Exusiai was guiding everyone towards her favorite pastry shop. She looked around in wonder. She hasn't been to Laterano in years, so there were a lot of new things.
And most of them signified Laterano's culture. Their love for sweet things that is. "Ooh! I haven't seen this pastry shop. That one too! That ice cream shop as well."
Exusiai pointed out the new stores popping up everywhere like mushrooms.
And it was all thanks to Ash providing low cost sugar. Laterano was actually buying thousands of metric tons of the stuff from Paradiso every month.
He looked at the inhabitants of the place and was surprised they weren't obese or anything. Because everywhere he looked, the Sanktas were eating sweets.
It almost made him sick at their sugary diet. At his left, a group was eating some donuts. On the other side, teens were enjoying a pint of ice cream like it was breakfast or something.
And when they passed through a coffee shop, a patron outside was putting a dozen of sugar cubes inside his cup of coffee.
"Exusiai, are people here really that fond of sugar? I think I'm going to cause a diabetes epidemic here." Ash winced upon seeing their eating habits.
"Well, sugar is life! Sugar is love! It goes on every dessert! It's the quintessential ingredient for the food of the gods!" Exusiai announced like it was the law.
And all the Sanktas nearby nodded at her. "Should we regulate the sugar we export here? I think a lot of Sanktas would die of diabetes." Ash looked at Margaret and Shining.
Exusiai craned her neck towards him at the speed of light. "WHAT!? No! You can't do that! Laterano would perish if you do that!"
She lunged on him like a maniac and started shaking him like he owed her money. "Alright, alright, Jesus..." It got cemented in his mind that Sanktas are weird as hell.
"Look at their satisfied faces, if you decrease the sugar export here. It would be like kidnapping their child." Exusiai pointed at the patrons eating in stores happily.
"Uh, sure. It's fine already, I won't decrease it. Are you happy?" Ash sighed and Exusiai nodded in satisfaction.
"But! I would change something in our treaty. There should be regulations on how much Laterano citizens consume the stuff. If all these guys die of diabetes, then how am I going to exploit them?" Ash started thinking of a good regulation law.
"You what?" Exusiai didn't hear him due to being excited at feeling so much positivity in Laterano.
"Ahem, I mean. How can we enjoy the peace if they die of disease." Ash coughed and Exusiai got thinking.
"I mean, you're right... Just don't go overboard okay? The pope would definitely strike a good deal for the amount of sugar being sold here." She trusted the pope not let them down.
"Ash, I do think it would be bad if we decrease our sales here of the stuff. Laterano would succumb to anarchy." His trusty secretary Shining advised.
"Yeah, I can already imagine it. They'd definitely call it the great sugar depression." Margaret winced, she also wasn't a fan of sugary food.
"Come on, let's get some ice cream. The sun's nice and warm, a good day for an apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream." Exusiai pulled him to the pastry shop she had in mind.
Ash called for the Feranmuts that were in the sky and they landed in front of them.
Dusk was uncomfortable though, she didn't like people period.
Ash had to bribe her with many art forms that were famous back on earth so she would agree.
They started to order and the destruction trio were quite excited. Paradiso had some sweet shops, but the menus weren't as extensive as in Laterano.
It was like a specialty store, even though it was just one shop. "Ash, Ash. This sounds delicious, please buy me one?" Narcissa pulled on his pants.
She pointed at an ice cream sandwich made of waffles and the filling was gelato.
"Sure Narcissa, anything for you. Carrying Paradiso was quite the workout I imagine." Ash rubbed her ears and she purred.
Alastor and Astaroth stared at him and he held the menu right in front of them. "I want a parfait." Alastor beamed.
"Shaved ice please, with extra syrup." Astaroth replied with her monotone voice, but it was quicker than normal due to her excitement.
"Alright, wait one moment okay?" Ash patted their heads and he took out a wad of cash from out of nowhere.
"You heard the ladies, keep the change. Make it a bit faster though." He put down the wad of cash on the counter.
"C-certainly." The shopkeeper's hand was shaking. She has never seen that much money in her life.
Gertrude stared at him and was fidgeting around. She was feeling a bit left out because she is a countess in Leithanien, so she doesn't see him much.
"What would you like Gertrude?" Ash asked her, thinking she was just embarrassed to enjoy some sweet treats.
"Uhh, can we get this?" She pointed at a parfait for couples and he blinked.
"Me too." Platinum stared holes through him and was pouting. She didn't want to pester Ash for their date, especially because she felt it wasn't earned due to their failure. But Platinum can't let Gertrude win just like that.
"This ought to be interesting." The twin empresses watched on with amusement.
Shining was giving him some side glances. Margaret and Degenbrecher noticed it. They looked at each other and shrugged.
"Shining wants one too Ash." Margaret winked at the Sarkaz and Degenbrecher slapped her on the butt, making her squeak.
"Alright, alright. Three love love parfaits too please." Ash took out another wad of cash for the new order.
"Uhh, sir... The amount earlier is enough." The cashier sweated bullets. Thinking that rich people were insane.
"Ahhh that, this is for a new order. I already told you to keep the change on that. Then share this with the other staff." Ash waved it off.
Gertrude, Shining, and Platinum beamed. Thinking of sharing a nice parfait with him.
"Am I going to have a stomach ache from this? I hope not." Ash rubbed his temples.
"Finally, for being such a cold blooded Confessarius, you sure are a pussy." Liz gave Shining a side eye.
"Hey, she's just a little shy." Degenbrecher guffawed and Margaret chuckled at her friends.
"Some waffles soaked in rum." Ling ordered, already having a bottle of gin on hand.
"You're already drinking big sis..." Nian deadpanned at her.
"What? You've gotta live a little." Ling snorted and they started to argue about responsible drinking.
"Hey, old man. Don't you look out of place here? Maybe you should wait outside." Liz noticed that Mlynar was uncomfortable.
But she wasn't really a social person, so her words were as subtle as a wrecking ball.
"I... I'll just get a coffee, black... I'm gonna read my paper outside." Mlynar got depressed at being called an old man by the blonde menace.
"Young lady, that was really rude." Sonus chided her with a huff.
"Ahhhh, I forgot. You're older than him, so shouldn't you go wait outside too? This place might be too cute and hip for you." Liz rebutted and Sonus was shocked.
"Now, now, let's calm down." Luna held her back because Sonus was about to give Liz a piece of her mind.
"Liz..." Shining deadpanned at her and she tilted her head. "Ahhh. Is this the discretion thing? Talking to people is hard."
"Ohhhh! I'll have one of everything!" Ceobe was shaking like a drug addict. The smell of pastries wafting in the air excited her to no end.
"Make that two for her, she's going to want more." Ash reminded the cashier whose business smile was twitching.
"Certainly sir..." She was going to need a vacation after her shift ended.
"A strawberry shortcake for me, whole." Patriot's baritone voice shook the cashier's soul and she almost peed her panties.
Patriot wasn't wearing his armor and of course the cashier would freak out. Sarkaz were not welcome at Laterano at all. And he looked more Sarkaz than anyone else there combined.
"Dad, you're scaring her. I'll have a chocolate parfait. Put in some chilis too, I like sweet foods to be spicy." Yelena ordered and Exusiai looked at her weirdly.
"What? I made spicy candy with Alina to make me feel alive. Because I couldn't feel anything before Ash helped us." Yelena raised a brow and Exusiai rightfully shut up.
"How about you Ceylon, Schwarz?" Ash looked at the duo who felt a bit awkward. They thought they were going to a peace treaty.
But here they were, in a pastry shop. Ordering sweets like it was a vacation or something. Ceylon was looking forward to it too. Because she was the heiress of Siesta.
"My lady, how about cinnamon buns, they sound delicious." Schwarz suggested, her tail swaying around.
"Ahhh, so you love cinnamon buns huh? I didn't peg you to like sweets." Ash rubbed her ears and she froze.
"I will get one of those, and some coffee." Ceylon smiled, seeing her cold bodyguard enjoy their excursion.
"You got any meat?" Specter grinned with her toothy smile.
"Ma'am... This is a sweets shop." The cashier was getting used to it by now.
"Ash, can I have some meat please?" Specter clasped her hands, like she was praying for it.
"Hah, why'd you even bring us here Ash?" Gladiia sighed heavily.
"So Skadi can roam around, you're also the ambassador of Aegir. And that country has no contact with any country besides ours. If you return to Aegir that is." Ash shrugged.
"I'll have a fruit jelly please." Skadi raised her hand and was curious about the dessert that looked like it was encased in water.
They finally got their orders and Ash was feeding the embarrassed Shining, Gertrude, and Platinum.
"Why are you not eating some?" Platinum raised. "I don't like sweets much." He shrugged.
"For me?" Gertrude scooped some up and pointed it to his mouth. "Thank you, I guess I can do that." She smiled softly and was happy.
Shining and Platinum squinted their eyes and copied her. "Have mine too." They said simultaneously.
"You know that all of them are the same flavor right?" Ash sighed, but he let them feed him so they won't complain.
"Ahhh, Shining is so bold, kyaah." Liz said in her blank and monotone voice.
Shining wasn't amused and Liz shut up. "You've got some on your face Platinum." Ash stood up and leaned on the table, licking near her lips.
Platinum went atomic red and she dropped her spoon immediately.
"I have some too! Right here!" Gertrude licked some of the ice cream and put her tongue out.
He shrugged and kissed her. "Hmm, I think eating that it that way is much better." Ash nodded in satisfaction.
"Too high level, Shining?" Liz smirked at her and Shining furrowed her brows. So she made a power move.
She put some cream on her finger and wiped it on his lips. Shining then leaned and licked it off. Surprising him a bit.
"I guess that could work." Ash snorted in amusement.
"Aren't they so lovey dovey? I'm getting kind of jealous." Soleil chuckled.
"It's like we aren't even in public, such shameless acts." Luna shook her head playfully.
"Was it nice?" Mudrock asked Shining. She just nodded with a blush.
"Do you do that in public too Margaret?" Viviana asked NTR knight and she shook her head.
"Of course not." She shook her head, it was a bit too embarrassing for her.
"We give each other kisses in private." Degenbrecher winked and Viviana almost choked on her drink.
And while they were enjoying their meals, Ceobe especially so. Someone entered the shop who was dressed in robes.
"Ahhh, emperor Asmodeus. It would have been nice if you didn't arrive without any warning." An old man with an easy going expression sighed.
"Well, we all wanted to put the treaty into effect immediately. I hope that's not a problem" Ash smirked at him.
"No, no trouble at all. It only shows your determination and conviction to see it be implemented." He smiled, but he froze when he saw Patriot eating his cake.
"Come on, have a seat. How about we have a discussion a bit? It seems that our export is going to give problems to your citizens. Diabetes isn't a joke you know? But do pardon us, we have to finish eating first." Ash smiled and pointed at a free seat.
Which was at Patriot's table where the leaders of Reunion were sitting. Yelena and Alina occupying two seats, which means the only free one left is next to the Wendigo.
"I will join you if you insist, it is rude to decline..." The Pope's face twitched.
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Thanks for reading everyone. Begin saving for one of the true limited ops. Yato x Kirin, executioner knights ftw. Ciao
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