CHAPTER 84 – MISTER MISS SPENDTHRIFT

KATE ZEPHYRUS

The next day, Lysander and I stepped out of the Windwalker, ready to patrol the town square at the heart of Onishira Island. Lysander, in an effort to compensate for his disguise, maintained his partial dragon form, proudly displaying his azure wings, spiky tail, and imposing horns. A pair of sunglasses shielded his distinctive blue eyes.

In the Land of Demons, our dragonoid appearance allowed us to seamlessly blend in with the locals. Yet, as we strolled through the streets, it was evident that our presence triggered fear in the onis. Their eyes betrayed unease whenever they crossed paths with dragonoids like us.

“Charlotte was right. The onis fear the dragonoids in this place,” Lysander murmured, his voice tinged with a hint of regret.

“If they truly despise dragonoids like us, then they should stand up for their freedom,” I remarked casually, stretching my arm behind my head.

Lysander gestured towards the bell tower perched on the uphill portion of the island, where a crimson pillar of light radiated into the skies. "They don't hate dragonoids; they fear them, because of that thing," he explained.

"Well..." I gazed at the distant tower, contemplating the complex dynamics at play. "They still view dragonoids as allies, united by a common interest."

"To purge humanity," Lysander added.

I sighed, acknowledging the dark history between humans and dragonoids. "For all the wrongs humanity has committed, they might deserve some repercussions. But wiping them out? That's a step too far." My words hung in the air, a somber reflection on the delicate balance of power and the consequences of past grievances.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out too," Lysander mused. "If the Republic of Dragons just sought revenge against those who killed the Goddess, they could have targeted the perpetrators. It's too extreme. Maybe there's something else..."

"Save the heavy thinking for when we're in front of Hiraya," I interrupted, playfully slapping Lysander's back.

"Ow!" Lysander winced in pain.

"For now, let's focus on finding the store where you got that amazing flower hairpin," I suggested with a smile.

"Éclair d'amour, the one I bought for Hiraya, right?" Lysander tilted his head. "It's just a few blocks away from here. Why do you want to know where I bought it?"

I grinned, giving a wide-eyed, innocent look. "Well, let's just say I wanted to make someone I love happy too."

"O-Okay then," Lysander stammered, caught off guard.

We continued navigating through the maze of small buildings in the marketplace until we reached a quaint magic shop.

"We're here," Lysander announced, leading me towards the interior of the enchanting store.

As soon as the door opened, a short oni woman, presumably the shopkeeper, greeted us with a warm, "Welcome!"

Entering the magic shop for the first time, I marveled at the wonders it held. To my left, an array of artifacts and antiques from the old era caught my eye – shields, vases, cans of mana beans, and even broken daggers adorned with engraved runes. On my right, a bookshelf displayed old tomes in ancient languages, some elven, and some oni.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

I tried to divert my attention from the bookshelf, acknowledging that magic and intellect weren't my strong suits. My expertise lay in swinging my sword, a skill I honed to avoid relying on enhancing magical capabilities. After all, with Gaeun, Hiraya, and Lysander on the team, our bases in magic and intellect were already well-covered.

Meanwhile, Lysander eagerly made his way to the bookshelf, engrossed in one particular tome. "This thing is peculiar," he mused, rubbing his chin.

I couldn't help but tease him, laughing, "You really are a bookworm nerd, aren't you? I heard you make a habit of visiting the Magic High's library an hour before your first period."

"Well, I can't help it," Lysander blushed, scratching his head. "We Erudites are forced to read so many books just to memorize thousands of spells. It's become a habit for me."

"Huh," I said, crossing my arms. "Now that I think of it, you Erudites have nicknames, right? That jerk Dennis is called the Decease. I think the old hermit woman killed in Scrap Town was Anoushka, also known as the Baba Yaga? Anyway, what's your nickname?"

"Lysander the Runner," he replied with a poker face.

"So, you're good at running away?" I asked, tilting my head.

Lysander closed the book and returned it to the shelf. "I won't deny that I'm good at escaping. But, in the Erudite sense, I earned the nickname because I was the fastest among them. I specialized in speed spells."

"You're fast at everything except confessing your feelings to Hiraya," I whispered under my breath.

"W-What?" Lysander furrowed his brow, giving me a look that appeared angry but wasn't.

"Nothing. Just talking to myself," I said, shaking my head, and then turned my attention to the section with antiques and artifacts in the hope of finding something that caught my interest.

The store displayed well-maintained artifacts, almost looking as if they were brand new. I examined various mysterious items, but nothing seemed to pique my interest.

Lysander, ever the knowledgeable one, pointed out, "There are better items at the counter."

We both approached the lady oni at the counter and examined the shelf behind her. My eyes were drawn to various magical lady accessories, including flower hairpins. However, none matched the beauty of the Éclair D'amour Lysander had purchased for Hiraya.

"Are you looking for Éclair D'amour too?" Lysander inquired me.

"Um, I'm sorry," the shopkeeper oni intervened. "Éclair D'amour is so rare that we are already out of stock."

"Don't worry, miss," I reassured her with a smile, gently holding the oni girl's hand. "I'm here for something else. What else do you have special in stock?"

The oni girl began twirling her hair, a subtle blush on her face. It seemed that my gentlemanly charm had left her infatuated.

The shopkeeper, picking up on the atmosphere, went behind the counter and retrieved a glamorous jewelry box. When she opened it, I felt the heavens themselves singing at the sight of the magnificent jewelry within – a ruby necklace with golden frames, a perfect fit for Mariko.

"Wow," Lysander and I muttered simultaneously, taken aback by the beauty of the necklace.

The shopkeeper explained, "This is the shop’s most expensive jewelry, the Lava Ruby. The ruby will glow like a magma rock when worn by a mage."

I delicately held the necklace, treating it as if it were a newborn chick. The ruby gem reacted to my mana, glowing in hues of yellow, orange, and red, creating a mesmerizing display.

"I'll take this! How much is it?" I exclaimed without hesitation.

The shopkeeper hesitated before responding, "Actually, it's sixty-thousand Gs."

“S-Sixty thousand!?” I gasped. “That’s my whole month's salary! But I will still take it!”

Without hesitation, I pulled out my wallet and removed all the bills until nothing was left. I knew I would be scraping by for the rest of the month, but it didn't matter. I was willing to make the sacrifice for Mariko. Sometimes, you have to endure hardships for the sake of love.

“Thank you for your patronage!” the shopkeeper kindly smiled as she closed the cash register.

Lysander and I left the magic shop, and I couldn't help but stare at the exquisite gift box containing the expensive ruby necklace. Normally, if I were with the girls, they would be scolding me for being a shopaholic, especially Hiraya. However, Lysander seemed unfazed, not batting an eye even though I had just spent my entire month's salary on the gift. It felt like he wouldn't even care if I used my kidneys as payment instead.

“So, what’s your plan now, Miss Spendthrift? Oh, do you prefer miss, or mistah?” Lysander asked, his words getting tangled.

“I'll visit Mariko in her house tonight, and we will elope,” I declared, clenching my fists with excitement and burning love.