"Do you have anything you want to say, Madame Carolea?" Ciel solemnly inquires.

The widow stands up a bit weakly, and the gondola doesn't even sway due to the [Weaverism] spell on it. Then Carolea scans the audience and, with a wavering tone, speaks what her heart aches to say, "It makes me happy to see how many close friends my husband had, to see the respect he's given after giving his life for the Lordship. He was born a knight, lived as a knight, and died as a knight. All that matters to me now is that he's happy and waiting for me in Paradise."

Samaiel's energetic expression cracks, and I realize he's using his pride for his father to hide the sadness of losing him. But he quickly gets his emotions under control and stands up, then says, "For father, to die while performing his duty was the best end he could ask for. He hated the idea of retirement, and it's impressive how long his body held on, even though he was already old."

How old was Azador…?

"I don't know, but he was already old when I was a child," Yunia quietly replies through our connection.

"May he have a long stay in Paradise!" one of the knights shouts and salutes, folding his elven ear.

"For Azador!" a commoner cheerfully follows.

"For Azador!" everyone repeats.

Then the audience becomes emboldened and also begins to share their feelings.

"He was a good friend!"

"A good drinking partner."

"A wise fellow."

"A good gambler in the arena."

"He had the best guesses about who would win the blood duels."

"He was also a bit weird, tho."

And everyone chuckles as even Yunia agrees.

"You don't get so many red flowers in your beard without being a bit 'special.'"

"Father liked bloody battles a bit too much, yes," Samaiel wryly remarks.

And another commoner teases, "You're following in his footsteps, aren't'cha, Sam?"

But the newest knight raises his hands defensively. "I just want a couple of Vamiros as proof of my skill."

The teaser's expression softens as he continues, "The real proof that you're his son will be if you can keep the smugglers in check like he did."

Samaiel smiles pridefully. "Why do you think I'm so confident? Father was anything but careless; he taught me well about all of the secrets of this town."

"And I'll be here to make sure he doesn't step on a Jaca," Carolea warmly finishes.

That's a… Brazilian saying, but it seems quite bastardized.

After a bit more reminiscing, our court mages open a hole in the water of the lake and into the soil at the bottom. Then Azador's corpse is levitated and lowered down into its final resting place.

On the way back, Samaiel's excitement dies down, and he gains a wistful look, though he always keeps looking forward, never glancing back.

 

What a day…

But on happier matters, Teresina warmly receives me, making me quite glad that she isn't trying to keep some distance between us.

"Are you busy? Do you have time for a casual chat?" I softly ask the gilf as I enter her office.

She gently nods, but then her stern eyes sharpen as she answers, "I do have time. You haven't brought me any trouble yet, and the Purge has finished in Escanso, so I'm not particularly busy, especially now that your 'healthcare' has been lightening our load."

And I smile handsomely. "I'm glad to hear that I've been able to make your life easier."

She hesitates for a second, but I can't decipher the reason for it from her expression. "Let's hope it lasts because this Purification drained a few years off my lifespan," she replies, trying to not sound too tired.

My smile turns guilty as I casually take a seat before her. "The Purification only happens once every few generations, right? So you shouldn't have to worry about it anymore."

She stares for another couple of seconds, and this time I feel like she's holding back a bit of a smile. "Well, I'm worried about the next problem you'll bring." -But then her tone suddenly becomes harsh as she remembers something- "Your use of torture on Katasko's commanders was the most worrying thing, and I hope you don't plan on repeating that."

Indeed, I really don't plan on repeating the torture, but her still words make my smile deflate quite quickly.

So I sigh softly and earnestly reply, "That was a difficult decision, but it had to be done. The Punishers seemed quite glad to have a list of enemies to purge, did they not?" And I return a bit of her sharp look.

But Teresina is nonchalant. "The Punishers never look twice at free gifts, but using extreme means to hunt down heresy will only cause instability."

Now that's something quite surprising to hear coming out of an ex-Punisher's mouth.

She still sounds unconvinced, so I reassure her, "We're in no way eager to repeat that. I can't actually promise that we won't do it again," -then I decide to turn a bit of the heat back on her- "but you know that we don't take something like this lightly, don't you?"

But once again, she's nonchalant and deftly deflects, "I'm more interested in the future. How will you react when the merchants and companies make a move against you?"

I raise an eyebrow at her and confusedly ask, "Why would they?"

And she gives me a disbelieving look, as if it's obvious. "Why wouldn't they? You're making yourself very well-liked by the commoners, but you haven't made a single move to appease the merchants while you've already acted against a company. Some are already referring to you as a 'king of commoners.'"

"Sounds like a good thing to me," I casually reply with a snort.

The mature woman isn't amused, and she even makes a complicated expression, showing a level of concern for me that's even a bit endearing. "Wolf… this is why it's hard for me to open up to you. I can't give up on being your counter-balance if you keep being so reckless."

My heart skips a beat, then overcompensates by beating twice as fast. She's basically just confessed to having been seduced by me… but then the human pulls on the reins of the dragon to let me think clearly again.

I assume a perfectly polite tone as I reply and explain myself, "I apologize for giving you trouble. It's really not my intention to make life harder for you, but I'm Blessed by the Goddess of Knowledge, and part of the bargain to receive her favor was to spread my knowledge. It's this very same knowledge that guides my actions, and I know that I'll make some enemies along the way because no change comes without effort."

And then she falls silent for a long moment. She can't go against the desire of the Gods, even if my actions will cause conflict in the future, so she forces herself to accept that this is the right path. "This knowledge… is it from your home Realm?"

My heart skips another beat, but I should've been expecting this, so I quickly calm down. "Caterina told you about my past…?"

She nods softly and quickly adds, "Yes. It doesn't change my opinion of you because the Gods already accepted you; I can only judge your actions." Then she falls silent again, waiting for me to answer her previous question.

My throat starts to feel a bit dry, but I don't pull out my tea set, for now. Then I breathe in and start revealing it all to her, "My home world… home Realm, as you Rupegians call it, is more socially and technologically developed than this Realm. History taught me that these changes I'm attempting to make were opposed every step of the way, and blood was shed for them. You can expect the same to happen here, but if the temple is on my side, many lives will be saved."

"I can't give you an answer with such a vague promise," she immediately replies.

But I smile warmly at her, and I feel her stern facade crack. "I wasn't expecting one, and it's precisely because of that attitude of yours that I like you. You're extremely reasonable, even though you try to stick as close to your ideals as possible."

Her lips pucker as she tries not to pout, but a bit of embarrassment manages to slip past her mask and appear on her face. "You… don't deserve this high level of 'Charisma,'" she stiffly replies.

And I infuse as much [Sexual Charm] into my handsome smile as I can, relishing in having finally struck a critical hit on her. "Not the first time I've been told that today."

Her hold on her pout weakens due to her annoyance. "Hmm…? Seducing another woman you shouldn't?"

But I answer categorically, "Actually, I wasn't. But we were being a bit flirty just for fun."

And now it's her eyes that narrow as her displeasure deepens. "Flaunting the number of women who bend over for you isn't going to impress me."

I think I'm near the line where it goes from banter to actual dislike, so I pull back and appeal to her emotions with a gentle reply, "Don't say it like that. Being submissive isn't dishonorable, and I'm not trying to get you to submit to me."

"Then what are you trying?" she questions vaguely, giving me the reins of this conversation.

Once again, I have to hold back on teasing her because she's a truly proud woman, and I still haven't really earned the right to "wound" it, even jokingly, so I assume the most earnest tone I can and give her a simple answer, "I'm trying to charm you, obviously. It's not the same thing as 'making you submit.'"

And her answer is instantaneous, "Why would you ever want to court an old woman?"

Oh? Is that insecurity I hear in her voice?

But to me, the answer is obvious. "Because I find you attractive."

And she sighs tiredly, a bit exasperated that I've neither given up nor confessed to only being after her body. "You really don't deserve this much 'Charisma'…" she mumbles while awkwardly rubbing her ear. She could've hidden this tic by pretending to readjust her hair behind her ear, but because her hair is always firmly tied in a bun, she's clearly signaling that she's feeling insecure.

But I feel like she's at the point that pressuring her would only lead to her rejecting me on reflex, so I go back to comforting and suggest something casual, "If you're not repulsed by the idea, then I invite you to have a drink with me back in the castle."

She touches the silver ribbon holding her hair tight, then her hands twitch oddly, and the gesture reminds me of the girls readjusting their hair with a brush, which I find quite curious. But Teresina simply hums and accepts, "Hm… that much I can do…"

I stand up and walk around her desk, then offer her my arm. "If you please. I'll [Gate] you directly to my home."

She immediately stands, then suddenly declares, almost as if she had briefly forgotten about it, "I have to warn the priests that I'll be away."

I call back one of the Companions and tell her that we'll be in the castle. I'll keep the [Gate] open and leave a summoned bird here so that she can warn us if someone comes for Teresina.

With Teresina reassured, I offer her my arm, and she takes it, then rests her soft, wrinkly but still beautiful hand upon mine. The subtle smell of her sharp but simple perfume is exciting, but then I realize that even at her age, she's still reasonably taller than me. I like women of all sizes, and I know very well that my lack of height gives me a boost in cuteness due to my youth, so I feel like it isn't a minus overall.

"Then, we're off," I happily hum and open a [Gate] right under us.

We're taken to my bedroom, and Teresina raises an eyebrow at the huge bed, but I merely take her to the balcony for us to have some tea.

"You're addicted to tea, aren't you?" she warmly asks, mildly amused, and she surprisingly starts to relax her posture.

And I answer matter-of-factly, "I am. It's the perfect beverage to drink while having a talk when you aren't very fond of alcohol."

She gives me a curious look. "Why aren't you fond of it?"

I flash a smirk as Alissa takes over my body so that I can pour perfectly. "I have too many secrets to lose, and I was never much for drinking anyway."

She seems mildly pleased by my tea-pouring skill, then takes her cup and asks before taking a sip, "Well, I'm interested in those secrets. What is your home Realm like?"

It's good that I have tea because my throat gets pretty dry from how much I talk, and with how gentle and kind Teresina is as she asks all sorts of things, I only feel even more encouraged to never stop talking. This is the strategy I'll use to reach her heart, so I do my best to prolong this intimate moment for as long as I can.

I tell her that I come from a world of only humans, which she finds baffling, and she becomes annoyed when she learns that elves are mere myths to earthlings, but she does enjoy learning that they're worshiped as symbols of beauty and grace.

"I assume that you're one of those 'worshipers'?" she wryly asks, even daring to smile.

And I answer matter-of-factly, "Of course, but not only elves. I worship beautiful women of all races."

But her response is to hide a pout, which I find adorable. "Of course, you do…" she mumbles jealously.

I tell her of the earthlings' creations, such as planes, cars, rifles, factories, huge concrete buildings, electronics, the internet, the endless streams of media, and the advances of earthling society.

And she notices something peculiar. "I'm not a historian, but your description of your cities reminds me of descriptions of the settlements of Man during the Dawn of Mankind."

I hum in agreement, "I noticed that too. It's eerily similar. But it's not just the architecture; this world is straight-up a stereotypical story genre on Earth called isekai. Sometimes, I wonder if this world is just a game, like a dungeon with a story."

But that makes her very displeased. "I'll wipe away all my respect for you if you treat us as if we're mere mana constructs," she harshly replies with a glare.

I understand why Masochist from the Clown Troupe is the way he is. There's something special about the angry eyes of a beautiful woman. "Technically, everyone is a mana construct," I cheekily answer with a smirk. But she simply narrows her eyes, and I still don't have enough "Perception" to discern if she's actually hiding a smile or not, so I quickly amend, "I truly love my wives and everyone else that surrounds me, so I'll never treat them as lesser beings. For example: if I wake up back on Earth one day as if no time has passed at all, I'll just commit suicide."

Alissa wants to complain about the grimness of my example, but she'd do the same if she were in my position, so she isn't allowed to say a word.

And Teresina's answer is one of concern. "What of your family?"

I shrug. "I accepted giving up on them and that my real life is here. Though, I plan to test the theory that this is just a fake reality by finding a way to observe what's happening on Earth."

She knits her thin white eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

And I eagerly explain [Otherworldly Summoning] to her.

"Weepers' Dream, Wolf. You're dabbling in dangerous things," she states, taken aback, and anxiously rubs her long elven ear.

But I just grin cheekily. "Oh, you haven't heard about what we did in the Cycle of Souls."

"What did you do…?!" she suddenly exclaims in disbelief, and I almost feel bad for teasing her like this.

So I explain our encounter with Caio, and she immediately calms down.

"Oh… it isn't that bad…" she quietly hums and looks away towards the city below, deep in thought.

"What did you even imagine that I did?" I casually ask.

"Considering how [Otherworldly Summoning] went, I imagined that you had opened a hole in the Cycle and allowed spirits to pour through."

I chuckle, and she subtly pouts at me, but now it's my turn to notice something curious. "You're surprisingly calm about this 'I'm a Realm-Traveler' thing," I state and stare at her inquisitively.

She shrugs and turns back to me as she starts to deliberate, "I know undeath is caused by staying in the In Between for too long, so the idea of Realm-Travelers has been discussed a lot in the temple. You've clearly been sent by the Gods, so there's nothing to fear from you; I just believe it's my job to prevent you from going too far with the knowledge you bring from 'Earth.' There's a little-known teaching that says: knowledge is a weapon, don't misuse it."

"We have a similar saying on Earth," I hum with a nod.

Her eyes sharpen briefly. "Then I'll remind you no matter how many times it's necessary." And I just smile back, which seems to disarm her as she quickly moves on, sounding eager to learn more, "Now, tell me more about cars. Why haven't you brought these 'horseless carriages' to our Realm yet?"

"Ball bearings. The axles just wear down too fast without them, so I'm waiting for Lina and Aoi to finish developing them before I begin building cars."

And she subtly leans forward. "What are 'ball bearings'?"

I realize that part of her curiosity is to make sure that I'm not bringing anything dangerous to this world, but I still enjoy talking about things with her. I'm not a physicist, anyway, so nuclear bombs likely won't be a thing in this world for a long while, but I'll still tell her the dangers of them so that people will know what to expect once the atomic age arrives.

The table I've chosen for us is small, and so our feet and legs occasionally rub against each other as we shift in our seats. I don't dare to deliberately caress her, but only for today. I feel like we've grown a lot closer today, and she does seem to enjoy my company, so I have hope for our future.

But the moment I get comfortable in her presence, I get horny. She's a classy gilf, a beautiful stern woman with a boner-inducing glare and a delightful composure that exudes dignity, the kind that'd still look awe-inspiring with my cock in her mouth or with her bent over, spreading her pussy for me and asking to be fucked.

And some of my [Sexual Charm] must've leaked out by mistake because her gaze gradually becomes sultry, then she crosses her legs and lets the side of her foot touch my thigh. She's wearing a simple but pretty sandal that graces her beautiful foot, and her priestly black robes are riding up a bit, allowing me to spy a quite well-shaped calf.

But her touch excites me so much that I get ahead of myself and ask, "Have you ever seen the town with this kind of view at night? It's a beautiful sea of mist."

She lifts an eyebrow, and this time, I clearly notice that she's holding back a smirk as she's managed to get me to lose my coolness with just a touch. "I haven't, but I won't be staying to see it… not tonight," she coos back, her tone thrillingly warm.

"Fuck's sake. Is Wolfy going to get a Punisher before me?" Hana grumbles inside my soul space.

I sigh as I forcibly calm myself, but then the dragon asks for revenge, so I boldly wrap my tail around her calf, gently rubbing it as I apply a subtle spirit touch, and the way that she sharply inhales and her eyes widen is totally worth her pulling back her leg.

Then she narrows her eyes at me in annoyance, but the war will have to be put on hold because the sun has set, and it's time to take a bath before tonight's celebration.

I guess that's why she did this little test right now. She won't have to show me her embarrassed face because I have to leave.