Inazuma City, Tenshukaku.
Not long after Nolan finished checking the effects of his new title, he saw Kamisato Ayaka step out.
Her affection for him had already reached Level 8. If he could find a reason—just like with the other girls—to gift her an Affection Skill, then, barring any surprises, Ayaka's gratitude would push her affection even higher, at the very least past Level 9.
At that point, if he confessed his feelings, it might very well be enough to bring it close to max level.
Nolan felt he couldn't miss this opportunity. Just as he was thinking of an excuse to spend some time alone with Ayaka, she noticed him as well.
Beneath a skirt as elegant as a painted brocade, Ayaka's snow-white legs swayed lightly back and forth. Holding a folding fan in her hand, she walked over with a smile on her face.
"Congratulations on receiving the honor of being the Shogun's deputy. For thousands of years, only you, Mr. Adventurer, have ever been granted such a distinction."
Of course I'm the only one in thousands of years—it was just made up on the spot.
Nolan smiled back and said,
"It's nothing important. I just shamelessly asked the Shogun for it."
"Even so, you wouldn't be able to ask for it without the corresponding merits, would you?"
With a soft whah, Ayaka opened her paper fan, lightly covering her gentle lips.
"Mm."
Nolan didn't deny it. As if thinking of something, he continued,
"Speaking of which, this is something worth celebrating. When Sara comes out, how about we go have some afternoon tea together? My treat."
"Alright. Since I've come all the way from the Kamisato Estate, I can't very well return empty-handed. Then I won't hold back on this afternoon tea, Mr. Adventurer."
With a crisp snap, Ayaka closed her fan. Beneath her snow-colored bangs, her fair face revealed a faint smile.
[Kamisato Ayaka Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 600 Affection Points.
Current Affection Level: Lv.9 (320/900)]
Seeing the affection notification pop up on the character panel, Nolan was a little surprised.
After gaining another title, it really had become easier to gain girls' affection.
Just inviting Ayaka out for afternoon tea had earned him affection?
Was it because celebrating and thinking to include her showed that she held a place in his heart, making her happy?
Humans were social creatures, after all—some patterns of thinking were shared. Nolan felt that was probably the reason.
No matter what, this was a good thing. The easier it was to gain affection, the easier it would be to obtain Affection Skills—and the stronger he would become!
Now, as long as he found a reason to gift Ayaka an Affection Skill, her affection would reach max level. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of new Affection Skill she would give him.
Just as Nolan was feeling expectant and about to ask Ayaka to wait a moment, a calm voice sounded.
"I heard my name. What are you two talking about?"
Wearing single-toothed wooden geta, Kujou Sara walked out from Tenshukaku, her expression tinged with curiosity.
"Hello, Miss Sara."
Ayaka raised her hand to her chest, palm facing Sara as she gave a gentle wave in greeting.
"Mm. Good afternoon, Miss Ayaka."
Kujou Sara returned the friendly greeting, then folded her hands together beneath her chest, which was wrapped in a black, form-fitting vest and partially covered by a pure white mantle.
To be honest, Sara's outfit was quite… evocative.
From the front, one could vaguely glimpse the lower curve of her breasts where the mantle failed to fully cover what was wrapped tightly by the black vest.
From the side, there was even less concealment.
The side curve of her breast, pressed against the same black fabric, was clearly visible. As she walked, the mantle covering her chest fluttered slightly, occasionally revealing the soft, rounded lines of her figure.
Her long, snow-white thighs were also left fully exposed.
It was clear that clothing styles in Teyvat were rather casual—people wore whatever they liked.
Take Collei, for example. Even though she was a shy girl when it came to matters of romance, she still wore a backless black dress that revealed her fair back and the rear portion of her bandeau underneath.
Perhaps this was simply a subtle cultural difference between civilizations.
After all, Teyvat didn't have the same ancient traditions and etiquette as Earth. Nolan found it quite pleasant—it was certainly easy on the eyes.
Watching the two women exchange greetings, Nolan's cultivation-minded thoughts ran wild for a moment.
Once they finished greeting each other, he picked up the conversation and explained,
"I just got a new title, so I was thinking of going for afternoon tea to celebrate a bit. I was about to invite you as well. How about it, Sara—do you have time?"
"Oh?"
Kujou Sara pondered for a moment, then nodded lightly and said in her calm voice,
"Since it's your invitation, taking some time out during work should be fine."
[Kujou Sara Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 600 Affection Points.
Current Affection Level: Lv.9 (100/900)]
As soon as Sara finished speaking, Nolan saw the affection notification appear on the character panel as well.
It was likely the same reasoning as with Ayaka. With affection already this high, it was only natural that they liked him. Being invited out for afternoon tea by someone they liked would naturally increase their affection.
"Hehe, sneaking off during work—those words hardly sound like something the upright and incorruptible Miss Sara would say."
Ayaka opened her paper fan again, half-hiding her smile.
"The feeling is mutual."
Sara glanced at her with her dark-golden eyes.
"Speaking of which, shouldn't the young lady of the Kamisato Clan be even busier with work? Is it really fine for you not to hurry back and handle official matters?"
"Recently, Inazuma has entered a phase of rapid development, so there is indeed much more work."
"But the Kamisato Clan has no shortage of capable people. Tasks that can be delegated are handed down to subordinates. In that sense, it's no different from before."
Kamisato Ayaka replied with a light laugh.
Uh… why did it suddenly turn into a clash?
Nolan was quite experienced with this sort of thing.
In the Wonderland Space, whenever several girls wanted to train with him at the same time and wished to monopolize him for a long while, small disputes like this were inevitable.
In the end, of course, Nolan always managed to settle them completely.
After all, their strength was still somewhat inferior to his. Trying to overpower him in cultivation was impossible for the time being.
Only by cooperating with each other could they last longer. Otherwise, if any one of them cultivated alone with Nolan for too long, overdoing it could actually break them.
That lingering, intimate comfort would remain in the body for quite some time—at the very least, it would take several days of rest to fully recover.
It was a sensation that could easily become addictive and would also affect their work the next day. Nolan was mindful of this and made sure not to overdo it, so as not to interfere with their responsibilities.
That said, some people recovered much faster—like Lisa and Yae Miko—so they often ended up cultivating with him excessively.
Looking at Ayaka and Sara, Nolan reached out, taking one on each side by the wrist, and led them downward.
"This afternoon tea invitation is for the two of you. Of course we're going together—missing either one of you would make the atmosphere feel incomplete."
Neither of them spoke. Looking at the hand holding theirs, a faint blush surfaced on their fair faces.
By the time they had descended most of the long staircase and reached the Shogunate gate, they could see the patrolling guards on the road ahead.
They couldn't help but start feeling shy. Nolan noticed this as well.
If others were to see it—the young lady of the Kamisato Clan and the general of the Tenryou Commission both having their hands held by a single man—
If word got out, it would surely spark quite a bit of gossip.
To avoid causing them trouble, Nolan released their hands for the time being. After all, they were both high-ranking figures in Inazuma, and being the subject of gossip would damage their image.
As for Nolan himself, he didn't really mind. If word spread and more people came to know him, he might even gain more "Spirituality"—though at this point, he already seemed to have more than he could ever use.
The main reason was that he never had the obsession of rolling an extremely rare or overwhelmingly powerful modifier. As long as it felt suitable, that was enough for him.
This pragmatic approach helped him save a large amount of "Spirituality."
Ayaka and Sara both let out a small sigh of relief, yet there was also a faint sense of disappointment. The two exchanged a glance, then calmly looked away, their emotions settling down.
Leaving the Shogunate, they walked onto the streets of Inazuma City.
As for where they were going for afternoon tea, it was naturally still a Kamisato family business—the Komore Teahouse.
Of course, the one treating was Nolan.
It was right in the middle of afternoon tea time, so the teahouse was quite crowded. All the regular seats were already taken, leaving only the more expensive private rooms.
Which suited Nolan and his companions just fine.
After entering the private room and placing their order, the server quickly brought in milk tea and pastries, then left to continue working.
"Come on, no need to be polite with me."
Nolan smiled and took the first sip of his milk tea.
"Mm, thank you for the treat." Kujou Sara nodded lightly, picked up a lotus pastry, and ate it casually.
"Mr. Adventurer, I recommend you try this one. It's a new item that's been very popular at the Komore Teahouse lately."
Kamisato Ayaka picked up a salted sakura pastry from the plate and brought it toward Nolan's mouth, as if intending to feed him.
Being fed by a beautiful girl—how could Nolan possibly refuse?
He opened his mouth and gently bit into the sakura pastry, half of it being guided into his mouth by his tongue.
The refreshing hint of salt carried a floral fragrance, like viewing cherry blossoms by the seaside—not overly salty, and instead bringing out the flavor of the sakura itself.
No wonder Ayaka said this pastry had been so popular lately. It really was a rare delicacy.
Seeing the slight gleam in Nolan's eyes, Ayaka smiled as well. She continued to move the remaining half of the sakura pastry—pinched between her thumb and index finger—toward his mouth.
"We shouldn't waste it, you know."
"Of course."
Nolan bit down on the remaining half of the sakura pastry. As he watched Ayaka withdraw her hand, he reached out and caught her wrist, making Ayaka freeze slightly.
His gaze lingered on Ayaka's fair fingers, which still bore traces of salt and pastry crumbs from holding the sakura sweet. Smiling, he said,
"I did say we shouldn't waste food, so…"
Under Ayaka's slightly stunned gaze, Nolan brought her fingers to his mouth and lightly sucked on them.
"Ah!"
Ayaka's cheeks instantly flushed crimson. She instinctively pulled her hand back, lowered her head to clutch her skirt hem, and said in a flustered, incoherent voice,
"A-Adventurer… M-Mr. Adventurer, w-what are you doing? That's far too improper!"
Beside them, Sara's face had also reddened slightly. She clearly hadn't expected Nolan to do something like that.
"So it's the taste of a beautiful girl's salted sakura pastry~" Nolan licked his lips, as if savoring the aftertaste.
Hearing that, Ayaka had the sudden urge to cover her face.
"Ahem, sorry—just a joke." Seeing their reactions, Nolan changed the subject. "That said, just drinking afternoon tea like this feels a bit dull. How about we play a small game?"
"Haa… please don't make such strange jokes again!"
Ayaka took a moment to calm herself down, pulled out a napkin to wipe her hand, and puffed out her cheeks as she spoke with dissatisfaction.
"Hmph!"
Having snapped back to her senses, Kujou Sara let out a cold snort, looking somewhat annoyed as she added,
"Fine then. Say it—what game do you want to play?"
No matter what it was, she intended to defeat him soundly. The strength of the general of the Tenryou Commission was not to be underestimated.
"Then let's play Inazuma shogi. I'm not very good at it, so I'll have to trouble the two of you to give me some guidance.
"Best two out of three. If you win, I'll give you both an extremely powerful ability, something on the level of 'Interstellar Travel.'
"And if I happen to win, I'll still give you the two abilities—but there'll be a small additional request attached. What do you think?"
Nolan said with a smile.
This was the reason he had come up with to give the two of them their Affection Skills.
As for Inazuma shogi, he had only learned a bit of the basic rules back when he, Lumine, and Paimon had first arrived in Inazuma to adventure.
He hadn't really played it in earnest.
But whether he won or lost didn't really matter. As long as he could give them the Affection Skills as gifts, that was enough.
Receiving something so valuable would naturally make them feel grateful, and their affection for Nolan would increase.
"Although you're very impressive in combat, Mr. Adventurer, shogi is another matter entirely. One needs to play often against others to improve their skills.
"So I'm afraid your 'small request' won't have much hope."
Ayaka said with a light laugh as she opened her folding fan.
She had played shogi with her mother since childhood and felt her skill level was quite decent.
"Then allow me to teach you the principles of deploying troops!" Kujou Sara looked at Nolan, clearly confident in her Inazuma shogi skills.
As the general of the Tenryou Commission, a game so closely related to military strategy was, of course, something she understood well.
"Oh? You both seem very confident. Aren't you going to ask what kind of 'small request' I'd make if I won before deciding whether to agree?"
Nolan said, looking at Kamisato Ayaka and Kujou Sara with mild surprise.
"Since it's just a small request, Mr. Adventurer surely wouldn't ask us to agree to anything difficult."
Ayaka replied in a gentle, elegant tone.
She knew Nolan simply wanted to play shogi to pass the time and take the opportunity to give them gifts. The additional 'small request' was probably just something added casually to differentiate between winning and losing.
"Alright, Ayaka is indeed right. It really is just a simple little request."
With a sense of satisfaction at his plan succeeding, Nolan nodded calmly on the surface.
"If there's no problem, I'll go ask the server to borrow a shogi set now."
"No need. I have one here." Kujou Sara shook her head.
In the space of her Vision, she did indeed have a shogi set stored away.
It was the very set the Shogun had once used on a whim to play shogi with her—a treasured item she had kept ever since.
She only ever took it out when playing against the Shogun.
(End of Chapter)
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