The entire restaurant watched the black-haired man's breakdown in stunned silence.
The frantic desperation that had possessed him melted into quiet, relieved tears, leaving the group deeply curious.
No one needed to ask, it was obvious this man knew Iskandar and his reverence for the giant was undeniable.
"Sir, are you alright?" Yuto asked, keeping his voice gentle.
The man took a shaky breath and wiped his eyes, his iron-clad emotional control snapping back into place.
He raised his head and offered a stiff nod.
The aloof, world-weary aura he had carried in with him was gone, leaving him looking like a tired but unburdened man.
Seeing him stabilize, Yuto felt a wave of relief.
He hesitated for a second before voicing the question on everyone's mind.
"Sir, did you know Iskandar?"
The man let out a slow, trembling breath.
A fond, nostalgic light flickered in his dark eyes, as if he were unearthing his most precious memory.
"Yes. I know him."
"What was your relationship with the King?" Rimuru asked softly, leaning over the counter.
The man closed his eyes, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm as he searched for the right words.
When he finally spoke, his voice carried a heavy mix of melancholy, helplessness, and profound release.
"I am merely someone who has spent his life chasing his shadow."
"May I ask your name?" Yuto prompted.
The man hesitated. "Lord El-Melloi II."
Hearing the noble title 'Lord', Yuto's imagination sparked, but he wisely kept his questions to himself.
A heavy silence settled over the room.
No one dared to push the grieving man further.
After ten long seconds, El-Melloi broke the silence himself.
"Ri—" He caught himself, swallowing the word before quickly correcting it. "What did Iskandar say while he was here?"
The slip-up was subtle, like an awkward youth almost using an old nickname.
"He shared quite a few stories," Yuto replied, leaning against the counter.
He recounted the King's booming tales, from the mechanics of the Holy Grail War to his booming laughter over the tiny beer glasses.
As El-Melloi listened, a wistful smile touched his lips.
It was the look of a man receiving a letter from a long-lost friend.
"Bringing up the Grail War to strangers... sigh. He hasn't changed a bit," he murmured, tapping his long fingers against the wood.
"The King was a remarkably candid person," Yuto noted.
Ainz and Rimuru nodded in firm agreement.
El-Melloi's smile deepened.
Yes, Iskandar was an honest king. Who knew that better than him?
"Boss, could I have a beer?" El-Melloi asked, pushing his untouched coffee aside.
"Of course." Yuto grabbed a fresh glass and poured the cold draft.
El-Melloi stared at the rising golden bubbles for a moment. He let out a soft chuckle, raised the glass, and downed the entire pint in one breathless gulp.
It was a rugged, messy action that clashed entirely with his refined aristocratic appearance.
"I haven't drank like this in a long time," he sighed, wiping his mouth.
The heavy lines of exhaustion on his face seemed to ease.
"The King drank his fair share of beer tonight, too," Yuto mentioned.
El-Melloi let out a knowing laugh. "I figured. And I assume that idiot didn't pay his tab, did he?"
Yuto smiled and nodded.
"I suppose I am still settling his debts, even now," El-Melloi shook his head, pulling a small stack of bills from his tailored coat.
They were British pounds, not yen.
"Boss, will this cover it?" He counted out five hundred pounds and placed them on the counter.
"That's far too much," Yuto protested.
"Keep it." El-Melloi insisted, letting out a long shuddering sigh.
"Oh, the King also mentioned his Master," Yuto added casually as he cleared the empty glass.
El-Melloi instantly froze.
His posture went rigid, his knuckles turning white against the counter.
"Wh-What did he say?"
Seeing the dignified Lord stumble over his words like a nervous teenager, Yuto smiled warmly.
"He said his Master was physically weak and a terrible mage."
El-Melloi's eyes dimmed.
He lowered his head, biting his lip.
"Yes... if he had been summoned by a proper Master during the war, he might have won. No—he would have won," he stated, his voice tight with years of lingering guilt.
"But he had no complaints," Yuto countered gently, stopping El-Melloi's spiral. "He said you were his acknowledged vassal. He said it was his natural duty and his greatest pride to protect those who rode beside him. There wasn't a trace of blame in his voice. Only contentment."
El-Melloi's breath hitched.
His eyes instantly flushed red. He kept his head bowed, his shoulders trembling as he fought a losing battle against his tears.
"Boss... Iskandar said he might return tomorrow, correct?" he asked, his voice thick and muffled.
"Yes, he did."
El-Melloi didn't say another word.
He took a deep, shuddering breath and stood up, his expression wiped clean of its vulnerability.
"I will be back tomorrow."
He turned and strode quickly out the door, not looking back.
Yuto watched him vanish into the night, shaking his head with a soft, empathetic sigh.
...
"Teacher..."
El-Melloi ignored the greeting of his student waiting in the hallway.
He walked briskly to his private study, shut the heavy oak door, and locked it.
He collapsed into his desk chair.
A helpless, trembling sigh escaped his lips as he covered his face with his hands.
Hot tears slipped through his fingers, spotting the messy paperwork on his desk.
Yet, despite the tears, a genuine, joyful smile stretched across his face.
"Really... why am I still such an immature child..."
...
"That man must have been the King Master, correct?" Ainz asked, his deep voice breaking the silence in the restaurant.
"Who knows?" Yuto chuckled, wiping down the counter. Some questions didn't need definitive answers.
A little while later, Yaeko Nishimiya finally arrived.
She was still wearing her stiff work uniform, her face pale with exhaustion from her grueling night shift.
"Nishimiya-san," Yuto greeted her with a welcoming nod.
"Kamisaka-san, I'm so sorry for troubling you this late," Yaeko bowed, her voice weak but full of earnest gratitude.
Yuto waved his hand, signaling it was no trouble at all.
He stepped aside, letting her see her daughter.
Shouko slid off her stool.
She looked up at her tired mother, took a breath and parted her lips.
"Mom."
Her voice was bright and clear, like the fragile, tender chirping of a morning bird.
Yaeko froze.
The exhaustion drained from her face, replaced by pure shock.
She pointed a trembling finger at Shouko, then looked wildly at Yuto, unable to process reality.
Hearing her deaf daughter call out to her struck her heart like a physical blow.
With a choked sob, Yaeko dropped to her knees and clumsily pulled Shouko into a desperate, crushing embrace.
"Kamisaka-san... what... how is this..." Yaeko sobbed, burying her face in her daughter's pink hair.
"No need to ask," Yuto smiled softly, leaning against the counter.
Yaeko looked at Yuto, then at the massive skeleton and the blue slime sitting nearby.
Her frantic gaze slowly calmed.
She didn't need to understand the magic, she just needed to accept the miracle.
"Thank you," she wept, bowing her head to the floor.
She looked around the room, offering tearful gratitude to Utaha, Ainz, and Rimuru.
"Mom, can I come visit Yuto-nii again tomorrow?" Shouko asked, her small hands clutching her mother's uniform.
Yaeko wiped her red eyes and stroked Shouko's cheek.
"Of course you can," she whispered.
After the mother and daughter left hand-in-hand, Yuto took off his apron and looked over at Utaha.
"Let's go. I will walk you to the station."
Utaha stood up and stretched, the movement subtly highlighting her figure.
She looked at him with a bright, teasing glint in her dark eyes.
"You have really worked hard today, Kami~saka~kun~" she purred, drawing out his name like a mischievous cat.
Yuto just shook his head.
He turned to the two monster bachelors remaining at the counter.
"Rimuru, Ainz, do you mind watching the shop for twenty minutes? If anyone walks in, just ask them to wait."
Both monsters nodded eagerly, promising to hold down the fort.
As soon as Yuto and Utaha stepped out into the night, Ainz and Rimuru leaned in together.
"The Boss and Kasumigaoka-san... they are definitely a thing, right?" Rimuru whispered.
"Obviously. Even a blind man could see it," Ainz rumbled knowingly.
"But I have a feeling Kamisaka's love life is going to get complicated," Ainz added, stroking his bony chin.
"Why? He is handsome, kind, and can cook really well. Why wouldn't it be smooth sailing?"
"Rimuru, you don't understand the tropes. I'm not talking about Kamisaka failing, I'm talking about the inevitable harem..."
Inside the quiet restaurant, the two inhuman rulers happily gossiped about their friend's romantic prospects.
...
The rain from yesterday had vanished, leaving Ichinosuke Street dry and lively.
In just a short walk down the block, Yuto exchanged friendly greetings with a dozen different neighbors.
Utaha walked beside him, her posture relaxed.
She was used to this route by now. When the local shopkeepers threw them knowing, teasing glances, she didn't blush or hide, she just maintained her cool composure and pretended not to notice.
As they passed Hanako's karaoke bar, Yuto caught a glimpse of the hostess through the window.
Hanako was smiling genuinely, her arm linked with a well-dressed man as she led him upstairs.
Yuto felt a quiet sense of relief for her.
Finding a safe harbor in the nightlife district was a rare blessing.
The walk tonight felt different.
Last time, Utaha had been tipsy, leaning on him with a clumsy, vulnerable charm.
Tonight, she was perfectly sober.
Her dark eyes were bright and clear, and a small unshakeable smile lingered on her lips.
Whenever Yuto caught her looking at him, he felt a prick of curiosity.
What is she so happy about?
He wanted to ask, but he knew exactly how she would respond.
She would just lean in and whisper, "Guess."
He wasn't going to fall for her trap tonight!
Instead, they talked about her novel.
From their banter, Yuto learned that the web-novel version of her story was gaining massive traction online.
The reader response to the first volume was overwhelming, and Fushikawa Bunko had already reached out to her editor about publishing a physical sequel.
"Kamisaka-kun... have you actually read my novel yet?" she asked, stopping under a streetlamp to look at him.
Her eyes held a mix of expectation and playful challenge.
Yuto rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I haven't had the time. I'm not really a novel guy..."
"Hmph! I knew it!" Utaha turned her head away with a dramatic, delicate pout.
"I'm sorry," Yuto sighed helplessly.
"Forget it. I knew you hadn't read it. I was just teasing you," she laughed, turning back to him with a mischievous smirk.
Yuto shook his head, a faint smile touching his own lips.
As they resumed walking, Utaha stayed a half-step ahead of him.
The teasing smile faded from her face, replaced by a quiet vague sadness as she looked down at the pavement.
When they reached the entrance to her apartment building, Utaha stopped and turned around.
"Kamisaka-kun, do you still have that keychain I gave you?"
Yuto reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys.
Threaded onto the metal ring was the bizarre, ugly plush doll she had forced on him weeks ago.
He jingled the keys, letting the toy swing in the air.
The message was clear: I kept it safe.
A genuine, soft smile lifted the corners of her mouth. "Don't you dare throw it away."
"I might. Its incredibly ugly by the way," Yuto deadpanned.
"Excuse me?!"
"Tch. I suppose I will reluctantly keep it for now," he smirked.
"Hmph. Goodnight, Kamisaka-kun."
"Goodnight."
Yuto turned and began the walk back to the restaurant.
Utaha stood by the glass doors, watching his back until he disappeared around the corner.
She let out a soft sigh and pulled her own keys from her purse.
Dangling from her keyring was an identical, ugly plush toy.
The perfect, unspoken match to his.
---------
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