As I stepped out of the office, the lingering effects of the items inside Lisa's office faded.
[The Nubecula 'Who Likes Cigars and Candy' comments: "Did you have a good time?"]
[The Nubecula 'Whose Heart Bleeds for the Heartbroken' comments: "Shut it."]
[The Nubecula 'Gumiho' comments: "I want in on the fun as well."]
At some point, these Nubeculas stopped bothering me about the barrier and instead began speculating about what I did inside the office.
I ignored them, and sensing presence approaching, my gaze shifted to the side. I saw two people walking toward me in the hallway.
"Good afternoon, Assistant Professor."
"Good afternoon, Sir Arthur."
It was Ducas and Valerie. They greeted me, and I returned the greeting.
"Good afternoon. Why are you both here?"
This part of the building only housed the offices of professors and assistants. There is no reason for students to be here unless they needed to meet with faculty.
"We're here to submit the assignment from the last class," Valerie said, extending a file to me.
The red-haired girl no longer showed the same animosity as before. Things were definitely better, though she still often displayed her competitiveness in front of Lisa.
I nodded and took the file from her.
"I'll document it."
Even though Lisa held classes every day, she gave an assignment for each one, with a deadline of one week. They are supposedly quite difficult.
Still, I always received two submissions the very next day. Valerie's was one of them.
"I'm still working on mine, Sir Arthur," Ducas said with an awkward smile.
Valerie and Ducas had become good friends. She must have found him trustworthy—Ducas is a pure-hearted man, after all.
I nodded and spoke casually.
"That's fine. No need to rush—just do it right."
"I agree. It's more meaningful to do it right than fast," Valerie added.
Ducas smiled and nodded, but a frown soon appeared on his face, as his eyes shifted back to me.
"Sir Arthur, you look tired."
I raised an eyebrow. He was right—I am tired. The talk with Lisa had been a bit overwhelming. I had done something that would influence the future. I needed to be careful; things could easily go wrong.
"Yes, I am tired, actually."
At my honest reply, Valerie gave me a beaming smile.
"Ahh. Then why don't you come with us? Ducas and I are going to get something for lunch."
Lunch, huh? I glanced at the large clock across the hall. It was nearly two o'clock. I guess I should eat.
"Sure."
I placed the file in my office and left with Ducas and Valerie. We passed by the reception area, where Todd sat at the desk, wearing his usual disinterested expression.
He gave a slight bow as a sign of respect. I returned it and then glanced toward the staircase as a completely random question surfaced in my mind.
"Miss Valerie, how many floors are there in 'Trivia'?"
Valerie looked at me. Her expression suggested she didn't find the question too strange, but I knew it must have seemed random.
"Hm? Six floors."
I contemplated her words. 'Trivia' had six floors—not a huge number, but each floor was wide and long, filled with many rooms. Six was more than sufficient.
"Why do you ask, Sir Arthur?"
Valerie didn't show much curiosity, but Ducas did. He clearly didn't understand why I had asked such a question. I spoke as we walked.
"I'm planning on visiting the sixth floor in the future."
"The sixth floor?"
Ducas looked confused. It hadn't been long since we arrived at Trivia, so he wasn't familiar with all the legends about the place. But Valerie was.
"Umm… Assistant Professor, there's nothing on that floor. It's barren."
She is right. Though the mansion had six floors, only five were in use. There was a story claiming the sixth floor once belonged to Hekate, so it generally is left alone, no one went there.
"I know. I'm planning to visit it purely out of curiosity."
That wasn't entirely true. Based on my memory through my dreams, a hidden script would be generated on the sixth floor in the near future. It's important, and I intend to clear it.
In my dreams, that hidden script caused massive chaos. The sixth floor had to be sealed off to prevent access—and for good reason.
After walking for a while, we reached a part of the city known as the 'Plaza'. I had seen this place in my dreams, but it still felt new. Unlike in my dreams, where I had no control, now I could actually observe and experience the surroundings.
The Plaza was beautiful, with a garden and a large fountain at its center. Couples walked through the greenery; some sat on the fountain's edge, playing with the water.
The streets were clean, and carriages moved steadily along them. Various shops lined the roads, and people in elegant, medieval-style clothing strolled about.
"Sir Arthur, this is your first time visiting the city, right?" Ducas suddenly asked. Valerie looked at me with interest.
"Huh? Is it really your first time, Sir Arthur?"
+
[The Nubecula 'Raziel' comments: "You should go out more often."]
+
I suppose Raziel was sympathizing with me again. He was starting to feel more like a coworker. Kafziel should give him more time to rest.
I nodded to her question as we continued walking. Valerie seemed a little surprised, that it was my first time visiting the city.
When I arrived at 'Brimos', I went straight to meet Lisa. I came here after leaving the church, and at the time, I was also avoiding Ducas, who had been following me.
After meeting Lisa, Todd took me to the room where I currently stay. Since then, I haven't needed to leave 'Trivia'.
The place itself is vast, and I am always busy. I have to prepare materials for classes. Ducas handles my meals—I just give him the money, and he purchase and delivers the food.
So technically, I had no reason to visit the city. Still, walking through these streets feels refreshing.
As I enjoyed the stroll, Persephone's calm, beautiful voice spoke to me.
"There are some people following us."
Apparently, there were people following us since we left Trivia's premises.
I looked around, but the streets and shops were filled with people. Even if I knew who was following us, it would be very hard to find them in the crowd. So, I decided not to think about it for now. I'd deal with it if they made the first move.
We walked for a while before I saw a fancy restaurant. It looked very beautiful from the outside—tall, with yellow diamond-cut glass, which I could only assume were windows. Even the people standing around the restaurant looked like royals. I walked over to the entrance, a grand and elegant door. A man in a butler's uniform greeted us and opened it.
"Welcome to Palms Sky Villa. I hope you have a great time."
I looked at the man—who seemed professional enough to work at a five-star hotel back on Earth—and then walked inside. Ducas and Valerie followed behind me. Then Ducas called from behind,
"Umm... Sir Arthur?"
"What?"
I noticed a little uncertainty in his voice. I spoke without looking back; the place around me was so beautiful I didn't want to turn away.
Ducas, gazing at my calm behavior, spoke with a little more confidence.
"Sir, it's... Palms."
"So what?"
Why is he telling me the name of the place? The doorman already told us that. As I didn't understand his reaction, Valerie realized my confusion and spoke in a very low voice.
"Professor Arthur... this is the most expensive place in the entire city."
So it was that. They were worried about the expense. But I already knew it was the most expensive—but I chose it because it looked like one.
"Follow me."
I didn't say anything else and walked down the long hall toward the reception desk. Money? Why would I care about that? I had so much of it, it would rot if I didn't spend it like this.
As I reached the desk, a man in a black suit over a cream-white shirt, with a matching hat tilted to his temples, greeted us while briefly eyeing Ducas and Valerie.
"Good afternoon, Sirs. Madam."
"Please take us to your most comfortable spot. I'd prefer it to have a beautiful view, as well."
The receptionist smiled at my request and motioned for us to follow him. I walked behind him. Ducas and Valerie hesitated a little but eventually followed.
The receptionist took us to a room on the top floor. It was truly luxurious—a maroon-colored sofa with a matching table, velvet curtains, and a massive window through which the entire city was visible.
"I hope you like this room."
"It's perfect."
I entered the room with a beaming smile and went straight for the sofa. It was incredibly comfortable.
"I'll get you a menu."
The middle-aged man left to get the menu. When he did, Ducas and Valerie came inside and sat on the couch in front of me.
"Professor Arthur, is this okay?"
"Yes, Sir Arthur... we don't have to come here. It's really expensive."
"Don't worry about it."
I waved my hand dismissively. I wanted to eat at a luxurious place like this—I'd never done it before.
"It's a treat. I'm celebrating my assistant professorship with my students."
"It's too much..."
"I'm paying for it, Miss Valerie."
"Sir Arthur, you never change."
Now, what the hell is he talking about? I don't understand why they were being so difficult. I am paying for it. If I said this to someone back on Earth, they wouldn't hesitate—they'd even overcharge me.
Recalling the awkwardness of the moment, I tried to suppress the bitter smile forming on my lips.
Valerie looked at Ducas, silently asking him to explain his comment. She was curious too. Ducas was about to say something when a lady walked in with menus in her hand.
Ducas closed his mouth and sat up straight. Valerie did the same. I took the menu from the lady while making eye contact and smiled. The lady blushed slightly but returned a mature smile.
A snort—only audible to me—echoed in my ears. I broke eye contact and browsed the menu. It had an extensive list of food options—fitting for such a high-end place.
I ordered the most expensive steak dish and the most expensive wine. Ducas and Valerie chose their meals, and the lady left to bring our food.
I casually looked out of the window, enjoying the beautiful atmosphere and the view.
—Are they still nearby?
I spoke to Persephone through the chatbox. This item was really useful.
"They're not inside this hotel, but they're observing you all from the rooftop of a nearby house."
I hadn't chosen this place only for the food, but because it would be hard for anyone to follow us here. They'd have to pay to enter—even if just to pretend. And the prices here are no joke.
I looked out the window. I could see many people on the street and houses with shops spread around.
Persephone looked out as well and spoke.
"Look straight through the window. You might be able to see them."
I scanned the rooftops. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary—except one house with a chimney on top. I concluded they might be there.
Soon, the food arrived. It looked absolutely delicious—I was genuinely impressed by the careful presentation and arrangement.
+
[ The Nubecula 'Gumiho' comments: "Oh, I need to take a screenshot of this." ]
+
[ Some Nubeculas with a gourmet stomach are eyeing the food. ]
+
The food looked tempting enough to excite even the Nubeculas. I urged Ducas and Valerie to dig in. Ducas was staring at the food with his mouth slightly open, but Valerie remained her usual composed self.
We all began eating.
"Sir Arthur, please tell us about yourself."
I was sipping my wine when Valerie spoke. Ducas looked at me too, a fork halfway to his mouth. Valerie was probably curious about the man who took the position she wanted, and I had never told Ducas anything about myself either.
I spoke casually and took another sip of wine.
"I have nothing to tell. You've probably already seen my application—that's all there is."
I knew that most people had seen my application. Everyone was just that curious.
"That's hard to believe," Valerie said, gracefully taking a bite.
She didn't believe the information in my application was real—and rightly so. The form was basically blank. But maybe there was another reason, too.
"I suppose people who hide their identities would know."
I spoke while swirling the wine in my glass. As soon as I said that, a silence fell over the room. Valerie looked a little surprised, and Ducas stared at me.
"I'm not sure what you mean," Valerie replied, pretending not to understand.
I guess it was time to have that talk with the princess. I set the wine glass down and spoke with firm resolve, like I was about to strike a deal I wouldn't lose.
"Let's have a talk, Grace-Highness Miss Davison."