THHAAWMF

Side Story 2

For a moment, Rublet's expression froze before returning to normal.

"I haven't thought about it."

"Are you not interested in women, perhaps?"

"What?"

"It seems like you're not interested in the opposite sex at all."

With his exceptional looks, wealth, and power, he could effortlessly attract women without even trying.

Apart from a minor scandal three years ago, Rublet had never been embroiled in any affairs.

He didn't even have a lover.

In the original work—no, even in the past, aside from his fixation on Tyriel during the Estalroot incident, there was no mention of him being close to any woman.

Was it possible that he simply wasn't interested in women in general?

In response to my question, Rublet released an almost incredulous sigh.

"I'm a man too."

"Well, there's no rule that says you have to like the opposite sex, is there?"

"... I do like a woman."

"Who is it?"

"I don't want to tell you."

"Okay, suit yourself."

If you don't plan on living a solitary life for the rest of your days, chances are, marriage will find you at some point.

I shrugged, and for some inexplicable reason, Rublet shot me an irritated glare.

***

After sorting through the new history books that were about to be written, a few days later, I decided to accompany Reynos to the Magic Tower.

The mages who had perused the historical accounts had extended an invitation for us to observe and study Knox, the demon imprisoned within the labyrinth.

"They say magic and demons are inseparable."

Reynos seemed quite intrigued by the word "demon," to the extent that he used it to refer to ordinary people as if it was something special. It was because of this that he disliked temples, often labeling their miracles as tricky spells.

'Other people would be shocked and wouldn't even step on my shadow if they heard that demons are trapped in the Labyrinth.'

It appeared that wizards were either fearless or just remarkably eccentric, or perhaps a bit of both. In any case, their behavior was rather peculiar.

Furthermore, if I had delayed my response by even a single day, the wizards might have grown impatient and taken it upon themselves to visit my home.

I was certain that had I postponed my reply by just one more day, a horde of wizards would have descended upon our residence, surrounding me for an impromptu summit.

'It's a relief that I replied quickly.'

The wizards, seemingly unperturbed by the demons, provided us with stacks of teleport scrolls, each valued at several hundred million gold, allowing us to reach the Magic Tower in no time.

'I should save the remaining scrolls and use them wisely in the future.'

"Absolutely do not overexert yourself."

Before tearing apart the teleport scrolls, Reynos, with a worried expression, sternly advised me.

"If you get trapped in the Labyrinth again, I..."