Chapter 61: Bringing Back a Girl
______________________________________________________________
A book friend has contributed a group, those who are interested can join: 209131991 (QQ)
"It's nice to meet you, I'm Francis!" Francis politely extended his hand. From Ivanov's tone, it seemed that this female knight was going to be his subordinate, and it looked like they would have a lot of interactions in the future.
"Randigris! I've seen the adults!" The female knight grasped Francis's hand tightly, seemingly not very pleased with her new superior.
"Haha!" Francis naturally didn't mind the female knight's strength, and smoothly pulled out his own hand. What does this woman have against me? Francis felt a bit strange, I don't think I've provoked her just now!
"I've just returned from the Sacred Mountain of the Holy See of the Chaotic Empire! I've heard Lord Tyler mention you before!" Lantigriss gazed at Francis, who had risen to become a White Robed Executor despite being a scrawny mage with no accomplishments to speak of, all thanks to his close relationship with the Pope. And to think that she, who had worked tirelessly to complete multiple tasks, was still only an Assistant Executor and his direct subordinate.
"Taylor!? Who's Taylor?" Francis was taken aback for a moment, did he know this person?
"You don't know? Lord Taylor said you two used to drink together!" Lantie Gris's eyebrows jumped, was this guy playing with her again.
"Drinking? Taylor!?" Francis thought for a moment, wanting to say that it was the time when he drank with the people from the Holy See, which was the time when he drank a lot. "Ah ha! I remember now, it's that somewhat funny Dragon Knight! How embarrassing, he seemed to be the first one to get drunk... ...His dragon was the second!" Francis suddenly realized, so it was him after all!
"You're lying! Sir Taylor clearly said that he was the one who put everyone away, including his own dragon Alted, which also lost to him!" Lantigriss exclaimed excitedly, apparently as a Knight of Light, she admired the church's Dragon Knight Taylor.
"This can't be! You've been had, that guy's got some serious bragging skills, didn't notice it last time though!" Francis rubbed his chin, the knight and his giant dragon were quite comical.
"Bastard! You're the one who's lying, how could Sir Taylor, a paragon of knighthood, deceive people!" Lantigriss' tone was agitated as she glared at Francis.
“……” Francis stared speechlessly at the female knight in front of him, that Taylor was so obvious you'd also believe it. The eight virtues of a knight: compassion, honor, bravery, spirit, sacrifice, humility, justice, honesty, that guy had a bit too much to drink, probably couldn't remember even one, and yet he's a model of chivalry!
"Hmph! Can't say a word, can you? You hypocrite! Archbishop, I request that you change my superior. This man is truly against my knightly spirit!" Lantigriss turned around and walked up to Ivanov, saying, apparently dissatisfied with Francis.
"Ahem!" The conversation between the two, Ivanov also overheard, Tyler and his dragon Alaed, these two guys he had heard of! However, he couldn't say anything to Lantigriss. Apologetically glancing at Francis: "This won't do, all this has been arranged! And it's also what Sir Tyler intended, he hopes you can learn from Francis!"
"What? Lord Taylor wants me to... study with him?" Lantigriss looked at Francis in surprise, this weak guy was nothing special! And he's a fifth-tier mage, what could she, a sixth-tier knight, possibly learn from him.
"Yes! If I didn't mishear, that's what Tyler Knight said in the magical transmission." Ivanov tidied up the documents in his hand and said: "Francis is visiting the Imperial City for the first time. As a local host, you should take good care of him!"
"I understand!" Lantigua Gris said weakly. Since it's Master Taylor's intention, then so be it. A small fifth-grade mage is nothing to worry about, after all. Looking at Francis' arrogant face... wait, what's with the hat?! It seems like he didn't even take it off when he came in! What an impolite person! I bet he's ugly and that's why he's covering his face, yeah, that must be it!
Francis rubbed his nose and just then he 'accidentally' saw the thoughts in Lantigua's mind.
"Come on! I'll treat you to dinner, it's already afternoon!" Lantigua said reluctantly. The bishop had spoken, and no matter how unwilling he was, this guy would be his direct superior from now on, so he might as well make a good impression today.
"That's really embarrassing!" Francis said, but followed him without hesitation. "Bishop, my waist badge!" Francis remembered that he hadn't retrieved his deacon's waist badge yet, and turned to say to Ivanov.
"Hehe! Come back next time, these procedures are quite complicated and take some time. Next time you and Lantigris come to receive the task, I'll give it to you then!"
"A mission?" Francis suddenly remembered that the Pope had said something similar last time! But what kind of mission, the Pope didn't make clear, and Francis still doesn't quite understand to this day.
"Hmm! Isn't Lantigua supposed to invite you out for dinner? When the time comes, you can discuss it slowly with her, and she'll tell you!" Ivanov put on his glasses again and continued reviewing files.
"Alright!" Looking at Ivanov's busy schedule, Francis knew that was all he could ask.
"Hurry up! Stop dawdling!" Lantigua's voice came from outside, Francis hastily walked out, who knows who is the superior.
"Where to eat! Let's make it clear, if it's too expensive, I won't take you there!" Lantigua Gris took out a long cloak from the spatial ring and put it on, covering her slender figure, and also covered her face.
"You even have a space ring, would you still care about this little money?" Francis looked at Lantigriess putting on her long gown, this female knight was only one or two years older than himself, and she had a pretty good figure!
"Hmph!" Feeling Francis's gaze, Lantigua Gris let out a cold hum.
As expected, I've been found out! Francis rubbed his nose, someone had told him before that women were very sensitive to lingering gazes on their bodies.
"You! Francis, I've decided! You're going to treat me to dinner!" Lantigua Gris said suddenly.
"Huh? You've decided?" This is also too overbearing.
"Let's go! I'll choose the place!" Lantigua Gris felt increasingly bad about Francis and decided to take him down once and for all.
"Ah!" Francis followed behind Lantigua Gris, it seemed that this time the slaughter was unavoidable.
After following Lantigua through several streets, the two finally stopped in front of a large hotel entrance. The hotel had three floors and its luxurious decorations could be seen from outside. "This is it, Xiangxi Wine Tower, this is the most expensive place in the entire Imperial City. How about it? Dare to go in with me?" Lantigua asked provocatively, daring to look at me with that kind of gaze. You're going to die today.
"Come on in, I'm buying today!" Francis smiled slightly, taking it as his own apology.
"Hey! I didn't know you were a rich man, did I? Well, in that case, I won't be polite!" Lantigua Gris followed Francis inside.
"A room with a window!" Francis said to the approaching waiter. The waiter then led the two of them to the second floor and chose a small private room.
"Order whatever you want! I'm not very familiar with this place!" Francis pushed the menu handed over by the waiter to Lantigua Gris.
"Hmph! I won't be saving you any money, Lord Francis." Lantigriss took the menu, saying so, but she only ordered a few dishes and handed the menu back to Francis.
"Hmm! Is that all?" Francis asked in wonder, wasn't he supposed to make a fortune out of this?
"Am I that petty? And these dishes aren't cheap either! Don't make me end up paying for you."
"Haha!" Francis smiled and nodded, this woman's heart is still quite good! "Get another bottle of red wine, the one with this name!" Francis pointed to a name on the menu, which was the same as the one written on the wine given by the Pope last time.
"Please wait!" The young servant took over the menu and turned away.
"You're quite good at enjoying yourself, aren't you?" Lantigua Gris looked at Francis lounging comfortably in his chair, gazing out the window at the scenery.
"Hmm! People should learn to relax themselves a bit, otherwise it's going to be very tiring!"
"You speak like a philosopher!" Lantigua Gris stared tightly at Francis' face, as if her gaze could penetrate the hat.
"Your gaze is also too rude!" Francis said without turning his head.
"Oh! At least your lustful gaze is better than nothing!" The two of them started bickering, exchanging blows.
The prosperous imperial capital was still brightly lit even at night, with magic lamps made of alchemy on both sides of the road, so Francis didn't worry about not being able to see as he walked.
"Oh my god!!! Francis, you're completely useless!" Lantiegris's cheeks were flushed red as she was supported by Francis while walking on the road, already drunk. Feeling the warmth spreading from her body, Francis felt both relieved and regretful. Was it really that the knights of the church had such poor alcohol tolerance? Thinking back to how Lantiegris had shouted earlier that she wanted to put herself in a difficult position, but after two cups of wine, she began to speak nonsense. Looking at the completely drunk Lantiegris, Francis didn't dare leave her alone outside, it seemed he could only bring her home! However... thinking about how he went out for a day and ended up bringing back a drunken woman at night, Francis estimated his own outcome wouldn't be very good either.
"Alas! I'm really miserable!" Francis thought of the sharpness of the saber, wishing he could explain clearly. "No way! Lilia and I don't even have any relationship yet, why am I so worried!" Francis comforted himself.
Bending down to pick up Lantigua, Francis couldn't help but sigh, "Just a year or two older and she's developed so well. Is the food in the Imperial City really that nourishing?"
"It's already so late, and the young master still hasn't returned? Could something have happened to him!" Eriolos exclaimed. In the hall, Dis and several others were sitting together in a circle, Saber and Vivio trying to comfort Derfylia who was crying for her mother, while Gari took on the role of a punching bag with a sorrowful expression.
"How is that possible? You also know the young master's strength, how could someone in the Imperial City defeat him so easily without alarming us?" Dis was playing with the new engraving knife in his hand, which he had asked Eiros to buy for him this morning.
"It's still not you! Young master is leaving, and you're not following him either!"
"That's where you're wrong, Aeolus! You should know that the young master is already 17 years old this year! We need to give him some private space, do you understand? He's 17! What does that mean? It means he's already in puberty, and at this age, boys... Heh heh heh! I reckon he's probably looking for fun somewhere!" Dais said with malice.
"Nothing of the sort, young master is not that kind of person!" Eioulos directly vetoed with a black line on his head, carefully glancing at Saber: "Hmph! Dorothea is still here! Be careful what you say, don't corrupt the child."
"I'm back!" came Francis's voice from outside the door.
"Oh! Mom's back!" Dolores ran to the door, Saber and Vivian also followed her out, leaving only Gail lying on the ground, wanting to cry but having no tears.
"I'm telling you! Young master is not that kind of person!" Erylos said confidently.
"Aiolos, you're 15 now, right? Well, when you turn 17 or 18, you'll understand." Dais said confidently.
"What does it mean?" Aeolus asked curiously.
"Haha! Something's up!" Deece turned his head towards the doorway.
"Mom! Ugh! Something on me smells terrible!"
"Lia, what are you doing? It hurts so much! Ah——————!" Francis's mournful voice came from outside the door.
;