Chapter 41

As Aike thought, she entered the game interface, and suddenly found that the environment had turned into paper-cut figures from the game surrounding the protagonist and setting off fireworks. The game's official also sent an email with a birthday gift, stating that it was both a game and companionship.

"Oh, so it's my game protagonist's birthday today. That's great."

Today was the birthday Aike had set, which was why there was this special cutscene. However, it wasn't actually her birthday; she had just set it casually.

"It's so boring, though. These aren't my Prince Charming, just a bunch of fakes."

Perhaps seeing the game characters find their 'true love' made the golden-haired girl simply shut it down and uninstall it.

"I'm only not bothered to take care of things because my Prince Charming, who is worth taking care of, hasn't appeared. If he did, hehe..." the girl muttered to herself, closing her eyes and covering her face with one hand while stroking her hair with the other.

"So annoying, so annoying, so annoying... Whatever, I should find some time to meet that Novia my father mentioned. After all, if someone falls in love with me at first sight, I should just reject them directly to their face~"

Within a few seconds, Aike opened her eyes. Her clear eyes were now shining with an endearing light. She stood up, stabbed the remaining cake with a fork, and forcefully shoved it into her mouth. While chewing with her mouth full, she downed the rest of the black tea in one go.

"I'll let him treat me to a meal. It's the price for hearing my beautiful voice reject him. Anyway, he wouldn't reject it, and I'm sure he'll never forget my beautiful voice~"

075: Sajyo Aike: Unwanted emotions began to sprout in her heart

It was noon in Bucharest. In the two weeks since Novia had returned, his impression was that the sun always shone on every corner of the city. The buildings along the streets looked a bit brighter under the sunlight, and it was rare to see misty, damp weather.

He had originally planned to leave today, but Sajyo Hiroki called him, wanting to meet again, which caused the delay.

Now, he was walking into the appointed restaurant. As soon as he entered, he was greeted by a spacious and luxurious lobby. The high ceiling was decorated with exquisite chandeliers, and their soft light illuminated the entire space. The walls were adorned with oil paintings that looked very expensive.

Novia scanned the meticulously arranged restaurant seating and naturally spotted the location Sajyo Hiroki had mentioned on the phone, as well as the golden-haired girl sitting there looking very relaxed.

As he expected, Sajyo Hiroki wanted him to go on a blind date with this thirty-seven-year-old 'beautiful girl,' Sajyo Aike. He could tell how worried her parents were about their troublesome daughter who was almost forty.

However, as Novia approached, Sajyo Aike seemed to see him walking over. Strangely, she didn't greet him. Instead, she stood up and walked quickly and elegantly towards the restroom.

Was this a hasty retreat? Or did she eat too much? Or was there some other reason?

Novia sat down with some confusion, looking out the window. Beyond the thick glass was a street with people coming and going. He had hoped to participate in a subspecies Holy Grail War today, perhaps to summon Nero or Melusine.

After all, there was still some time before the U.S. Holy Grail War began, so he could only consider the subspecies first.

The destination was Kouhaku's labyrinth, or rather, a part of it. The place occupied by a Vampire Species, not a Dead Apostle, known as "Wolfgang Faust," was the Alcatraz Seventh Labyrinth, which was known in the mage world as the "labyrinth that devours all intruders."

The reason it was called that in the mage world was because this ancient Vampire Species was continuously holding subspecies Holy Grail Wars there, using the spiritual cores of the four Servants summoned each time as experiments, attempting to elevate its own rank and become a Spirit Species, that is, a materialized nature, a Star Touch.

"...Is that magecraft? What level of enchantment magecraft is it? To be able to enchant me?"

At this moment, by the mirror in the restaurant's restroom, Sajyo Aike was continuously stroking her cheeks, as if observing whether her facial contours and touch were covered with some unknown magical power.

Otherwise—

How could she have blushed involuntarily in front of someone she was meeting for the first time due to her own rudeness, feeling so guilty that she wished she could find a hole to crawl into?

What should I do, what should I do? No matter what, it's actually working, isn't it? Isn't it? Ugh, I don't know...

Now, the golden-haired girl felt even more guilty when she thought about her intentions before coming. After all, she had ordered every single dish and planned to happily reject him, and then have fun with her friend Sereni about it. Her father had said he fell in love with her at first sight... but now it wasn't impossible.

But how could she say it? This person her father introduced to her was overwhelmingly different from her imagination, not in terms of appearance or magical aura, but in a kind of spontaneous mindset. What kind of feeling was that? Aike didn't think it was necessarily an indescribable affection, because she now naturally understood the true meaning of this emotion—

If I were to have children, I would definitely let this person be their teacher, and then... if he could kill me, that would be the best!

What...

For the first time meeting someone, I've already thought about having children, their future education, and the end of their relationship, just like those people online?

Without time to think further, Sajyo Aike only wanted this person her father called 'in love at first sight' to fall even more in love with her.

Novia, Novia, that's really a good name, a beautiful name, a handsome name. This name is truly born to suit this person. Just saying it is so interesting. Even if he listens to the annoying, ah no, sacred scriptures of his religion every day by his side, it must be extremely interesting.

"No, no, although it's a bit late now, I still have to do my best, no, the best compensation! Novia, Novia..."

As she said this, the golden-haired girl took a deep breath to alleviate her shame, making a grasping gesture in the air with her right hand.

Then, a magical light, visible only to mages, appeared at her fingertips. In less than a second, a crystal about ten centimeters in diameter appeared in Aike's palm. This was not created from nothing, but a high-density magic crystal formed by gathering the great source mana in the air.

In the mage world, even an extremely skilled mage would take several days to create such a large crystal, but for this girl, it only took a blink of an eye.

The reason she did this was merely to repair her undeniably decadent appearance, which had been accumulating from staying up for ten consecutive nights, and the messiness of her hair, which hadn't been tidied for days and nights...

After spending a long half-minute quickly tidying herself up, Sajyo Aike returned to her original seat with an elegant gait. Before coming, she had even paid for the meal that she had originally intended for Novia to pay for with her own money.

Honestly, if it weren't for the lack of a suitable reason, Sajyo Aike would have wanted Novia to taste her cooking instead of this unpalatable restaurant food. She wished he would always eat what she made.

"Hello, Novia, I am Sajyo Aike."

The girl said this with her back to the midday light. At this moment, her voice sounded even cuter than usual, accompanied by slightly shy gestures. Her carefully arranged hair was so soft that even sunlight could easily pass through it. Against the backdrop of her jade-colored dress, she looked like a flower blooming in radiance.

If Novia hadn't learned from Sajyo Hiroki that Sajyo Aike was actually thirty-seven years old, he probably would have mistakenly thought she was only in her teens, as her appearance was too deceptive.

"Um..." Sajyo Aike said with a shy smile, "Because I don't know your preferences, I've ordered all the dishes. The quantity might be a bit much, but don't worry, you won't have to worry about it, because this is what I should do. Feel free to eat as much as you want, and it's okay if you can't finish it."

The girl then lowered her head and said softly:

"Also, after we finish eating here, can I invite you to my house for dinner today? I'll cook myself."

076: I can go with you too...

"No, that's not possible."

"...I'm very sorry."

When Novia refused without hesitation, the golden-haired girl lowered her eyes like a child being scolded by an adult. Her shy voice gradually became smaller, her gaze shifted, and her expression grew more somber.

Sajyo Aike's displeasure wasn't because Novia refused her, but rather directed at herself.

She really regretted it. She had intended to meet him the very next day, but because she couldn't be bothered to make much effort, she ended up delaying for nearly half a month before finally meeting him. Now, she truly regretted it. Was it because she had put it off for so long that he disliked her?

Would he misunderstand her as ill-tempered and lazy, not a lady, and therefore dislike her? She really wanted to go back and scold her past self.

However, it wasn't impossible to take things slowly. If not today, then tomorrow, the day after... Ugh, no, she had to find a way to have Novia eat her cooking within three days and figure out his preferences.

"If my earlier words caused you any displeasure, I am truly very sorry."

Sajyo Aike looked up, her sparkling eyes gazing directly at Novia.

There was something about Aike's expression that always made Novia feel as if she were deliberately putting it on for him. It made him feel that this young girl was so poor at controlling her true feelings, stirring an involuntary sense of pity within him.

But this also made Novia understand one thing: it seemed he really had been 'love at first sight' for this girl. Novia wouldn't dwell on the origin of her feelings; he just needed to accept the purest part of it.

So, it was better to explain the specific situation to avoid her becoming suspicious and causing any messy trouble. If a few smiles and words could put someone at ease, he naturally wouldn't hesitate.

"Actually, I haven't felt any displeasure towards you, Sajyo Aike—"

"Can you just call me Aike? I don't like... you calling me that."

The thirty-seven-year-old Aike delicately touched her cheek with her fingertips, her cheeks flushed with a slight blush, a hint of melancholy in her expression.

"Aike, I wasn't displeased by your words. I am very happy to have received your promise, my lady. However, I will be leaving Romania for a few days for some business."

He smiled at the girl again. As a sign of his 'agreement,' the girl could not detect any falseness in his eyes or words, nor would she ever think such a thing.

"Speaking of which..." Aike fiddled with her fingers, looking up slightly with a troubled expression, "Novia, you're a Mage too, right? What you do might involve getting hurt. Such actions are too dangerous. It would be bad if something happened to injure you."

This was not only information Aike had learned from her father, Sajyo Hiroki, but also because she had casually glanced at the magical state set up in her father's car and found it had indeed been breached by some unknown magical power. At that time, her mindset was, "Oh, quite a strong Mage."

But now, it was, "Although he's strong, he could still get hurt, so he shouldn't be running around. He should wait by my side until the child is born and then I'll educate him personally."

Then, before Novia could reply, Sajyo Aike eagerly continued:

"My father said you fell in love with me at first sight. That's true, isn't it..."

The phone call from Sajyo Hiroki was for me to come out and chat with him again. He hadn't even told me your name or shown me your picture.

Novia felt that this father was eager for his notoriously troublesome thirty-seven-year-old eldest daughter to quickly find someone she found pleasing to the eye, settle down, and stop her diligent younger sister at the Clock Tower from having to fix the messes she created.

"Well..."

"I think that must be true, because—" Before Novia could snap back to attention, Aike's slightly flushed face was already close to him, her eyes narrowing adorably like a young animal's. "I think the same way. This is truly wonderful."

The girl's thought was, 'If I were to have children, I would definitely want this person to be their teacher' – meaning she wanted to have children with Novia and for them to be their teachers. 'And then... if he could kill me, that would be the best!' – meaning she was willing to live her entire life like this, the spiritual emptiness and icy void of her existence like that of an undead had vanished.

In other words, he was truly everything.

Seeing this, Novia knew that if he just nodded gently, Sajyo Aike would reappear in the world with her elegant 'ladylike' demeanor...

But he still felt that Sajyo Aike, who had been able to freely exercise 'goodness' over the years, was the good child. Her mother's protection had been exhausted due to Aike's birth, which is why she had quickly passed away after giving birth to Ayaka.

However, in this world, her mother had miraculously survived. It was likely that even though the girl felt 'cold' towards everything, even towards her own blood, she had eventually chosen 'goodness.'

Aike, meaning a beautiful song praising love, was a name that represented the love of Sajyo's parents for her.

This girl, who had never shown emotion since childhood, was like a doll. Even so, Sajyo's parents raised her with love, unlike typical Mages in this regard.

Countless times they spoke to their child, caressed her face and fingers, and turned all the love they wanted to give into words, speaking them to their child as if the child who was alive while they were dying—

Even if young Aike was described this way by other Mages, these parents never cared. Even though she had eyes that seemed to see through everything and terrifying magical talent, and received no response, her parents loved their child as always, never treating her like a doll.

Therefore—

"No, I didn't actually fall in love with you at first sight, Aike. Perhaps this is a small misunderstanding... However, well, I do really like you, Aike, and I'm incredibly happy that you've fallen in love with me at first sight."

Novia showed no shyness or impatience towards the girl standing so close, but rather looked directly into her light and clear eyes.

"So, Aike, can you wait for me here and be at ease? If you stay as you are now, I think I'll like you more and more. That's the truth."

"...Like... but, but, I... like..."

It would be a lie to say Aike's mood wasn't affected by not receiving the confirmation of 'love at first sight.' She felt a slight sense of disappointment, but Novia's words of 'like' made Sajyo Aike's body heat up intensely, as if she couldn't bear the loneliness. Her cute tone was now slightly distorted.

"If you're going somewhere, I can go with you too! And I'll absolutely make sure you don't have to worry. Can you take me with you..."

077: The Story of the Fickle Pope Deceiving the Pure-Hearted Young Director

In a certain research laboratory at the Atlas Institute, a faint smoky substance was floating near the doorway. This smoke was invisible to those without keen spiritual sight, and it was a magical barrier set up by the personnel of the Atlas Institute present.

"Oh my, so it's a Vampire Species causing trouble. I really didn't expect that. How amazing."

A purple-haired girl, wearing an Atlas Institute uniform, a hat without a brim, and with three long braids trailing down to her waist, finished speaking these words with a blank expression before crumpling the note with this information from the table and tossing it directly into the trash can.

"Even though I'm also a Vampire Species, you're showing me this kind of trivial matter? Do you really think I'm some kind of emergency firefighter? Besides, I'm not from the Clock Tower. How can the future Director be casually ordered around like this?" The girl, whose true name was Shion Elnatan Atlastraxia, continued to talk to herself expressionlessly, her legs propped up on the chair. "The Clock Tower should handle their own affairs. I don't need to go."

Just moments ago, Shion, who was busy with research, inexplicably received a piece of paper with information about the demonic den 'Alcatraz Seventh Labyrinth.'

The infamous 'Alcatraz Seventh Labyrinth' was filled with countless dangers on every floor: Mythological Species, Chimera, Automata, deadly traps, or barriers. It was truly endless. Even though many adventurers had attempted to challenge it, none had survived, and even Mages dispatched directly by the Mage's Association could not conquer it.

Now, a Vampire Species had set up a Lesser Holy Grail at the very bottom of this labyrinth and initiated a ritual, automatically summoning four familiars to the site.

To be precise, Shion wasn't uninterested in a Pseudo-Holy Grail War. But the moment she saw it was an automatic summoning, her motivation vanished. After all, she still had Holy Relics she wanted to use. She was somewhat curious if she could summon that person.

Because when she entered the Atlas Institute to study in her early years, she rightfully obtained the top grades through her own talent, thus being granted the surname Atlastraxia, the mark of the next Director...

But at that very moment, a stone suddenly flew from somewhere and landed in her hand along with what seemed to be well-preserved food.

Shion was absolutely certain she'd never seen this ordinary-looking stone or the half-eaten traditional Egyptian pastry before. Yet, at that moment, she felt an overwhelming urge to cry, as if a wish had been born in her heart – a feeling she'd never experienced since her own birth.

This forced the ceremony to be rushed to a close, preventing everyone at the Atlas Institute from seeing the usually competitive, purple-haired girl weeping uncontrollably. Afterward, her eyes were red from crying.

It wasn't until the next day that she learned these two items were "treasures" left behind by an Atlas Institute Director from the first century. This director seemed to be the earliest person in the institute's history to receive a tutor, a position Shion herself only attained at the age of eight.

Out of curiosity, Shion naturally searched the institute for information about this director, named Shiyali. She discovered that besides being a true genius, Shiyali belonged to the Elnatan family, just like herself, using the Aether Lines as magecraft. In other words, Shiyali was practically her ancestor.

Maybe because I've become so outstanding, Director Shiyali deliberately left these things for me, two thousand years in the future. I absolutely cannot fail her expectations.

With this mindset, Shion became increasingly absorbed in her research, no longer caring that she was alone.

Then one day, while casually taking out the stone to study its craftsmanship, she accidentally triggered something. A voice followed, sounding exactly like her own. Before this, the purple-haired girl had never imagined that this stone, besides its exquisite craftsmanship, could also record sound.

However, this unexpected joy was soon brutally shattered. After listening, Shion had never felt so enraged—

"Novia, there's something I want to tell you. Even if you might say you don't need it, I still want to say it to you… Congratulations on achieving your goal, you're amazing, and I'm truly looking forward to meeting you again."

"You didn't hear it… Why? Why can't you use it…"

Shion knew that Novia was the first Pope of the Church in the first century, but did he have this kind of relationship with the Director?

While her reason urged her to stay calm, an inexplicable displeasure continued to bubble up. Out of confusion, she secretly used the Psychic Calculation Device · Trismegistus Hermes to inquire about this legendary person who went to heaven – did he truly go to heaven, and what kind of person was he?

The result—

I always knew I'd be searched for someday. As expected, I'm so glad. In any case, thank you for knowing my name. I wish you good luck.