Volume 8 - Chapter 24 – Invitation (1/2)
08-24 Invitation
The lake Azul is located at the west side of Celuroa Kingdom’s capital Esaia, and it is from this huge lake that the river Azul flows out of.
Along with the eastern river Torres, Esaia has what amounts to a natural moat.
Of course, there being no bridges, these rivers must be crossed using boats.
Consequently, just like in Tellurs, to cross the river one must reserve a boat and wait for three to four days.
Reinhardt –who had parted from Jin and Elsa– had on the 10th of April been stopped on the checking station, then on the 11th of April he had arrived at Dali and ended up waiting for a boat.
And then on the next day, Reinhardt had gone sightseeing around Dali.
“Oh my, Reinhardt-sama.”
A voice called out to Reinhardt who turned around to find the charming bronze-haired and reddish-brown eyed Celuroa Kingdom’s foremost Magi Craftsman, Stearina Gamma.
“Well, look here. Stearina-dono.”
Reinhardt greeted her and Stearina glared at him with upturned eyes.
“My my, hearing such formal language from you makes me feel truly lonely.”
Despite her seductive gestures Reinhardt wasn’t perturbed.
“Oh, please excuse me, Stearina-san”
“Hmm, you are forgiven.”
Stearina said, then looked around restlessly at the surroundings, then asked Reinhardt.
“You’re by yourself today? Not with Jin-kun?”
“Yeah, Jin’s doing something off on his own for a while.”
Reinhardt answered a bit obscurely. Hearing that, Stearina’s face fell and she spoke.
“Is that the case? That’s a bit unfortunate. I really wanted to have a good talk with him.”
With a sarcastic laugh Reinhardt said,
“Sorry, but you’ll have to do with me.”
Stearina then laughed and took a bow towards Reinhardt.
“I’m kidding, Reinhardt-sama. Are you free today? If you’ve got some time, won’t you keep company with me?”
Reinhardt didn’t have any particular plans so he agreed.
“Sure. Do you know anywhere interesting?”
“Ehehe, you can look forward to it.”
Stearina said and smoothly entangled her left arm with Reinhardt’s right one, and they began walking like that.
“Come on in.”
Where Sterina guided Reinhardt was an ordinary house.
A two-storey stone house, you could call it standard for Celuroa Kingdom. The windows were cut out to be on the larger side, and one part of the windows were fitted with glass.
Behind the house was a waterway, apparently connected to the river Azul.
“This is my second home.”
Stearina’s main house was on the other side of river Azul, but apparently she had loaned a house here as returning to the capital would always require a wait of three to four days.
“I use it more than 50 days a year, so it’s cheaper than an inn.”
She said and opened the door, showing Reinhardt in.
“Welcome back, young lady.”
An automata that looked like a butler past his middle age came to greet them.
“I’m back. Zafio, we’ve got guests so please take care of things. Also, stop calling me young lady.”
“As you wish, young lady.”
The Automata said and seemingly went off to do something, disappearing into the back of the house.
“Come on!”
Apparently the butler Automata was called Zafio.
“Good grief. No matter how many times I tell him he keeps calling me a young lady, even though I’m already an aunt in my thirties, right?”
However, Reinhardt shook his head and,
“No no, Stearina-san is still a young lady, for sure.”
He said.
The reason Zafio kept calling her young lady was surely because of his technical specifications. Stearina had programmed him that way so he could do nothing else. That’s how Reinhardt saw through the situation.
He saw through it, and on top of that managed to flirt with Stearina,.
“Oh my, oh my, you flatter me. I wonder if Reinhardt-sama is experienced with wooing women, unlike Jin-kun?”