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Extra Story 1 – A Black Sorcerer’s Date With A Vampire / After the Raid Battle 1 (Part 2)

Extra Story 1 – A Black Sorcerer’s Date With A Vampire / After the Raid Battle 1 (Part 2)

「In any case, just knowing that you’re worried about planning your date might make her feel happy, Lem.」

「Is that so?」

「Maybe.」

「Maybe…」

「We can only imagine how people feel.」

「…Indeed.」

「That’s probably why it’s so troublesome, difficult, painful, and fun.」

「…Yeah, you’re probably right.」

I don’t want to start thinking about giving up out of frustration about not knowing what to do.

「There’s no such thing as an absolutely correct answer to human relationships, but as you get to know someone, you learn how to interact with them. There’s a correct answer for you and young Milla, but you don’t know it yet. Of course, seeking advice is a good thing, but in the end, you’re the one who’s going to be making the decision.」

It’s exactly as he says.

I came here seeking advice, not to get the answer from someone else.

I’m the one who has to figure out how to make Milla happy.

And once I see Milla’s reaction on that day for the first time, I’ll be able to learn the right answer as well as the wrong answer.

「You’re right. Thank you very much. I’ll think about it myself.」

「Right. You can also try asking others for their own advice.」

As he tells me this, I try to think about my options, but they’re not looking very good.

Only Sitri seems like she’d have some useful information on this matter, but she herself offered Milla a date plan once.

If I were to ask her for help, more than Milla and I going out together, we would be carrying out Sitri’s date plan together, so I’d rather not ask her this time.

「Well… You’re the only friend I can rely on at times like this, Blitz.」

「L-Lem… I didn’t know you counted on me to that extent!」

For some reason, Blitz’s shoulders are trembling and tears are welling up in his eyes. He’s also giving me a lot of leftover fruit for me to take home with me…

◇

Then, a week went by.

During that time, I worried with all my heart… Well, “worried” isn’t really the word.

I’ve been making preparations for our date.

It was tough… in the end, I had to ask for the help of the “Flame Hero” Fenix, and the “Silver Hero” Nicola, but thanks to that, I was able to get what I needed.

Work’s done for the day. I’m already in my room in the dormitory.

I call out to Milla, who’s been having a good laugh in front of the terminal that day as well.

「Hey, hey, Milla.」

「!! W-what is it, Lem?」

By the time she turned her face towards me, Milla had corrected her expression back to a beautiful smile.

The change was so sudden that I can’t believe she’s been chuckling her face off in front of the screen until a second ago.

「Um, it’s about the matter in question…」

「The matter in question?」

Why am I so nervous? After making sure my voice wouldn’t come out sounding overly excited, I continued.

「Look, um, it’s about your reward for the Raid.」

「!! Hya! That matter in question!」

I can see the anticipation and tension on Milla’s face.

「I’m done with my preparations, so if it’s okay with you, on our next day off…」

「Sure, let’s go! It doesn’t matter if something happens to come up later!」

「I-I see. Good.」

I let out a sigh of relief.

◇

At night, on that same day.

「H-hey, Milla.」

「What is it, Lem?」

I timidly call out to Milla, who was sleeping next to me as a friend today.

「You can’t sleep?」

Her gigantic red eyes seemed to glow faintly in the dark bedroom.

「I’m sorry, I’m having a hard time sleeping out of anticipation.」

She looks like a child who knows that her “Job” will be finally revealed to her tomorrow.

There are many people who can’t sleep because of a mixture of tension, anxiety, and anticipation.

「If you look forward to it so much, it’s gonna make me nervous too…」

Besides, our next day off is still ways ahead of us. Being sleep-deprived on the day in question isn’t really in our best interests.

◇

Then, on the day in question…

Instead of leaving the house together, we decided we’d meet there at a specified time.

This was Milla’s request as well, and according to her, doing it that way is more like a date.

We’re meeting in front of the fountain in the square, which we also used for our first outing.

Today she is also dressed neatly, but she does not hide her racial characteristics.

I am also wearing casual clothes instead of my usual “Black Sorcerer” robe.

In the past, I’ve been making use of the advice of Cashew’s mother — who works at a second-hand clothing store — as a reference, but recently I’ve been listening to Milla’s advice when choosing clothes.

Back when I was an adventurer who traveled around the world, clothes would become my luggage, so I didn’t own a big variety of casual clothes, but since I’ve started living in a dormitory, my wardrobe has expanded a little bit.

For some reason, Milla’s personal belongings are also increasing day by day…

Since we’re both leaving the house with a difference of five minutes from each other, we met by the fountain without making either of us have to wait for the other.

「Your usual getup looks lovely as well, Lem, but you’re looking really good today.」

「Thanks. You l-look l-lovely too, Milla.」

At times like this, being able to praise your partner smoothly is something wonderful.

But for someone like me, the fear that the phrase may not sound natural once I say it gets the better of me, and the words end up getting clogged up in my throat.

Or is this because I’m saying that to Milla?

「Hehe, I just got praised by Lem… I guess I’ll have to keep this combination of clothes in mind.」

She smiles gorgeously, yet her cheeks are slightly blushed.

My heart jumps at that smile, and I freeze.

「Lem?」

「Ah, yeah. Let’s get going, shall we?」

「Yes.」

We headed to one of the hottest cafes in town.

There are many customers, and after waiting for a while, we’re led to the terrace seats.

「This place looks really nice. It’s my first time coming in here.」

「Both the food and the desserts here are delicious. W-well, that’s what they say…」

Milla doesn’t miss my words.

「Oh, have you been here with someone else before?」

Her gaze sharpened for a moment.

I drop my shoulders and confess.

「I came here once with Cashew and her older sister Maca. Even though I was glad I had found this place after looking into many other places, I figured I’d be nervous about coming here for the first time with you, Milla.」

「Oh, so it was like a rehearsal?」

「It’s embarrassing to admit it, but yeah…」

As she looks at me scratching my cheek, Milla lets out a ticklish laugh.

「Oh, don’t be so shy about it. I’m glad you went that far.」

「T-thank you for saying that. That’s a relief…」

「But why a trendy cafe?」

「Ah, see, didn’t I mention that I went to a cafe with Nicola and Cashew before?」

Well, even if I didn’t mention that, the information about the period I stayed in the area where the “Elementary Level・Beginner’s Dungeon” has been documented by Cashew in one of her memos — which we’ve started calling “Cashew Memos” — so she’s surely learned about that there.

「Yes, I remember. Nicola seems to have had several secret meetings with you, Lem.」

「Well, they weren’t much of a secret meeting since Cashew was there as well, but yeah, I guess you could call them that. So, since I didn’t have that kind of experience with you, Milla, I thought about taking those meetings as a chance to get used to it. But maybe I shouldn’t have done that.」

「T-there’s nothing wrong with it. Actually, I’m happy that you did that. Hehehe, with that, Nicola’s superiority over me has disappeared once again.」

She seems to be happy, although what she seems to be happy about is different from what I imagined.

After enjoying our lunch and desserts, we leave the cafe.

「It was delicious. The place looks really bright and pleasing to the eye as well.」

「Yeah. …Well, there’s somewhere else I’d like for us to stop by, if that’s okay with you.」

「Sure, wherever you want.」

Milla is in a good mood.

We then start walking around town.

Passers-by won’t notice me because I’m spreading my “Confusion” around as usual so that they won’t realize that I’m Lem.

However, since I’m not interfering with their perception of Milla, passers-by would be attracted to her beauty.

Among them, there are people who stare at Milla despite her walking next to someone who seems to be her boyfriend, while some women would stare at her with disdain.

Eventually…

「This is it.」

「What is this place…?」

It’s a huge warehouse-like building.

I enter the building, complete the reception at the front desk, and proceed inside.

Milla, who’s following right behind me, seems to be a bit confused.

Inside the building, there were several doors in addition to the corridors, and each of those doors were locked.

「It’s a rental warehouse. I made a reservation for it the other day.」

「I can tell that much. I use a different rental warehouse myself to store your promotional items that don’t fit in my own room…」

「I-I see…」

I learned yet another piece of information about Milla that I didn’t know.

I’m not sure if this was something I should’ve learned about, though…

While we’re having this conversation, we arrive at the door of the warehouse I had reserved.

I unlock it and then open its wooden door.