The sun finally rose.
After the long night, golden light once again spread across the earth.
At this early hour, however, the sunlight still carried a faint chill.
By noon, the city would be sweltering.
The distant clouds were completely illuminated, brilliant rays passing through them and turning their edges dazzling white.
Beneath that cool morning glow, the city slowly began to wake.
...
It was closing time at the restaurant.
Yuto had already turned the sign outside to Closed.
The tree Totoro had given him, which glowed so beautifully throughout the night, had also gone dark.
In the daylight, it merely looked like an unusual tree. Its most miraculous quality had faded with the sunrise.
"Rias, I'm going out to buy ingredients in a little while. Would you like to come along and look around?" Yuto asked while arranging the chairs.
Rias had abandoned her earlier plan to leave and would remain in this world for now.
Only temporarily, of course.
How long she could stay would depend on when her brother decided to come looking for her.
Rias was helping clean the restaurant as well.
She was not the kind of person who could comfortably accept another's kindness without doing anything in return.
Yuto might not have cared, but Rias had her own standards.
She could not repay everything he had done for her yet, but she could at least help with small tasks.
Hearing his invitation, Rias smiled gently.
The graceful curve of her lips revealed the noble etiquette that had been ingrained in her since childhood.
"If you're willing to let me accompany you, Boss, I would be delighted."
"Of course."
Yuto smiled and nodded before turning toward Tohru.
Ever since Ainz had told her about Grayfia, the dragon girl had been unusually quiet.
There seemed to be another reason for her mood as well.
"Boss, I'll stay here and watch the restaurant." Tohru spoke softly.
Yuto had been planning to invite her, so her answer caught him off guard. A faint trace of disappointment and resentment hid beneath her voice.
It was subtle, but Yuto still noticed.
He paused and studied her for a moment before sighing inwardly.
"All right. If Kanna wakes up while we're gone, please look after her."
Tohru did not answer with her usual enthusiasm.
She merely gave a quiet acknowledgment, looking visibly dispirited.
Yuto pressed his lips together.
It seemed he needed to have a proper conversation with her.
As for why she was acting this way, he could make a reasonable guess.
There were several things he had not handled particularly well.
...
Once the restaurant had been cleaned, Yuto wheeled his bicycle outside, with Rias quietly following beside him.
Under the morning sunlight, her long crimson hair shone like fire and immediately drew the eye.
Combined with her face and figure, she certainly looked every bit like a tempting devil.
"Tohru, we'll be back soon. Thank you for watching the restaurant." Yuto spoke to her as she stood in the doorway.
"Mm."
Her voice remained subdued.
Yuto sighed inwardly but still said goodbye.
They could talk properly after he returned.
He and Rias climbed the steps leading up to the street.
The adult-entertainment businesses nearby were also beginning to take down their signs and displays.
The colorful rotating lights caught Rias's attention, and she curiously studied the different storefronts.
She was not a sheltered noblewoman who knew nothing about the world. Although she was a princess in the Underworld, she had also lived in modern human society.
It was not difficult for her to understand what kind of district this was.
A faint blush appeared on her face.
She instinctively glanced at Yuto, then quickly forced her expression back to normal.
Although she was curious, she worried that asking about the area might embarrass or offend him.
The refined education she had received since childhood had made her unusually perceptive.
Yuto noticed the brief glance and chose to speak first.
"The people on this street are actually quite kind. At the very least, many of them are better people than those who dress respectably and pretend to be virtuous."
"I didn't mean to look down on them," Rias hurriedly explained. "I was only surprised that your restaurant was located here, Boss."
Yuto felt a little helpless.
It was not as though he had chosen where the restaurant appeared.
"Let's go."
He pushed his bicycle toward the end of the street with Rias walking beside him.
Ichinose Street was essentially a pedestrian district.
In the morning, when the various businesses were closing and cleaning up, people constantly moved back and forth through the area.
Yuto could ride his bicycle when the street was empty, but most of the time, it was easier to walk it out.
He and Rias attracted plenty of attention along the way.
The mature women working there boldly called out to Yuto without the slightest restraint.
"Yuto-kun, why is there a different girl with you today? Where's Tohru?"
"My, my. Yuto-kun always has so many beautiful girls around him."
"Is she another new girlfriend? You really are popular with women, Yuto-kun~"
"Once you're old enough, come visit my shop. Big Sis is every bit as good as those younger girls~~"
"You horny bitch, shut up and keep your legs closed! Stop trying to corrupt Yuto-kun."
Yuto answered all their teasing with the same calm smile he always wore.
Something similar happened almost every morning when he left the restaurant.
Today, it was simply worse because Rias was with him.
Unlike Yuto, who remained completely composed, Rias could not stop herself from blushing.
She walked beside him with her head lowered, too embarrassed to look up.
Had only one or two people teased her, she might have answered back.
There were simply too many of them, and these older women were far too bold and experienced.
Rias did not have the courage to argue with all of them in public.
Even through her embarrassment, however, she secretly glanced at Yuto walking ahead of her.
The events of the previous night returned to her mind, bringing with them a quiet sense of comfort and secret happiness.
'If it were him... perhaps that wouldn't be so bad.'
Her thoughts quietly began wandering in a dangerous direction.
When they reached the end of the street, Yuto stopped beside the bicycle and turned to her.
"We'll need to ride the rest of the way. Is it all right if I take you?"
Rias froze and glanced toward the rear seat.
A faint blush returned to her face.
"If that makes you uncomfortable, we can take a taxi instead."
Yuto noticed her hesitation and offered another option.
There was a bicycle parking area at the entrance to Ichinose Street, so leaving it there would not be difficult.
"Eh? Ah! No, I don't mind at all. Sorry, I was thinking about something and got distracted."
Rias hurriedly explained.
Yuto nodded, swung one leg over the bicycle, and settled onto the seat.
After a brief hesitation, Rias smoothed her skirt and sat sideways on the back.
Her legs remained neatly pressed together, while the hem of her dress fluttered in the breeze like the wings of a butterfly.
Alongside her embarrassment, she felt a strange sense of excitement and happiness.
She had seen human couples riding bicycles together before.
They looked exactly like this.
The teasing from the women on the street had not yet left her mind, and now she found herself in such a familiar scene.
It was difficult not to imagine things.
"Hold on."
Yuto had no idea what the girl behind him was thinking.
After warning her, he pressed down on the pedal, and the bicycle began moving.
Rias hesitated before reaching out and gently gripping the back of his shirt.
She had seen human girls wrap their arms around the boys riding in front of them.
But asking her to embrace Yuto right now was simply too much.
Yuto felt the tug on his clothes but thought nothing of it.
He glanced to both sides to make sure no vehicles were approaching.
At that moment, he noticed a vaguely familiar figure.
A thin, hunched back disappeared around a corner almost immediately.
Yuto could not help thinking about it.
He had always been good at recognizing people, and after the changes to his body, his senses had become even sharper.
He was certain the figure belonged to the old man he had encountered the previous evening.
The man had not left.
He was still wandering around the neighborhood.
Had he still not found the person he was searching for?
The old man's appearance caused only a faint ripple of concern before Yuto pushed it aside.
It had nothing to do with him.
He pedaled harder, and the bicycle quickly disappeared into the distance.
After they were gone, the hunched old man slowly emerged from around the corner.
Even while standing still, his frail body trembled.
He watched Yuto and Rias disappear, but no emotion appeared in his cloudy, lifeless eyes.
They looked like an ancient well that had dried up long ago.
Then he turned and walked back into Ichinose Street.
He still needed to keep asking.
He had to find her.
Since he did not have much time left.