"Young man, you're quite something. I have high hopes for you!"
Before leaving, the Old Coachman gave Greg's shoulder a hearty pat. Wearing a subtle smile that mingled appreciation with encouragement, he delivered that remark out of nowhere.
"Huh? Um... thank you?"
The pat left Greg momentarily stunned. Although he had no idea what exactly the old man saw in him, he still nodded instinctively and thanked him.
Only after watching the Old Coachman drive his carriage away, humming an off-key tune as he disappeared contentedly down the road into the deepening dusk, did Greg turn to the three girls beside him.
Night had yet to fall completely, but lights were already beginning to twinkle throughout Glory City.
Greg cleared his throat and made a suggestion.
"It's still fairly early, so... how about I treat you to dinner at the Golden Crucible Restaurant? That would also... fulfill my promise from last time."
He meant the lavish meal he had promised outside Chloe's shop to persuade Victoria to help.
Although his solo defeat of the Death Knight had been exposed, and he could already foresee being thrust back into the center of public attention once he returned to the Academy.
That was not entirely a bad thing, however.
At the very least, as the person primarily responsible for resolving this incident, he could collect a substantial commission payment from the Academy and the city authorities.
That money would be enough to free him from his previous financial straits. For a while, at least, he would no longer have to worry about basic living expenses or magical materials.
Besides, he had already planned to check discreetly on Ellie, the maid, after returning to the city tonight, so stopping for dinner along the way would not interfere.
The only thing he needed to