When Roxy's petite figure disappeared into the shadows around the turn of the stairs.
Cui Ciyou remained standing where he was, his gaze seemingly still following that splash of aqua blue.
"One Asura gold coin a month, all room and board covered, plus 'unlimited desserts'..."
Cui Ciyou repeatedly weighed the terms he had offered in his mind.
In the original Jobless Reincarnation, Rudeus's family had hired Roxy as a private magic tutor.
They had offered five silver coins a month, plus room and board.
"She taught Rudeus magic. In this world of swords and magic, swordsmanship and magic are the most expensive skills."
"What I'm learning, though, is the comparatively niche Demon God Tongue."
By any reasonable measure, the difficulty and value of the two should have been worlds apart.
Passing on magical knowledge was far more valuable than teaching a language.
For a moment, Cui Ciyou found himself fretting over his decision.
"Did I... offer too much?"
"Could I have scared her instead? Roxy is a little sensitive because she's a demon, too."
Cui Ciyou shook his head. "Forget it. No point dwelling on it. What matters is that she stayed."
After settling Roxy into her lodgings, Cui Ciyou returned alone to the lord's mansion.
By the time he reached the mansion, it was already afternoon.
The afternoon sunlight streamed through the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing the study in warm gold.
Alice and Ghislaine were waiting for their lesson.
Unusually, Cui Ciyou was somewhat distracted throughout the afternoon.
His thoughts kept drifting uncontrollably toward... the Demon God Tongue lessons that would begin tomorrow.
Fortunately, these subtle shifts in his mood had no effect whatsoever on Alice and Ghislaine, whose nerves were thicker than steel cables and whose minds were as uncomplicated as blank paper.
The lesson ended.
When night