sama, please come this way."
"Call me if anything happens," I told her.
"I will."
I watched Sherry leave. The woman adjusted her pace, leading Sherry away slowly and professionally.
"I have the initiation ritual later today, so I'll be back," I told Sebastian.
"Understood. We shall be waiting for you."
I informed Sebastian of my return and left with Miria. I say "left," but our destination was technically non-public. We emerged in the lobby of the Library. Even though it was a secure location, it was closer than going home.
Miria and I entered the fishing gear shop. She didn't take nearly as long as Roxanne usually did; she only bought fishing hooks. Perhaps she was looking forward to the actual fishing more than the shopping. Or perhaps it was because Roxanne wasn't there to translate a more technical discussion with the clerk. Miria’s Brahim was improving, but specialized vocabulary was a different story. Then again, I wasn't even sure if Roxanne knew the specific terms for fishing tackle.
Miria selected several hooks. I assumed she intended to target different sizes of fish or simply wanted spares in case of snags and breaks.
"These hooks are twenty Nahl each, and the ones over here are thirty Nahl," the clerk said.
"Are these okay?" I asked Miria.
"Yes, they are."
I took the hooks from Miria and handed them to the clerk.
"Four twenty-Nahl hooks and two thirty-Nahl hooks," the clerk tallied. "Since you're the customer who purchased that recommended set the other day, I’ll give you a special discount. Ninety-eight Nahl will be sufficient."
Miria got a thirty percent discount on her shopping. I figured I could consider it an offset for the fish she caught that I would normally have to buy from her. I paid with a silver coin produced by Miria and handed the two copper coins in change back to her. The price of fishing hooks seemed high, but since it was apparently a noble's hobby rather than a commoner's necessity, it made sense.
From the shop, I warped to the Hafen coast. Since Hafen was in the north, it was noticeably cooler than Quratar. The water wasn't too cold for a swim, but Roxanne had warned her, so she probably wouldn't venture in.
"Well then, stay around here until I come back for you."
"Yes, I will."
I told her not to wander too far and moved back to the Lodge in the Imperial Capital. I emerged in the lobby to find a crowd gathered at the far end of the long corridor. Had something happened? Sebastian emerged from the group to greet me.
"We have been waiting for you, Michio-sama. Estel-sama has already arrived, but he is currently away on business."
"I see."
"I believe he will return shortly."
"Why is everyone gathered over there?" I asked, nodding toward the crowd.
The man who had been behind Sebastian earlier was also in the throng. It looked like a staff assembly—maybe a midday briefing. Sherry wasn't there, but the woman who had guided her to the Reference Room was present.
"Would you like to join them, Michio-sama? I believe Estel-sama will be arriving from that direction shortly as well."
I ended up being pulled into the group. Led by Sebastian, I headed toward the gathering.
"The arrival is imminent," someone called out.
Sebastian started moving with sudden haste, taking a position at the very front of the crowd. Someone important was coming. The doors at the far end of the corridor began to open slowly. I recalled them mentioning a staff entrance that members weren't supposed to use. Was Estel coming through there?
The doors were double-hinged, opening outward toward the exterior of the Lodge. It was a Japanese-style entrance. For some reason, every other door I'd seen in this world opened inward, including the ones at my house in Quratar. An entrance that opened outward was a rarity. It was the first time I had seen one here.
As the doors swung wide, everyone—starting with Sebastian—bowed in unison.
Ah. I was late.
Well, it was the staff-only entrance, so maybe it was fine. I wondered if someone even more important than the Chief Scribe was arriving. Was it the President of the Empire Liberation Society? The atmosphere certainly felt heavy enough for it.
Rows of people were lined up on the other side of the doors as well. This was definitely a high-ranking individual. Near the threshold, I spotted Baron Estel and Duke Harz. I was the only person on this side of the doors who wasn't bowing.
This was bad. But it was far too late to change my posture now without making a scene. I just tried to blend into the atmosphere. I was toward the back, so I hoped I wouldn't be noticed. At the very least, I kept my head slightly lowered.
As the doors opened fully, Baron Estel and Duke Harz stepped forward. Wait, were they the ones everyone was waiting for? They certainly gave me a scare.
"Sebastian, is everything in order?" Estel asked.
"Yes, Estel-sama."
"Then..."
Estel exchanged a few words with Sebastian and stopped in front of the doors. He and Duke Harz split up, moving to either side of the entrance. They turned back toward the center and bowed deeply.
As the two of them lowered their heads, three men emerged from the crowd on the other side. Leading them was a stern, balding middle-aged man. He was apparently a Count, but he didn't seem like someone a Duke would bow to.
And then, behind him, I saw the final member of the party.
Name: Gaius Princeps Unimpera. Male, 39 years old. Job: Adventurer Lv 41. Equipment: Orichalcum Sword, Holy Silver Meshwear, Substitution Misanga.
He was the Emperor.
A truly important person. The kind of person even a Duke bowed to.
I froze, unsure of what to do. Since I only knew his identity because of my Appraisal skill, suddenly dropping to my knees felt like it might be a mistake. On the other hand, was it okay to just keep standing here like an idiot? I really should have read the room better.
I stayed toward the back and hoped for the best. At the very least, I kept my posture humble. Despite being the Emperor, he was dressed in a relatively casual tunic—nothing gaudy or over-the-top. The Holy Silver Meshwear mentioned by my Appraisal was likely hidden under his clothes. I was relieved to see there wasn't any ritualistic kowtowing required.
Once the Emperor and his party were inside, Estel and the Duke followed, and the doors were closed. Sebastian stepped forward to welcome him.
"Gaius-sama. In this place, I shall take the liberty of addressing you simply as Gaius-sama."
"It is of no concern," the Emperor replied. "We believe We understand the rules of the Liberation Society well."
"To have Gaius-sama’s induction occur during my tenure... I am overwhelmed with joy. This is truly a celebratory day for the Society."
"We shall count on you from this moment on."
The Emperor and Sebastian continued their conversation. Since he was being "inducted," it meant he wasn't actually a member yet. I had heard that the current Emperor wasn't a part of the Society, and that turned out to be true. They just hadn't specified that he was about to join today.
I’d like everyone to keep that in mind.
"Oh, Michio. You were here?" Estel said, spotting me.
I wanted to lodge a complaint about the lack of warning, but I swallowed the urge. "...Yes. I arrived just a moment ago."
"Good timing. It may have been a bit of a commotion, but do not be alarmed."
"I see."
I wasn't alarmed. I just already knew he was the Emperor.
"Within the Society, worldly positions and titles are irrelevant," Estel added. He didn't seem to have any intention of introducing me to the Emperor. That was fine by me; I wouldn't have known what to say anyway. I figured I should just keep pretending I was ignorant of his true status.
"And who is this?"
Unfortunately, the Emperor noticed Estel and me talking and decided to intervene. Strange. Was I not radiating a clear "do not talk to me" aura? Read the room, your Majesty.
"This is Michio, who is scheduled for his initiation ritual today," Estel explained.
"I am Michio," I said.
Even Baron Estel was using incredibly polite language. I took the hint and gave a proper, respectful greeting, bowing my head.
"Michio, is it? Regarding Us, 'Gaius' is fine."
Wait, wait. His choice of pronouns was definitely a bit much. Even if he told me to call him "Gaius," he was still using the royal "We."
There were no special imperial first-person pronouns in the Brahim language, so I wondered if it was just being translated that way in my head. Was this the result of me knowing he was the Emperor? Was my mysterious translation function exercising some "discretion" on his behalf?