Chapter 110: Zani's Composure
"Speaking of which, Zani, there's a question I've been meaning to ask since earlier."
"Mhm, go ahead."
"How did you open my door?"
"..."
"It's really creepy when you go silent at times like this, you know!"
After Aeron, Cartethyia, and Phoebe finished cleaning up the room that reeked of seafood, Aeron, as promised, went out with Zani.
Phoebe hurried back to the Order, saying, "I need to go prepare for senior's matters!"
As for Cartethyia... given the current situation in Ragunna, Aeron decided to let her stay at his place for the time being.
Montelli was busy consolidating the current state of affairs, the Order was undergoing restructuring, Fisalia had to juggle both sides, and the Rover was dutifully fulfilling her role as the "King," opening up the once-isolated Ragunna to the world with the help of Huanglong and the Black Shores.
Everyone had their own things to keep them busy, it seemed.
As for Little Carte, given her current status as the Blessed Maiden = unemployed, Aeron chose to let her stay at his home for now.
The reason was simple: to prevent the Fractsidus from causing trouble.
The water and electricity issues in the house had been resolved, so living normally wasn't a problem.
From a safety perspective, although Aeron didn't know who could threaten her, he arranged for "Arsène" to stay in Cartethyia's shadow. If anything happened, Aeron would be the first to know.
As for Aeron himself, naturally, after taking a shower, he came to fulfill his promise to Zani.
"Damn, what's the occasion today? The city is so lively, it's like New Year's."
"After all, Ragunna just went through such a major event, and with the involvement of the Black Shores and Huanglong, people probably haven't fully come down from the excitement yet."
As Zani said, first, the truth hidden by the Order for years was revealed during Carnevale, Avinoleum saw the light of day again, the Threnodian was defeated, and even the Sky Sea was torn open.
On top of that, it seemed to coincide with a certain festival in Huanglong. Under the lingering atmosphere of Carnevale, the entire Ragunna was enveloped in a joyous mood.
After who knows how many years of silence, the Echoes nation of Rinascita, this city-state full of art and romance, finally looked as it should.
"Not used to it?" Zani walked beside him, her voice low, meant only for him to hear.
"A little," Aeron admitted honestly. "But I was never one for crowds anyway."
Zani didn't comment, just leaned closer, slipping her arm through the crook of his elbow, her palm naturally resting against his forearm.
"It's crowded, wouldn't want to get separated."
"So I said I'm not some problem child anymore..."
In response to Aeron's reply, Zani merely curled the corner of her lips slightly and led him into the bustling street ahead.
Clearly, Zani already had a destination in mind. Her pace was neither fast nor slow, and she soon guided Aeron to a meticulously decorated shop.
In the display window were exquisite gift boxes, their deep brown sheen particularly enticing under the lights.
"...Since when did you develop a craving for chocolate?"
"Just a whim."
With that, Zani, still holding onto Aeron, walked into the shop.
And then Aeron's worldview was utterly shaken.
What did it mean that even the cheapest ones cost three digits? Damn it, these days even chocolate could cost a fortune.
But what truly stunned him was Zani's seamless, effortless air as she paid.
Finally, Aeron couldn't help but ask the question.
"...Just how high is your salary?"
"Enough to keep you fed." Zani unwrapped the beautifully packaged chocolate and handed it to Aeron.
"Here."
"Haha, I don't eat sweets—mmph."
Before Aeron could finish, Zani had already stuffed the chocolate into his mouth.
The rich aroma of cocoa melted on his tongue, slightly bitter at first, then immediately followed by a silky sweetness, with the mellow texture of crushed nuts.
But Aeron felt as if a gold brick had been shoved into his mouth.
How can I compare to her? She eats KFC without even checking what day it is.
"How is it?"
"It's... just a bit painful to think about."
Hearing Aeron's reply, Zani let out a soft "heh," then, before he could react, naturally raised her hand and brought the chocolate he had bitten to her own lips.
Right where the clear teeth marks were, she took a bite.
Aeron: Holy crap, is it really that expensive that we have to share it?
Zani quickly noticed Aeron's gaze, licked the chocolate from the corner of her mouth, then wrapped up the remaining half and put it away.
"Let's go, next store."
"There's another one?"
"It's rare to have a day off," Zani's reason was simple. She took Aeron's arm again, not with much force, but as everyone knows, a Resonator only needs to exert a little strength to make it impossible for him to break free.
"Or do you not even want to spend time with your own girlfriend?"
"As long as you don't use those three words to guilt-trip me too often..."
Aeron's somewhat resigned grumbling earned him Zani tightening her grip on his arm a little more.
"Using them occasionally," she turned her face to look at him, the morning light casting a warm hue in her red pupils, "is that not allowed?"
"Allowed, of course it's allowed." Aeron raised his hands in surrender. "You call the shots."
Only then did Zani loosen her grip slightly, satisfied, but her hand remained linked with his. The two continued walking forward like this, passing through the bustling streets, feeling strangely detached from the surrounding noise.
Then, Aeron witnessed Zani's formidable purchasing power.
"Another PB limited edition, plus MB, and such a huge box of PG—you really spend money recklessly!"
Carrying several large bags, both in size and weight far beyond what he had imagined, Aeron was almost at his limit.
"That's one thing, but whether I have it or not is another. After all, these things have time limits. If you don't get them when you want them most, it's meaningless."
"Then I suggest you send these things to me and let me play with them for you."
"If you move in with me, you can do whatever you want with them."
"Uh... I'll think about it."
Finally, as the two talked, they gradually moved away from the noisy main road.
Aeron still knew exactly where this path led.
"First, can you tell me why we're going to your place?"
"Huh? You want me to carry such heavy things back all by myself?"
"Isn't that easy for you?!"
But there was no helping it. Aeron still walked with Zani along this familiar path back to her home.
Although he missed the chance last time, after taking another look now, Aeron couldn't help but marvel—the benefits at this big corporation were truly impressive.
Sigh, if only he had known earlier, he would have obediently backed down instead of returning to this underpaid, overworked Order.
Zani seemed to have noticed Aeron's thoughts.
"Coincidentally, Miss Carlotta has been meaning to transfer you to Montelli's side. What do you say?"
"Then please lay the groundwork for her with 'this guy says he only wants to stay in the Order' kind of thing."
"Pushing the troublesome tasks onto me again."
"But it's the kind of troublesome task only you can handle."
"Fine, I'll agree to help you this one more time."
The furnishings in the room hadn't changed much since his last visit, still excessively tidy, except for a few unopened cardboard boxes in the corner of the living room—likely recent purchases that hadn't been unpacked yet, the "spoils of war."
Aeron carefully placed the pile of model boxes on the empty floor by the entrance, rubbing his sore arms. Zani, meanwhile, calmly took off her coat, hung it up, and changed into a beige sweater in the bedroom.
"Alright, would you like something to dr—"
"Ah, I'm not thirsty or hungry, and the temperature is just fine as it is!"
No matter what, at least today Aeron didn't want to do those things again!
"Don't worry, I'm not here for that kind of thing today."
"Weren't you the most enthusiastic and intense about it before?"
"That was because the pressure was too high, and I needed to vent somehow."
While answering Aeron's question, she walked over to the sofa and sat down. She didn't sit right next to him but found a spot at the other end of the sofa, leaning slightly to the side, legs curled up, her tail naturally resting on the sofa between them.
"Tired?"
"Not too bad," Aeron said. "Just my arms are a bit sore."
"Self-inflicted," Zani said flatly, though the tip of her tail lifted slightly and tapped his arm. "Who told you to overdo it yesterday?"
"...Can you really blame me for that?"
"You bear most of the responsibility," Zani turned her face to look at him, her red eyes carrying a hint of amusement. "After all, not refusing is the same as agreeing—that's the rule in the world."
"Even if I refused, it wouldn't mean they'd agree..."
"So you deserve it," Zani concluded, though her tail shifted a little closer to him, its soft tip unconsciously brushing against the back of his hand.
"Now, keep me company for a while?"
"As you wish," Aeron resignedly leaned back into the sofa, the soreness in his arms making him decide to take it easy today.
And so, on Zani's sofa, two overworked employees began to enjoy a rare day off (though one of them hadn't even started working yet).
Lying on the sofa during a day off, doing nothing but watching TV... Aeron truly couldn't remember how many years it had been since he last experienced something like this.
The flickering light from the TV screen illuminated the dim living room, playing a recently released movie... though no one was really watching, serving merely as background noise.
"Speaking of which, I'm surprised Carlotta actually approved your leave, especially at a time like this."
"According to Miss Carlotta, ever since the incident with Capollo, someone has been causing me no end of trouble, so she wants me to take this opportunity to relax properly."
"Why doesn't she ever show that kind of consideration for me..."
"You can't say that. At the very least, we've both witnessed the young lady's growth."
"If only she could keep it up."
Just as the two were chatting idly, Aeron suddenly felt a cool, gentle touch on the back of his hand.
Looking down, it was Zani's tail.
The tail, with its arrow-shaped tip, had quietly slithered over at some point. The tip first rested lightly on the back of his hand.
Seeing he didn't pull away, it grew bolder, coiling around his wrist—once, then again—loosely encircling it. The arrow-shaped tip lightly, almost imperceptibly, brushed against the skin on the inside of his wrist.
The sensation was peculiar—not entirely soft, with a slight resilience and a faint coolness.
"...Hmm."
"Someone wouldn't let me touch him, so I'm just checking his condition this way."
As Zani spoke, her tail continued upward from Aeron's wrist, gliding over his forearm. Through his shirt sleeve, the tip gently tapped a spot on his upper arm.
Exactly where someone had bitten him yesterday, leaving a faint mark.
Then, Zani's tail stopped. The coiling tightened slightly, but it wasn't uncomfortable.
"Still, you seem to be in good spirits."
"To be honest, that level of trouble is nothing compared to back at Porto-Veno Castle..."
"Then it seems you still need more training."
"Did you miss the sarcasm in my words?"
Zani turned her face slightly, her red pupils revealing a hint of amusement and relaxation.
She didn't speak, only slowly loosened her tail. The tip slid down his arm and finally settled in his open palm, nuzzling gently.
"By the way, does the 'Nightwalker of Flame Light' still need to patrol at night these days?"
"Not since you told me to rest that night. But I didn't expect you to go out and do such things in the middle of the night."
Earlier, to heighten the atmosphere during Carnevale, Aeron had spent several nights disguised as a so-called "evil spirit," playing tricks to scare people.
To avoid being caught by his own allies, he had asked Zani to rest for a few nights—though in the end, Rover still managed to catch him.
"So... what are your plans after this?"
"Why does everyone ask the same question... Didn't I already say? I'll obediently stay in the Order as that ordinary priest."
Clearly, Aeron's answer didn't satisfy Zani. The tail coiled around his hand changed direction, gently wrapping around his neck.
"You know perfectly well you can't hide anything from me—"
"That's why I'm saying, I'm really not hiding anything from you."
Before Zani could finish, Aeron anticipated and interrupted her.
"Threnodians can't be killed, just like those internet idols who disappeared over a decade ago—they might accidentally win a comeback match."
Unlike the original course of events, here, Leviathan was defeated by Aeron himself and was never contained by the Black Shores.
Having fought hard for this peace, Aeron didn't want it disturbed.
So, he would still need to devote some effort to this matter.
"Like I said before, the Order needs me, and I need the Order to keep an eye on Leviathan. It's as simple as that."
"Hmph—"
Upon hearing Aeron's response, Zani simply let out a long sigh, realizing that everything she had just said had been in vain.
Having spent so many years with Aeron, Zani knew he wasn't the type to sit idle... in every sense of the word.
But then again... it didn't matter. There would always be a way to pull him back.
Aeron quickly realized this wasn't a topic for a vacation conversation and steered the discussion elsewhere.
"Those are matters for later. Tomorrow, I have something more important to do."
No matter what, Aeron had to do this, especially after what happened last night.
"Oh? That's the first time I've heard you say something like that. Tell me more?"
"...I'm going to make someone pay for my kidneys!"