"This seems like an expensive shop…" I spoke, looking at the shop, which was a two-story building with glass windows. Anyone passing by could tell that all the bottles lined up on the shelves were costly.
"I want to get some of Souma wines, but they are already sold out, so this is the second-best shop." Loki pulls the gate open and enters, without looking back, she hurries out to one of the shelves while I follow behind her.
"For f*ck sakes, Loki! Stop putting your hands on these expensive ones! And choose one that I can buy for you, don't you already know how broke I am?!" I saw her putting her hands on a bottle of wine with the price tag going into millions.
"Oh, c'mon, don't be such a cheapskate, Arin-kun. It's your big day, you know?" She replied, while I grabbed her hands, lifting the bottle.
"I said, choose a cheaper one, you drunkard!"
"You are so ungrateful, Arin-kun! It's just one bottle!"
"And that one bottle costs as much as my sword's monthly instalment!"
And just when we were bantering and searching through the shop, trying to find a good, cheap wine, we heard someone calling out to Loki.
"Ara, Loki? What a coincidence," Both Loki and I turn to see a woman wearing a cloak standing there.
"Coincidence, my a*s, have you become a stalker now, Freya?" Loki gave a snarky remark, revealing the identity of the woman in the cloak, which I already guessed as Ottarl was standing next to her.
He really is a tank of a man, although I am decently tall myself, but his massive frame still created a shadow over me.
When I looked up at Ottarl, he gave a slight bow, which I replied to with a nod. Guess he remembers me saving his a*s, I thought, and turned my attention back to the two goddesses conversing.
"Oh, wait, you have always been a stalker, haven't you?" Hearing Loki's remark didn't faze Freya as she replied.
"My, I don't know what you are talking about. I just came here for some fine wines to celebrate with my familia." She finished and turned her head towards me, "and I happened to see someone whom I wished to meet for a while now." Saying that she removed her hood, showing her face.
"And why is that so?" Hearing my response, I noticed her cool expression slightly shifted to one of surprise. I don't know what kind of reaction she was expecting.
I mean, sure, she was beautiful; there is no doubt about that, but that was it.
"Hehehe," Loki giggled from the side, "Didn't I tell you? You beauty won't be able to faze him, now get down from your high horses–"
"Anyway, you didn't answer why you wanted to meet me?" Seeing Loki going on her usual antics, I had to divert her attention back; otherwise, she would keep on going like a madman.
"Oh, I just wanted to thank you for helping Otarrl during his encounter with Glutton." Freya brought back her composed look and answered.
"Don't worry about it. We were all on the same side. So it was a natural action on my part." After all, Ottarl was the best bet against an opponent like Zald. I still can't think how we would have defeated him without Ottarl, maybe Finn and Gareth would have to team up against him to even have a chance against him.
"Even so, I am still thankful. Thank you for your help, Arin Kael."
I really don't need any thanks, but it's not a bad idea either if Freya Familia owes me one.
"Okay then, I accept your thanks." I said, turning to look at Loki, "Now, Loki, have you chosen which one you want yet?"
"I am trying, it's not easy to get a good one at this price, you broke ba*tard!"
"Fu*k you, Loki! Try saying that when you have a debt of several hundred million valis!"
Freya, seeing neither I nor Loki was interested in any further conversation, simply walked away.
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"By the way, I heard that this time the Elgia festival will be a little different than usual," Loki and I made some small talk as both of us walked towards our home.
"Hm?" Loki, who was rubbing her face with that crazy expensive wine bottle, made a strange noise. "Oh, yup, as you know, Elgia is… basically a festival to mourn and honor the heroes who fought in the past for mankind."
"Yeah, I know, but this time it will also be to bring life to the city, right?" I added, looking at the people making preparations for the festival.
"Yup, usually the festival would start in the evening, people will put flowers in front of the heroes' monument all over the city, and no magic lamp will be used in the night, and the festival will go on until sunrise, people will sing and dance in the central park." She stopped and took a breath,
"But this time the festival will start with the sunrise and end at sunrise as well."
"So it will be pretty much like any other festival then?"
"Yes, there will be stalls of different kinds with all kinds of fun activity," Loki turned her head towards me and gave me a smirk, "But it's such a bummer that you won't be able to chase those
girls' skirts, isn't it?"
"You don't have to remind me of that again and again."
Putting the words she used aside, it is true I won't be able to spend some time with them at a special festival like this. Mainly because our allied familia will be working with Ganesha familia as patrol guards on the day of the festival.
But at least I have something special planned with Ryuu, so it's not all bad.
Before long, we reached the twilight mansion, and Loki walked ahead with her steps skipping along the ground. Surely excited to have a taste of the premium wine.
"Welcome back," We found Riveria walking through the hallway. She called out to us, seeing Loki jumping on her steps.
"We are home," I replied while Loki, still rubbing her face with the bottle of wine, called out.
"See, see Mama Riveria!" Said Loki, pushing the wine bottle forward, "Arin bought me this rare wine! He is so easy, I just cried a little, and he bought me this expensive wine! I am going to get drunk tonight!" She said and hurried off to her room, without waiting for any reply.
Riveria sighed, looking at the disappearing form of Loki, and turned back to face me. "You don't have to spoil her like that, Arin. You could have bought a slightly cheaper one, and she would have been happy with that."
"Nah, it's fine, Loki has gone through a lot because of me, it was the least I could do." She truly had helped me a lot, especially with me going rogue and all.
" ...If you say so,"
"Are the others already gone?" I asked, not seeing the other girls with her.
"No, they are in the garden, I was going there as well, do you want to join us?" Riveria suggested, I hesitated a little, thinking they might be doing what they call 'Girls talk', but still decided to join them, since if that was the case, Riveria wouldn't have invited me.
"Yes, sure, let's go."
And so, I spent the evening with the girls until the stars started shining in the sky, and we decided to go back inside.