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After spending the last few months in Fan Yen’s mansion, I’ve gotten quite used to life here.

I open the door and see our three Servants training in the garden, while also playing around. But it’s obvious that Akane and Erika are actually trying to get each other hurt, so I’ll have to reprimand them for that later. Either way, sometimes Fan Yen also spars with them, so all three of them have become stronger than before.

“They look like they’re having so much fun out there.”
“Please be careful, Young Lady. You’ve only recovered a short while ago.”

I remind Olivia of her situation, after she mutters that seeing what’s happening outside.

All her injuries have healed, but it’s only been a handful of days since the cast on her left arm was taken off. The dragonborn doctor said that she was fully recovered now, but I’d really like her to take it slow for a while longer, just in case.

“Heyy, Olivia!” Fan Yen arrives through the main gate and waves while loudly greeting Olivia.

The smell of alcohol gets stronger with each step she comes closer.

“Fan Yen, have you been drinking so early in the day again?”
“Hmph, no one tells me when to drink and when not to.”
“I guess, but I don’t think it’s healthy to drink so much, even for a dragonborn. You really should try to moderate your drinking.”
“Anyway, Olivia, a letter arrived for you.”

Fan Yen ignores my advice and hands out a letter to Olivia.

“Oh, it’s from Chris.” Olivia breaks the seal and takes out the letter, and sees that it was written by Christina.

“Hmm… What do you think?”

…What am I supposed to say? I might be standing behind her, but I would never dare peek at my master’s correspondence. When I mention that, Olivia hands me the letter so I can read it.

Olivia has been keeping in contact through letters with her friends from the Academy like Christina and Ryuka, and lately they’ve been discussing a festival in Reibana that’s coming up, and Ryuka wants to invite everyone to visit.

Christina is too busy with her research, so sadly her schedule couldn’t make room for it and she had to decline the invitation. Meanwhile, it turns out that Amy is already there in Reibana doing business. And now it’s only Olivia who hasn’t given a reply yet.

“So, would you like to go then?”
“Of course.”
“I expected so.”

I didn’t really need to double check. I mean, we were already planning on visiting Reibana when we got stuck here.

“I believe we’ll have to depart as soon as possible to make it on time though.”
“Yeah, maybe we can leave tomorrow?”

It’s a pretty sudden decision, but that doesn’t really matter. I can just throw all of our luggage into my magic storage, and do the organizing inside there by morphing the space, and I can do that on the road.

“Hm? Did I hear that right? You’re leaving tomorrow?”
“Yes, I’m sorry that it’s so sudden.”
“I knew this day was close when you recovered from your injuries, and so it has finally come. Then tonight we feast.”

While it was a sudden decision, Fan Yen still wanted to give us a proper sendoff.

“Also don’t worry about helping out. We’re celebrating your departure after all.”
“But then-”
“Don’t worry, I’ll make more than just drinking snacks. I’ll also make something Clarissa and the rest can eat.”

I felt bad having her do everything, but I think she took it as me having an issue with her repertoire of dishes, so she alleviated my worries as best as she could and then left to get things ready.

But well, if she insists, then I guess I shouldn’t intervene. What should I do until then though…

“Do you want to sleep with me¹?”
“I’m not sleeping.”

Olivia sits on the bed and pats the space next to her, inviting me. But I have a feeling she’s not talking about the normal type of sleeping, is she?

“Why don’t you try reading to pass the time? I believe you mentioned you still haven’t read the books Christina recommended.”

It feels a bit rude to say it’s unexpected, but Olivia actually likes to read from time to time. Usually they’re just leisure novels, but I’m sure that even those can help her see the world from different viewpoints and improve her literacy.

“Ah…yeah, that’s true. I don’t know if I’ll be able to hold back though… Or are you suggesting that on purpose to get me excited?” She starts mumbling something, probably trying to decide what to read. I don’t really want to get in her way if she wants to focus, so I decide to stay silent and leave the room.

But I also have a lot of free time now.

While we had a bit of a conflict with Fan Yen when we met, she’s been letting us stay in her mansion for months, so I feel like I need to thank her in some way unrelated to helping with the banquet she’s preparing.

I’ve been doing some cleaning around the mansion, but I’ll give it one last pass before we leave.

So I get up and start cleaning, though somehow it feels strangely empty compared to the time when we first arrived here. That’s probably just because I’m feeling sentimental, or I’m too used to being here.

Eventually I get told that everything is ready, so I come out to the garden and gasp at what I see. It’s already getting dark so there’s many candles lighting up the garden, giving everything a more bewitching look.

“There’s no need for formalities. Just eat and drink as you desire.” Fan Yen’s simplistic words started the banquet.
“Is this…”

I sit down on the rugs there and try some of the food, which shocks me even more. The food isn’t exclusively Longshan dishes, but there’s also some of my past life’s flavors and Seperion’s cooking here, which I introduced to her. The talents of dragonborn never cease to amaze me, though I guess it’s mostly Fan Yen herself who deserves praise this time.

“Woof woof.”
“Shaa.”
“!”

The other Servants are eating happily too, so I guess Fan Yen really did prepare something they can enjoy too.

“Pheww!” But Fan Yen is barely touching the food, choosing to drink instead.
“What’s wrong, Natalia? You aren’t drinking?”

Fan Yen wraps her arm around my shoulder and tries shoving a glass of wine to my face. I can’t get drunk in this body, but the strong smell of alcohol still makes me scowl.

I do enjoy drinking, but I’ve always avoided doing it when Olivia is around. According to Seperion’s laws she’s considered an adult now and can drink, but I still don’t think it’s a good idea to tempt her into it by drinking in front of her.

“I think you’re going a bit overboard, Fan Yen.”
“What, you’re actually refusing my wine?”

This is the first time I’ve heard someone actually say something like that unironically.

“Alright, I’ll take it then. But just a bit, okay?”
“Sure! Drink up! Wine is the essence of life, the source of everything good!”

I’ve never felt that in my life. Fan Yen then fills my glass to the brim and gives it back to me. I look at it for a moment, and then take a sip.

“Ah, it’s good.”
“I told you. It’s the best of my stash.”

This wine has a rich sweetness, and it goes down really smoothly, I can see why Fan Yen called it the best she had. But obviously enough, it’s also really strong, and I don’t think it’d be a good idea to drink many glasses carelessly.

“Is wine really that good?”
“Oh, do you want to give it a try too, Olivia?”
“I don’t think it’d be a good idea to have this as a first drink. Let me prepare something.”

Olivia replied with interest, so Fan Yen happily fills up a glass for her too, but I stop them before Olivia can take it, deciding it’s best if I prepare something for her.

I remember western drinks were usually easier to get used to as a beginner drinker, so I’ll probably make something based on that. I guess a sangria shouldn’t be too complicated.

I take some of Erika’s fruits, as well as some pears and plums harvested from Longshan, which don’t resemble the fruits from my past life at all. After I peel and deseed them, I crush them inside my magic storage to make juice, and mix it with wine. Then add some sugar until it tastes right.

“You even know how to mix drinks?”
“Only really simple ones.”

This is only something I learned as an extension of my interest in cooking, so I’m nowhere near the level of a professional bartender.

“It looks so pretty…”
“I’m glad you think so, but if you don’t like the taste you don’t have to keep drinking.”
“Mm, alright. Let me try then.”

Olivia slowly brings the glass to her lips and takes a sip. Somehow I always get really nervous when she’s trying my food.

“It’s tasty.”

It seems she liked it, as she takes another sip.

“!!”
“Hm?”

I turn around and see that Akane and Erika have gathered around me and seem to want something too.

“Maid. They want mana dust.”
“Ahh, again?”

As usual, Clarissa translates what Akane and Erika want.

The Sorcery Core powering my body will always generate some superfluous mana, which materializes as mana dust. I have to regularly clean it before it clogs my mechanisms, and usually it breaks down when exposed to air, though I always preserve some in bottles.

Before I would let Akane absorb mana directly from me, but then I realized it’s more convenient to just mix some mana dust with her food. When Erika saw that, she also insisted on doing the same to be equal with Akane.

So I take out two mana dust bottles from my magic storage, and they quickly empty them on their food.

I’ve tried licking a bit of the dust before and it had no taste so I have no idea why they like it so much, but as long as they’re happy I don’t mind.

“Empty already? Oh well, I’ll go bring more.” Fan Yen sighs a little as she stands up and goes to her storage room to bring more wine. Even though there’s already three large empty bottles rolling around the ground.

Did she already drink so much²?

“Hey…Natalia.”

I feel something heavy on my shoulder together with that alluring voice, so I turn around and see Olivia leaning on me, her cheeks flushed red.

1. Robinxen: Suggestive much!
2. Robinxen: We all know where this is going…