3 World

Intermission: Challenge

"And then he just ran out of the room!!" The woman with the pinkish purple hair let out all of her frustration with her new helper. "How frontal do I need to be for him to understand what I meant?!?" It seems that she tried to invite him to join her but the man was too dense to understand her signal. "I've tried to outright ask him but he denies me so I try to persuade him and he can't grasp it. What the hell does that man want?!?"

"Cyrinus darling... Calm down~~!! Calm down~~!!" My colleague, Roksy, tried to calm down the frustrated woman. Cyrinus is holding a cup of sofi in her hand and it feels like she could be slamming it any moment now out of frustration. "The man definitely understands ya!! Like ya said, he doesn't wanna settle down."

"It's not like I'm asking him to marry me or anything!!" Perhaps I should've bought some towels just in case. "I just want his help!! He is probably the most helpful person I've ever met in my career!! I can't lose him!!" Even though I understand that she meant it as a work friend, the way she worded it makes it like she is trying to propose to him. It's not exactly the man's fault for thinking that Cyrinus is asking for him to marry her. "I finally get a taste of free time once he starts working for me."

"If it's like that, perhaps the problem doesn't stem from him not working with you." I pour myself another cup of hot sofi. "Perhaps your workload is a little bit too much for a single person to handle?"

"That's why I need him!!!" No, I was suggesting for the deep lord to have more secretaries. I heard that the other secretaries are also extremely busy. Adding just 1 person may be of help to you but he isn't going to make things better for the whole group. "Why can't he just say yes?!?"

"Cyrinus!! Let's take a deep breath and calm down!! Put the cup down." Roksy stands up from her seat and approaches the distressed deep lord's secretary. "Put the cup down and let's talk it through." Why does this sound like a hostage situation?

"Virdia, would you mind brewing us another pot of sofi?"

"Yes." There's nothing more calming and delicious than a cup of sofi on a rainy day which is why I ask my other colleague, who is also my student, to brew me another pot. I worry that I might be addicted to sofi. "The usual, yes?" I nod my head at her question. Perhaps I'm addicted to sofi. "Please wait for a moment!!" The pink haired girl left the scene to the back in a hurry with the empty pot in her hands.

"Sigh... Perhaps this is karma."

"Hmm? How come?"

"I've been rejecting people's marriage proposals left and right and this time it's my turn to get rejected." I don't believe that's how karma should work. Denials of marriage proposals shouldn't translate into being denied a job offer. At least from my own experience. "Uuhh... Do you girls have any idea on how to entice man?"

"Men love breasts and asses!!"

"Sigh..." *Bonk*

"AAAGGHH!!!" I smack my colleague's head with my staff for answering misappropriately. On the surface, Roksy answered Cyrinus's question but not it doesn't if you know the context. "It's the truth, Fluria!! Go ask Gunfla!!"

"Talking about Gunfla, where is he anyway?"

"He's busy. We got people that came with Princess Sonia and Gunfla is sorting things out." That does make me wonder though, the number of people from our faction coming to Linsburg is greater than anticipated. What's going on in Fohills? "We also have some gifts and visits from the nobles." And someone also has been holed up in the basement working on a pair of gauntlets.

"Ahahahaha... I get you." It's diplomatic stuff that most executives from each lord have to deal with. It's not so problematic if the other side doesn't have any hidden intent behind their visit but that's sometimes not the case. It'd be easy if we can just say no directly to their faces but that's hardly the case. Sigh... "By the way, what's going on with Yunia?"

All of us turn our head toward the red haired young girl who is laying on the sofa. Her eyes are closed but she is not sleeping. It is clear how tense her body is. Sigh... This girl...

"Yunia, that's not how you relax." Her teacher must have told her to laze around and get her body to relax but what he didn't know is that this girl doesn't know how to. I got a feeling that some of this is my fault. "First of all, don't tense up your muscles like that."

"...I'm trying."

"And second of all, sleeping people don't answer when talked to."

"...Ugh!! ...Stop pranking me!!" The young woman got up from her sleeping position and glared at me. I have to admit, she is quite adorable when she is angry which is why people like to tease her. "...I'll never relax if I keep listening to you." After what you've become under my guidance, she is probably right which hurts my heart. If only my past self wouldn't only train Yunia in the art of fighting.

"A bar of kakao always calms me down." It'll be best for me to stock up on some kakao bars like Cyrinus said. Other than being able to relax oneself, it's also a good gift.

"...Fluria, money." The young woman thrust her hand toward me with her palm wide open.

"Didn't I give you some a couple of days ago?"

"...I spent them." On what? I gave you 20 veru. What did you spend all of that money on? "...money."

"No. I'll buy it for you." I doubt Yunia is trained in tasting kakao. She probably takes anything no matter the taste and eats it.

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

"Excuse me." A guard knocks on the door and pushes it open. "Miss Fluria, there are several nobles waiting outside the gate. They said they are here to give us gifts."

"Damn those guys!! What a pain in ma butt!!" Roksy stood up in a fit of anger. "And it's raining!! Gaah!!!" I agree. I understand the importance of diplomatic relationships but picking a good time to visit is also a good skill to have in general. "Fluria, come on."

"Okay. Cyrinus, please excuse us for a moment." I put my cup on its saucer before standing up to follow Roksy outside.

"Dah!" When we walk outside, the rain is still going. *Snap* Roksy snapped her fingers and a dome of air appeared around us. She has just cast a deafening dome to prevent the water from hitting us. "Let's go, Fluria." We both approach the pack of nobles that are waiting for us outside the gate.

"Ah!! Hello, beauties!!" "Miss Fluria!! Please accept my love!!" "Can I please meet with the fire princess?" "I'm here with some grand gifts for the sky lord." "Please let me in. There's something that I must say to Virdia!" "MIss Flare!! Please meet me!!"

"Kay!! Kay!! Calm down, will ya?!" Roksy spoke out in annoyance. I don't understand these people and their bravery to yell out like that. Perhaps being in love changes you into such a beast. "The hell do ya lots want with my girls!?!"

"""MARRIAGE!!!"""

"HELL NO!!" Have we been here before? I feel like this scene has been played out before. Sigh... This feels like a routine. "Hmm~~ Well, there's a way I might give you guys a chance with our lovely jewels~~" Roksy... That tone. What is she planning? I glance at my colleague's face and that devilish smile is present on her face.

"""How?"""

"Ya lots have heard about the rumor, right?" What is she hinting at here? The rumor about Igo working together with Delcatizar to defeat a pair of furfiouses? She knew that we're not supposed to tell anyone about the actual details. She was the one who made the deal. "Sad for y'all is that I'm planning to give the girls to that guy." He's not going to take Yunia other than as his student. He already looks like he is in pain just with Yunia being his student. "Dontcha think that a beautiful princess should be with a powerful prince?"

"Roksy..."

"But, if there is a more powerful prince out there that can, perhaps, defeat the delcatizar, maybe I'll consider introducing him to one of my jewels~~??"