"Hello, there customers! I'll be your waitress during your stay, do you want to order any meals? Ohohohoh, now this is a sight I haven't seen... Oh lovely couple, is this your first date? If so then I recommend you our special parfait," To the waitress's eyes the individuals before her were tense and each was incapable of commencing a simple chat
"Parfait...? I haven't had anything sweet for the last couple of weeks, I'll order two~ on second thought change that to four. What about you, Gwen? If you don't know what to pick, then you can just ask the waitress over here," His view shifts to face his apprentice who remains silent and faces the window in response
"I-I'll have some w-water, please!!!" She tried her best to utter a few words that made sense to the ears of her master and the waitress
'What a lovely couple, I haven't seen this in such a long time... Since their inexperience, I might as well give them a little push. I can see it, no matter how they try to hide their embarrassment, my eyes have yet to fail!'
"I'll be back with your order. While you wait, I'll have someone bring some water to your table... Little boy, it seems your date is a little anxious. You need to do something or else she'll leave you when she can't handle the atmosphere," After the waitress gave him a piece of advice, she left, and shortly after her disappearance their drinks have arrived
Instead of a pitch full of water, as they'd requested, what he saw in front of their table was the cafe's favored drink. When he glanced at the counter, the waitress gave him a wink and signals him to care for her disciple. Since it didn't overcomplicate his condition, he didn't correct the waitress's assumption
'Free drink! This is the greatest thing I've gotten when I've been mistaken about my objective. But she wasn't wrong, Gwen has yet to converse with her master. I don't know why she's this tense all of a sudden, let's lighten her mood. I can't talk to her when she's this nervous and I have yet to ask her why she went to all this trouble in tracking my location,'
(Gwen's POV)
'Damn it all!!! I haven't prepared for something advanced as this, Kuuuggh, why did I just blatantly agree without a doubt? It's not hard to open a conversation, I've communicated with thousands, and yet I can't even look my master in the eye. What should I do...? Should I tell him im feeling sick, no that'll ruin the mood. What about telling him that im tired~ Gyaaaaah!!!'
In her frustrations, she didn't realize Neon's actions until his deed was said and done. His left hand clutched her own, and the right was utilized to get ahold of her face. Neon had enough of her act and he move without ever considering her thoughts. He leans in for a closer look at her face and smiles whilst he stroked her head
"You've grown to be a beautiful maiden... Have some confidence in yourself, it's a waste if you don't find a man while you're still in your youth. As much as im proud of your accomplishments, I don't want you to follow the same path I took. Believe me, I already lost my chance, I don't want to hear you whining in your thirties," Unexpectedly his words and actions calmed her down and her anxiety went away in the blink of an eye
"D-Don't say it so casually, master. Aren't you forgetting your physical appearance? Right now I can say that you've returned to your teens. Apart from your eyes, I can say that nothing changed in your appearance when I first met you. Also, don't pity me, I just learned that High elves age slower, hence I look the same as you," With her master's calming words she finally opened up and she's now responding without a care
"Really...? I haven't seen a High elf in my entire life, I thought your hair color was because you started channeling mana at an early age. Guess I was wrong. Then if you're a High elf, wouldn't you be considered royalty? Did someone from the elven race come and ask for your audience when I was dead?" In the middle of their chat, their order arrived along with the smiling waitress in his success
"They did... High elves were said to be rare and they offered me a house, but I didn't decline their offer. I requested their assistance when planting my needed herbs and they agreed. It seems that just my presence can easily affect the world tree, I wonder how it would've been if my father and I weren't lost~" Before she finishes her sentence, Neon gave her a spoonful of his dessert, and her face brightens once again
"Come on, I told you that's all in the past. You can't keep living in it since it might affect the present. Your father might not have been fortunate, but im sure that he's happy knowing that you're alive and well. The only thing missing is for you to find that special someone and you're set for life. Do you want some more?" Unbeknownst to him, the waitress only gave him a single spoon and he's been ignored when asked for another
Gwen stood silent for a moment, and she tries to reason with her mind. Even if she continues to resist, the face of the man she admired completely changes her overview of their chat. Whenever she tries and acts to refuse, her heart would ache, and whenever she succumbed the less her body stiffens
'Master... W-What is this feeling? It's so warm and yet it feels so different, why, why can't I act normally when im with him...? Perhaps, no! I can't, that's too selfish, I need to delve further before I conclude this newfound warmth,'
After they had their fill of sweets and drinks of delight, these two wonder about the city of Everglaze in their time. The mall where he shopped for his clothes along with the necessities of her apprentice, the park where they strolled, and so on. They held each other's hands and the afternoon passed away and the moon rose at the end of their tour
"Thank you for all of that master~ Oh no I forgot!!!" Her face filled with joy and delight shifted with dread and despair upon her realization
'What's wrong with her...? It seems that she has a reason for coming and searching for her late master. I can help her out if it doesn't put me in a complicated spot... Since she doesn't look like she'll talk any time sooner, I might as well read her mind,'
[Golden eyes of the abyssal tiger: The guardian has activated the skill [Piercing glare]
Status: With the activation of [Piercing glare] the host's body has now triggered the passive activation of [Abyssal sense]
Synergy: With [Mental penetration] from [Piercing glare] & the passive [Abyssal sense] the guardian can read the chosen target's mind]
[Damn it!!! I forgot to mention uncle Henry's condition... If I tell him now he might think I've been disrespectful for forgetting such an important piece of information. What do I do? I can't tell him right now, his mood might worsen~]
When he found out the news of his friend's well-being, he couldn't fathom the amount of excitement he attain. He paused for a long time after he learned that he survived for half a decade since his death. The illness he carries was something that'll take his life and soon he'll cease to exist and only he was the answer to his pain
'That's unbelievable! That old fart is still alive...? Henry Evans, the thunderous azure spear, he's the guardian I learned my profound spear art. That monster of a man is still alive? If that's true, then that entirely changes my plans,'
"I'm so sorry master, I actually forgot something... The thing is, I uh, it's about~"
"Henry Evans?"
"Waaah!!! Forgive me! I didn't mean to forget about uncle Henry's condition~ Wait what's this!? No way... Why master? Why did you give me your blood!!?" Before she could explain her shortcomings, Gwen was given a vial containing a large portion of his blood
"Henry Evans's illness isn't ordinary... Before I died I was trying to perfect the "Preservation fluid" which became the homunculus blood. You realize it didn't you...? I can tell why you aren't surprised by my appearance, Eins gave you my audio recordings. If you know that much then I don't have to say why im handing you a vial of my blood," After he gave his blood, Neon immediately left her side, and Gwen responded by reaching his hand
"Please don't go... I need to ask you a lot more than what we've discussed. Can you spare me some of your time~" Her lips met his finger and he denies her from opening her mouth without gaining his permission
"Just this once I'll let you off, but you can't utter a word before im finished with my own do you understand? The Preservation fluid is an improved version of the medicinal traits of the fountain of youth. Give that to Henry and while you're at it, call him an "Old fart" and he'll know what it means, see ya later," And with that, he left his apprentice's side before he shocked her once again when a pair of wings burst from his back
"Dragon wings! Then that means, he succeeded? I finally found my conclusion... The great alchemist Ernest Quelt is no longer, but Neon the homunculus remains. I need to prioritize uncle Henry's condition, something tells me that I'll be needed when the time comes," Neon waves his hands toward his apprentice, and she then in turn waves back. The two once again parted ways and off they go proceeding in the path they chose