Chapter 15: Lion of Cigarettes
[...]
[You and Mordred used the guests as weapons, and after being discovered by Beni-Enma, both of you got scolded thoroughly.]
[But in the end, you still received your expected wages and even managed to keep your job.]
[Because after Ivan the Terrible and the Mountain King regained consciousness, they found their entire bodies stretched and completely relaxed. Perhaps it was due to being used as weapons and colliding directly with each other, their bodies ended up being "refined" instead.]
[After this chaotic episode, you gained a new understanding of the skill "A Knight Does Not Die With Empty Hands."]
[Your skill "A Knight Does Not Die With Empty Hands A" has been upgraded to "A Knight Does Not Die With Empty Hands EX" — anything in your hands can become a weapon, even performing with superior effectiveness.]
[Congratulations, you received a daily wage of 300 QP]
[You enjoyed Enma-tei's employee benefits, relaxed in the hot spring, and all the day's fatigue and weariness melted away. The negative effects of last night's late hours have been removed, and all your stats have been restored.]
[You received the temporary effect "Magic Resistance"]
The schedule of life continued to turn, moving into the evening of the same day.
After a relaxing hot spring bath and 300 QP in hand, Eikou and Mordred stepped out of Enma-tei with satisfied expressions.
"Phew, finally feel refreshed…"
Mordred, also fresh from the hot spring, had changed into a cool set of casual clothes, comfortably stretching her slender waist.
"This boss isn't bad at all, huh? Took me for a bath and even had someone bring me clean clothes. With service this thoughtful, I like it!"
"Ahaha…"
Eikou just chuckled.
Even though Mo-chan wasn't an employee here, the proprietress Beni-Enma still allowed her to use the hot spring. Partly out of kindness, and partly for the business image — if a beautiful girl covered in lubricant walked out in public, no matter how you looked at it, it would seem like some shady establishment.
"At first I thought it'd be hard labor, but who knew it'd be this fun in the end!"
Mordred grinned broadly.
"Hard labor? You were clearly having a blast. Aside from messing things up for me, what exactly did you accomplish? I hired you as a bodyguard, and in the end I almost died at your hands."
Eikou couldn't help grumbling.
"Hehe, sorry~ But you were the one who touched my boobs first."
"Whatever, at least it was more fun than working with Tristan and the others…"
He muttered.
"...This time I didn't end up in jail, didn't have to collect broken robot parts to reassemble them, and didn't even need to go to the police station to file a report. It was way too peaceful."
"What the hell did the three of you go through before..."
Mordred was stunned.
He didn't answer, instead carefully tucked the 300QP bill into his pocket, looking around as if afraid someone might be eyeing his money.
After two grueling part-time jobs, helping Babbage get a makeover, and massaging a Grand Servant, braving the wind and rain — he finally got to see real money.
"This 300QP… if you brought it to some underdeveloped Third World country, someone might seriously want to kill you for it."
"This is only enough for us to have one grilled meat meal, you know."
"Bullshit, it's got to be over half the bill at least!"
The two of them chatted as they walked in the direction of Chaldea Academy. As they passed by a convenience store, he stopped in his tracks, suddenly remembering a promise he hadn't fulfilled.
Still owed Mordred a pack of cigarettes.
"Now that I think about it, Mordred, what brand did you want to smoke?"
"Ah, Smoke Dragon will do."
"'Smoke Dragon', huh…" Eikou mumbled. "You've got some weird taste. That brand's only smoked by middle-aged uncles."
"Alright, alright, hurry up and buy it."
One minute later, Eikou stepped out of the convenience store carrying a bag, having bought two bottles of soda and two packs of Smoke Dragon cigarettes.
He took one bottle for himself, then handed the rest — the cigarettes and a soda — to Mordred.
"Here you go."
"Why'd you buy me an extra pack of cigarettes?"
Eikou scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed.
"Consider it compensation for accidentally touching you earlier."
"You…" Mordred's face suddenly turned a little red. "Saying that only makes it sound more suspicious. Now it feels like I did something shady to deserve this pack…"
"I didn't mean it that way," Eikou scratched his head again, "Haizz, just think of it as a clumsy gesture of goodwill from a virgin guy with low EQ. I always want to act gallant around girls, but I never pull it off — that's all there is to it. Being a virgin, this is the best I can do."
"...I know you've got a sharp tongue, but it seems you're even harsher on yourself."
"Self-deprecation solves a lot of problems. Using myself as a bad example doesn't offend anyone."
Eikou opened the soda bottle and took a big gulp. The ice-cold carbonation stung his throat.
"Now that I think about it, are you really okay buying cigarettes for me?"
Mordred held the two packs in her hands, a slight hesitation in her gaze.
"You're asking that now…"
"If Gawain or any of the other Knights of the Round Table find out you bought smokes for me, they might think I've corrupted you or something."
Eikou froze for a moment.
In his mind, he thought — this girl looks so carefree and open, but she's surprisingly sensitive — and in the weirdest ways, which was kind of funny.
"It's fine. In the end, this is just payment for your work. If they find out, so be it. Doesn't concern me."
"Tch, that sounds so cold."
Mordred pouted, then started fumbling with the cigarette box.
"Honestly though, I'm just some trouble Gawain dumped on you."
"..."
Eikou thought to himself: what exactly do you want? You don't want people meddling in your smoking, but you also don't want to be completely ignored.
"I just don't like interfering in other people's personal choices. Everyone has their own path. As long as you're not hurting anyone, no one has the right to say anything. Whatever you choose to do — if you can accept the outcome, then that's enough."
"..."
"Did I say something weird?"
"No, but I think I might finally get… why people like Gawain enjoy hanging out with you."
"Why?"
Mordred lit a cigarette, exhaling lazily as she spoke:
"It's just kinda comfortable being around you."
[You feel a sense of goodwill from Mordred.]
[Your relationship has clearly grown closer.]
[Through your interactions with Mordred, you've learned some of her unique traits.]
[You have acquired a new skill: "Lion of Cigarettes C."]
["Lion of Cigarettes C" – Temporarily stimulates the nervous system, helps with alertness, but may negatively affect sleep quality for the day.]