Emperor's Reckoning

Cherie couldn't wrap her mind up. She didn't know how exactly this mess came to be— unlike Hilde who had a session of cardio for the whole event. The latter was slightly regretful for keeping an eye on Lyon. It was better to stay behind and be surprised instead.

"I'm still curious though," said Cherie with a smile. The sverine princess was like a cat with an unquenchable thirst for information. "Young master Lyon, how did you know young master Mavis of Sky Clan?"

Lyon smiled before he crossed his arms, "I don't."

"What?" Cherie raised her brows as she looked at Lyon with her eyes slightly widened. It was pretty weird of him to deny the friendship with Mavis of the Sky Clan from the prior conversation.

Hilde let out a sigh, "It's a long story."

"Well, I'm turning even more curious now after you said that," said Cherie with a smile.

"Forget it," said Hilde as she swatted away Cherie's thought of further prying. "Though, it's amazing how you turn the table around effortlessly, Cecile."

Cecile smiled as she admitted it with a nod, but Kesya on the side was grinning as she said.

"If you spend your time with young master Lyon here, you would experience something like this many more times!" said Kesya before she chuckled.

"I-I see," Hilde nodded. She wouldn't dare to refute this particular elf. Especially with how she casually covered her mouth.

"However, if that's true, then how did you meet young master Mavis?" asked Cherie.

"Long story short," said Lumina. "Lyon borrowed the headmaster's badge to access that highest floor possible, and we met him there."

"You.. borrowed?" asked Cherie as she raised her brow at Lyon.

"Obviously," Lyon nodded as he crossed his arms and nodded. "Otherwise, how would I have the access to that boring auction."

"If it's boring you won't destroy the whole building," Hilde muttered inaudibly from the side before she let out a huge sigh. "At least this one is contained and young miss Ning didn't further escalate the situation to a point of no return."

Hilde stood up after pushing her chair back with her calves. Her face felt heavy as if gravity pulled her down with multiple folds of its original force. Her eyelids were barely open as she looked weak with her shoulders slouched. Though she didn't shed a single drop of warm sweat, her mental was disastrous. The constant anxiety that Lyon pulled off was exhausting for her sweet faint maiden heart.

"You look terrible," said Lyon with a smile.

(It's your fault!) said Hilde inwardly as she waved, "I will see you tomorrow Lyon, thanks for the meal~"

Lyon nodded as he watched the princess of the Bolg Kingdom drag her feet to the outside. He snorted, "She is pretty vigilant most of the time."

"Young master Lyon, she is tired because she was watching you all the time," Cherie chuckled. "In precaution of what you did back in Afurnae— albeit it's not that effective."

Lyon smiled wryly. He indeed had a portion of responsibility for the destruction of that neutral city. "However, I was not the one that provoke the matter at hand! It was always them that provoke me."

Cherie smiled, "I know young master."

Lyon nodded, "As long as you understand— Assid!"

"Yes, young master," said Assid as he revealed himself by his side. There was a subtle blowing wind as he arrived from out of nowhere.

"Have you eaten yet?" asked Lyon as he squinted his eyes.

"Not for lunch, not yet young master. Is there anything of the matter?" asked Assid as he kept his head slightly bowed.

"Then you should eat," said Lyon as he let out a sigh. "You can't be the best butler with an empty stomach."

Assid twitched his brows as he hid the emotion in his eyes with the wrong reflection from his glasses. "Yes, young master, as you wish."

"Heh," Lyon smirked. "Sit down and enjoy the meal."

Lyon stood up before Lumina quickly asked, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to the cashier," said Lyon as he pranced away.

Lumina frowned before she tugged Cecile's elbow.

"Huh? Is something wrong?" asked Cecile as she looked at Lumina focusing on Lyon.

"What's a cashier?" asked Lumina.

"Ah~ Did he mention another foreign word?" asked Cecile as she smiled wryly. "Sadly I have no clue what it is."

Lyon was looking for the one that was standing behind a counter. The person was wearing an azure cloak with a hood covering the top of his head.

"Y-Yes? Is there anything I can help you with?" asked the cashier as he gulped. He tried his best not to appear nervous in front of Lyon. He had heard what happened and saw the result. The young man in front of him had destroyed the First Hall and was also friends with Mavis. One wrong move, he might end up in the same state as the famous building.

"Yes, I was wondering how much the food that I ordered would cost?" asked Lyon as he pointed at the table with a smile.

"Th-That's... it's pretty expensive, s-sir!" said the nervous alchemist. "S-Sorry!!"

The alchemist immediately apologize as he uttered those words. It took him a fraction of a second to realize that his answer could be interpreted as an offending intention against him. His mouth couldn't close as he was prepared for the worst with his eyes furiously closed.

"What?" Lyon was confused. He was totally lost in what the cashier in front of him doing. "Oi snap out of it!"

"Y-Yes!" the azure alchemist snapped his eyes open.

"You," Lyon squinted as he crossed his arms. "This is your first day on the job isn't it?"

"En! En! En!" the alchemist furiously nodded.

Lyon let out a sigh, "Alright, now I understand."

"T-Thank you!" replied the alchemist albeit his heart belied his words

Lyon shook his head as he smiled, "Forget it, you are doing fine as long as you are honest and hard-working."

"Yes! Thank you!" the alchemist nodded and bowed.

(Make up your mind man) thought Lyon as he watched the alchemist bow and nodded at the same time. "Anyway, there is something that I need your help with.

"Y-Yes?!" The alchemist was hopeless. He had wished that Lyon would soon leave after seeing how nervous he was but that was not the case. The latter genuinely had something to ask.

Lyon glanced left and right to check his surroundings (Good! This is a good chance!). His movement was blatantly suspicious to the innocent cashier but the latter valued his life more than this job.

Lyon lowered his tone to a whisper. "Have you heard that this lunch is being paid for by Mavis of the Sky Clan?"

"What? Really?" The cashier was hesitating. He had received no information at all beforehand from the higher-ups.

"Yes, really," said Lyon with a nod as he grinned. "Why would I lie? Why would I cheat this mini-banquet— if you are willing to call it that —to save a spare of change." He shrugged.

The alchemist nodded repeatedly as he apologized. "S-Sorry!"

"Nah, it's fine," said Lyon as he waved his hand. "What I need you to do is to write a receipt for Mavis."

"E-Eh?" The alchemist had his eyes widened. "B-But..."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Lyon shook his head as he smiled, "Do you know how rich the Sky Clan is? (I don't) He could probably buy this entire building if he wants to! What's mere food to him??"

"Y-Yes!" The alchemist nodded.

"That's right," Lyon nodded. "Just write the receipt with Mavis's name and give it to him, he will pay fully for this lunch." He put his hand on top of the alchemist's shoulder before he nodded and gave him a thumbs-up as his last effort to reassure him. "You're doing a great deed!"

Lyon left the alchemist trembling to his feet. He sat down in his seat before Lumina commented. "You know, your skin is probably thicker than a turtle's shell."

"Hahaha yeah, I know," said Lyon before his laughter gradually stopped. "Wait, that's a compliment right?"

"Dull too," Cecile giggled at the side.

"You too?" Lyon raised his brows. "Wait, you guys heard my conversation with that guy?"

"It was hardly a whisper," Kesya laughed without restraint before the others laughed as well, the others, except for Cherie.

She was smiling wryly as she watched how Lyon took in the situation. She couldn't believe that he would shamelessly pin the bill on Mavis, the very man he asked to have lunch with him. She gulped (Is this what Hilde is feeling when she watched over him?).

After a few more minutes went by, Assid had finally cleaned all the plates without a sauce of mercy. He used his own napkin to pat and wipe the gloss out of his lips.

"Well, I'm already full," said Lyon as he stood up and yawned.