Chapter 98. Let's Eat Cake Together
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"Um…"
A timid man sitting cross-legged on the bed nervously looked at Cyd and Olga Marie, who were standing at the door.
"I'm preparing for what's coming next."
Cyd glanced at the plate in the man's hand, which had a half-eaten strawberry cake on it.
"This is… a magical tool to relieve mental stress…" The man carefully placed the strawberry cake aside and raised his hands.
"Romani Archaman!" Olga Marie raised her voice.
"I'm sorry!"
It was clear that Olga Marie, who couldn't assert her authority in front of Cyd, was still quite intimidating to the apologetic man before her, even though he had to squat down to meet her gaze.
"Forget it, you're new here anyway," Olga Marie sighed and massaged her forehead. "I don't know who pulled strings to get you in here, but remember, everyone here is an elite! Don't do anything embarrassing!"
"Yes!"
"Anyway, uh… what's your name again?" Olga Marie suddenly realized she didn't know Cyd's name.
"Tiga," Cyd said with a serious expression.
"Are you messing with me?"
"No, Little Marie~"
"Don't call me that!"
Pouting, Olga Marie kicked Cyd before storming out of the room.
Now, the quiet room was left with only Cyd and Romani, staring at each other.
"You…" Cyd narrowed his eyes.
The timid man in front of him was definitely not an ordinary person, but he felt like he could get along well with him.
"Gulp," Romani swallowed nervously, his gaze drifting as he avoided making eye contact with Cyd.
Facing those clear eyes, Romani had the feeling that his inner secrets might be exposed, even though he hadn't done anything wrong! He was just slacking off, that's all!
"Is there any more cake?" Cyd grinned.
"Yes," Romani was momentarily stunned but quickly opened a drawer and took out another strawberry cake.
"I think we'll get along just fine," Cyd said as he plopped down next to Romani, extending his right hand.
"I think so too," Romani replied, shaking Cyd's hand.
"By the way, my name isn't actually Tiga. I just wanted to tease Little Marie because she kept frowning," Cyd explained, spreading his hands.
"Really? So what's your real name?" Romani asked as he took a bite of cake.
"Cyd," Cyd smiled slightly.
Cyd… the Hero of Pure White… Emmm… Wait, what!?
After a brief moment of thought, Romani nearly choked on his cake.
"Cough, cough, cough!" Romani turned red and started pounding his chest.
"Just an ordinary… janitor for now," Cyd patted Romani's back. "So, who are you really?"
"Ha! I almost choked to death!" Romani gasped for air, embarrassed that he had nearly been choked by his favorite cake.
"What a pitiful sight. Is this how an ordinary person should act?" Cyd shrugged, somewhat envious.
"Actually, I…" Romani hesitated.
The aura around Cyd was gentle, and an ordinary person might feel a sense of calm around him. But beneath that gentleness lay a pure power that could be terrifying. Perhaps because of Cyd's nature, ordinary people couldn't perceive it. Unfortunately, Romani was not ordinary.
"Bang---"
The door swung open, and Olga Marie, who had just left, reappeared at the entrance.
"I'm here to give you a tour so you don't wander around and cause trouble out of ignorance!" Olga Marie crossed her arms, exuding an imposing aura that made it hard to associate her with the little girl who had just run out earlier.
"Thank you, Little Marie~"
Well, it seemed today was not a day for Olga Marie to assert her authority.
…
"By the way, there's no way one day is enough to clean all the windows," Cyd said, holding a piece of paper that looked like a tourist brochure as he examined the surroundings. "And the floors and walls… Am I supposed to do all this alone? Is this really a job for a human?"
Romani looked at Cyd with sympathy.
"You're not here to be a janitor, so don't really think about it," Olga Marie sighed, massaging her forehead. "Don't forget your real purpose."
"Oh~ So Little Marie already knows my purpose?" Cyd's mouth curved into a smile.
"I don't know. 'Perhaps only Chaldea can help him in this world,' that's what Lord El-Melloi II said," Olga Marie sighed. "Even though he's just a decoy for the Modern Magecraft Theory class, he's still a Lord, and I owe him and… you a favor."
Though she stumbled a bit, Olga Marie was honest enough to admit that she owed a favor this time. Of course, it would've been better if she didn't turn her face away as she said it.
"Ah~ Even though you know I have another purpose, you still let me in so easily. Little Marie, I'm so touched," Cyd said, patting Olga Marie's head.
"Hmph, I just don't want to owe anyone a favor," Olga Marie slapped Cyd's hand away. "Just so you know, this is all I can do for you. You're on your own now."
With that, Olga Marie flipped her hair and walked away.
Romani glanced at the paper in Cyd's hand. It seemed like they had toured most of Chaldea's most classified areas, except for the director's office.
She really did everything she could.
"Do you want to check out where I work?" Romani waved the folder in his hand. "If you want, I'd like to introduce you to a child I'm in charge of. She's really cute."
"You're a doctor?" Cyd raised an eyebrow, eyeing Romani's white coat.
"Yes, though I only took the position a few days ago," Romani scratched the back of his head.
"And you're already slacking off?"
Romani's smile froze.
"It seems you're just like me," Cyd placed a hand on Romani's shoulder, "a backdoor entry, huh?"
Romani stiffened like a rusty robot, turning his head away to avoid making eye contact with Cyd.
He had indeed… used a backdoor.
And it was the biggest backdoor possible.
"Well… the child is over here. Please follow me," Romani stammered, trying to move past Cyd.
"Don't worry, I won't pester you with questions," Cyd chuckled, following Romani. "I'm just like you, but I'm not at that point yet."
"Ha ha ha, what are you talking about?" Romani scratched his head with a forced laugh.
"Nothing. I just hope you can bring me some cake when you're slacking off in the future," Cyd shrugged.
"In the future?" Romani blinked, "I can bring you cake now if you want~"
"Not yet. I can't indulge just yet," Cyd grasped his left wrist. "I still have unfinished business."
"Is that so…" Romani lowered his gaze, then after a moment, he smiled broadly and gave a thumbs-up, "No worries, I'll save your share of the cake! Let's eat together later!"
"You've been hiding it in that room, right~"
"Please save me some!"