Just then, Irisviel and Margaret, who had just gotten back from one of the stalls, each holding a folded paper cone, gave Leon a cheerful wave.
Iri held hers up to Leon's mouth, her eyes sparkling as she said:
"Leon, try this!"
Looking at the snack, which looked a lot like the jianbing from back home, he was a little puzzled:
"What's this?"
"Strawberry chocolate cream crêpe!"
Iri explained excitedly.
"It's sweet, and not only does it look great, it tastes super... good!"
"Ahh~~"
Leon raised an eyebrow, but in the end he couldn't turn down a pretty girl's earnest goodwill, so he obediently opened his mouth and took a small bite.
"Mm, it's got a crispy shell? It really is pretty tasty."
"Right? Right?"
As he ate, he suddenly remembered there was something he'd forgotten to explain to Iri and the others.
Ever since getting back from the year-end gathering, he'd poured all his energy into studying the plot of land, the house, and the new magic he'd pulled from the treasure chest. The matter with the Guild had completely slipped his mind.
"Iri, Margaret, Lydia, there's something I need to tell you."
"?"
"The three of you, get yourselves ready when we're back, then head over to the Dian Cecht Familia Treatment Center tomorrow to help out."
"The Guild's medical resources are short-handed, so they've put out a request to the major Familia for support."
"Mm, I put your three names in. The idea is that it's a good chance for you to broaden your horizons, see a bit more of the world, and pick up some treatment experience while you're at it."
The three of them, already itching for a chance, lit up with delight at his words:
"Really?"
"Mhm!"
"Awesome, I've been wanting to try things out for real for ages!"
"Doing the same Baptism over and over at home with the same fixed handful of people, I got sick of it long ago!"
Kureha: "..."
For some reason, I get the feeling Iri's taking a sly little dig at me.
Margaret, though, knit her brows slightly:
"I get why you're sending Iri and Lydia. They can use healing magic. But me..."
Leon smiled:
"You're going as a guard, obviously. Orario isn't exactly peaceful right now..."
"Especially a place like the Dian Cecht Familia Treatment Center. In the enemy's eyes, it's a thorn in the side, a splinter in the flesh."
"You can't be too careful."
The moment Leon put it that way, Margaret understood instantly.
Iri was fine. On top of buff and healing magic, she could also use alchemy magic to handle enemies. But Lydia wasn't a combat specialist, so she really did need a reliable guard at her side.
"Understood."
...
Because the construction of the new home had everyone in especially high spirits, they kept wandering the streets until dusk, and only as the sky gradually darkened did they leisurely make their way home.
That afternoon, they'd well and truly satisfied their cravings. The whole plaza and the alleys were packed with a dazzling array of foods and specialty snacks from all over, and this time they finally ate to their hearts' content.
As the center of the world, Orario drew merchants from everywhere, and naturally brought in flavors from across the globe too. There were so many kinds of street snacks that you'd never tire of them.
Even after a whole afternoon of wandering, the amount they'd sampled was probably less than a fraction of a percent of it all.
"Leon, Leon, Leon! Next time we're free, let's come again, okay?"
"There's still so much I wanted to eat and didn't get to!"
"Damn it, if only I had an appetite as big as Jeanne's..."
Jeanne: "..."
I can't tell whether you're praising me or insulting me.
"Laurier!"
"Eep! Jeanne's mad!"
The whole way back, everyone laughed and roughhoused, and amid the laughter, time seemed to quietly hit fast-forward.
In what felt like the blink of an eye, the front door came into view.
They shed their heavy coats and cloaks, changed into comfy loungewear, and lit the fireplace. After a full day of running around, everyone finally sank deep into the sofa, relaxed and content looks on their faces.
"Ah, I'm so full, so satisfied..."
"There's an old saying in the East: a gold nest or a silver nest, none beats your own little doghouse."
"It's true. Nothing beats being at home!"
"Yeah, yeah... though it makes me even more excited for the day the new place is finished."
After everyone rested for a little while...
Irisviel, Margaret, and Lydia stretched and got to their feet one after another.
"We're heading upstairs to get ready first."
Iri turned to Leon and the others as she spoke, then looked over at Rose:
"Oh, right, Rose, we're skipping a proper dinner tonight, yeah?"
Rose lifted a hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear and elegantly recrossed her legs. Her toes lightly hooked a fuzzy slipper, swinging it idly back and forth, and that languid pose kept drawing Leon's gaze.
She shot the man a faint, barely-there eye-roll, then spread her hands with a smile:
"After a whole afternoon of strolling and snacking, who's got room for a real dinner?"
"But fixing up some nibbles and dessert, now that's definitely worthwhile. What do you all think?"
Dessert? Nibbles?
That was everyone's favorite!
Sure enough, the moment Rose finished speaking, every single one of them, without exception, broke into a smile.
"Yay!"
Sweets bring people happiness and joy.
And on the girls especially, they landed like a guaranteed critical hit. With Rose's cooking on top of that, no one could resist being fed a little something sweet at late-night-snack time.
"Wah! Rose, you're so evil, busting out the poison this late at night!"
But for those worried about their figures, Rose's finishing blow instantly left certain people hesitating and wavering.
"Sw-sweets, huh... A little bit at night should be fine, right?"
"Aura, relax! Just a teeny bit, it definitely won't put on any weight!"
"And even if it does, just meditate a little less and spend more time on archery practice!"
"Ugh!"
...
Time slowly rolled around to eight in the evening.
Rose, apron tied on, walked into the kitchen in a bright mood. Clearly... she was quite pleased with that heated look Leon had just given her, and with how well her charm had landed.
As for the others, they were either gathered in twos and threes whispering, talking in low voices about the décor details for the new home, or quietly leaning back in the rocking chair by the fireplace, a blanket over their legs, leafing through a book.
And Leon, with a pile of tasks on his plate, was hardly idle either.
After lying down for a short while, he changed into his alchemy work clothes, put on his goggles and gloves, and slipped down into the underground workshop to keep at his research on the "Wild Mixture."
The Demeter Familia's contribution points, and the penalty from that mandatory Expedition the Guild had imposed. These weighed on his shoulders like a heavy load, invisibly fueling the pressure that drove him forward.
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