Chapter 145 138: Memories (3)
"You know, I published that piece," I told the lady as we stepped out of the theater.
"You jest," she said.
Many lights in the underground district had dimmed down. They were probably based on the sunlight, the day was coming closer to an end.
"Not at all, I did publish it. Don't you know about the composer from Schwarz?"
As if what happened inside didn't faze either of us, we still walked as we used to before with the lady grasping my hand.
"Whatever, I don't buy it, guard. You should lie in moderation."
"How rude. I'll dedicate the next piece I release to you, that'll prove."
"I am sure it will," the lady scoffed. She then took a look around the place and checked our pockets. We had splurged everything out in the theater, so we didn't have much left on hand. It would be better to bring cash along next time.
"Should we head back?" the lady asked.
She must have been tired after using her magic.
I nodded and the lady led me out of the underground district. The place was vast, so most of it was still unexplored by me.
We had all the time in the world, coming back tomorrow and the day after was no big deal.
We passed through another staircase and found ourselves in the night streets of the seventh district. As the sun started to set, people came out to share drinks and jolly stories, walking hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder.
Just like in most jovial cities, bards singing in the streets and stalls attracting their customers with loud calls merged and a cacophony of sounds that could only be described as the voice of the city flowed out.
The lady and I matched a slow pace as we walked through the streets, going up each district.
"Let's take a long way back," she suggested, and I agreed without hesitation.
I felt that the distance between us had closed down considerably in just the span of a day.
Was it because of what happened today? I thought it was purely due to the circumstances. With no one else to lean on, the lady who had already given up slowly started to place all her weight on me.
We reveled in the sounds for a while, our shoulders brushing with each step.
The night deepened considerably by the time we reached the estate. There were a few guards on duty, but no one noticed us as I lifted the lady and hopped over the walls.
"Are you hiding your presence?" she asked.
"Yup, doing it like a boss, right? I doubt even Orichalcum-ranked adventurers can find me."
The lady and I slowly made our way inside the estate, the dark passageways dimly lit by a few candles were rather welcoming.
"Say, guard, aren't you stronger than most Platinum-ranked adventurers?"
"Probably stronger than Adamantium-ranked ones too, but adventurer rankings depend on more things than just strength."
"So, you're bad at adventuring?"
"I sold a baron into a BDSM club once, since then they said I'm not good at it. Weirdos, those guys."
The lady chuckled softly at my words. In a short while, we found ourselves in the lady's room. Unlike before, she asked me to get inside along with her.
"Feel free to change into something comfortable." Leaving those words, she entered a different room hidden behind her wardrobe and left my sight.
Titania, who was resting on my shoulder, spoke up.
"So, you won't sleep?"
"Pretty much," I said, snapping my fingers and bringing out different clothes. Titania, being a higher being, had no interest in how or where I undressed, so she tried to hide the fact that she was covering her eyes and blushing furiously with her words.
"I-It's bad for your health!"
"Eh, where will I use my health anyway? Isn't this fine?"
"Hah, I really don't like how you treat her."
"Why?" I asked.
"That girl, it took me a while to notice it today, but she emits a great curse."
"A curse?"
"It's bottom is unfathomable. I don't think even I would be unaffected by a curse like that."
Curse, huh? That was interesting. I hadn't felt anything like that during the last few days, but that was because Curses didn't fall under the realm of Mana or Ki. Like demonic energy, curses used holy energy to materialize. The power of gods in the higher plane of existence. If she talked about such a curse, was it the fact that the world was forgetting her?
It didn't seem to be that.
"There's something other than how the world forgets her?"
"Yes, I don't know why that one is happening yet, but I'll find out soon."
I could always rely on Titania to handle such things. I gently smiled and patted her forehead.
"Put on a shirt instead!" How cute.
The lady knocked on the door of the wardrobe that led to her own room. After making sure I had changed, she came out and strode over to the couch.
"So, feel like staying up another night?" the lady said.
"Yup, I still have a lot more I want to find out."
There was quite a bit.
Even about myself now.
"I won't be sleeping either!" Titania said from the side.
Both the lady and I looked at her with slight surprise in our eyes.
"I already don't remember anything, but I'll remember the you from now, girl."
The lady hesitated slightly. In a light blue dress that bordered the shade of white, the lady's veil fluttered slightly.
"As you wish, little fairy," she said.
"Then," I spoke up again. "Are you going to go sleep?"
"No."
The lady stood up. She came over to me and grasped my hand.
"There's a room below the estate that no one but the family members know about. It's like a small house in itself, we're going there."
I let myself be dragged along by the lady as we passed through the passages again and started going down the stairs.
I didn't regret not sleeping for a second.