Kuoh.
When I returned home, the first thing I did was check to see what stage the plot was at. As it turned out, not much time had passed, only a couple of days, and right now, Issei and his men were still at the Gremory Mansion practicing. The servants were still going to work as well, making the house empty most of the time, and Goetia was back in my body. So, what was I doing now? Well...
- "Let's have a drink!" There was a collective cheer from the company's employees, including Runeas, Gil, and the director himself.
- "I'm glad you came, Romani-san," he said, taking a few sips of beer.
- "I didn't want to miss my distant relatives' moment of freedom," I grinned and sipped some coffee, "The company is showing good numbers. Thank you for your work."
- "No problem. It's thanks to you," he smiled.
I accepted the invitation to the corporate party, and we were currently in one of the booths of a fairly nice place where we could have a drink and make a relatively loud noise. It was supposed to have taken place earlier, but due to work pressure it had been postponed.
It was in the late afternoon, when the workday was over, and I have to say, what I saw was expected, but no less fun. And I wanted to check in on the Servants, since I hadn't spent much time with them lately.
- "Why is Yukio-kun so angry... He'd be more suited to being the warden of a prison than a department in an office..." Runeas mumbled, resting her head on the cold table, before draining her beer in a gulp, "Or maybe he's an ancient demon in disguise that finds pleasure in tormenting a young and sweet girl like me? Yeah, I'm sure he is."
- "Um... Runeas-san... You should..." the colleague sitting next to her tried to stop her.
- "Also, that Romani who sealed my powers and made me work... Ooooh... I should be enjoying my youth, not all this..."
- "I heard you, Runeas-san," the very department head sitting nearby suddenly said, causing Runeas to momentarily stiffen and then robotically turn her head in his direction, "And I'm professional enough not to make your job harder because of your opinion of me. To do so would indicate my incompetence and inability to separate work and personal life, as well as my disrespect for Archaman-san, who saved the company and is here."
- "Yukio-kun..." Runeas muttered, looking at him with hopeful eyes.
- "However, I have to say that the eighth-grade syndrome at the age of thirty-two, as stated in your paperwork, can severely affect your mental health, and therefore your job. The company cares about its employees and is therefore willing to pay for your visits to a psychologist. If you want to, of course."
I didn't hold back and laughed, followed by a few other employees of the company, although they tried to hide it.
- "Wha... Y-you're implying that I'm sick, Yukio-kun?! Why?!"
- "It's an objective point of view, Runeas-san. The company depends on each and every employee, and since you're on Archaman-san's special account, you should be more closely scrutinized."
- "You... You're a demon!" Runeas exclaimed, "Then what about the others!"
- "Lance-san only had difficulties in the beginning, but things are back to normal now, if you don't take into account the problems of communicating with the female part of the staff, really. Gil-san though has a more developed version of eighth-grade boy syndrome, but his performance is unquestionable. If it weren't for Archaman-san's condition, he could be a great department head. You should look up to him."
Heh. She wanted to escape from work and all the bureaucratic hell. Literally. But even so, I could sense that she was having fun. And I think it's because of the interaction with her coworkers, including Yukio-kun. After-all, when she worked in a different team from the usual demon aristocracy, and the difference was definitely palpable.
I grinned and shifted my gaze to the mentioned Servants.
- "We understand your pain, Lance-san. Sanada-san has always reacted so acutely to everything," another Servant consoled Lancelot, "But now you know how to deal with her, so it's okay."
- "She's so mean... Sometimes I think she especially hates me," Lancelot mumbled red-faced, and then froze and stole a glance at the same 'Sanada' that had yelled at him the time I'd visited them, "Or... Or was she trying to get my attention that way? Maybe she likes me?"
- "Huh?! Why don't you go get your head x-rayed? I'm sure it's completely empty," she said.
- "Don't be like that, milady. But even in anger you are extremely charming, and I'm sure you'll find your soulmate," Lancelot began to flirt, to which the woman gave him a blank stare, and then....
- "Come here! Are you implying that I'm single and you're my only choice?! I'll break your bones, you fucking womanizer!" She tried to jump up, but she was held back by the other employees, and Lancelot smiled sweetly in return.
- "Calm down, Kana. You're overreacting!"
- "Yeah, he didn't mean it!"
- "Look at his face! It says that's exactly what the bastard thinks! Let me go!"
And the Knight of the Lake has had no luck with the opposite sex so far. On the one hand he's somewhat learned to interact with women of the modern age, but on the other hand, he's not doing so well. I wonder what Guinevere would say if she saw him?
- "Gil-san..." the drunken female employee began, sitting closer to him, "Are you single?"
- "Do you want to become the king's woman? That's not going to happen, mongrel."
- "In that case, what do you like in women?" the other one asked.
- "Individuality. She can be stupid, ugly, poor, arrogant, pathetic, or whatever, it doesn't matter. But if she can interest me, she's mine," Gil said in his usual tone.
- "That's so romantic..." the women chortled, "And powerful..."
- "I'm the king. It's natural!" Gil said proudly.
- "Didn't kings have harems?" One of the women suddenly thought about it.
- "Does Gil-san have one, since he calls himself a king?"
- "And if we can interest Gil-san, we can become queens?"
- "Oh, I know what you mean," she nodded, and then smiled seductively at Gil, "I'll go with you."
- "Gil-san, why don't we have some privacy? We promise you'll enjoy it," they said and the group of four women surrounded Gil. A moment later, he realized where this was going, so he looked at me. I smiled sweetly and waved and wished him good luck.
- "Go away, you mongrels! This is treason! A crime against the king!" He shouted, but of course they didn't listen to him, so they dragged him to a separate booth, "Stop it!"
Was he afraid of a bunch of ordinary women or the possibility of sleeping with them? No, of course he wasn't. However, he was a common man now, and he was scared by his own powerlessness and lack of control over the situation. And also, Gil really respected and considered them his colleagues, after all, they all worked in the same company, and so he would not use force even on pain of death. Although, this version of Gil was definitely not afraid of it.
-0-
Deep in the evening, the corporate party came to an end, and everyone had already started to disperse, including us. And now me, Gil, Runeas and Lancelot were walking slowly through the night city, heading home, under the light of the beautiful moon and the cool summer breeze.
- "Not a bad time, eh?" I asked, "I didn't even have to do anything to see your extremely satisfied faces."
- "Speak for yourself, mutt," Gil gritted his teeth, wearing very rumpled clothes and smelling of sweat, "I've never been so humiliated. They used me as if I were a toy in their hands. A thing, a tool to satisfy their lust. It's humiliating."
- "Come on, you could just shake them down or ask me for help, couldn't you?"
- "So, I…"
- "But you know, you fought with honor. Like a cornered snake. Until your last breath, I mean, relief, or the end. Maybe I should add a couple lines to the epic about you, don't you think?"
- "Goddamn mongrel. I'll remember that."
- "Yeah, yeah," I rolled my eyes, then looked at the duo behind us, "How's it going in there?"
- "I think I'm in love, Master," Lancelot murmured dreamily, and I grinned.
- "When I get my powers back, Yukio-kun will regret what he did," Runeas said vindictively, "Romani, you can..."
- "No. Or I'll send you to Gremory immediately. You know, 'Grandmother, why didn't you say anything?'. 'Lady Gremory, we're glad to see you'. Oh, or 'We need your advice. Attend the next hearing on Solomon's evil reincarnation'. Or maybe..."
- "I get it! You don't need to remind me of that!" Runeas threw up her hands, "You're a sadist, Romani."
- "Slander, nothing more," I grinned and thought.
I'll visit the others tomorrow. When there's a lot of people there, but not the time. I've missed the Servants somehow. Heh. Also, I'll have to plan a trip to Heaven, and deal with the remaining requests from the heirs. Something tells me tomorrow's going to be a pretty active day. Although, why wouldn't it be, right?
-0-
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