After earning Monica's forgiveness, Grey followed her instructions to the letter.
The pie had turned out quite large, so he began treating everyone to it. From Sheryl and Lily, who were planning to spend the night at the estate to finish the ritual of absorbing the magical beast's essence, to the girls who were busy making themselves look pretty while waiting for new clients.
Everyone praised Grey's cooking skills. Some were so impressed that they urged him to stop wasting his time on nonsense (bookkeeping) and follow his true calling (becoming a chef).
Their overwhelming enthusiasm left the Earth transmigrator slightly unnerved.
He simply hadn't expected such an exaggerated reaction to the most ordinary berry pie. What if he had made brownies or a Napoleon cake instead? He was willing to bet that after tasting those, they would lock him in the kitchen forever.
With those thoughts in mind, Grey climbed to the top floor, where his harshest critic was waiting.
Standing before the familiar door, he realized he wasn't in any hurry to knock.
The thoughts that had been spinning through his mind only a moment ago suddenly scattered and lost all shape.
What am I even doing here? Trying to impress someone like Lady Veronika... with a pie? A bitter smile tugged at his lips as he mocked himself.
Heh. Maybe I should look in the mirror more often. I'm not the guy who belonged on the cover of GQ anymore. I'm just an ordinary teenager. A cripple. A child living off other people's charity.
The image of that beautiful woman naturally surfaced in his mind. Her lazy grace. Her detached gaze, as if the entire world meant nothing to her.
Is that the secret behind her charm? Is that why she attracts me more than anyone else? To Senior Grey, Veronika resembled his former self. Someone who genuinely loved life, yet felt like a complete outsider in this new world.
Yeah, right. Just like me. I sure think highly of myself... Veronika is an expert among experts. What rank is she? Saint Arbiter (6)? Sky-dweller (7)? It's only natural for someone like her to feel a little detached. I'm sure if she said a single word, admirers would flood the entire city.
And me? I'm just a little boy who doesn't even know what he wants from life...
But why is she here? With her status, she could have settled somewhere far better. This damned city isn't called Thorn's Cloaca for nothing. Calling it a dump would actually be a compliment.
Grey frowned.
Whatever. I'm in no position to stick my nose into someone else's business. Maybe she's just a recluse. That happens all the time in cultivation novels.
I'll just offer her some pie. It's nothing more than basic courtesy, without any hidden motives. Besides, she was the one who asked for it. It's not like I was dying to see her again.
At last, he let out a slow breath and hesitantly raised his hand.
He didn't even know what he was expecting from this meeting, or why his heart was beating so fast.
Their conversation from the previous night kept resurfacing in his mind.
What does she think of me? Is she laughing at me? Or maybe she despises me? The same pointless questions kept going around in circles like a scratched record.
"Come in!" Lady Veronika's sultry voice drifted from behind the door.
Grey let out a breath and stepped into the familiar room, once again struck by its luxury.
The beautiful black-haired woman was lounging in her usual position, reclining on the couch like a lazy, graceful cat. If not for the wine glass that had been refilled, it would have seemed as though she hadn't moved an inch since yesterday.
Grey chuckled and joked, "Lady Veronika, are you sure there's no succubus blood in your veins? You're practically the embodiment of every vice. Sloth, boredom, temptation, seduction..."
"Enough with the flattery, you little rascal!" she replied with a smile. Then she took her usual sip of wine. "Now tell me, why are you here? Did you cause more trouble, or have you come to torment me with financial reports again?"
Grey scratched the side of his nose awkwardly.
"Hahaha, you're completely wrong. This time I brought good news. You asked me to look after Monica's condition, remember? Well, she's completely fine now."
The faintly detached look in Veronika's eyes lit up with interest.
"Is that so? I'm glad to hear it. I thought it would take her much longer this time. Come on then, tell me. How did you bribe her?"
Although Lady Veronika didn't care much about her establishment, she knew better than anyone what was happening with the girls under her care.
Monica's reaction might have seemed childish, even exaggerated, to someone who didn't know her past. But to Veronika, whose only real hobby was collecting gossip, it was a warning sign.
Monica's story was a simple one, yet deeply tragic.
Several years ago, the curvy red-haired girl came to her, begging for a job. She wanted to become a prostitute of her own free will. There had been utter despair in her eyes. Her clothes were nothing but rags. She had pleaded for work as though her life depended on it.
Lady Veronika had accepted her without asking too many questions.
There was nothing unusual about someone like Monica wanting to become a prostitute. In the end, it was a way for beautiful but unfortunate women to climb the social ladder. All they had to do was sacrifice their honor in exchange for a steady income without risking their lives.
A month passed, and Monica became the most successful courtesan in the brothel. She offered herself to clients with such eagerness that she seemed like a nymphomaniac.
Everyone knew the reason. She was earning money to pay for her son's treatment.
It was nothing out of the ordinary. Every courtesan had her own burdens. Monica didn't seem special in that regard.
But one day, when one of the girls decided to visit her friend on her day off, she found Monica trying to feed the tiny corpse of her child. The boy had died before his mother had ever stepped into the brothel for the first time.
It was hard to imagine how madly that woman had loved her son. She had simply refused to accept reality. Even among the most extreme cases, hers stood apart.
After that, it took tremendous effort from the girls, and even Lady Veronika herself, to bring Monica back to her senses.
If Monica's son had lived, he would have been about Grey's age. That was why she had become so attached to him.
Knowing her story, it wasn't hard to understand the special place Grey held in her heart, or how much weight his words carried for her.
But Grey knew nothing about it, so he had acted on impulse...
Lady Veronika had no intention of blaming him. Even so, she felt an immense sense of relief when she realized that the girl under her care was finally doing well again.
Noticing the burning curiosity in Veronika's eyes, Grey gave an awkward smile, pulled the slice of pie from behind his back, and began explaining.
"I baked a berry pie. I told you before that I was going to do something special to show you how sincere I was."
Without waiting for a response, he quickly changed the subject. "The pie was pretty big, so I saved a slice just for you. Give it a try. I think you'll like it."
Lady Veronika gave him a strange look and accepted the treat.
It wasn't as if she hadn't noticed the pie from the very beginning. She was a powerful expert. All of her senses, including her sense of smell, were far sharper than an ordinary person's. She simply found it amusing that Grey had tried to hide something behind his back.
"You little rascal, have you fallen for me? Since when are you so thoughtful?" she asked after taking a bite.
Sweetness filled her mouth, blended with a gentle tartness and the rich milky flavor of the pastry. Never in her life had she tasted a dessert even remotely like it. Every ingredient was simple, yet together they created an incredible flavor that made her want to close her eyes and savor it.
She narrowed her eyes at the boy as if waiting for something.
Grey knew she was teasing him. Deep down, he cursed the shameless temptress for playing with his feelings.
How could she be so straightforward? Did she really enjoy putting him in such an awkward position?
Still, he had no intention of playing along.
Right now, Grey didn't want to discuss that question. Not with Veronika, and not even with himself.
Not a single muscle twitched on his face. He feigned ignorance and pretended he had no idea what she meant.
"How could that be? Lady Veronika, you've done so much for me. You freed me from slavery, gave me a roof over my head, and even offered us your protection. It's only natural that I'd want to repay your kindness..."
Unlike Junior Grey, Senior knew when to press forward and when to step back. Right now, he was using one of the oldest tricks for dealing with someone influential.
By thanking Lady Veronika for her protection, he was subtly putting her in a position where she would have to continue protecting him. Otherwise, accepting his gratitude would become rather awkward.
Veronika narrowed her eyes, and the corners of her lips curled ever so slightly.
Could she possibly miss such a transparent little trick? Of course not. She knew exactly what this child was trying to accomplish. Still, she didn't mind granting him a few small favors in exchange for the entertainment he provided.
"So, what is it that you want? I don't believe you came all this way just to bring me pie."
"I need another piece of advice," Grey admitted honestly. It was impossible to tell whether he genuinely wanted her guidance or was simply looking for an excuse to spend a little more time talking to her.
"Go on then. Let me hear the details."
"You already know that I gathered a few people to form a fighting team... Now I've run into a problem. I need to increase their strength in a very short time.
Some of them have already started cultivating, but most are still ordinary mortals. We simply don't have time for slow training. Becoming specialists is far too difficult, and there's no alchemist in the city capable of brewing mana potions.
I really want them to follow the path of the Roman practitioners. It's the most versatile one, but finding a Sphere of Origin is incredibly difficult.
I can't say I'm completely out of options. I'm confident I can turn them into Runic Knights. But that's a crooked path, and I'd rather avoid it. That's why I wanted advice from someone truly powerful... someone like you."
Grey looked at Lady Veronika with complete sincerity.
Every word he had spoken was true.
Unlike him, Junior knew far more about cultivation and was certain that one day he would be able to guide everyone else.
A Runic Knight was a force to be reckoned with. They had the means to carry out that plan.
However, the runes carved into the body required their user to burn their own life force as fuel, something that would only harm his subordinates' future potential. Junior was absolutely convinced that he would be able to eliminate those flaws one day. With resources so scarce, such a solution was justified.
But Senior couldn't stop doubting.
If they wanted to achieve their long-term goals, their new organization needed the strongest possible foundation. That was why he took advantage of Junior's absence and shamelessly asked for advice.
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