22nd chapter : everything is ok to get the first prize .

After being requested for a small job, Marco had taken sail to the Billy streets with Shoko, who apparently is a judge in the Fullost event.

Shoko’s serment is a non combatant type but for her line of work is extremely useful. She can produce a thin gas that gives her the natural ingredients of the wine she wants to taste and even makes her wine products even better. With that talent of hers, Shoko could live her utmost life making money all over the world but for some reasons she refused to join Gray lions and took residence at the palm city close to Emilis.

Marco was curious so he asked her about it then she replied that she’s an orphan too and was raised up in the same mansion as Alice and the others and Emilis was a huge reason for her to become the way she is.

The day of the event 6th May 19xx ,

“Uhm, are you sure that you want me to tie my hair, it’s not that messy?” Marco felt uneasy to see Shoko who acted seriously for the first time.

“Of course you need to tie that!! it’s your own choice to cut it or not, but since you’re attending with me I want you to look respectable a little bit. Come here, I’ll fix it for you!” Shoko pleaded as she made him take a seat.

Marco looked aside then sighed letting her brush his hair, she tied the left part to the back making some tails then the right side covering his forehead a little. Right after, everything in the back got tied together.

“Now!!! What do you think of Shoko Neechan’s work? You aren’t a girl so I thought doing it this way might make you happy!” Shoko smiled at him then packed back her things before going outside.

Marco took some look into the mirror then kindly smiled as he whispered some words.

“Heeh? you look good in that hairstyle. Shoko was it, she did a great job!!” Yuna said as she appeared behind him.

“ah, Yuna nee. So master Emilis had returned, did they have a fun time?” Marco responded.

“Well, they’re happy but mad at you too, for not showing them what Emilis did. Be prepared for it, tehehe!!” Yuna answered his question with a smug face referring to what happened during their trip.

Marco sighed then said “Thanks for notifying me earlier about that Palferia. It was a good thing that I asked you to look after them for a while, I feel bad for laying at them now”.

He thanked Yuna then opened the door.

“You’re late!! Why are you always late!!” Shoko scolded him.

“Sorry, I was checking on something before going out. Also from this point towards the end of the event, please don’t complain about anything from what I do. If it’s for guarding you then I’ll do it my own way” Marco spoke seriously.

“Hai hai!! Just let’s go!! I wanna taste some booze now tehehe!!!” Shoko said, showing that face of work of hers.

“Here she goes!” Marco murmured calmly.

After paying for that night, Marco and Shoko took their way to the event location. She wore a short red dress with a long black scarf as Marco wore some black shirts and pants with his glasses and a thin jacket.

“I don’t think the shopping of yesterday was in vain, you look good in this kind of clothes” Shoko smiled.

She gave a comment on Marco’s clothes to loosen up the tense mood that was tense while walking towards the event’s place.

“Honestly I don’t care what I wear, but I guess since it’s work I gotta do what I need” Marco replied crushing her hopes for a good conversation.

She pouted then noticed that they had reached the place.

“Cards please?” the gatekeeper said as he stopped them from entering.

Shoko smiled and told him her name. Marco was kinda surprised as he saw the gatekeeper flustered. She had a smug face while speaking.

“Well, let’s get inside Marco!! the event is about to get started” she also grinned, trying to act cool.

An hour later,

“Ladies and gentlemen, All the judges have arrived. we shall start our small contest for the new brands of wine!! of course!!! the winner will have a one life time item, the blue wine producer. The blue wine is known among the holders and our society that he can regenerate the euro reserves and give even the non holders a temporary reserves for a whole day, it can be produced by an item that exists only inside the walls of Billy streets and can’t be matched to any of the other fake blue wine producers. so have fun!!” the first judge who’s in charge of public speaking said.

“Who do you think is gonna win? You still remember my teachings right?” Shoko whispered to Marco.

He looked aside at her then looked around him therefore the moment he was about to reply a sudden voice replied to her

“I guess the third competitor is gonna win” Alexander whispered as he suddenly joined the conversation.

Marco wasn’t startled by his sudden appearance but by his whole attendance in this event forgetting that Gray lions have a bar business.

“Been a while, Shoko chan!!” Alexander waved to them.

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As he waved, strangely Shoko wasn’t really pleased to see Alexander. Marco noticed that since he knows Shoko’s habits.

“Marco kun, right!? How’s the work without Emilis at the place?” Alexander tried to change the topic.

“Huh? What work?” Marco pretended that he didn’t know anything.

“That’s rude to pretend that you don’t know. Emilis is on a trip overseas right? it must be hard to keep all these monsters outside the city?” Alexander interjected it bluntly.

“Not that much, we are handling that. Plus!! Alexander san please don’t disturb my guest since he’s escorting me today” Shoko answered in place of Marco who looked at her then figured what she meant.

“For you to stay with red mermaid is such a shame you know, a tongue like yours must belong to Gray lions where the wine is perfectly produced” Alexander said as Marco looked at him.

“Red mermaid? I thought you’re not affiliated with the red mermaid?” Marco whispered.

“That’s a long story, I’ll tell you about it later sheesh!” she whispered back.

The judges were called off to test the wine and Shoko stood up. For being a popular figure in that line of work she was quite strict in judging and gave a good response to every participant with a detailed description of what they had to do.

“You did a great job, I can’t imagine where the hell that altitude of yours disappeared the moment you released your serment” Marco gave a compliment to Shoko who flustered after hearing him.

“Uhm, thanks I guess!! now let’s enjoy the rest of the event. It’s gonna be a lunch party since it’s almost noon” Shoko said as she was looking around.

Marco saw the waitresses bringing food and stuff then noticed that the host of the event was gray lions.

“Marco, If you know someone here you can go and meet with them, it’s not always about work if it’s just a small party!” Shoko saw him looking around.

“Huh, no need. I don’t know anyone here besides master Alexander in the first place, and I guess no one will ever think to get close to me” Marco was bluntly pointing to how he reacts if people get close to him. He usually ignores them.

After some tries, Shoko convinced him to have a look around and buy what he needs for the restaurant.

“Can I have this one please?” Marco addressed the waitress in charge of the blue wine.

“Sure, it’ll be 5k won please?” She replied, making him startled.

“hai!?” he said.

“5 thousand won please?” She kept smiling then Marco sighed.

“Can I get a discount please, I’m the guest of Miss Shoko” Marco started the negotiation.

“Errm, I’ll ask my manager so please wait here” she replied.

“Thanks, if it’s master Alexander he’ll sure understand!” Marco put on a smile before she went to make her fluster.

She awkwardly smiled back and went to see Alexander.

“An easy win!!” he grinned “The only thing that is left is the black leaves, two Huffle roots and I guess a part of the darklet crystal. She looks like a witch asking for all these ingredients just to prepare some wine or something” Marco was talking to himself.

“Thanks for waiting! huh? Marco kun!” Alia said as she returned with the waitress.

“Alia san , good day ” Marco greeted her.

“You know him, Alia senpai?!!” the waitress asked.

“If he’s the one who’s requesting the discount then give him two bottles, Serine” Alia said out of the blue making the waitress Serine flustered more.

“ heeh!? is he that famous!!” Serine was startled.

“More like an apology for what master made him do” Alia responded with an embarrassed face.

“Thanks but one bottle would be enough. I’d be pleased if you can put the bill under my master’s name and send it straight to him” Marco replied as he bowed.

The last reply made Serine more flustered as she reddened after seeing that Alia calmly responded to these words and put the bill down through the system. Marco was pleased by that.

“Finally done with the guild things that I need to buy. I hope she didn’t get drunk while I’m here shopping” Marco sighed.

He was talking to Yuna while finishing his guild’s requests.

“I said!! let go!! you’ll regret touching me if my master hears about this!!”.

Serine was shouting in the middle of the way as she was getting bullied by some guys. Marco saw her having some troubles. He decided to ignore it, yet somehow he went to help her.

“Hey, bullying a small girl isn’t something we could call good, am I wrong?” Marco calmly said as he approached them.

“Hein !! Get lost!! This ain’t your problem!!!” the guy yelled in Marco’s face.

“And I thought this place was peaceful!”.

Marco tilted his head a little to the back while joking about them. The guy got pissed and tried to hit Marco who expected that to happen. He easily dodged a few moves then smacked him to the floor using his palm with ease. his friends were about to get in the fight then Marco released his serment with a strong afterwave to scare them.

“Now, let’s see. Who wants to die first” Marco smiled at them while holding his black sword straight at the knocked down guy.

His comrades run and their tails between their legs.

“Are you ok?” Marco asked as he sealed his serment.

“Th-thanks!!” Serine was flustered.

“Here let me help you” Marco took some of her bags.

“Sorry for making you fall into trouble ” Serine apologized.

“No need to apologize, trash will stay trash no matter what, you are going to the event right?” Marco helped her to stand.

“Yeah” she replied with an awkward smile.

“Then let’s get going, Shoko san might have already passed out from drinking too much” Marco replied while they were walking.

It didn’t take them a lot of time to reach the event’s place, Marco put the bags for her where she wanted then took his bag with him.

“Thanks again!!!”.

Serine tried to thank him again with an embarrassed smile in addition Marco waved to her leaving no words behind him.

“You did a great job there, Marco nii!! and I thought you were the type to not fight!!”.

Marco was about to reach Shoko then without noticing he replied to Arthur who appeared behind him.

“Yeah, well, they were a bunch of crap so I had to teach them a lesson. So did….You …What are you doing here!!?!?!” Marco was startled.

“I’m with master Emilis!!! if my moron brother didn’t tell me about the existence of such a marvelous world. Master Emilis told me!!” Arthur responded.

He did the same smile as Marco who sighed then tried to explain as he suddenly heard Sophie’s voice.

“Woah!! This looks delicious!!!!”.

She was looking at the bottles of wines and the fountain. Marco instantly held her up so she cannot touch anything.

“What the heck are you two doing here!!!?!?” Marco shouted.

“Oh, you returned!! I thought you took the time to buy what Alex chan told you to buy” Shoko replied as she came with Emilis.

Marco took a deep breath then got closer to Emilis who had a smug face for a second.

“You’re looking good in a black suit!!!” Emilis said, ignoring the fact that he ruined what Marco was trying to do for a while.

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