True Magician

Chapter 68

The Underworld.

An artificial night had fallen. The night sky and cool breeze went well with the cup of hot coffee in my hand. And the gazebo in the giant garden of the Gremory mansion where I was now, lent some sort of soothing aesthetic. The garden, on the other hand, looked typically lavish. Even though I was here alone, in a non-human world and not at home, it felt comfortable.

There were neatly trimmed bushes and trees, paved droves, decorated lanterns and the like. Lights still burned in the windows of the mansion, and every now and then I could see servants either working or scurrying about.

I took a sip and closed my eyes.

Rias's change of heart was a pleasant experience. In fact, it meant that she would now take her training seriously. And not just her own, but that of her entourage as well. The cohesiveness of their team is already visible, and their trust in each other doesn't allow them to waste any time being skeptical.

Rias has truly done a Herculean job in such a short period of time. That can be said with confidence. But I'm really interested in what kind of conversation there was between her and the others. What exactly were the words she said to ensure all of this?

If before their relationship was like more or less distant relatives, absentmindedly failing to see each other's problems, now it's become like a family. Quite strange, to be honest.

At one point, I heard the sound of footsteps approaching me. Their owner walked hesitantly into the gazebo, though he tried to hide it, and then sat down across from me on the other side of the round table in its center.

I already knew who it was, but I didn't react to him in any way, and instead took another sip of coffee without opening my eyes. The person across from me didn't say anything, just gave me a look that was quite perceptible.

The silence continued. The sounds that my hearing picked up were only the rustling of the trees, the soft howling of the wind, and the hissing of insects, but nothing more. Things went on like this for about five minutes, and during all that time my gaze never left my figure. Until at some point, she decided to speak up.

- "Sen..."

- "What are you doing here, Akeno-san? Don't you need to rest now like the rest of us?" I interrupted, opening my eyes and pointing them at my interlocutor.

Yeah. It was Akeno. She was looking rather tired and lethargic at the moment, which was to be expected since practically the rest of the entourage had fallen asleep right in the water. The strange thing was that Akeno was acting a bit cautious. She didn't even have her usual smile on her face, which she preferred to show in almost any condition.

- "Ha..." she sighed tiredly before continuing, "First, I'd like to echo some of what Rias said. Like she said, your methods are disgusting, but like me, understood your ultimate goal of opening her eyes. And for that you are to be thanked, though not wholeheartedly."

I just shrugged my shoulders at that.

- "You have indeed succeeded in your goal. She talked to us, told us what she thought, listened to what we thought, and then drew conclusions. And not just her, but us, her entourage," Akeno continued, and then looked at me, "I could use a glass of water.

In response to her words, what she asked for appeared in front of her."

- "Thank you," she nodded, and took a sip, "But Rias missed one important point."

- "And what was that?"

- "You said that free cheese is only in the mousetrap, didn't you? Then why are you helping her? Helping us? Even though I have obvious feelings for you, and I know it's not your style to hurt someone for no reason... You seem suspicious. You're basically helping us out for nothing. At least, that's what it looks like to us."