In the gilded redwood study, afternoon sunlight filtered through the stained glass, casting patterns onto the sandalwood desk covered in dark-patterned velvet.
Riyao leaned back in a leather chair, spinning a gold coin between his fingers as he haggled over the price with the merchant across from him.
He had received word from the black market that someone was selling the Virgo celestial spirit key, so he came to take a look while accompanying Mirajane and the others on their mission.
It wasn't that he couldn't afford the money; he simply wanted to have some fun.
Mirajane, Lisanna, and Elfman stood behind him, each with their own expression: Mirajane was idly playing with her demonized claws, occasionally glancing at the magic items on the shelves; Lisanna stood on her tiptoes in front of a glass cabinet, poking at the crystal balls inside; and Elfman was scratching the back of his head, dazed.
"Oh, come on, boss, give me a little discount~" Riyao leaned forward, propping his elbows on the desk and waving his free hand. "Even just 100J off would do. Let me experience the joy of bargaining, okay?"
The merchant pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, rubbing his greasy palms with a worldly smile on his face. "Lord Riyao, the Twelve Keys of the Zodiac are rare treasures of the Spirit World. There are only twelve in the entire continent. This quote is already a friendly price."
He had been bracing himself for Riyao to haggle for a ten percent discount and had even prepared his excuses. However, he froze for half a second, his mental abacus stopping mid-air. He had been so nervous his palms were sweating, all for just a hundred Jewels? Snapping out of it, he rolled his eyes and waved his hand dismissively. "Hahaha, I give up! I'll give you a ten-thousand Jewel discount directly, just to make a friend!"
"You're such a good person, boss!" Riyao's eyes lit up instantly. He flicked a magic gold card shimmering with light onto the desk with a'snap.' His tone was as light as a child who had stolen candy as he happily pushed the card forward.
The merchant took the gold card, turned to retrieve a velvet box from the safe, and handed it to Riyao.
Behind Riyao, Mirajane held her forehead as the corner of her eye twitched uncontrollably. Lisanna grabbed her arm, trying to stifle her laughter, her shoulders shaking like a sieve. Elfman clutched his stomach, his shoulders jerking as he forced back his laughter.
Riyao tucked the velvet box into his coat and turned to lead the three of them out.
"Brother Riyao, you spent so much money just for a key?" Lisanna tilted her head, tugging on his sleeve with a puzzled expression.
"It's one of the top-tier Zodiac keys among the celestial spirit keys." Riyao stopped, stroking the velvet box in his arms, his tone carrying an irrepressible pride. "There are only twelve in the entire world. Finding one on the black market is a stroke of luck; it's not something ordinary treasures can compare to."
"Then is it super powerful when summoned?" Elfman leaned in, scratching the back of his head as he asked.
"That depends on the user," Riyao shrugged. "If the user is weak as hell, the summoned celestial spirit can only fight minor monsters."
"Hurry up and summon it so we can see!" Lisanna shook his arm, her eyes sparkling.
"I still need to go back and sign a contract," Riyao laughed and ruffled her hair. "Let's find an inn to settle down first."
...
In the inn, a warm fire crackled in the fireplace, making the wooden floor feel cozy. Riyao leaned back in a soft chair by the window, raising his left hand. Pale blue stardust lit up at his fingertips as he made a "wait a moment" gesture to the three of them.
Mirajane, Lisanna, and Elfman crowded onto the bench by the window, staring intently at his hand, not even daring to breathe loudly.
[I... the path connecting to the Spirit World, call upon thee... to the gate that connects. Open, Gate of the Maiden, Virgo!]
The moment the incantation ended, the pale blue stardust exploded into a small carved door. A faint scent of lavender drifted from behind the door as Virgo, dressed in a black maid outfit with white trim, stepped out pushing a feather duster. Her blonde hair was tied in a neat bun, and a delicate black bow was tied at her collar as she bowed.
"Are you my Master?"
"Yes, indeed. Let's sign a contract." Riyao waved his hand, and another speck of stardust lit up at his fingertip.
Virgo pulled a rolled parchment contract from her pocket and held it out to Riyao, her fingertips carrying the faint scent of lavender. The two of them discussed the terms for a bit and reached an agreement shortly after.
"It feels a bit weird to be called that," Riyao leaned back and swung his legs, raising an eyebrow mischievously. "How about you call me Boss from now on?"
Virgo thought for a moment and intentionally called out, "Understood, Bawss."
"It's 'Boss,' don't use that strange tone." Riyao reached out and patted her shoulder, unable to help laughing.
Just as Riyao was about to close the celestial gate, he stopped as if remembering something and turned to Virgo: "By the way, is the time flow in the Spirit World different from the Human World? I heard that one day there is three months here?"
"Boss, it is the same." Virgo tilted her head, the feather duster still resting in the crook of her arm. "Time in the Spirit World and the Human World is synchronized. Only when summoned does the duration of existence match the summoning time."
Virgo looked at Riyao expectantly. Riyao scratched his head and asked in confusion: "Is there anything else?"
"Boss, I called you by the wrong title just now, and you haven't punished me yet."
(ー_ー)!!
Is this innate?! So it wasn't that Pervert Duke's doing?!
Mirajane said sarcastically, "Oh, I didn't think you were that kind of person, Riyao."
Riyao retorted loudly: "What kind of person am I?!"
Mirajane said with a smile: "A pervert."
"I am not! I'm a decent person."
"A 'decent person' who ran all the way from Magnolia to poop behind my house."
Mirajane had a'see if I believe you' look on her face.
Riyao flicked Virgo's forehead: "Alright, alright, go back now. We'll talk next time." After Virgo bowed, she turned into stardust and retreated into the gate.
Riyao leaned toward Mirajane, resting his elbow on the back of her chair with a teasing smile: "Mira~ want to go for a stroll?"
Mirajane turned her head away, her chin held high, and gave a haughty huff: "Only if you buy me dessert."
"No problem, you can eat as much as you want." Riyao winked.
"What about me? What about me?" Lisanna lunged in front of him, shaking his arm. Her large eyes were sparkling, and even the tips of her ears showed her anticipation.
"Everyone gets some, let's go!" Riyao waved his hand and was the first to push open the inn door. Elfman clutched his backpack and silently followed at the end with a helpless yet doting expression.
As they passed a women's clothing store on the corner, Riyao's footsteps suddenly paused. His gaze swept over a pink lace puff-sleeve dress hanging in the window, and he unconsciously stroked his chin.
Lisanna's little brain immediately started working. Her eyes lit up like stars as she grabbed Riyao's sleeve and whispered into his ear.
Riyao didn't react at first, but as he listened to Lisanna ramble about Mirajane's favorite colors and styles, a mischievous idea suddenly popped into his head. He cleared his throat, grabbed Mirajane's wrist, and dragged her into the shop: "Mira, come here, come here."
"What are you doing?" Mirajane was pulled off balance. She looked back at him with a glare, her brow furrowed so deeply it could crush a mosquito.
"Lisanna said you like pink dresses. Why don't you go in and try it on?" Riyao had a teasing smile on his face as he pushed her into the store.
"When did I say that?" Lisanna spread her hands innocently, intentionally acting confused.
"Don't worry about the details, just come in and look." Riyao ignored her completely and dragged Mirajane straight to the clothing rack.
"What a boring guy... who would want to wear a pink dress?" Mirajane stepped back with her arms crossed, her cheeks already flushing a faint red. She looked like a cat with its fur standing on end, harder to handle than a pig at New Year's.
"If you wear it, I'll wear it too." Riyao raised an eyebrow with a roguish smile that said, 'I dare you not to agree.'
Mirajane's eyes instantly went wide, as if she couldn't believe what she had just heard. She bit her lip and hesitated for a few seconds before finally nodding firmly: "Fine! You wear it first!"
Riyao took the opportunity to push her into the fitting room, while he himself grabbed a similar pink puff-sleeve dress and held it up to the mirror: "It's a deal then. If I wear it, you have to wear it too. No backing out."
"No problem," Mirajane replied muffledly from inside the fitting room.
Riyao picked out a pink puff-sleeve dress adorned with white bows and handed it to Mirajane in the fitting room. He then quickly changed into his own outfit, specifically using Life Magic to subtly adjust his voice and facial features, softening his lines.
He adjusted the hem of the skirt and did a twirl, the skirt fluttering with his movement, before pushing open the fitting room door and stepping out.
"Lisanna, does Sister Riyao look pretty?" Riyao tilted his head toward the mirror, intentionally pinching his throat to mimic a girl's voice.
Both Lisanna and Elfman were stunned: Lisanna's mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg, and the backpack in Elfman's hand hit the floor with a 'thud.' His eyes were wide, and he couldn't speak for a long time.
"Brother Riyao... Sister, you look so pretty." Lisanna was the first to react, clapping her hands in delight.
"You go pick one out too. It's on me today." Riyao waved his hand, pointing to the dresses on the rack.
"Okay!" Lisanna skipped over to the rack and began searching for a style she liked.
Mirajane dawdled for a long time before pushing open the fitting room door. Her cheeks were as red as a ripe apple, the hem of her skirt reached just to her knees, and she had tied her hair into two small pigtails. She didn't even dare to take large steps. Riyao leaned against the counter and gave a cheerful whistle: "Yo, you look pretty good."
"You perve... You're Riyao?!" Mirajane pointed at him, her finger trembling and her face turning even redder.
Riyao took a step forward and breathed into her ear like a lady: "Mhm, that's right." Taking advantage of Mirajane's dazed state, he linked arms with her and led her to the full-length mirror. The mirror reflected two figures in pink puff-sleeve dresses—one soft and cute, the other with bright red cheeks, their hairstyles even looking strangely coordinated.
Mirajane looked at herself in the mirror, then glanced at Riyao beside her, tugging awkwardly at her skirt: "My original outfit suits me better."
"I think this one looks quite nice." Riyao poked her cheek, his voice full of amusement.
Just then, Lisanna finished changing and ran out. She was wearing a light blue floral dress with small lace trim on the hem. She squeezed between Riyao and Mirajane, linking arms with both and laughing non-stop: "If Brother Riyao had white hair, we'd look like three sisters!"
Riyao's eyes lit up. He raised his hand and activated Transformation Magic. His original golden hair instantly turned silver-white, the strands shimmering faintly in the sunlight.
"White-haired three sisters!" Lisanna clapped and jumped, excitedly pulling the two of them toward the mirror for a selfie.
The shop owner behind the counter rubbed his eyes, looking at the three young girls in front of the mirror with a look of utter confusion.
In the corner, Elfman stood with his arms crossed, a look of utter despair on his face, feeling completely redundant.